A comparative trial of the antidepressant, anxiolytic, and cardiovascular effects of trimipramine and doxepin in depressed hospitalized patients.

After a 1-week placebo washout, 25 depressed hospitalized patients were treated for 4 weeks with trimipramine or doxepin in a fixed equivalent dosage schedule ending in 150 mg h.s. The study used a parallel group double-blind design. Comparisons over time revealed that both drugs improved patients' overall well-being as indicated by the rating scales studied. Significant (p less than .05) differences between the treatments favored trimipramine over doxepin: the Hamilton scale diurnal variation cluster at Week 1 and the sleep disturbance factor at Week 4; the Clinical Global Impressions improvement index at Week 1; and the Anxiety Status Inventory somatic symptoms cluster at Week 4. No differences in blood pressure, heart rate, PVCs, or PACs were observed in any of the comparisons. The total number of side effects reported was greater in the doxepin-treated patients.