Antipsychotic Medications

I would recommend atypical antipsychotic drugs such as clozapine because they “appear to be more effective than conventional drugs” (Comer, 2015).

Drug therapy is the most common treatment, using antipsychotic drugs. Antipsychotic drugs aims to help patient function as well as possible and increasing patient’s feelings of well being.

Antipsychotic medications may be prescribed as a means to control aggressive behavior that is brought on by dementia: Nearly 30 percent of Canadian seniors residing in long-term care facilities take antipsychotic medications despite the fact that they do not have psychosis. A report from the CFHI suggests that discontinuing these medications for an alternative treatment may be more beneficial to these seniors.

Antipsychotics (also known as neuroleptics or major tranquilizers) are a class of psychiatric medication primarily use to manage psychosis (including delusions, hallucinations, or disordered thought), in particular in schizophrenia and bipolar disorder, and are increasingly being used in the management of non-psychotic disorders.

Cerebrovascular effects are also possible, however, a patients could bring this upon themselves if they become extremely agitated and heightened their blood pressure and heart rate past the normal range. Antipsychotic drugs help control this by keeping their moods much more constant, which keeps them from getting worked up and increasing their heart rate and blood pressure. Most dementia patients already have other health problems and by them not taking antipsychotics it could do more harm than good. Antipsychotic drugs are not for every dementia patient, but in some cases their quality of life can be greatly improved by the drug. It is ultimately the patient’s doctor’s and caregiver’s decision whether antipsychotics are the best form of treatment for them. I have personally seen the benefits in my great grandmother and believe the medications, when used the right way, can be very advantageous. She has advanced dementia and was put on the antipsychotic drug Xanax, which has greatly improved her quality of life. The downsides of the drug definitely do not outweigh the benefits it offers

Antipsychotics are medications that physicians use to treat psychotic disorders such as Schizophrenia, Delusional disorder, Paraphrenia, and Substance-induced psychotic disorders. These disorders are characterised by the patient’s inability to make good judgments, think with a clear head, communicate effectively, relate to society, and understand reality. Antipsychotic drugs are also useful in the treatment of bipolar conditions that involve extreme cases of manic behaviour. Examples of these drugs include Thorazine and Trilafon. These drugs belong to a drug class called phenothiazines. They work by changing the actions of chemicals in the brain. The drugs can be beneficial, however, Steen et al. (2014) argue that the medicines have several harmful effects such as changes

The 1950s saw several developments in medications such as antipsychotics. The term antipsychotic refers to medicines or drugs that are primarily needed to manage psychosis. They are usually used to treat schizophrenia and bipolar disorder, though they can be helpful for other mental health problems such as severe depression. In One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest, a patient called Chief Bromden, describes his surroundings after taking medication. He said, “The words come to me like water, it’s so thick. In fact it’s so much like water it floats me right up out of my chair and I don’t know which end is up for a while. Floating makes me a little sick to the stomach at first. I can’t see a thing. I never had it so thick it floated me like this.” (Kesey 133) The quote gives an accuate picure of how an antipsychotic would work. Chlorpromazine, the first anitpsychotic, was synthesized in 1950 by the French pharmacuetical company Rhône-Poulenc. It was followed by the creation of many other drugs with diverse chemical structures. In 1954, another

There are so many different kinds of medications used to treat patients, but the most common ones that psychiatric assistants prescribe exist as antipsychotic and antidepressants. Antidepressants usually relate to a substance that treats mood disorders. Antipsychotic medications usually are taken daily in pills or liquid form. However, some may get injected, which means their only given once or twice a month. The biggest mental disorder that antipsychotic are prescribed for has occurred in patients with schizophrenia. “Schizophrenia is a psychosis characterized by delusions, hallucinations, apathy, and a “split” between thought and emotion.” (Coon & Mitterer 487) “Patients with this disorder tend to have withdrawal from contact with other, a loss of interest in external activities, a breakdown of personal habits, and an inability to deal with daily events.” (486) “Also, it is hard for patients with schizophrenia to focus on one item of information at a time.” (486) Four major types of schizophrenia consist of catatonic, disorganized, paranoid, and undifferentiated. The first type, catatonic, involves disturbances in a person’s movement. Patients with this disorder type tend to just sit there and they do not talk or move. They show no emotion. “The second type, disorganized, or known as “hebephrenic schizophrenia”, patients experience bizarre thinking and flat or grossly inappropriate emotions.” (487) “Typically, this type of schizophrenia develops in adolescence or young adulthood.” (487) “The third type, paranoid, is marked by a preoccupation with delusions or by frequent auditory hallucinations related to a single theme, especially grandeur or persecution.” (488) “Patients think that God, the government, or “cosmic rays from space” are controlling their minds or trying to poison them.” (488) “According to the largest study ever

In 1955, antipsychotic medications were introduced to help mental disorders. These medications are usually taken orally in which help relieve symptoms for periods of days. The misuse or abuse of the medications are low. There are three generations of antipsychotic medications. The first generation is known for reducing hallucinations and delusions, but not affecting problems like disorientation or depression. An example would be chlorpromazine, brand name being Thorazine. Some negative side effects of taking the first generation drugs are Parkinson’s-like symptoms, tardive dyskinesia, and weight gain. Next, the second generation drugs minimized the outcome of the individual getting Parkinson’s-like symptoms. An example of this generation would be Clozaril. “A unique feature of Clozaril is the 1 to 2 percent chance of developing a potentially lethal blood disease called agranulocytosis” (Levinthal 282). This disease decreases white blood cells and affects the immune system. If early signs of this disease start to appear the patient will stop taking Clozaril and recover. Lastly, the third generation has shown to be the most effective on schizophrenia. Abilify is an example of this generation drug. It does not have a risk of Parkinson’s, tardive dyskinesia, or diabetes. Abilify blocks specific serotonin receptors in which prevents negative side effects from happening. These different

Psychotropic drugs are medications which affect the central nervous system. It changes how the brain processes information and alters the mood, thoughts, behaviors and perceptions. Most psychotropic drugs are prescribed after the method of psychoeducation and therapy have failed in improving the current state and condition of the patient.

As we have seen, treatment of schizophrenia with antipsychotic drugs can have impressive results in terms of decreasing active symptoms, although it does nothing to alleviate negative symptoms or to improve cognitive functioning. Unfortunately, this kind of treatment has the drawback of extremely serious and even fatal side-effects. Newer generation atypical antipsychotics offer more hope, as they can treat both active and negative symptoms, and also improve cognitive functioning. Moreover, they have fewer side-effects. However, treatment is complicated by the fact that results are unpredictable; and in addition the side-effects that they do have can be very serious, such as diabetes, which in itself is life-threatening. However, as the potential side-effects are known, the physician has leeway to choose a drug which is a good match for the patient’s clinical profile. Then, once the patient’s symptoms have been much alleviated with an appropriate newer generation atypical antipsychotic, the patient should be able to also benefit from a range of psychotherapeutic interventions. It is argued that this is the best treatment regime to choose, as it is likely to result in the greatest improvement in quality of life, coupled with the lowest risk of potentially devastating side-effects, or of death. This is likely to be better than utilizing cognitive behavioral therapy, the results of which are not reliably known – although research has certainly shown that it is less efficacious

Antipsychotics are generally used to treat psychosis in mental disorders. These disorders include schizophrenia and bipolar disorder (Thyssen et al., 2010). Risperidone is known as an atypical second generation antipsychotic and used in the treatment of a multitude of disorders. This medication can often challenge behavioral problems that are associated with schizophrenia, autism spectrum disorder, bipolar disorder, or attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (Schatzberg & Nemeroff, 2013). It is important for the prescriber to be aware of the side effect and any possible adverse reactions that may occur. There can be many detrimental side effects that someone may not enjoy,

In the early 1990s new antipsychotic medications were developed and used to help those dealing with bipolar and schizophrenia which have symptoms like psychosis and hallucinations. These medications are called second-generation or atypical antipsychotics and they are the first line

Antipsychotic medications are proven to help in treating acute psychosis and to reduce the risk of future psychotic events. People with severe symptoms require hospitalization to ensure safety, proper nutrition, adequate sleep, and proper hygiene. Some common medication used to treat schizophrenia are, trifluoperazine, flupenthixol, loxapine among others. There is a side effect from every medication we take, and there is no exception for antipsychotic medications. These medications may cause, drowsiness, dizziness, blurred vision, rapid heartbeat, sensitivity to the sun, rashes, and menstrual problems for women. People taking these medications should not operate machinery or drive a car until they adjust to all of their medications. However, people might need to try several medications until they find the appropriate medication for them. People should not stop taking any medication without the proper recommendation from their doctor. Not taking their medication adequately may cause a relapse and the symptoms come back or usually their symptoms get

Antipsychotic – Psychotropic drugs are often used for neurochemical problems, behavioral problems, schizophrenia, and other mental disorders. These drugs sometimes cause side effects