Management of Adverse Effects from Atypical Antipsychotics

The use of antipsychotic medications presents a trade-off for the treating physician. On the one hand, there is enough literature regarding the efficacy of these medications to support their judicial use, while on the other, chronic and at time impairing side effects are troubling to both physicians and the patients. Extrapyramidal side effects are the hallmark of first-generation antipsychotics, while metabolic side effects including weight gain, diabetes mellitus, and lipid abnormalities are more common with second-generation antipsychotics. This article presents a concise overview of the current literature on antipsychotic-related side effects and treatment options.