Reducing the dose of the antipsychotic medications olanzapine and risperidone during the maintenance treatment of stable patients with schizophrenia improves cognitive function and decreases negative symptoms without increasing the rate of relapse, according to a study published in the Journal of Psychopharmacology.
The question of whether the dose of antipsychotic treatment should be lowered during the maintenance stage of treatment vs the acute stage is controversial. Determining the appropriate medication levels to avoid relapse without leading to the movement disorders, metabolic syndrome, impaired cognitive function, and higher mortality rates associated with continued exposure to high doses of antipsychotic medications is crucial.
I could have told them about the improved mental state. But I can’t take a lower dose I’ve tried + my symptoms come back, It’s a worse mental state than what the meds cause. My schizophrenia is chronic, so maybe I’m a different bird.
The antipsychotic medicine block our dopamine .I find that “dopamine appears to mediate desire and motivation” on wikipedia. Antipsychotic drugs sedate our brain, so it must have a negative effect on brain function. I think lack of motivation is a side effect of antipsychotic drugs.Theoretically reducing the dose can improve negative symptoms。
But some people start to have symptoms as soon as they reduce the dose,Decreasing doses is not for everyone。
Yeah, I went to a congress about psychiatric and there was a speech that talked about it. When I reduced from 20mg of aripiprazole to 15mg, my cognitive functions got a lot better. I study a lot. I’m hungry for data and information lol.
The limitations of the study include a sample size of only 75 subjects, the single-blind design, and the fact that the study involved treatment with olanzapine and risperidone only, so that the results do not necessarily apply to treatment with other antipsychotics.