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Single Daily Dose Treatment of Psychiatric Patients with Phenothiazine Derivatives

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  08 February 2018

F. J. Roberts
F. J. Roberts*
Affiliation:
St. Luke's Hospital, Middlesbrough, Yorks
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Extract

When discussing some of the problems associated with chlorpromazine (Largactil) therapy, Denber and Travis (2) point out that it is desirable that the drug be given as infrequently as is compatible with therapeutic efficacy. They found this to be twice a day. Haden (5) and Tibbits (10) report that satisfactory results can be obtained with single daily doses. While studying the single daily dose administration of drugs in a psychiatric hospital, Lara and Wells (7) found that phenothiazine compounds could reasonably be given in this way. In order to explore these reports the medication of 17 chronic, well stabilized, male schizophrenic patients was changed by giving their chlorpromazine once instead of three times a day. These patients had been on an average dosage of 200 mg. of chlorpromazine t.d.s. The dosage was altered by giving the total daily dose at one time, limiting the maximum dose to 600 mg. In some cases this resulted in a small reduction in the total dosage. The main side-effects complained of before the change were photo-sensitivity from 8 patients and drowsiness during the day from 9 patients. Because of this latter complaint the single dose was given at 9 p.m. Three weeks after the change to the single dose no alteration in symptoms or behaviour had been noted except that there were now no complaints of drowsiness during the day. Two patients complained that they disliked taking 6 large tablets at one time.

Type
Original Articles
Information
Journal of Mental Science , Volume 107 , Issue 446 , January 1961 , pp. 104 - 108
Copyright
Copyright © Royal College of Psychiatrists, 1961 

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References

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