What Is Asenapine Used For?

The FDA has approved asenapine for the short-term treatment of schizophrenia and bipolar disorder. If people respond favorably to the medication, it may be prescribed for a longer period. The drug is not licensed for use in children. Elderly people with dementia-related psychosis may use asenapine; however, the drug does present a special risk to this age group.

Asenapine Drug Information

An Introduction to Asenapine Uses

Asenapine (Saphris^®) is a prescription antipsychotic medication. Specifically, it is approved for the acute treatment of schizophrenia and the acute treatment of mixed or manic episodes of bipolar disorder in adults.

Using Asenapine for Schizophrenia

Schizophrenia is one of the most confusing and disabling mental illnesses. Although the causes of schizophrenia are not fully understood, genetics and environmental factors are believed to play an important role. Depending on the type of schizophrenia (see Types of Schizophrenia), symptoms may include the following:

Hallucinations and/or delusions
Lack of pleasure in everyday life
Flat affect (immobile facial expression, monotonous voice)
Speaking infrequently, even when forced to interact
Thought disorders
Disorders of movement
Poor executive functioning (the ability to absorb and interpret information and make decisions based on that information)
An inability to stay focused
Problems with working memory (the ability to keep recently learned information in mind and use it right away).

Although psychotherapy may be helpful for schizophrenia (see Psychosocial Therapy for Schizophrenics), medication is usually essential to schizophrenia treatment.

Asenapine is one of many medications that can help improve the symptoms of schizophrenia. Although the drug is currently only approved for acute (short-term) treatment, healthcare providers may recommend that people who respond well to this medication use it long-term in order to receive continued benefit.

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