Tag: Antipsychotics

Why Gradual Reduction of Antipsychotics Could Be Safer for Service Users

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A new commentary published in Current Opinion in Psychiatry presents the case for slow tapering of antipsychotics. According to authors Mark Horowitz and Joanna...

The Ethics of Antipsychotic Dose Reduction and Patient Rights

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New research highlights the ethical responsibilities of clinicians in supporting patients who choose to reduce or discontinue antipsychotic medication.

What Are We Overlooking? Reviewing Current and Alternative Treatments for Psychosis

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We should explore a raft of interventions, as susceptibility to psychosis isn’t separable from a person’s general well-being.

Youth Antipsychotic Use Linked to Increased Risk of Death within Five...

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Those aged 18-24 had an increased risk of death within five years on doses above 100 mg chlorpromazine equivalents.

When Medication Changes More Than Symptoms: Antipsychotics’ Effect on Identity

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Recent research reveals how antipsychotic medications can significantly impact users' identity and self-image, challenging existing clinical approaches.

Deprescribing Psychiatric Drugs to Reduce Harms and Empower Patients: Interview with...

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Ayurdhi Dhar interviews psychiatrist Swapnil Gupta on psychiatric drug discontinuation, drug cocktail risks, patient choice, and the need for trust and transparency.

Study Highlights Difficulty of Antipsychotic Withdrawal

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New research finds insomnia, anxiety, and depression are common symptoms of antipsychotic withdrawal, highlighting difficulties of discontinuation.

Despite Safety Risks, Prescribers Receive Little Guidance of Monitoring Antipsychotic Clozapine

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A new review finds a lack of available guidance on how to effectively monitor adverse effects of antipsychotic drug clozapine.

Adding Antipsychotics Worsens Outcomes in Psychotic Depression

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Outcomes were worse for all, with young people on combination therapy twice as likely to experience rehospitalization or death by suicide than those on antidepressants alone.

Cancer Risk Higher for Those on Clozapine

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The antipsychotic clozapine, considered the “gold-standard” treatment for psychosis, was found to increase the risk of blood and lymph system cancers.

Industry Corruption in Systematic Review for Injectable Antipsychotics

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Researchers highlight how systematic reviews are compromised by pharmaceutical industry ties by exposing a study of injectable antipsychotics.

The New York Times Comments Section: A Literary Rorschach Test for...

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Bergner’s piece in The New York Times challenged the illusions of psychiatry. That made some people angry, outraged, or scared. The result is their comments section.

Antipsychotics Often Prescribed Without Informed Consent

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New research reveals that patients are often not given fully informed consent before being prescribed antipsychotics.

Antipsychotics Worsen Cognitive Functioning in First-Episode Psychosis

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Withholding antipsychotics may be beneficial for memory, the researchers write.

Manufacturer of Tardive Dyskinesia (TD) Drugs Finds TD Emotionally Devastating

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“Patients expressed feeling unaccepted by society or uncomfortable in their own skin… A few indicated that they would rather be dead than have tardive dyskinesia.”

Antipsychotics Linked to Increased Breast Cancer Risk

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Long-term exposure to prolactin-increasing antipsychotics increases the odds of developing breast cancer.

New Rating Tool for Tapering Antidepressants and Antipsychotics

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Researchers developed a rating scale to better assess service users’ experiences tapering antidepressant and/or antipsychotic medication.

Antipsychotics Increase Risk of Dementia; New Research Illuminates Why

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In JAMA psychiatry, researchers outline new theories connecting antipsychotic use in people with schizophrenia and increased dementia risk.

Tapered Antipsychotic Withdrawal Mitigates Risk of Psychotic Symptoms

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Research suggests that slowly tapering off an antipsychotic reduces the risk of withdrawal psychosis compared to abrupt discontinuation.

Barriers to Shared Decision Making in the Prescription of Antipsychotics

Researchers push for a renewed focus on true shared decision-making for patients diagnosed with psychosis.

Minimal Medication Alternatives for Psychosis Needed

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Researchers question the long-term use of antipsychotics and suggest increased research and investment in psychosocial interventions.

Mental Health Survival Kit, Chapter 2: Is Psychiatry Evidence Based? (Part...

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It requires extraordinary mental gymnastics by psychiatrists to conclude that neuroleptics, which cause obesity, metabolic dysfunction, diabetes, tardive dyskinesia, lethal cardiac arrhythmias, and so on, protect against death.

The BBC, Harrow, and a Public Left in the Dark

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The recent report by the BBC on medication-free treatment in Norway, when viewed in conjunction with the media silence on Martin Harrow's latest publication, reveals why the public remains misinformed about the long-term effects of antipsychotics.

Recovery Rate Six Times Higher For Those Who Stop Antipsychotics Within...

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People with "serious mental illness" who stop taking antipsychotics are more likely to recover, even when accounting for baseline severity.

Exploring Psychiatric Drug Withdrawal: A Town Hall Discussion Series

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Our new discussion series aims to explore what we do and don’t know about safe withdrawal from antidepressants, antipsychotics, benzodiazepines and stimulants.