Cyproheptadine Subject

Treatment of tardive dyskinesia is often unsatisfactory, especially in severe cases. A large number of treatments have been proposed (SEDA-20,40), including antiparkinsonian drugs, benzodiazepines, baclofen, hormones, calcium channel blockers, valproate, propranolol, opiates, cyproheptadine, tryptophan, lithium, manganese, niacin, botulinum toxin, ECT, dietary control, and biofeedback training. In an open study, 20 patients (mean age 65 years) with severe unresponsive tardive dyskinesia (mean duration 44 months, mean exposure 52 months) were treated with tetrabenazine (mean dose 58 mg/day) (310). The mean score on the AIMS motor subset, determined from videotapes, improved by 54%. Sedation was the only subjective complaint. 

After a single oral dose of 5 mg to 2 subjects, peak plasma concentrations of cyproheptadine metabolites of 0.036 and 0.05 ig/ml were attained in 6 to 9 hours unchanged drug was not detected (K. L. Hintze et al.. Drug Met. Disp., 1975, 5, 1-9). 

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