Schizophrenia is a serious mental disorder that affects the way a person thinks, behaves and views the world. Although there is no cure for schizophrenia, this disorder can be treated and managed with the help of medication. Antipsychotic medications can reduce and even eliminate some of the symptoms of schizophrenia, particularly hallucinations, delusions, paranoia and disordered thinking. However, each medication may affect different people in a different manner, the Institute of Mental Health warns, and a trial and error approach may be necessary to determine which medication is most effective for a certain individual.
Typical Antipsychotics
Typical or conventional antipsychotic medications have historically been prescribed for schizophrenia. These medications include thiothizene, thioridazine, perphenazine, loxapine, haloperidol, fluphenazine, chlorpromazine and trifluoperazine. Although these medications are effective at treating the symptoms of schizophrenia, HelpGuide.org explains that they are not as commonly prescribed today as atypical antipsychotic medications because of the possible dangerous neurological side effects that can occur with their use. The website goes on to say that these side effects, often referred to as extrapyrimidal side effects, can include restlessness, tremors, pacing, slow movements, muscle spasms, painful muscle stiffness, changes in breathing or heart rate and even temporary paralysis. The Mayo Clinic also warns that tardive dyskinesia, which causes involuntary jerking movements, can occur with the long-term use of typical antipsychotics.
Atypical Antipsychotics
Atypical antipsychotic medications are newer medications that are currently being prescribed for schizophrenia. These medications include risperidone, quetiapine, olanzapine, clozapine, aripiprazole and ziprasidone. Although these medications are not associated with the potentially harmful extrapyrimidal side effects of typical antipsychotic medications, HelpGuide.org says, these medications still can produce side effects with use, such as skin rashes, sensitivity to the sun, stiffness in the neck and jaw, blurred vision, dry mouth, faintness, drowsiness, constipation and loss of sex drive. In addition, the Mayo Clinic also points out that atypical antipsychotic medications can increase the risk of metabolic side effects, including diabetes, high cholesterol or weight gain.
Clozapine for Treatment-Resistant Schizophrenia
Clozapine is frequently prescribed for schizophrenics who haven't responded well to other antipsychotic medications. Although clozapine is quite effective at eliminating or reducing the symptoms of schizophrenia, it does have a serious side effect associated with its use, warns Dr. Henry Croft, a psychiatrist and medical director of HealthyPlace.com. Clozapine can cause agranulocytosis, which is the loss of the white blood cells your body needs to fight infections. Doctors attempt to minimize the risk of this side effect by recommending that all patients taking clozapine get a blood test every one to two weeks, Croft says. However, despite this monitoring, the risk of agranulocytosis is still serious, and therefore clozapine is typically prescribed only for treatment-resistant schizophrenia in cases where a minimum of two other antipyschotic medications have been tried and have failed to reduce symptoms.
