Prolixin

Meaning of Prolixin: Prolixin is a brand name for a first generation antipsychotic medication used mainly to treat schizophrenia and related psychotic disorders.

Definition of Prolixin

Prolixin is a brand name for fluphenazine hydrochloride, a medication belonging to the phenothiazine class of first generation, or typical, antipsychotics. It is used mainly to treat schizophrenia and other conditions involving psychosis, working by blocking dopamine receptors in the brain to help reduce symptoms such as hallucinations and disordered thinking.

Prolixin is available as an oral tablet or liquid, and fluphenazine is also formulated as a long acting injectable, fluphenazine decanoate, given at intervals of several weeks rather than daily, which can help maintain steady drug levels for people who have difficulty taking a medication every day.

Like other first generation antipsychotics, fluphenazine carries a recognized risk of movement related side effects, including muscle stiffness, tremor, and involuntary movements, effects that are generally more common with this older class of antipsychotics than with many newer, second generation alternatives.