02/05/10

Two well-known antidepressants - Zoloft (Pfizer) and Lexapro (Forest Laboratories) - have been called the most effective antidepressants according to the conducted studies that included a comparison of twelve different drugs used to treat depression.

In addition, Lexapro and Zoloft have been also called the most well tolerated drugs.

There have been made more than 100 studies which found that the gold standard in antidepressants are Lexapro and Zoloft by various indexes such as safety, value for money, etc.. This information is very useful for patients who are in need of starting a therapy to fight depression.

The studies have lasted for 16 years involving 25 thousand male and female patients suffering from a major depressive disorder. As the results showed, both sertraline (Zoloft) and escitalopram (Lexapro) were the best in reducing the depression symptoms after a 8-week therapy. The drop-out rates were considered as well. Much more patients remained on Lexapro and Zoloft compared with other antidepressants like Cymbalta (duloxetine), Paxil (paroxetine), Effexor (venlafaxine), and Luvox (fluvoxamine).

The most valuable result of the studies is a possibility to prescribe the 2 above mentioned "leaders" as a starting therapy for the patients with moderate to severe depressive disorders due to the effectiveness and accessibility of the drugs.

Lexapro is an antidepressant, a selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor (SSRI). Inhibition of serotonin reuptake leads to increased concentrations of this neurotransmitter in the synaptic cleft, strengthens and prolongs its action on postsynaptic receptor sites. It is used to treat depressive disorders of various severity and panic disorders with or without agoraphobia.

The main contraindication for Lexapro use are hypersensitivity to the drug or its components, patients aged 15 and less, simultaneous administration with inhibitors of monoamine oxidase (MAO), pregnancy, and breastfeeding.

Lexapro is a relatively safe drug with the side effects occurring most often during 10 to 14 days after initiating the treatment with tendency to becoming less intense and less often throughout the treatment course. The most frequently occur nausea, decreased appetite, diarrhea, constipation, insomnia or drowsiness, dizziness, weakness, excessive sweating, pyrexia, sinusitis, decreased libido, impotence, abnormal ejaculation, anorgasmia (in females). Less common adverse reactions include taste perversions and sleep disturbance.

In addition, after prolonged use, the abrupt discontinuation of therapy with Lexapro can lead to withdrawal reactions such as dizziness, headaches and nausea, the severity of which is insignificant, and the duration is limited.

Zoloft is another antidepressant, a specific inhibitor of serotonin reuptake. The antidepressant effect develops within 2-4 weeks of the drug's administration. Zoloft has a broader indications range than Lexapro, and is intended for treatment of depression of various etiologies, obsessive-compulsive disorders, panic disorders (with or without agoraphobia), social phobia, and post-traumatic stress disorder.