Experience with depot neuroleptics in ambulatory practice.
Over the years, the depot neuroleptics clopenthixol decanoate, flupentixol decanoate, fluphenazine decanoate and pipotiazine palmitate have prove their excellent tolerance: testing the sensitivity of the patient with the corresponding oral neuroleptic or with a low dose of the injectable form is no more necessary, operative anaesthesia is no more feared. Side-effects are largely due to the fact that the drug is actually taken, as opposed to oral treatments; they consist mainly of drowsiness or tiredness, and of extrapyramidal symptoms (preferably controlled by dexetimide, because of its long duration of action). Among the advantages of depot treatments, the author mentions an increasing motivation to accept medication, because of the reduction of hospitalisations and the fact that the patient is not reminded "three times daily" of his "ill state". Among the disadvantages, he mentions the fear of injection (the alternative being long-acting oral penfluridol), depression (esp. with fluphenazine decanoate) and the fact that the absorption cannot be interrupted in a short time.
D000328:Adult; D000553:Ambulatory Care; D014150:Antipsychotic Agents / Q000008:administration & dosage* / Q000009:adverse effects; D001480:Basal Ganglia Diseases / Q000139:chemically induced; D001714:Bipolar Disorder / Q000188:drug therapy*; D003692:Delayed-Action Preparations; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007267:Injections / Q000523:psychology; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010554:Personality Disorders / Q000188:drug therapy*; D012559:Schizophrenia / Q000188:drug therapy*; D012894:Sleep Stages
D014150:Antipsychotic Agents; D003692:Delayed-Action Preparations