do anti-psychotics have long-term side effects?

[ethereal]

I've been forced to take anti-psychotics for the past year or so, and I recently read on a forum that they have tons of unwanted long-term side effects that psychiatrists don't usually talk about. Some of them include not being able to experience pleasure or love or joy anymore, lack of sexual desire, stunted emotional capacity, cognitive decline, and others. Sometimes this persists even after the person is off of the drugs.

I am thinking of stopping the meds as soon as possible, since they do not help me in any significant way but they sure do have a lot of harmful side effects. I noticed a definite lack in emotional experience and pleasure and sexual desire, as well as stunted communication abilities.

Does anyone have any information or experiences to share on this topic?

[lifetimelearner]

why forced to take them ?

and yes they do have tons of side-effects

and do no STOP them suddenly

[stanmrak]

ALL drugs have side effects, both immediate and long-term, that are often unpredictable as to how bad they are. I recently had a friend commit suicide the week after increasing his anti-depressant prescription.

I'd recommend an audio meditation program based on binaural-beat technology. It gives you all the benefits of meditation (including help with depression) and none of the work.

There are several sources. Here's one: Immrama Institute - Awaken your mind's infinite potential

[ethereal]

My mom watches me take my meds every day, and I'm afraid she'll freak out and send me to the mental hospital if I stop taking them. Can she do that?

My best bet is to talk to the psychiatrist and convince her that I should taper down the meds slowly...and if I'm still ok, to quit altogether.

Thanks for the meditation advice, I'm actually a spiritual nut and spend lots of time in contemplation/meditation. It was the only thing that stopped the mental voices I heard, lots of spiritual purification. It turns out the voices came from lower astral entities, rather than from schizophrenia. However, neither my parents nor my psychiatrist will believe me if I say so.

[Writertype]

Hey ethereal, antipsychotics (I am guessing of the neuroleptic class?) do have side effects. "Antipsychotics," though, are not just one drug. If you ask me what the effects of "painkillers" are, I would need to know if we are talking aspirin, tylenol, morphine, indomethacin; there is more than one, they are very different drugs, and their side effects are very different.

In general, the worst side effect that some antipsychotics can cause is tardive dyskinesia. Mostly from inhibition of the neurotransmitter dopamine you can get movement problems, generally a small writhing motion. The good news is that this effect tends to show up in the tongue first, and it is very subtle in the beginning. That means if you keep an eye on your tongue and catch it before it gets bad (if it happens to develop) and you can talk with your doctor to alter the dosing or drug to stop it from progressing. If it progresses it can make your mouth move around like you are chewing or have a nervous habit, and eventually it can cause uncontrolled movements of your larger muscles.

There are possibly some autonomic effects as well, again I don't know what medication you are on so I cannot tell you. These are things like sexual problems, salivation problems, blood pressure issues, etc.

I need to say, though, that you should not be having this conversation with us. You should be having it with your doctor. If you don't trust your doctor, you should find one that you do trust. I would guess at least 99% of people who will advise you here are not licensed to practice medicine (myself included). Even if they are, advising you on how to adjust your dosage or treat any issues you have without seeing you, knowing your file, and talking with you is reckless and stupid. If someone really feels they can advise you from several paragraphs you have written about your issues it just shows how little they know, do not listen to them!

Remember, if you are being treated for schizophrenia or bipolar disorder there is a high chance of recurrence if you stop your meds. You have to weigh the risks and benefits of continuing or stopping your medications and, along with your doctor, come to a workable agreement. Absolutely do not stop the medications yourself either! If you decide you are going to quit your medications talk with your doctor to find out how you should quit them. Stopping antipsychotics should not be lethal, but again I don't know your file. Get medical advice to find out how you should stop (which, by the way, could just be stopping, or could be something else).

[ethereal]

Thanks for the info, Writertype. Will definitely talk to my psychiatrist about this the next time I see her.

I've been taking Risperdal at high dosages for about 9 months, and slowly lowered it to .5 mg right now. Along with that I'm taking 20mg of Abilify. Am pretty thankful that she's slowly switching from Risperdal to Abilify, as I hear Abilify doesn't have many of the side effects that other anti-psychotics have. But I think at this point I want to stop it altogether, with my psychiatrist's help.

TD used to scare the crap out of me, which is why I refused to take any typical anti-psychotics and stuck to the atypical ones.

Anyway, I'm just worried about the long-term side effects like anhedonia (inability to experience pleasure). I sincerely hope that it goes away after I stop the meds...

[CroMagna]

"Side effects

Common side effects include severe anxiety, akathisia, sedation, dysphoria, insomnia, sexual dysfunction, low blood pressure, muscle stiffness, muscle pain, tremors, increased salivation, and stuffy nose. Risperidone has been associated with minimal to moderate weight gain, with one study finding that 26 to 38 percent of participants on the drug experienced weight gain.[8][9]

Occasionally breast tenderness and eventually lactation in both sexes may occur[citation needed]. Many antipsychotics are known to increase prolactin because they inhibit dopamine. However, risperidone is known to increase prolactin to a greater extent than most other antipsychotics, such as quetiapine. Over 40 pituitary neoplasm cases have been reported worldwide. It is thought that once risperidone raises prolactin, it may cause prolactinoma, a benign tumor of the pituitary gland. Tumors, in general, aren't considered reversible. Medical therapy (dopamine agonists) may help reduce tumor size and restore normal reproduction and pituitary function, but if unsuccessful, surgery or radiation treatment may be required. This condition may recur if the patient is switched to a different antipsychotic. Risperidone has been known to cause increased thoughts of suicide.[10]

Risperidone can potentially cause tardive dyskinesia (TD),[11] extrapyramidal symptoms (EPS),[11] and neuroleptic malignant syndrome (NMS).[11] Risperidone may also trigger diabetes and more serious conditions of glucose metabolism, including ketoacidosis and hyperosmolar coma.[12]"


Where did you get this nonsense about inability to feel joy or something? That may be an anxiety on your part.

[Writertype]

CroMagna's rundown of side effects looks pretty accurate.

"anxiety, akathisia, sedation, dysphoria, insomnia, sexual dysfunction..." So we have feeling nervous, resltless movement, feeling unhappy, being unable to sleep, and having a hard time getting it up or orgasming. Those effects could definitely contribute to having a tougher time being joyful in life. The good news is that you shouldn't be experiencing all the possible side effects. See if you can figure out what particular effects, if any, are attributable to the medication. Do you tend to feel nervous? Do you feel jittery or tired all the time? Do you just feel unhappy? What are the differences from before you started the medication?

If particular effects are troubling for you with one treatment option, maybe there are other options that would do away with the effects. On the atypical antipsychotics I think the side effect profile should be generally less severe. Try to see if the way you are feeling is really due to the medication first-- get out with friends more often, take time to relax, deal with the stressors in your life, stop drinking alcohol and smoking (if you do either), just see what you can do. Certain things like the inability to maintain an erection for an otherwise healthy young man would almost certainly be medication related, but other problems like feeling joyless could have many sources. You might find that the medication isn't causing it after all (then again, you might find that it is a big contributor).

[Brutha]

I'd recommend an audio meditation program based on binaural-beat technology. It gives you all the benefits of meditation (including help with depression) and none of the work.

Depressive people have too much alpha waves in their brain. Recommending more alpha binaural-beats is problematic.

Writertype is right, you shouldn't drop your medicine because of advice that you get on an internet forum but speak with your doctor about your medicine.
Speak to a few different psychiatrists. Especially if your state hasn't changed through the medication, another psychiatrist might lower your medication and/or drop it.

There still a few things you can do that do no harm (but remember you still do the things that your doctor tells you).
Every day after you wake up, immediately do 30 minutes of workout.

Spend as much time socially interacting with other people as possible. Eat meals together with your family and not in front of the TV.

At the end of each day, journal about what went well that day.

If you are spiritual and want to meditate on a regular basis, seek a Buddhist temple or something similar where there's guided gratitude meditation.
That's a better type than completely silent meditation for your depression. It's also important to get the social interaction with other people that you can follow.

If you do those things, talk with your doctor about your commitment to them after you have done them for a week and explain that you want to try to get by with a lower amount of medicine.

[aggie]

i have taken antidepressants and anti anxiety meds on on off most of my adult life.

right now i take lexapro daily, with no ill affects...in fact my arousal and response is not affected at all, but enhance, i guess because i am more relaxed.

other meds have proven otherwise, sometimes you have to find the right ones.

i only take anti anxiety on a prn ( as needed) basis and it has worked fine for me.

i am probably the best place than i have been before with meds in moderation.

i take them, but the the effect is so natural and subtle...it is not like i am taking them for a specific reason to feel a certain way.\\

so far, no ill/side affects.

definitely don't stop suddenly...weaning is usually the recommended way to go.

[rei]

ethereal, i took risperdal for several years, because i used to have psychotic moments which are now resolved. it did not interfere with my ability to experience pleasure. it did not cause any of those other effects you listed in the OP either. everyone is different though, and i second the suggestion to speak to a medical professional about this. there are psychiatrists who will be willing to do a trial of weaning to a lower dose and see if there is any rebound in the original symptoms.

btw, i don't know where you stand on illegal drugs, but i'd advise you to stay away from pot. it can exacerbate such symptoms. my personal understanding is that those who are prone to psychotic symptoms (regardless of the cause and regardless of whether we look at it as a chemical change resulting in psychosis or a spiritual emergency) are already quite open-minded in a sense. so the opening effects of hallucinogens are amplified.

[FreelanceWanderer]

Ethereal, I know all about Risperdal because one of its off-label uses is as an anti-tic medication for people with Tourette's. One of the (ironic) side effects of long-term usage is that you can develop tardive dyskenesia, which is uncontrollable movements.

Here's a webpage with Risperdal side effects:

Risperdal - Tardive Dyskinesia

Also, FYI, if you decide to continue with the drug and it's not covered by your insurance, you can get it much cheaper at canadadrugs.com. It's a fairly expensive medication.

FW

[ethereal]

Thanks all for the helpful replies

@cromagna: the side effects aren't listed, but I'm still experiencing them anyway... can't deny my own experience, unfortunately

@writertype: I'm pretty sure anhedonia is from the medication, because I stopped for 5 days (couldn't take it anymore) and my happiness returned, albeit a little toned down from before. I'm scared that it's because of the dopamine sensitivity has been changed from the meds. Don't have much of the other symptoms, had some akathisia for awhile but it stopped. Don't take alcohol or drugs either.

@aggie: glad the meds worked out for you will take your suggestion and try to wean myself off them.

@brutha: I'm actually fairly happy most of the time, so it's not really depression I'm experiencing. It's more like, I can't experience happiness as an emotion. It's separated from me, I can't experience the joy of it. I can laugh, but there is no pleasure in it. It's hard to describe but that's about the best I can do Meditation has helped me a lot, by surrendering this experience of flatness. Now I'm somewhat removed from the suffering, at least a little bit.

@rei: Thanks for the suggestion, I am going to talk to my psychiatrist about weaning to a lower dose if possible. I don't use any illegal drugs, I am aware of the nasty consequences and psychotic symptoms that may arise from using it. One of my friends used a lot of illegal drugs and it caused him many spiritual crises and psychotic episodes that were quite horrific.

@freelancewanderer: thanks for the link. Strange how my side effects aren't listed, but on the forums I was reading many people said they had the same thing. My primary doctor also affirmed that emotional and cognitive bluntness occurs with anti-psychotics.

Anyway, I'm going to talk with my psychiatrist and case manager as soon as possible and try to lower the dosages and eventually quit altogether. It will raise a lot of flak from my mom, but oh well, that's her problem, not mine

And I've come to realize, that perhaps this is a blessing in disguise. On the path to enlightenment one must give up sex and attachment to pleasure, so this experience may not be all bad. Also, I think once I transcend identification with the body-mind the suffering and flatness should end. So I still have high hopes for my future

[Knk]

Anti Pyschotic medication do have negative side effects, and lack of emotion, sexual drive, romantic attraction is definitely a possibility. Don't wait too long without trying to find a solution, believe me you don't want to look back three years from now and realize that you felt nothing all that time. But please don't go off your meds - seek the help of a professional, they'll be able to guide you in the right direction. But be patient, a solution won't come over night.

[ginkgo]

The following used to be said all of the time but it is no longer mentioned. Drugs suppress the symptoms but do not address the cause. If you watch One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest, you learn that you can fake taking meds.

Why would your mother freak out and go nuts if you do not take drugs. Is she insane and afraid that you are going to commit her? It is bad for your mental health to say that you are a nut, like spiritual nut, maniac or zealot. Say that you are spiritually inclined or a mental health enthusiast.

If you were on the Dr Phil show, he would say that he will have his doctor check you for heavy metal toxicity. You can take chlorella or blue-green algae just in case plus it has omega-3s. As far as drugs suppressing symptoms, suppression is bad.

See this page for advice on mental health. Read about a minister who cured his depression and anxiety.

[samba101]

Yes I do I'm schizophrenic and take 6mg of risperidone, I'm thinking of changing my medication to abilify but can't afford to at the moment. My side affects are flat lined emotions, I can't feel or experience like I used to and it makes me despair to no end. I have sexual problems as I'm unable to maintain or even have arousal and am at my wits end to whats going to happen when I get a boyfriend. My memory is poorer than it has ever been, I forget most things that relate to the past. I had slight akasthia when I first went on my medication but that went away.

I don't recommend you comming off your medication, you'll have a relapse for sure. The neutral medication on the schizophrenia forum is abilify it seems to have neutral effects only thing is be prepared to get akathsia.

[funchy]

All drugs have side effects.

Psychiatrists are not "hiding" side effects from you. Every time you get your prescription refilled, you should get a sheet or package insert which has this information on it. Read it.

Be aware side effects don't happen to everyone. Some people have none. Some have several. Be aware most drugs have things like dizziness, nausea, insomnia, or headaches as listed possible side effects. It doesn't mean most drugs CAUSE these things. It means people in the study groups reported these issues when they tried the drug, and it could easily have been some other cause.

The effects of not taking the drug may be far worse. Why not talk to the doctor about your concerns? Bring in that drug info sheet and go through the list of side effects.

Whatever you do DO NOT just stop taking them. Taper them down slowly. IMHO you should let someone know you're doing this. Your doctor will help you get off this drug and/or switch drugs to find something without sigificant side effects.

Years ago, I had a friend who didn't like psychiatric drugs and whose mother really wanted him in therapy and medicated. He got scared of the drugs and suddenly stopped taking them. Then he had an episode involving standing on the train tracks waiting for the train to come (not so much suicidal as irrational), and his friends had to call authorities. He ended up with an involuntary admission to the mental facility for evaluation, which really complicated his life.... and more stress made it harder for him to function. Not to say this is exactly what'll happen to you... but try to trust that the medical professionals are trying to help you and don't want to see you relapse.

Go talk to your doc. Work with him. You both are on the same team.

[rei]

ethereal's doctor is female. the psychiatrist is anyway, which is likely who he(?) would go to for tapering down (or off) the meds.