Severe side effects
Ensure you seek medical advice before deciding to stop a drug suddenly. If you develop any worrying side effects like you feel you can’t regulate your body temperature, develop a strange rash, feel like your heart is beating in a strange way, then don’t hesitate to call 111 or make an urgent appointment.
Sometimes you may develop severe side effects that require you to stop a medication extremely rapidly. Most of these severe adverse reactions usually occur within days to weeks of starting or increasing the dose of a medication. Some of the following problems can occur:
Stephens-Johnson Syndrome
This is a rare but severe skin reaction which involves ulcers and lesions appearing on the skin and they may also be in mucous membranes such as the mouth and lips. The person is also likely to experience flu like symptoms.
Neuroleptic Malignant Syndrome
This is a rare but potentially serious reaction to antipsychotic drugs that includes high fever, confusion, rigid muscles, fast heart rate, muscle breakdown. Again prognosis is best if this condition is treated immediately.
Severe Akathisia
This is a sense of severe restlessness coupled with high anxiety, panic, and can include a high risk of suicide. Sometimes you don’t need to come off the drug completely, but lower the dosage, and the akathisia can often clear up.
Cardiac Problems
Any kind of palpitations or heart trouble that emerges shortly after taking a drug or increasing dosage should be taken seriously.
Serotonin Syndrome
This includes high body temperature, fever, agitation, sweating, and if left untreated, can cause muscle breakdown or seizures. A number of over the counter or herbal remedies such as St John’s wort can cause it, if you are already taking serotonergic medication like an SSRI drug.
Pregnancy
Generally women of childbearing age won’t be prescribed drugs like temazepam or valproate which can harm the developing foetus, but if you are on a drug that has been shown to cause birth defects then you may need to stop it rapidly and transfer onto another drug with lower risks.
Consider more:
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You might want to make notes at this point. These may help you remember things or work out what you want.