Comparative effects of low and high doses of clomipramine and placebo in panic disorder: a double-blind controlled study. French University Antidepressant Group.

This study was designed to explore the dose-response relationship for clomipramine in patients with panic disorder, with or without agoraphobia. After 1 week of single-blind placebo pretreatment, 180 such patients were assigned to a multicentre placebo-controlled comparison of the effects of high and low doses of clomipramine, and were followed up for 8 weeks. In alleviating anxiety and panic disorder, both clomipramine doses were more efficacious than placebo for panic disorder and, to a lesser degree, for phobia. The lower dose was better tolerated and at least as effective as the higher dose, sometimes more so. These results indicate the clinically important possibility that low-dose clomipramine is effective and well tolerated.