[The course of long-term care with fluphenazine decanoate (Dapotum D)].

Abstract

After 10 years experience with Dapotum D the statistically elaborated studies of catamnesis deal with 76 patients with more than 5 years permanent adjustment. The objective and subjective tolerance is compared (1) with patients with continuous ambulatory adjustment up to now; (2) patients with continuous in-patient adjustments, and (3) patients who withdrew Dapotum D or changed the medicaments after 5 or more years of permanent adjustment. The study shows a significant stabilization of the clinical picture and a surprisingly good permanent compatibility. This compatibility explains itself by the reduction of objective side effects in comparison with the phase of adjustment; the simultaneous habituation to slight extrapyramidal phenomena effects a very high degree of subjective contentment (90% of the patients). This may be supported by the fact that complete withdrawal of such permanent medication causes, in 36.9% of the patients, late dyskinesias with a tendency to slow remission; the latency of which binds doctor and patient, as indicated, to the successful therapy.