Science / Medicine : Antidepressive Drug Doses Studied
Compiled from Staff and Wire Reports
High doses of drugs used to treat depression may be more effective in preventing recurrent bouts of the disabling ailment than the lower doses that are often prescribed, according to a study by researchers at the University of Pittsburgh.
The researchers found that about 80% of the patients who received the full dose of the drug imipramine--about 200 milligrams per day--as well as once a month psychotherapy remained well for the entire three years of the study. On the average, patients entering the study had been having bouts of depression every two years for more than 12 years.
The 128-patient study appears in the December issue of the Archives of General Psychiatry.
