[Acute and chronic toxicity of psychotropic drugs]

Within psychotropic drugs acute toxicity is highest in antidepressants (thymoleptics, MAO-inhibitors, lithium), lower in neuroleptics, and very low in anxiolytics. The order of decreasing chronic toxicity is: neuroleptics, antidepressants, anxiolytics. Each class of psychotropic drugs has a specific toxicological problem. With anxiolytics the major problems stem from their misuse and overuse. With neuroleptics tardive dyskinesia is a serious threat to longterm therapy. Finally, antidepressants are characterized by a low therapeutic index and a resulting high incidence of severe and fatal poisoning cases, both intentional and accidental.