Effects of beta adrenergic blockade with sotalol in chronic anxiety

Abstract

Psychiatrie outpatients with chronic anxiety of at least 6 months in duration were treated with sotalol (MJ 1999), a beta receptor‐blocking drug, and placebo for 2 weeks each in a crossover trial using double‐blind procedure. Ratings of anxiety and its bodily manifestations were made by therapist and patient after each treatment. Finger tremor was measured by power spectral analysis using a laboratory computer. Significant drug‐placebo ditferences were found for a number of clinical ratings, but for many of these there was discrepancy between patient and therapist. Reasons for this are discussed. Sotalol was also found to reduce the amount of tremor. It is suggested that sotalol has a place in the treatment of anxiety, particularly in patients with tremor as a maior symptom, but is unlikely to be etfective as a sole therapeutic agent.

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