First, I'd just like to say I'm sorry you have had a negative experience with anti-psychotics, I can sympathise that they aren't always very pleasant medications.
But...
Quote:
Originally Posted by thgonace
The injections used have incredibly long half lives, they take months to really get out of your system. Yet doctors can just ignore the brain damage, claim you are having difficulty communicating your side effects. They don't have to even address the brain damage, it isn't on the side effect list of the medication.
|
Yes there have been studies showing
"brain shrinkage", yet they are far from conclusive about the exact mechanics of the brain damage.
Also, bear in mind the brain is quite resilient... just because it's shrunk a bit doesn't mean you will have a huge loss of functioning. I'm sure someone with a more scientific background could back me up on that one.
A lot of the reporting about the study that showed that was sensationalist.
In fact, it is suggested that not being treated for psychosis over the long-term may have effects that can be just as detrimental...
Quote:
Taken together, these studies suggest that antipsychotics may contribute to early gray matter loss and, later in the course of treatment, to white matter loss. These effects may be dose-related and probably are not prevented by the use of second-generation agents. This argues for minimizing antipsychotic exposure both acutely and long-term. However, we are left with the additional dilemma that a longer duration of untreated psychosis (DUP) may also be neurotoxic. Longer DUP has been associated with poorer symptomatic and functional outcomes as well as brain volume loss. Studies of DUP have their own methodological limitations and controversies, but they should serve to warn us that the rapid control of psychosis may also be important. Psychosis at any phase of the illness can be extremely distressing, disruptive, and potentially dangerous for patient and family. New approaches for early intervention are needed and, with existing drugs, the potential for neurotoxicity must be weighed against short-term and long-term clinical gains. In the meantime, clinicians should avoid using antipsychotics unnecessarily and, when needed, use the lowest effective dose.
- See more at: Antipsychotics and the Shrinking Brain | Psychiatric Times
|
I think it's definitely a case of weighing the benefits with the risks. They aren't nice medications, but if you need them... you need them.
I do think sometimes psychiatrists are trigger happy with meds, or prescribe doses that are too high or just don't consider the overall wellbeing of their patients but that's not the medication, that's the system that's bad.
Quote:
Originally Posted by thgonace
I realize some of you have illnesses which require you to take these drugs in order to survive. I don't, I love my brain and think it is a terrible thing to waste. Sadly, society wants me on these drugs, and apparently they don't even have to recognize what they do.
|
If you don't mind me asking, why were you put on the Invega?
Quote:
Originally Posted by thgonace
]Forced Invega Sustenna injections have caused me possibly permanent damage and a great deal of discomfort.
|
You already highlighted the fact it has an extremely long half-life. How long have you been off meds? It could well take the better part of a year to fully recover.
Don't forget other problems like anxiety or depression can reduce cognitive abilities too. If you have any residual mental health problems it's quite likely they could be causing problems too. Sometimes people are took quick to blame medication for everything.
Personally, I was
"lobotomized", i.e. over-medicated, on Amisulpride for something like 10 months, but returned to full functioning after coming off when my symptoms cleared up. It had a massively shorter half-life but I'd say it took 2 weeks for the
"zombie" part to fully go away & a couple of months to be back to normal.
I wouldn't condemn yourself just yet, I think it's unlikely you have permanent problems due to the Invega.
Things that can help are exercise, eating healthily & making sure you are getting enough sleep. Other than that it's just a case of giving things some time to return to normal.