About 1% of people will get schizophrenia and it often begins early in life. Schizophrenia is typically characterised by hallucinations (perceptions without a cause), delusions (fixed and false beliefs), disordered thinking, and emotional withdrawal. The outcomes vary, but antipsychotic drugs generally help; thioridazine is one such drug. It had been thought to be effective and less prone to cause the movement disorders that can happen particularly with the older generation antipsychotics. Largely thioridazine has been withdrawn due to its links with abnormal heart rhythm but is still used in special circumstances.
We reviewed the effects of thioridazine and found many trials suggesting that it seems to be as effective as other commonly used antipsychotics for people with schizophrenia, but also justification for guidelines encouraging heart monitoring for people prescribed this drug. Where possible, we would advocate choosing other drugs in place of thioridizine.