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Lorazepam in anxiety associated with chronic enteritis and ulcerative colitis
The Journal of Clinical Psychiatry
|October 1, 1978
Summary
Lorazepam significantly reduced anxiety symptoms in patients with chronic enteritis and ulcerative colitis compared to placebo. This study found lorazepam to be an effective antianxiety treatment with infrequent side effects.
Area of Science:
- Gastroenterology
- Psychiatry
- Clinical Pharmacology
Background:
- Anxiety is a common comorbidity in patients with chronic inflammatory bowel diseases such as ulcerative colitis.
- Effective management of anxiety can improve patient outcomes and quality of life in these conditions.
Purpose of the Study:
- To compare the antianxiety efficacy of lorazepam versus placebo in patients with moderate to severe anxiety.
- To assess the efficacy in patients diagnosed with chronic enteritis and ulcerative colitis.
Main Methods:
- A double-blind, placebo-controlled study involving 48 patients.
- Gastroenterologists administered lorazepam (3 mg/day, divided doses) or placebo for 4 weeks.
- Efficacy was measured using physician-rated Global and Hamilton Scales and patient-rated 35-Item Scales.
Main Results:
- Lorazepam demonstrated statistically significant improvement in anxiety symptoms compared to placebo across all rating scales.
- Improvements were observed consistently throughout the assessment periods.
- Reported side effects associated with lorazepam were infrequent.
Conclusions:
- Lorazepam is an effective treatment for reducing anxiety symptoms in patients with chronic enteritis and ulcerative colitis.
- The study supports the use of lorazepam as an adjunctive therapy for anxiety in this patient population.
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