Relapse in Chronic Schizophrenics following Abrupt Withdrawal of Tranquilizing Medication
- 1 June 1969
- journal article
- clinical trial
- Published by Royal College of Psychiatrists in The British Journal of Psychiatry
- Vol. 115 (523), 679-686
- https://doi.org/10.1192/bjp.115.523.679
Abstract
Physicians are often faced with the problem of determining whether long-stay schizophrenics require continuous treatment with tranquillizers. Prolonged ingestion of ataractics has both physical and economic disadvantages. Recent reports on oculo-cutaneous changes (3, 13, 20, 27, 28), persistent dyskinesia (6, 18) and sudden deaths (16, 25) have focused attention on the potential dangers of prolonged use of tranquillizing medication. On the other hand, discontinuation of medication may lead to recurrence of acute psychotic behaviour. The literature on drug withdrawal provides no solution to the dilemma. The results from drug discontinuation studies are complex and contradictory. Some investigators report extremely high relapse rates while others report little deterioration even when drugs are withdrawn for long periods of time. A brief review of the literature will give some indication of the contradictory nature of results.Keywords
This publication has 21 references indexed in Scilit:
- An Appraisal of the Continuing Practice of Prescribing Tranquillizing Drugs for Long-stay Psychiatric PatientsThe British Journal of Psychiatry, 1967
- Toxicity of Psychotropic DrugsProceedings of the Royal Society of Medicine, 1964
- A Controlled Trial on the Value of Prochlorperazine, Trifluoperazine and Intensive Group TreatmentThe British Journal of Psychiatry, 1963
- Withdrawal of Perphenazine in Chronic SchizophreniaThe British Journal of Psychiatry, 1963
- BEHAVIORAL EFFECTS OF INTERRUPTING AND RESUMING TRANQUILIZER MEDICATION AMONG SCHIZOPHRENICSThe Journal of Nervous and Mental Disease, 1961
- An Evaluation of the Effects of Discontinuation of ChlorpromazineNew England Journal of Medicine, 1960
- A Controlled Trial of Thiopropazate Dihydrochloride (Dartalan), Chlorpromazine and Occupational Therapy in Chronic SchizophrenicsJournal of Mental Science, 1960
- WITHDRAWAL FROM NEUROLEPTIC DRUGSAmerican Journal of Psychiatry, 1959
- TERMINATION OF CHLORPROMAZINE WITH SCHIZOPHRENIC PATIENTSAmerican Journal of Psychiatry, 1958
- TRANQUILLISERS AND PATIENTS' ENVIRONMENTThe Lancet, 1958