Earlier today I came across information regarding anti-psychotic medication and their side effects. As I mentioned a few days ago, my son is currently withdrawing from Clozapine, which he has taken every day for the past 3 years. I found the information to be very factual, honest, and yet quite alarming. I had always known some of the risks of taking medications such as this, but seeing it all compiled together was a bit of a shock.
Now, the last thing I intend to do is debate the ‘ethics’ of psychiatric meds. The decision I made to take Nick off of his medication came after many years of careful research, reading, talking with professionals, finding alternative treatments, and weighing the pros and cons with the risks and benefits. I also don’t want imply in any way that all medication is bad or dangerous. I know for a fact that for some people, it can be a life-saver in treating and relieving the symptoms of mental illness. But for us … for my son, the time has come to say ‘enough is enough’.
Below is an accurate and updated list of side effects associated with taking anti psychotic medication. The ones that are in red are side effects that my son is currently experiencing, or has in the past.
Side Effects Of Anti-Psychotic Medication Include:
- Agranulocytosis* (Dangerously low white blood cell count)
- Abnormal gait (manner of walking)
- Agitation
- Akathisia*
- Anxiety
- Birth defects
- Blood disorders
- Blood-sugar abnormalities
- Blurred vision
- Breast milk production
- Cardiac arrest
- Changes in behavior
- Chest pain
- Confusion
- Constipation
- Death from liver failure
- Decreased sexual interest or ability
- Depression
- Diabetes
- Diarrhea
- Difficulty breathing, swallowing or fast breathing
- Difficulty falling asleep or staying asleep
- Difficulty urinating or loss of bladder control
- Dizziness
- Dreaming more than usual
- Drowsiness
- Dry mouth
- Dry or discolored skin
- Excess sweating
- Excessive weight gain
- Extreme inner anxiety
- Eye pain or discoloration
- Fainting
- Fast, irregular, or pounding heartbeat
- Fatal blood clots
- Fever
- Fine worm-like tongue movements
- Flu-like symptoms
- Headache
- Heart arrhythmia
- Heart failure
- Heart palpitation
- Heartburn
- Heat stroke
- Hemorrhage
- High fever
- Hives
- Hostility
- Hyperglycemia (abnormally high blood sugar)
- Hypoglycemia (abnormally low blood sugar)
- Impotence
- Increased appetite
- Increased salivation
- Indigestion
- Insomnia
- Involuntary movements
- Itching
- Jaw, neck, and back muscle spasms
- Joint pain
- Lack of energy
- Light-headedness
- Loss of appetite
- Manic reaction
- Mood changes
- Muscle or joint stiffness, pain, or weakness
- Muscle twitching
- Myocarditis*
- Nausea
- Nervousness
- Neuroleptic Malignant Syndrome*
- Nightmares
- Pacing
- Pain in arms, legs, back, or joints
- Pain in the upper right part of the stomach
- Painful erection that lasts for hours
- Painful skin rashes
- Pancreatitis (inflammation of pancreas, a gland near the stomach that helps digestion)
- Poor concentration
- Restlessness or pacing
- Seizures or convulsions
- Sexual dysfunction
- Shakiness
- Shaking hands that you cannot control
- Sleepiness
- Slow or difficult speech
- Slow, jerky movements
- Sore throat
- Spasms
- Sudden Death
- Suicidal thoughts
- Swelling of the arms, hands, feet, ankles, or lower legs
- Tachycardia (heart irregularity)
- Tardive Dyskinesia*
- Tremors
- Unusual behavior
- Unusual bleeding or bruising
- Unusual tiredness
- Violence
- Vomiting
- Weakness
- Weight gain
- Yellowing of the skin or eyes
{*Akathisia: Meaning “without” and kathisia, meaning “sitting,” an inability to keep still. Patients pace about uncontrollably. The side effect has been linked to assaultive, violent behavior.}
{*Neuroleptic malignant syndrome: A potentially fatal toxic reaction where patients break into fevers and become confused, agitated and extremely rigid. An estimated 100,000 Americans have died from it after taking the older antipsychotics.}
{*Tardive Dyskinesia: Tardive, meaning “late” and dyskinesia meaning, “abnormal movement of muscles.” Tardive Dyskinesia is a permanent impairment of the power of voluntary movement of the lips, tongue, jaw, fingers, toes and other body parts.}
{*Agranulocytosis: Agranulocytosis means a failure of the bone marrow to make enough white blood cells (neutrophils). Bone marrow is the soft tissue inside bones that helps form blood cells. Agranulocytosis is one cause of a person not having enough of a specific type of white blood cells, called neutrophils or granulocytes. A low neutrophil count (neutropenia) may also occur when white blood cells are destroyed faster than they can be produced.}
{*Myocarditits: An inflammation of a muscle in the heart. Myocarditis may cause chest pain, heart failure, or even sudden death. The risk is greatest but not limited to the first month of Clozapine therapy.}
For further information regarding psychiatric medications, visit: http://www.pdrhealth.com - Physicians’ Desk Reference Online
Copyright © 2011, Victoria Lukenovich
Aykhggh. That’s a lot of red. And I must say, it’s fascinating to see it all listed out in order like that. Maybe fascinating is the wrong word. Daunting might be closer. But certainly fascinating in a daunting sort of way.
-J.
Hi, I am a 22 year old schizophrenic girl on many medications, two anti-psychotics, two anti-anxieties and some to combat weight gain and movement disorders. I don’t know what I would do with out my medication though, my delusions were so strong that I would go right back to them and probably never come back out of it. I hope all goes well for you and your son. JKB
Hang in there, I know it sounds difficult to do, but you can do it. I have faith Nick will be okay.