Health Centres - Solian
How does it work?
Solian tablets and solution contain the active ingredient amisulpride, which is a type of medicine known as an atypical antipsychotic. (NB. Amisulpride is also available without a brand name, ie as the generic medicine.) It is used to treat schizophrenia.
Amisulpride works in the brain, where it affects a neurotransmitter called dopamine. Neurotransmitters are chemicals that are stored in nerve cells and are involved in transmitting messages between the nerve cells.
Dopamine is a neurotransmitter known to be involved in regulating mood and behaviour, amongst other things. Schizophrenia is associated with an overactivity of dopamine in the brain, and this may be associated with the delusions and hallucinations that are a feature of this disease.
Amisulpride works by blocking the receptors in the brain that dopamine acts on. This prevents the excessive activity of dopamine and helps to control psychotic illness.
People with schizophrenia may experience 'positive symptoms' (such as hallucinations, disturbances of thought, and hostility) and/or 'negative symptoms' (such as lack of emotion and social isolation). Amisulpride has been shown to be effective for relieving both positive and negative symptoms of schizophrenia, whereas the conventional antipsychotics are usually less effective against the negative symptoms.
Amisulpride is also used by specialists to treat episodes of mania in people with the psychiatric illness, bipolar affective disorder (manic depression), though this is an unlicensed use of the medicine.
What is it used for?
-
Schizophrenia
- Treatment of acute manic episodes in bipolar affective disorder (unlicensed use)
Warning!
- Unless your doctor tells you otherwise, you should not suddenly stop taking this medicine, even if you feel better and think you don't need it any more. This is because the medicine controls the symptoms of the illness but doesn't actually cure it. This means that if you suddenly stop treatment your symptoms could come back. Stopping the medicine suddenly may also rarely cause withdrawal symptoms such as nausea, vomiting, difficulty sleeping or abnormal involuntary muscle movements. When treatment with this medicine is stopped, it should be done gradually, following the instructions given by your doctor.
- Consult your doctor immediately if you experience abnormal movements, particularly of the face, lips, jaw and tongue, while taking this medicine. These symptoms may be indicative of a rare side effect known as tardive dyskinesia, and your doctor may ask you to stop taking this medicine, or decrease your dose.
- Consult your doctor immediately if you experience the following symptoms while taking this medicine: high fever, sweating, muscle stiffness, faster breathing and drowsiness or sleepiness. These symptoms may be due to a rare side effect known as the neuroleptic malignant syndrome, and your treatment may need to be stopped.
Use with caution in
- Elderly people
- Decreased kidney function
- Abnormal heart rhythm (seen as a 'prolonged QT interval' on the heart monitoring trace or ECG)
- Slow heart rate of less than 55 beats per minute (bradycardia)
- Low blood potassium levels (hypokalaemia)
- History of epilepsy
-
Parkinson's disease
Not to be used in
- Children under 15 years of age
- Tumour of the adrenal gland (phaeochromocytoma)
- Tumours which grow rapidly in the presence of the hormone prolactin, eg tumours of the pituitary gland, breast cancer
-
Pregnancy
- Women who could get pregnant, unless effective contraception is used to prevent pregnancy
-
Breastfeeding
This medicine should not be used if you are allergic to one or any of its ingredients. Please inform your doctor or pharmacist if you have previously experienced such an allergy.
Pregnancy and Breastfeeding
Certain medicines should not be used during pregnancy or breastfeeding. However, other medicines may be safely used in pregnancy or breastfeeding providing the benefits to the mother outweigh the risks to the unborn baby. Always inform your doctor if you are pregnant or planning a pregnancy, before using any medicine.
- The safety of this medicine in pregnancy has not been established. It should not be taken by women who are pregnant, and women who could get pregnant should use an effective method of contraception to prevent pregnancy while taking this medicine. Seek further medical advice from your doctor.
- It is not known whether this medicine passes into breast milk. Mothers who need to take this medicine should not breastfeed. Seek medical advice from your doctor.
Label warnings
- This medication may cause drowsiness. If affected do not drive or operate machinery. Avoid alcoholic drink.
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