Periciazine: uses and side effects of this drug

This psychopharmaceutical is one of the first antipsychotics to be used in psychiatry.

Periciazine is an antipsychotic drug used to treat behavioral and mood disorders, as well as the symptoms of diseases such as schizophrenia involving agitation or uncontrolled movements.

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

What is periciazine?

Periciazine is an antipsychotic drug of the family of phenothiazines which is used to treat people suffering from character and behavioral disturbances. Phenothiazines are part of the group of classical antipsychotics and, in addition to having antipsychotic properties, they have antiemetic effects.

There are three groups of phenothiazine-type antipsychotics: aliphatic compounds, piperidines and piperazines. Periciazine is included in the piperidine group..

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

What is it used for?

Periciazine, as an antipsychotic drug, has therapeutic effects on mood and behavioral abnormalities, whatever their origin.whatever their 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 behavioral 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. its main effects are of sedative typeAs an adrenergic antagonist, blocking the actions of the endogenous adrenergic neurotransmitters, epinephrine and norepinephrine; and as an antipsychotic, reducing pathological arousal and affective tension in some patients with psychotic symptoms.

This drug 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.

Pericyazine acts mainly in subcortical areas, producing what has been described as a central adrenergic blockade.. Phenothiazines, such as chlorpromazine or thioridazine, may cause hyperactive delirium preceded by restlessness and agitation, and this is suspected to be due to their 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 are mild and variable. are mild and variable. Higher cognitive functions are largely unaffected, and in some people performance may improve as the existing disease improves.

For example, in patients suffering from schizophrenia, it has been shown that certain antipsychotics, such as trifluoperazine or haloperidol (although they do not belong to the piperidine group) could improve short-term memory.

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

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

Contraindications and side effects

Visit the most common side effects following the consumption of periciazine The following may be noted: drowsiness, dizziness, nausea, lightheadedness, dry mouth, constipation or diarrhea.

Other effects may also occur. other effects which should be reported to the physician if they persistUncontrolled Muscle movements, sudden changes in mood, sleeping difficulties, confusion or aggressiveness.

There are also a number of other unlikely but more serious side effects that should be reported to the physician immediately, such as: vision changes, mouth sores, skin burns or spots, weight gain, menstrual changes and significant decrease in libido.

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

• If you have a diagnosis of Parkinson's disease.
• If you are allergic or hypersensitive to periciazine, phenothiazines or any of the components of the marketed product.
• If you suffer from a severe depressive disorder.
• If you suffer from hematological alterations or diseases such as agranulocytosis or porphyria.
• If you have liver problems.
• If you have alcoholism.
• If you suffer from glaucoma (eye disease that gradually reduces vision).
• If you have urethral or prostate problems, as well as urine retention.

Periciazine for schizophrenia

People suffering from an illness such as schizophrenia often have symptoms that include auditory and visual hallucinations, as well as bizarre beliefs or delusions. The basic treatment for these symptoms is usually antipsychotic drugs.

Research has sought to test whether pericyazine, despite being a typical or first-generation antipsychotic and relatively old (formulated in 1961), might have more beneficial effects than other atypical or second-generation antipsychotic drugs, which have been marketed more recently.

Several studies comparing the efficacy of periciazine in comparison with other older and newer antipsychotic drugs 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 agitationsuch as involuntary agitation, tremors, excitability and spasms, compared to other typical and atypical antipsychotics.

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