Because the causes of schizophrenia are still unknown, treatments focus on eliminating the symptoms of the disease. Treatments include antipsychotic medications and various psychosocial treatments.
Antipsychotic medications
Antipsychotic medications have been available since the mid-1950′s. The older types are called conventional or “typical” antipsychotics. Some of the more commonly used typical medications include: Chlorpromazine (Thorazine), Haloperidol (Haldol), Perphenazine (Etrafon, Trilafon), Fluphenazine (Prolixin).
In the 1990′s, new antipsychotic medications were developed. These new medications are called second generation, or “atypical” antipsychotics.
One of these medications, clozapine (Clozaril) is an effective medication that treats psychotic …

What medications are used to treat schizophrenia?
Antipsychotic medications are used to treat schizophrenia and schizophrenia-related disorders. Some of these medications have been available since the mid-1950′s. They are also called conventional “typical” antipsychotics. Some of the more commonly used medications include:
Chlorpromazine (Thorazine)
Haloperidol (Haldol)
Perphenazine (generic only)
Fluphenazine (generic only).
In the 1990′s, new antipsychotic medications were developed. These new medications are called second generation, or “atypical” antipsychotics.
One of these medications was clozapine (Clozaril). It is a very effective medication that treats psychotic symptoms, hallucinations, and breaks with reality, such as when a …

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) today released a list of 20 drugs that are on its adverse effect “watch list” — drugs that have potential new serious risks or had new safety information from January to March 2008. The data come from FDA’s Adverse Event Reporting System (AERS) database, its only method for gathering safety and adverse effects about drugs approved for prescribing in the U.S. Adverse events are voluntarily reported by physicians who prescribe the medications.
Two psychiatric medications made the list — Duloxetine (Cymbalta) for a serious risk …