Guides to tracking and discussing side effects
Practical guides for people taking antidepressant or antipsychotic medication: tracking side effects, talking to your doctor, and questions worth asking.
All guides
- How to track medication side effectsWhat to record each day, how often to log, and how to turn notes into a clear record for your doctor, for people on antipsychotic or antidepressant medication.
- How to talk to your doctor about side effectsHow to prepare for a psychiatrist appointment, what to say about side effects, and how to raise medication concerns so you are heard. Plain, practical steps.
- Questions to ask about antipsychotic medicationQuestions to ask your doctor or pharmacist about antipsychotic and antidepressant medication: side effects, movement effects, missed doses and the longer term.
The four main movement side effects
- Akathisia: when you can't sit still on medicationAkathisia is an inner restlessness caused by some antipsychotic and antidepressant medicines. How it feels, how it differs from anxiety, what to tell a doctor.
- Medication tremor: why your hands shakeShaky hands on antipsychotic or antidepressant medication? What a medication tremor feels like, other causes of shaking, and how to describe it to your doctor.
- Muscle stiffness from medication (rigidity)Stiff, tight muscles can be a side effect of some antipsychotic medicines. What muscle rigidity feels like, other causes, and how to raise it with your doctor.
- Bradykinesia: slowed movement on medicationBradykinesia means slowed, heavy movement. How it shows up as a medication side effect, how it differs from tiredness, and what drug-induced parkinsonism is.
Keep a clear record with EPSpeak
Log your medications, check in each day in under a minute, and share your record with your clinician when you choose. Free on Android and iPhone, with no account needed.