Pharmacopsychiatry 2008; 41(4): 160-163
DOI: 10.1055/s-2008-1076722
Letter

© Georg Thieme Verlag KG Stuttgart · New York

Rapid Onset Psychosis after Reduction of the Risperidone Dose

J. D. Molina 1 , S. Solé 1 , S. de Pablo 1 , F. López-Muñoz 2 , G. Santana 3 , C. Alamo 2
  • 1Acute Inpatients Unit, Dr. R. Lafora Psychiatric Hospital, Madrid, Spain
  • 2Neuropsychopharmacology Unit, Department of Pharmacology, Faculty of Medicine, University of Alcalá, Madrid, Spain
  • 3Preventive Medicine Service, Miguel Servet Universitary Hospital, Saragossa, Spain
Weitere Informationen

Publikationsverlauf

received 08.09.2007 revised 21.01.2008

accepted 28.01.2008

Publikationsdatum:
23. Juli 2008 (online)

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Discontinuation of antipsychotic drugs may provoke a rapid-onset psychosis (also called supersensitivity psychosis). We report the cases of two patients diagnosed with paranoid schizophrenia, who after minimum reductions of the risperidone dose, underwent relapses of a greater magnitude than expected over the course of their illness, needing higher doses of medication with each relapse. The fast and progressive increase of the doses necessary to control the symptoms in the successive episodes makes it necessary for us to establish a distinction between resistant schizophrenia and rapid-onset psychosis. After discarding persistent chronic symptomatology in our patients and perceiving concomitant physical symptoms on the removal of the antipsychotic medication, we find it is possible to consider that we are dealing with rapid-onset psychosis.