Posted by xjs7 on January 21, 2003, at 19:27:47
In reply to Re: Advice needed: cocktail not good enough, posted by JohnL on January 21, 2003, at 17:51:15
Hi JohnL,
I think it is great that you have done so well on Zyprexa and Prozac. I think however that you might have a little too much faith in these medications.
Medications like Zyprexa are very serious drugs which can cause disfiguring and even crippling side effects. Risperdal has been blamed on some very serious cases of tardive dyskinesia and dystonia. There are some people who are crippled because of these drugs.
Tardive dyskinesia is always a risk when taking an antipsychotic agent, regardless of dose and duration of treatment. True, high doses for long periods of time in older people increase the odds of developing this condition. But TD can occur in people treated with low doses only for a couple months. Also the odds of developing TD are higher for people who do not have the diagnosis of schizophrenia. So, if you do not have that diagnosis you are running an even higher risk of developing this condition.
Have you ever seen someone who has tardive dyskinesia? Probably not--most people who have would not recommend AP's to just about any person who has depression or anhedonia.
AP's are not miracle drugs. They are dangerous and can cause serious damage. This damage might be more common than you think.
xjs7
poster:xjs7
thread:136845
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/20030119/msgs/136940.html