Has your doctor prescribed you or someone in your family a fluphenazine injection? It's normal to have questions about this medication. "What is it for?", "What will happen to it?", "What should I be concerned about?" You may be wondering. Don't worry, it's very normal. Today, we'll talk about the fluphenazine injection in a way that you can understand, like a friend.
What really happens with this medicine?
Simply put, Fluphenazine is a medication used to treat certain mental illnesses, such as schizophrenia . It belongs to a class of drugs called antipsychotics .
Think of our brain as a big message center. This center has different messengers for different tasks. One such messenger is dopamine . This chemical called dopamine helps a lot in controlling our thoughts, feelings, and behaviors. In some mental illnesses, this dopamine level in the brain can become unbalanced.
What the fluphenazine injection does is bring those imbalanced dopamine levels back to a more balanced level. It's like tuning in to the right station on a radio. It can help control things like intrusive thoughts, unnecessary fears, and behavioral problems.
Things you need to tell the doctor
Before starting this medication, it is extremely important that your doctor has a complete picture of your health. If you have any of the conditions listed below, be sure to tell your doctor about it.
| Health conditions you should report | A simple explanation |
|---|---|
| Diabetes | If you have diabetes. |
| Heart disease or irregular heartbeat | If you have had previous heart attacks, chest pains, or heart rhythm abnormalities. |
| Liver disease | If you have had previous liver diseases such as jaundice. |
| Low blood pressure | If you experience frequent dizziness or fainting. |
| Seizures | If you have had previous seizures. |
| Parkinson's disease | If you have symptoms such as trembling limbs and difficulty walking. |
| Lung or breathing disease | Breathing difficulties such as asthma. |
| Dementia | Especially if an elderly person has memory loss. |
| Alcohol use | If you are a regular drinker. |
| Allergies | If you are allergic to fluphenazine or any other medicines, foods, or dyes. |
| Pregnancy or breastfeeding | If you are pregnant, trying to get pregnant, or breastfeeding. |
How do you use this medicine?
This is not a medicine you can take home. Fluphenazine injection is given in a hospital or clinic by a trained doctor or nurse. It is an injection into a muscle .
If you are giving this medicine to children, special care should be taken. Therefore, if you are giving this medicine to a child, talk to your doctor about it carefully.
Important: This medicine is for you only. Never share it with anyone else. It can be dangerous to use this medicine without a doctor's advice, even if someone has the same symptoms as you.
What to do if you take too much medicine?
This is unlikely to happen as it is given in a hospital setting. However, if you suspect that you have overdosed, immediately contact the National Poisons Information Centre at the Colombo National Hospital or go to the Emergency Department (ETU) of the nearest hospital.
Other medications that may interact with this medicine
It is very important to tell your doctor about all the medications you are taking, including vitamins, herbal remedies, and even supplements, as some medications can cause unwanted reactions when combined with fluphenazine.
| Absolutely DO NOT take with these medications. | |
|---|---|
| Drugs like Cisapride, Dronedarone, Metoclopramide, Pimozide, Saquinavir, Thioridazine. | |
| Tell your doctor because these things can also interact. | |
| Alcohol | May increase drowsiness and dizziness. |
| Medicines for allergies, coughs, and colds (Antihistamines) | May increase drowsiness. |
| Medication for anxiety or sleep | The effect of the medicine may vary. |
| Certain antidepressants | Medications such as amitriptyline and fluoxetine. |
| Blood pressure medication | Blood pressure may drop unnecessarily. |
| Narcotic medications for pain | Drowsiness and breathing difficulties may occur. |
Things to consider when taking the medicine
Drowsiness and dizziness
You may feel drowsy or dizzy when taking this medicine. Therefore, do not drive or operate machinery until you know how this medicine affects you. Especially if you are elderly, stand up slowly when you get up from a sitting position or when you get out of bed. This can reduce the risk of fainting and falling.
Problems regulating body temperature
This medicine may slightly reduce your body's ability to adapt to the ambient temperature.
- Cold weather: Stay indoors as much as possible on cold days. If you do go out, dress warmly.
- Hot weather: Limit your exposure to the sun as much as possible. Don't overheat yourself by exercising too much. If you must be in the sun, wear light-colored, loose-fitting clothing, and drink plenty of water. If you feel like you're having trouble controlling your body temperature, call your doctor right away.
Sun sensitivity
This medicine may make your skin more sensitive to the sun than usual. So protect yourself from the sun. Do things like use sunscreen and wear a hat.
Dry mouth
Dry mouth is a common side effect of this medication. This can be controlled by chewing sugar-free gum and drinking plenty of water. If it is very bothersome, tell your doctor.
What are the possible side effects?
Like all medicines, this one can have side effects, but not everyone gets them.
| If you experience these symptoms, tell your doctor immediately. | |
|---|---|
| Allergies | Skin rash, itching, swelling of the face, lips, tongue or throat. |
| Neuroleptic Malignant Syndrome | High fever, muscle stiffness, excessive sweating, fast or irregular heartbeat, confusion. |
| Extrapyramidal Symptoms (EPS) | Uncontrollable movements of body parts, muscle tightening or twitching, tremors, restlessness, dragging feet when walking. |
| Symptoms of liver damage | Pain in the upper right abdomen, loss of appetite, yellowing of the skin or eyes, dark urine. |
| Signs of infection | Fever, chills, cough, sore throat. |
| If these symptoms persist or are bothersome, tell your doctor. | |
| Drowsiness | Drowsiness |
| Dry mouth | Dry mouth |
| Constipation | Constipation |
| Headache | Headache |
Take-Home Message
- Fluphenazine is a special injection given in a hospital to treat mental illnesses such as schizophrenia .
- Before starting this treatment, it is imperative that you tell your doctor about all of your health conditions and all other medications you are taking.
- Be aware that taking the medication may cause drowsiness, dizziness, sensitivity to sunlight, and changes in body temperature control.
- If you experience symptoms such as high fever, muscle stiffness, uncontrollable shaking, or severe allergic reactions, seek medical advice immediately.
- This medicine is for you only. Never share it with others. Talk openly with your doctor about any questions or concerns you may have.
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