Generalized anxiety disorder hydroxyzine

Ferreri M, Hantouche EG (1998) Recent clinical trials of hydroxyzine in generalized anxiety disorder. Acta Psychiatr Scand 393 Suppl 102-108 Foa EB (2000) Psychosocial treatment of posttraumatic stress disorder. J Clin Psychiatry 61 Suppl 5 43-48... 

LaderM,ScottoJC( 1998) A multi centre double-blind comparison of hydroxyzine, buspirone and placebo in patients with generalized anxiety disorder. Psychopharmacology (Berl) 139 402-406... 

Ferreri M, Hantouche EG. Recent clinical trials of hydroxyzine in generalized anxiety disorder. Acta Psychiatr Scand Suppi 1998 393 102-108. 

The effects of hydroxyzine 50 mg/day, buspirone 20 mg/day, and placebo have been studied in 244 patients with generalized anxiety disorder in a double-bhnd placebo-controlled study (16). Hydroxyzine (n = 81) was considerably better than placebo (n = 81), and buspirone (n = 82) was intermediate. The main adverse effects were headache and migraine with buspirone (6.1 versus 4.9% with hydroxyzine and 1.2% with placebo). Somnolence occurred in 9.9% with hydroxyzine, 4.9% with buspirone, and none with placebo. Dizziness occurred in 6.1% with buspirone, none with hydroxyzine, and 2.5% with placebo. 

Llorca P, Spadone C, Sol O, et al. Efficacy and safety of hydroxyzine in the treatment of generalized anxiety disorder A 3-month double-blind study. J Clin Psychiatry 2002 63 1020-1027. 

The antihistamine hydroxyzine is an effective antianxiety agent, but only at doses (-400 mg/day) that produce marked sedation (see Chapter 24). Propranolol and metoprolol, lipophilic fi adrenergic receptor antagonists that enter the CNS, can reduce the autonomic symptoms (nervousness and muscle tremor) associated with specific situational or social phobias but do not appear to be effective in generalized anxiety or panic disorder (see Chapter 10). Similarly, other antiadrener-gic agents, including clonidine, may modify autonomic expression of anxiety but are not demonstrably usfful in the treatment of severe anxiety disorders. 

---