On discontinuing treatment in schizophrenia: a clinical conundrum

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We psychiatrists who treat individuals with schizophrenia spend much of our time encouraging our patients to take antipsychotic medication regularly. We do this because of concerns regarding the consequences of illness recurrence associated with treatment discontinuation. There is however a good deal of discomfort here, given the substantial side-effect burden accompanying such treatment, and the hope that some patients will, at some stage, be able to discontinue medication without experiencing illness recurrence.

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From the article

But the reality is that, when treatment is discontinued, rates of illness recurrence are very high, even after a single psychotic episode,5 and there is no good evidence to support the supersensitivity psychosis hypothesis.6 Further, no successful discontinuation strategies have been described.

So, stay on those meds people!

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well, this is something that we all know in our heart of hearts but refuse to believe completely. No one wants to be tethered to a regimen of Antipsychotics “Indefinitely” The problem is and always will be the side effects. You may not be in the hospital but you still can’t live a normal life on meds such as these.
I hope and pray that the powers that be develop an antipsychotic that does not ruin peoples quality of life with all of the known side effects that they bring.

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They could devise a strategy of discontinuation for people with deficit sz… we are few indeed, but the course of our illness is atypical i.e. no more than one psychotic episode. It’s useless to keep us tethered to APs forever.

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I now know I need the meds, all of them, for life.

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I get to play this game starting today…I hope I can get it sorted before the more than likely break down…

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I wish you guys luck if you decide to discontinue the meds. I would like to stop mine but I’m terrified of a relapse. The article is right, not only are psychotic episodes bad for our brains but they do major damage to our personalities as well.
I think that if the meds were not so bad. The stigma would be lifted and or lives would be so much more live able.

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Yes, deficit syndrome patients have poor outcome due to persistent negative symptoms, but no relapse of positive symptoms…