Here is an example of what I mean about side effects.

These are the known side effects of Zoleptil (a drug used for treating schizpophrenics)

NO ONE who takes these drugs gets away without any side effects, but some people pick up more of them than others:



Very common (affect more than 1 in 10 people)

* Low blood pressure (hypotension).
* Increased heart rate (tachycardia).
* Abnormal movements of the hands, legs, face, neck and tongue, eg tremor, twitching, rigidity (extrapyramidal effects).
* Anxiety, restlessness and agitation (akathisia).
* Increased salivation or dry mouth.
* Dizziness.
* Sleepiness.
* Difficulty sleeping (insomnia).
* Constipation, indigestion.
* Depression.
* Headache.
* Feeling weak.
* Decrease in the number of white blood cells in the blood (leucopenia).
* Weight gain.
* Nasal inflammation (rhinitis) causing a runny or blocked nose.
* Sweating.
* Blurred vision.

Occasional (affect between 1 in 10 and 1 in 100 people)

* A drop in blood pressure that occurs when moving from a lying down or sitting position to sitting or standing, which results in dizziness and lightheadedness (postural hypotension - see warning section above).
* Increased blood pressure (hypertension).
* Irregular heartbeats (arrhythmias).
* Chest pain.
* Increased blood prolactin (milk producing hormone) level (hyperprolactinaemia). Sometimes this can lead to symptoms such as breast enlargement, production of milk and stopping of menstrual periods.
* Flu-like symptoms.
* Change in appetite.
* Gut disturbances such as nausea, vomiting, abdominal pain, diarrhoea.
* Increased or decreased blood sugar levels.
* Raised levels of fats such as cholesterol in the blood.
* Fluid retention causing swelling (oedema).
* Thirst.
* Aching muscles or joints.
* Confusion.
* Nervousness or hostility.
* Speech problems.
* Convulsions.
* Sexual problems such as decreased sex drive or erectile dysfunction.
* Cough.
* Shortness of breath.
* Skin reactions such as acne, dry skin or rash.

Rare (affect between 1 in 100 and 1 in 100,000 people)

* Slowed heart rate (bradycardia).
* Awareness of your heartbeat (palpitations).
* Nosebleeds.
* Memory loss.
* Hair loss.
* Increased sensitivity of the skin to sunlight.
* High temperature combined with falling levels of consciousness, paleness, sweating and a fast heart beat (neuroleptic malignant syndrome). Requires stopping the medicine and immediate medical treatment - see warning section above.



And that is NOT an exhaustive list, there are many more side effects that arent so well known yet im sure, as thats still a relatively new drug, the scarey thing is that this is one of the newer breed of drugs that are considered to be less bad for side effects than a lot of previous medication!



Im fucking glad ive never been on any form of mental health drug, and I really hope I never am, they scare the shit out of me!