ANTIPSYCHOTIC DRUGS

SCHIZOPHRENIA

Schizophrenia is a serious brain illness. People who have it may hear voices that aren't there. They may think other people are trying to hurt them. Sometimes they don't make sense when they talk. The disorder makes it hard for them to keep a job or take care of themselves.

Symptoms of schizophrenia usually start between ages 16 and 30. Men often develop symptoms at a younger age than women. People usually do not get schizophrenia after age 45. There are three types of symptoms:

-Psychotic symptoms distort a person's thinking. These include hallucinations (hearing or seeing things that are not there), delusions (beliefs that are not true), trouble organizing thoughts, and strange movements.

-"Negative" symptoms make it difficult to show emotions and to function normally. A person may seem depressed and withdrawn.

Cognitive symptoms affect the thought process. These include trouble using information, making decisions, and paying attention.

No one is sure what causes schizophrenia. Your genes, environment, and brain chemistry may play a role.

There is no cure. Medicine can help control many of the symptoms. Additional treatments can help you deal with your illness from day to day. These include therapy, family education, rehabilitation, and skills training.

MANIA

Bipolar disorder is a serious mental illness. People who have it go through unusual mood changes. They go from very happy, "up," and active to very sad and hopeless, "down," and inactive, and then back again. They often have normal moods in between. The up feeling is called mania. The down feeling is depression.

The causes of bipolar disorder aren't always clear. It runs in families. Abnormal brain structure and function may also play a role.

Bipolar disorder often starts in a person's late teen or early adult years. But children and adults can have bipolar disorder too. The illness usually lasts a lifetime.

If not treated, bipolar disorder can lead to damaged relationships, poor job or school performance, and even suicide. However, there are effective treatments to control symptoms: medicine and talk therapy. A combination usually works best.

PHARMACOLOGY

ANTIPSYCHOTICS DRUGS
-Benperidol (Anquil).
-Chlorpromazine Hydrochloride (Largactil).
-Flupentixol (Depixol).
-Haloperidol (Dozic, Haldol, Serenace).
-Levomepromazine (Nozinan).
-Pericyazine (Neulactil).
-Perphenazine (Fentazin).
-Pimozide (Orap).
-Prochlorperazine.
-Promazine Hydrochloride.
-Sulpiride (Dolmatil, Sulpor).
-Trifluoperazine (Stelazine).
-Zuclopenthixol acetate (Clopixol Acuphase).
-Zuclopenthixol (Clopixol).

Atypical antipsychotic drugs:
-Amisulpride (Solian).
-Aripiprazole (Abilify).
-Clozapine (Clozaril, Denzapine, Zaponex).
-Olanzapine (Zyprexa).
-Paliperidone (Invega).
-Quetiapine (Seroquel).
-Risperidone (Risperdal).
-Sertindole (Serdolect).
-Zotepine (Zoleptil).

ANTIPSYCHOTIC DEPOT INJECTIONS
-Flupentixol Decanoate (Depixol).
-Fluphenazine Decanoate (Modecate).
-Haloperidol (Haldol Decanoate).
-Pipotiazine Palmitate (Piportil Depot).
-Risperidone (Risperdal Consta).
-Zuclopenthixol Decanoate (Clopixol).

ANTIMANIC DRUGS
-Benzodiazepines
-Antipsychotic drugs.
-Carbamazepine.
-Valproic acid (Depakote, Convulex).
-Lithium Carbonate (Camcolit, Liskonum, Priadel).
-Lithium Citrate (Li-liquid, Priadel).

Source:
-www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/bipolardisorder.html
-BNF 57 March 2009