Medication Information

Common Medications

Medication Used To Offset the Side Effects of Other Medications
This rather inclusive group encompasses the anti-parkinsonsism, anticonvulsant, anticholinergic, side-effect medicines which target the neuroleptic-induced movement disorders, such as parkinsonism, malignant syndrome, acute dystonia, acute akathisia, tardive dyskinesia, postural tremor and various other movement disorders that are extrapyramidal side effects (EPS). Included are the beta-adrenergic receptor antagonists (beta-blockers), the anticholinergics and amantadine, certain antihistamines, bromocriptine, some of the benzodiazepines (see above), dantrolene, and L-dopa.

Side Effects
Oddly enough, medicines that target side-effects can themselves have side-effects, such as hypotension and bradycardia, nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, and constipation with the beta-adrenergic receptor antagonists; anticholinergic effects (se e above), abuse potential, dizziness, insominia, irritability, depression, anxiety, ataxia, nausea, livedo reticularis (mostly the lower extremities), and, rarely, seizures, with the anticholinergics and amantadine; antihistamines are associated with seda tion, dizziness, and hypotension, and, occasionally, paradoxical excitement and agitation, poor motor coordination, epigastric distress, nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, constipation, dry mouth, urinary retention, blurred vision, and some abuse potential; brom ocriptine can result in nausea, headache, dizziness, vomiting, abdominal cramps, constipation, and, rarely, syncope or orthostatic hyptension, cardiac arrhythmias, and, very rarely (mostly in long-term and elderly patients), hallucinations, delusions, con fusion, and other behavioral changes; dantrolene may cause muscle weakness, drowsiness, dizziness, light-headedness, nausea, diarrhea, malaise, and fatigue, as well as speech disturbances, headache, visual disturbances, alteration of taste, depression, confusion, hallucinations, nervousness, insomnia, and, with long-term use, hepatitis, seizures, and pleural effusion with pericarditis; L-dopa is associated with abuse potential, nausea, vomiting, orthostatic hypotension, cardiac arrhythmias, and, with long -term use, abnormal involuntary movements and psychiatric disturbances, including psychosis, depression, and mania.

Generic Names
Some of the generic names follow (trade names in parenthesis)

Beta-Adrenergic Drugs (Beta-blockers)

• atenolol (Tenormin)
• chlorthalidone (Tenoretic)
• metoprolol (Lopressor)
• nadolol (Corgard)
• propranolol (Inderal)