Effects of chronic sultopride treatment on endocrine systems in psychotic women.

The effects of chronic sultopride treatment on endocrine systems were studied using five schizophrenic women. Sultopride, an antipsychotic drug, was administered orally three times daily for 5 weeks in a daily dose of 300-600 mg. The serum prolactin levels increased significantly after 1 day of treatment, reaching a maximum at 1 week and remaining elevated during treatment. The serum GH levels declined temporarily after 1 week of treatment and then returned to normal values after 3-5 weeks of treatment. Sultopride had no significant effects on LH, FSH, TSH, insulin, estradiol-17 beta and cortisol basal levels. Serum sultopride levels measured by radioimmunoassay remained steady during treatment. These results showed that sultopride stimulates prolactin secretion in schizophrenic women, probably by blocking pituitary dopamine receptors.