Antipsychotics Should Never be Used For Augmentation In Depression Anymore

An APA Dispatch

We have all seen the ads:

“If your depression isn't responding to whatever nonsense oral antidepressant isn't doing the trick,¹ maybe you should add this other thing?”

No. Don’t do that:

I have spent years studying these treatment options. I've taken many of them. Here's a list of antipsychotic medication I've personally taken in the context of having bipolar disorder:

• Olanzapine (Zyprexa)

• Ziprazidone (Geodon)

• Quetiapine (Seroquel)

• Aripiprazole (Abilify)

• Cariprazine²

• Whatever the generic is for saphris is…(I looked it up, it's asenepine).

• Lurasidone (Latuda)

The following antipsychotics are approved for augmentation of antidepressant response by the FDA:

1. Aripiprazole (Abilify)

2. Quetiapine (Seroquel)

3. Brexpiprazole (Rexulti)

Additionally, people prescribe them for that purpose all the time.

Nobody should ever do this anymore³. The medications have risks that should not be considered acceptable compared to the alternatives.

Which risks? I'm not gonna make you wait. Massive weight gain and metabolic consequ…