PMID: 8601548Apr 1, 1996Paper

A randomized comparison of divalproex oral loading versus haloperidol in the initial treatment of acute psychotic mania

The Journal of Clinical Psychiatry
S L McElroyStephen M Strakowski

Abstract

Uncontrolled evidence suggests that divalproex administered via the oral loading strategy of 20 mg/kg/day may produce clinically significant antimanic response within 3 days of treatment in some patients. We conducted a prospective study to compare the antimanic response of divalproex oral loading with that of haloperidol in the initial treatment of acute psychotic mania. After a < or = 1-day screening period, 36 consecutive hospitalized patients with bipolar disorder, manic or mixed phase and with psychotic features, were randomly assigned to receive either divalproex 20 mg/kg/day or haloperidol 0.2 mg/kg/day for 6 full days, without other psychotropic agents except lorazepam up to 4 mg/day for management of agitation. Serum valproate concentrations were measured after 1 day of treatment. Response was measured daily by a blind rater using the Young Mania Rating Scale and the Scale for Assessment of Positive Symptoms. Divalproex oral loading and haloperidol were equally effective in acutely reducing manic and psychotic symptoms. The greatest rate of improvement for both drug regimens occurred over the first 3 full days of treatment. Side effects were infrequent and minor for both treatments, except for extrapyramidal side effec...Continue Reading

Related Concepts

Related Feeds

Antipsychotic Drugs

Antipsychotic drugs are a class of medication primarily used to manage psychosis (including delusions, hallucinations, paranoia or disordered thought), principally in schizophrenia and bipolar disorder. Discover the latest research on antipsychotic drugs here

Bipolar Disorder

Bipolar disorder is characterized by manic and/or depressive episodes and associated with uncommon shifts in mood, activity levels, and energy. Discover the latest research this illness here.

Related Papers

The Journal of Clinical Psychiatry
P E KeckJ A Bennett
European Psychiatry : the Journal of the Association of European Psychiatrists
Ashish Kumar KakkarDinesh Kataria
© 2021 Meta ULC. All rights reserved