Antipsychotic medications can reduce or relieve symptoms of psychosis, such as delusions and hallucinations. They are used to treat people with schizophrenia, psychosis related to bipolar disorder, depression and Alzheimer’s disease. They are sometimes used to stabilise moods in bipolar disorder, reduce anxiety in anxiety disorders, and reducing tics in Tourette syndrome. They can help treat acute psychosis within hours or days, but can take up to four or six weeks to reach their full effect. All antipsychotic medications are associated with an increased likelihood of sedation, sexual dysfunction, postural hypotension, cardiac arrhythmia, and sudden cardiac death.
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