Side effects are less severe where patients are taking a reduced dose, as many do today, but this can reduce the effectiveness of the drug as well. Other side effects are potentially fatal, for example agranulocytosis and neuroleptic malignant syndrome (NMS).
Even after stopping the use of the drug, this condition can persist. For example, some patients on typical antipsychotics develop tardive dyskinesia- a condition where there are uncontrollable facial tics. Antipsychotic drugs are weakened by the fact that they have severe side-effects.Melzer (2012) concluded that Clozapine is effective in 30-50% of cases where other drugs have failed, supporting its use in schizophrenia treatment.Thornley et al (2003) found in a meta-analysis that Chlorpromazine was associated with better functioning and reduced symptom severity than placebos, supporting that the drug does have a positive effect on schizophrenia patients.It binds to dopamine receptors more strongly than Clozapine, and there is some evidence that it produces fewer side-effects. Risperidone is another atypical antipsychotic, and is designed to be as effective as Clozapine without the risky side-effects. It is therefore prescribed when the patient is at risk of suicide. The effect of this is, as well as reducing positive symptoms, the reduction of depression and anxiety, and the enhancement of mood. Clozapine acts in a similar way to Chlorpromazine, but also acts on serotonin and glutamate receptors. An example is Clozapine which is used when other drugs have failed, due to the risk of agranulocytosis (a potentially fatal blood condition). As the drugs block dopamine activity, they tend to have (sometime severe) side-effects.Ītypical antipsychotics: Developed in the 1970s, as an attempt to find drugs with fewer severe side-effects than typical antipsychotics.
Drugs such as Chlorpromazine also have a sedative effect, meaning that they calm patients down and reduce anxiety. This has the effect of reducing dopamine production, and reduces positive symptoms such as hallucinations. They block dopamine receptors on post-synaptic neurons, meaning that less dopamine is transmitted across the synapse. They act as dopamine antagonists, attempting to reduce dopamine activity. Typical antipsychotics: Developed in the 1950s, for example Chlorpromazine. Medication can be taken as pills, syrups or injections, and may be taken over a short or long-term. They involve modifying/interfering with the action of neurotransmitters, in order to increase (agonists) or decrease (antagonists) their activity.
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