title: A comparison of the safety and efficacy of bupropion HCL and amitriptyline hcl in depressed outpatients.
abstract: 1. Thirty adult outpatients diagnosed with depressive illness were treated with either bupropion HCL or amitriptyline HCL. 2. Weekly ratings of efficacy and safety were undertaken using the Hamilton Depression, Hamilton Anxiety, Clinical Global Improvement, and Treatment Emergent Symptom Scales. Periodic physical investigations were also performed. 3. After 4 weeks of active treatment patients in both drug groups showed significant improvement on all rating scales. 4. The side effect profile of each drug was clinically different from one another with a notable absence of anticholinergic side effects characteristic of the bupropion group. 5. No significant laboratory or physical changes were found although slight changes in weight were noted with bupropion patients having a slight weight loss and amitriptyline patients a slight weight gain. There were no withdrawal effects from discontinuing either drug.
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000639:Amitriptyline / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D000928:Antidepressive Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D016642:Bupropion; D002986:Clinical Trials as Topic; D003866:Depressive Disorder / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000523:psychology; D004311:Double-Blind Method; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D011427:Propiophenones / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000627:therapeutic use*
chemical_list: D000928:Antidepressive Agents; D011427:Propiophenones; D016642:Bupropion; D000639:Amitriptyline