The Comparison Study between Venlafaxine and Fluoxetine in the Treatment of Depression

Objective To explore the efficacy and side effects of the venlafaxine and fluoxetine in the treatment of depression.Methods 70 patients with depression were randomly assigned to venlafaxine group and fluoxetine group.The patients were treated for 6 weeks.The efficacy was evaluated with Hamilton depression scale(HAMD),and the side effects were evaluated with treatments emergent symptoms scale(TESS).Results Total effective rates were 85.3% in the venlafaxine group and 83.3% in the fluoxetine group,the total efficacies of both groups were equivalent(P 0.05).The HAMD scores lowered more significantly in the venlafaxine group than in the fluoxetine group at the end of the 1st and 2nd week.Adverse reactions of both groups were mild and there were no significant difference in incidences and TESS scores(P 0.05).Conclusion Venlafaxine was effective,with fast onset of action and minor adverse reactions in treatment of depression.