Resumo

RODRIGUEZ C, Hernán; GONZALEZ A, Hugo  e  MENESES M, Juan. Discontinuation symptoms following olanzapine abrupt withdrawal. Rev. chil. neuro-psiquiatr. [online]. 2012, vol.50, n.2, pp. 100-105. ISSN 0717-9227.  http://dx.doi.org/10.4067/S0717-92272012000200003.

Extended use of atypical neuroleptics in clinical practice, may be explained by their effectiveness as antipsychotics and also with recent approvals for therapeutic benefits of this drugs beyond psychotic disorders. Receptor adaptation mechanisms rises critical issues about treatment discontinuation strategies. Clinical data of two patients who have required the use of atypical antipsychotics are discussed. In both cases, abrupt discontinuation of the drug ocurred followed by the emergence of extrapyramidal symptoms. Adaptation mechanisms in synaptic structures would be responsible for this phenomena and the subsequent amelioration of this extrapyramidal symptoms when initial treatment is replaced. The authors concluded that atypical antipsychotics, as other psychotropic agents shouldn't be abruptly discontinued even when they are replaced by other drugs from the same family.

Palavras-chave : Atypical antipsychotic; discontinuation; extra pyramidal symptoms; olanzapine.