Prescription Drug Effects Not Known for Long Term

By BrainPhysics Staff, Sun, November 14, 2010

A Q&A about side effects for bipolar disorder in the long term:

"Q My 23-year-old son was diagnosed with bipolar illness about a year ago. He is taking Depakote and Abilify and seems to be doing rather well.

Are there long-term side effects from these medications, and what causes this mental illness, anyway?

A Side effects of Abilify include a possibility of tardive dyskinesia (TD), involuntary, repetitive movements of the limbs, trunk and facial muscles.

Abilify has been around for fewer than 10 years, so long-term effects are essentially unknown. But the product has so far been shown to have a much lower risk of TD when compared with older antipsychotic drugs.

Your son might also experience weight gain, which can likely be controlled through diet and exercise."

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