What Is a Permanent Risk of Taking Medication for Schizophrenia?

Antipsychotic medications for schizophrenia sometimes can cause permanent movement disorders. The newer (atypical or second-generation) antipsychotics are less likely to cause movement disorders than older medications, but all antipsychotics carry some risk.

Types

• The most common drug-related movement disorders are described as "tardive," which refers to delayed onset. Tardive dyskinesia is probably the most well-known; it causes face and tongue movements, such as cheek puffing and lip smacking. Tardive akathesia produces an uncomfortable, restless feeling and the urge to move. Tardive dystonia causes sustained involuntary muscle spasms, twisting the body into unusual positions.

Prevalence

• According to a 2008 review by Correll and Schenk, tardive dyskinesia develops in around 3.9 percent of people who take newer antipsychotics and in 5.5 percent of those on older medications.

Cause

• In "Drug-Induced Movement Disorders," Claxton and colleagues write that any medication that blocks dopamine receptors in the brain (as antipsychotics do) has the potential to cause movement disorders. The more receptors a drug blocks, the greater the chance it could cause a movement disorder.

Risk

• Newer antipsychotics, such as Zyprexa and Risperdal, are less likely to cause movement disorders than first-generation drugs such as Haldol and Thorazine. Clozaril and Seroquel are especially low-risk; Clozaril can reduce symptoms in some people.

Strategy

• According to the National Alliance on Mental Illness, there are few treatment options, although research is ongoing. The best treatment is prevention. If you need an antipsychotic, take the lowest effective dose and choose one of the newer drugs.

Warning

• If you have schizophrenia, do not stop or avoid treatment because of the risk of movement disorders. The chance of a movement disorder is relatively low, and antipsychotics can improve your life substantially.