Self-Reported Neuroendocrine Effects of Antipsychotics in Women: A Pilot Study

Although neuroendocrine adverse effects (NAEs) of antipsychotic agents in women have been widely reported, it has been generally assumed that either (1) tolerance to these effects develops with chronic use, (2) patients adjust to the effects, or (3) a trial of dopamine-agonist treatment is effective. We have begun to examine the prevalence of chronic adverse effects and their effect on compliance using a pilot study of self-reported NAEs, antipsychotic drugs, and compliance patterns in a naturalistic setting. Twenty chronic psychiatric outpatients who had been continuously prescribed antipsychotic agents for a minimum of six months were interviewed. The major finding is the greater antipsychotic dose exposure among those with self-reported NAEs compared with those without NAEs (781 ±606 chlorpromazine-equivalent mg/d vs. 125 ± 117, p<0.001). High-potency agents were prescribed for all of the patients reporting amenorrhea and/or galactorrhea, although the relationship between potency group (high vs. low) a...