TREATMENT OF MANIC EPISODES - ZUCLOPENTHIXOL AND CLONAZEPAM VERSUS LITHIUM AND CLONAZEPAM

For the treatment of acute mania, no single drug is sufficiently effec tive in daily clinical routine for all patients. Drug combinations are often prescribed but poorly investigated. The present study examined whether a treatment with a neuroleptic drug (zuclopenthixol) combined with a benzodiazepine (clonazepam) was superior to a treatment with li thium and the same benzodiazepine (lithium citrate and clonazepam). Tw enty-eight hospitalized patients with a DSM-III-R manic episode were i ncluded, randomized to fixed drug doses and observed up to 28 days. De gree of mania, side effects and patients satisfaction with the treatme nt were registered. Approximately two thirds of the patients improved fully or partially on both drug combinations. Furthermore no statistic ally significant differences were found regarding acceptance and toler ance of the two drug combinations. The present drug combination are on ly two among several which deserve a thorough examination in order to prevent a random polypharmacy for treatment of mania.