I’ve been pretty stable for 4 years with regards to positive symptoms. I wouldn’t mind switching meds just because i do have weight gain on the med i have. BUT i’ve had SUCH bad luck switching meds in the past. It scares the hell out of me.
Anyone else??
YES!. Oh yes yes yes. I have been doing really well on a lower dose of seroquel mixed with Latuda. But when I went to Geodon last month for a week, I had a full blown episode full with paranoia, hallucinations, panic, fear, disorientation, seeing the walls crack, food tasting odd again, sensitivity to light and noise.
Got back on Latuda and Seroquel and got my head back. Very afraid to play with the meds.
I had a really bad experience when i switched from Risperdal to Invega a while back. I don’t like to switch meds, there are too many complications that can occur. I am pretty stable on my antipsychotic now so I really do not want to rock the boat by switching. I could probably benefit in some way by switching, then again I might not and get worst on a new antipsychotic. For now my doctor and I have agreed to keep things the way they are, at the moment.
I do not like change meds too. I am taking seroqel and Haldo right now, but my voice came back again with 2 days. I feel so tired fighting for it. Haldo had long term side effects that’s the reason why my Dr. want to reduce Haldo. Haldo is a powerful meds and I am scare to change to Seroqel and without the Haldo. anybody try other meds beside the one I took ot I am taking right now is working for stop the voices? please share. oh, by the way I tried Geodon. It does not work for me at all.
Disclaimer: This is MY history. Not suggesting anything to anybody.
Taking meds is weird for me. Weird in the sense that I know these drugs are powerful but I don’t fear them. I have switched meds only about 5 times and I took it in stride. I’m not saying I’m brave, it’s more like acceptance and indifference. Whatever happens, will happen. My history is simple: I take a new med, I feel weird side-effects,I tell my doctor, and he switches me back to my original med. I’m not saying the side-effects aren’t uncomfortable, but I’ve never had a relapse because of meds. It was this way with Abilfy, geodon, and Zyprexa.I used to use Prolixen as a sleeping pill. Or at least I tried.It was in my active addiction and I was bored and tired so I took a couple extra 5mg tablets of prolixen. I figured they were tranquilizers, and tranquilizers help you sleep. Wrong!! Now THAT time I felt pretty bad.
Many, many, many different psyche meds later, I’m just plain afraid of them. The last time I went to my pdoc they gave me samples of Latuda. It was a nice thought but I’ll probably never try it.
I am scared to because I am worried a new med may make me gain weight again. I’ve stopped the weight gain what is good but I put on 40 pounds. I don’t want that to happen again…
I would love to try other meds, but for the same reason i am afraid i will become psychotic, i am on this same med for eight years now, and its working fine, but the side effects are debilating.
There has been so many meds we’ve tried to find the right one. When you have something going stable don’t ever sacrifice that.
I agree here: Geodon is crap! I thought I was taking sugar pills. Seroquel worked but made me sooo tired I felt like the walking dead, so I had to drink 64 oz of coffee each morning to feel alive. Zyprexa was added to my risperdal when I had an episode but it stopped working. Risperdal is the only med that made voices go away. Paranoia and sz thoughts? Seroquel worked but only because I was barely thinking at all. I did gain weight on risperdal though, lots of it. And I am scared shitless whenever my Dr says we could try this this or this. I’m off my antipsychotics and have been since august and have only had two extreme episodes so I can deal. I take xanax and it helps with not just anxiety and panic attacks but other psychotic symptoms as well. Getting off seroquel I had withdrawals and felt sick constantly like I was coming off drugs or something. Being on risperdal I had the unfortunate side effect of lactation, tenderness, etc and weight gain. When coming off of it my hormones were so whacked out I was having periods a month late for three cycles! The doctor said it would be out of my system in a month but the other side effect remained for months. Not cool. It is however my go to med if I’m in crisis and need to get back to planet earth but when I told my Dr hey those side effects make me want to go a different route and he starts listing off options I get very nervous. Very. What if it doesn’t work and I’m stuck like this until another med change? How many med changes before I find another one that even works? What will those side effects be? It’s scary as all hell so if a med change is necessary do research before tour appointment on ones that work for you, and look at meds that work the same way. Also look at other medications and know their side effects so when the Dr brings up a name, you have some idea what’s going on. That research is the only thing that calms my nerves to the point of wanting to switch it up. In the end its all trial and error. and yes if you found one that works, stick with it! Or…research similar meds. Good luck my friend!
I’m glad i’m not the only one. I think after reading similiar stores from all of you i will stick with my med till i have more problems.
OH YEAH. I am way too scared to switch meds. I tried Latuda once and it was horrible, I was more psychotic than ever and had horrible akathisia (restless legs) and I had to go to school in that ■■■■■■ up state, I was twitchy and sweating and my eyes were wide open. I was having a barrage of hallucinations and delusions and paranoia. I am surprised I managed to sleep, I spent the evening screaming at the floor and crying. My parents did their best to calm me down, they had me lay down and just stop screaming and pacing. I remember hearing myself breathe and everything else was just hallucinatory crap and disorganized paranoid thoughts in my head.
I just saw my psychiatrist this morning and it’s decided that I am staying on my current meds indefinitely. I take Geodon, Xanax and Propanalol. I don’t have any symptoms on these meds…which is as good as it gets.
Hi, May I ask what are you taking? I am looking for meds that will stop hear voices.
Hi, when I was on Geodon, I could not sleep. I was so restless and panic. Sometimes took me all night til morning. Geodon made me sick all the time. It was super bad. I will never take that again. I took it for 3 years.
Hi, i am on risperdal 2mg. I even cut just a bit from the tip and making it probably 1.80.
yes i am…ive gained over five stone switching meds. luckily ive lost two stone but i never want to go back to that weight again. although i don’t mind the depot shots. i think i might try haldol next. hopefully it will silence the voices, though i’m not holding out much hope tbh.
I’d only switch meds if I had extra of the meds that work well. So if I decompensate I can go back to the old meds without any trouble.
Me too. I do not like change meds. I am stay with Latuda for awhile,but I only took 40mg. I can not take more than 40 because I will got upset stomach.
risperidone/risperdal is the only med that worked on the voices for me but I had to get to a high dose 18mg a day and I became zombish just mostly sleeping all day no thought process or want to do anything but sleep. - and I gained 40lbs a yr on it.
Well from the time I tried haldol up till now has been a bit of a disaster tbh. Its like I’ve been in an avolition fog for the past ten months. I went from being semi productive to being glued to my bed. Its been awful but obvs I had to try different meds. I’m sticking with ability 20mgs for at least the next 6 months just to get my productivity back. Depending on how that goes will decide whether I stick with ability or try something else. All in all on the one hand its been disastrous but on the other I now know that haldol does not agree with me and neither haldol or ability do jack ■■■■ for voices. Gotta keep trying though, right?