In a new article published in BMC Psychiatry, Nadia Crellin and her colleagues explore how service users experience long-term antipsychotic use. The present research examined interviews with 269 participants currently taking antipsychotic medication. 33% were content with continuing long-term antipsychotics, 19% said they took their medication reluctantly, 24% accepted antipsychotic use on a short-term basis, and 18% of participants reported active dislike of their medication.
The researchers also found that 31% of participants would like to stop antipsychotic medication with professional help, and 45% wanted to reduce their dose of antipsychotics. The authors write:
āMany patients diagnosed with schizophrenia or related disorders from community mental health services are unhappy about the idea of taking medication on a continuing or life-long basis and would like to try reducing or discontinuing their medication at some point. Professional support was identified as important in achieving this. Guidance on how to support people to make informed decisions about long-term antipsychotic treatment, and to reduce or discontinue if they wish, would increase the options that are available to patients who are taking long-term antipsychotics.ā
Long-term antipsychotic use has come under scrutiny by voices from within and beyond the psy-disciplines. Antipsychotic use causes several undesirable side effects with dubious evidence for their benefits. For example, research has linked antipsychotic use with increased risk of dementia, brain atrophy in children, worsening cognitive functioning, and breast cancer. Research has also linked antipsychotic use with damage to several parts of the brain.
The largest survey conducted to investigate service user experience of antipsychotics saw more than half of the participants report only negative effects of antipsychotic use. Research has found that greater exposure to antipsychotics is associated with worse long-term outcomes,Ā while discontinuing antipsychotics improves cognitive functioning. The recovery rate in service users whoĀ stop using antipsychotics within two years is six times higher than those who use them for longer. Research has also found that these drugs are commonly prescribed without informed consent, with many people never being told about the likely negative effects of their use.
Recently, professional psy organizations have begun to recognize the need to discontinue long-term antipsychotic use, with more than one author publishing guidelines on how to taper antipsychotics to avoid withdrawal symptoms safely. Research has shown tapering to be the most effective method to discontinue antipsychotic use. With many psychiatrists unwilling to help their patients come off these medications, service users have found support for discontinuing their use in internet forums.
The current research investigated service user attitudes towards antipsychotic medication. The authors relied on face-to-face interviews in which they asked structured and open-ended questions about their antipsychotic use. The authors recruited participants from community mental health services and primary care practices throughout London between April 2016 and August 2017.
To be included in the present research, participants had to have a schizophrenia spectrum disorder diagnosis (schizophrenia, schizoaffective disorder, delusional disorder, or other psychotic disorder), at least two previous psychotic episodes, or 1 episode that lasted more than a year, be currently prescribed antipsychotic medication and be stable for the past three months (not requiring acute or inpatient care). In addition, people that were legally compelled to take antipsychotics were excluded from this research.
The majority of participants were diagnosed with schizophrenia (70%), with an additional 18% having a diagnosis of schizoaffective disorder. 36% of participants had been in contact with mental health services for more than 20 years. The mean length of antipsychotic use was 16.5 years.
One-third of the participants were happy with their medications and had no plans or desire to discontinue their use. 19% of participants accepted that they would remain on these drugs long term but did so reluctantly. 18% said they were not content with taking antipsychotics long-term. 24% accepted present antipsychotic use but did not see themselves taking these drugs indefinitely.
When asked about the possibility of discontinuing antipsychotic use with professional help, one-third of the participants said they would definitely like to try. An additional 21% expressed interest but reported serious concerns about the consequences. Another 21% wanted to discontinue use at some time in the future, but not presently. 25% of participants reported they did not want to stop using antipsychotics.
When asked about the possibility of reducing antipsychotic medication with professional help, 45% of participants said they would definitely like to decrease their use, with 13% saying they would be willing to try. 14% of participants were open to reducing their medication in the future but not presently. 21% reported that they did not want to reduce their use of antipsychotic drugs.
Of the participants that did not want to discontinue their antipsychotic use, 70% gave the reason of fear of relapse. Other common reasons given for continuing to use these drugs included: maintaining stability, producing general improvement, reduction in positive symptoms like hallucinations, the calming effect they produce, and reduction of agitation and suicidal thoughts. 24% report they take antipsychotic drugs primarily because a doctor told them to.
Of the participants that wanted to discontinue or reduce their antipsychotic use, 74% gave the reason that they were concerned about the adverse effects and the actual/potential impact on their physical health. The most common adverse effects the participants wanted to avoid were: sedative effects, weight gain, shaking/twitching/stiffness, cognitive/emotional capacity, and sexual functioning.
The authors acknowledge several limitations to the current study. First, responses are likely not generalizable to the greater population. Second, people who agree to participate in research are likely more adherent and accept treatment than others. Third, the sample consisted of people with long histories of mental health service use which likely biases them towards more acceptance of medication use.
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Crellin, N. E., Priebe, S., Morant, N., Lewis, G., Freemantle, N., Johnson, S., Horne, R., Pinfold, V., Kent, L., Smith, R., Darton, K., Cooper, R. E., Long, M., Thompson, J., Gruenwald, L., Freudenthal, R., Stansfeld, J. L., & Moncrieff, J. (2022). An analysis of views about supported reduction or discontinuation of antipsychotic treatment among people with schizophrenia and other psychotic disorders. BMC Psychiatry, 22(1). https://doi.org/10.1186/s12888-022-03822-5 (Link)
Thanks Richard for sharing this! Readers may also be interested in recent reports about those who try withdrawing from antipsychotics, here are two:
https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/psychiatry-through-the-looking-glass/202203/withdrawing-antipsychotic-drugs
Factors Predicting Antipsychotic Discontinuation in the Maastricht World Survey https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M2lv_0r5jyM
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Thank You Richard. This is a worthwhile subject.
I think psychiatric drugs (aka tranquillisers) should only be taken at the lowest levels, so that a consumer can work their way through as much of the grief as possible themselves and eventually stop taking them.
Between 1984 and 1990 I cut down from 25mg per month of Fluphenazine Decanoate injection (“prescriptive” for “schizophrenia”) to 25 mg Thioradazine per day (prescriptive for hiccoughs).
I see that my Historical University Hospital (NUIG) has recently undertaken a Retrospective Study on Fluphenazine Decanoates Discontinuation – wherein they claim people have Relapsed into Psychosis as a result of discontinuing of this drug.
THE IMPACT OF FLUPHENAZINE DECANOATE DISCONTINUATION āA RETROSPECTIVE COHORT STUDY
Moran, S , Rainford, A , McMahon, E , Hallahan, B.
The Historical Suicide Rate at Galway South Western Ireland on Fluphenazine Decanoate has been VERY HIGH.
SUICIDE ASSOCIATED WITH AKATHISIA AND DEPOT FLUPHENAZINE TREATMENT
Katherine Shears, MD, Peter Weiden, MD, and Allen Frances, MD (August 1983)
PSYCHIATRIC TIMES
June 18, 2014
Better Off Without Antipsychotic Drugs?
“…a study published in 1982 reported that when a group of patients with schizophrenia were each given 20 mg of FLUPHENAZINE, the DIFFERENCE between the highest and lowest blood level of the drug was 40-FOLD…”
When I complained about Fluphenazines disabling side effects – I was given permission to come off this drug (abruptly) – in the Autumn of 1983. And experienced 4 hospitalizations, 1 suicide attempt, and 1 near miss – in 5 months. But I managed to come off the Drug and make Recovery as a result.
I HAD Rebounded – NOT Relapsed.
… I also found a means of coping with Fluphenazine Decanoates dreadful Withdrawal Syndrome (through a similar process to below):
DISSOLVING-THE-PAIN-BODY-An-excerpt-from-THE-POWER-OF-NOW-by-Eckhart-Tolle
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Love Eckhart!!!!
Get his book The Power of Now. It is the best book I have ever read. I was on a bus once and having a seismic panic attack. There were benzos in my bag. I was about to take those. I flicked through that book first. As a last ditch nervy distraction. I came to one page. It was more or less saying…
“Look at everything around you in the present moment to see if there is a problem right now”.
So I spent five minutes in my catastrophic thinking looking at the velvet cover of the bus seat before me, (there is no problem) then I stared at a fellow passenger’s permed hair, (there is no problem) then I observed the treeline beyond the hazy grease smear on the window of some long departed dozing traveller, (there is no problem) then I glowered at the fresh air periscope above where I sat, (there is no problem) then at my hands (there is no problem).
The relief was so profound I began to joyously cry.
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THE IMPACT OF FLUPHENAZINE DECANOATE DISCONTINUATION āA RETROSPECTIVE COHORT STUDY
“…ā¢In total, 71.4% (n=10) of our participants had relapse significant of noting since fluphenazine decanoate withdrawal….”
They did NOT Relapse, they Rebounded!
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Daiphanous Weeping,
The Power within ‘The Power of Now’ is Amazing!
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…but the problem with the “Power of Now” is that it doesn’t COST anything.
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After 9 tortuous years of being buried by psychotropic drugs and all the quantifiable (and invisible) misery it brought, I developed micrography.
I was left to research this myself and discovered that the cause was either 1) muscular sclerosis or 2) antipsychotics….that begat BRAIN LESIONS (yes, I’m shouting this).
The prescriber couldn’t have dismissed it fast enough…as I described my handwriting at my mgmt job of 7 years….becoming so infinitessimally small…I could not tell you what I had written.
I soon developed TD in BOTH eyes-the specialist said he could either cut my eyelid nerves, rendering me unable to open my eyes….BUT NOT TO DESPAIR…I could duct tape them open!!!
To my FOREHEAD. I was astonished that they thought this was a ‘good’ solution.
This was followed by a Neuroleptic Malignant Syndrome ADR (my second) and anaphylaxis caused by Lamictal being thrown in the stew.
My brain was passed the saturation point…it was done with ALL of it.
I blackmailed my way to 2 1/2 years of guided (the CMO of the managed care BH company) titration & withdrawal with a written change of ‘my’ LIFETIME BD diagnoses. It seemed NOW I was merely NOS Anxious.
Well no sh*t.
It was astounding how quickly they abandoned the most fundamental psychiatric principles of 1) Evidence-based, bio caused mental illness AND 2) BD is LIFETIME.
Just get her OUT of here.
Cost & liability containment trumps everything.
AFTER withdrawal I had 3 years of 29 seizures ending up at Barrow Neurological Institite in Phoenix (there’s a ‘clue’ to my location/treatment here) where they delicately side-stepped implicating their ‘bretheren’ from med school.
“Good luck and call us if they continue!”
What for?
If you withdraw, buckle up.
But it’s worth every horrifying second.
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Hi Krista,
Yes it is worth the horror.
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