The most important drugs producing extrapyramidal and motor side effects

1. Big picture

Extrapyramidal and motor side effects are abnormal movements or abnormal muscle tone caused by drugs that disturb basal ganglia, dopamine, serotonin, cerebellar, or neuromuscular function.

The most important drug group is:

Dopamine receptor blockers, especially neuroleptics and antiemetics.

The key exam sentence:

The most important drugs producing extrapyramidal side effects are neuroleptics such as haloperidol, chlorpromazine and levomepromazine, and dopamine-blocking antiemetics such as metoclopramide, thiethylperazine, sulpiride and domperidone.

The most important exam trap:

A patient with new dystonia, parkinsonism, akathisia or tardive dyskinesia m