Three-year follow-up of patients with panic disorder after short-term treatment with alprazolam and imipramine.

Fifty-five patients with moderate to sever panic disorder were treated for 9 weeks with alprazolam or imipramine and were then, except for one patient who had committed suicide, re-examined after on average 3 years of treatment. At follow-up most patients (74%) did not suffer from panic attacks at all. In the beginning of the study 87% exhibited phobic avoidance behaviour but after 3 years 68% no longer revealed phobic behaviour. At follow-up 28% of the patients were no longer having psychotropic drug treatment and 20% were completely free of overt psychopathology. No tolerance phenomena were associated with the long-term medication applied in the study.