Sulpiride Patient Information
Sulpiride is a generic name for a prescription medication available in the United Kingdom, Japan and other parts of Europe. Doctors commonly prescribe sulpiride for the treatment of schizophrenia.
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Function
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Sulpiride functions by blocking the receptors in your brain that are sensitive to the brain chemical dopamine, which increases the effects of the chemical upon your brain.
Effects
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In patients with schizophrenia, the decreased levels of dopamine caused by sulpiride reduce hallucinations, disturbing thoughts, hostility, a lack of emotions and the desire to be isolated, reports NetDoctor.
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Drug Interactions
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Certain drugs such as alcohol, barbiturates, benzodiazepines for anxiety, MAOI antidepressants, sedatives, antihistamines, opioid pain killers such as morphine, and tricyclic antidepressants pose a risk for severe drowsiness when combined with sulpiride. When taken with some drugs for arrhythmia, depressions, psychosis, malaria or bacterial infections, sulpiride poses a risk for an irregular heart rhythm known as prolonged QT interval, according to NetDoctor.
Risks
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Side effects of sulpiride include diarrhea, restlessness, insomnia, dizziness, weight gain, drowsiness, agitation, increased salivation, twitching, tremors and muscle rigidity. Sulpiride poses a number of risks, including a permanent condition where your face makes contorted, uncontrollable movements, convulsions, liver damage, a life threatening condition known as neuroleptic malignant syndrome, which causes hyperthermia.
Considerations
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Sulpiride is not recommended for use during pregnancy or while nursing. If you have a history of decreased kidney function, hypomania, epilepsy, Parkinson's disease, cardiovascular disease, hypokalemia, dementia, stroke, liver or kidney disease, blood disorders, tumors on your adrenal or pituitary glands, fructose intolerance or breast cancer, it may not be safe for you to take sulpiride, warns NetDoctor.
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