High doses of fluphenazine enanthate in schizophrenia. A controlled study.

The results from this controlled study of 12 schizophrenics refractory to ordinary doses of neuroleptics indicate that treatment with fluphenazine enanthate in higher doses than normal (10--20 times higher) might give reduction in psychopathology beyond what can be obtained with normal doses. In four patients the symptom reduction on high doses was pronounced. Moreover, we found that the high fluphenazine plasma levels demonstrated did not increase extrapyramidal and general side effects. The results presented also speak in favour of certain "non-responding" patients needing a higher plasma level of a neuroleptic drug than the average patient.