Thioridazine (TDZ)

Thioridazine is a piperidine typical antipsychotic drug belonging to the phenothiazine drug group and was previously widely used in the treatment of schizophrenia and psychosis. Due to concerns about cardiotoxicity and retinopathy at high doses this drug has been withdrawn in many countries and in other countries it is not commonly prescribed, reserved for patients who have failed to respond to, or have contraindications for, more widely used antipsychotics. In older references, it is sometimes described as atypical, but more recently it is usually described as typical, with the term "atypical" usually reserved for agents showing D4 selectivity or serotonin antagonism. Its perceived atypical effects (namely its comparatively low propensity for extrapyramidal side effects) are likely the result of its potent anticholinergic effects.