Comparative study of venlafaxine and alprazolam in generalized anxiety disorder

Objective:To compare the clinical efficacy and side effects between venlafaxine and alprzolam in the treatment of generalized anxiety disorder. Methods: 66 patients with generalized anxiety disorder were randomly assigned to venlafaxine group (n=33) and alprazolam group (n=33) and followed by the medication for 6 weeks. The clinical effects and side effects were tested with Hamilton depressive scale (HAMA), self-rating anxiety scale (SAS) and treatment emergent symptom scale (TESS). Results: The scores of HAMA and SAS in both venlafaxine and alprazolam group reduced significantly at the end of 2nd week after treatment(P0.05), and the same findings were observed between the two groups after six weeks of medication(P0.01), but the side effects were less in venlafaxine group than alprzolam group. Conclusion:Venlafaxine is effective in treating generalized anxiety disorder with safety and mild side effects.