Anxiolytic effects of venlafaxine/olanzapine combination in treatment of anxious depression.

OBJECTIVE: Both venlafaxine and olanzapine have been previously found to have anxiolytic properties, however no study examined the effect of their combination on anxiety in anxious MDD. The aim of this study was to reveal if and when venlafaxine/olanzapine combination (VOC) can reduce the anxiety and depressive symptoms in patients with severe MDD at the level of patients with moderate-severe depression treated with venlafaxine monotherapy. METHODS: Fifty seven patients were included into the study. Symptoms of depression were objectively assessed by Montgomery-Asberg Depression Rating Scale and subjectively scored by BECK Depression scale, symptoms of anxiety were objectively assessed by Hamilton Anxiety scale and subjectively evluated by ZUNG Self-Rating Anxiety scale before treatment and after each following week untill the fourth week of treatment. RESULTS: VOC eliminated the pre-treatment score differences in all the scales within the first week of treatment. At the third week, VOC group had significantly lower level of anxiety symptoms and the effect maintained through the fourth week of medication. CONCLUSION: Our results indicate that VOC could replace another anxiolytic medication in managing the symptoms of anxiety in patients with severe anxious MDD already within the first week of treatment.