A new study shows that some anti-inflammatory medicines, such as aspirin, estrogen, and Fluimucil, can improve the efficacy of existing schizophrenia treatments. This work is being presented at the European College of Neuropsychopharmacology conference in Berlin.
For some time, doctors have believed that helping the immune system may benefit the treatment of schizophrenia, but until now there has been no conclusive evidence that this would be effective. Now a group of researchers at the University of Utrecht in the Netherlands has carried out a comprehensive meta-analysis of all robust studies on the effects of adding anti-inflammatories to antipsychotic medication. This has allowed them to conclude that anti-inflammatory medicines, such as aspirin, can add to the effective treatment of schizophrenia.
Research has shown that the immune system is linked to certain psychiatric disorders, such as schizophrenia and bipolar disorder. Schizophrenia in particular is linked to the HLA gene system, which is found on chromosome 6 in humans. The HLA system controls many of the characteristics of the immune system.
According to lead researcher, Professor Iris Sommer (Psychiatry Department, University Medical Centre, Utrecht, Netherlands):
“The picture on anti-inflammatory agents in schizophrenia has been mixed, but this analysis pulls together the data from 26 double-blind randomised controlled trials, and provides significant evidence that some (but not all) anti-inflammatory agents can improve symptoms of patients with schizophrenia. In particular, aspirin, estrogens (in women) and the common antioxidant N-acetylcysteine (fluimicil) show promising results. Other anti-inflammatory agents, including celecoxib, minocycline, davunetide, and fatty acids showed no significant effect”.
When my son first went into psychosis he rapidly reached a point where he was starting to produce some fairly incomprehensible stuff. At the same time as trying to “talk him down” (I feared he might commit suicide, he was so irrational and distressed), I was on the Internet searching for what might be wrong with him. Since he was clearly paranoid, I quickly hit on sz, its connection with autoimmune diseases and therefore guessed what was happening to him had something to do with inflammation of the brain. I asked him to go to the chemists and get aspirin and take two. Fortunately, he was able to manage that. Within a couple of hours he was feeling better and able to communicate. Great stuff aspirin. But risperidone contains a kind of antihistamine which also reduces inflammation, I believe. So, anti-inflammatories are very helpful. It has been known for quite a long time.