Typical Antipsychotics (Older Drugs):

Thorazine®
Prolixin®
Deconoate®
Haldol®
Loxitane®
Moban®
Trilafon®
Navane®
Stelazine®
Serentil®
Mellaril®

** These drugs are very powerful tranquilizers. The first, thorazine, was developed in 1954 and marketed as "chemical lobotomy" – a replacement for the lobotomy – as it leaves people in a heavily tranquilized drug stupor wherein a person drools, cannot think straight, etc., as if he were lobotomized.

Risks of This Medication:

The following are some of the possible side effects that may happen while taking this medication.

Relatively Common:

Some patients taking these medications may experience trouble staying cool in hot weather. This can be dangerous during heat waves or excessive physical activity.

Less Common:

Tardive Dyskinesia (Late Acting Muscle Movements):

This side effect can happen to people who take an antipsychotic medication for a long time. Usually, it does not appear until after 6 months or more of treatment. It involves uncontrollable and abnormal muscle movements. Often these movements are in your tongue, mouth and face, but they can happen in other parts of your body, like your arms or legs, or even rarely in the muscles that help you breath. You may not notice these movements, although others around you may notice them. You should also understand that these movements might not go away even if the medication is stopped. The risk for this side effect increases the longer you are treated with an antipsychotic medication and the older you are.

Neuroleptic Malignant Syndrome:

This is a rare problem that can happen with any antipsychotic medication. People that get this side effect have a change in the way they act, a fever, muscle stiffness, and changes in their blood pressure and heart rate. Although it is rare and most people recover completely, some people have died from this problem.

Atypical Antipsychotics (Newer Agents):

Abilify®
Clozaril®
Zyprexa®
Seroquel®
Risperidone®
Geodon®

** A new Black Box warning is going on these new, atypical antipsychotics. It will show that these new heavy tranquilizers cause diabetes. This is from creating massive weight gain. It has also been found that these new drugs create almost as much permanent twitching and shaking effects as the older, thorazine-type drugs. This is something the drug companies lied about for years to sell these drugs. Studies have also shown that these drugs, often used on the elderly for dementia (not to help, but to tranquilize them) kill off the elderly at a 60%-70% increase.

** Antipsychotics are psychiatry's most powerful and dangerous drugs. The newer (atypical) antipsychotics make psychiatry and drug companies the most money. They are very expensive and your tax dollars pay for these.

Risks of This Medication:

Relatively Common:

Dizziness, low blood pressure when you stand up quickly, dry mouth, stomach upset, sleepiness, headache, constipation, weight gain, liver test problems (these usually return to normal on their own), increased blood fat levels.

Weight gain may occur on this medication and can be preventable in many cases if the right support and strategies are in place. The cause of weight gain is unknown but may be involved with appetite control, such as not feeling full, leading to more eating. People who gain weight are at risk of developing diabetes (see below) or having problems with fats in their blood that can contribute to heart disease.

Diabetes (trouble with sugar control) may be more of a risk for people who take this medication. Your ethnic background, family history and medical history may also affect your risk of developing diabetes. Please be sure to discuss these risks with your healthcare provider.

Less Common:

Tardive Dyskinesia (Late Acting Muscle Movements):

This side effect can happen to people that take this kind of antipsychotic medication for a long time. Usually, it does not appear until after 6 months or more of treatment. It involves incontrollable and abnormal muscle movements. These movements may not go away even if the medication is stopped.