What Doctors Don't Tell YouAntipsychotics, often used to treat schizophrenia, can cause hyperglycaemia and diabetes, so a new alert has revealed.
First off the mark with a new warning is Geodon (ziprasidone), which urges doctors to think carefully about prescribing the drug to any patient who is at greater risk of developing diabetes because of a family history or obesity.
Patients should go on a fast if they develop hyperglycaemia while taking the drug or – heaven forbid – they could just stop taking it. When the drug is stopped, the problem tends to go away, the warning admits.
Other known drug reactions include irregular heartbeats or palpitations, loss of consciousness, nausea, constipation, and involuntary body movements such as tremor (www.fda.gov/opacom/7alerts.html; August 2004).
Daniel Redwood DC
Tom Ferguson MD
