Drugs used to quieten disturbed patients, whether this is the result of brain damage, MANIA, DELIRIUM, agitated DEPRESSION or an acute behavioural disturbance. They relieve the ?orid PSYCHOTIC symptoms such as hallucinations and thought-disorder in SCHIZOPHRENIA and prevent relapse of this disorder when it is in remission.
Most of these drugs act by blocking DOPAMINE receptors. As a result they can give rise to the extrapyramidal effects of PARKINSONISM and may also cause HYPERPROLACTINAEMIA.
Troublesome side-effects may require control by ANTICHOLINERGIC drugs. The main antipsychotic drugs are: (i) chlorpromazine, methotrimeprazine and promazine, characterised by pronounced sedative effects and a moderate anticholinergic and extrapyramidal e?ect; (ii) pericyazine, pipothiazine and thioridazine, which have moderate sedative effects and marked anticholinergic effects, but less extrapyramidal effects than the other groups; (iii) ?uphenazine, perphenazine, prochlorperazine, sulpiride and tri?uoperazine, which have fewer sedative effects and fewer anticholinergic effects, but more pronounced extrapyramidal effects.... neuroleptics
A group of major antipsychotic drugs, colloquially called ‘TRANQUILLISERS’, widely used to treat psychoses (see PSYCHOSIS). They can be divided into three main groups. Chlorpromazine, methotrimeprazine and promazine are examples of group 1, usually characterised by their sedative effects and moderate antimuscarinic and extrapyramidal side-effects. Group 2 includes pericyazine, pipothiazine and thioridazine, which have moderate sedative effects but signi?cant antimuscarinic action and modest extrapyramidal side-effects. Fluphenazine, perphenazine, prochlorperazine and tri?uoperazine comprise group 3. Their sedative effects are less than for the other groups and they have little antimuscarinic action; they have marked extrapyramidal side-effects.
Uses Phenothiazines should be prescribed and used with care. The drugs di?er in predominant actions and side-effects; selection depends on the extent of sedation required and the susceptibility of the patient to extrapyramidal side-effects. The di?erences between the drugs, however, are less important than the variabilities in patients’ responses. Patients should not be prescribed more than one antipsychotic drug at a time. In the short term these therapeutically powerful drugs can be used to calm disturbed patients, whatever the underlying condition (which might have a physical or psychiatric basis). They also alleviate acute anxiety and some have antidepressant properties, while others worsen DEPRESSION (see also MENTAL ILLNESS).... phenothiazines
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