Augmentation strategies with tricyclic or fluoxetine treatment in seven partially responsive panic disorder patients.
BACKGROUND
Although panic disorder is generally responsive to single antidepressant pharmacotherapy, a substantial percentage of patients fail either to respond adequately or to maintain a therapeutic response.


METHODS
The authors report on seven consecutive openly treated patients with panic disorder who showed inadequate antipanic responses to treatment regimens including either a tricyclic (TCA) or fluoxetine. Those patients taking a TCA had fluoxetine added and those patients taking fluoxetine had a TCA added.


RESULTS
All seven patients showed an improvement in antipanic response to the combination treatment.


CONCLUSIONS
The current case series is the first, to our knowledge, to suggest that the combination of a TCA and fluoxetine may provide a viable pharmacotherapeutic option for panic disorder patients who have failed to respond to an adequate trial of either a TCA or fluoxetine. Appropriate controlled studies are recommended.
Tiffon
L
L
Department of Psychiatry, College of Physicians and Surgeons of Columbia University, New York, NY.
Coplan
J D
JD
Papp
L A
LA
Gorman
J M
JM
D000328:Adult; D000525:Alprazolam / Q000627:therapeutic use; D000929:Antidepressive Agents, Tricyclic / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D003891:Desipramine / Q000627:therapeutic use; D004359:Drug Therapy, Combination; D005260:Female; D005473:Fluoxetine / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D006801:Humans; D007099:Imipramine / Q000627:therapeutic use; D008140:Lorazepam / Q000627:therapeutic use; D008297:Male; D016584:Panic Disorder / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000523:psychology; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D016896:Treatment Outcome
D000929:Antidepressive Agents, Tricyclic; D005473:Fluoxetine; D008140:Lorazepam; D007099:Imipramine; D003891:Desipramine; D000525:Alprazolam