Common Side Effects Of Anti-psychotic Medications

Anti-psychotics, also known as neuroleptics, are medications used to treat schizophrenia, bipolar disorder and dementia. They work by regulating dopamine and reducing the prevalence of delusional thinking and hallucinations. First-generation and newer anti-psychotics, known as atypical anti-psychotics, have little variation in effectiveness and both are associated with a long list of side effects that can sometimes be more debilitating than the condition they are meant to treat. The side effects of anti-psychotics are treatable with secondary medications that can help patients lead a balanced life.

Weight Gain and Diabetes

One of the most common side effects of anti-psychotics is weight gain. Patients may also develop high cholesterol and diabetes as a result of the weight gain. In the February 2008 issue of "World Psychiatry," Drs. Alp Ucok and Wolfgang Gaebel reported that 40 to 62 percent of people with schizophrenia are overweight or obese. In their study, almost all anti-psychotics were found to cause weight gain, some by as much as 22 pounds in the first year. Concommitant diabetes is also common in people with schizophrenia. Ucok and Gaebal stated that people with schizophrenia are twice as likely to develop type 2 diabetes compared with the general population. In their study, they reported that the anti-psychotics that cause the most weight gain are also the ones most associated with the development of diabetes.

Neurological Motor Function

Patients taking anti-psychotics commonly report problems with neurological motor function. These include tardive dyskinesia, parkinsonism, dystonia and akathisia. All these conditions can result in involuntary hand, mouth or body movements. Patients may develop eye tics, have poor muscle tone and reflexes, and may also excessively wring their hands or twitch their legs. Dr. Richard Powers from the Bureau of Geriatric Psychiatry states that these motor symptoms do not go away after the patient becomes adjusted to the medication and that the symptoms actually get worse over time, usually resulting in tardive dyskinesia after years of taking the medication. Tardive dyskinesia is the uncontrollable movement of the face and other body parts. Patients often stick out their tongue and move their lower jaw back and forth.

Sexual Dysfunction

Patients taking anti-psychotics often report sexual side effects. These side effects may also be caused by other factors associated with anti-psychotics and schizophrenia, including depression, diabetes, obesity, substance use and smoking, social isolation, and interpersonal disturbances. People with schizophrenia who are taking anti-psychotics report a much higher incidence of sexual problems compared to patients not on anti-psychotic medication. From a biological standpoint, anti-psychotics reduce sexual function by blocking histamine and dopamine, two neurotransmitters essential for healthy sexual function. Dr. Mohammad Younas Khawaja from the Ayub Medical College states that 48 percent of patients taking antipsychotics experience erectile dysfunction and 45 percent of patients report ejaculatory dysfunction. In the March 2006 issue of "The American Journal of Psychiatry," Dr. Rajesh Gopalakrishnan and associates found that sildenafil, commercially sold as Viagra, significantly helps male patients with the return of sexual functioning, including adequate erections, satisfaction with sexual intercourse and duration of erections.