Schizophrenia Medication Names: Everything In Between

Schizophrenia is a mental disorder that makes it difficult for people to tell the difference between what is real and unreal. The symptoms can include delusions, hallucinations, disorganized speech and behavior, and difficulty focusing attention. Schizophrenia affects about one in every 100 people worldwide. There are many different types of schizophrenia medication available including antipsychotics and anti-depressants. In this blog post, we will cover everything you need to know about schizophrenia medication names. So you can make an informed decision on which treatment might be best for your loved one with schizophrenia!

What Is Schizophrenia?

Schizophrenia is a type of mental illness that makes it difficult to distinguish between what’s real and unreal, to think clearly, and to behave normally in social situations. It can be very disabling when the symptoms are severe. But because there are effective treatments for schizophrenia, most people diagnosed with this condition lead fairly normal lives under proper treatment.

How Schizophrenia Can Be Treated Via Medications?

We can treat Schizophrenia with medications, psychotherapy, or a combination of the two. In general, we use medications to control symptoms such as hallucinations and delusions and to help people stay on track with their lives.

Antipsychotic Medication 

Antipsychotic medications are the main type of schizophrenia medication helpful to treat people with this condition. They work by blocking dopamine receptors in certain parts of the brain. It helps reduce hallucinations and delusions. Antipsychotic medications also work on serotonin receptors to help control mood symptoms such as depression or mania (frenzied excitement).

There are two main types of antipsychotic medications:

Atypical Antipsychotics

These medications are newer and have a different chemical makeup than the older, “typical” antipsychotic medications. They are also called second-generation antipsychotics. Atypicals are often used to treat schizophrenia because they work well for many people and have fewer side effects than older medications.

Typical Antipsychotics

The first antipsychotic medications were called typical because they worked well for most people with schizophrenia. But these medications can cause serious side effects, such as muscle stiffness, tremors, and problems with movement.

For this reason, atypical antipsychotics are now used more often than typical antipsychotics to treat schizophrenia.

Antidepressants Medications

Antidepressants medications can also be helpful to treat depression and mania that may occur with schizophrenia.

Schizophrenia Medication Names

Typical Antipsychotics Schizophrenia Medication Names

The main types of antipsychotic medications used to treat schizophrenia are the older typical antipsychotics, which include:

• Haloperidol (Haldol),
• Chlorpromazine (Thorazine),
• Thiothixene (Navane),
• Fluphenazine (Prolixin),
• Perphenazine (Trilafon) and others;

Atypical Antipsychotics Schizophrenia Medication Names

In addition, atypical medications came into the picture in the 1990s. They have become the first choice for most people with schizophrenia, including:

• Aripiprazole (Abilify),
• Olanzapine (Zyprexa),
• Quetiapine (Seroquel),
• Risperidone (Risperdal) and others

Why Do We Need To Administer Medications To Treat Schizophrenia?

Medications may be the most important element in treating schizophrenia. Many people with this condition do not get better without medication. Studies show that when people stop taking their medications, they are likely to have more frequent psychotic episodes or other problems.

Further, people with schizophrenia need to be open and honest about their condition, including taking medications as prescribed. This allows the treatment team — often made up of a psychiatrist (a medical doctor who specializes in mental illness), psychologist, or other professionals — to make sure that you are getting enough support and care.

Possible Side Effects Of Schizophrenia Medications

Side effects depend on the specific medication and the dosage. Some side effects are more common than others. But most people who do not respond well to their first or second antipsychotic may benefit from trying another one.

Some possible side effects of atypical antipsychotics include:

• Weight gain,
• High levels of certain fats in the blood (triglycerides and cholesterol),
• High blood pressure,
• Sleepiness or drowsiness,
• Agitation (feeling restless),
• Restlessness, and others

Medication Management Of Schizophrenia

What Is Medication Management?

People with schizophrenia usually take medications every day. Although the dose and type of medication may vary over time. So, the long-term treatment with medications is medication management.

Medication management includes regular visits to a doctor or nurse who prescribes the medications and monitors symptoms and side effects.

What Is The Goal Of Medication Management?

The goal of medication management is to help patients take control of the disease. This is done by learning how to manage the mental illness itself rather than just taking medications for it.

The person receiving medication management can learn techniques to help them cope with symptoms and side effects, including:

• Ways to recognize early signs of relapse and what to do about them,
• Techniques to deal with stress,
• Methods to solve problems, and others.

What Are The Other Treatment Options Available For Schizophrenia?

Many other types of treatment can be helpful for people with schizophrenia.

These may include:

• Psychotherapy,
• Social skills training,
• Family education and support,
• Supported employment or vocational programs, and others.

Conclusion

Schizophrenia is a serious mental illness that can be treated with medication. When people stop taking their medications, they are likely to have more frequent psychotic episodes or other problems.

The effects of medicines are managed through medication management. It includes regular visits to a doctor who prescribes the medications and monitors symptoms and side effects.

The patient can learn techniques to help them cope with symptoms and side effects. It includes how to recognize early signs of relapse and what to do about them, how to deal with stress, or problem-solving.

In addition, there are other treatment options such as psychotherapy, family education-supported employment, and vocational programs that can be helpful for people with schizophrenia.

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