Doctors should Monitor Metabolic Side Effects of Anti-Psychotics

Psychiatrists are doing a "modest" job of monitoring for weight gain, diabetes and other metabolic problems that may result from use of the newer antipsychotics for schizophrenia, researchers say. Nearly all of the 258 members of the American Psychiatric Association in Georgia, Ohio and Iowa responding to a survey said they considered metabolic side effects serious or very serious, said researchers from the Medical College of Georgia, University of Iowa and Northcoast Behavioral Healthcare in Ohio. However, monitoring for these problems - including getting baseline data on personal and family health history as well as baseline and regular checks of height and body weight, waist circumference, blood pressure, fasting blood glucose and lipid levels - largely goes undone, researchers said of findings presented during the 10th International Congress on Schizophrenia Research in Savannah, Georgia.

If you or someone you know are taking anti-psychotic medications, make sure your doctor checks for metabolic side-effects. Like all the new information in medicine, it takes a while for physicians to adjust their practice. The same is true for psychiatrists. Read the article linked above and talk to your doctor about your anti-psychotic medications.

You, the consumer, need to be directing your care with the expert advice of your physician and therapist.