Periciazine: uses and side effects of this drug

Periciazine is a drug from the group of antipsychotics used to treat behavioral and mood disorders. mood, as well as symptoms of illnesses such as schizophrenia that involve states of agitation or movements uncontrolled.

In this article we will see what is periciazine, what is it for, what is its mechanism of action, as well as its main and side effects, and contraindications to take into account.

• Related article: "Types of antipsychotics (or neuroleptics)"

What is periciazine?

The expertise is an antipsychotic drug from the phenothiazine family which is used to treat people suffering from character and behavioral disorders. Phenothiazines are part of the group of classic antipsychotics and, in addition to having antipsychotic properties, they have antiemetic effects.

There are three groups of antipsychotics of the phenothiazine type: aliphatic compounds, piperidines, and piperazines. The expertise is included within the group of piperidines.

Health professionals prescribe this drug for the short-term treatment of anxiety and the maintenance of psychotic disorders or schizophrenia. Its greater or lesser effectiveness compared to the rest of antipsychotics has not yet been demonstrated.

What is it for?

Peritiazine, as an antipsychotic drug, has therapeutic effects on mood and behavior abnormalities, whatever its origin. In this sense, it is a drug that has been used in a wide variety of disorders and conditions.

Generally, and always under medical prescription, this drug is indicated for the treatment of:

• Character disorders and behavior disorders (aggressive behavior, psychomotor agitation, defiant opposition, etc.).
• Epilepsy, schizophrenia, psychotic symptoms, neurosis, alcoholism, psychopathies.
• Acute episodes in psychosis and neurosis (obsessive).
• Acute and chronic psychosis.

Mechanism of action

Periciazine is a first generation antipsychotic drug and its main effects are sedative: as an adrenergic antagonist, blocking the actions of endogenous adrenergic neurotransmitters, epinephrine and norepinephrine; and as an antipsychotic, reducing pathological arousal and affective tension in some patients with psychotic symptoms.

This medicine is part of the group of sedative phenothiazines with weak antipsychotic properties. In addition, it also has adrenolytic, anticholinergic, metabolic and endocrine effects, as well as an effect on the extrapyramidal system.

The expertise acts primarily in subcortical areas, producing what has been described as a central adrenergic block. Phenothiazines, such as chlorpromazine or thioridazine, can cause hyperactive delirium preceded by restlessness and agitation, and this is suspected to be due to its anticholinergic effects (by blocking the effects of acetylcholine).

Effects on cognitive functions

In normal subjects, the effects of neuroleptics such as periciazine on memory and cognitive performance they are mild and variable. Higher cognitive functions are largely unaffected, and in some people performance may improve as existing disease improves.

For example, in patients suffering from schizophrenia, certain antipsychotics, such as trifluoperazine or haloperidol (although not belonging to the group of piperidines) could improve memory to short term.

However, chlorpromazine and toridazine (which, like peritiazine, are also phenothiazines) may slightly impair short-term memory, but not immediate or long-term memory term.

In those patients who already have dementia, antipsychotic drugs can accelerate cognitive decline. There is clinical evidence showing that Alzheimer's patients who use these types of drugs have a higher risk of cognitive decline.

• You may be interested: "Types of psychotropic drugs: uses and side effects"

Contraindications and side effects

Between the most common side effects after taking periciazine Note the following: drowsiness, dizziness, nausea, lightheadedness, dry mouth, constipation, or diarrhea.

They can also occur another series of effects that, if they persist, the doctor should be notified: uncontrolled muscle movements, sudden changes in mood, trouble sleeping, confusion or aggressiveness.

There are also another series of unlikely but more serious side effects, which should be reported to the doctor immediately, such as example: vision changes, mouth sores, burns or blemishes on the skin, weight gain, menstrual changes, and a significant decrease in blood pressure libido.

On the other hand, Periciazine should not be used if you have any of the following conditions:

• If you have a diagnosis of Parkinson's.
• If there is an allergy or hypersensitivity to periciazine, phenothiazines or any of the components of the marketed product.
• If you have a severe depressive disorder.
• If you suffer from hematological disorders or diseases such as agranulocytosis or porphyria.
• If you have liver problems.
• If alcoholism occurs.
• If you suffer from glaucoma (an eye disease that gradually reduces vision).
• If you have problems with the urethra or prostate, as well as urine retention.

Periciazine for schizophrenia

People with a disease such as schizophrenia often have symptoms that include auditory and visual hallucinations, as well as strange beliefs or delusions. The basic treatment for these types of symptoms is usually antipsychotic drugs.

Research has sought to verify whether periciazine, despite being a typical or first-generation and relatively old antipsychotic (formulated in 1961), it could have more beneficial effects than other atypical or second-generation antipsychotic drugs, which have been more widely marketed Recently.

Several studies conducted comparing the efficacy of peryzazine compared to other drugs antipsychotics, both older and newer, have failed to determine which of them is more effective.

On the other hand, in one of the studies it was found that patients who took periciazine had more side effects, such as involuntary shaking, tremors, excitability and spasms, compared to other typical and atypical antipsychotics.

No other studies have reported satisfactory results in terms of treatment and cost-effectiveness of the drug. This lack of evidence demands further attention and investigation in future trials on the primary and secondary effects of this drug, so that they may benefit the patients themselves.

Bibliographic references:

• Gutierrez SF. Current antipsychotic treatment of schizophrenia. Farm Hosp 1998; 22: 207- 212.
• Snyder, S.H., Banerjee, S.P., Yamamura, H.I. and Greenberg, D., Drugs, neurotransmitters and schizophrenia, Science, 184 (1974) 1243-1253.
• Tajima K, Fernández H, López-Ibor JJ, Carrasco JL, Díaz-Marsá M. Treatments for schizophrenia. Critical review on the pharmacology and mechanisms of action of antipsychotics. Acta Esp Psiquitr 2009; 37: 330 - 342.