Comparing effectiveness of a combined herbal drug based on Echium amoenum with Citalopram in the treatment of Major Depressive Disorder.

BACKGROUND: According to new studies, only 60% of depressed patients respond to pharmaceutical treatment while suffering from their side effects. Natural products as adjuvant or alternative therapies should be examined to find safer and more effective ways to cope with depression.

OBJECTIVE: Finding out the potential benefits of a combined herbal drug based on Echium amoenum compared with citalopram in the treatment of Major Depressive Disorder.

DESIGN AND SETTING: In psychiatry clinics of Mashhad University of Medical Sciences, 50 patients who met the criteria for Major Depressive Disorder based on DSM-5 were studied in a parallel randomized controlled trial.

INTERVENTION: Subjects were randomly assigned to receive Echium amoenum compound syrup (EACS) or citalopram tablet for 8 weeks.

OUTCOME MEASURES: The efficacy of treatments and recurrence of disease were surveyed and compared according to Hamilton depression rating scale at weeks 0, 4, 8, 12.

RESULTS: Patients in both groups of citalopram and EACS showed remarkable reduction in scores of Hamilton questionnaire. At the eighth week of treatment the mean scores in EACS group was significantly lower than citalopram group (p-value = 0.03). 52% of patients suffered from various complications in citalopram group while just 12% of patients in EACS group reported few complications.

CONCLUSION: Clinical efficacy of this herbal drug was significantly higher than citalopram, and complications were also less and lower in EACS group. Further studies with larger groups and para-clinical assessments such as serologic tests and QEEG would improve our understanding of the impacts and mechanisms of EACS.