What Happens When You Stop Taking Your Schizophrenia Medication?

Medication is an important part of managing the symptoms of schizophrenia. If you have side effects or aren’t sure if your medication is working, you may wonder what will happen if you stop taking it. Even if you think you’d be better without medication, always talk with your doctor first.

You’re not alone if you’ve thought about lowering or stopping your antipsychotic medication. Some people find medication helpful, while others may want to see how they feel without it. In this article, we’ll explore what can happen if you stop taking your medication and why it’s so important to talk to your mental health care team before making any changes.

Why Do People Stop Taking Schizophrenia Medication?

Researchers estimate that 58 percent to 90 percent of people diagnosed with schizophrenia stop taking their medication within the first year. Here are some common reasons why.

The Side Effects Are Disruptive

Antipsychotic medications help manage symptoms of psychosis (feeling disconnected from reality). These medications work by changing the balance of certain brain chemicals called neurotransmitters. Most types of antipsychotic drugs affect dopamine.

Although antipsychotics can help reduce schizophrenia symptoms, they can also cause side effects such as weight gain and drowsiness. Side effects are among the main reasons people stop their schizophrenia medication.

A 2020 survey of 200 people with schizophrenia found that 98 percent had antipsychotic medication side effects. Although most participants reported that their medication helped, some felt that it did more harm than good if the side effects interfered with daily life.

They Don’t Recognize Their Diagnosis

Some people may stop taking their schizophrenia medication because they don’t believe they need it, because they either feel better or don’t agree with their diagnosis or understand it. This can be a symptom of schizophrenia called anosognosia — the inability to recognize their own condition.

They Worry About Stigma

Some people may stop their medication because they want to feel more “normal” or are worried about how others will see them if they take an antipsychotic medication.

They Stop by Accident

Sometimes, stopping is unintentional, according to Dr. Robert Channon, a board-certified psychiatrist and a Distinguished Life Fellow of the American Psychiatric Association. He retired in 2024 after more than 40 years treating people with severe mental illness in Chicago.

Most people “sort of accidentally stop the medicine,” Dr. Channon said. “One thing led to another, and they really weren’t convinced it was working, and they think they’re doing OK without it, so they just let those couple of days go on and on and on and on. They didn’t intend to stop the medicine.”

Their Symptoms Interfere With Adherence

Schizophrenia symptoms can make it difficult to remember to take medication. People may have trouble staying organized, remembering things, and completing tasks.

If you have trouble following your schizophrenia treatment plan, read about 7 tips that may help.

They Don’t See Improvements

People are more likely to stick with their medication if they notice improvement. If your symptoms aren’t getting better, you may not see the point of continuing your medication. However, there are many reasons a medication may not be working, so it’s important to talk with your doctor instead of stopping completely.

What Happens When You Stop Schizophrenia Medications?

When you stop taking schizophrenia medications, you may feel better at first. “Sometimes people feel better after they stop their [schizophrenia] medicine because some of the side effects subsided,” Dr. Channon said.

Some people say they feel more alive and more like themselves. However, the initial effect may not last. Stopping antipsychotic drugs suddenly can lead to withdrawal symptoms and the return of schizophrenia symptoms.

Relapse and withdrawal symptoms can happen even if you slowly reduce your antipsychotic dose over time, but they’re more likely and may be worse if you stop suddenly.

Withdrawal Symptoms

Withdrawal symptoms — the physical and mental effects of stopping a medication — are common in people who stop taking antipsychotics. In a 2022 survey, 72 percent of people trying to stop antipsychotic medications had withdrawal symptoms, and about half said their symptoms were severe.

It’s hard to predict if you’ll have withdrawal symptoms if you stop your schizophrenia medication. Some people have none, while others have several. Withdrawal symptoms may include:

• Unusual skin sensations
• Mood changes or anxiety
• Muscle aches
• Headache
• Diarrhea
• Dizziness
• A feeling of being too hot or too cold
• Trouble sleeping
• Loss of appetite
• Nausea and vomiting
• Restlessness or irritability
• Tardive dyskinesia (a condition that causes involuntary movements)

In rare cases, people can develop a life-threatening reaction called withdrawal neuroleptic malignant syndrome (NMS) after stopping an antipsychotic medication. NMS affects the nervous system. Symptoms usually appear suddenly over one to three days and may include:

• Fever
• Sweating
• Shaking
• Stiff muscles
• Loss of movement
• Difficulty speaking and swallowing
• Fast heartbeat and breathing
• Confusion

Withdrawal symptoms are less common and less severe when you reduce your medication dose slowly. Your healthcare provider can help you do this safely. If withdrawal symptoms are too hard to handle, your healthcare provider may suggest going back to your previous dose.

Return of Schizophrenia Symptoms

When schizophrenia symptoms come back, it’s called a relapse. Studies show that one of the strongest predictors of relapse is not taking your medications as prescribed. You may have a higher risk of relapse if you:

• Try to stop your medication too quickly
• Have gone a long time without treatment
• Use alcohol or drugs
• Have memory problems
• Don’t participate in other types of treatments, such as talk therapy

To help avoid a relapse, it’s important to monitor your symptoms closely and work with your healthcare provider when discontinuing your medication.

What’s the Difference Between Withdrawal and Relapse?

It can be hard to tell the difference between antipsychotic withdrawal and a schizophrenia relapse because some symptoms overlap. For example, both can cause restlessness, irritability, and anxiety.

Withdrawal symptoms occur because the brain is adjusting to the absence of the medication. A relapse can happen when schizophrenia symptoms return after medication is stopped. If you notice either of these effects, your healthcare provider can help you figure out the cause.

What Should You Do if You’re Thinking About Stopping Your Medication?

Most medical professionals recommend continuing antipsychotic medications for at least one to three years after a first episode of psychosis. If you’re thinking about stopping, talk with your healthcare team about the risks and benefits. Studies show that discontinuing schizophrenia medication is more likely to work for people who have certain factors such as strong social support, no thinking or memory problems, and a shorter time of untreated psychosis. It may also be possible to switch to another type of antipsychotic medication.

If you and your mental health care team decide to discontinue your medication, it may take several months to fully stop. In the 2022 survey, about 23 percent of participants needed at least a year to completely come off their medication.

During this time, your healthcare provider may slowly lower your dose to help your body adjust while watching for signs of relapse and withdrawal symptoms. If your symptoms of schizophrenia return, your healthcare provider may increase your medication back to the previous dose and suggest continuing treatment.

Stopping schizophrenia medication is a big decision that should always be made with guidance from your healthcare team. With the right support and careful planning, you can find the treatment path that best supports your health and well-being.

Find Your Team

On MySchizophreniaTeam, the site for those living with schizophrenia and their loved ones, people come together to ask questions, give advice, and share their stories with others who understand life with schizophrenia.

Have you stopped taking your schizophrenia medication? What effects have you noticed? Share your experience in the comments below.