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more_legal_areas tardiveNeuroleptics are a type of antipsychotic medications used to treat symptoms of psychosis. For many years, neuroleptics were prescribed only for patients who were schizophrenic or otherwise severely mentally disturbed. More recently, neuroleptics became more widely used for patients who have Alzheimer''s, autism, or were simply deemed "difficult to control." Medications classified as neuroleptics work by altering the brain''s neurotransmitters, restricting the amount of transmitted dopamine. The way that neuroleptics work remains somewhat unknown and the use of neuroleptics is often linked to the idea that people with psychoses are experiencing chemical imbalances in their brains, which are then corrected by the neuroleptics.
In recent years, a number of studies have surfaced that link the occurrence of a disorder known as Tardive Dyskinesia (TD) and the use of neuroleptics. It is assumed (but not proven) that the dopamine blockades in the brain''s nerve pathways are responsible for the unwanted effects of neuroleptics, including TD. In most cases, patients who have been prescribed these sorts of drugs are instructed that they are to remain on neuroleptics for the remainder of their lives. Many doctors feel that side effects, even ones as severe as TD, aren''t as damaging as the problems addressed by the neuroleptics. In fact, it appears that some physicians do not even warn their patients that neuroleptics have been connected to TD.
Patients and their loved ones should seriously consider the risks involved in using neuroleptics and should come to their own conclusions about the usefulness of the drug versus its potentially devastating side effects. Drugs that are classified as neuroleptics include the following: Thorazine, Serentil, Mellaril, Permitil and Prolixin, Trilafon, Stelazine, Taractan, Navane, Clozaril, Haldol, Loxitane, Moban, Zyprexa, Orap, Seroquel, Risperdal, Geodon, Compazine, Etrafon, Triavil, Reglan, Inapsine, and Phenergan. If you suspect that you or loved ones suffer from side effects of neuroleptics, you should contact an attorney to discuss your legal rights. Do not stop taking neuroleptics unless instructed to do so by a physician.