HealthInfo Waitaha Canterbury
Comparing antipsychotics
Which antipsychotic medicine you're prescribed will depend on:
- the severity and nature of your illness
- other medical conditions you may have
- other medicines you're currently taking
- your response to your medicine
- past experiences of taking antipsychotic medicines (what has and has not worked for you)
- other considerations, for example, whether you need your medicine in a different form such as an injection instead of tablets, capsules or liquids.
Your doctor uses information from many sources to decide which antipsychotic to prescribe for you and how much you should take. But they’ll want your views on which antipsychotic you feel is best.
It can be difficult to tell which antipsychotic will work well for different people. If the one you try doesn't work as expected, you can try a different one and that may work better.
Tablets, liquids and injections
You can take antipsychotics as tablets, liquids or long-acting injections. Long-acting injections are also called depot injections.
Taking tablets or liquids means you need to remember to take them every day. But it’s quicker to change your dose if you take your medicine this way.
Long-acting injections are given into a muscle, usually every two to four weeks. The medicine is slowly released into your body. This keeps the amount of medicine in your body at a level that’s more constant than if you took tablets. But it also takes longer for changes in dose to take effect.
Side effects
The side effects can vary with different antipsychotics. You may have problems with one antipsychotic but no problems with another.
You can compare the side effects of different antipsychotics on this Talking Minds page.
This table summarises the differences between antipsychotics.
Medicine |
Sleepiness |
Weight gain |
Diabetes |
Unusual movement |
Anti- |
Low blood pressure |
High/more prolactin |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
* |
*** |
*** |
*** |
* |
* |
***** |
|
* |
* |
* |
* |
* |
* |
* |
|
***** |
**** |
**** |
**** |
**** |
***** |
***** |
|
***** |
***** |
***** |
* |
**** |
***** |
* |
|
Flupenthixol |
*** |
**** |
*** |
**** |
**** |
*** |
***** |
Fluphenazine |
*** |
*** |
*** |
***** |
**** |
*** |
***** |
Haloperidol |
*** |
*** |
** |
***** |
*** |
*** |
***** |
***** |
**** |
**** |
**** |
**** |
*** |
**** |
|
**** |
***** |
***** |
** |
*** |
*** |
*** |
|
*** |
**** |
*** |
*** |
*** |
**** |
***** |
|
**** |
**** |
**** |
* |
*** |
**** |
* |
|
*** |
**** |
*** |
*** |
*** |
**** |
***** |
|
*** |
*** |
** |
***** |
** |
*** |
***** |
|
*** |
* |
* |
** |
*** |
*** |
** |
|
**** |
**** |
*** |
**** |
*** |
*** |
***** |
Key
Very common |
Common |
Uncommon |
Very uncommon |
Not expected |
***** |
**** |
*** |
** |
* |
Glossary
(1) |
Unusual Movement (extrapyramidal symptoms) |
These side effects include stiffness, shakiness and restlessness. Very rarely, they can cause your eyes to move in an unusual way. |
(2) |
Anticholinergic side effects |
These side effects include a dry mouth, constipation, blurred vision, decreased sweating, confusion, concentration problems and problems peeing. |
(3) |
Low blood pressure |
This can lead to dizziness and fainting. It can be a problem when you stand up too quickly. |
(4) |
High/more prolactin |
Prolactin is a hormone in the brain. When levels are increased, it can cause sexual side effects, such as: females no longer having their monthly period, a lack of sex drive, breast enlargement in males and females, and erection and ejaculation problems in males. |
HealthInfo recommends the following pages
- Te Whatu Ora Waitaha – Which antipsychotic is right for me?
More information about different types of antipsychotic medicine.
On the next page: Antipsychotics and weight gain
Written by HealthInfo clinical advisers. (Side effects comparison table from Which antipsychotic is right for me?, Ref 2403043, Te Whatu Ora Waitaha) Page created September 2023.
SourcesReview key: HIMMH-215644
