skin picking - Mental Health Message Board

sunnyripple · 09-15-2003, 01:52 PM

Does anyone experience skin picking as a side effect of taking anti-psychotics?

j3nuinebrui17 · 09-15-2003, 11:13 PM

I've never been on an antipsychotic, but I would definitely tell your MD this. It sounds like the dosage is too high or you're body is not used to the changes in the dopamine level. I'm not aware of what antipsychotic you're on and I'm not an MD, so it's best that you tell your psychiatrist. Hope I've helped. Good luck!

[This message has been edited by j3nuinebrui17 (edited 09-23-2003).]

cattys · 09-16-2003, 08:27 AM

I agree with the above post. I was on a to high of a dose before and I got more compulsive of things that I was actually taking the drug for.

Emeraldeyes · 09-17-2003, 11:21 AM

I am glad to know there is someone out there that suffers from skin picking. The weird thing is that mine started before taking medication, stopped for a while when I was on paxil but now I am on paxil and seroquel (anti-psychotic) and I am picking again. It hasn't got to the point it was at before. I usually start somewhere strange like my feet and end up tearing my scalp and face up. It can be very embarrassing. Not sure what is the next treatment strategy for this.

gwenatron · 09-18-2003, 04:12 AM

Hi,
I'm a picker too! I was doing it long before any medication and thought it was perfectly normal until more serious forms of self-mutilation set in. I don't know if it's anything to do with the meds- I'm on antipsychotics and antidepressants too. I notice that the picking and mutilation occurs in times of mania and anxiety. It's also triggered by feelings of paralysis- you know when you feel so overwhelmed by things that you're like a bunny in the headlights of an oncoming car. Maybe you need to address the anxiety too.
My therapist looks at the self-mutilation as an addiction, and I see where she's coming from.
Hope this helps.