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Thursday, October 01, 2009 SneakyPetePup asks

Q: The LONG term affects on my health will be from meds like mood stabilzers and antipsychotics?

I have been taking mood stabilizers (depakote) and antipsychotics (seroquel and now abilify too) for many years.  How can I tell what the long term effects will be on my health?  ie. tooth decay, heart disease, etc...

 

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Answers (1)
Merely Me, Health Guide
10/ 2/09 11:14pm

Hi there

 

Well it is hard to say...but I did research your question and here is what I found:

 

The National Alliance on Mental Illness has this to say about the long term effects of taking Seroquel:

 

"At the beginning of 2004, the Food and Drug Administration had all manufacturers of atypical antipsychotics include new warnings about each medication being associated with a possible risk of increased blood sugar and diabetes. All adverse effects should be monitored routinely by the professional prescribing treatment and preventive lifestyle changes are often needed.

 

Are there any risks for taking this medication for long periods of time?

Tardive dyskinesia (TD) is a side effect that develops with prolonged use of antipsychotics. Medications such as quetiapine have been shown to have a much lower risk of tardive dyskinesia compared to older antipsychotics, such as Haldol® (haloperidol). Should you develop symptoms of tardive dyskinesia, such as grimacing, sucking and smacking of lips, and other movements that you cannot control, contact your healthcare provider immediately.

 

Because of the risk of tardive dyskinesia, chronic antipsychotic treatment should be reserved for patients with a chronic illness where potentially less harmful treatments are not available or appropriate."

 

And here is an article about the long term effects of taking Depakote.

 

And here is a medical article about the long term safety of Abilify.

 

Your best bet though..is to ask your doctor about these things...they would know best.  I hope this helps some!

 

 

 

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By SneakyPetePup— Last Modified: 11/15/10, First Published: 10/01/09