Schizophrenia Treatment and Drugs
Schizophrenia treatment involves more than just taking an anti-psychotic drug. In fact, a schizophrenia drug will only achieve one of the recovering patient's goals: to prevent another "episode." The most devastating part of schizophrenia may not be the occasional hallucination or delusion, but the every day sense of loneliness, alienation, paranoia and depression that characterizes this mental illness. Therefore, forming a support net with other sufferers or a therapist may be the only way for a schizophrenic to lead a productive life.
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With "Acute Schizophrenia," symptoms appear suddenly and without warning in an otherwise healthy person, so schizophrenia treatment usually entails a schizophrenia drug like Haloperidol, coupled with counseling sessions. Haloperidol can help patients feel more at ease, think clearer, reduces negativity and decreases agitation. In some severe cases, facial muscles may become stiff in a rare condition known as dyskinesia, or sexual ability may be decreased. This drug may also be used as a treatment for "Chronic Schizophrenia."
For a treatment of schizophrenia that doubles as a mood enhancer, used especially in cases where patients are suicidal, Clozapine may be administered. This anti-psychotic drug restores the body's neurotransmitter functions, decreases nervousness, increases positive feelings and combats hallucinations or other disturbances. The danger, of course, is dizziness, high blood pressure, drowsiness and even seizures, although these side effects are extremely rare. Careful monitoring must be done with Clozapine to prevent a fatal bone marrow toxicity that can develop.
Other treatment drugs include: Chloropromazine, Fluphenazine, Geodon, Moban, Paliperidone, Sarcosine, Thioridazine, Ziprasidone and Zyprexa (which is also used to treat bipolar disorder). This year the FDA is meeting to discuss making a longer lasting, injectable form of Zyprexa available, although they fear severe drowsiness may ensue. However, it's honestly tough to tell which schizophrenia drug works best because of industry bias. Dr. John Davis reported in the American Journal of Psychiatry: "On the basis of these contrasting findings in head-to-head trials, it appears that whichever company sponsors the trial produces the better anti-psychotic drug."
Each year, for schizophrenia treatment, doctors prescribe $10 million worth of anti-psychotic drug medications to roughly 10,000 people (or 1% of the population). However, a recent National Institute of Mental Health study found that regardless of the drug, nearly three-quarters stopped taking it because they felt it did not make them better or the side effects were "intolerable." Doctors found that patients stayed on clozapine for about 11 months, compared to three months for Seroquel, Risperdal or Zyprexa.
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Today's Tip On Schizophrenia
Behavior therapy and clinical psychiatry are important aspects of schizophrenia treatment too. By not only taking drugs, but by understanding the obstacles that lie ahead, many people can go on to live successful lives. Many tactics can be used by psychiatrists from: music therapy, dog therapy and facial recognition software -- to cognitive behavior therapy, a healthy diet and electro convulsive therapy.
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