Journal of Addiction Research & Therapy
Open Access

Abstract

D rug-induced weight gain can assume major clinical importance in long-term medication in the management of chronic schizophrenia. A follow up case series study was achieved at Psychiatric department at Ibn-Sena Teaching General Hospital, Mosul City, during the period from September 01, 2006, to November 01, 2008 to compare the increasing effects of four phenothiazine drugs on the body weight of schizophrenic patients, in order to detect the drugs of most and least effect. The study was conducted on 125 schizophrenic patients (36 males and 89 females) comprising four groups each of thirty patients. Each group was treated for the first time with different mono phenothiazine therapy. The phenothiazine drugs used were: 1. Chlorpromazine (aliphatic class) 2. Thioridazine (piperidine class) 3. Trifluoperazine 4. Fluphenazine (piperazine class) The weight of the patients was taken before commencement of treatment and there after every two months, for a period of eight months. The study revealed weight gain among the four groups of patients, but with different degrees. Chlorpromazine showed the highest degrees of weight increasing effect in comparison with other drugs. Thioridazine and fluphenazine showed less degree as compared to that of chlorpromazine. Lastly trifluoperazine showed the lowest degree in comparison with other phenothiazine drugs. No correlation was found between the doses or the duration of treatment and weight gain, but only after eight months as just found with chlorpromazine and thioridazine. Also no correlation was found between the age of patients and weight gain, according to the type of drug used in the study. This study revealed that phenothiazine therapy led to a significant increase in body weight of the schizophrenic patients with different degrees. Chlorpromazine showed the most and trifluoperazine the least effect on body weight.

Biography