Table 3.
Frequency, bother, and most bothersome atypical antipsychotic AEs reported by patients with schizophrenia
| Schizophrenia, n (%) (n = 17) |
|||
|---|---|---|---|
| AE Categories | Frequency | Bother | Most Bothersomea |
| Weight changes | 16 (94) | – | – |
| Weight gain and/or increased appetite | 16 (94) | 12 (71) | 7 (41) |
| Weight loss and/or decreased appetite | 4 (24) | 0 | 0 |
| Low energy | 14 (82) | 12 (71) | 6 (35) |
| EPS | 13 (77) | 10 (59) | 2 (12) |
| Somnolence/sedation | 12 (71) | – | – |
| Need to sleep/excessive sleep/excessive sleepiness | 11 (65) | 6 (35) | 1 (6) |
| ”Zombie-like”/”out of it” | 4 (24) | 2 (12) | 1 (6) |
| Anxiety b | 11 (65) | 8 (47) | 6 (35) |
| Mental anxiety | 7 (41) | 6 (35) | 6 (35) |
| Physical anxiety | 4 (24) | 4 (24) | 2 (12) |
| Social anxiety | 1 (6) | 0 | 1 (6) |
| Cognitive issues | 10 (59) | 6 (35) | 3 (18) |
| Sexual function | 10 (59) | – | – |
| Increased sexual desire/activities | 2 (12) | 1 (6) | 1 (6) |
| Reduced sexual desire or performance | 8 (47) | 4 (24) | 2 (12) |
| Increased schizophrenia positive symptoms | 8 (47) | 7 (41) | 4 (24) |
| Anticholinergic-related dryness | 7 (41) | – | – |
| Dry eyes | 1 (6) | 0 | 0 |
| Dry mouth | 6 (35) | 5 (29) | 3 (18) |
| Dry skin | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Visual problems | 7 (41) | 4 (24) | 2 (12) |
| Insomnia | 6 (35) | 5 (29) | 2 (12) |
| Restlessness/akathisia | 6 (35) | 3 (18) | 3 (18) |
| Disequilibrium | 5 (29) | 3 (18) | 1 (6) |
| Cardiovascular | 5 (29) | – | – |
| Hypertension | 4 (24) | 1 (6) | 1 (6) |
| Hypotension | 1 (6) | 1 (6) | 1 (6) |
| QT prolongation/skipped heartbeat | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Depressive symptoms | 4 (24) | 2 (12) | 2 (12) |
| Pain | 4 (24) | 2 (12) | 1 (6) |
| Bowel/digestive system changes | 4 (24) | – | – |
| Constipation | 2 (12) | 0 | 0 |
| Diarrhea | 2 (12) | 1 (6) | 1 (6) |
| Nausea/vomiting | 1 (6) | 1 (6) | 0 |
| Abnormal blood/laboratory test levels | 4 (24) | – | – |
| Anemia | 1 (6) | 1 (6) | 1 (6) |
| Hyperglycemia | 1 (6) | 1 (6) | 0 |
| Hyperlipidemia | 2 (12) | 1 (6) | 1 (6) |
| Irritability | 3 (18) | 2 (12) | 1 (6) |
| Anger/aggression | 2 (12) | 2 (12) | 1 (6) |
| Hypomania | 2 (12) | 2 (12) | 0 |
| Hormonal | 2 (12) | 1 (6) | 1 (6) |
| Otherc | 2 (12) | 1 (6) | 0 |
| Major medical (diabetes) | 2 (12) | 1 (6) | 1 (6) |
| Major medical (seizures) | 1 (6) | 1 (6) | 0 |
| Flat/restricted affect | 1 (6) | 0 | 0 |
| Social withdrawal | 1 (6) | 0 | 0 |
| Major medical (hypothyroidism) | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Abbreviations: EPS extrapyramidal symptoms, QT the time between the start of the Q wave and the end of the T wave in the heart’s electrical cycle
a The top 5 AEs most frequently reported as most bothersome are highlighted in bold
b Anxiety is reported as the sum of the participants who endorsed any of the anxiety subcodes and also accounts for participants who reported “anxiety” without noting a subcode
c The category of “other” was created to represent select symptoms reported by 2 or fewer participants that were also not reported as most bothersome, most clinically important, or an AE of specific interest