The side effects of antipsychotic drugs are well documented but did you know there are some which disproportionately affect women? And that these can include infertility, premature ageing and reduced libido?

Last week’s episode of All in the Mind on Radio 4 explored some of the more surprising side effects of antipsychotics.  The programme featured a candid interview with Sabita, a 57 year old woman who’d been taking antipsychotics since the early 1980s.  She’d suffered worryingly irregular periods, loss of libido and had recently developed osteoporosis.  Sabita felt let down by doctors who hadn’t warned her of any side effects other than weight gain.

A consultant psychiatrist at the Institute of Psychiatry confirmed Sabita’s experience was typical and quoted research showing high levels of infertility amongst women taking antipsychotics. It turned out that doctors are often aware of these side effects but don’t realise how significant they are to patients.  The psychiatrist was keen to emphasise that people who are worried about the adverse effects of drugs shouldn’t stop taking them and that nowadays there’s the option of switching to more modern drugs which don’t cause hormonal problems.

The programme touched on a number of interesting issues. It highlighted a worrying assumption by professionals that infertility amongst people with schizophrenia may not be too much of a concern.  A sinister echo, perhaps, of the compulsory sterilisation programmes which once existed in many Western countries. Also, maybe understandably, psychiatrists seem to fear that if they reveal too much about the side effects of a drug the patient may stop taking it – with potentially tragic consequences.  For me it reinforced my belief that there’s still too much focus on finding the right drug when a holistic approach to treatment where drugs are only part of the picture can be more effective.

by Susan Todd

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