Paroxetine is an effective treatment for refractory erythema of rosacea: Primary results from the Prospective Rosacea Refractory Erythema Randomized Clinical Trial

Abstract

Background: Patients with refractory erythema of rosacea have limited treatment options.

Objective: To evaluate the efficacy and safety of a 12-week course of paroxetine for moderate-to-severe erythema of rosacea.

Methods: In a multicenter, randomized, double-blinded, placebo-controlled trial, patients with refractory erythema of rosacea were randomly assigned (1:1) to receive paroxetine 25 mg daily or placebo for 12 weeks.

Results: Overall, 97 patients completed the study (paroxetine: 49; placebo: 48). The primary end point was the proportion of participants achieving Clinical Erythema Assessment success (defined as Clinical Erythema Assessment score of 0, 1, or ≥2-grade improvement from baseline) at week 12; this was significantly greater in the paroxetine group than in the placebo group (42.9% vs 20.8%, P = .02). Some secondary end points were met, such as flushing success with point reductions ≥2 (44.9% vs 25.0%, P = .04) and improvement in overall flushing (2.49 ± 3.03 vs 1.68 ± 2.27, P = .047), burning sensation (46.9% vs 18.8%, P = .003), and depression (P = .041). The most reported adverse events associated with paroxetine were dizziness, lethargy, nausea, dyspepsia, and muscle tremors.

Limitations: Only a single-dosage regimen of paroxetine within a 12-week study was evaluated.

Conclusions: Paroxetine is an effective and well-tolerated alternative treatment for moderate-to-severe erythema of rosacea.

Keywords: double-blind clinical trial; paroxetine; refractory erythema; rosacea.