search4answers Posted May 12, 2009 Share Posted May 12, 2009 Hi all I'm new here.. Just wanting some of your input. I have previously taken Risperidone, Seroquel. Currently, i'm on Invega which has been the best drug for me but is raising Prolactin levels. I'm also taking Abilify 10mgs. Me and my pdoc agree i need to be on Invega as it is high potency but the prolactin sucks, especially cos I'm of child-bearing age and eventually want to have kids. So here are my questions: 1) What is a good anti-psychotic other than Seroquel and Abilify (i.e- Stronger than these 2, with Invega being the strongest and Seroquel and Abilify being weaker) that are prolactin-sparing? 2) Are any of you parents, and having said that, having you had your pregnancies while taking meds? which ones? how was it? I heard women are 4 times more likley to have trouble during preg, and most of these drugs are Class c Thanks guys, searching4answers Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
search4answers Posted May 12, 2009 Author Share Posted May 12, 2009 I would especially like to hear from mothers and their experiences! Is it actually possible to conceive while having a raised prolactin level? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Anelize Posted May 12, 2009 Share Posted May 12, 2009 Have you considered Geodon? It's similar to Abilify in that it is supposedly weight neutral and doesn't raise prolactin levels. I tried it, but was unable to tolerate the akasthisia it gave me. I currently have prolactin issues from Risperdal, and am taking bromocriptine to bring my prolactin levels back down. I have stopped lactating since going on it, but have yet to have a period (it's been since January). I am past child-bearing age, on the cusp of menopause, so I wonder if my periods will even come back. Good luck with your search for info--I didn't find much out there on the whole raised prolactin levels issue, so I hope someone here on the board can give you what you're looking for.... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AnneMarie Posted May 12, 2009 Share Posted May 12, 2009 There is Zyprexa. There are anticonvulsants if you are bipolar. They could help reduce mood symptoms which could reduce the need for antipsychotics. Some are better for pregnancy than others, and there are folks here who could say which ones. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
search4answers Posted May 14, 2009 Author Share Posted May 14, 2009 Have you considered Geodon? It's similar to Abilify in that it is supposedly weight neutral and doesn't raise prolactin levels. I tried it, but was unable to tolerate the akasthisia it gave me. I currently have prolactin issues from Risperdal, and am taking bromocriptine to bring my prolactin levels back down. I have stopped lactating since going on it, but have yet to have a period (it's been since January). I am past child-bearing age, on the cusp of menopause, so I wonder if my periods will even come back. Good luck with your search for info--I didn't find much out there on the whole raised prolactin levels issue, so I hope someone here on the board can give you what you're looking for.... My professor suggested Geodon, (we call it Zeldox here) but i'm really worried about the QT prolongation side effect.... It's really scary...having to have regular ECG's and i tend to have a bit of an obsessive pulse-checking, hyperchondriacal side too, so I dont really want to consider that one I was having regular periods on 3mg Ivega and no lactation (that sounds really weird) on either Risperidone (I was on that one for about 2 years). My periods were however much heavier while on Seroquel...but i re-lapsed on that one. Is the heart risk with Geodon serious? Ive been on Abilify for a week but my doc seems to think I cant totally switch to it because it's not strong enough. Re: the other response, I have never been bipolar, only had 3 episodes of psychotic-like state in the last 6 years. before that i had panic disorder and depression and still get some transient anxiety .... I hope to hear from some of those folks here... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
search4answers Posted May 14, 2009 Author Share Posted May 14, 2009 There is Zyprexa. There are anticonvulsants if you are bipolar. They could help reduce mood symptoms which could reduce the need for antipsychotics. Some are better for pregnancy than others, and there are folks here who could say which ones. Re: Zyprexa, I'm not too keen on gaining heaps of weight, i saw it happen to a friend of mine who was on it... geez, its like a no-win situation. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Anelize Posted May 14, 2009 Share Posted May 14, 2009 There is Zyprexa. There are anticonvulsants if you are bipolar. They could help reduce mood symptoms which could reduce the need for antipsychotics. Some are better for pregnancy than others, and there are folks here who could say which ones. Re: Zyprexa, I'm not too keen on gaining heaps of weight, i saw it happen to a friend of mine who was on it... geez, its like a no-win situation. It does feel like a no-win situation most of the time, unfortunately. Risperdal is my AAP of last resort, because I've had such problems with the other ones. I knew about the prolactin thing going in, but I really didn't have much of a choice. As to the QT prolongation, I knew about it with all the AAPs, but I just can't get that worried about it. I need AAPs to stay stable, so I just deal, just like with the prolactin issue. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Amy10 Posted May 14, 2009 Share Posted May 14, 2009 I switched from Sulpiride to Seroquel last year after 8 yrs raised prolactin and amenorrhea (even had to try HRT). Periods came back, prolactin sky-dived, but not convinced of the virtue of S'quel and , like other poster above, think that an effective mood stabiliser or two could be better with bipolar and pregnancy. It sucks that the prolactin-neutral ones are few and often riddled with other nasty effects. Good luck! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chimpmaster Posted May 15, 2009 Share Posted May 15, 2009 zyprexa, clozpaine or seroquel.... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
search4answers Posted May 23, 2009 Author Share Posted May 23, 2009 Has anyone tried aromatherapy oils to regulate periods? im on a 3mg invega and had periods the first 5 months of this year... just trying some rose geranium... seemed to work last time i tried it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Anelize Posted May 23, 2009 Share Posted May 23, 2009 If you're on invega and it's screwing with your prolactin levels, your periods are going to be messed up or non-existent due to that. I find it hard to believe that aromatherapy could solve that issue, but that's just me. I'm taking bromocriptine to bring down my prolactin level and I still haven't had a period (it's been 3 months on the bromocriptine). My prolactin level is still higher than normal, although not nearly as high as it was. Personally, I wouldn't mind if I never had another period, but somehow, I doubt that I'll be that lucky. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Amy10 Posted May 23, 2009 Share Posted May 23, 2009 I too was happy not to have them but have you guys had a bone density scan? That was the reason I had to switch. They were thinning due to no periods. They have almost fully recovered now. Worth checking out if you haven't yet. I forgot to say but I found Agnus Castus (Chasteberry) quite effective for at least a while in recovering the occasional period and lowering my prolactin. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
blackbird Posted May 24, 2009 Share Posted May 24, 2009 Has anyone tried aromatherapy oils to regulate periods? im on a 3mg invega and had periods the first 5 months of this year... just trying some rose geranium... seemed to work last time i tried it. Clary Sage is good for bringing on periods. I used it whenever my menstrual cycle had ceased due to extreme low weight (anorexia) and I was eating normally and waiting for periods to begin again. It really worked. DO NOT USE if you are pregnant or manic (it induces euphoria)! blackbird. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JOSH28 Posted May 24, 2009 Share Posted May 24, 2009 i was on invega 6mg and i was wondering will my brain rebalance all the prolactin levels and so forth by itself or will i have to do something about it myself. can anybody tell me. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Aurochs Posted May 24, 2009 Share Posted May 24, 2009 No, it will not. The only way to reduce prolactin levels is to switch antipsychotics, or take a dopamine agonist (which i don't recommend, because it works against the antipsychotic in other ways). Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Anelize Posted May 24, 2009 Share Posted May 24, 2009 No, it will not. The only way to reduce prolactin levels is to switch antipsychotics, or take a dopamine agonist (which i don't recommend, because it works against the antipsychotic in other ways). I'm taking a dopamine agonist (Bromocriptine), which is working fine for me. I am not having any trouble with how the Risperdal is working that I can discern. I take it to control mania/hypomania, and I haven't had any problems with either since starting the Bromocriptine. I ramped up the dose very slowly, over a months time. It's an option for someone who is lactating and has extremely high prolactin levels, like I did, although I doubt I would have taken it if I hadn't been lactating. I had a baseline bone scan about a year ago, and will have another one this summer. I get them yearly due to the malabsorption from my gastric bypass. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Aurochs Posted May 24, 2009 Share Posted May 24, 2009 Guess I should have researched that before I posted - I can find no references stating that bromocriptine interferes with antipsychotic therapy. Good news if you're so inclined. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mOoOdymama Posted June 2, 2009 Share Posted June 2, 2009 i was reading on thomas hales' site and he said that nursing mothers have higher prolactin levels anyway...so that may not be such a big deal? not exactly sure what your concern is but i figured i'd chime in w/ that. so which one is more prone to weight gain in women...zyprexa, saroquel or risperdone. man. this really is a damn if you do, damn if you don't thing isn't it. i want so much to find my happy pill combo but damnit i do not want to keep gaining 'fat' on this bod. it sucks!!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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