My son, now 29, has schizophrenia and hears voices. He has been on antipsychotics for two years, and this has caused him to gain a lot of weight. He has also developed a slight stutter and a type of locked mouth that he has to open with his fingers.
How can he get rid of these side effects? Answered by:Thomas Smith
Antipsychotic medications are effective for the majority of patients with schizophrenia, but have side effects that need to be carefully monitored. A common side effect involves "extrapyramidal" symptoms (doctors call them "EPS") including restlessness, tremors, stiffness, and occasional muscle spasms (often involving the neck or jaw, leading to the feeling of a "locked mouth"). These EPS, along with appetite stimulation and weight gain, are unfortunately common.
It is important to work with your psychiatrist to monitor and manage these side effects because: a) different medications cause different side effects; and b) each patient experiences medications differently, and you cannot predict what side effects any individual person will experience.
There are other medications that your psychiatrist should discuss with you that can help with EPS. There are research studies that test out new approaches to managing side effects, including weight gain, currently underway at Columbia University and the New York State Psychiatric Institute. For further information about these studies, call 212 543-4239.
Thomas Smith, MD
Medical Director, NYC Mental Health Care Monitoring Initiative
Thomas E. Smith, MD is Research Scientist in the Division of Mental Health Services and Policy Research at the New York State Psychiatric Institute; Consulting Psychiatrist in the Lieber Center for Schizophrenia Treatment and Research at Columbia University; and Associate Professor of Clinical Psychiatry at Columbia University College of Physicians & Surgeons. Dr. Smith joined the New York State Psychiatric Institue in 2007 after serving as Medical Director at Hall-Brooke Behavioral Services in Westport, CT for 6 years. Prior to 2001 he was Director of Continuing Care Services at New York-P...
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