I voluntarily hospitalized myself a month ago during the end of my semester, I was only in for four days. My Dad agreed to let me take an incomplete grade for last semester and to be free from work and more college until this fall so I can recover. The hospital put me on Geodon and later Lithium was added by my pdoc. The meds have stopped all internal voices, delusions, and irritability. Also, my cognition is improved and I am now able to code again. However, I am very sedated, even more than with Invega. It doesn’t matter how much coffee I drink, I can barely stay awake. The worst part about the drowsiness is I can’t sleep unless it is night so there is no escaping it. The ugly is frequent heart palpitations. My pdoc advised to cut the caffeine but it seems that it is the days I do not have much caffeine that the palpitations are more severe. Perhaps it is withdrawal causing it. I never had any type of heart arrhythmia until taking Geodon and I am worried. For the record I had an EKG for Geodon and a blood test for Lithium and they were normal.
How did they determine this? Have you worn a Holter monitor so they can see what is happening over a 24 hour period?
No, the only test I had was a 10 second EKG. That is probably why it hasn’t been properly assessed.
The sleepiness goes away eventually. I don’t have heart side effects. That’s alarming but I used to be an avid runner. Can’t run down the driveway now. Heart rate goes through the roof. Can’t do cardio.
Causes tremors for me but I take Benedryl for it. They are mostly gone on that. Made me faint if I try to get out of bed too fast in the morning. Once I put a hole in my bathroom wall with my head. Haven’t had that happen in a while. Never helped with delusions.
If you are a guy it causes ED.
I take Latuda also. Put on some weight with that. When I just took Geodon I stayed skinny despite the fact I couldn’t do cardio.
I would be worried about the heart thing.
You have to get EKGs regularly on this med.
In my case several Holters determined that the Geodon was not the issue, so it’s worth talking to your doctor about. If you’re seeing a GP instead of a cardiologist, try to get referred to one.
The sleepiness will go away. What dose are you on? You can take most of it at night to prevent daytime drowsiness. Been on 40mg am and 100mg pm for the past 2 years now. I love Geodon
I am on 40mg day and 80mg at night. I just moved to 120mg at night to help with drowsiness. I did not consult my doctor about that however.
You have to take it twice a day. I learned that the hard way. Was working when I got sick.
The morning dose got me in the morning. Would get to work and would have to lie down on the couch for an hour or two.
Started taking it all at night. Did this for years without telling my doctor and I got psychotic every afternoon. Started taking it in the morning again about four years later and it changed my life. Don’t get drowsy anymore and went back to school and work.
You have to take it as prescribed.
I’ll do that then, especially with the heart problem all at night is a bad idea. Right now after taking 120mg at once the palpitations have gotten much worse, and doing that didn’t really help with the drowsiness either. I’ve heard it takes a couple of months for the side effects be manageable, so I only have a month or so to tough it out.
You also have to take it with food or it hits your system too fast.
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