title: Maintenance therapy with fluoxetine in posttraumatic stress disorder: a placebo-controlled discontinuation study.
abstract: The effect of fluoxetine (FLU) in posttraumatic stress disorder was studied in a one-year trial. Subjects received open-label treatment for 6 months, followed by double-blind randomized treatment with FLU or placebo (PBO) for 6 months. Rates of relapse were compared using the Clinical Global Impressions of Improvement. One hundred twenty-three subjects entered open-label treatment, of whom 114 returned at least once. Sixty-two subjects were randomized to receive FLU or PBO, of whom 57 returned at least once and were analyzed. The dose of FLU ranged from 10 to 60 mg/d; at randomization, mean doses were 48.6 and 42.1 mg for FLU and PBO groups. Rates of relapse were 22% for FLU versus 50% for PBO (P = 0.02), and time to relapse on FLU was longer than for PBO (P = 0.02, log-rank statistic). The odds ratio for relapse on PBO relative to FLU was 3.50. No significant differences were found on other measures. Fluoxetine was well tolerated during double-blind treatment.
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Duke University Medical Center, Durham, NC 27710, USA. Johnathan.Davidson@duke.edu
authors.forename: Jonathan R T
authors.initials: JR
authors.lastname: Davidson
authors.forename: Kathryn M
authors.initials: KM
authors.lastname: Connor
authors.forename: Michael A
authors.initials: MA
authors.lastname: Hertzberg
authors.forename: Richard H
authors.initials: RH
authors.lastname: Weisler
authors.forename: William H
authors.initials: WH
authors.lastname: Wilson
authors.forename: Victoria M
authors.initials: VM
authors.lastname: Payne
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D004311:Double-Blind Method; D004834:Epilepsy, Post-Traumatic / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000517:prevention & control* / Q000523:psychology; D005260:Female; D005473:Fluoxetine / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D055502:Secondary Prevention; D016896:Treatment Outcome
chemical_list: D005473:Fluoxetine