Side Effects of Antipsychotic Drugs - Health Stato

                                        Side Effects of Antipsychotic Drugs - Health Stato

                                        Side Effects of Antipsychotic Drugs - Health Stato

Certain antipsychotic drugs cause significant weight gain and high cholesterol levels, and they may increase the risk of diabetes. People considering an antipsychotic for bipolar disorder should be screened for their risk of heart disease, stroke, and diabetes, according to a study published in Diabetes Care.

Common side effects of antipsychotic medications include:

Blurred vision Dry mouth Drowsiness Muscle spasms or tremors Weight gain Note: Clozaril is not used often, despite its effectiveness for bipolar disorder. The drug can cause a rare, potentially fatal side effect that requires weekly or biweekly blood test monitoring. 

Also, Geodon is linked to a rare but potentially fatal skin reaction. Older antipsychotic drugs are generally not used as a first-line treatment for bipolar disorder, and they are less established for treating depressive symptoms or preventing episodes during long-term use. 

However, they may be helpful if a person has troublesome side effects or doesn't respond to the newer drugs. Older antipsychotics include chlorpromazine (Thorazine), haloperidol (Haldol), and perphenazine (Trilafon). 

These drugs may cause a serious long-term side effect called tardive dyskinesia, a movement disorder characterized by repetitive, involuntary movement like lip smacking, protruding the tongue, or grimacing. 

Newer atypical antipsychotics also have the potential to cause this side effect, but have a relatively lower risk than the older conventional antipsychotics. The medications deutetrabenazine (Austedo) and valbenazine (Ingrezza) have proven effective in treating adults with tardive dyskinesia.