A group of drugs used to treat psychoses (mental disorders involving loss of contact with reality), particularly schizophrenia and mania in bipolar disorder (see manic–depressive illness). Antipsychotic drugs may also be used to sedate people who have other mental disorders (such as dementia) and who are very agitated or aggressive. Antipsychotics include phenothiazine drugs, butyrophenones, such as haloperidol, and several new drugs including risperidone, which is used to treat the symptoms of mania. Antipsychotics can cause drowsiness, lethargy, dyskinesia, and parkinsonism. Other possible side effects include dry mouth, blurred vision, and difficulty in passing urine. However, newer drugs may have fewer side effects when used in the long term.
Antipsychotic drugs |
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