Study, Nov./16-The Harms of Antipsychotic Drugs: Evidence from Key Studies

Abstract excerpts:

 

This safety assessment provides a detailed analysis of key studies and focuses on the six most widely used antipsychotic drugs... Treatment failure or psychosis relapse was the most frequent outcome in most key studies, ranging from 38 to 93%...Claims that second-generation antipsychotic drugs have safety advantages over classical neuroleptic drugs and prevent relapse were not supported in these key studies.  The extent of injury to and impairment of multiple body systems caused by antipsychotic drugs shows the need for a scientific, clinical, and regulatory reappraisal of the appropriate use of these agents.

 

http://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s40264-016-0475-0

This one is frightening, benzohno! I believe many people are put on these types of medications without having any idea of their harms. Years ago, I was offered a low-dose of Seroquel (I think that's what it was called) to help with sleep, which is an off-label use of this med. Once I looked it up, I was terrified! I didn't take it. I couldn't believe my doctor had offered it to me.

You certainly dodged a bullet Lapis.  I did too.  I once asked for Seroquel due to relapsing, intractable "depression" (later learned was benzo tolerance and w/d).  To his one and only credit, my psychiatrist (I hate those two words) would not prescribe it to me, saying something to the effect that it would make me feel worse.  Many patients in the psych office in which I worked were on Seroquel, I believe as an adjunct to treat "Depression" and "Bipolar Disorder", perhaps for sleep.  I don't recall that anyone was psychotic, not that that condones its use.  We once had a drawer full of samples of quetiapine/Seroquel. 

 

We avoided a whole other world of trouble in this very dangerous class of drugs.  I saw on Wikipedia AstroZeneca paid out a $500 million fine to the US Dept of Justice in 2010 in regards to Seroquel and aggressive off-label marketing, plus there are many other lawsuits and fines.

YIKES! I'm so glad you didn't take it either, benzohno! It's just so sad that the most vulnerable people are the ones caught up in this mess of medication. It's not right.