Posted by dr. dave on August 22, 2002, at 5:23:48
In reply to Re: Three points, and then I'll drop this » Anyuser, posted by dr. dave on August 22, 2002, at 4:58:29
I've just seen my first patient who has been taking Lexapro 10mg for a month and says it has only very slghtly helped. He has asked for 'something stronger' although I offered the option of increasing the dose of Lexapro. This is just one patient, so pretty much meaningless in trying to establish Lexapro's overall characteristics, but I don't want it to be thought I wouldn't pursue Lexapro with someone who had started it if that's what they wanted, or that I wouldn't start it if someone particularly wanted to.
With regard to pharmrep's comments about my remote location - I'm not sure how it's relevant to a discussion about this antidepressant. The important thing is attempting to look at the facts objectively.
Why do I keep mentioning expense? I have explained this. With limited resources, it makes sense to spend them wisely, which I think means not paying for more expensive treatments unless it's clear they're more beneficial. In Europe, generic citalopram is at most 75% the cost of Lexapro.
I don't agree the side-effect profile is more favourable. Partly this is because Lundbeck are saying the side-effect profiles are the same. They are specifically not claiming any improved side-effect profile. Sometimes I do accept what the reps tell me.
There are new figures on side-effect rates in citalopram because they were measured at the same time as the Lexapro figures, in the studies analysed by Gorman. Strangely, they don't seem to have been publicised at all, nor are they included in the paper. This would seem very relevant information, wouldn't it?
poster:dr. dave
thread:109458
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/20020821/msgs/117356.html