What Is Thioridazine Used For?

Many people may wonder, "What is thioridazine used for?" Thioridazine is used for the treatment of schizophrenia in both adults and children. Occasionally, thioridazine can also be used "off-label" for treating a number of conditions, including anxiety, agitation, dementia, and severe depression.

What Is Thioridazine Used For? -- An Overview

Part of a class of drugs known as "typical antipsychotics," thioridazine (Mellaril®) is a prescription medicine that has been licensed to treat schizophrenia.
 
Schizophrenia is one of the most confusing and disabling mental illnesses. It is 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 an important role in developing the illness. 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 expression, 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 schizophrenia treatment. Thioridazine can help improve the symptoms of schizophrenia.
 

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Written by/reviewed by: Kristi Monson, PharmD; Arthur Schoenstadt, MD
Last reviewed by: Kristi Monson, PharmD;
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