scholarly journals Clozapine discontinuation withdrawal symptoms in schizophrenia

2021 ◽  
Vol 11 ◽  
pp. 204512532110320
Author(s):  
Graham Blackman ◽  
Ebenezer Oloyede
Keyword(s):  
Side Effects ◽  
Atypical Antipsychotic ◽  
Withdrawal Symptoms ◽  
Treatment Resistant ◽  
Clinical Guidance ◽  
Clinical Scenarios ◽  
Highly Effective

Clozapine is an atypical antipsychotic used in treatment-resistant schizophrenia. Whilst clozapine is highly effective, there are some clinical scenarios, such as the emergence of severe side effects, that necessitate its discontinuation. There is an emerging literature suggesting that discontinuing antipsychotics, in particular clozapine, can cause an array of withdrawal symptoms. We review the evidence for the existence of clozapine-induced withdrawal symptoms, and in particular focus on withdrawal-associated psychosis, cholinergic rebound, catatonia and serotonergic discontinuation symptoms. To date, there has been surprisingly little clinical guidance on how to minimise the likeliness of withdrawal symptoms in patients who are stopped on clozapine abruptly or gradually. We discuss the key outstanding questions in this area and why there is a need for guidance on the management of withdrawal symptoms associated with clozapine discontinuation.

scholarly journals Experience with protein A-immunoadsorption in treatment-resistant adult immune thrombocytopenic purpura

Blood ◽  
1992 ◽  
Vol 79 (9) ◽  
pp. 2237-2245 ◽  
Author(s):  
HW Snyder ◽  
SK Cochran ◽  
JP Balint ◽  
JH Bertram ◽  
A Mittelman ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Side Effects ◽  
Immune Thrombocytopenic Purpura ◽  
Protein A ◽  
Staphylococcal Protein A ◽  
Treatment Resistant ◽  
Thrombocytopenic Purpura ◽  
Specific Serum ◽  
Clinical Responses ◽  
Acute Increase

Abstract Extracorporeal immunoadsorption of plasma to remove IgG and circulating immune complexes (CIC) was evaluated as a therapy for adults with treatment-resistant immune thrombocytopenic purpura (ITP). Seventy-two patients with initial platelet counts less than 50,000/microL who had failed at least two other therapies were studied. They received an average of six treatments of 0.25 to 2.0 L plasma per procedure over a 2- to 3-week period using columns of staphylococcal protein A-silica (PROSORBA immunoadsorption treatment columns; IMRE Corp, Seattle, WA). The treatments caused an acute increase in the platelet count to greater than 100,000/microL in 18 patients and to 50,000 to 100,000/microL in 15 patients. The median time to response was 2 weeks. Responses were transient (less than 1 month duration) in seven of those patients (10%), but no additional relapses were reported over a follow- up period of up to 26 months (mean of 8 months). Clinical responses were associated with significant decreases in specific serum platelet autoantibodies (including anti-glycoprotein IIb/IIIa), platelet- associated Ig, and CIC. Thirty percent of treatments were associated with transient mild to moderate side effects usually presenting as a hypersensitivity-type reaction. Continued administration of failed therapies for ITP, which always included low-dose corticosteroids (less than or equal to 30 mg/d), had no demonstrable influence on the effectiveness of immunoadsorption treatment but did depress the incidence and severity of side effects. The degree of effectiveness of protein A immunoadsorption therapy in patients with treatment-resistant ITP is promising and further controlled studies in this patient population are warranted.

scholarly journals Comprehensive assessment of side effects associated with a single dose of ketamine in treatment-resistant depression

2020 ◽  
Vol 263 ◽  
pp. 568-575 ◽  
Author(s):  
Elia E. Acevedo-Diaz ◽  
Grace W. Cavanaugh ◽  
Dede Greenstein ◽  
Christoph Kraus ◽  
Bashkim Kadriu ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Single Dose ◽  
Side Effects ◽  
Comprehensive Assessment ◽  
Treatment Resistant Depression ◽  
Treatment Resistant ◽  
Resistant Depression

Treatment of Aggressive Behavior in Dementia With the Anticonvulsant Topiramate: A Retrospective Pilot Study

2003 ◽  
Vol 15 (3) ◽  
pp. 307-309 ◽  
Author(s):  
Benny Fhager ◽  
Inga-Maj Meiri ◽  
Magnus Sjögren ◽  
Åke Edman
Keyword(s):  
Quality Of Life ◽  
Pilot Study ◽  
Side Effects ◽  
Aggressive Behavior ◽  
Extrapyramidal Side Effects ◽  
Treatment Resistant ◽  
Careful Treatment ◽  
And Training ◽  
Low Dosage

Aggressive behavior in dementia often has a severe impact on the quality of life of the patient and the caregivers, and is therefore important to handle. The strategy of treatment should be broad. Nonpharmacological interventions, including environmental adjustments and supporting and training the caregivers, should always be considered. Pharmacological treatment of aggressive behavior in patients with dementia often includes the use of neuroleptics. The atypical compounds clozapine, risperidone, and olanzapine have been shown to have an effect on aggressive behavior at low dosage with limited extrapyramidal side effects. The anticonvulsants carbamazepine and sodium valproate are further alternatives. In treatment-resistant cases, buspirone or lithium may be tried, although the effect of these substances on aggressive behavior in dementia has not been well established. In the end, however, a considerable degree of aggressive behavior sometimes remains after careful treatment trials, particularly in patients with severe aggressive behavior. In addition, treatment is sometimes limited by side effects.

Alprazolam and Exposure for Panic Disorder with Agoraphobia

1994 ◽  
Vol 164 (5) ◽  
pp. 652-659 ◽  
Author(s):  
Metin Başoglu ◽  
Isaac M. Marks ◽  
Cengiz Kiliç ◽  
Richard P. Swinson ◽  
Homa Noshirvani ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Side Effects ◽  
Panic Disorder ◽  
Drug Treatment ◽  
Psychological Treatment ◽  
Illness Severity ◽  
Withdrawal Symptoms ◽  
Severe Withdrawal ◽  
End Of Treatment

Patients with panic disorder plus agoraphobia had 8 weeks of drug treatment (alprazolam or placebo) plus psychological treatment (exposure or relaxation). At the end of treatment at week 8, 40 patients who had become much/very much improved rated how much their gains were attributable to medication or to their own efforts. During the tapering-off to week 16, and treatment-free follow-up to week 43, patients who at week 8 had attributed their gains to medication and felt less confident in coping without tablets had more severe withdrawal symptoms and greater loss of gains than did patients who at week 8 had attributed their gains to their own efforts during treatment. Baseline illness severity, greater age, higher expectations from drug treatment, and more side-effects of drugs during treatment all predicted more external attributions (i.e. to the effect of drugs) but did not independently predict relapse. Patients on alprazolam compared with placebo had more drug attributions. Though drug attributions predicted relapse in both alprazolam and placebo groups, predictions were stronger in the alprazolam group.

Psychopharmacology of olanzapine

1999 ◽  
Vol 174 (S38) ◽  
pp. 52-58 ◽  
Author(s):  
C. M. E. Stephenson ◽  
L. S. Pilowsky
Keyword(s):  
Side Effects ◽  
Atypical Antipsychotic ◽  
Antipsychotic Drug ◽  
Therapeutic Efficacy ◽  
Atypical Antipsychotics ◽  
Extrapyramidal Side Effects ◽  
Atypical Antipsychotic Drug ◽  
Blood Monitoring

The development of atypical antipsychotics has revolutionised the treatment of schizophrenia, as well as providing new insights into its cause. The archetypal atypical antipsychotic is clozapine, which has therapeutic advantages over traditional antipsychotics, as well as a low potential for producing extrapyramidal side-effects (EPS) (Kane et al, 1988). However, clozapine causes agranulocytosis in 1% of patients, and there has consequently been a search for novel atypical antipsychotics, as efficacious as clozapine, but without the need for intensive blood monitoring. There has been much discussion of the definition and characteristics of an atypical antipsychotic drug, and an operational understanding seems to have been agreed upon, that atypical drugs have therapeutic efficacy in treating schizophrenia, without producing EPS (Deutch et al, 1991; Kerwin, 1994).

scholarly journals Using Oral and Intranasal Dosage Forms of Ketamine for Managing Treatment-Resistant Depression: A Review of the Literature

2016 ◽  
Vol 4 (2) ◽  
pp. 64-71 ◽  
Author(s):  
Patrick Arthur Twohig ◽  
Vaughn Huckfeldt
Keyword(s):  
Health Care ◽  
Side Effects ◽  
Care Setting ◽  
Dosage Forms ◽  
Treatment Resistant Depression ◽  
Treatment Resistant ◽  
Similar Reduction ◽  
Aspartate Receptor ◽  
Pubmed Database ◽  
Resistant Depression

A lack of effective treatment for patients with treatment-resistant depression (TRD) has led to the evaluation of ketamine, an N-methyl- D-aspartate receptor antagonist. Despite the demonstrated short-term benefits of using intravenous (IV) ketamine, side effects and the difficulty in administering ketamine outside the health-care setting has raised interest in alternative dosage forms. Research articles evaluating oral or intranasal (IN) ketamine were retrieved from the PubMed database. Patients who received oral or IN ketamine experienced a similar reduction in depressive symptoms within 24 hours of treatment and fewer side effects compared to patients who received IV ketamine. Novel administration forms of ketamine provide an opportunity for patients with TRD to achieve remission with fewer adverse side effects. Future studies should continue to evaluate these administration strategies in the hope of promoting ketamine’s use outside health-care settings and for longer time periods.

Clozapine Induced Rash: Case Report of Successful Desensitization

2009 ◽  
Vol 24 (S1) ◽  
pp. 1-1
Author(s):  
R. Singh ◽  
K. Raju ◽  
J. Southern ◽  
J. Darroch
Keyword(s):  
Side Effects ◽  
Drug Hypersensitivity ◽  
Effective Means ◽  
Drug Dose ◽  
Delayed Type Hypersensitivity ◽  
Psychotic Symptoms ◽  
Hypersensitivity Reactions ◽  
Treatment Resistant ◽  
Drug Of Choice ◽  
Cutaneous Hypersensitivity

Aim:Clozapine is the drug of choice for patients with treatment-resistant schizophrenia. However a minority of them have been unable to continue with Clozapine due to side-effects, for example rash. This report looks at the use of graded desensitization in a patient who developed cutaneous reactions to Clozapine.Method:This report describes the management of a patient with treatment resistant-schizophrenia, mild learning disabilities and epilepsy, following a cutaneous reaction to Clozapine. Having been maintained on Clopixol depot until 4 years ago, he required a change in antipsychotics following a relapse of psychotic symptoms. He was then treated unsuccessfully with various anti-psychotics, before starting Clozapine, to which he showed a good response. Unfortunately he developed an eczematous rash on two separate occasions when the drug was introduced. Again he was tried on other anti-psychotics, to which he also developed a rash. He was then put on a graded desensitization regimen of liquid Clozapine.Results:Graded desensitization, using incremental increases in drug dose, allowed maintenance treatment with therapeutic doses of Clozapine to be achieved in the absence of cutaneous hypersensitivity reactions. the patient's previously treatment-resistant psychotic symptoms were improved by this method.Conclusion:We should be aware of possibilities for the management of both the common and uncommon side-effects associated with Clozapine, as the result might vastly improve the patients’ quality of life. Desensitisation regimens can be an effective means of overcoming drug hypersensitivity but should be used with great caution, especially when patients exhibit delayed-type hypersensitivity reactions.

Motor side effects of atypical antipsychotic drugs

Therapy ◽  
2009 ◽  
Vol 6 (2) ◽  
pp. 249-258 ◽  
Author(s):  
Victoria Chang ◽  
Joseph H Friedman
Keyword(s):  
Side Effects ◽  
Atypical Antipsychotic ◽  
Antipsychotic Drugs ◽  
Atypical Antipsychotic Drugs

scholarly journals Acute onset clozapine-induced hyperglycaemia: A case report

2019 ◽  
Vol 32 (2) ◽  
pp. e100045 ◽  
Author(s):  
Pradeep Kumar ◽  
Dheerendra Kumar Mishra ◽  
Nimisha Mishra ◽  
Sunil Ahuja ◽  
Gyanendra Raghuvanshi ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Metabolic Syndrome ◽  
Case Report ◽  
Side Effects ◽  
Atypical Antipsychotic ◽  
Time Frame ◽  
Acute Onset ◽  
Antipsychotic Medications ◽  
Pathophysiological Mechanisms ◽  
Hypoglycaemic Agent

Clozapine is an atypical antipsychotic which is described to have higher efficacy among all available antipsychotic medications. Clozapine is reserved especially for resistant schizophrenia due to its side effects. Clozapine-induced metabolic syndrome and hyperglycaemia are common long-term side effects and are responsible for increased mortality in patients with schizophrenia. In this case, a patient with resistant schizophrenia was presented with acute-onset hyperglycaemia and delirium with the use of clozapine within a week. Withdrawal of clozapine in the patient led to the improvement in delirium and hyperglycaemia without the use of any hypoglycaemic agent. This case supports the notion that in certain cases clozapine can induce hyperglycemia through possible direct pathophysiological mechanisms within a shorter time frame.

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