Comprehensive Psychiatry
Volume 48, Issue 5 , Pages 419-425 , September 2007

Three-year medication prophylaxis in panic disorder: to continue or discontinue? A naturalistic study

  • Yujuan Choy

      Affiliations

    • Freedom from Fear, Staten Island, NY 10305, USA
    • Student Health Center/Mental Health Clinic, University of California, Irvine, CA 92697, USA
    • Corresponding Author InformationCorresponding author. 4199 Campus Dr, Suite 550, Irvine, CA 92612, USA. Tel.: +1 949 725 2951.
  • ,
  • Eric D. Peselow

      Affiliations

    • Freedom from Fear, Staten Island, NY 10305, USA
  • ,
  • Brady G. Case

      Affiliations

    • Freedom from Fear, Staten Island, NY 10305, USA
  • ,
  • Mary Ann Pressman

      Affiliations

    • Freedom from Fear, Staten Island, NY 10305, USA
  • ,
  • Jamie A. Luff

      Affiliations

    • Freedom from Fear, Staten Island, NY 10305, USA
  • ,
  • Gonzalo Laje

      Affiliations

    • Freedom from Fear, Staten Island, NY 10305, USA
  • ,
  • Mary Paizis

      Affiliations

    • Freedom from Fear, Staten Island, NY 10305, USA
  • ,
  • Patrick Ying

      Affiliations

    • Freedom from Fear, Staten Island, NY 10305, USA
  • ,
  • Mary T. Guardino

      Affiliations

    • Freedom from Fear, Staten Island, NY 10305, USA

References 

  1. Kessler RC, Berglund P, Demler O, Jin R, Merikangas KR, Walters EE. Lifetime prevalence and age-of-onset distributions of DSM-IV disorders in the National Comorbidity Survey Replication. Arch Gen Psychiatry. 2005;62(6):593–602
  2. Cowley DS. Alcohol abuse, substance abuse, and panic disorder. Am J Med. 1992;92(1A):41S–48S
  3. Bowen R, South M, Hawkes J. Mood swings in patients with panic disorder. Can J Psychiatry. 1994;39(2):91–94
  4. Savino M, Perugi G, Simonini E, Soriani A, Cassano GB, Akiskal HS. Affective comorbidity in panic disorder: is there a bipolar connection?. J Affect Disord. 1993;28(3):155–163
  5. Kessler RC. The prevalence of psychiatric morbidity. In:  Wetzler S,  Sanderson W editor. Treatment strategies for patients with psychiatric comorbidity. New York: John Wiley & Sons, Inc.; 1997;p. 23–48
  6. Mavissakalian M. The relationship between panic disorder/agoraphobia and personality disorders. Psychiatr Clin North Am. 1990;13(4):661–684
  7. Pollack MH, Smoller JW. The longitudinal course and outcome of panic disorder. Psychiatr Clin North Am. 1995;18(4):785–801
  8. Keller MB, Yonkers KA, Warshaw MG, et al. Remission and relapse in subjects with panic disorder and panic with agoraphobia: a prospective short-interval naturalistic follow-up. J Nerv Ment Dis. 1994;182(5):290–296
  9. Pollack MH, Otto MW, Rosenbaum JF, et al. Longitudinal course of panic disorder: findings from the Massachusetts General Hospital Naturalistic Study. J Clin Psychiatry. 1990;51(Suppl A):12–16
  10. Markowitz JS, Weissman MM, Ouellette R, Lish JD, Klerman GL. Quality of life in panic disorder. Arch Gen Psychiatry. 1989;46(11):984–992
  11. Mogotsi M, Kaminer D, Stein DJ. Quality of life in the anxiety disorders. Harv Rev Psychiatry. 2000;8(6):273–282
  12. Candilis PJ, McLean RY, Otto MW, et al. Quality of life in patients with panic disorder. J Nerv Ment Dis. 1999;187(7):429–434
  13. Coryell W, Noyes R, Clancy J. Excess mortality in panic disorder. A comparison with primary unipolar depression. Arch Gen Psychiatry. 1982;39(6):701–703
  14. Weissman MM, Klerman GL, Markowitz JS, Ouellette R. Suicidal ideation and suicide attempts in panic disorder and attacks. N Engl J Med. 1989;321(18):1209–1214
  15. Noyes R. Suicide and panic disorder: a review. J Affect Disord. 1991;22(1-2):1–11
  16. Gorman J, Shear K, Cowley DS, et al. Practice guideline for the treatment of patients with panic disorder. In:  McIntyre J,  Charles S editor. American Psychiatric Association Practice Guidelines for the Treatment of Psychiatric Disorders: Compendium 2002. Washington (DC): American Psychiatric Association; 1998;p. 635–696
  17. Rapaport MH, Wolkow R, Rubin A, Hackett E, Pollack M, Ota KY. Sertraline treatment of panic disorder: results of a long-term study. Acta Psychiatr Scand. 2001;104(4):289–298
  18. Noyes R, Garvey MJ, Cook B, Suelzer M. Controlled discontinuation of benzodiazepine treatment for patients with panic disorder. Am J Psychiatry. 1991;148(4):517–523
  19. Lepola U, Koponen H, Leinonen E. A naturalistic 6-year follow-up study of patients with panic disorder. Acta Psychiatr Scand. 1996;93(3):181–183
  20. Mavissakalian MR, Perel JM. Long-term maintenance and discontinuation of imipramine therapy in panic disorder with agoraphobia. Arch Gen Psychiatry. 1999;56(9):821–827
  21. Montgomery S, Asberg M. A new depression scale designed to be sensitive to change. Br J Psychiatry. 1979;134:382–389
  22. Hamilton M. The assessment of anxiety states by rating. Br J Med Psychol. 1959;32:50–55
  23. Guy W. ECDEU assessment manual for psychopharmacology. Maryland: National Institute of Mental Health; 1976;
  24. Mavissakalian MR, Perel JM. Duration of imipramine therapy and relapse in panic disorder with agoraphobia. J Clin Psychopharmacol. 2002;22(3):294–299
  25. Roy-Byrne PP, Dager SR, Cowley DS, Vitaliano P, Dunner DL. Relapse and rebound following discontinuation of benzodiazepine treatment of panic attacks: alprazolam versus diazepam. Am J Psychiatry. 1989;146(7):860–865
  26. Fyer AJ, Liebowitz MR, Gorman JM, et al. Discontinuation of alprazolam treatment in panic patients. Am J Psychiatry. 1987;144(3):303–308
  27. Lotufo-Neto F, Bernik M, Ramos RT, et al. A dose-finding and discontinuation study of clomipramine in panic disorder. J Psychopharmacol. 2001;15(1):13–17
  28. Weisberg RB, Machan JT, Dyck IR, Keller MB. Do panic symptoms during periods of remission predict relapse of panic disorder?. J Nerv Ment Dis. 2002;190(3):190–197
  29. Simon NM, Safren SA, Otto MW, Sharma SG, Lanka GD, Pollack MH. Longitudinal outcome with pharmacotherapy in a naturalistic study of panic disorder. J Affect Disord. 2002;69(1-3):201–208
  30. Andersch S, Hetta J. A 15-year follow-up study of patients with panic disorder. Eur Psychiatry. 2003;18:401–408
  31. Cowley DS, Flick SN, Roy-Byrne PP. Long-term course and outcome in panic disorder: a naturalistic follow-up study. Anxiety. 1996;2(1):13–21
  32. Toni C, Perugi G, Frare F, et al. A prospective naturalistic study of 326 panic-agoraphobic patients treated with antidepressants. Pharmacopsychiatry. 2000;33(4):121–131
  33. Katschnig H, Amering M, Stolk JM, et al. Long-term follow-up after a drug trial for panic disorder. Br J Psychiatry. 1995;167(4):487–494
  34. Noyes R, Reich J, Christiansen J, Suelzer M, Pfohl B, Coryell WA. Outcome of panic disorder. Relationship to diagnostic subtypes and comorbidity. Arch Gen Psychiatry. 1990;47(9):809–818
  35. Fava GA, Zielezny M, Savron G, Grandi S. Long-term effects of behavioural treatment for panic disorder with agoraphobia. Br J Psychiatry. 1995;166(1):87–92
  36. Scheibe G, Albus M. Predictors of outcome in panic disorder: a 5-year prospective follow-up study. J Affect Disord. 1996;41(2):111–116
  37. Otto MW, Pollack MH, Sachs GS, Reiter SR, Meltzer-Brody S, Rosenbaum JF. Discontinuation of benzodiazepine treatment: efficacy of cognitive-behavioral therapy for patients with panic disorder. Am J Psychiatry. 1993;150(10):1485–1490
  38. Spiegel DA, Bruce TJ, Gregg SF, Nuzzarello A. Does cognitive behavior therapy assist slow-taper alprazolam discontinuation in panic disorder?. Am J Psychiatry. 1994;151(6):876–881
  39. Biondi M, Picardi A. Increased probability of remaining in remission from panic disorder with agoraphobia after drug treatment in patients who received concurrent cognitive-behavioural therapy: a follow-up study. Psychother Psychosom. 2003;72(1):34–42
  40. Pollack MH, Otto MW, Tesar GE, Cohen LS, Meltzer-Brody S, Rosenbaum JF. Long-term outcome after acute treatment with alprazolam or clonazepam for panic disorder. J Clin Psychopharmacol. 1993;13(4):257–263
  41. Elkin I, Pilkonis PA, Docherty JP, Sotsky SM. Conceptual and methodological issues in comparative studies of psychotherapy and pharmacotherapy, I: active ingredients and mechanisms of change. Am J Psychiatry. 1988;145(8):909–917

 This study was not supported by any outside grant or sponsored by any pharmaceutical companies. Study was completed at the Freedom from Fear, 308 Seaview Avenue, Staten Island, NY 10305.

PII: S0010-440X(07)00048-X

doi: 10.1016/j.comppsych.2007.04.003

Comprehensive Psychiatry
Volume 48, Issue 5 , Pages 419-425 , September 2007