A six-month follow-up of refractory chronic psychotics treated with Haldol-AID.

Nine refractory chronic psychotics were switched to a lower dosage of, mostly, a long-acting diphenylbutylpiperidine after having been treated with high initial and maintenance doses of Haldol. This switch-over was rated as very good in three patients (allocation to nursing family) and good in two patients on fluspirilene (Imap); it was also rated as good in one patient on fluphenazine decanoate and one on pipamperone. One patient could discontinue neuroleptic treatment. One was rated as a failure. A switch-over is not always easy as it is a time of trial and error. A switch-over to a parenteral diphenylbutylpiperidine offers good prospectives. As a rule, further improvement is feasible after a period of Haldol medication. It seems that the advantages of a maintenance therapy with Imap are its lack of inconveniences for the patient (not sedative, only slightly hypokinetic) and its good antipsychotic and adequately prolonged activity 2 weeks).