Details

Amisulpride is an atypical antipsychotic agent, prescribed for schizophrenia. It corrects the imbalance of chemical substances acting on the nervous system. Amisulpride is effective in helping symptoms such as hearing voices, loss of energy, thought disturbances, difficulties communicating with others, worry, depression, overcoming feelings of wanting to be alone as well as other symptoms of schizophrenia. In the elderly amisulpride can cause hypotension and sedation.

Typical Uses

Amisulpride is used to treat schizophrenia. It is an atypical anti-psychotic medicine, sometimes called second-generation anti-psychotic. It is used to treat disturbed thoughts, feelings and behaviour. In general, this drug is used to treat schizophrenia when it first starts, and as long-term treatment for this mental condition. Benefits of being on Amisulpride can include relief from the symptoms of schizophrenia, which include: feeling, seeing or hearing things which do not exist having strange and frightening thoughts changing how you act making you feel alone, tense, anxious or depressed.

Side Effects

Some of the side effects of Amisulpride include Insomnia, anxiety, agitation are common side effects (occurring in 5-10%). Somnolence, constipation, nausea, vomiting and dry mouth may occur in up to 2% of patients. Other side effects include weight gain, acute dystonia, extrapyramidal side effects, tardive dyskinesia, hypotension, bradycardia and QT prolongation. Amisulpride may also lead to breast pain, lack of menstrual periods, difficulty in getting or maintaining an erection or in ejaculating, unusual production of breast milk in women and men, etc.

Drug Interactions

Amisulpride should not be used with the following medications because very serious, possibly fatal interactions may occur. These medications include quinidine, disopyramide, procainamide, amiodarone, sotalol, bepridil, cisapride, sultopride, thioridazine, methadone, intravenous erythromycin, intravenous vincamine, halofantrine, pentamidine, sparfloxacin, bendrofluazide, hydrochlorothiazide, laxatives, glucocorticoids, tetracosactide, amphotericin and levodopa.

Mechanism of action

Amisulpride belongs to a class of medicines called atypical antipsychotics. It works by maintaining the balance of certain chemicals in the brain, thereby controlling the symptoms of schizophrenia.

Pregnancy Category : B