Depression/Central Nervous System

STELAZINE 100 MG

Stelazine tablets and syrup contain the active ingredient trifluoperazine, which is a type of medicine called a phenothiazine antipsychotic. (NB. Trifluoperazine is also available without a brand name, ie as the generic medicine.) Trifluoperazine has two quite different uses. In higher doses it is used in the treatment of psychiatric illnesses. In lower doses it is used in the management of nausea and vomiting.

When used in psychiatric illness, trifluoperazine is sometimes described as a neuroleptic or a 'major tranquilliser', though this last term is fairly misleading, as this type of medicine is not just a tranquilliser, and any tranquillising effect is not as important as its main mechanism of action in psychiatric illness.

Trifluoperazine works by blocking dopamine receptors in the brain. Dopamine is a natural compound called a neurotransmitter, and is involved in transmitting messages between brain cells. Dopamine is a neurotransmitter known to be involved in regulating mood and behaviour, amongst other things.

Psychotic illness, and particularly schizophrenia, is thought to be caused by overactivity of dopamine in the brain. Trifluoperazine blocks the receptors that dopamine acts on, and this prevents the overactivity of dopamine in the brain. This helps to control psychotic illness.

Trifluoperazine is used in the long-term management of psychotic conditions such as schizophrenia. It is also used in the short-term to manage severe anxiety and severely agitated or dangerous behaviour.

Trifluoperazine also affects dopamine receptors in an area of the brain that controls nausea and vomiting. Vomiting is controlled by an area of the brain called the vomiting centre. The vomiting centre is responsible for causing feelings of sickness (nausea) and for the vomiting reflex. It is activated when it receives nerve messages from another area of the brain called the chemoreceptor trigger zone (CTZ) and when it receives nerve messages from the gut.

Trifluoperazine controls nausea and vomiting by blocking dopamine receptors found in the CTZ. This stops the CTZ from sending the messages to the vomiting centre that would otherwise cause nausea and vomiting.

Stelazine spansules are a 'controlled release' form of trifluoperazine. They are designed to release the trifluoperazine slowly and continuously over several hours. This produces a steady blood level of the medicine throughout the day. The spansules are designed to be taken once a day. They must be swallowed with water and not chewed or crushed, as this would damage the controlled release action.

What is it used for?

• Psychotic illness such as schizophrenia.
• Short-term treatment of severe anxiety.
• Short-term treatment of severely agitated behaviour and violent or dangerously impulsive behaviour.
• Nausea and vomiting.