Do not get into a direct confrontation about medicine, especially when your relative is getting sick. Not only will it be counterproductive, a confrontational approach can be very dangerous. Preventing noncompliance from side effects Families should understand that neuroleptics cause distressing side effects. Families should be genuinely sympathetic about the side effect problems and the distress they can cause. People can get a sudden neurologic side effect when starting a neuroleptic medicine called dystonia, which is a muscle cramping or spasm that feels like a bad writer's cramp.
Doctors are often less than forthright about side-effects.
They think they are 'protecting' the patient by not fully disclosing side-effects or they are afraid of scaring the consumer out of taking the medicine. This is often counterproductive. When side effects do occur, the patient is often needlessly scared, because they have not been informed beforehand. A side effect like drymouth or excessive salivation will often be accepted by a consumer as a reasonable price to feel better if they have been warned about it in advance. On the other hand, if they haven't been informed, it may be scary to them when they experience and force them to decide to discontinue the medication.