Zuclopenthixol decanoate in maintenance treatment of schizophrenic outpatients. Minimum effective dose and corresponding serum levels.

23 schizophrenic outpatients in maintenance treatment with zuclopenthixol decanoate were included in a study aimed at finding the minimum effective dose and corresponding serum concentration of zuclopenthixol. Every three months the dose was gradually reduced until prodromal symptoms appeared, indicative of an incipient relapse. A slightly higher dose was then promptly reinstituted (the minimum effective dose). At each dose level, two blood samples were drawn to determine the serum concentration. This dose reduction principles proved feasible. Only one patient had a clear-cut relapse. The condition of the remaining patients was acceptably maintained by a dose increase. The minimum effective dose of zuclopenthixol was 200 mg/2 weeks (range 60-400), with a serum concentration of 22 nmol/l (7.1-69.7). There was a significant correlation between the administered dose and the corresponding serum level of the drug (r = 0.66, P < 0.01). A trend towards a positive correlation was found between the serum level at the minimum effective dose and the BPRS score (r = 0.42, P < 0.1). No correlation was found between the serum level and the side-effects or length of neuroleptic treatment. It is concluded that routine serum drug monitoring is hardly indicated in the long-term depot-neuroleptic treatment of schizophrenic patients. A strategy aiming at continually seeking the lowest effective dose on the basis of clinical parameters appears more appropriate, especially in case of depot-neuroleptic treatment.