Anyone have any experience being on saphris?

[Liane01]

My pdoc is considering switching me from zyprexa to saphris. I'm just wondering if this is a good idea.

[Guest]

it could be, What are the reasons for wanting to change, and why are you taking it? What do you want to know about saphris?

[hazel52]

i started saphris about 6 weeks ago. i have a hard time with all the antipsychotics so my doc treats my hypomanic episodes as needed-usually at the beginning of every spring season. he tries new mood stabilizers when available. i titrated over a week to 10 mg QHS and was pretty happy with the mood stabilization. i could sleep, no manic craziness, back to functioning reliably. What a relief. i could not take a morning dose because it made me too drowsy so stayed with the nighttime only.

however about 10 days in i developed peripheral edema, abdomen distention and dangerously high blood pressure-180/92. i went to my internal med doc, by that time with an upper respiratory infection-treated with antibiotic and they couldn't figure out what was going on but my liver enzymes were sky high. The only thing it could have been was the Saphris. I discontinued the Saphris and now, a month later, my liver enzymes are back to normal, edema gone, and BP back around 130/64.

My doc said its a rare side effect. i just don't do well with this class of drug. i wish i could take it, it was very effective.

[ManWitPlan]

What kind of dose of zyprexa are you on? zyprexa is one of the stronger antipsychotics and there is a risk of going off of zyprexa then relapsing and then the zyprexa doesn't work again. I didn't have any luck going off of risperdal after trying all the weight neutral drugs. But if you have diabetes from the zyprexa and are stable right now and its likely for alternative drugs to work then its worth a shot I guess. I just would be careful because a lot of people stopping zyprexa and trying weight neutral drugs relapsed and went back on zyprexa and it didn't work so had to try clozaril. So be careful.