Original Research Article
Year: 2021 | Month: January | Volume: 11 | Issue: 1 | Pages: 163-173
A Prospective, Randomized, Open Label Study to Assess the Role of Vitamin C as an Adjuvant to Paroxetine in Pharmacotherapy of Major Depressive Disorder
Kohima Aggarwal1, Navyug Raj Singh2, Neeru Bala3, Mohd Akbar Bhat4, Subheet Kumar Jain5, Shubham Thakur6, Ridhima Sood7
1Junior Resident, Department of Pharmacology, Government Medical College, Amritsar
2Professor, Department of Pharmacology, Government Medical College, Amritsar
3Associate Professor and Head, Department of Psychiatry, Government Medical College, Amritsar
4Research Scientist-II, Multi-Disciplinary Research Unit, Government Medical College, Amritsar
5Professor, Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Guru Nanak Dev University, Amritsar
6Senior Research Fellow, Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Guru Nanak Dev University, Amritsar
7Student, S S Institute of Medical Sciences & Research Centre, Davangere, Karnataka
Corresponding Author: Neeru Bala
ABSTRACT
Background: Oxidative stress has long been implicated as a cause for depression. Thus the present study was conducted with the aim of the study to evaluate the role of Vitamin C an antioxidant as an adjuvant to paroxetine in the pharmacotherapy of major depressive disorder.
Methods: This study was a prospective, interventional, randomized, parallel comparative and open label study. Sixty patients diagnosed as a case of major depressive disorder in accordance to ICD-10 criteria between the age group of 18-65 years of either sex were enrolled after taking a written informed consent. Group A (treatment) was given oral vitamin C 500 mg twice daily along with oral paroxetine, whereas group B (control) was given only oral paroxetine for the duration of 12 weeks.
Results: A highly significant (p < 0.001) reduction in Hamilton depression rating scale (HDRS) scores was observed in both the groups A and B individually. Clinical global impression (CGI) scale also shows highly significant (p < 0.001) reduction in the groups. A highly significant (p < 0.001) intergroup difference, with better results shown by group A was also observed.
Conclusions: Vitamin C supplementation was well tolerated and showed better outcomes when used as an adjuvant with paroxetine in comparison to standard paroxetine alone.
Key words: Major depressive disorder, vitamin C, paroxetine, HDRS, CGI.