Pharmacopsychiatry 2005; 38 - 44
DOI: 10.1055/s-2005-862657

High Sedation with Low Doses of Atypical Antipsychotics in 3 Young Patients (13 to 14 Years Old)

L Holzer 1, CB Eap 2, O Halfon 1, P Baumann 2
  • 1Service Universitaire de Psychiatrie de l'enfant et de l'Adolescent, Lausanne, Switzerland
  • 2Unité de Biochimie et Psychopharmacologie Clinique, Univ. Dept. of Adult Psychiatry, Center of Psychiatric Neurosciences, Prilly, Switzerland

Three young patients treated by atypical antipsychotics experienced high sedation with low doses, even though a slow titration was initiated. This high responsiveness to sedation leads to a treatment maintenance with low doses. The plasmatic dosages of these patients confirmed a low serum level of atypical antipsychotics, in the expected range linked to the low oral dosage, and cannot explain in itself the high sedation observed. Further hypothesis are needed in order to elucidate the causes of these variations in experienced high sedation.