Doubleblind evaluation of the antimanic properties of carbamazepine as a comedication to haloperidol

Abstract

1. Today carbamazepine is the most important alternative to neuroleptic drugs for the treatment of manic psychoses. Often carbamazepine is administered as a comedication to a neuroleptic. 2. A doubleblind study with 20 patients suffering from manic or schizomanic psychoses was performed to determine whether carbamazepine and haloperidol in comedication are more effective than haloperidol alone. 3. Under the tested conditions (24 mg haloperidol p.d.) only the smaller amount of additional medication with levomepromazine in the experimental group gave evidence for the antimanic effect of carbamazepine in combination with haloperidol. 4. Especially the patients with pure manic psychoses seem to benefit from carbamazepine as an adjunct to haloperidol.