What are common side effects associated with antipsychotic medications?

The common side effects associated with antipsychotic medications include weight gain, sedation, and extrapyramidal symptoms.

Weight gain is a frequent issue, particularly with atypical antipsychotics, which can lead to metabolic syndrome if not monitored and managed appropriately. Sedation is another common side effect, as many antipsychotic medications have sedative properties that can affect a patient's overall energy levels and daily functioning. Extrapyramidal symptoms include a range of movement disorders such as tremors, rigidity, and bradykinesia, which are more commonly associated with typical antipsychotics but can also occur with atypical ones.

Other options, while they may be relevant to different medications or conditions, do not encompass the primary side effects specific to antipsychotics. For example, increased energy and alertness would be atypical for these medications, anxiety and insomnia are not typical side effects of antipsychotics but might be present with certain medications, and nausea and headache are more general side effects that could relate to various medications but are not specific to antipsychotic treatments.