Physiological Changes Due to Risperdal Essay examples -- Psychology Me

Physiological Changes Due to Risperdal Hallucinations, delusions, paranoia, psychosis and thought disorder are all symptoms of Schizophrenia and people who suffer from these symptoms seek the treatment of atypical anti-psychotic medications. Those medicines include Risperidone (Risperdal), Clozapine (Clozaril) , Ziprasidone (Geodon) and Quetiapine(Seroquel). The purpose of these medications is to alleviate symptoms of Schizophrenia and lessen the chances of a recurrence. The basic function of Atypical Antipsychotics is to reduce the effects of blockage in the dopamine receptors and serotonin and allow communication between nerve cells. Dopamine is thought to be relevant in Schizophrenic symptoms and Antipsychotic medications act against these symptoms. While there may the reward of reducing Schizophrenic symptoms there are risks that come along with taking such drugs as Risperidone (Risperdal) and Quietiapine (Seroquel). Commons side effects that exist while taking Risperidone are dizziness, nausea, tiredness and hyperactivity. More serious conditions may include Orthostatic Hypotension which is an extreme drop in blood pressure. Patients may also experience Syncope which is related to Hypotension in that a person may experience a loss of consciousness or fainting. Quietiapine can also cause Hypotension, but with the long term use of this drug it can cause Tardive Dyskinesia which is involuntary movements of the lips, jaw and tongue. The features of this condition are tongue protrusion, lip smacking, rapid eye blinking and rapid arm movements. In the most extreme cases Risperidone has been said to cause galactorrhea which is breast growth in males and a secretion of br... ...he Young Mania Rating Scale (YMS) and assessment was measured by the change of YMS scores at the end of the study. The study showed the patients who took Risperidal improved in their YMS scores than those who took the placebo. However patients who took Risperdal reported experiencing nausea, dizziness, weight gain, and upset stomach (Titusville, N.J., Dec.10/ PRNewswire). References Retrieved: March 1, 2005 from http://www. Counseling resource.com/medication/drug- pages/risperidone.html Retrieved: March 2, 2005 from http://www. Maripoisoncenter.com/ctr/9611risperidone.html Clinical Toxicology Review Vol.19, No.2 November 1996 Retrieved: March 2, 2005 from http://www.priory.com/psych/catatonia.html Retrieved: March 3, 2005 Common use of Risperidal among Children http://www.risperdal-help.org/what_causes.php www.Schizophrenia.com