Geodon

[TheGreenRoom]

Hello folks,

I've had some increased stress lately, and had a level 2 decompensation (I grade mine in 3 stages LOL) recently. I began getting very paranoid and starting having obsessive, ruminating thoughts and became unable to sleep, because my mind was moving at 500 miles per hour with the most bizarre and ridiculous things.

I saw my pdoc today and I figured he would put me back on Abilify, which I was weaned off of about a month ago, but he said that he would rather try Geodon this time because I have more symptoms than just depression and agitation. He also gave me Klonopin to use as needed when I feel like my anxiety is really severe, and he referred me to a special therapist in the area who specializes in OCD.

I feel really bad about myself - like I keep getting worse instead of better. I read the insert for Geodon, and I am worried about taking it. : ( What has everyone else's experiences been?

Thanks!

[SashaSue]

Why are you worried about taking it? Geodon is a perfectly good med, that's been great for a lot of our members. There's not way to predict how well it will work for you, but the only way to find that out is to just take it.

[netsavy006]

I didn't have a good experience with Geodon, but I'm probably in that rare few, because it caused multiple issues for me.

It gave me akathisia, a rash, nighttime sedation (I was only taking 20mg an hour before bedtime), mood instability, and it didn't really help with the symptoms I was going through.

[TheGreenRoom]

I'm not only crazy, I'm a crazy nurse. I tend to over-research everything and ask way too many questions....and then talk myself out of treatment that will help me. My concern with the Geodon has to do with the cardiac side effects, but that probably, as usual, is me being a crazy, ruminating, obsessive nurse. : /

I'm going to shut up and take my pill now.

On a side note - I also talked myself out of Abilify and Lamictal at first, but both those drugs kept me out of the hospital.

[netsavy006]

As far as the Geodon goes, I'd take it if I were you. The insert for Geodon is no worse than the insert for most of the other AAPs. At some point you have to quit reading and take the meds. Trust your pdoc.

I have to agree with this. In the past and several users will back me up on this, I use to reject taking certain meds only because of what the internet site for that med or the inserts said would happen. I had to overcome that fear and put my trust in the doctors that they know what they are doing and start trying the options I otherwise would've never taken.

If it wasn't for me wanting to work with my pdoc, I never would've stabilized on the Lithium + Clozaril combination. Before, I was in and out of the hospital on a monthly or bimonthly basis.

Trust your pdoc and give the medication a chance. You won't know until you take it.

[Guest Vapourware]

Good luck with the ziprasidone. Personally, it was a fantastic drug for me. It dealt with my symptoms and I found myself responding well. If it wasn't for the random sedation, which unfortunately didn't go away, then I would've gladly stayed with the med.

How I look at PI sheets is that they will list every side effect under the sun, no matter how unlikely it is for someone to actually get it. It's the company's way of covering their ass. If even just one person had a side effect which may, or may not have been, directly attributed to the drug, the side effect would most likely make its way on the PI sheet just in case.

[TheGreenRoom]

Is there the usual few week period waiting for blood levels to reach therapeutic before I start to feel better? I am having some mild side effects - a bit of nausea. My OCD is out of control, though. I am still struggling with obsessive thoughts about my Mom's upcoming surgery and all of the "what if's", her recovery, my uncle dying of cancer. Klonopin is just barely taking the edge off. I have an appointment with my new OCD specialist tdoc this week, and I am trying all of tricks that I have been taught to calm myself, but I am really stuck in one hell of a rut right now.

I just keep praying that this Geodon pulls me out of it a little bit.

[Velvet Elvis]

I found Geodon to have fewer side effects than any other AAP I've been on.

If you're really worried about cardiac side effects, there's a simple way to deal with that. Go see a cardiologist and have some tests done.

What's helped my OCD the most has been HIGH dose SSRIs combined with risperdal. I read a review article a couple years back that said all SSRIs are pretty much equally effective for OCD if you just get the dose high enough.

[San]

I've also found Geodon to have less side effects than other AAP's. I was nauseous for a few days after starting it, but it went away.

[rowen]

I like Geodon. I've been on it for two months now. It works really well for me. I do get the random sedation thing Vape was talking about, but I'm learning to work with it.

I was concerned about the heart condition, too. I asked a pharmacist, and she said you find out really quick if you're going to have heart problems. She said it's more likely to happen if you already have a heart problem, but even still, it's fairly uncommon. Most of the time, it doesn't sneak up on you.

As for the OCD, I've found it's not getting rid of it completely. Just as well, I've been wanting to deal with it in therapy. I'm on a higher dose than you are. Perhaps going up on it will help? Surprisingly, Abilify helped the OCD a lot. I didn't realize how much so until I switched to Geodon. Now the OCD is back. It's manageable - not in full force - but it is annoying.

[SashaSue]

Is there the usual few week period waiting for blood levels to reach therapeutic before I start to feel better? I am having some mild side effects - a bit of nausea. My OCD is out of control, though. I am still struggling with obsessive thoughts about my Mom's upcoming surgery and all of the "what if's", her recovery, my uncle dying of cancer. Klonopin is just barely taking the edge off. I have an appointment with my new OCD specialist tdoc this week, and I am trying all of tricks that I have been taught to calm myself, but I am really stuck in one hell of a rut right now.

I just keep praying that this Geodon pulls me out of it a little bit.

For me, AAP's tend to kick in pretty quickly. More like a few days than a few weeks. Your dosage of geodon is pretty low. You might want to talk to your pdoc about an increase.

[TheGreenRoom]

Thank you for replying : )

My pdoc is a "start low and go slow" type of guy. He has me on 20mg until I see him on the 25th. I'm going to have to call him tomorrow and tell him what's going on. Maybe he'll let me go up to 40mg.

I've tried to use very high doses of SSRIs in the past. My affect was horribly blunted, and I had physical side effects.

I'm a head injury survivor, so I think that I react differently to medications, especially at higher doses. I couldn't tolerate higher doses of Effexor at all, even though at lower doses it works somewhat. Wellbutrin can cause seizures in head injury patients, so I am stuck at 150mg, but it stil manages to make feel more awake and alert.

The best drug I was ever on was Lamictal - and it gave me the worst hives of my life. It was so sad. I was on Abilify, and it really worked for me, but I got fat as a house.

I have my hopes up for Geodon.

[crab76]

Thank you for replying : )

My pdoc is a "start low and go slow" type of guy. He has me on 20mg until I see him on the 25th. I'm going to have to call him tomorrow and tell him what's going on. Maybe he'll let me go up to 40mg.

I've tried to use very high doses of SSRIs in the past. My affect was horribly blunted, and I had physical side effects.

I'm a head injury survivor, so I think that I react differently to medications, especially at higher doses. I couldn't tolerate higher doses of Effexor at all, even though at lower doses it works somewhat. Wellbutrin can cause seizures in head injury patients, so I am stuck at 150mg, but it stil manages to make feel more awake and alert.

The best drug I was ever on was Lamictal - and it gave me the worst hives of my life. It was so sad. I was on Abilify, and it really worked for me, but I got fat as a house.

I have my hopes up for Geodon.

Hi.... I'm curious to see how your doing on Geodon? I'm on abilify and HATE the weight gain. I want to ask my Doc for Geodon. BUT I'm like you.... I read everything and am terrified of the side effects of Geodon. So I'd probably start at 20mg too.

Did you ever go up to 40mg? Are you having side effects?

Any info would be great. My biggest concerns are weight gain and being tired. I need to be activated so I can get up and out of my bed. I want to diet & work out. So having a pill that makes me hungry and lay in bed is pointless. The abilify is activating but makes me soooo hungry. :-/ Does the geodon activate you or make you sleepy? thanks!!

[crtclms]

My pdoc tried me on geodon first, because he thought it had a lower side effect profile, and because it is more weight neutral than some of the other AAPs. I was just switched to risperdone, which I *think* is supposed to be somewhat weight neutral, but someone will correct me if I am mistaken.