ORAP (Pimozide) Medication Abuse & Addiction Risks

ORAP (pimozide) is a typical or first-generation antipsychotic that is prescribed for people who have Tourette syndrome.

Medical providers usually only prescribe pimozide after other medications have been tried and found not to work.

However, sometimes people who take pimozide fall into abuse of the medication to intensify the depressant action of the medication.

This can lead to a substance use disorder and halt progress in mental health treatment, complicating recovery. Yet adequate mental health care can help people conquer medication addiction while treating their mental disorder.

ORAP is the brand name for pimozide, and caregivers sometimes prescribe it to treat people who have a prevalence of severe tics related to Tourette syndrome.

Like other first-generation antipsychotics, ORAP brings profound relief from the symptoms of Tourette’s by working to decrease hyperactivity in the brain.

This can result in people being able to return to work or school, but it can also become addicting. People can fall into Pimozide abuse when they:

• Take more of the medication to intensify its calming effects.
• Increase their dose without consulting a doctor because they think it isn’t working.
• Are unaware of building up a tolerance to the medication, so they take more of it.

Like most typical antipsychotics, ORAP reduces hyperactivity in the brain by blocking dopamine 2 receptors, lowering the amount of dopamine in the brain.

This effectively makes it a central nervous system (CNS) depressant that creates feelings of calm or relaxation while reducing tics or involuntary movements. ORAP can effectively treat Tourette’s or other conditions through this mechanism.

However, the calm feelings associated with it can be habit-forming, especially when you start taking more of the drug to intensify those feelings.

This can lead to addiction when you are unable to relax or feel calm without taking the medication.

Anyone can fall into ORAP abuse, but certain types of people are more at risk than others. This includes people who have access to a loved one’s medication or people who have the means to buy it illegally.

However, the people most at risk for abusing ORAP are those who take it for mental health conditions. ORAP is primarily prescribed for Tourette syndrome, but it may sometimes be prescribed for other conditions, such as:

• Schizophrenia
• Schizoaffective disorders
• Borderline personality disorder
• Delusional disorder
• Severe agitation

ORAP also has some pediatric applications in children over 12.

When a loved one or family member is abusing a medication such as pimozide, they often show behavioral signs that indicate that they need help.

Behavioral signs of prescription drug abuse can include:

• Sleeping more
• Acting drowsy
• Extreme mood swings
• Doctor shopping
• Forging prescriptions
• Calling in early refills

ORAP abuse also comes with other side effects that impact the health of the family member or loved one who is abusing the medication.

These symptoms can be severe and even dangerous, including:

• Blurry vision
• Dizziness
• Fainting when getting up
• Dry mouth
• Drowsiness
• Weakness
• Skin discoloration
• Constipation
• Decreased sexual ability in men
• Changes in appetite or weight
• Headache

Even when ORAP is taken regularly, it comes with certain risks that are heightened when the drug is abused. For example, medications used in surgeries for your dental health or emergency surgeries can interact negatively with pimozide.

It also comes with a lengthy list of medications that are not recommended with pimozide because of potential interactions. Pimozide abuse could heighten the risk of these interactions if they are medications that you must take.

ORAP abuse also carries a significant overdose risk that can be dangerous. This condition can sometimes even be fatal.

Symptoms of ORAP overdose include:

• Extreme muscle stiffness, twitching, or trembling
• Extreme dizziness
• Severe respiratory depression
• Severe uncontrolled movements
• Coma

In rare cases, an overdose can lead to Neuroleptic Malignant Syndrome (NMS), which can be fatal due to complications from muscle rigidity.

ORAP overdose is treated symptomatically using diphenhydramine, benztropine, and magnesium.

Treatment for ORAP abuse is complicated by the fact that most people who start abusing the medication were prescribed it for legitimate reasons.

Nevertheless, people facing mental health conditions and ORAP abuse can still find recovery through dual diagnosis treatment.

In many cases, ORAP is prescribed for Tourette’s when the frontline medication, haloperidol, doesn’t work.

In these cases, they may need to taper off ORAP and consult their doctor for other options. Such options may include:

• Risperidone
• Aripiprazole
• Guanfacine
• Clonidine

If you are prescribed ORAP for other mental health conditions like schizophrenia, you may be able to find relief through other first-generation antipsychotics.

Your doctor may also be able to prescribe you a medication from second-generation or atypical antipsychotics, which are dopamine and serotonin antagonists.

Dual diagnosis treatment addresses co-occurring disorders, such as ORAP abuse and Tourette’s, at the same time and can occur at different levels of care.

You can find dual diagnosis treatment at the following levels of care:

• Detox: This level of care helps you withdraw from pimozide using a combination of symptomatic care and medical monitoring.
• Inpatient treatment: Includes hospitalization and residential treatment. Hospitalization and residential programs require patients to live at the facility while receiving psychiatric and therapeutic care.
• Partial hospitalization program (PHP): Is the most intensive level of outpatient care and is similar to a residential program except that you can live at home.
• Intensive outpatient program (IOP): This level of care is a step down from a PHP. It continues therapy and medication management while beginning a transition back to daily life.
• Outpatient program (OP): This is the final stage before transitioning back to your daily routine. The focus is mostly on relapse prevention and access to your support groups.

Dual diagnosis treatment includes the use of therapies that can be applied to both mental health and addiction recovery.

Therapies that address addiction, Tourette’s, schizophrenia, and other conditions include:

• Cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT): Is broadly used for the treatment of both mental health conditions and addiction. It teaches you to reframe unhealthy thoughts and build healthy ones.
• Individual therapy: This time is for you to discuss deeply personal issues with your therapist in a confidential and private setting.
• Group therapy: Clinicians guide this time where you can participate in encouraging others and develop a support group.
• Family therapy: Is for you and your family to find healing as you resolve conflicts that have come about because of addiction.
• Comprehensive behavioral intervention for tics (CBIT): Includes habit reversal and other strategies for dealing with Tourette’s.

Continuing care for ORAP abuse and mental health conditions includes interventions that help you manage mental illness and maintain sobriety.

Benefits of continuing care include:

• Medication management: monitors dosage, side effects, and efficacy of the medication you are prescribed.
• Telehealth options: Enable you to attend maintenance sessions with your therapist, even at a distance.
• Ongoing outpatient therapy: Helps you manage your recovery, stick to your relapse prevention strategies, and maintain your mental health.

You don’t have to face ORAP abuse and mental health challenges like Tourette’s or schizophrenia alone.

You can find dual diagnosis treatment at a qualified facility today in a program that fits your needs and enables you to take back control of your life.

Reach out to PsyWeb now to learn about the best mental health and addiction recovery providers near you.