Patient acceptance as a factor in the effectiveness of treatment: an open assessment of potassium clorazepate ('Tranxene') and lorazepam in anxiety.

Two new benzodiazepines, potassium clorazepate (15 mg. at night), and lorazepam (1 mg. t.d.s.) were compared in 50 patients presenting with anxiety in general practice. The response to treatment was assessed clinically and for patient acceptance. The single-dose regime of potassium clorazepate was significantly better, both for clinical effectiveness and patient acceptance. In the potassium clorazepate treated group there were significantly fewer side-effects. In particular, sedation was a problem with lorazepam, 6 patients stopping treatment and 8 voluntarily reducing the dose. Only 2 patients stopped treatment because of the sedative effect of potassium clorazepate. The sedative effects also show qualitative differences: in patients who completed the assessment lorazepam caused mainly daylong sedation and potassium clorazepate mid-day sedation, and when asked for their opinion on the value of sedation, only the potassium clorazepate group considered it to be beneficial.