Question 174 · LEK · Antipsychotics
A 23-year-old female was diagnosed with schizophrenia after a single seven-month psychotic episode (with hallucinations and delusions in the clinical picture). Ever since then she has been treated with a small dose of olanzapine, which caused all her psychotic symptoms to resolve. She has not reported any symptoms for 24 months now. How should her therapy be modified?
- A. the dose of olanzapine should be reduced and then, if the patient still does not report any symptoms, olanzapine should be discontinued.
- B. the dose of olanzapine should be reduced, but the drug should not be discontinued.
- C. the dose of olanzapine should be maintained at the current level, but the appointments with the psychiatrist can become rarer.
- D. the diagnosis should be revised as the patient possibly does not suffer from schizophrenia.
- E. olanzapine should be substituted with a long-acting depot antipsychotic drug such as haloperidol decanoate.
Hint
Consider the recommended length of maintenance therapy after a single first psychotic episode with full, sustained remission.
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