A double‐blind study of L‐sulpiride versus amitriptyline in lithium‐maintained bipolar depressives

Abstract
A double-blind group comparison study of L-sulpiride and amitriptyline was carried out in 30 bipolar outpatients on maintenance treatment with lithium suffering from a major depressive recurrence. L-sulpiride showed equivalent antidepressant activity to amitriptyline at 4 weeks using the Hamilton Rating Scale for Depression. However, the onset of action was faster in the L-sulpiride group, showing a significant improvement at 1 week in both anxiety-somatization and specific depression items, including depressed mood, feelings of guilt, work & activities and retardation. The incidence of anticholinergic side effects was significantly higher in the amitriptyline treatment group.

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