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Thorazine advertisement, 1961. Mental Hospitals, Vol. 12, No. 10. No other drug in psychiatry has achieved the lasting foundation that Thorazine® brand of chlorpromazine has in its seven years of clinical use * effectiveness * relative safety * extensive documentation A fundamental drug in psychiatry. Smith, Kline & French Laboratories, Philadelphia leaders in psychopharmaceutical research ADULT INDICATIONS AND DOSAGE Dosage should always be adjusted to the response of the individual and the severity of the condition. It is important to increase dosage until symptoms are controlled or side effects become excessively troublesome. |
SIDE EFFECTS The drowsiness caused by 'Thorazine' may be unwanted in some patients. It is usually mild to moderate and disappears after the first or second week of therapy. If, however, drowsiness is troublesome, it can usually be controlled by lowering the dosage or by administering small amounts of dextro amphetamine. Other side effects that have been reported occasionally are dryness of the mouth, nasal congestion, some constipation, miosis in a few patients and, very rarely, mydriasis. Mild fever (99 F.) may occur occasionally during the first days of therapy with large intramuscular doses. During 'Thorazine' therapy some patients have an increased appetite and gain weight. Usually these patients reach a plateau beyond which they do not gain further weight. Causes of vomiting: The physician should always bear in mind that the antiemetic effect of 'Thorazine' may mask signs of overdosage of toxic drugs and may obscure diagnosis of conditions such as intestinal obstruction and brain tumor. Extrapyramidal Symptoms: With very large doses of 'Thorazine", as frequently used in psychiatric cases over long periods, there have been a few patients who have exhibited extrapyramidal symptoms which closely resemble parkinsonism. Such symptoms are reversible and usually disappear within a short time after the dosage has been decreased or the drug withdrawn. These symptoms can also be controlled by the concomitant administration of standard anti-parkinsonism agents. Before prescribing 'Thorazine' in any indication other than those given here, the physician should be familiar with dosage, side effects, cautions and contraindications for such indications. This information is available in: Thorazine® Reference Manual and Physician's Desk Reference. |