6H-1 Schizophrenia Medications: Types of Medications, Side Effects & How They Should Be Taken

Antipsychotic medications usually come in the form of pills or liquids. Some of them come in the form of shots — taken once or twice a month.

Medication affects everyone differently. For some people, symptoms such as hallucinations and agitation go away after a few days. Some symptoms such as delusions can take several weeks to go away.

Sometimes, a person will need to try more than one medication before they find the right one. Even after they find a good fit, they might need a different dose.

Symptoms even come back for some people or get worse. When symptoms come back, health care providers call that a relapse. Most of the time, relapses happen when people stop taking their meds — or when they don’t take meds regularly.

Always listen to a doctor when stopping these drugs. They should be gradually reduced, rather than suddenly stopped.

The medical provider needs to know all drugs a person takes including:

• Prescriptions
• Over-the-counter medicines
• Vitamins and minerals
• Herbal supplements
• Use of alcohol
• Use of illegal drugs