Ms. A, a 40-year-old woman diagnosed with a residual schizophrenia [] was admitted following an exacerbation of psychotic symptoms with a predominance of anxiety despite 700 mg/d of clozapine for two years. The clinical scores and the trough plasma concentrations of clozapine and norclozapine at admission were CGI : 5; total PANSS: 123; positive: 17/49; negative: 18/49; excited component: 12/35; general: 39/112; Hamilton-anxiety: 14/56; clozapine: 896 ng/mL; norclozapine: 551 ng/mL, respectively (clozapine therapeutic range: 350–600 ng/mL [–]). Because of the risks of seizures, the dose was reduced to 500 mg/d, and aripiprazole (10 mg/d) was added. Clozapine and norclozapine plasma concentrations measured after 10 days were decreased according to the reduction of the dose (615 ng/mL and 478 ng/mL, resp.). The aripiprazole plasma concentration after 10 days was 282 ng/mL. Following a clinical reduction of the anxiety, the patient was discharged from the hospital three weeks after the addition of aripiprazole.\nA followup over 6 months did not reveal any change in the CGI and PANSS scores (at 6 months: CGI : 5; total PANSS: 125; positive: 18/49; negative: 23/49; excited component 10/35; general: 38/112). On the other hand, the Hamilton-anxiety score diminished progressively to 12, 7, and 8 after one, three, and 6 months, respectively. Clozapine and norclozapine plasma levels were stable over this period (at the sixth month: 608 ng/mL, 443 ng/mL, and 75 kg, resp.), and the comedications (clorazepate 20 mg/d, valsartane 40 mg/d, zopiclone 7,5 mg/d, and tamsulosine 0.4 mg/d) were not modified. No reports are describing an impact on anxiety by the antihypertensive comedication by valsartane (an angiotensin II receptor antagonist) and tamsulosine (peripheral α1-antagonist). There is no significant pharmacokinetic or pharmacodynamic interactions of that comedication and the antipsychotic/anxiolytic treatments.
A 28-year-old, Caucasian, male patient, with a diagnosis of residual schizophrenia, treated for 2 years with clozapine 100 mg/day was admitted because of the worsening of his psychotic symptoms. His OCS first was seen at age of 13. He had control and symmetry obsessions and compulsions. After 5 years of OCS, he had psychotic symptoms. He reported that he could not leave the house for the last 2 years, due to his persecution delusions, skepticism, and resentment. He was on a treatment of clozapine 100 mg/day for 2 years.\nHe was hospitalized with a dose of 10 mg/day aripiprazole added on to his ongoing 100-mg/day clozapine treatment. The plasma level of clozapine and norclozapine were lower than therapeutic level at the admission. At the end of the second week, clozapine dose increased to 200 mg/day and aripiprazole to 30 mg/day gradually. The clozapine, norclozapine, aripiprazole doses and the clinical rating scale scores are given at Table \n. During discharge, his scores of PANSS was 49 (78 at admission), BPRS was 27 (39 at admission), and Y-BOCS was 15 (40 at admission).