Can the emotional and intellectual numbness from the meds be reversed with efforts?

No, the aps can really numb you… I am sure of this… It doesn’t happen to my ill friends, who has mostly positive symptoms, but this happens to the others, with other symptoms… I really recover intellectually and emotionally with fewer meds, but then the problem starts to be my anxiety, my paranoia, I start to need to pace all the time and this is freaking out too… I just wonder if I can get used to the numbness from meds after years… But I have my doubts tbh…3 Years is a way too big period, I should have been used to the numbness until now I find… I’ll try more activities, but as I said, I think this is a strong chemistry and it will always mess with my feelings, yeap :confused: … This includes even the feeling of love and with no love, just being a numbed zombie, it wont be a good life, believe me…

Do you think, people, that I can overcome the numbness by activity? Sorry, but the Zyprexa even didn’t make me functional in society, no… But without it, I cant even sit calmly on the couch, I need to pace. I take it in order to not die almost, that’s how it is here… But if I feel lethargic as hell and dead and empty inside, its another hell, yeah…

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I can only speak for myself. Geodon and Seroquel control my symptoms without numbing me. They do weaken me physically, but I still have my mind.

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Yeap, i had to return to a bigger dose here recently again… I started to have my hellish fears…
But I just wonder, if I can reverse this numbness from the meds with more activity? Is that possible or the sedation will last until I take the meds? I don’t feel much pleasure on meds, nor I don’t have all my mind nope… I am just numbed, yeap. And its not only the illness. Meds can cause that too. Me too, I need mine but I try to figure what to do…

I feel like vraylar and supplements help me, not hinder me. I’m no longer super sensitive to meds. Cognitive enhancement stuff is like adderall but that would be horrible for you. I might have add so it could help me. I’m getting tested this year.

In the beginning meds like risperdal and abilify slowed me down. Unfortunately, schizophrenia comes with cognitive decline like decreased IQ in some cases. Mine included. Nothing really there to fix the issue right now except getting stabilized first.

My doctor told me I lost 10 IQ points. Felt like 20.

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Ok, thanks all. Well, we are ill, meds help me to not suffer too much, its smth already. I have less side effects on Zyprexa tbh, plus it helps me more than the other aps…
In fact I find, that I still have strange delusions on what the reality should be tbh… I don’t even know per moments, how the reality should be, which is strange… Anyway, we continue the fight. Maybe I need more than 3 years on meds, cause in my case, I was ill since a kid, while now I am 37 years old lol :confused: .
Wish you the best all!

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Not really for me, no. I’m living a worthwhile and meaningful life in spite of being med-compliant. Takes some effort, but it’s possible.

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Ok, i can be wrong, i’ll see :slight_smile: Maybe I didn’t want to accept my illness before, so the meds weren’t working. Thanks :wink:

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hi @Anna1 I’m sorry you’re suffering. I totally agree with you, quality of life is feeling emotion. I am entirely led by my emotions and am always looking for emotional connections with people.

I’m on Lurasidone which is less effective at treating my positive symptoms than Zyprexa. I felt numb on Lurasidone so my pdoc prescribed Endep. It helped me feel more emotion, more emotionally engaged & alert. SSRI antidepressants did nothing to help the numbness but Endep does. (It can cause dryness & gum recession so that’s a bummer).

Unfortunately I feel a lot of very strong, negative emotions such as anguish, disgust, frustration, bitterness and rage. These are triggered by contact with people. So I have to work really hard to feel positive emotions, especially since I only feel them around people. I have had no sex drive for years but recently developed a crush on a guy. I think this is because I am always going to Meetups, trying to be social, meet new people, build friendships & connections. I get inspired by people when I like them. Unfortunately the guy rejected me but the good news is I’m capable of romantic feelings - thought I’d never feel them again for the rest of my life.

I am proof that you can feel positive emotions if I work really hard at my social life. So yes, you can overcome numbness with activity. My personality is very person-oriented, so for me that means social activity! What activity do you mean for yourself?

The Lurasidone isn’t very strong so I feel more emotions on it (but also more psychotic symptoms, anxiety & poor quality sleep).

Ok, thanks darling for the answer :slight_smile: . Well, my ap is Zyprexa, definitely. I tried every possible ap for ten years, but only Zyprexa calms me to a point. I need it. Its more strong, yeap, but the only one, which works on me. I think I was worng on the meds before. I put ten years to accept this illness, before I was paranoid because of it. Still struggling on this, but I calmed on this too in a way, yeap :slight_smile: I accepted than I am ill. I tried with lower dosages of Zyprexa and my symptoms become almost life threatening… Well, I felt the ‘‘normality’’ today again outside, so I guess I need to move up here too yeap :slight_smile: I think, that the meds were so harsh on me before, cause ive lost all sociality, all acvtiviy, too much despair and much sedentary for almost fifteen years, @Flutterby. So its harder here. But now, i’ll try to fight yeap.
Well, I try to move my brain with all kind of stuff - books, informations, movies when I cant go out. Seeing my mom in the day and talking a few to my friends on my phone. I try now some more activities outside too as going just for short walks, even without talking to anybody if too paranoid, or just going alone to the shops here in my neighborhood… Yeap, I try to reverse my activity. When I cant, I cant… In fact in the day, I almost don’t feel the side effects of the Zyprexa anymore. But after it take, in the evening, I feel it still, yes… I get tired and sedated or almost like doped (with the pupils dilated lol), but maybe one day i’ll start to take the ap right before sleep.
Take care all!

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It sounds like you’ve identified heaps of activities you like. Now you just need a plan to increase them daily. Something every day. Then see if you get more emotional range.

Have you tried Endep?

I totally get the Zyprexa thing, I’m think of going back on it as I’m really suffering a lot on Lurasidone.

What an ap? I’m not familiar with that term.

:slightly_smiling_face:

Hi again, Phoebe!
An ap means an antipsychotic :slight_smile: . Yeah, me too I suffer on some other aps. Some of them were too weak for my fears or some others, just made me crazier… You know, my doc told me, that in his opinion, the Zyprexa is the med of the 21st century, the best one… It covers the most of symptoms possible (he called it the most wide ranged)… Tbh, it dopes me in a unpleasant way a bit after it take, but its fine in the day. Its up to you to see.
I didn’t try endep, but I am very med sensible. If they give me even smth like lifting herbs, my paranoia worsens… I cant stand even herbs, so I try it just with the Zyprexa and my Depakote…
Take care

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The intellectual part can be handled by having hobbies and reading. There’s not much that can be done about the emotional numbness.

hi @Anna1, haven’t seen you around the forum for a while. Are you ok?

Have you been increasing your daily activities, any improvements to emotional range?

I’m just trialling several supplements. The ones suggested on the home page here to help treat schizophrenia. I think they’re helping. I am sleeping a bit better and feeling a bit more emotional range and positive emotions - I went to a Meetup yesterday & was able to talk & relate to people quite easily, I didn’t have to pretend like I normally do which is exhausting.

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Hi @Flutterby. In fact I am a bit different on this… Me, I have multiple fears, paranoia and anxiety and I find, that its those who are an obstacle for my emotions… I try not to blame anymore my meds, yeap… But I sometimes feel only fear, so its harder to feel positive emotions… I’ll fight…
You, take care too :slight_smile:

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Do a lot of these meds actually make you gain weight? I’m new with all this and probably going to start medications pretty soon.

I just managed to lose about 80 lb and I never want to put it back on ever.

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a few of them as a rule.

I’ve just yo yo’d

if you can quit all added sugar of any kind and you should be okay

if you can lose 80lb you can do anything.
meds are the only thing that will stop delusions for people with schizophrenia

I think yes. but the road to reversal is unique for everyone.

for me, I need to lose weight, stick on my great new diet forever, catch up with old friends, get work

and do some self reflection

it’s just about finding purpose and having the confidence to act on it

Yeah, I am readying myself for whatever I will have to accept.

I was addicted to binge eating junk food because of my depression. It was part of my years-long struggle to get out of depression and lose weight. It actually happened.

Then schizophrenia completely destroyed my life and I lost pretty much everything I cared about. It’s personal, but it is really not an exaggeration at all. Now the depression is back, and I find myself struggling not to go to Wendy’s again already.

I haven’t, but what’s going to happen when the medications give me a ridiculous appetite that I can’t control?

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