Double-Blind, Placebo-Controlled, Crossover Trial of Inositol Treatment for Panic Disorder

Benjamin, Jonathan
Levine, Joseph
Fux, Mendel
Aviv, Alex
Levy, Daniel
Belmaker, R.H.

Received July 19, 1994; revision received Dec. 9, 1994; accepted Jan. 19, 1995. From Soroka Medical Center, Kupat Holim Sick Fund of the Histadrut, Beersheba; the Mental Health Center, Beersheba Ministry of Health; the Division of Psychiatry, Ben Gurion University of the Negev; and Abarbanel Mental Health Center, Bat Yam Ministry of Health, Israel. Address reprint requests to Dr. Benjamin, Bldg. 10, Rm. 3D41, NIMH, Laboratory of Clinical Science, 9000 Rockville Pike, Bethesda, MD 20892.

American Journal of Psychiatry 152(7):p 1084-1086, July 1995.

Objective

Because they found in an earlier study that inositol, an important intracellular second-messenger precursor, was effective against depression in open and double-blind trials, the authors studied its effectiveness against panic disorder. Method: Twenty-one patients with panic disorder with or without agoraphobia completed a double-blind, placebo-controlled, 4-week, random-assignment crossover treatment trial of 12 g/day of inositol. Results: The frequency and severity of panic attacks and the severity of agoraphobia declined significantly more after inositol than after placebo administration. Side effects were minimal. Conclusions: The authors conclude that inositol's efficacy, the absence of significant side effects, and the fact that inositol is a natural component of the human diet make it a potentially attractive therapeutic for panic disorder. (Am J Psychiatry 1995; 152:1084-1086)