bizarre Geodon side effect, strange feeling

[vectorgirl]

I've been on and off Geodon for a few years because it seems to be all that makes me feel emotionally "normal" but the side effects eventually become unbearable. I've had a lot of weight gain and it gives me tremors, but I'm at the point where I can deal with those but the one side effect I absolutely cannot deal with is a bizarre sensation I get where I feel incredibly sleepy, but for unexplainable reasons feel compelled to keep myself awake — I want to eat because in this state I believe it will keep me awake, and I also shake my right leg a lot. It's like I feel anxiety in this state about going to sleep, even if I'm home, it's nighttime and I'm in bed. It lasts about 3 hours.

I'm taking a relatively low dose — 20mg twice a day, and at only 20mg once a day it's not as bad, but I'm at the point now where I can feel it wear off in the middle of the day and get terrible tremors if I don't take the second dose.

It's not really making me hungry this go around per se, it's more of an anxiety measure — it's like I'm falling over asleep but I'm afraid to give in to sleep.

If I can learn to deal with this one side effect I'd be happy on my cocktail, which is saying a lot. I haven't tried another AAP because I'm worried the side effects will be the same or worse. I'm on the cusp of being heavy now to the point where my doctors will start lecturing me, and ironically I gain weight on Geodon but it's the only med on which I feel normal enough to be sensible about what I eat and exercise. Catch-22.

[gizmo]

Some of your symptoms sound like akathisia. I'd discuss your symptoms with your pdoc and see if this might be what is going on - because there are medications you can take to counteract akathisia.

I fight to sleep as well. I have since I was a young child. Every time that I would start drifting off, I would suddenly jerk awake. This meant that it would take me hours to fall asleep every night. I finally had to get on a sleep-inducing medication to stop my mind from doing this. I can't see your sig, so I don't know if you are on anything or not. Sleep meds have made a huge difference in how fast I fall asleep.

[vectorgirl]

I've always had a weird history with sleep. I've been on a lot of sleep meds but the last few months I've been sleeping like a baby naturally or with melatonin. I have a really bad history with the prescription sleep drugs. And Trazadone gave me terrible akathisia.

That crossed my mind with this sensation, it feels like akathisia but instead of not being able to decide if I want to pace or sit down it's like I can't allow my body to sit still and sleep, and my mind is saying "I MUST stay awake for some reason and food is the ONLY way to do it" when I'm in this state.

[MellaBlue]

I love my geodon. I'm on 60mgs and it's stabilized me wonderfully. The first two days I was on it I pretty much slept constantly but on the 3rd day I was back to my old self, depression just evaporated.

But I did experience a restless uneasiness the first week or so when I'd get sleepy. It was like you said, groggy tiredness but a physical resistence to sleep. It wore off but I've always, always, been a "bad" sleeper. No matter how tired I am I never just "fall" into sleep quickly.

Everyone's sleep style, just like everyone's "normal," is different though.