jt07 Posted March 4, 2012 Share Posted March 4, 2012 I am going through the weekend without my Abilify, and one thing that has become clear is that I am nowhere near as hungry as I am on Abilify. I could easily diet right now and lose the weight that I gained. So I'm wondering if I would benefit by switching my AAP to something else, and Geodon seems to be the most logical choice right now. But I have some questions: Does Geodon increase the appetite a lot? If you take Geodon, when do you take your dose? AM or PM? Is it very sedating? Thanks. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Eden Posted March 4, 2012 Share Posted March 4, 2012 For me geodon does not increase my appetite, I take it BID, once at breakfast and once at lunch. You have to take it with food, studies show for full absorbtion 500 calories is ideal. If you don't have much of an appetite, like me, it might suck to have to choke down a ton of food. I usually can only make it through about 300 calories or so, and I often drink half of them. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
San Posted March 4, 2012 Share Posted March 4, 2012 Geodon never made me hungry, actually, the opposite. I took it in the morning and at night. (60mg x 2) I discontinued it because I couldn't sleep. It is weight neutral. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
koali777 Posted March 4, 2012 Share Posted March 4, 2012 I lost weight on Geodon. Not that it actually made me lose weight...with simply walking every day and not over-eating, I lost weight, so I don't think it messed up my metabolism. I took 240 mg and that was way too much, I'm done with that pdoc. I tried taking it in the morning but ended up only taking it at night because it would knock me out. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cfranco92 Posted March 4, 2012 Share Posted March 4, 2012 Geodon did not increase my appetite. It was pretty weight neutral. I remember I took 60mg at morning (around 11) and at night (around 8 or 9). Like others said you have to eat a pretty substantial meal with it so the meds would work best. Geodon was very sedating for me and I spent a lot of time adjusting my day time dose so I could function. I walked around in a sleepy daze most of the time I was on it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted March 5, 2012 Share Posted March 5, 2012 You have to take it with food, studies show for full absorbtion 500 calories is ideal. *whistles* 1000 calories http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed?term=Gandelman%20alderman%20glue 500 is good, but not full absorbtion. Anyway, I found it good, didn't have the urge to eat half a bakery. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jt07 Posted March 5, 2012 Author Share Posted March 5, 2012 Thanks guys. Yeah, I need something that is easy on the appetite. The Abilify hunger seems to me to outweigh the benefits at this point. But I will see how it goes. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Eden Posted March 5, 2012 Share Posted March 5, 2012 You have to take it with food, studies show for full absorbtion 500 calories is ideal. *whistles* 1000 calories http://www.ncbi.nlm....alderman%20glue 500 is good, but not full absorbtion. Anyway, I found it good, didn't have the urge to eat half a bakery. A quote from said study. "Maximum ziprasidone exposures in this study were observed with high-calorie meals (1000 kcal), which were nearly twice those observed under fasting conditions. The medium-calorie meal (500 kcal) was associated with exposures similar to the high-calorie meals." Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Littleladybug Posted March 11, 2012 Share Posted March 11, 2012 The Geodon leaflet says to eat at least 350 calories when you dose. When I first started Geodon, I was extremely agitated. A few days after I started taking it, a calmness came over my body and my mind. It was if my body was saying "thank you". I even felt hella loopy and couldn't drive for several days. After all that wore off, it wasn't sedating at all. My biggest problem with it is it made me feel very ill, i felt like death. I went to the doctor thinking I was ill and they told me I was just experiencing side effects. I stuck it out and I'm glad I did because I don't feel like that anymore. I have been exercising and losing weight on Geodon, so that is good. When I take my morning dose, I don't get crazy hungry, but for some reason when I take my evening dose, I'm hungry as hell and after everyone else goes to sleep I am still tearin up the kitchen lol. I talked to this guy at the gym and he told me when that happens I should make a protein shake so I'm not piling on the calories. Also, my pdoc told me that Geodon is one of the best meds out their for maintaining and not gaining weight. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SpartanForce Posted March 14, 2012 Share Posted March 14, 2012 I'm off Abilify too and thinking of Geodon. But I'm afraid to get the side-effects with wikipedia says, dizzyness, etc. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
apetasticaL Posted March 16, 2012 Share Posted March 16, 2012 i take equal doses of geodon in the morning and at night. i usually don't take it with food [i don't like eating that many calories in one sitting] but i need to start so it will absorb better. it's helped me more than any other drug, and takes effect on me almost immediately [no weeks of titration, etc]. it makes my thoughts feel more organized, makes me feel more "at peace" and less irritable, it keeps everything in my head from moving so fast that it makes white noise. also, it helps in some ways with paranoia and delusions. it mildly helps with my visual hallucinations during manias, but those things are pesky and relentless when they come. i have gained no weight on geodon, and it actually decreases my appetite. when i first started taking it, it made me really drowsy, but after about 10 days of being on the dosage, i got used to it and now it is a mild sedation and sense of relaxation instead of sleepiness. eta: i have found that i get a sense of restlessness and "brain fog" if my dosage gets too high. this happens if i take my dosage with a full meal, or when i get above 120mg per day. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gearhead Posted March 16, 2012 Share Posted March 16, 2012 I was never able to adapt to the severe sedation I had from Geodon. I slept 14 hours a day when nothing stopped me from it when I was on Geodon, and yes, I gained weight, too, but I have no idea if that was because it was messing with my metabolism or because I felt half-dead all the time and never, ever exercised. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Alien Navel Cord Posted March 22, 2012 Share Posted March 22, 2012 I did not gain weight on the geodon but was only on it for 2 months because the akisthesia was so bad, and it made me a walking zombie. I could not wake up! i was foggy all day, and even when driving was running the risk of an accident. Don't know how I managed to drive 6 hours to Tacoma while taking it. Oh wait, yes I do, I took a clon and that helped me focus better to drive. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tazlina Posted March 23, 2012 Share Posted March 23, 2012 I'm doing well on Geodon. I don't hear things anymore, I'm less paranoid, and it's helped to level out a touch of hypomania that was a gift from the Wellbutrin. It used to make me a bit sleepy, but it doesn't anymore. I don't have the nightmares that other folks are reporting. Just about the only side effect it's given me is anorexia (not the ED kind, the kind with absolutely no appetite). I've lost 10-15 pounds that really kind of needed to come off. Still, I have a bit of difficulty even making myself eat the 500 calories I'm supposed to take it with. Sometimes, I barely make it to 350 - in an entire day. Not bragging, nor am I completely pleased with this, given my history with eating disorders. But at the same time, I don't mind it so much that I want to get off it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
koali777 Posted March 23, 2012 Share Posted March 23, 2012 eta: i have found that i get a sense of restlessness and "brain fog" if my dosage gets too high. this happens if i take my dosage with a full meal, or when i get above 120mg per day. Same here...I thought I "hated" Geodon, but then realized that at 240 mg a day, of course I am going to be apathetic, tired, dumb, and even lactate. My old pdoc way overmedicated me. And I get the full meal thing...both with Geodon and Latuda, if I'd eat too much I'd get restless and exhausted, even though it says that there was no difference in effects between 350 cal and 1000 cal. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Archived
This topic is now archived and is closed to further replies.