What medication is used to treat side effects of antipsychotics?
What medication is used to treat side effects of antipsychotics?
Among concomitant medication strategies, anticholinergic medications for dystonias and parkinsonism are often effective; beta‐blockers and anticholinergic medications are useful for akathisia; and metformin may lead to slight to moderate weight loss. Anticholinergic drops applied sublingually reduce sialorrhea.
Which medication may be used to counteract extrapyramidal side effects?
Benzodiazepines are sometimes prescribed to help counteract extrapyramidal side effects, as are anti-parkinsonism drugs called anticholinergics. Antipsychotics block dopamine, which is what causes the extrapyramidal side effects in the first place.
Do side effects of antipsychotics go away?
When you start to take an antipsychotic, take some time to adjust. Don’t drive until you know how the medicine affects your alertness and reaction time. In most cases, early side effects, such as drowsiness or dizziness, go away within days.
How do you control anticholinergic side effects?
The first step for a physician is to decrease the dose of the antipsychotic. Dose reduction may sometimes ameliorate the anticholinergic effects. Changing to an antipsychotic with a lesser anticholinergic profile can also prevent the continuation of symptoms.
What are extrapyramidal side effects of antipsychotic medications?
Antipsychotic medications commonly produce extrapyramidal symptoms as side effects. The extrapyramidal symptoms include acute dyskinesias and dystonic reactions, tardive dyskinesia, Parkinsonism, akinesia, akathisia, and neuroleptic malignant syndrome.
How are extrapyramidal side effects antipsychotics treated?
Treatment for all types of extrapyramidal side effects is based on discontinuation of the neuroleptic medication, or switching to an atypical neuroleptic, and pharmacologic treatments.
How can you reduce the side effects of antipsychotics?
Here are some coping skills that may help with side effects:
- Get on to the right medication for you.
- Change the dose of the antipsychotic medication.
- Keep on taking the medication.
- Treat the side effects of the antipsychotic.
- Find out as much as you can about your schizophrenia.
- Join a support group.
What antipsychotics cause the least side effects?
Of the available atypical antipsychotics, clozapine and quetiapine have shown the lowest propensity to cause extrapyramidal symptoms. Although the risk of extra-pyramidal symptoms is lower with risperidone and olanzapine than with conventional antipsychotics, risk increases with dose escalation.
What are side effects of psychotropic medications?
Like all drugs, psychotropics come with a range of side effects, some of these include:
- Cardiac issues.
- Changes in appetite.
- Dizziness.
- Drowsiness.
- Fatigue.
- Sexual side effects.
- Sleep disturbances.
- Weight gain.
What is the most common neurological side effect of antipsychotic medication?
The specific neurologic side effects of the antipsychotic agents include acute dystonias, parkinsonism, motor restlessness, and late choretoathetosis.
