Abstract
In the treatment of mania, lithium (Li) has been found in several controlled studies as clearly superior to placebo, but haloperidol, when compared to Li, seems to be faster acting, at least with regard to motor activity (Shopsin et al., 1975). Hence, haloperidol has increasingly been recommended as the antimanic drug of choice (Shaw, 1979). However, the recommended dose of haloperidol for mania varies extremely, from 4 mg to 100 mg daily (Hollister, 1978). The haloperidol dose required obviously depends on the severity of the manic state, but might also depend on the metabolism of the drug, which varies in different patients (Forsman, 1977). To our knowledge the relationship between plasma levels of haloperidol and antimanic effect has not been evaluated. In the present study we have measured plasma levels of haloperidol in manic patients treated with a fixed haloperidol dose and examined the relationship between plasma levels, antimanic effect and side effects.
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Gjerris, A., Bech, P., Broen-Christensen, C., Geisler, A., Klysner, R., Rafaelsen, O.J. (1981). Haloperidol plasma levels in relation to antimanic effect. In: Usdin, E., Dahl, S.G., Gram, L.F., Lingjærde, O. (eds) Clinical Pharmacology in Psychiatry. Palgrave Macmillan, London. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-349-05929-4_20
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-349-05929-4_20
Publisher Name: Palgrave Macmillan, London
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