Prolixin is a brand name of a phenothiazine called fluphenazine generically; it is an antipsychotic medication used in the treatment of emotional and mental disorders that are serious, including psychosis and schizophrenia. The medication also may be prescribed to help treat other conditions not associated with mental illness such as migraine headaches, chronic neurogenic pain and Huntington's chorea, which the Mayo Clinic reports as a hereditary motion disorder.
Muscle Motions
The most serious side effects of Prolixin may not disappear even after you stop taking the drug, the Mayo Clinic states. These can include tardive dystonia and tardive dyskinesia. Both of these can produce tongue motions that look like worms as well as uncontrollable motions of the legs, arms, jaw, cheeks, mouth or your entire body. Another such serious side effect is neuroleptic malignant syndrome (NMS) that may cause you to have an inability to control your bladder or produce such symptoms as sweating increases, breathing difficulties, tachycardia (a rapid heart rate), stiffness in your muscles and a fever. More-common serious side effects of the muscles may include spasms in the muscles, twitching and other uncontrollable movements of your body parts. The difference is that while these are serious and you should consult your doctor, they are not reported to remain following the end of Prolixin treatment.
Vision Changes
The use of Prolixin also may produce some problems for your vision. The more-common serious side effects of this nature include an inability to move your eyes, blinking increases, spasms of the eyelids, vision blurring, changes in the way you perceive colors and problems when you attempt to see during nighttime. All of these are serious, so contact your doctor as soon as you can if you experience them.
Body Effects
There also are some common serious side effects from the use of fluphenazine that can affect your body. For example, you may feel faint or you may be unable to maintain your balance. You also may appear to have a mask-like expression on your face or shuffle when you walk. At the same time, you may feel restless and experience a need to continually move. There also may be trembling in your fingers and hands.
Other Side Effects
Prolixin also may cause some common side effects that are not serious. These most often go away on their own after you acclimate to the drug. These may include nasal congestion, mild constipation, mouth dryness, sweating decreases, drowsiness and dizziness. Tell your doctor if these do not vanish in time.
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