It did not affect my hallucinations, or really any of my positive symptoms except it took away my voices, which was a relief as I was being tormented by demons before that. (My voices are thought insertion-they are internal and not external thus not technically hallucinations). Also it was the first med that ever helped w my negative symptoms, I had my motivation and focus back.
I was on 40 mg twice a day, so 80 mg total.
I lost weight, it really reduced my appetite.
Extreme sedation, which is why I quit it. It was to the point where I could no longer safely drive as I did eventually get into an accident on it (thankfully minor). I recommend trying to take it all at night if you can to avoid this. (I took it morning and night) It also made my blood pressure really low so I became very lightheaded and had to move slowly to avoid blacking out. It also made me really sensitive to hot temperatures making me nearly pass out when I was out in the sun, I took cool showers for some time on it. Also when I first started it it sent me into a manic episode (hypomania? Not sure-but it did pass eventually) and when I first raised my dose it felt like I had taken some kind of illicit drug like I was HIGH, pupils hugely dilated and contracting at the same time, visual hallucinations intense, etc. but I didn’t get that high feeling again after that initial dose raise. Rarely I experienced akathisia/anxiety, but it wasn’t really that bad when it happened.
Also definitely take your doses on time with this med. Missing doses gave me terrible anxiety and could make me nauseous. Going off geodon was a horrible experience, couldn’t even smell food without gagging. Only med I absolutely could not quit cold turkey.
You’re welcome! And make sure you take it with at least 500 calories or else it won’t absorb properly and it will be like you’re taking half of your prescribed dose.
I know, it got really hard to keep up with once geodon lowered my appetite lol. I was forcing it down. I tended to get akathisia only when I didn’t get it w the proper amount of calories so that was good motivation though haha.
Geodon is my miracle drug! I’ve been on it for nearly five years. I take 80 mg. 20 in the morning and 60 in the evening. It did not get rid of all my hallucinations at first, but it made them much more manageable. I was able to work full time, and later go back to school and keep up with my courseload. Now, I’m in a very demanding internship and doing great!
Make sure you take it with 500 calories. That is not a joke. Fewer than that, and it won’t absorb into your body. That sensation is awful. First, you get really dizzy and high. Then, the hallucinations get loud and you start going through withdrawal, which is painful. But you still have to wait until your next med time. Just, don’t do this. I had to start counting calories on geodon to make sure I was eating enough.
I lost 40 pounds pretty easily on geodon. But if you lose lots of weight, report it to your doctor because you might need a different dose. After I lost all the weight, I started getting an irregular heartbeat that went away when my doctor split my dose into morning and night doses.
Yes! It’s like that for me, also. I had really struggled with a lot of antipsychotics. I’d spent years on the Haldol shot, and those years were, without a doubt, the worst years of my life. When they first told me they were putting me on Geodon I had a feeling this drug would be okay, and I was right. My only problem with Geodon is that it makes it difficult for me to have bowel movements. I tried bulk fiber laxative, and that worked for a while. Then I tried eating a lot of frozen vegetables, and that helped. Lately I’ve been eating large amounts of peanut butter, and that helps me with that problem. If you look around you can solve the problem of not having good bowel movements.
I have been on 40 mg geodon twice a day for the last 8 weeks. I was on 3 mg risperdal twice a day. I like it so far. I have noticed an increased energy level, but appetite is still a problem for me like it was on risperdal.
Minnii told me Geodon and Invega work in very different ways. I thought they were related because they are both “done” drugs (ie ziprasidone, and paliperidone). I know you studied this - do you have any insight as to whether they will work very differently?
Already I am guessing they do because I am not to take food with my invega and I only take it once a day.
I looked up geodon vs invega and learned that the half life of geodon is much shorter which would explain needing to take it morning and night??