Guide To The Potential Side Effects Of Antipsychotics

Antipsychotics are psychiatric medications available through a prescription. They are chiefly used to treat psychotic disorders, which often involve psychosis, but they can also be helpful for other conditions as well. Psychosis is the medical term for hallucinations and delusions. The most common psychotic disorders antipsychotics treat are schizoaffective disorder, schizophrenia, and bipolar disorder. Bipolar disorder doesn't always present with psychosis, but antipsychotics can also be used as a mood-stabilizing medication to lessen the effects of mania and hypomania. Some patients also respond well to antipsychotics for severe depression resistant to typical antidepressants. Very low doses of antipsychotics might sometimes be used to treat severe anxiety, but usually only after traditional anti-anxiety medication options have been exhausted.

Of course, like any other medication, antipsychotics do come with potential side effects. Get the details on these now.

Nausea And Vomiting

Nausea and vomiting can often occur as a side effect of antipsychotic drugs. The nauseous effects typically taper off after a little while of using the medication. However, for some patients, they may be serious enough that they stop using the medication altogether. Medication is important for the management of psychotic disorders and severe mood disorders, so severe side effects should be monitored closely. When writing about the administration of antipsychotics, researchers have made it clear the medications should only be used when the benefits outweigh the side effects. Antipsychotic drugs help by blocking dopamine in the brain. In addition to being a neurotransmitter, dopamine is also important for the regulation of many body systems including the digestive system. Some nausea and vomiting due to antipsychotics might be mitigated if patients take them with food. Patients can talk to their doctor or pharmacist about whether it's better to take the medication with food or without. Some medicines must be taken on an empty stomach to metabolize properly, but others are absorbed better with food.

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Drowsiness Or Fatigue

It's common for patients who take antipsychotics to experience drowsiness or fatigue, though different medications can cause varying levels of this. If patients experience a lot of tiredness on the first antipsychotic they try, they might want to talk to their doctor about either lowering the dose or trying another. The higher the antipsychotic dosage, the greater the patient's chances of experiencing side effects like fatigue and drowsiness are. A patient's medication shouldn't cause them to be so tired and lethargic that they feel miserable. If patients feel 'flat' when they take the antipsychotics, it's a sign they aren't adjusted correctly. Antipsychotics shouldn't remove a patient's ability to feel emotions entirely. According to researchers, antipsychotics come with a sedating quality that causes drowsiness, but as patients take the medication more over time, the effect tends to lessen. In addition, it can be helpful for individuals who have issues sleeping. An antipsychotic that causes drowsiness can be taken at night to help these patients rest. However, patients who experience excessive daytime sleepiness should avoid antipsychotics that increase their tiredness.

Keep reading to learn more about the potential side effects of antipsychotics now.