Taking an antipsychotic as needed P.R.N

Medications
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I take a small cocktail of meds - an antipsychotic (Risperdal) a mood stabilizer for depression (Lamictal) and a benzo for anxiety (Klonopin).
Since lowering the Risperdal dose from 4 mg down to 2.5 mg, I am less agitated, less anxious and not cycling as much.

Lately I am not dramatically mood cycling chronically, but from time to time I will get manic or mixed episodes where I will get irritable and angry etc…
I am thinking about asking my pdoc if I could take an add on antipsychotic on a as needed basis P.R.N. - taking an extra dose of an antipsychotic like Zyprexa when needed only - this will be an extra med on top of my other meds.

Does anyone take an antipsychotic on an as needed basis? You know for those moments when you are either real manic or freaking out - taking an extra antipsychotic PRN will be easier on my physical health also.

  • I cannot increase the Risperdal because of agitation and rapid heart beat
2

I have found that antipsychotics are not like benzodiazepines. They stabilize you. You can’t just pop them as needed. I tried that and wound up in the hospital in Dec.
They work too slow when you need them and then poof it’s too late.

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You could try it and see. A dissolvable zyprexa tab was part of my second regiment. On top of the other mess it seemed to help mellow me out.

I think because it dissolved in the mouth it hit the bloodstream quicker and in higher quantities.

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4

I’ve known hypo manic people who have taken chlorpromazine prn for agitation. As I remember it worked quite well for them. But really on a doctor could authorise that.

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So do dissolvables hit you so quick you can feel it block an episode?
I would love that. But sometimes you don’t even have the presence of mind to know you need a PRN.

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Yeah I love the way Zyprexa mellows me out - kind of felt like I was stoned a bit.
Taking it PRN on top of my other meds could do the trick - I also have a lot of anxiety

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It was a nightly thing. More administered by outside observers. By night I was always freaking out.

It’s like smoking something between a cig and a joint.

Still zyprexa though. A pretty harsh med.

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I used to get injectable Prolixin when I was freaking. I called it ‘the hammer’. But yea that’s quick if you need it.

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I didn’t know you could do that. I think I am going to stay on a regular dose. I used to pop Klonopin as needed. Now I don’t take it any more.