Learning the dangers of drug-to-drug interactionsFor some people with a mental illness, talk therapy, exercise, and nutritional improvements can make a world of difference. And while all of these things can also help people living with schizophrenia, they do not erase the hallucinations, delusions, and disordered thinking that define the illness. Since schizophrenia is first and foremost a neurological issue, the first line of defense is antipsychotic medication.

Unfortunately, medications for schizophrenia―just like pharmaceutical treatments for any other condition―come with the risk of drug interactions. Anecdotally, experts know drug interactions aren't uncommon and data seems to confirm this. A University of Cincinnati study tracked the prescriptions of Ohio schizophrenia patients between 2000 and 2003 and found that 18 to 22 percent of patients were given prescriptions likely to interact with their antipsychotic medication.

New Orleans counselor and psychopharmacology expert Joe Wegmann, PD, LCSW, says the problem starts in

View Article