Is a higher dose of antipsychotic medication required to treat a relapse following discontinuation in first episode psychosis?

Antipsychotic medications are effective in treating positive psychotic symptoms (Leucht et al., 2009) and preventing relapse (Leucht et al., 2012). Yet, prolonged exposure is associated with adverse effects (Young et al., 2015). Clinicians should use the minimum dose for the minimum duration in order to achieve and sustain recovery. However, it is currently not possible to predict the necessary dose or duration for each individual. Unnecessarily prolonged use of antipsychotics may increase adverse effects, while trials of discontinuation may lead to relapses.
Source: Schizophrenia Research - Category: Psychiatry Authors: Tags: Letter to the Editor Source Type: research