Chlorpromazine

/ˌklɔːrˈprɒmətziːn/ noun

Definition

A medication used to treat schizophrenia and severe nausea by blocking dopamine receptors in the brain, often one of the first antipsychotic drugs developed.

Etymology

From chloro- (chlorine) + pro- (forward) + -amine (chemical suffix), synthesized in 1950 by French chemists; the name reflects its chemical structure containing both chlorine and amine groups.

Kelly Says

Chlorpromazine was revolutionary in psychiatry—before its 1954 FDA approval, people with schizophrenia were often confined to institutions, but this drug let thousands live independently, though it does have serious side effects like tardive dyskinesia that doctors now watch carefully.

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