Posted by xjs7 on April 30, 2002, at 15:30:15
In reply to how safe are aytipical antipsychotics, posted by borderliner21 on April 29, 2002, at 22:24:56
I think "safe" is relative with antipsychotics. If there are other alternatives--like mood stabilizers or benzodiazepines--then no, antipsychotics are not justified. However, if there is a component of psychosis to your condition, then certainly, antipsychotics are the safest option. Personally, I think it is safer to take a drug that a few years later could leave me with tardive dyskinesia than it is to be hallucinating and paranoid. In my case, there really were no other options besides antipsychotics. Therefore, antipsychotics are the safest alternative for me.
The newer agents cause considerably less movement disorders than the typical drugs. They are certainly safer than their predecessors. I think the best thing to do is try the drug and see how much it helps you. If the drug effectuates a profound change in your cognition and affect, then it is probably worth it.
People have certainly died from taking various antipsychotics--clozapine [Clozaril] when first introduced caused a few deaths due to agranulocytosis; sulpiride [Serlect] was withdrawn from the market because it caused sudden deaths. Conceivably, other drugs such as ziprasidone [Geodon] can cause torsade de pointes, which is a fatal heart arrhythmia, although I am not sure if this has actually occured. One study I read indicated that the rates of sudden death among consumers of antipsychotics was considerably higher than that of the general population, although I can't remember if confounding problems like smoking and drug abuse were accounted for.
Any mental health consumer should be aware of the possible adverse effects of a drug, and these drawbacks should be weighed against the therapeutic benefits. Antipsychotics have adverse effects, but they also have enormous therapeutic value for those suffering from schizophrenia and related psychoses.
poster:xjs7
thread:104460
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/20020425/msgs/104544.html