I thought I would let some of you other sufferers or indeed the medical profession know what it is like to deal with the side effects and problems of schizophrenia. Please feel free to email me with any of your own experiences.

Public Health Warning
"Depression" is a euphemism to describe a terrible illness which leaves the sufferer at risk of suicide. In severe depression each thought comes with a hundred ton weight attached. In the case of the author the illness is caused by the majority of drugs prescribed, with impunity, for schizophrenia. For psychiatrists it is socially acceptable to put relentless pressure on patients to take these drugs. Indeed the law even allows them to introduce these drugs into the patient’s bloodstream without their consent. Changes in the law to force more patients in the community to take these drugs will result in both an increase in suicides and vagrancy as patients escape the murderous regime which many are now subject to, particularly where the older drugs are concerned. The majority of the drugs available for paranoid schizophrenia can cause clinical depression as a side effect. Patient information leaflets simply say "depression" amongst the list of other, often extremely unpleasant side effects, and no warning is offered, either on the leaflet or by the prescribing psychiatrist. A cigarette packet-style health warning should be printed on the patient information leaflet. Dr C.H.Labrador, February 2003.
"Schizophrenia is a cruel disease: its treatments are too often toxic", Schizophrenia Association of Great Britain Newsletter No.38, summer 2004.

NICE (National Institute of Clinical Excellence) Guidelines
The above may seem rather alarming. Well I was the one who went through this and I can assure you it was worse than that! However my experience, I hope, is now not to be repeated. This is because NICE guidelines prescribe the newer "atypical" antipsychotics as a first choice. Only one of the four I have taken produces depression as a side effect. However it has to be said that the first three I took were impossible for me to take on an ongoing basis. For example Seroquel gave me terrible abdominal pain, vomiting and diarrhoea- it gave me irritable bowel syndrome! Still it's now 3 years I have been on Olanzapine and though I'd prefer not to have to take it I still am. It's not too bad atall, and it seems it might be unfair of me to blame any depression I have on it, as depression is not listed as a side effect for it.

"Advance Directives" - A Reflection on the Use of Advance Statements in Clinical Practice: a service user and service provider perspective (You'll need to scroll down)

My Current Medication Regime
10mg Olanzapine and 3300mg Fish Oils Daily (Both from my GP)
Vitamins (supplied by The Schizophrenia Association of Great Britain):
Folic Acid 400ug
Thiamin 100mg
B100 Complex 1 tablet
Selenium plus Vitamins A, C and E 1 tablet
B12 1000ug
Nutrigold C 1000mg
Vitamin Research D3 1 tablet
Magasorb 150mg