Stelazine Uses

Stelazine uses are primarily concerned with controlling symptoms of schizophrenia and anxiety. It works by lessening or blocking the effects of dopamine (a chemical in the brain), which can become elevated in people with these conditions. The medication has been approved for treating schizophrenia in children as young as six years old. There are no universally accepted "off-label" Stelazine uses at this time.

 

An Overview of Stelazine Uses

Stelazine® (trifluoperazine hydrochloride) is a prescription medicine known as a phenothiazine that has been licensed to treat the following conditions:
 

Stelazine Uses for Schizophrenia

Schizophrenia is one of the most confusing and disabling mental illnesses. The term refers to a group of mental disorders that involve abnormal thinking. Although the causes of schizophrenia are not fully understood, it is currently thought that genetics and environmental factors play important roles. Depending on the type of schizophrenia (see Types of Schizophrenia), symptoms may include the following:
 
  • Hallucinations
  • Delusions
  • Thought disorders
  • Disorders of movement
  • Flat affect (immobile facial expressions, monotonous voice)
  • Lack of pleasure in everyday life
  • A diminished ability to initiate and sustain planned activity
  • Speaking infrequently, even when forced to interact
  • Poor executive functioning (the ability to absorb and interpret information and make decisions based on that information)
  • An inability to stay focused
  • Problems with working memory (the ability to keep recently learned information in mind and use it right away).
     
Although psychotherapy may be helpful for schizophrenia (see Psychosocial Therapy for Schizophrenics), medication is often essential to successful schizophrenia treatment. Stelazine can help improve the symptoms of schizophrenia; however, it is not a cure.
(Stelazine Uses Continued: Page 2)
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Written by/reviewed by: Kristi Monson, PharmD; Arthur Schoenstadt, MD
Last reviewed by: Kristi Monson, PharmD;