Complications from psychotherapeutic drugs‐1964

After a decade of use, the indications and abuses of psychotherapeutic drugs have become evident. The antipsychotic drugs, chiefiy the phenothiazine derivatives but also Rauwolfia alkaloids, have had a profound impact on the management of severe mental illnesses. Tranquilizing or antianxiety drugs, some of new chemical structure, others old, offer the physician a wider choice of agents for managing the difficult patients with minor emotional disorders, but have not enhanced the total therapeutic results a great deal. Antidepressant drugs still have questionable value, though very likely some are helpful for selected patients. As is the case with all therapeutic agents with pharmacodynamic actions, side reactions and complications can develop from each of these classes of drugs. They Occur often enough so that none should be used for trivial reasons. On the other hand, when clearly indicated, these drugs may be used with an acceptable amount of risk. Until more is known about the interactions between different psychotherapeutic drugs, the trend toward polypharmacy is to be deplored. Drug combinotions often produce new and unexpected complications. Fortunately, most important side reactions and complications of these drugs appear early in treatment, there being little evidence of chronic toxicity. A few complications are preventable and most are treatable.