Schizophrenia Medication and Its Side Effects
Proper medication is believed as the most effective to help a person suffering from schizophrenia.
There are different treatments which can be used for either positive or negative symptoms.
These medications may not work effectively for negative symptoms as they do for the positive ones.
During the early phases a person will experience a psychotic state of mind or commonly known as first psychotic episode, the initial reaction is to bring him to the hospital for a constant care.
But if the person is already using medicine, he basically needs an adjustment which is related to having a higher dose of medicine.
Whenever the symptoms get better, it is necessary for a schizophrenic to continue taking medicines, which can possibly be in lower doses.
Psychiatric medications which are primarily used to manage psychosis are known as antipsychotic drugs.
We all know that medications have a variety of side effects; these are either unwanted or beneficial.
During the first stage of treatment, patients may have trouble dealing with the side effects such as tremor, drowsiness, dry mouth, muscle spasms, restlessness, or blurring of vision.
Those mentioned side effects can be corrected by reducing the dosage or can be controlled by other medications.
It is possible for patients to have different treatment responses to different antipsychotic drugs they are taking.
Individual patients may do better with a certain medication than another.
Antipsychotic drugs can give long-term effects which may create a considerably more serious problem.
There is a disorder which is called Tardive dyskinesia or TD which is characterized by unconscious movements of parts of the body including mouth, lips and tongue, arms and legs.
Most of the time, these symptoms are mild, and the patient may be unconscious of these movements.
TD occurs in about 15 to 20 percent of patients who have been taking antipsychotic drugs for several years.
With that said, it can also be developed in patients who have been receiving antipsychotic medications for shorter periods of time.
Newer medications all appear to have a much lower risk of bringing out TD than the older which are the traditional antipsychotics.
Although the risk is not zero and they can produce different side effects of their own such as increasing in body weight.
Medications which are developed in recent years may also lead to problems such as social withdrawal and symptoms similar to Parkinson's disease, a disorder that affects the person's movement.
The best treatment for schizophrenia is by using more than one medicine.
Although finding which one is best for you may take a quite a long time.
It can be frustrating so it is very important to get support from your loved ones such as family and friends along with a community-based rehabilitation program.
If you do have the condition, make sure to talk to your doctor to further discuss it and find the best way to prevent the symptoms from coming back.
Keep in mind that it is important to consult your doctor prior to making any changes in your medicine intake.
There are different treatments which can be used for either positive or negative symptoms.
These medications may not work effectively for negative symptoms as they do for the positive ones.
During the early phases a person will experience a psychotic state of mind or commonly known as first psychotic episode, the initial reaction is to bring him to the hospital for a constant care.
But if the person is already using medicine, he basically needs an adjustment which is related to having a higher dose of medicine.
Whenever the symptoms get better, it is necessary for a schizophrenic to continue taking medicines, which can possibly be in lower doses.
Psychiatric medications which are primarily used to manage psychosis are known as antipsychotic drugs.
We all know that medications have a variety of side effects; these are either unwanted or beneficial.
During the first stage of treatment, patients may have trouble dealing with the side effects such as tremor, drowsiness, dry mouth, muscle spasms, restlessness, or blurring of vision.
Those mentioned side effects can be corrected by reducing the dosage or can be controlled by other medications.
It is possible for patients to have different treatment responses to different antipsychotic drugs they are taking.
Individual patients may do better with a certain medication than another.
Antipsychotic drugs can give long-term effects which may create a considerably more serious problem.
There is a disorder which is called Tardive dyskinesia or TD which is characterized by unconscious movements of parts of the body including mouth, lips and tongue, arms and legs.
Most of the time, these symptoms are mild, and the patient may be unconscious of these movements.
TD occurs in about 15 to 20 percent of patients who have been taking antipsychotic drugs for several years.
With that said, it can also be developed in patients who have been receiving antipsychotic medications for shorter periods of time.
Newer medications all appear to have a much lower risk of bringing out TD than the older which are the traditional antipsychotics.
Although the risk is not zero and they can produce different side effects of their own such as increasing in body weight.
Medications which are developed in recent years may also lead to problems such as social withdrawal and symptoms similar to Parkinson's disease, a disorder that affects the person's movement.
The best treatment for schizophrenia is by using more than one medicine.
Although finding which one is best for you may take a quite a long time.
It can be frustrating so it is very important to get support from your loved ones such as family and friends along with a community-based rehabilitation program.
If you do have the condition, make sure to talk to your doctor to further discuss it and find the best way to prevent the symptoms from coming back.
Keep in mind that it is important to consult your doctor prior to making any changes in your medicine intake.
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