Posted by stjames on November 26, 2003, at 1:08:48
In reply to Re: atypical neuroleptic syndrome » maxx44, posted by ace on November 24, 2003, at 22:56:14
I don't believe either of these have recieved FDA approval for any 'affective' disorder. I could be wrong.
No AP is approved for anything but psychotic disorders. It is no surprise to many people
that the newer ones are not free of the fatal
or greatly disfiguring side effects. Their use
as primary treatments in affective disorders is not an acceptable risk. As secondary treatments I feel ECT is safer but barring ECT's use and having really tried everything else they might represent
an OK risk.All psychotics on AP's (for an extended period, on older meds) get significant SE's and many have TD, which is a movement disorder that is quite disfiguring. For the newer ones, large numbers of people have not been on them for years and it takes years for TD to generally develop. The fact is, people have TD on the newer ones, also. It will take years before statements like "lower amounts of TD and other SE's" will really mean anything.
AP's have had an intresting past. Thorizine
was invented in the 50's and it emptied the
mental institutions. AP's make the insane sane.
Up to their invention inpatient care was to only way to deal with ill persons, and often the care
was quite cruel. We no longer see the conditions
of "waxy flexability" & "permanent catatonic states" which represent the late stage of some psychotic conditions. AP's do stop or slow the progression of psychotic illnesses.Also starting in the 50's, we saw a large up tic in the number of homeless. While AP's emptied the instutions no one was around to make sure everyone took their meds. We are still working on this problem as the number one cause of being homeless
is severe mental illness.If the choice is an instution where you will progress in your illness over a med that works well but has minor and in some major SE's, the risk is reasonable to take AP's.
poster:stjames
thread:283350
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/20031121/msgs/283916.html