Persistence of Extra-pyramidal Disorders and Psychiatric Relapse after Withdrawal of Long-Term Phenothiazine Therapy

Abstract

It has been said that any drug which is active and produces an effect which is beneficial must also, under similar or different circumstances, have side-effects which are neither beneficial nor desired (Hamilton, 1965). It is the balance between desired and undesired actions which determines the usefulness of any drug. Such a balance varies according to the individual patient's needs. Thus a life-saving drug will be given even if it has serious side effects, while this would not be justifiable for a drug with only a marginally therapeutic effect. Scrutiny of past results may enable clinicians to make finer predictions as to which patient will benefit from a certain drug and which will suffer unacceptable side-effects. Phenothiazines are one group of drugs whose efficacies and dangers have been discussed in this way.