Treatment response to valproate in case with generalized anxiety disorder resistant to antidepressants

Abstract

Objective: Pharmacological treatment of anxiety disorders is an active research field and Selective Serotonin Reuptake Inhibitors (SSRIs) are considered to be the first line of drugs in this treatment. In cases resistant to SSRI, in addition to serotonin-noradrenaline reuptake inhibitors (SNRIs), antiepileptic drugs that have anxiolytic activity by increasing the efficiency of gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA) such as valproate can be used. Methods: Observational case report. Results: The author describes the use of valproic acid in the treatment of a patient who had resistant anxiety symptoms despite the treatment with SSRIs and SNRIs in appropriate doses for appropriate time. Conclusions:The favorable response obtained with the use of valproate outside of its classical indications in our patient who was resistant to antidepressants indicates that valproate should be considered in anxiety disorders. ARTICLE HISTORY

Unconditioned and conditioned anxiolytic effects of Sodium Valproate on flavor neophobia and fear conditioning

“…Thus, it seems that this drug could be useful in a wide range of disorders in which anxiety plays a leading role. For example, there are studies suggesting its effectiveness for the treatment of social anxiety disorders [24], post-traumatic stress disorders [66,67], and generalized anxiety disorders [68,69], among others. The findings of our study support previous research on potential application of this drug as an anxiolytic agent and include evidence of the contextual influence that accompanies drug use, already demonstrated in other substances [8,9,70,71], and increasingly present in the clinical treatment of anxiety [72][73][74].…”