Carbamazepine for atypical psychosis with episodic hostility
Article Abstract:
Carbamazepine (CBZ) is a drug used in a variety of clinical situations such as epilepsy, neuralgia (pain in a nerve), diabetes insipidus, and episodic hostility. Research has suggested that CBZ is also effective in treating certain types of psychotic patients, particularly when they are hostile. Its effectiveness in treating nine chronic atypical psychotic patients with hostility or affective lability (mood swings) was evaluated in this study. The patients were treated with 400 mg/day CBZ for a minimum of seven days. After discharge, charts were reviewed by an outside rater who used the Symptom Ranking Scale for Atypical Psychosis (SRS) to rate behavior over the treatment period. All patients dramatically improved, as evaluated by measures of hallucinations, motor behavior, mood, motivation, organization, and dangerousness. The results are important but weak due to the absence of a control group or a placebo group and the short duration of stay may have excluded some of the full range of clinical responses. However, the effectiveness of CBZ on a group of unselected patients with common target symptoms suggests that CBZ was beneficial. These preliminary results suggest the need for further controlled investigations of the effects of CBZ on target symptoms of atypical psychosis. (Consumer Summary produced by Reliance Medical Information, Inc.)
Publication Name: Journal of Nervous and Mental Disease
Subject: Psychology and mental health
ISSN: 0022-3018
Year: 1991
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Carbamazepine for high-dose diazepam withdrawal in opiate users
Article Abstract:
Carbamazepine is a drug that has been used in patients withdrawing from the benzodiazepines, such as diazepam (Valium), in order to ease withdrawal symptoms. Its use is still experimental though, and its use in patients also addicted to opiates has not been reported. In two case presentations, it is shown that carbamazepine was effective in managing withdrawal from a benzodiazepine (specifically, diazepam) in patients currently taking methadone in a methadone maintenance program. In one case, the benzodiazepines were discontinued abruptly, and in the other the process was gradual. Interestingly, the abrupt withdrawal produced less severe symptoms of withdrawal than did the gradual withdrawal. The reason for this and the mechanism by which carbamazepine acts remain unclear, but possible mechanisms are discussed. (Consumer Summary produced by Reliance Medical Information, Inc.)
Publication Name: Journal of Nervous and Mental Disease
Subject: Psychology and mental health
ISSN: 0022-3018
Year: 1991
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