Many psychiatric drugs have side effects. As the medicines address the chemical imbalance of the illness, they disturb the chemical equilibrium in other brain and body areas, ranging from your hormone levels to your digestive system.
Many of these effects won’t last long. If they continue to bother you, you may need to ask your doctor about changing the medication dosage, changing the time of day you take it, or adding or switching to another drug.
Some side effects can be eliminated with a better diet and big lifestyle changes.
Here are some recommended remedies if you are experiencing following side effects:
Agitation, restlessness, anxiety
- Get vigorous exercises, like running, working out.
Constipation
- Drink plenty of water, around 5-9 glasses of water daily.
- Eat foods containing a lot of fiber
- Exercise at least every other day
Diarrhea
- Eat the following foods regularly: bananas, vegetables, rice, apples, vegetables
- Try not to eat anything spicy
- Don’t drink caffeine
- Drink plenty of clear liquids.
- Take fiber supplements
Dizziness, Lightheadedness, Faintness, Loss of balance (disequilibrium)
- Drink plenty of fluids.
- Take the medication at bedtime.
- Rise slowly from sitting or standing positions.
- Avoid caffeine, alcohol, and tobacco.
- Squeezing the skin between the eyebrows, which is an acupressure point.
- Place your head between your knees.
Dry mouth
Improve your saliva flow by sucking on sugar-free hard candy or chewing sugar-free gum. Avoid lemon-flavored hard candy – it makes saliva acidic, increasing the possibility of tooth decay. You can also:
- Sip water regularly.
- Suck on ice chips.
- Try over-the-counter saliva substitutes.
- Take vitamin C supplements.
Fatigue, drowsiness
- Get a moderate physical activity for a half-hour several days of the week, such as walking, decreasing stress, improve mood, and feel more energized.
- Eat a healthy diet, and drink plenty of fluids. A low-fat, high-fiber breakfast of whole grains and fruits will give you lasting energy. Sugary cereals, juices, and caffeinated drinks will make you feel sluggish later in the day.
Cognitive issues, malfunctions
- Start playing memory games
- Play sudoku or do a crossword
- Chess is an awesome way to train your memory
If you are young and you are experiencing these side effects regarding your memory and cognitive functions. A fun way to improve these is to start online dating. It will not only improve your memory because you will have to remember all the details from your conversations. And without tips, there will be for sure several new conversations each day. And once you go out, you will have to remember what you two have written about. Plus, when you go on a date, you will be forced to go outside. Maybe for a walk or something! And all of us know that little exercise won’t hurt you, especially you. Enjoy it and go for a walk.
Lastly, don’t be afraid of talking to your doctor. It is very important for you two to talk about these. Yes, it can be hard at times to talk about these side effects, but there is nothing that you can do about it. And he needs to know all of these to help you!
