What is psychiatric medication?
Psychiatric medications are like any other medicine your doctor would prescribe. They are designed to treat specific conditions, and must be monitored by a skilled psychiatrist. Like most medications, psychiatric prescriptions may take a few days or a few weeks to become fully effective.
These medications are very effective in controlling painful emotional and mental symptoms. However like other medications, psychiatric medications can produce unwanted side effects. People suffering from mental illness should work closely with their psychiatrist and mental health nurse to understand what medications they are taking, why they are taking them, how to take them and what side effects to watch for.
Psychiatric medication falls into four basic categories:
Both anxiolytics and hypnotics are for treatment of anxiety or sleeplessness. They can be addictive when taken continuously and therefore withdrawal symptoms may occur if long term use is suddenly ceased. Such symptoms include worsening of the anxiety or, in severe cases, fitting. Seek urgent medical attention if an overdose occurs. Combinations of these with alcohol, heroin, methadone and some other drugs, may cause life-threatening situations.
Antipsychotics are available either as tablets or as long-acting injections. They are used to treat the symptoms of psychosis, such as delusions and hallucination's. Although two to three weeks are required for these drugs to take effect, there is an initial calming effect.
Long-acting antipsychotic injections include:
Modecate® fluphenazine decanoate, Haldol® haloperidol decanoate, and Depixol® flupenthixol decanoate. These release the drug's effect slowly over a period of 2 to 3 weeks from beneath the skin at the injection site. The advantage is that the sufferer doesn't have to remember to take tablets 3 to 4 times a day.
Antipsychotic tablets include:
Largactil® chlorpromazine, Melleril® thioridazine, Stelazine® trifluperazine, Haldol® haloperidol, Risperdal® risperidone. These may cause dizziness.
The main side effects of the antipsychotics are:
These side effects can be controlled by either:
Other side effects of antipsychotic drugs may include excess salivation; a dry mouth; constipation; sleepiness; dizziness; sexual problems; and, with Largactil®, sun sensitivity (requiring use of a sun block cream). Some or all of these side effects may be distressing. Sufferers should be reassured that their doctor will do everything possible to minimise any unpleasant feelings.
A very long term side effect (which may take years to appear and which may become permanent) is 'tardive dyskinesia', where the sufferer has odd facial and chewing movements. Sometimes the limbs are also affected. Such actions look distressing but usually do not seem to bother the sufferer.
Antidepressant drugs play an important part in the management of depression. The newer types include Prozac® fluoxetine, Seroxat® paroxetine, and Lustral® sertraline.
These medications take 2 to 3 weeks to begin to work. The side effects (such as sleepiness, dry mouth, loss of libido, constipation and dizziness) differ between types, as does the way they work. Nardil® phenelzine requires a special diet. They are all dangerous if overdosed, although the newer drugs are less dangerous.
Priadel® lithium carbonate and Tegretol® carbamazepine are used with bipolar disorder (manic depression), and stabilise severe mood swings. Severe side effects can occur, which is why regular blood test monitoring (especially with Priadel® treatment) is essential.
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