indication

For treatment of psychotic disorders (e.g. schizophrenia) and of acute mania occuring as part of bipolar disorders.

pharmacology

Chlorprothixene is a typical antipsychotic drug of the thioxanthine class. It has a low antipsychotic potency (half to 2/3 of chlorpromazine). An intrinsic antidepressant effect of chlorprothixene has been discussed, but not proven yet. Likewise, it is unclear, if chlorprothixene has genuine analgesic effects. An antiemetic effect, as with most antipsychotics, exists. It is used in the treatment of nervous, mental, and emotional conditions. Improvement in such conditions is thought to result from the effect of the medicine on nerve pathways in specific areas of the brain. Chlorprothixene has a strong sedative activity with a high incidence of anticholinergic side-effects. Chlorprothixene is structurally related to chlorpromazine, with which it shares in principal all side effects. Allergic side-effects and liver damage seem to appear with an appreciable lower frequency.

mechanism of action

Chlorprothixene blocks postsynaptic mesolimbic dopaminergic D1 and D2 receptors in the brain; depresses the release of hypothalamic and hypophyseal hormones and is believed to depress the reticular activating system thus affecting basal metabolism, body temperature, wakefulness, vasomotor tone, and emesis.

toxicity

Symptoms of overdose include difficulty in breathing (severe), dizziness (severe), drowsiness (severe), muscle trembling, jerking, stiffness, or uncontrolled movements (severe), small pupils, unusual excitement, and unusual tiredness or weakness (severe).

biotransformation

Hepatic

absorption

Incomplete bioavailability.

half life

8 to 12 hours

drug interactions

Donepezil: Possible antagonism of action

Galantamine: Possible antagonism of action

Guanethidine: Chlorprothixene may decrease the effect of guanethidine.

Rivastigmine: Possible antagonism of action