Patients experienced greater reduction in anxiety score after medication with sublingual alprazolam ( mean 2.25 , standard deviation [ SD ] 1.73 ) compared with sublingual placebo ( mean 0.10 , standard error [ SE ] 0.15 ] ; P < 0.001 ) and oral alprazolam ( 0.63 , SE 0.14 ; P < 0.001 ) .