BENZTROPINE

[Marebears]

HAS ANYONE EVER HEARD OF OR HAD ANY EXPERENCE WITH "BENZTROPINE"? IT WAS GIVEN TO ME TO COUNTER REACT THE SIDE AFFECTS (SEVERE MUSCLE CRAMPS)OF THE ABILIFY I TAKE..

[Sunshine770]

My 17 year old former foster son is said to be bipolar but I don't believe he is.  His birthmother put him on medications after he got into some legal trouble. He has made some poor choices, but the medical and pharmaceutical community are out to make $. They cannot not truly help him. For them the answer to every problem is a pill. One med leads to many. I do not believe the medications the medical community has place him on are worth the side-effects. They placed him on Levetiracetam, Benztropine, and Abilify, and the side-effects are NOT worth the potential benefit of what--self-control? I have worked with youth in placement for 18 years, and these medications do not make any significant difference in their judgments because they do not change their value system. These meds cause hostility, restlessness, digestive, vascular (varicose veins, hemrhoids, and varicose veins in the scrotum--infertility), urinary, reproductive (impotence), digestive problems, sleeplessness, ticks, stiffness, and more! The bottom line is that the drugs make them money. Doctors tend to ignore the published side-effects, and usually just add more drugs to cover up the side-effects of the orignal meds--like Benztropine is used to cover the side-effects of Levetriacetam and Abilify, yet Benztropine has its own side-effects to compound the others. To those of you who take these drugs for bipolar, "sense" of control it worth giving up your health? Personally, I do not.

[Sunshine770]

My 17 year old former foster son is said to be bipolar, his birthmother put him on medications after he got into some legal trouble. He has made some poor choices, but the medical and pharmaceutical community are out to make $, they cannot not to truly help. The answer to every problem is a pill. One med leads to many. I do not believe the medications the medical community has place him on are worth the side-effects. They placed him on Levetiracetam, Benztropine, and Abilify, and the side-effects are NOT worth the potential benefit of what--self-control? I have worked with youth in placement for 18 years, and these medications do not make any significant difference in their judgments because they do not change their value system. These meds cause hostility, restlessness, digestive, vascular (varicose veins, hemrhoids, and varicose veins in the scrotum--infertility), urinary, reproductive (impotence), digestive problems, sleeplessness, ticks, stiffness, and more! The bottom line is that the drugs make them money. Doctors tend to ignore the published side-effects, and usually just add more drugs to cover up the side-effects of the orignal meds--like Benztropine is used to cover the side-effects of Levetriacetam and Abilify, yet Benztropine has its own side-effects to compound the others. To those of you who take these drugs for bipolar, "sense" of control it worth giving up your health? Personally, I do not.

[kyleauz1]

Hi,
My son takes Benztropine too , as well as abilify. The benztropine in his case is for helping him with his pacing.
My son has not had muscle cramps but he does every now and then ticklish feet, so bad that it even wakes him during the night, he goes stir crazy.
But Im not sure if that's just growing pains or meds.

[Tink70]

It is used under the name of Cogentin for the treatment of Parkinsons Disease.