A retrospective assessment of the long-term effects of dothiepin.
A hospital-based study reports the treatment with dothiepin hydrochloride (Prothiaden) of 237 depressed patients, some for over 2 years. Of the initial 237 patients a total of 84 patients had to be withdrawn from the study, over one third of these because of non-attendance. Only 26 (11.8%) of all patients failed to respond and 23 (9.7%) had to be withdrawn because of side effects, the commonest being dry mouth (6 patients) and drowsiness (4). The dosage required was between 75 and 225 mg/day with 75% of patients receiving between 125 and 150 mg/day. The majority of patients (75.2%) were well and off therapy by 9 months but a hard core of 30 patients (19.6%) required long-term therapy in excess of 2 years. The study showed dothiepin to be a well tolerated, safe and effective antidepressant with a special place in the treatment of chronic depressive states in inadequate personalities.
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D003315:Cornea / Q000187:drug effects; D003863:Depression / Q000188:drug therapy*; D003988:Dibenzothiepins / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D004308:Dothiepin / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007908:Lens, Crystalline / Q000187:drug effects; D008134:Long-Term Care; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D014785:Vision, Ocular / Q000187:drug effects
D003988:Dibenzothiepins; D004308:Dothiepin