"Atypical" or "Safer" Antipsychotics

(and why they're not so safe)

There are many new antipsychotics out, reputed to be less harmful than standard antipsychotics. Among them are Risperdal (risperidone), Clozaril (clozapine), Zyprexa (olanzopine), Seroquel (quetiapine), and Serlect (sertindole).

"Less harmful" is a matter of opinion. Clozaril (clozapine) is known to put patients at risk for agranulocytosis, a potentially fatal blood disease, and can cause seizures. Serlect (sertindole) caused several patients in the original study to die without warning from what are suspected to be cardiac problems (yet was approved by the FDA anyway). Seroquel (quetiapine) can cause cataracts and vision problems.

Risperdal, subjectively, felt about the same as any other antipsychotic I had been on (heavy sedation, a movement disorder resembling Parkinson's Disease, and other "standard" antipsychotic effects).

Zyprexa and Seroquel both felt substantially less sedating at first, although this was deceptive. My cognition was substantially impaired, yet I was unable to recognize it at the time. This leads me to believe that these medications can also lead to impaired judgement and self-perception, which is a very dangerous thing to have, and a cognitive impairment in itself.

The reason these antipsychotics are considered "safer" by some, is that they have less "risk" of movement disorders (note that they can and do still cause movement disorders), and sometimes less obvious sedation. This does not make them safe (see above: they can kill.)

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