Antipsychotics

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I was once prescribed a bunch of antipsychotics, including Zyprexa (which had a weird inducement of irrational fear) for no reason other than, clearly, just depression. I'm slightly confused as to whether, under normal circumstances, antipsychotics are only prescribed to people with schizophrenia, but has anyone else ever got this type of treatment, even though there were absolutely no signs of delusions/hallucinations?

On occasion, certain anti-psychotics may be prescribed for things other than psychosis. For example, haldol can be very effective at treating anxiety.

I'm taking an antipsychotic right now, for anxiety. Thorazine, specifically. No worries. It doesn't mean you're schizophrenic. Or if you are, then I am too and nobody has told either of us. Cue paranoia. jk, it's ok, you're fine.

The last time I saw my doctor he said if an anti-depressant alone wasn't working the latest idea was to try a small dose of [whatever neuroleptic it was]. Since I've been prescribed Zyprexia, Risperdal, and Geodon for sleep, and found they all really messed up my functionality, I wasn't interested in trying that, though. But yeah, they can be prescribed for non-schizoprenic/non-psychotic reasons.

I've also seen ads on TV for some neuroleptic (Seroquel?) for non-psychotic/non-schizophrenic conditions. My paranoid side says it's the drug industry trying to inappropriately widen the market for such drugs, but I don't have have any proof of that.

Why do they get prescribed for other conditions less severe than psychosis, even though they barely work on psychosis itself, when they have such devastating side effects? (By the way, can you possibly list some of the more unusual side effects you had on them?)

Certain antipsychotics are used to help treat anxiety. When used for anxiety, they are given in much smaller doses than when used as antipsychotics.

I find being on thorazine to be just as helpful as were benzodiazepines. Which is to say, pretty helpful, but not a cure by any means.

I had a kind of twitch/stim where I shake my head like I'm saying no, which has become much more frequent since being on antipsychotics (thorazine and seroquel).

Also, sometimes I get the sensations of dizziness and tightness in the chest area which I normally only feel during a panic attack, but I get them without the actual panic. This started happening after I started taking thorazine.

Oh, also, my breasts are swelling up and I'm lactating. That is another side effect of this drug.

WTF. You know, my cousin stopped lactating (when weaning her son) by putting cabbage leaves in her bra against her skin. It really works. Maybe you could try it.

I've never had this medication, but I was given a drug once because of a back injury that is generally used for eating disorders. I was suprised by that considering while I was on it I fell asleep mid-chew and woke up wondering if I could swallow my food or if it had gone bad in my mouth. LOL!



So, they can prescribe drugs for other than the typical reasons.

I'm willing to try that. Lactating isn't the most comfortable thing in the world.

Usually when they are used for anxiety they are used for short term treatment, so the risk of nerve damage and the likes is reduced.

They are usually prescribed for anxiety when a person can't take regular anti-anxiety medications for some reason. For example, if SSRI's have not been successful and the person cannot take narcotics for some reason.

I would think they work better on anxiety than psychosis. I do think they can work quite well for psychosis but people usually require long term treatment for that and that's when side effects become an issue.

You need to tell your doctor... I also lactated on respiridone, and even though it was a useful drug I had to come off it. With some people it causes the pineal gland to go into overdrive.

You may be able to stay on it, but I wasn't. Get your pineal gland checked.

Truthfully, anti-psychotics will help just about everything at least a little. They tend to norm out "abnormal" behavior. That said, they are rarely used for things other then disorders/syndromes with psychosis or disordered cognitive processes because of the potential long-term side-effects (such as tardive dyskinesia.) Chronos is quite right in that anti-psychotics are used when selective serotonin re-uptake inhibitors fail or show very weak effects.

It's also worth noting that a drug, even anti-psychotics, are not a cure or even really a treatment. They are designed to be a stop-gap measure, or an emergency intervention to be utilized alongside a course of therapy from any one of the many modalities. For anxiety, depending on the source, cognitive-behavioral therapy works wonders.

I was also prescribed Zyprexa, even though I had never had any hallucinations or delusions. I was given an SSRI anti depressant with the Zyprexa.

Atypical anti psychotics (Zyprexa, Seroquel, Geodon, Abilify, Risperdal,) are now routinely prescribed for conditions other than schizophrenia. They are also used for Bipolar Disorder, as an adjunct for treatment resistant depression, for anxiety, and in the case of Seroquel as a sleep aide for those with insomnia.

I took Zyprexa for 28 weeks at a low dose (2.5-5mg), and developed extreme weight gain and Tardive dyskinesia (a very annoying facial tic). I stopped taking the Zyprexa and the facial tic stopped, and I lost weight. I researched this medication, and the other psychotropic drugs extensively, and stopped using them in 2006. I now use light therapy for the depression, and a treatment protocol of carefully chosen supplements.

The pharmaceutical companies have worked hard to get their drugs approved by the FDA for many different conditions. Many doctors also prescribe them "off label" to treat symptoms they are told by the pharmaceutical reps these drugs will help relieve.

Antipsychotics are dangerous drugs designed to suppress psychic powers and make people sick. Don't take them, they will turn you into practically a zombie.

I was on Zyprexa (Olanzapine) for a short time as they thought that I was hallucinating. A problem with my French language. I was also on Abilify (Aripiprazole) which caused havok for me with most of the side effects you could get.

I was also on a French one called Tercian (Cyamemazine) but with returning to Scotland and the drug not being available, I had to change to Levomepromazine which is the closest thing that they could find. My side effects are mild but I'm tired of them already. So yes, the aim is to get off them all. Have they helped me? I haven't a clue.

My reaction to antipsychotics is that for the first two months, I am really happy and energetic, then the effect fades away. But I consider them a lifesaver for me, for depression and anxiety. I am currently taking Lamotrigine and Abilify, and they seem to help. When the doctor increased the dose of Abilify to 17 mg I started feeling a bit dull mentally (trouble concentrating on reading or doing creative tasks), so it was reduced to 15 mg, but I have had no other side effects, and I've been taking them now for several months.

I've heard of Risperdal being used to treat extreme irritability in autistic children.