Hi again, searched for it and a couple topics came up mentioning preexisting usages. But is anyone currently on it? how is it? did you have side effects?
Just got back from the pdoc and she prescribed a 4mg dosage up to 8mg over the coming days and they’re dropping my Abilify down and eventually out the door with it.
I love pephenazine! Nice clean drug without all the nasty side effects, Considering talking to my pdoc about it.
My son takes Perphenazine, 2 mg 4Xday. It seems to work well for him - gets rid of a lot of his delusional thoughts and he has not mentioned any side effects. He also takes 5 mg Zyprexa and 10 mg Abilify. He really wanted to quit taking the Zyprexa and may have already without my knowing it.
I am also seriously considering taking this medication. Does anyone know if it is considered to be a weight gaining med? Does it raise blood sugar levels like Risperdal? How does Perphenazine and Risperdal compare -
These are all questions I have
Hi Wave, I hope I can answer your questions. First, Trilafon is not a weight-gainer! Score one! No, it does not mess with sugar NOR other metabolic features. How do they compare? Well at low doses, Risperdal only hits serotonin. Get to 2mg+ and it hits dopamine as well. Trilafon has no dual-mode action. It dopamine right off the bat and hits harder and harder the higher the dose. I’m on 32mg, an average dose. Hope that helps!
Wow thanks Alien - you have answered all my questions on Perphenazine - I am going to talk to my doctor about it Thanks again! I think 2mg of Risperdal is blocking some dopamine - but not enough, and I cannot take higher doses of Risperdal for side effects, some serious
Oh, Wave, one other quick thing - Trilafon has a higher incidence of causing tardive dyskinesia. TD is much more common with the older drugs, but it’s even been seen once or twice in clozapine. Some careless pdocs go as high as 16mg of Risperdal, and that carries a very high risk of TD. Just FYI so you’re an informed patient.
Maybe Ill go pretty low Alien - I am definitely going to talk to my pdoc about it - thanks buddy!
My 23 year old son is on 20 mg perphenazine, 950 mg Lithium, and Buspar (30 - 45 mg daily). (Alien 99 was very helpful to us in suggesting this several years ago). This is the best control of his positive symptoms in the last 4 years. He has managed to lose 70 of the 90 pound that Risperdal put on him. His blood sugars are now normal and his triglycerides and cholesterol way down. That said, he does get shaky and I worry a lot
about tardive dyskinesia. He failed Risperdal, Geodon, Abilify and seroquel. His PDoc gave him a choice of Clozaril (sp?) or perphenazine. He chose perphenazine because he didn’t want the blood draws and his doc told him “You will be diabetic on Clozaril.”
I’m on Perphenazine. I’ve taken it for about 7 years. It is by far the best med I’ve ever taken. I’ve tried most of the newer drugs. They had too many side effects for me. Since taking perphenazine I lost the nearly 100 pounds that the newer drugs put on me. I’m no longer on blood pressure meds or diabetic. At too high a dose I get an uncomfortable feeling in my body and I have to move all the time to relieve it. At a lower dose that doesn’t happen. I am very happy with perphenazine without it I could not function.
Hi optimistic, Glad I could help! I don’t really recall your situation, but I’m glad I helped someone with my experiences and suggestions. I must say that as of yesterday, I developed a cervical dystonia (forced neck spasm where head pulls to the left or right), and was taken off my old standby Perphenazine. I too was explicitly told I would develop diabetes on Clozaril, so back to the drawing board. Right now I’m on Haldol 10mg twice a day to hold the ship together.
I do appreciate the insight you give Alien 99. My son (and I) have read what both you and Jayster have written about perphenazine and it was critical in deciding to try it. I frequent the forums, but my son has never “joined in the conversation.” I think these forums are invaluable to people recently diagnosed (and their families). The practical advice from someone who lives it can sometimes be far more useful than just the PDoc with the prescription pad. As a mother it is so inspiring for me to be able to say, “This person struggles, but he’s making a good life for himself. My son can too.” (This was a long winded "Thank you, Alien 99!!)
I have been on perphenazine for three years abd it has worked wonders. I can’t take atypical anti psychotics like risperdal geodon abilify etc. Iam down to next to nothing asfar as hallucinations,voices,mood,agitation etc. Very good medicine.