Paroxetine versus amitriptyline in patients with recurrent major depression: A double-blind trial.

Introduction: Long-term exposure to antidepressants is required to prevent relapses and recurrences in patients with recurrent major depression. Furthermore, a good pharmacological compliance is the key to successful long-term treatment. Since the early phases of a treatment influence long-term compliance and compliance is adversely affected by poorly tolerated treatments, efficacy and tolerability of paroxetine and amitryptiline over 12 weeks were compared as an introduction to the issue of long-term compliance to these two agents.