A Cochrane review [Abstract] 1 included 37 studies. The trials compared citalopram with other antidepressants, such as tricyclics, heterocyclics, SSRIs and other antidepressants, either conventional ones, such as mirtazapine, venlafaxine and reboxetine, or non-conventional, like hypericum, in patients with major depression. Citalopram was shown to be significantly less effective than escitalopram in achieving acute response (OR 1.47, 95% CI 1.08 to 2.02; 6 trials, n=1806), but more effective than paroxetine (OR 0.65, 95% CI 0.44 to 0.96; 1 trial, n=406) and reboxetine (OR 0.63, 95% CI 0.43 to 0.91; 2 trials, n=458). Significantly fewer patients allocated to citalopram withdrew from trials due to adverse events compared with patients allocated to tricyclics (OR 0.54, 95% CI 0.38 to 0.78; 8 studies, n=1216) and fewer patients allocated to citalopram reported at least one side effect than reboxetine or venlafaxine (OR 0.64, 95% CI 0.42 to 0.97; 1 trial, n=357 and OR 0.46, 95% CI 0.24 to 0.88; 1 trial, n=151, respectively).
Comment: The quality of evidence is downgraded by study quality (unclear allocation concealment)
Primary/Secondary Keywords