STATUS EPILEPTICUS ASSOCIATED WITH WITHDRAWAL FROM DEPROL (MEPROBAMATE AND BENACTYZINE).

Abstract

Past History. S. D., a patient, aged 44 years, with no personal or family history of epilepsy, had a history of two previous admissions to this hospital with the diagnosis manic-depressive reaction, depressed type. Present illness. Approximately 6 months’ duration. The prominent early features were marked feelings of depression, lack of energy and loss of interest. During the following months, there was progressive deterioration in her condition until, ultimately, before admission to hospital, she was in a state of deep depression with almost complete withdrawal and anergia. With the earliest symptoms of her present depressive episode, she had been treated with Deprol. It would appear that she became increasingly dependent on the drug, increasing the dosage with the deepening of her depression. Shortly before admission to hospital, she was described as taking 18-20 tablets of Deprol daily (7.2-8.0 G. meprobamate and 18-20 mg. benactyzine). This is 5 times the recommended average daily dosage of this medication. Her illness followed the stereotyped course of her previous depressive episodes. Course in Hospital. On admission, her condition appeared to be one of retarded depression. She was dull, withdrawn, lacking in spontaneity only expressing ideas of hopelessness and showed marked retardation of thought and psychomotor activity. On the evening of admission, there was a progressive change in her mental picture, when she became agitated, showed thought disconnection and became preoccupied with ideas of hopelessness. She became tremulous and had episodes of vomiting. Because of her tremulous condition, she was given an intramuscular in-