Aminazin

Drug name: Aminazin

Other names used:

• Largactil®
• Sonazine®
• Thorazine®

Active Ingredients: Chlorpromazine hydrochloride

Therapeutic actions: Chlorpromazine belongs to a group of medications called typical (or first-generation) antipsychotic medications. In particular, it is part of a group of medications called phenothiazines. It is not entirely known precisely how chlorpromazine works. However, it is known that the drug blocks or lessens the effects of dopamine, a chemical in the brain. Dopamine may be elevated in people with schizophrenia.

Indications:

• Schizophrenia
• Nausea and vomiting
• Restlessness and worry before surgery
• Acute intermittent porphyria (to help relieve nausea and vomiting associated with this condition)
• Tetanus (in combination with other medications)
• Mania symptoms in people with bipolar disorder (also known as manic depression)
• Hiccups that will not go away
• Severe behavior problems in children
• Severe attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) in children (for short-term use only).

Contraindications and cautions:
This medicine should not be used if you are allergic to one or any of its ingredients. Please inform your doctor or pharmacist if you have previously experienced such an allergy.
If you feel you have experienced an allergic reaction, stop using this medicine and inform your doctor or pharmacist immediately.

You should use this drug with caution in:

• Abnormal muscle weakness (myasthenia gravis)
• Abnormalities in the numbers of blood cells in the blood (blood dyscrasias)
• allergy to phenothiazines such as chlorpromazine and prochlorperazine
• Decreased fluid volume in the body, eg due to Diuretic therapy, low salt diet, kidney dialysis, diarrhoea, vomiting, dehydration
• Decreased kidney function
• Decreased liver function
• Diabetes
• Elderly people
• Enlarged prostate gland (prostatic hypertrophy)
• Epilepsy
• Heart disease
• Heart failure
• History of closed angle glaucoma
• Hypothyroidism
• Low blood potassium levels (hypokalaemia)
• Parkinson's disease
• Reduced awareness, slow reactions or drowsiness due to medicines or illness that reduce activity in the central nervous system
• Severe disease affecting the airways or lungs
• Tumor of the adrenal gland (phaeochromocytoma)

Warning!

• This medicine may rarely cause a decrease in the normal amounts of blood cells in the blood. For this reason you should consult your doctor immediately if you experience any of the following symptoms: unexplained bruising or bleeding, purple spots, sore throat, mouth ulcers, high temperature (fever), feeling tired or general illness. Your doctor may want to take a blood test to check your blood cells.
• This medicine may cause drowsiness. If affected do not drive or operate machinery. Alcohol should be avoided.
• You should not suddenly stop taking this medicine unless your doctor tells you otherwise.
• Consult your doctor immediately if you experience abnormal movements, particularly of the face, lips, jaw and tongue, while taking this medicine. These symptoms may be indicative of a rare side effect known as tardive dyskinesia, and your doctor may ask you to stop taking this medicine, or decrease your dose.
• Consult your doctor immediately if you experience the following symptoms while taking this medicine: high fever, sweating, muscle stiffness, faster breathing and drowsiness or sleepiness. These symptoms may be due to a rare side effect known as the neuroleptic malignant syndrome, and your treatment may need to be stopped.
• Consult your doctor if you experience yellowing of the eyes or skin, or darkened urine while taking this medicine, as these may be signs of jaundice. Your doctor may ask you to stop taking this medicine if you do develop jaundice.
• If you are elderly, this medicine may cause your body temperature to react abnormally in very hot or very cold weather. It may also cause dizziness when rising from a lying or sitting position. Discuss this with your doctor.
• Chlorpromazine can cause rare but serious contact skin sensitization in people who regularly handle the drug. For this reason chlorpromazine tablets should not be broken or crushed and you should avoid any unnecessary contact of the tablets with the skin.
• If you are taking a high dose of this medicine your skin may develop a sensitivity to sunlight. For this reason people taking a high dose should avoid sun lamps and direct sunlight. Your doctor or pharmacist may advise you to use a sunscreen.

Adverse effects: Medicines and their possible side effects can affect individual people in different ways. The following are some of the side effects that are known to be associated with this medicine. Because a side effect is stated here, it does not mean that all people using this medicine will experience that or any side effect.

• dry mouth
• drowsiness

If you experience any of the following symptoms, call your doctor immediately:

• skin discoloration (yellowish-brown to grayish-purple)
• jaw, neck, and back muscle spasms
• pacing
• fine worm-like tongue movements
• rhythmic face, mouth, or jaw movements
• slow or difficult speech
• difficulty swallowing
• shuffling walk
• skin rash

The side effects listed above may not include all of the side effects reported by the drug's manufacturer.
For more information about any other possible risks associated with this medicine, please read the information provided with the medicine or consult your doctor or pharmacist.

Interactions: It is important to tell your doctor or pharmacist what medicines you are already taking, including those bought without a prescription and herbal medicines, before you start treatment with this medicine. Similarly, check with your doctor or pharmacist before taking any new medicines while taking this one, to ensure that the combination is safe.
Especially pay attention to the following drugs:

• Alcohol
• Barbiturates, including:
  • Amobarbital (Amytal®)
  • Butalbital (Fioricet®, Fiorinal®)
  • Pentobarbital (Nembutal®)
  • Phenobarbital (Luminal®)
  • Secobarbital (Seconal®)
• Certain anticonvulsants, including:
  • Divalproex sodium (Depakote®, Depakote ER®)
  • Fosphenytoin (Cerebyx®)
  • Phenytoin (Dilantin®, Phenytek®)
  • Valproic acid (Depakene®)
• Certain SSRI antidepressants, such as:
  • Fluvoxamine (Luvox®)
  • Fluoxetine (Prozac®, Sarafem®, Symbyax®)
  • Paroxetine (Paxil®, Paxil CR®)
  • Sertraline (Zoloft®)
  • Narcotics or opiates, such as morphine or oxycodone (Oxycontin®)
  • Pindolol
  • Propranolol (Inderal®, Inderal LA®, InnoPran XL®)
  • Rifamycin antibiotics, including rifabutin (Mycobutin®), rifampin (Rifadin®), and rifapentine (Priftin®)
• Tricyclic antidepressants, including:
  • Amoxapine (Asendin®)
  • Clomipramine (Anafranil®)
  • Desipramine (Norpramin®)
  • Doxepin (Sinequan®)
  • Imipramine (Tofranil®, Tofranil PM®)
  • Maprotiline (Ludiomil®)
  • Nortriptyline (Pamelor®)
  • Protriptyline (Vivactil®)
  • Trimipramine (Surmontil®).

Additional Information: DO NOT SHARE THIS MEDICINE with others. DO NOT USE THIS MEDICINE for other health conditions. KEEP THIS PRODUCT, as well as syringes and needles, if needed during treatment, out of the reach of children. Do not reuse needles, syringes, or other materials.