COMBINED PERPHENAZINE-AMITRIPTYLINE AS ADJUVANT THERAPY IN PSYCHIATRIC AFTERCARE
ELSE B. KRIS M.D.1, and
DAVID GERST M.D.2
1 Director of Psychiatric Research (Social Psychiatry), State of New York
2 Psychiatrist, Research Division, Dept. of Mental Hygiene, Lower Manhattan After-Care Clinic, New York, N. Y.
An amitriptyline-perphenazine combination was used to treat the mixed anxiety, tension, and depression which may occur in patients being maintained on phenothiazines. Of 33 such patients seen regularly in a community aftercare clinic, 29 (88%) showed considerable or total remission of symptoms. Dizziness, nausea, and vomiting required discontinuing amitriptyline-perphenazine therapy in 3 patients. One patient complained of dry mouth. This drug combination may be of great help in the maintenance therapy of psychotic outpatients. Further study would seem to be warranted.
