Neuroleptics belong to the group of psychotropic drugs. They are used for psychoses and are therefore also called antipsychotics.
What are neuroleptics?
Neuroleptics have a sedative effect and they dull sensory perceptions; they are used for psychosis. Psychoses are mental illnesses in which thinking and perception are disturbed. This can lead to anxiety and restlessness, hallucinations or delusions. Neuroleptics have a calming effect and dull sensory perceptions. Depending on the composition, one or the other mode of action predominates more. In the brain, the drugs interfere with the transmission of excitation at the synapses and inhibit the neurotransmitter dopamine, which leads to a dampening of nervous activity. They are also able to react with other neurotransmitters such as norepinephrine, serotonin or histamine. Neuroleptics have a symptomatic effect, which means they have no curative effect on the mental illness. They merely alleviate the symptoms in the acute state or prevent a recurrence of the disorders.
Application and use
Neuroleptics are divided into weakly and strongly acting neuroleptics based on their mode of action. Weak-acting neuroleptics are more sedative and less antipsychotic by mode of action. They are used for anxiety and restlessness, sleep disorders or mania. If true psychoses are present, strong-acting neuroleptics are administered. They do not make patients as tired and have a stronger depressant effect on nervous activity. They are used, for example, for delusions, schizophrenic states or hallucinations. They are also administered for withdrawal symptoms. Patients’ perceptions are dampened, they experience the environment in a more distanced way, and the typical symptoms of psychosis disappear. As a rule, neuroleptics must be taken regularly, i.e. for life, in diagnosed psychoses. After the acute situation has been overcome, however, the dose is reduced. Neuroleptics are taken as tablets or also injected. It is possible to administer so-called depot injections. These have a duration of action of four weeks. Neuroleptics are also used in very small doses before operations to calm anxious patients. For minor surgical procedures, neuroleptics are used along with special pain medications. This procedure is more tolerable than general anesthesia and is called neuroleptanalgesia. In addition, neuroleptics have antiemetic (curbing nausea) effects and are therefore used in cases of very severe nausea and vomiting to prevent life-threatening conditions.
Herbal, natural, and pharmaceutical neuroleptics.
There are two types of neuroleptics, typical and atypical. This classification is according to the age of the drugs. The older and typical neuroleptics first came into use in the 1950s, the best known of this group being haloperidol. When taking these conventional drugs, patients sometimes experienced severe side effects in the form of movement disorders. The newer variant, the atypical neuroleptics, have been around since the 1970s. They have a different composition and no longer cause these side effects, or only to a very slight extent. They also act more specifically on the symptoms. Since neuroleptics, even the newer generation, nevertheless cause side effects, attempts are also being made to treat psychoses with homeopathic remedies. However, this approach is completely different from treatment with chemical neuroleptics and absolutely requires an experienced classical homeopath. To date, however, the effectiveness of homeopathic substances in psychoses has not been scientifically proven. Also, the question of herbal psychotropic drugs comes up more and more often, but no herbal neuroleptics have been researched yet. The root Kawa Kawa is said to have an effect similar to that of neuroleptics, as it is said to have an anxiety-relieving and calming effect. However, this remedy has not been adequately researched and is not approved as a drug.
Risks and side effects
Neuroleptics have various side effects that vary from person to person, although the newer atypical variety is already much more tolerable than the old typical form. The so-called extrapyramidal motor disorders caused by the old form manifest themselves in so-called dyskinesias.These are sudden movements that the patient cannot control. Furthermore, tremors and rigid muscle spasms (rigor) may occur. There may also be a certain lack of movement, but also an excessive need to move, which means that the patient cannot sit or lie still. Other side effects of neuroleptics include fatigue, constipation or sweating, and impaired sexual sensation. Neuroleptics can alter the formation of white blood cells, and they can cause weight gain. Side effects are much less common with the new atypical medications. They can occur, but they are much weaker.
