1165 – Hidden siallorrhea for 11 years - a case report

Abstract

Objective Patients with chronic schizophrenia receive medications for long terms. Sialorrhea is a common and usually manageable side effect of clozapine occurring 31–54% of patients receiving clozapine therapy. It usually occurs in the early course of treatment and is more prominent at night. This is a case report about a patient suffering from schizophrenia for 15 years and receiving clozapine for the last 11 years. Methods The patient has been receiving clozapine for 11 years and had sialorrhea during all this time. He had been hospitalized once at the beginning of schizophrenia and the latter follow up continued with outpatient clinic controls. During this period he has never talked about sialorrhea, he ‘shamed about talking about it’so he never received any treatment for it. He reports that doctors asked about ‘side effects of the medication but not about sialorrhea’. Results He mentioned about sialorrhea when he learned that it is a common side effect of clozapine and he reported it when existence of sialorrhea was asked as a special question in a rehabilitation program for schizophrenia. Conclusion This case is important to show the insufficient motivation of health professionals to talk the side effects of medications name by name with the patients so a distributive side effect as siallorrhea may elude observation for years. Using screening scales for common adverse effects in routine examinations may provide a beneficial approach.