Comparing APs

[Anna]

Abilify 10 mg
Pros: No paranoia, improved mood, no weight gain, reduced libido (that’s a pro for me, my libido triggers my symptoms) but no change in sexual function

Cons: horrific anxiety and restlessness, crappy concentration even worse than normal, twitching in hands & mouth, didn’t help w any symptom other than paranoia

Latuda (don’t remember dose)
Pros: No weight gain, no sexual side effects

Cons: Anxiety/restlessness so bad I was having suicidal urges, didn’t help w any symptoms

Risperidone (don’t remember dose)
Pros: No anxiety at all, no noticeable sedation either, (only AP I’ve ever been on that didn’t cause one or the other), amazing for my symptoms and literally got rid of all of them, felt normal for first time in life

Cons: gained 10 lbs a month, loss of sexual functioning but no reduction in libido which was torture, minor decrease in focus but not as bad as abilify, hyperprolactenemia

Geodon 80 mg
Pros: Helped with voices, minimal sexual side effects, weight loss (12 lbs!), improved motivation greatly

Cons: SEVERE sedation (as in could no longer drive safely), did not help with any other symptom except voices, serious hypotension, very sensitive to heat, made me “high” initially (even inducing hypomania) which may have made my visual hallucinations worse (and caused other mania related issues), some anxiety/restlessness if not taken with food, sometimes made eating too difficult and took away enjoyment of eating

Vraylar 3 mg
Pros: Minimal sexual side effects, no weight gain, helps with voices & hallucinations (unsure yet if helps w paranoia too yet)

Cons: Sedation, milder than geodon’s but still moderate, very dry throat which leads to waking up several times a night to drink water and use bathroom, mild restlessness/anxiety on same level as geodon

summary: Vraylar in my experience is the mildest AP side effect wise of all I have been on. Geodon was best for weight. Geodon was worst for sedation. Latuda was worst for anxiety but abilify was pretty dang close. Risperidone was the most effective, but also caused the most dangerous side effects health wise. Geodon & vraylar both reduce sexual sensation mildly, but in all I’d give them a tie for best sexual functioning. Abilify was worst for concentration. Geodon best for motivation. That’s my report!

[Imaillusion]

That was interesting to read.

[far_cry0]

Good good good…!!!

[Qwerty]

Good post. 1515151515

[melmel7]

Thank you for posting your experiences. Good idea. Very helpful.

[anon39736208]

Very helpful post, thank you!

[everhopeful]

Just a reminder that every med affects everybody differently. So everybody’s experience of side effects will be unique.

[Anna]

Was wondering how long it’d be before someone posted this I was gonna add it to my thing but it was too late when I remembered

People always ask anyways, how other peoples’ experiences with things were.

[ablue]

I wanna try vraylar. Abilify isn’t working

[Anna]

Vraylar is a really new med so side effects are supposed to be less intense in general. Only downside is it is more expensive due to that.

[anon99082702]

Some of those medications there is no generic equivalent for and are VERY expensive.

Do you live on an area with socialized health care? If not, how do you afford them?

I look forward to in the next 8 years where Latina/vraylar/others will become generic and affordable.

[korieve]

true that meds affect different people differently but you still see trends with certain meds so it can be useful somewhat to ask and learn about them

[Anna]

No, we just have good insurance. Our copay is met for this year so I’ve actually been paying nothing. I’m young enough to still be on my parents’ insurance thankfully. I’m kind of avoiding dealing with whether or not I’m going to be able to afford some of these in the future when that’s not the case.

[roxanna]

Yeah I don’t like abilify either.

[anon55830100]

I feel you, I’m on Latuda and I don’t think my parents can afford to continue paying for it for long. Unfortunately my insurance is terrible but we need to use that one in case my mom has another heart surgery since they cover it the best.