MAO inhibition and control of anxiety following amitriptyline therapy

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Abstract
In a pilot study, 32 patients with mixed states of anxiety, depression, somatization and panic received amitriptyline for 4 weeks, the dose ranging from 50 to 300 mg/day. Steady‐state plasma levels of the drug and activity of platelet monoamine oxidase were measured after 4 weeks. Clinical change was rated, using the SCL‐90. Amitriptyline produced a small but significant inhibition of platelet monoamine oxidase activity (range 1.4–82%). A significant positive correlation was noted between MAO inhibition and improvement on somatization, and psychological and panic‐phobic components of anxiety, but not for depression. No significant correlations were observed between improvement and combined or separate ami‐ + nortriptyline plasma levels.