Which medication is primarily used to reduce psychotic symptoms in schizophrenia?

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The medication primarily used to reduce psychotic symptoms in schizophrenia is phenothiazines. These are a class of antipsychotic medications that work by blocking dopamine receptors in the brain, which helps alleviate symptoms such as delusions, hallucinations, and disorganized thinking that are characteristic of schizophrenia.

Phenothiazines have been widely used for decades and are effective in managing acute psychotic episodes as well as providing long-term maintenance therapy for individuals with schizophrenia. Their use is backed by extensive research and clinical practice, establishing them as a cornerstone in the treatment of this mental health condition.

Other medications listed, such as fluoxetine, are primarily antidepressants and do not effectively treat the core symptoms of schizophrenia. Lithium is primarily used for mood stabilization in bipolar disorder and does not address the psychotic features of schizophrenia. Gabapentin, used mainly for neuropathic pain and seizures, does not have a role in treating psychosis. Thus, the efficacy of phenothiazines specifically for psychotic symptoms makes it the correct answer for this question.

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