A new drug treatment for premenstrual exacerbation of schizophrenia

This article reports our experience with three schizophrenic women who had severe premenstrual exacerbation of schizophrenia. To date, there have been no effective measures to prevent recurrence or to treat such patients. Antipsychotic and hormonal medications, alone or together, or in combination w...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Comprehensive psychiatry 1980-01, Vol.21 (4), p.281-287
Main Authors: Glick, Ira D., Stewart, Douglas
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Adolescent
Adult
Drug Therapy, Combination
Female
Humans
Lithium - therapeutic use
Premenstrual Syndrome - drug therapy
Schizophrenia - drug therapy
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Summary:This article reports our experience with three schizophrenic women who had severe premenstrual exacerbation of schizophrenia. To date, there have been no effective measures to prevent recurrence or to treat such patients. Antipsychotic and hormonal medications, alone or together, or in combination with psychotherapy, or hospitalization or both, were not effective for any of the patients. The addition of lithium, together with continued use of an antipsychotic agent and a hormonal agent, was an effective treatment. The pathophysiology of the premenstrual tension syndrome is unknown. 1–3 In its milder form, it has been treated with hormones, diuretics, and a variety of other agents. 1,4–6 For the more severe form, lithium has been tried, primarily based on the rationale that it is an affective condition. Results have been inconclusive. 3,7–9 Lithium also has been utilized in treating severe mood disturbances in schizophrenic patients, 10–15 usually alone, but often in combination with antipsychotic medication. 13,14
ISSN:0010-440X
1532-8384
DOI:10.1016/0010-440X(80)90032-2