Acute functional psychoses: treatment with zuclopenthixol dihydrochloride ('Clopixol') tablets

An assessment of the efficacy and tolerability of zuclopenthixol dihydrochloride tablets in the treatment of acute psychotic episodes was undertaken in 63 patients in an open multi-centre study. Most patients prior to entering the study had received other neuroleptic drugs, but with inadequate effect. During the 10-week study, the dosage of zuclopenthixol dihydrochloride tablets could be adjusted to obtain optimum clinical benefit. The majority of patients received 20 to 75 mg daily (range 10 to 150 mg daily) at the start of the study and later, for most of those patients successfully treated, the dosage was 20 to 55 mg daily. Assessments before and during treatment utilized the BPRS and CGI rating scales and a check-list of side-effects. A successful response to treatment was achieved in 70% of 50 patients with schizophrenia or schizophreniform psychoses and in 69% of 13 patients with mania or hypomania. Almost half (30) of the patients studied had a successful response within 4 weeks of starting treatment and some after only 1 week of treatment. All patients but 1 had either no side-effects or side-effects not overtly affecting performance.