these findings are surely concerning. However, their clinical significance is not yet clear.
Thus, schizophrenia itself is linked with numerous brain abnormalities, such as progressive loss of brain cells, even in persons never exposed to antipsychotic medication. For example, in one study, antipsychotic-naive patients with schizophrenia showed significant gray matter volume deficits in frontal, cingulate, temporal, and other brain regions. (Venkatasubramanian G. Neuroanatomical correlates of psychopathology in antipsychotic-naĆÆve schizophrenia. Indian J Psychiatry. 2010;52:28-36.)Furthermore, Lesh and colleagues (Lesh TA, Tanase C, Geib BR, et al. A multimodal analysis of antipsychotic effects on brain structure and function in first-episode schizophrenia. JAMA Psychiatry. 2015;72:226-234.) found that while short-term treatment with antipsychotics was associated with prefrontal cortical thinning, treatment was also associated with better scores on a continuous performance task (AX-CPT). The authors concluded that the results warranted caution ā. . . in interpreting neuroanatomical changes as being related to a potentially adverse effect on brain function.ā
In my view, we need more research to sort out this complex issue, while always weighing carefully the neurological risks of antipsychotic treatment (including movement disorders) against their very real benefits.
Ronald W. Pies, MD
http://www.psychiatrictimes.com/blogs/long-term-antipsychotic-treatment-effective-and-often-necessary-caveats/page/0/3
Has anyone came off of invega sustenna?
Ok so I stopped invega shot on October 21st. Itās weird bc I felt great and then I could tell the beads re-released in my body by December 3rd (it felt like I got another shot). And then it took another month (so up until now) that I felt back to feeling like a normal person. Invega was horrible even tho half to a quarter of it is still in my body. I had to stop working out bc the raised prolactin levels ruined my bones and gave me tits. On top of that I got weird running injuries. The shot gave me a retarded look on my face and horrible looking eyes and that came back on December 3rd when I could tell the beads re released even tho I didnāt get another shot. So basically just count about 40 days for each half life and then ur closer to it being out of your system. Iāve asked on this forum when people felt better and one guy told me 100 days he felt better so Iām almost to that mark so I should be good. And the 150 day half life ur talking about is Invega trinza- I was on invega sustenna.
I wouldnāt recommend this but I havenāt taken the latuda I switched to on the 21st of October and havenāt had one breakthrough symptom. Itās bc even on the lowest dose of invega that I was at, and then the subsequent half lives and their equivalencies, itās that mind killing that u donāt get symptoms. Invega is poison donāt ever go back on it and Iām with u on this bc hospital docs that donāt have to keep patients after theyāre out of the hospital put people on it saying itās bc it has a 93% chance of no relapse but itās bc how bad it is for ur brain seriously like it stops everything in ur mind except simple thoughts and one word answers and I was on it for a year. I want to run over the doc that put me on it- thatās a hyperbole Iām not a violent person and it sounds morbid but I mean to highlight how bad it was for me. Good luck and take niacin it kinda eliminates it more in ur body. All u can do is wait. By summer Iāll be invega free and u should be feeling better. PM me if u have ANY questions
Hi,
Thanks fo the response. I used to bodybuild, and itās so holding me back. You said itās bad for your bones? You donāt think Iād be screwed up too bad with the high prolactin from just two shots do you? How long were you on, how long have you been off, and how do you feel now?
Thanks,
Josiah
Just two shots youāre probably fine I think it takes a couple months for ur prolactin to actually raise itāself on the shot. I was on it for a year and stopped this past October. It makes ur bones brittle and causes males to have more female characteristics
I got off invega sustenna and started back on the pill form of this drug. I was not misdiagnosed though. I donāt know about normal people getting off it. Iāve heard stories of people on youtube getting prescribed invega when they didnāt need it.They complained about the sensitivity loss in their sex organs. Iām not sure if it was permanent. I know when I get off my drugs my sex drive comes back with force.
Iāve been taking the 234mg shot of Invega for the past 8 months and even though the psychosis has worn off and Iām not hallucinating or being delusional I feel like $hit everyday I wake up. Itās just a feeling of not being clearheaded, low energy and lacking motivation thatās slowly killing me. My libido took a hit as well because I havenāt masturbated in months and have no desire too. I am functioning to the point where no one would ever believe me that I have Schizophrenia because Iām hiding it very well.
My psychiatrist is planning to prescribe me Wellbutrin while lowering the dose to 154mg in another month. I believe Iām suffering from depression as well. Iāve been hangin in there for the past few months hoping this heaviness subsided and I can start to feel better.
Iām 7 weeks out. Are you feeling much better since your last shot? So, there is hope for a full recovery?
Itās been 12 weeks since my last injection and to be quite honest it feels like about half of it is still in my system. I havenāt even started my Latuda that Iām supposed to take in place of it, but thatās bc I havenāt had any issues yet. Iād say I wonāt feel noticeably better until another 8 weeks. It takes SO long I hate it but atleast Iām about halfway there. Be ready to feel as if u just got the shot again bc the beads mustāve re released in my bloodstreAm about 40-80 days after my last shot. It was weird. But my bones are feeling a lot better and Iād bet my prolactin levels are starting to come down
Iām not taking any medication. I stopped earlier this month. I was given 234 mg once in October then 156 mg again in October.
How you doing Manny?
The worst has passed. I bet the first 3 weeks were pretty rough. Hope your recovering.
Any problems?
I was constantly pacing the first three weeks and having a real difficult time. Iām 7 weeks out and am slowly recovering.
I was hit with 234mg and 156mg. Do you think I need to worry about the boob thing?
How long were you on. What dose(s)?
You say your sex drive is gone. Have you tried Macuna L-Dopa and Ashwagandha? Theyāre safe to take together.
Aside from that (your sex drive) is everything else back to normal.? Do you feel the same as you were pre-Sustenna?
I think Iām doing pretty good. Not sure what all damage the shots did to me. I did get diabetes but Iām not sure how much the shots contributed to that.
If you can, lower sugar and fat intake and you should be good. There is plenty of room for improvement!
Hope your improving and can run like the wind now that youāve been off Sustenna for so long. Please let me know of your progress. Cheers!
Yes, everything came back to normal as I were before psychosisā¦ after 3-6 months off any treatment. I havenāt experienced symptoms or side effects in 9 years, except for my sex drive. I wouldnāt say just that my sex drive is gone because of Invega/Xeplion. This is not about sex drive, this is about erectile dysfunction! It causes chemical erectile dysfunction because it kills/suppress the dopamine (and serotonin) for life (even if you stop the treatment), the hormone that it arouses you, the hormone that makes you feelā¦ happy, sad, angry, excited, etc. This drug turns you into an emotionless robot/sociopath, apparentlyā¦
Itās nothing wrong with your genitals, itās all from the brain. Itās about the hormones. I stopped having sudden/random erections since I took that drug, and when I do get an erection (p.s. only super models and top porn actresses are able to do that btw), itās only about 50-75% erectedā¦ and it takes me over an hour toā¦ āfinishā. Thereās no way an average looking woman could turn me on.
I hoped my hormones would come back to normal if I stop the treatmentā¦ but it wasnāt the caseā¦ (except for the testosterone, I thinkā¦ even with high testosterone, you canāt get aroused without the dopamine.) Imagine how horrible it was for me to go from a teenager being able to ādo itā by 20 times during 3 hours without pornā¦ to an 18 year old with the sex drive of a 50 year old man! Heck, my father had a higher sex drive at 60 than I had at 18! Invega/Xeplion should be illegal because of thisā¦ not to mention the other 100+ side effects. (You can find them online)
I guess not everything came back to normal since my dopamine and serotonin havenāt came back to normalā¦ in 10 years! (Iām 28 now) but I got used without any feelings and emotions. I often feel stressed out because of my work though, but Iām not sure that counts as an emotion.
I never heard of them so I googled them. They seem to be similar to ginseng and ginkgo biloba. āUsed to increase Dopamine levelsā¦ and reduce psychological stressāā¦ Sounds temptingā¦ However, the last time I took and abused a similar substance (ginkgo biloba with ginseng) (10 years ago) I became psychotic and been (probably mis)diagnosed with paranoid schizophreniaā¦ Lol and then they screwed me on life with their toxic drugs. I suspect they give Invega/Xeplion to potentially violent/dangerous patients. I guess they thought that I could be violent/dangerous because I was an olympic martial artist at the time.
Wait how long were u on invega. And I have the same erectile issue, are u sure itās not because of the other ap ur on? God this scares me and makes me ā ā ā ā ā ā ā livid. I hate the doctor that Involuntarily put me on this in the hospital. And are u telling me u donāt feel happy or sad like u used to? I thought that feeling comes back after like 6 months after stopping it?! This drug needs to come off the market
For less than a year (6-9 months), 9 years ago. I havenāt been on any treatment ever since.
Who wouldnāt hate the doctor(s) who took your chance of having descendants and a family? Itās not just males that experience this side effect. Females become infertile (unable to get pregnant) due to Invega. Itās horrible, they treat us like on serial killersā¦ By giving this drug to you, they give you a life sentence. They chemically castrate you like on some rapists/pedophiles, they take your chance of reproducing, having sex and having a family like weāre HIV-positiveā¦ and they take your ability to have emotions and feelingsā¦ like they donāt give a damn about us (not saying they do)ā¦ and whatās worseā¦ is that some of us have been misdiagnosed and still received this unfair life sentence. Iām sorry I havenāt researched this āpoisonā as soon as they gave it to me. I would have stopped the treatment with Invega in the first month! (p.s. I donāt think other antipsychotic drugs are much betterā¦)