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Antipsychotics are various drugs used to treat schizophrenia. They are called neuroleptics or major tranquilizers. Antipsychotic drugs include chlorpromazine (commonly known by the trade name Thorazine), fluphenazine, and trifluoperazine. The drugs reduce the confusion and excitement experienced by the patient.
Although most schizophrenic patients show a moderate to substantial reduction in their positive symptoms of schizophrenia after treatment with antipsychotic drugs, about 30% of patients do not respond to psychopharmacology at all. The negative symptoms of schizophrenia are even less responsive to drug treatment. Once a schizophrenic patient's symptoms are lessened, antipsychotic drugs significantly reduce the risk of relapse.

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In the early 1950s, chlorpromazine, an antipsychotic drug, emerged as an antipsychotic drug. When it was applied to schizophrenic patients, it not only calmed agitated patients but also reduced some of the major symptoms of schizophrenia.

Antipsychotic drugs do not cure schizophrenia. They can only control many of its devastating symptoms and allow schizophrenics to live a normal life. If patients stop taking their medications, it is highly likely their symptoms will return.

Antipsychotics are not equally effectual against all of schizophrenia's symptoms. They work primarily against such symptoms as delusions and bizarre behavior and thoughts. Nevertheless, patients may continue to experience sporadic delusions, hallucinations, and other symptoms even when they take their medications consistently.

Chlorpromazine was followed by the development of other antipsychotic drugs. Despite the differences between their chemical compositions and their mechanisms of action, they share a common end result: They all block the action of dopamine in the brain. No one, however, knows why interfering with dopamine alleviates the symptoms of schizophrenia.

The greatest limitation of treatment with traditional antipsychotic drugs is their side effects. Schizophrenics have to endure disabling side effects such as parkinsonism, akathisia (restlessness in the legs and body), acute dystonia, and tardive dyskinesia (involuntary movements, often of the tongue and face but also of the fingers, hands, legs, and trunk).

Nevertheless, antipsychotics are safe drugs. An overdose does not kill. They are not addictive. And they do not create tolerance-that is people do not have to take larger and larger does to get the same effect. However, as everyone knows, no drug is completely safe.

Patients experiencing their first occurrence of schizophrenia should consider using the new antipsychotic drugs except clozapine. For those patients who do not respond to the new antipsychotics, a treatment with a traditional antipsychotic should be used.

For those patients who have responded to traditional antipsychotics but have consistent side effects should be offered a trial of a new antipsychotic. Patients who have not responded to other antipsychotics should be offered a trial of clozapine.