Gradual withdrawal of antiparkinson medication in chronic schizophrenics: any better than the abrupt?

Twenty-four months after the completion of a double blind study of antiparkinson (AP) medication abrupt withdrawal in which 100 chronic schizophrenics took part, 42 patients out of that study's 75 patient placebo group were found in the ward. In a new double blind 8-week study of 3-week gradual withdrawal of AP medication, 70-6 per cent of the 34 patient placebo group (vs. none of the active) presented severe extrapyramidal symptoms (EPS) necessitating early termination, 23.5 per cent (vs. 12.5 per cent of the active) presented worsening but not to a point necessitating early termination, and only 5.9 per cent (vs. 87.5 per cent of the active) completed the 8-week period unchanged. Furthermore, 41.17 and 23.52 per cent of the placebo group (vs none of the active) presented EPS-related severe complaints and or psychotic symptomatology, respectively. These results were almost identical to those of the study of abrupt withdrawal. Thus, it seems that AP medication withdrawal in chronic schizophrenics remains problematic, even if the medication is withdrawn gradually.