[MrAbbott]

Hello ppl .
My pdoc insinuated today that I should get an injectable antipsychotic every 3 months (I believe the exact name is Invega sustenna).

What are your thoughts about this kind of treatment?

I suffered a syncope two months ago and my pdoc hasn't ruled out invega as a culprit, so I'm surprised he suggests this measure now. How can I take out the antipsychotic from my body if I start having side-effects like that? It's a tricky choice.

Thanks.

[Yaowen]

Sorry you are experiencing the unhappy difficulties you describe. Wish I knew how to help but I am a loss, not knowing much about the illness that afflicts you or the medication you mention. Hopefully other members here will see your post and some will have knowledge, experience and insight which will prove helpful to you. My heart goes out to you!

[Soupe du jour]

I certainly see your point about a 3-month injectable taking long to get off, if it is the culprit of your syncope. Does your doctor think it would be less likely to cause it than the pill form? I wonder why, if that is his thinking.

I would think that unless your doctor knows something about the injectable being more side effect friendly, there must be other reasons for the injectable. For example, if you tended to miss or skip that medication frequently. Or, if it happened to cost less money.

Obviously, I don't know your doctor's reasons, or if the injectable is a good idea. I will say that I find the extended release (XR) of Seroquel a bit more side effect friendly than the instant release (IR). I attribute that to the "action", as I call it in layman's terms.

[MrAbbott]

Originally Posted by Soupe du jour

I certainly see your point about a 3-month injectable taking long to get off, if it is the culprit of your syncope. Does your doctor think it would be less likely to cause it than the pill form? I wonder why, if that is his thinking.

I would think that unless your doctor knows something about the injectable being more side effect friendly, there must be other reasons for the injectable. For example, if you tended to miss or skip that medication frequently. Or, if it happened to cost less money.

Obviously, I don't know your doctor's reasons, or if the injectable is a good idea. I will say that I find the extended release (XR) of Seroquel a bit more side effect friendly than the instant release (IR). I attribute that to the "action", as I call it in layman's terms.

Hi Soupe, you hit the nail on the head; my doctor indeed believes that XR invega offers less side-effects. He doesn't know why I suffered a syncope so he's just getting ready to brush this one time reaction under the carpet and move on - I was told by the doctors that going to the toilet at night can create a syncope, but I'm still "young" I don't understand why and it scares me.

I used to throw my seroquel to the trash but after an awful mania and psychosis that made me lose my job, I'll never try it again - hope my doctor knows it and trusts me once more, it was a terrible blunder.


Lastly, I tried to convince my doctor to go for a seroquel monotherapy, since lithium doesn't help me much and I fear valproic, but he refused. According to him, this possibility is only valid for people whose body rejects lithium/valproic and there's no other option... it's too soon to tell what valproic will be able to do for me. If I have another full blown mania+psychosis in 6 months, I'll know valproic hasn't improved anything for me. I hate taking toxic meds and getting blood tests, truly.

Thanks for your help, Soupe, I needed to get this off my chest.

[MuddyBoots]

Invega comes in a once a month injectable form as well (Invega Sustenna) if you want to try that first before committing to three months (Invega Trinza)

but if you think the Invega is making you faint I wouldn't risk it. I was on Invega Sustenna and had minor allergic reactions (getting progressively worse with each injection) to it and waiting for the effects to wear off can be a bit much. I would make rule out Invega being the cause of the syncope before putting 1-3 months worth of it in your system.

Also be warned that different people metabolize meds at different rates so if you metabolize meds a little faster you might become symptomatic before your next injection is due.