Phenothiazines are antipsychotic drugs. There are three important subgroups :

1– Aliphatics : Triflupromazine and Chlorpromazine (the most known).

2– Piperidine : Mesoridazine and Thioridazine.

3– Piperazine : Fluphenazine, Perphenazine, Prochlorperazine, and Triffluperazine.

The Phenothiazines are effective in acute and chronic schizophrenia, and do not produce drug dependence.

They have a marked effect on thought disturbances associated with paranoid ideation, deluxions, anxiety, and agitation.

Adverse effects are drowsiness, tardive dyskinesia, sedation, hypotension, extrapyramidal symptoms (eg, akathisia, dystonia,tremors, and rigidity), ocular and skin pigmentation, photosensitization, hepatotoxicity, and blood dyscrasias.

Phenothiazines may produce also arrhythmias, suppression of ovulation, and induction of lactation.

(Edited by Dr. María Moya Guirao, MD)