Coadministration of a beta-adrenergic antagonist and a tricyclic antidepressant: a pilot study.

After a 7-day washout period, 16 subjects suffering from unipolar depression were randomly assigned to either desipramine (DMI) or DMI plus propranolol treatment for 21 days. Both groups showed a significant improvement in their scores on the Hamilton Rating Scale for Depression (HRSD) after 21 days of drug treatment. However, there was no significant difference in the improvement in HRSD scores between the two groups. The results of this pilot study support the need to reevaluate the popular belief that propranolol induces or worsens depression.