Trifluoperazine (Eskazinyl, Eskazine, Jatroneural, Modalina, Stelazine, Terfluzine, Trifluoperaz, Triftazin) is a typical antipsychotic of the phenothiazine chemical class used for the short-term treatment of certain types of anxiety. Trifluoperazine blocks postsynaptic mesolimbic dopaminergic D1 and D2 receptors in the brain; depresses the release of hypothalamic and hypophyseal hormones and is believed to depress the reticular activating system thus affecting basal metabolism, body temperature, wakefulness, vasomotor tone, and emesis. The primary application of trifluoperazine is for schizophrenia. Other official indications may vary country by country, but generally, it is also indicated for use in agitation and patients with behavioral problems, severe nausea, and vomiting as well as severe anxiety. Trials have shown a moderate benefit of this drug in patients with borderline personality disorder. A 2004 meta-analysis of the studies on trifluoperazine found that it is more likely than placebo to cause extrapyramidal side effects such as akathisia, dystonia, and Parkinsonism. It is also more likely to cause somnolence and anticholinergic side effects such as red-eye and xerostomia (dry mouth).

Perphenazine is a relatively high potency phenothiazine that blocks dopamine 2 receptors predominantly, but also may possess antagonist actions at histamine 1 and cholinergic M1 and alpha 1 adrenergic receptors in the vomiting center leading to reduced nausea and vomiting. The drug was approved by FDA for the treatment of schizophrenia and control of severe nausea and vomiting (either alone or in combination with amitriptyline hydrochloride). Perphenazine is extensively hepatic to metabolites via sulfoxidation, hydroxylation, dealkylation, and glucuronidation; primarily metabolized by CYP2D6 to N-dealkylated perphenazine, perphenazine sulfoxide, and 7-hydroxyperphenazine (active metabolite with 70% of the activity of perphenazine) and excreted in the urine and feces.

Prochlorperazine is a piperazine phenothiazine antipsychotic which block postsynaptic mesolimbic dopaminergic receptors in the brain and has antiemetic effects by its antagonist actions in the D2 dopamine receptors in the chemoreceptor trigger zone. It also exhibits alpha-adrenergic blocking effect on α1 receptros and may depress the release of hypothalamic and hypophyseal hormones. Prochlorperazine is used for the control of severe nausea and vomiting, for the treatment of schizophrenia. Prochlorperazine is effective for the short-term treatment of generalized non-psychotic anxiety. Prochlorperazine may be an effective treatment of acute headaches and refractory chronic daily headache.

Chlorpromazine is a psychotropic agent indicated for the treatment of schizophrenia. It also exerts sedative and antiemetic activity. Chlorpromazine has actions at all levels of the central nervous system-primarily at subcortical levels-as well as on multiple organ systems. Chlorpromazine has strong antiadrenergic and weaker peripheral anticholinergic activity; ganglionic blocking action is relatively slight. It also possesses slight antihistaminic and antiserotonin activity. Chlorpromazine acts as an antagonist (blocking agent) on different postsysnaptic receptors -on dopaminergic-receptors (subtypes D1, D2, D3 and D4 - different antipsychotic properties on productive and unproductive symptoms), on serotonergic-receptors (5-HT1 and 5-HT2, with anxiolytic, antidepressive and antiaggressive properties as well as an attenuation of extrapypramidal side-effects, but also leading to weight gain, fall in blood pressure, sedation and ejaculation difficulties), on histaminergic-receptors (H1-receptors, sedation, antiemesis, vertigo, fall in blood pressure and weight gain), alpha1/alpha2-receptors (antisympathomimetic properties, lowering of blood pressure, reflex tachycardia, vertigo, sedation, hypersalivation and incontinence as well as sexual dysfunction, but may also attenuate pseudoparkinsonism - controversial) and finally on muscarinic (cholinergic) M1/M2-receptors (causing anticholinergic symptoms like dry mouth, blurred vision, obstipation, difficulty/inability to urinate, sinus tachycardia, ECG-changes and loss of memory, but the anticholinergic action may attenuate extrapyramidal side-effects). Additionally, Chlorpromazine is a weak presynaptic inhibitor of Dopamine reuptake, which may lead to (mild) antidepressive and antiparkinsonian effects. Chlorpromazine has being marketed under the trade names Thorazine and Largactil among others. Chlorpromazine is used for treating certain mental or mood disorders (eg, schizophrenia), the manic phase of manic-depressive disorder, anxiety and restlessness before surgery, the blood disease porphyria, severe behavioral and conduct disorders in children, nausea and vomiting, and severe hiccups.

Lithium is an alkali metal widely used in industry. Lithium salts are indicated in the treatment of manic episodes of Bipolar Disorder. The use of lithium in psychiatry goes back to the mid-19th century. Early work, however, was soon forgotten, and John Cade is credited with reintroducing lithium to psychiatry for mania in 1949. Mogens Schou undertook a randomly controlled trial for mania in 1954, and in the course of that study became curious about lithium as a prophylactic for depressive illness. In 1970, the United States became the 50th country to admit lithium to the marketplace. The specific mechanisms by which lithium exerts its mood-stabilizing effects are not well understood. Lithium appears to preserve or increase the volume of brain structures involved in emotional regulation such as the prefrontal cortex, hippocampus and amygdala, possibly reflecting its neuroprotective effects. At a neuronal level, lithium reduces excitatory (dopamine and glutamate) but increases inhibitory (GABA) neurotransmission; however, these broad effects are underpinned by complex neurotransmitter systems that strive to achieve homeostasis by way of compensatory changes. For example, at an intracellular and molecular level, lithium targets second-messenger systems that further modulate neurotransmission. For instance, the effects of lithium on the adenyl cyclase and phospho-inositide pathways, as well as protein kinase C, may serve to dampen excessive excitatory neurotransmission. In addition to these many putative mechanisms, it has also been proposed that the neuroprotective effects of lithium are key to its therapeutic actions. In this regard, lithium has been shown to reduce the oxidative stress that occurs with multiple episodes of mania and depression. Further, it increases protective proteins such as brain-derived neurotrophic factor and B-cell lymphoma 2, and reduces apoptotic processes through inhibition of glycogen synthase kinase 3 and autophagy.

Mesoridazine (brand name Serentil) is a phenothiazine antipsychotic. It was marketed in the U.S. for the treatment of schizophrenia, behavioral problems in mental deficiency and chronic brain syndrome, alcoholism and psychoneurotic symptoms, such as anxiety and tension. Due to the risk of serious cardiac events the indicated use of Serentil was limited to severely ill schizophrenic patients who fail other therapies. Based upon animal studies, mesoridazine acts indirectly on reticular formation, whereby neuronal activity into reticular formation is reduced without affecting its intrinsic ability to activate the cerebral cortex. Mesoridazine shows a moderate adrenergic blocking activity in vitro and in vivo and antagonizes 5-hydroxytryptamine in vivo.

Butaperazine is an antipsychotic phenothiazine. As shown in animal studies butaperazine increases striatal and mesolimbic dopamine turnover. Butaperazine is effective in the management of schizophrenia. Extrapyramidal symptoms and drowsiness are the most common adverse effects.

Levomepromazine (also known as methotrimeprazine) is a phenothiazine neuroleptic drug. It is sold in many countries under the generic name (levomepromazine) or under brand names such as Nozinan, Detenler and many more. Levomepromazine is an antipsychotic drug is commonly used as an antiemetic to alleviate nausea and vomiting in palliative care settings particularly in terminal illness. Levomepromazine is a phenothiazine with pharmacological activity similar to that of both chlorpromazine and promethazine. It has the histamine-antagonist properties of the antihistamines together with central nervous system effects resembling those of chlorpromazine. Levomepromazine's antipsychotic effect is largely due to its antagonism of dopamine receptors in the brain. In addition, it can block 5HT2 receptors and some others, like histamine, serotonin.

Chlorprothixene (Taractan, Tarasan, Truxal) is a thioxanthine derivative developed by Lundbeck for the treatment of psychotic disorders. The drug exerts its activity by binding to and inhibiting serotonin receptors, dopamine receptors, muscarinic acetylcholine receptor, histamine H1 receptor and alpha1-adrenergic receptor.

Acetophenazine (Tindal) is an antipsychotic drug of moderate-potency. Used in the treatment of disorganized and psychotic thinking. Acetophenazine (Tindal) is also used to help treat false perceptions (e.g. hallucinations or delusions). Acetophenazine acts as an antagonist of dopaminergic D2 receptors in the brain. Acetophenazine exhibited modest androgen receptor binding and antiandrogen activity.