Side effects - Quetiapine and Tardive Dyskinesia?

[BobTheGreat]

Swim was prescribed 50mg of seroquel a night to help as a sleep aid and to help with anxiety about a week and a half ago by his psychiatrist. This afternoon swim noticed his right hand started trembling when was typing on his keyboard. Swim's immediate thought was TD but kind of ignored it at first. As the afternoon went on, it progressively got worse so he tried to call his psych who was already out for the night so he left a message. Swim feels like he is up shit creek without a paddle. Is there anything he can do to help with the shaking? Will this most likely go away or is swim screwed for life? Swim is so frustrated right now he wants to break every bone in his psych's body for putting him on such a harsh drug without warning swim of the horrible side effects or even suggesting another possible treatment option. Any help would be very greatly appreciated.

[Nagognog2]

50 mg of seroquel is a rather low dose. SWIM doesn't say how long he was taking this, but tardive dyskinesia isn't commonly associated with seroquel, though the jury is still out on what all side-effects can occur with this drug. But, unfortunately, doctors are being deluged with propaganda from drug companies and seroquel is being prescribed off-label for many things it wasn't designed for. I see it as the new prozac.

I'd say it's unlikely SWIM had TD. But should certainly be speaking with his physician.

[BobTheGreat]

swim realizies that it is a low dose and has been taking it a short period of time but swim is having muscle tremors. Mostly his hands are shaking like a Parkinson's patient. Swim takes the 50 mg of seroquel and 10mg of lexapro daily. Today swim has also taken .5 mg of xanax because he woke up having an anxiety attack a few hours before all this started. This is all that is in swim's system drug wise.

Swim used a fair amout of crack in the months of Nov and Dec. Swims hands would always shake. He isnt quite sure but doesnt think they did this the first couple of time though. However, as time went on it did get worse. I have read that some people can gain sensitivity instead of tolerance with crack. I'm not exactly sure how seroquel works(and cant find anything but general stuff). I know it does affect the dopamine parts of the brain so could this be making him more sensative to seroquel?

Swim is also finding his concentration sucks even more than usual and he is missing letters in simple words and has to type them into google to find the right spelling. Also the symptoms are much milder than earlier.

[bewilderment]

I wouldn't worry too terribly much about permanent effects from seroquel simply because you took a low dosage for a short amount of time. It's probably not TD, and problems will most likely just go away (if they don't, then you could have a good case for a lawsuit). I think the best thing to do is simply stop the medication (if you haven't for some reason) and call the doc as soon as possible. In the meantime, here's what wikipedia says about TD treatment (but, it's probably just some other side effects manifesting):

Primary prevention of tardive dyskinesia is achieved by using the lowest effective dose of a neuroleptic for the shortest time. If tardive dyskinesia is diagnosed, the causative drug should be reduced or discontinued if possible. Tardive dyskinesia may persist after withdrawal of the drug for months, years, or even permanently. There is no known cure for tardive dyskinesia, but preliminary research suggests that the atypical neuroleptic clozapine (Clozaril®) may improve the state of the patient. Improvements are also seen in some cases, if the high potency benzodiazepines - lorazepam (Ativan®), diazepam (Valium®), or clonazepam (Klonopin®)--are used. The findings about the effects of natural substances, such as vitamin E (Alpha-Tocopherol) or melatonin, are inconclusive. Treatment with adrenergic blocking agents and dopamine agonists like bromocriptine also remains somewhat controversial. There have been some reports of promising effects from the drug tetrabenazine (a different kind of neuroleptic). On the contrary, most antiparkinsonian drugs worsen the state of the patient.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tardive_dyskinesia

Also, seroquel can and has caused TD, but it is one of the antipsychotics with the least likelihood to cause it. Here is the full run-down of warnings concerning seroquel:

WARNINGS

Neuroleptic Malignant Syndrome (NMS)

A potentially fatal symptom complex sometimes referred to as Neuroleptic Malignant Syndrome (NMS) has been reported in association with administration of antipsychotic drugs, including SEROQUEL. Rare cases of NMS have been reported with SEROQUEL. Clinical manifestations of NMS are hyperpyrexia, muscle rigidity, altered mental status, and evidence of autonomic instability (irregular pulse or blood pressure, tachycardia, diaphoresis, and cardiac dysrhythmia). Additional signs may include elevated creatine phosphokinase, myoglobinuria (rhabdomyolysis) and acute renal failure.

The diagnostic evaluation of patients with this syndrome is complicated. In arriving at a diagnosis, it is important to exclude cases where the clinical presentation includes both serious medical illness (e.g., pneumonia, systemic infection, etc.) and untreated or inadequately treated extrapyramidal signs and symptoms (EPS). Other important considerations in the differential diagnosis include central anticholin-ergic toxicity, heat stroke, drug fever and primary central nervous system (CNS) pathology.

The management of NMS should include: 1) immediate discontinuation of antipsychotic drugs and other drugs not essential to concurrent therapy; 2) intensive symptomatic treatment and medical monitoring; and 3) treatment of any concomitant serious medical problems for which specific treatments are available. There is no general agreement about specific pharmacological treatment regimens for NMS.

If a patient requires antipsychotic drug treatment after recovery from NMS, the potential reintroduction of drug therapy should be carefully considered. The patient should be carefully monitored since recurrences of NMS have been reported.

Tardive Dyskinesia

A syndrome of potentially irreversible, involuntary, dyskinetic movements may develop in patients treated with antipsychotic drugs. Although the prevalence of the syndrome appears to be highest among the elderly, especially elderly women, it is impossible to rely upon prevalence estimates to predict, at the inception of antipsychotic treatment, which patients are likely to develop the syndrome. Whether antipsychotic drug products differ in their potential to cause tardive dyskinesia is unknown.

The risk of developing tardive dyskinesia and the likelihood that it will become irreversible are believed to increase as the duration of treatment and the total cumulative dose of antipsychotic drugs administered to the patient increase. However, the syndrome can develop, although much less commonly, after relatively brief treatment periods at low doses.

There is no known treatment for established cases of tardive dyskinesia, although the syndrome may remit, partially or completely, if antipsychotic treatment is withdrawn. Antipsychotic treatment, itself, however, may suppress (or partially suppress) the signs and symptoms of the syndrome and thereby may possibly mask the underlying process. The effect that symptomatic suppression has upon the long-term course of the syndrome is unknown.

Given these considerations, SEROQUEL should be prescribed in a manner that is most likely to minimize the occurrence of tardive dyski-nesia. Chronic antipsychotic treatment should generally be reserved for patients who appear to suffer from a chronic illness that (1) is known to respond to antipsychotic drugs, and (2) for whom alternative, equally effective, but potentially less harmful treatments are not available or appropriate. In patients who do require chronic treatment, the smallest dose and the shortest duration of treatment producing a satisfactory clinical response should be sought. The need for continued treatment should be reassessed periodically.

If signs and symptoms of tardive dyskinesia appear in a patient on SEROQUEL, drug discontinuation should be considered. However, some patients may require treatment with SEROQUEL despite the presence of the syndrome.

Hyperglycemia and Diabetes Mellitus

Hyperglycemia, in some cases extreme and associated with ketoacidosis or hyperosmolar coma or death, has been reported in patients treated with atypical antipsychotics, including SEROQUEL. Assessment of the relationship between atypical antipsychotic use and glucose abnormalities is complicated by the possibility of an increased background risk of diabetes mellitus in patients with schizophrenia and the increasing incidence of diabetes mellitus in the general population. Given these confounders, the relationship between atypical antipsychotic use and hyperglycemia-related adverse events is not completely understood. However, epidemiological studies suggest an increased risk of treatment-emergent hyperglycemia-related adverse events in patients treated with the atypical antipsychotics. Precise risk estimates for hyperglycemia-related adverse events in patients treated with atypical antipsychotics are not available.

Patients with an established diagnosis of diabetes mellitus who are started on atypical antipsychotics should be monitored regularly for worsening of glucose control. Patients with risk factors for diabetes mellitus (eg, obesity, family history of diabetes) who are starting treatment with atypical antipsychotics should undergo fasting blood glucose testing at the beginning of treatment and periodically during treatment. Any patient treated with atypical antipsychotics should be monitored for symptoms of hyperglycemia including polydipsia, polyuria, polyphagia, and weakness. Patients who develop symptoms of hyperglycemia during treatment with atypical antipsychotics should undergo fasting blood glucose testing. In some cases, hyperglycemia has resolved when the atypical antipsychotic was discontinued; however, some patients required continuation of anti-diabetic treatment despite discontinuation of the suspect drug.
PRECAUTIONS

General

Orthostatic Hypotension: SEROQUEL may induce orthostatic hypotension associated with dizziness, tachycardia and, in some patients, syncope, especially during the initial dose-titration period, probably reflecting its a1-adrenergic antagonist properties. Syncope was reported in 1% (23/2567) of the patients treated with SEROQUEL, compared with 0% (0/607) on placebo and about 0.4% (2/527) on active control drugs.

SEROQUEL should be used with particular caution in patients with known cardiovascular disease (history of myocardial infarction or ischemic heart disease, heart failure or conduction abnormalities), cerebrovascular disease or conditions which would predispose patients to hypotension (dehydration, hypovolemia and treatment with antihypertensive medications). The risk of orthostatic hypotension and syncope may be minimized by limiting the initial dose to 25 mg bid (See DOSAGE AND ADMINISTRATION). If hypotension occurs during titration to the target dose, a return to the previous dose in the titration schedule is appropriate.

Cataracts: The development of cataracts was observed in association with quetiapine treatment in chronic dog studies (see Animal Toxicology). Lens changes have also been observed in patients during long-term SEROQUEL treatment, but a causal relationship to SEROQUEL use has not been established. Nevertheless, the possibility of lenticular changes cannot be excluded at this time. Therefore, examination of the lens by methods adequate to detect cataract formation, such as slit lamp exam or other appropriately sensitive methods, is recommended at initiation of treatment or shortly thereafter, and at 6 month intervals during chronic treatment.

Seizures: During clinical trials, seizures occurred in 0.6% (18/2792) of patients treated with SEROQUEL compared to 0.2% (1/607) on placebo and 0.7% (4/527) on active control drugs. As with other antipsychotics SEROQUEL should be used cautiously in patients with a history of seizures or with conditions that potentially lower the seizure threshold, e.g., Alzheimer’s dementia. Conditions that lower the seizure threshold may be more prevalent in a population of 65 years or older.

Hypothyroidism: Clinical trials with SEROQUEL demonstrated a dose-related decrease in total and free thyroxine (T4) of approximately 20% at the higher end of the therapeutic dose range and was maximal in the first two to four weeks of treatment and maintained without adaptation or progression during more chronic therapy. Generally, these changes were of no clinical significance and TSH was unchanged in most patients, and levels of TBG were unchanged. In nearly all cases, cessation of SEROQUEL treatment was associated with a reversal of the effects on total and free T4, irrespective of the duration of treatment. About 0.4% (12/2791) of SEROQUEL patients did experience TSH increases in monotherapy studies. Six of the patients with TSH increases needed replacement thyroid treatment. In the mania adjunct studies, where SEROQUEL was added to lithium or divalproate, 12% (24/196) of SEROQUEL treated patients compared to 7% (15/203) of placebo treated patients had elevated TSH levels. Of the SEROQUEL treated patients with elevated TSH levels, 3 had simultaneous low free T4 levels.

Cholesterol and Triglyceride Elevations: In schizophrenia trials, SEROQUEL treated patients had increases from baseline in cholesterol and triglyceride of 11% and 17%, respectively, compared to slight decreases for placebo patients. These changes were only weakly related to the increases in weight observed in SEROQUEL treated patients.

Hyperprolactinemia: Although an elevation of prolactin levels was not demonstrated in clinical trials with SEROQUEL, increased prolactin levels were observed in rat studies with this compound, and were associated with an increase in mammary gland neoplasia in rats (see Carcinogenesis). Tissue culture experiments indicate that approximately one-third of human breast cancers are prolactin dependent in vitro, a factor of potential importance if the prescription of these drugs is contemplated in a patient with previously detected breast cancer. Although disturbances such as galactorrhea, amenorrhea, gynecomastia, and impotence have been reported with prolactin-elevating compounds, the clinical significance of elevated serum prolactin levels is unknown for most patients. Neither clinical studies nor epidemiologic studies conducted to date have shown an association between chronic administration of this class of drugs and tumorigenesis in humans; the available evidence is considered too limited to be conclusive at this time.

Transaminase Elevations: Asymptomatic, transient and reversible elevations in serum transaminases (primarily ALT) have been reported. In schizophrenia trials, the proportions of patients with transaminase elevations of > 3 times the upper limits of the normal reference range in a pool of 3- to 6-week placebo-controlled trials were approximately 6% for SEROQUEL compared to 1% for placebo. In acute bipolar mania trials, the proportions of patients with transaminase elevations of > 3 times the upper limits of the normal reference range in a pool of 3- to 12-week placebo-controlled trials were approximately 1% for both SEROQUEL and placebo. These hepatic enzyme elevations usually occurred within the first 3 weeks of drug treatment and promptly returned to pre-study levels with ongoing treatment with SEROQUEL.

Potential for Cognitive and Motor Impairment: Somnolence was a commonly reported adverse event reported in patients treated with SEROQUEL especially during the 3-5 day period of initial dose-titration. In schizophrenia trials, somnolence was reported in 18% of patients on SEROQUEL compared to 11% of placebo patients. In acute bipolar mania trials using SEROQUEL as monotherapy, somnolence was reported in 16% of patients on SEROQUEL compared to 4% of placebo patients. In acute bipolar mania trials using SEROQUEL as adjunct therapy, somnolence was reported in 34% of patients on SEROQUEL compared to 9% of placebo patients. Since SEROQUEL has the potential to impair judgment, thinking, or motor skills, patients should be cautioned about performing activities requiring mental alertness, such as operating a motor vehicle (including automobiles) or operating hazardous machinery until they are reasonably certain that SEROQUEL therapy does not affect them adversely.

Priapism: One case of priapism in a patient receiving SEROQUEL has been reported prior to market introduction. While a causal relationship to use of SEROQUEL has not been established, other drugs with alpha-adrenergic blocking effects have been reported to induce priapism, and it is possible that SEROQUEL may share this capacity. Severe priapism may require surgical intervention.

Body Temperature Regulation: Although not reported with SEROQUEL, disruption of the body’s ability to reduce core body temperature has been attributed to antipsychotic agents. Appropriate care is advised when prescribing SEROQUEL for patients who will be experiencing conditions which may contribute to an elevation in core body temperature, e.g., exercising strenuously, exposure to extreme heat, receiving concomitant medication with anticholinergic activity, or being subject to dehydration.

Dysphagia: Esophageal dysmotility and aspiration have been associated with antipsychotic drug use. Aspiration pneumonia is a common cause of morbidity and mortality in elderly patients, in particular those with advanced Alzheimer’s dementia. SEROQUEL and other antipsychotic drugs should be used cautiously in patients at risk for aspiration pneumonia.

Suicide: The possibility of a suicide attempt is inherent in bipolar disorder and schizophrenia: close supervision of high risk patients should accompany drug therapy. Prescriptions for SEROQUEL should be written for the smallest quantity of tablets consistent with good patient management in order to reduce the risk of overdose.

Use in Patients with Concomitant Illness: Clinical experience with SEROQUEL in patients with certain concomitant systemic illnesses (see Renal Impairment and Hepatic Impairment under CLINICAL PHARMACOLOGY, Special Populations) is limited.

SEROQUEL has not been evaluated or used to any appreciable extent in patients with a recent history of myocardial infarction or unstable heart disease. Patients with these diagnoses were excluded from premarketing clinical studies. Because of the risk of orthostatic hypotension with SEROQUEL, caution should be observed in cardiac patients (see Orthostatic Hypotension).

Orthostatic Hypotension: Patients should be advised of the risk of orthostatic hypotension, especially during the 3-5 day period of initial dose titration, and also at times of re-initiating treatment or increases in dose.

Interference with Cognitive and Motor Performance: Since somnolence was a commonly reported adverse event associated with SEROQUEL treatment, patients should be advised of the risk of somnolence, especially during the 3-5 day period of initial dose titration. Patients should be cautioned about performing any activity requiring mental alertness, such as operating a motor vehicle (including automobiles) or operating hazardous machinery, until they are reasonably certain that SEROQUEL therapy does not affect them adversely.

Pregnancy: Patients should be advised to notify their physician if they become pregnant or intend to become pregnant during therapy.

Nursing: Patients should be advised not to breast feed if they are taking SEROQUEL.

Concomitant Medication: As with other medications, patients should be advised to notify their physicians if they are taking, or plan to take, any prescription or over-the-counter drugs.

Alcohol: Patients should be advised to avoid consuming alcoholic beverages while taking SEROQUEL.

Heat Exposure and Dehydration: Patients should be advised regarding appropriate care in avoiding overheating and dehydration.

MMedit: The above is from a site containing links to other forums & potential sources.

[Jatelka]

"Tardive dyskinesia is characterized by repetitive, involuntary, purposeless movements. Features of the disorder may include grimacing, tongue protrusion, lip smacking, puckering and pursing of the lips, and rapid eye blinking. Rapid movements of the arms, legs, and trunk also occur"

SWIY should definitely speak to their physician, but tremor/trembling alone would be unlikely to be TD.

[Micklemouse]

As stated above it is highly unlikely that SWiY have Tardive Dyskinesia, especially given the dose & short time SWiY have been taking it. And I certainly wouldn't worry about Neuroleptic Malignant Syndrome at this stage...

What SWiY is experiencing is a mild form of what are known as Extra-Pyramidal Symptoms, which are related to, & often called Parkinsonian Symptoms, & include at the lighter end of the spectrum the tremor that SWiY describe. These are common in people taking antipsychotic drugs, even the newer atypical ones such as Seroquel especially early in treatment, & usually pass relatively quickly without the need for anticholinergens or other medication.

A couple of questions firstly, is SWiY taking any other medication? Secondly, has SWiY had any uncharacteristic stiffness, especially in the jaw, shoulders & wrists, been feeling restless, or been salivating excessively? These symptoms are rare with Seroquel, especially at such a low dose, but can happen. They are treatable, but as I said earlier usually pass quickly. Definitely speak to SWiYour doc about this though. Although these potential unwnted effects should have been highlighted in the patient information leaflet that came with the meds, SWiY doc should really have told SWiY about them. That said, in future always take the initiative & ask about any potential unwanted effects SWiYourself too.

For more info read dangers of anti psycotics ?

Reputation Comments on this post:

cheers for differentiating btwn EPS and TD

[BobTheGreat]

thanks for the replies. The shaking has pretty much subsided. GAD + wierd side effects= overreation.

Mickle- Swim has been taking the seroquel(50mg), lexapro(10mg), and xanax(as needed for anxiety/panic attacks ~1mg per day)
stiffness- yes
restless- yes
excess saliva- swim produces excess on his own but it seems to be a bit worse lately

[Micklemouse]

The difficulty here is sussing out which med is causing the symptoms, as they are possible side effects of both. I'm guessing that SWiY hasn't been taking the escitalopram for long either then? Tremor, restlessness & increased salivation can be amongst the less common unwanted effects of SSRI's as well as antipsychotics - more common on withdrawal, or on high doses for lengthy periods, but have also been noted in people early in treatment. Again, it should pass, but should still be brought to SWiYour doctor's notice, & if it is unbearable the medication should be stopped. Keep an eye on it without looking for it(if that makes sense!) & keep in contact with SWiYour doc. Like I said, these symptoms are usually transient, & should pass as SWiYour body adjusts to the new chemicals it is being introduced to.

Best of luck! (Great Avatar btw)

[duncdunc68]

Yeah QB, sounds more like he's got a bit of dystonia possibly exacerbated by withdrawal symptoms.

[OccularFantasm]

SWIM would definatly reccomend SWIY discontinue use of any anti-psychotic swiy is given. SWIM would reccomend the short term use of salvia divinorum as preliminary studies show it has a strong effect onparkinson-like symptoms. Also with swims own experiance, it helps with the phsychosis you may get for the next year or 2 after stopping the antipsychotic. SWIM can only wish that you have a better time with this than SWIM had. Good luck.

[Taj]

SWIM is currently on seroquel at doses of 300-400 mg/night to treat a schizo-affective disorder (schizophrenia combined with chronic clinical depression and insomnia). SWIM has not noticed any TD from these doses, however when SWIM took Geodon he would notice TD every night approximately 21 hours after the previous dose. Sometimes it was so intense that SWIM could not even hold a glass of water without spilling it everywhere. Geodon also proved to have many other negative side effects for SWIM but those will be discussed in the appropriate forum.

[dwilkes7]

Bob, you mentioned swiy had a "panic attack" a while before the tremors began.

Just an outside guess here, but during a panic attack, epinephrine is released into the system. It's very powerful and one of it's side effects is hand tremors.

Just trying to cover all the bases.

[BobTheGreat]

dwiks,
Swim wasnt having any panic attacks when the trembling was going on so I doubt that was the cause.



From what swim has read seroquel can do some pretty nasty things to one's blood sugar. swim has started to wonder if hypoglycemia caused the trembling. Swim also has a predispositon for type 2 diabetes so maybe it caused it to manifest as he has been showing a lot of signs lately... He has been thinking about taking a trip to the doctor when he get the extra money(not having insurance sucks). If he does have it, i'm sure there will be plenty of lawyers willing to assess his case.


Oh yeah and one quick note: Swim came home drunk a few nights ago an accidentally dosed himself with 100mg of seroquel(the pill are the same size and shape as his sleeping pills ). It knocked him out pretty quick but he woke up about 2 hours later with the pain in his extremities and restlessness. Even though he was still pretty drunk he had to take a couple asprin to get back to bed. Needless to say they met his garbage diposal the next day.

[toe]

Originally Posted by Micklemouse

As stated above it is highly unlikely that SWiY have Tardive Dyskinesia, especially given the dose & short time SWiY have been taking it.

Quoted for emphasis. It's my understanding that "tardive" refers to chronic symptoms (similar to those of EPS) resulting from long-term chronic use of these meds. Hence the "tardive" part of the name. TD is chronic, while EPS is acute and can generally be shut down with a dose of benztropine.

Factoring in the low dose and short period of therapy, TD is, well, almost impossible. But the extra-pyramidal symptoms are certainly something one should not have to deal with and the gremlin in my closet says you should demand a change in your med regime if you feel your symptoms fit the profile for EPS.

Interestingly enough, AAPs have not been found to have a lower risk of EPS and TD than the Old School. The figures I remember offhand are 18% for haloperidol and 22% for olanzapine. I do not currently have access to the reference, but I did just come across a nice article dispelling the myth that a) adverse reactions to atypicals only occur at high doses, and b) only in the elderly (the primary demographic studied).

[OccularFantasm]

This has nothing to do with TD. But, you had mentioned having panic attacks Bob. Swim thinks he can understand reasoning for these. Obviously there are factors swim is not aware of, as swim has never actually met bob. Swimwoudl have to guess however that one possible cause wouldbe fromt he antipsychotics in and of themselves. These drugs act by repressing the dopamine receptors. As many of you know, dopamine is needed for pleasure. This explains the euphoria meth addicts gets as well as other various drugs. This covers the uncomfertable 'anti-euphoric', if you will, effects. The next part is commonly avoded or forgottena bout. Dopamine has numerous important functions withint he body besides pleasure. The example swim is usisng is its importance for the synthesis of adrenaline. Swim js read back and saw that swiy had used crack for at least one period of timen ot long before such an occurance. This need not be crack it oculd be any amphetamine, even methylphenidate, and sometimes even selective seratonin reuptake inhibitors, especially whent hey cause insomnia. Okay so bare with me here; The levels of dopamine are extraordinarly low here. This causes feelings of unrest, confusion, anxiety, and depression. (drop or add 1 depending on the individual). Now factor in the empty supply of adrenaline. This causes a state of panic and induces the fight or flight reaction. From here, if one has suffcient dopamine, then the anxiety attack would be more mild or perhaps even nonexistance. There is onelast factor to plug intot his equation however. This is that since dopamine is so low, and there is no adrenaline, new adrenaline cannot readily be made as the body needs. this cases two things to happen. One is constant states of panic ensue, for what would otherwise seem as 'for no apparent reason', as well as damage to the central nervous system from overexertion. Also extreme lethergy between fits of hysteria. This also reinforces the need for a downer and an upper such as the medicine you were on, even the one to battle the depression aforementioned. The downside is that left treated by standard tradional western medicine practices, the individuals entire body systemically becomes weaker. While attacking the CNS, the immune system become compromised. During this time, liver function begins to ween itself down slowly. Soon it will be overloaded and the lymph nodes will begin to clog up. All this means is that the lymph system is continuing collect the toxins it is supposed to, but is simply having trouble moving out such toxins. This will also add to the confusion, the hampered immune system, and the anxiety, as none of the drugs given will be fully filtered or excreted. From here pshychotic sysmptoms and parkinsons-like symptoms are the most common 'side effects', which are often diagnosed as seperate diseases, or as the progression of what had previously been diagnosed. Swim firmly beleives at least 1/3 of the documented cases of schitzophrenia are the result of this or something similar. Also remember that Antipsychotics have that uncanny effect of making people hallucinate. Therefore, simply put, your brain has been given new powers over your body. For example, if you have been fretting over things that could go wrong, for instance TD, and your brain is in a trance-liek hallucinating state, you could imagine the feelings an your body would actually feel them without the physical stimuli. This is very possible and most often times overlooked. Although this post was about TD, swim still feels this was relevant to the thread, and hopes it may prove to be useful to someone somwhere.

Reputation Comments on this post:

great post just couldnt give rep pts as a newb