Medication Information

Common Medications

Antipsychotic Medication
This group, formerly known as the "major tranquilizers", or neuroleptics, is comprised mainly of a set of drugs known as dopamine-blockers, along with a few others that work in different ways to achieve the same ends. These drugs target the idiopathic psychoses that have no known cause, such as schizophrenia, schizophreniform disorder, schizoaffective disorder, delusional disorder, brief psychotic disorder, manic episodes, and major depressive disorder with psychotic features, as well as being commonly used in the treatment of patients who are severely agitated and violent. They have a wide application for a variety of disorders, including movement disorders, anxiety disorders, and psychoses that have organic causes.

Side Effects
Potent drugs usually have potent side effects, and the antipsychotic drugs are no exception. Of the nonneurological adverse side effects associated with this class of drugs, cardiac effects may be the most dangerous; they have been hypothesized to be a causal factor in sudden death to patients taking the drug, although this connection may be premature. Orthostatic hypotension, agranulocytosis, anticholinergic effects (described previously), nausea, vomiting, adverse endocrine effects, sexual dysfunction, weight gain, allergic dermatitis, photosensitivity, irreversible pigmentation of the eyes, jaundice, muscle spasms, restlessness, tremors, vertigo, drowsiness, slurred speech, and bizarre dreams are some of the reported side effects. The neurological adverse effects associated with this group of drugs are potentially more serious; in fact, a whole separate group of medication-induced movement disorders has been included in the DSM-IV since their appearance. Among these effects that are neuroleptic-induced are parkinsonism, acute dystonia, acute akathisia, and occasionally, irreversible tardive dyskinesia. Neuroleptic malignant syndrome, which is life-threatening, has been reportedly connected with antipsychotic drug treatment, and epil eptogenic effects have also been observed in some cases. Sedation can also be a problem.

Generic Names
Some of the generic names follow (trade names in parenthesis)

Dopamine-blockers

• acetophenazine (Tindal)
• butaperazine (Repoise--not used in US)
• carphenazine (Proketazine--not used in US)
• chlorpromazine (Thorazine, Largactil--not used in US)
• chlorprothixene (Taractan)
• droperidol (Inapsine, Droleptan--not used in US)
• flupenthixol (Depixol--not used in US)
• fluphenazine (Prolixin, Permitil, Modecate--not used in US)
• haloperidol (Haldol)
• loxapine (Loxitane)
• mesoridazine (Serentil)
• molindone (Moban, Lidone)
• perphenazine (Trilafon)
• pimozide (Orap)
• piperacetazine (Quide--not used in US)
• prochlorperazine (Compazine, Stemetil--not used in US)
• promazine (Sparine)
• remoxipride (Roxiam--not used in US)
• risperidone (Risperdal)
• thioridazine (Mellaril)
• thiothixene (Navane)
• trifluoperazine (Stelazine)
• triflupromazine (Vesprin)
• zuchopenthixol (Clopixol--not used in US)