Butriptyline hydrochloride and imipramine hydrochloride in the treatment of non-psychotic depression

A comparison between butriptyline hydrochloride and one of the most widely-used tricyclic antidepressants, imipramine hydrochloride, was undertaken in 28 patients suffering from non-psychotic depression in a doubleblind trial. Three criteria-side-effects, depression and anxiety-were observed at each visit. The scoring system representing degree of change from one visit to the other ranged from - 2 to +10, higher values indicating better reactions to the drug. For each patient, the changes in individual criteria were accumulated up to the patient's last visit. The number of patient observations per pair at weekly or fortnightly intervals varied between 2 and 5. Butriptyline hydrochloride was superior to imipramine hydrochloride in accumulated change on all three criteria, the difference being statistically significant at the 99% level (P < 0,01).S. Afr. Med. J., 48, 873 (1974)