Antipsychotic drugs that lower dopamine levels can cause extrapyramidal side effects, including movement disorders and akathisia. Atypical antipsychotics were thought to reduce the risk, but evidence suggests they can still occur. While some people can use antipsychotics without symptoms, others may develop them early on. Switching medications or using additional medications can help alleviate symptoms. The risks of extrapyramidal side effects do not suggest that people are better off without drug therapy, but that more effective and safer drugs are needed.
Extrapyramidal side effects are side effects related to certain types of drugs that suppress or reduce dopamine levels. These side effects are typically associated with antipsychotic drugs, which work in part by lowering dopamine levels. It was previously thought that the problem of extrapyramidal side effects was most felt in what were older or typical antipsychotic drugs, and that a number of new atypical drugs reduced the risk of developing these symptoms. Mounting evidence suggests that atypical antipsychotics have many extrapyramidal side effects, and these occur regularly among some people who must use these medicines, including people with conditions such as schizophrenia, bipolar disorder, and an increasing number of people being prescribed atypical antipsychotics for depression. resistant.
The types of extrapyramidal side effects that an individual might experience are not easy to predict, and many people can use antipsychotics for long periods of time without symptoms. Over time, the risk of side effects increases, but contradictory some people develop dopamine-suppressing symptoms very early in treatment. In more severe scenarios, a person develops a condition such as an involuntary movement disorder that does not stop when the drug is stopped. Most would find that using additional medications to treat the side effect or switching to another medication would cause the symptoms to subside.
Some examples of extrapyramidal side effects include movement disorders such as dystonia, which causes painful or uncontrollable muscle contractions that can often be so severe that they distort posture. Bradykinesia is another side effect, slowing movement, or people can suffer from bradyphrenia resulting in less fluid thinking and possibly reduced cognition.
Other conditions that develop are things like slurred speech or tremors, which can affect different parts of the body. In particular, conditions such as tremors or involuntary muscle movements may not always clear up after stopping a medicine. An additional symptom that can exacerbate any mental disorder is called akathisia. It creates a sense of deep inner restlessness that makes it difficult to engage in any normal activity and can be tremendously difficult to bear. People recovering from mental illness usually handle this symptom poorly because it feels like a continuation of the mental illness.
With newer atypical antipsychotics like Abilify®, Geodon® and others, it was hoped that extrapyramidal side effects would be minor, and sometimes they are. On the other hand, a drug like Abilify® has been linked to a fairly high incidence of conditions like akathisia, which often develop early in treatment. What these side effects express about some drug treatments for mental disorders is that no perfect or ideal treatment has yet been achieved.
Those seeking drug therapy are to be commended for getting help with their condition and for risking the possibly harsh and serious side effects that can result. The risks of extrapyramidal side effects do not suggest that people are better off without drug therapy. They indicate that people with certain diseases would be better off with more effective and safer drugs.
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