title: Combined treatment with imipramine and mianserin. A controlled pilot study.
abstract: The effect of imipramine plus mianserin and imipramine plus a placebo was compared in 40 depressed patients with a median age of 60 years. The imipramine dosage was flexible to give a plasma concentration around 200 nmol/l and mianserin was given at a fixed dosage of 30 mg daily. After six weeks of treatment the results showed that the scores on the Hamilton Depression Scale as well as on the Melancholia Scale were significantly more improved in the imipramine-plus-minaserin group than in the group of patients receiving imipramine alone (P less than 0.01). In terms of percentage of improvement (a reduction of baseline rating scores of 50% or more) 77% of the imipramine-plus-mianserin group had improved, compared with 27% of the imipramine group. The combination of imipramine and mianserin was well tolerated both as regards clinical side-effects and laboratory tests.
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychiatry, Frederiksborg General Hospital, Hillerød, Denmark.
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Lauritzen
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Clemmesen
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Klysner
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Loldrup
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Lunde
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Schaumburg
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Waarst
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Bech
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D003866:Depressive Disorder / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000523:psychology; D003891:Desipramine / Q000097:blood; D004359:Drug Therapy, Combination; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007099:Imipramine / Q000097:blood / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D008297:Male; D008803:Mianserin / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D008875:Middle Aged; D010865:Pilot Projects; D011569:Psychiatric Status Rating Scales
chemical_list: D008803:Mianserin; D007099:Imipramine; D003891:Desipramine