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Radojčić, et al. Trends in antipsychotic prescribing to children and adolescents in England: cohort study using 2000–19 primary care data. Lancet Psychiatry (2023). https://doi.org/10.1016/S2215-0366(22)00404-7

Findings in title from the linked summary released by the University of Manchester, 10 Jan. 2023:

>The proportion of children and adolescents prescribed antipsychotics in English general practice doubled from 0.06% to 0.11% between 2000 and 2019, find researchers at The University of Manchester’s Centre for Women’s Mental Health.

>The drugs, which have a tranquillising effect, are frequently used in adults to treat major mental illness, such as schizophrenia.

>However, they can be associated with substantial side-effects such as sexual dysfunction, infertility, and weight gain leading to diabetes.

> The National Institute for Clinical Excellence has approved the use of some antipsychotics in under 18’s with psychosis or with severely aggressive behaviour from conduct disorder.

>However the study, published in the Lancet Psychiatry, suggests they are prescribed for an increasingly broad range of reasons - the most common being autism.

>[The] increasing use of antipsychotics is a cause for concern, argue the researchers, given that their safety in children, who are still rapidly developing, has not been established.

> 

>Dr Matthias Pierce, senior research fellow at the University of Manchester’s Centre for Women’s Mental Health jointly lead the study.

>He said: “This study demonstrates a concerning trend in antipsychotic prescribing in children and adolescents. We do not think the changes in prescribing necessarily relate to changes in clinical need; rather, it may be more likely to reflect changes in prescribing practice by clinicians.

>“However, this study will help clinicians to evaluate the prescribing of antipsychotics to children more fully and will encourage them to consider better access to alternatives.”

Recently learned some of my epilepsy medication is more often used for bi-polarism.

Lamotrigine? Its a great mood stabilizer.

It is Lamotrigine! 300mg a day along with 1500mg of lamictal which look like suppositories. Feels like I think slower since taking lamotrigine but when I tried not taking them, seizures.

Maybe your body / brain in this case can become reliant on them? I'm going to look into them more and educate myself from reliable sources.

There are quite a few used for both. Oxcarbazebine (one of my meds) is another epilepsy/antipsychotic/mood stabilizer.

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Lamictal is name brand lamotrigine. That’s a lot! My doctor was nervous upping my dose to 200mg.

Other Anti-seizure meds are used for anxiety and adhd as well. It’s fascinating really.

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Anything but admitting society needs way better education on emotionally responsible/mature parenting and the emotional abuse/neglect children go through day to day so they develop symptoms needing these medications. Children are the only demographic where its socially acceptable to hit (spank) and there are few law regulations that address that.

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Oops sorry, I meant 3000mg of Levetiracetam (keppra) - they have daft names, it's easy for me to get them mixed up. It's also interesting to me that much like anesthesia, it's known that it works, but not quite how.