1. Clorazepate and lorazepam: clinical improvement and rebound anxiety.
- Author
-
Rickels K, Fox IL, Greenblatt DJ, Sandler KR, and Schless A
- Subjects
- Adult, Anxiety Disorders etiology, Anxiety Disorders psychology, Clinical Trials as Topic, Clorazepate Dipotassium adverse effects, Clorazepate Dipotassium pharmacokinetics, Double-Blind Method, Female, Half-Life, Humans, Lorazepam adverse effects, Lorazepam pharmacokinetics, Male, Psychiatric Status Rating Scales, Substance Withdrawal Syndrome psychology, Anti-Anxiety Agents therapeutic use, Anxiety Disorders drug therapy, Clorazepate Dipotassium therapeutic use, Lorazepam therapeutic use, Substance Withdrawal Syndrome etiology
- Abstract
Sixty-two anxious patients were treated under double-blind conditions for 4 weeks with either clorazepate or lorazepam. Two-thirds of each treatment group were then switched abruptly to placebo for 2 weeks, while one-third continued to receive active medication. Two major findings were obtained. About 70% of the patients maintained improvement during the 2-week placebo period. Some patients, however, experienced rebound anxiety, which appeared to be more intense and occurred earlier when placebo was substituted for a benzodiazepine with a short half-life (lorazepam) than for one with a long half-life (clorazepate). The clinical relevance of these findings is discussed.
- Published
- 1988
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