Hello,
I have been diagnosed with paranoid schizophrenia recently and I take 117 mg of invega. Before the medication I was having grandiose delusions and paranoia that my family was going to hurt me. I had never heard voices, hallucinations, or any cognitive symptoms. Now that I have been on medication for the past 2 months I am completely “normal”. Was just curious as to how long I should take invega, and if I could ever live an antipsychotic free life?
There’s a chance that you could taper off successfully after a year of no symptoms, with the pdoc’s approval, but if you’re on for longer than a year you’ll generally need to be on APs for life.
We really need to make a pinned post about this. (And a post addressing people who are wondering if they have sz talking about common symptoms and to check with an actual professional and not an Internet forum if they think they may experience those symptoms)
The reason why you’re now doing better is because the medication is working. Schizophrenia isn’t the flu and doesn’t magically go away. Medication isn’t a cure it merely covers up symptoms. People who are multiepisodic have something like an over 90% chance of relapsing off medication.
If you want at some point you can try tapering down with your doctor’s help. But if you have schizophrenia your symptoms will come back, and I urge that you go back on your meds once they do.
Seriously this question is like saying “I lost my legs in an accident. I got artificial legs and I’ve been able to walk for a few months now. I think I’m pretty much normal again. Do you think I can stop using them to walk now?” The reason why you can walk is because you got the artificial legs, your legs didn’t somehow grow back on their own.
Sorry I just have to answer this so many times…it makes me more mad at doctors/prescribers for not explaining this to people diagnosed w sz. Many many people w sz end up in hospitals because they don’t understand this and go off meds and relapse.
I agree with @Anna. If you have schizophrenia you can count on being on an antipsychotic for the rest of your life. These meds control the symptoms; they don’t do away with them, don’t fix you.
A lot of people who are new to this kind of medication are bummed out by the prospect of having to take them for life, but it’s a harsh reality with this illness. If you go off your Invega, you can and will relapse sooner or later.
Your relapse might even be worse than your first psychotic break. I’ve had three such breaks, with each one being a bit worse than the one before it.
I went into remission after four years of illness and went off my meds. I coped for five years off meds but then I relapsed. Haven’t been able to come off meds since - I keep on relapsing. On my meds i do well
Im at the point where i feel really good. I am starting to think im the lucky one who was cured from sz. But i have been in this point about ten times and the reality is that you dont get cured from sz. And meds are forever.
Just wanted to add that most sz patients take more meds that they need in my opinion. But they all need atleast the minimum. Its like giving birth. You will have some degree of pain.
Do you have sources of this? I’ve heard of people’s sz going into remission after years of medication, but that doesn’t mean they stopped the medication and no longer had symptoms, it just means they had been symptom free a really long time on meds.
In my courses in college we were shown research studies that had found that in patients with sz who did not take medication, the disorder was degenerative in nature and actually got worse over time. Where did you get this info? Is it clear that in the people that this happened, if it did, that they were actually schizophrenic? I’m just curious to know as this would go directly against what I was taught.
Awesome, well I am sure there’s always the exception. Though it does say either it didn’t get worse, temporarily got better or improved but still with some com of cognitive disability. It doesn’t say completely cured. Also this is very old research, there has been a lot of more current studies on the topic as well that shouldn’t be discounted.
yes but these experiences are superior than studies because everyone was unmedicated and lived in an asylum; so doctors could see the natural progression of the disorder in every patient.
I might try going without medication. I’m tired of being fat. Survival of the fittest? Can I learn to cope without meds? I’ve had a lot of talk therapy and it helps. I need to learn to deal with anxiety , depression, and paranoia.
Sometimes i feel I’m not schizophrenic. I’m trying to understand the root cause. I think it’s from trauma. Im also very psychic.
I have zero drive. I have cognitive problems. I think this is from my meds.
This is actually really lucky, don’t discount that.
Yeah it’s a bummer it requires meds, but many people don’t get to “normal” on meds, so I would encourage you to be happy the meds work alright and go with your doctor’s reccomendations.
I’ve been on APs for way longer than a year. What if you’re not sz?