i took low dose perphenazine (trilafon, I think) inpatient once. Mildly sedating, got the job done. for whatever reason, I was prescribed risperidone when I left, which I found to be about as effective, but was still on patent back then. weird.

from what ive read, the problem is that docs tended to high dose the old drugs, which can cause problems for anyone, especially bipolar people. lots of td, eps, drug-induced depression, etc. some studies from other countries showed higher rates of depression and i think suicide attempts in bipolar I patients maintained on long acting injections of Prolixin and similar drugs.

id personally avoid thorazine, if you can...its low potency, so at needed doses, there's a greater risk of running into sedation, akathisia, now and then liver problems, plus all the anti-cholinergic stuff.