What Is Perphenazine Used For?

Perphenazine is approved for use in treating symptoms of schizophrenia and severe nausea and vomiting. However, the drug has not been approved for use in children. Off-label perphenazine uses include treating agitation, dementia, and hiccups. Although it is not entirely clear how perphenazine works, it is known to block or lessen the effects of dopamine (a chemical in the brain) that can become elevated in people with these conditions.

Information About Perphenazine

An Overview of Perphenazine Uses

Perphenazine (Trilafon^®) is a prescription medicine known as a "typical antipsychotic" that has been licensed to treat schizophrenia and severe nausea and vomiting.

Perphenazine Uses for Schizophrenia

Schizophrenia is one of the most confusing and disabling mental illnesses.

The term refers to a group of mental disorders that involve abnormal thinking. Although the causes of schizophrenia are not fully understood, it is currently thought that genetics and environmental factors play important roles. Depending on the type of schizophrenia (see Types of Schizophrenia), symptoms may include the following:

Hallucinations
Delusions
Thought disorders
Disorders of movement
Flat affect (immobile facial expression, monotonous voice)
Lack of pleasure in everyday life
A diminished ability to initiate and sustain planned activity
Speaking infrequently, even when forced to interact
Poor executive functioning (the ability to absorb and interpret information and make decisions based on that information)
An inability to stay focused
Problems with working memory (the ability to keep recently learned information in mind and use it right away).

Although psychotherapy may be helpful for schizophrenia (see Psychosocial Therapy for Schizophrenics), medication is often essential for successful schizophrenia treatment. Perphenazine cannot cure schizophrenia, but it can help improve the symptoms.

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