338
P A R T 4
Drugs acting on the central and peripheral nervous systems
TABLE 22.1
DRUGS IN FOCUS Antipsychotic/neuroleptic drugs (continued)
Drug name
Potency
Common side effects
Usual dosage
Sedation Anticholinergic Hypotension Extrapyramidal
Atypical antipsychotics
amisulpride
(Solian)
High
++
++
+
+
Adult: 400–800 mg/day
in two divided doses,
adjusted according to
response; maximum
1.2 g/day
aripiprazole
(Abilify)
Medium +
+
++
+
Adult: 10–15 mg/day PO
clozapine
(Clopine,
Clozaril)
Low
++++
++
+++
+/–
Adult: initially 25 mg
PO b.d. to t.d.s.; up to
500 mg/day; available
only through the Clozaril
Management System,
which monitors white
blood cell count and
compliance issues, only
one-week supply given
at a time
olanzapine
(Zyprexa,
Zyprexa Zydis)
High
++++
++
+++
+
Adult: 5–10 mg/day PO,
up to 20 mg/day PO for
bipolar mania; available
in disintegrating tablets,
which can be taken
without swallowing
paliperidone
(Invega)
Medium +
+
++
++
Adult: 6 mg/day PO;
maximum dose
12 mg/day
Renal impairment:
maximum dose
6 mg/day with moderate
impairment, maximum
dose 3 mg/day with
severe impairment
quetiapine
(Seroquel,
Seroquel XR)
Medium ++++
++
++
+/–
Adult: initially 25
mg PO b.d., up to
300–400 mg/day;
400–900 mg/day PO
(XR)
Geriatric, hepatic
impairment or
hypotensives: reduce
dose and titrate very
slowly
risperidone
(Risperdal)
High
+++
+
++
++
Adult: 1 mg PO b.d. up to
8 mg/day or 25 mg IM
once every 2 weeks
Paediatric: 10–17 years:
0.5–6 mg/day PO
(bipolar disorders)
13–17 years: 1–6 mg/day
PO (schizophrenia)
Geriatric, renal impaired or
hypotensives: 0.5 mg PO
b.d. initially, titrate slowly
