[kmyers80]

Sorry about the thread title, but I am not very good at this.
Long story short was diagnosed with bipolar II (maybe rapid cycling) in August and am on Geodon. But I am plagued with questions on if it is really working. I need someone with experience to tell me their thoughts.
Everyday I start great, energetic and excited for the day and then the afternoon hits and I get depressed and I just feel like my brain is fuzzy. (if that makes sense.) Usually at night I cry for a few moments and then my husband is able to distract me and I feel alright.

Does this sound normal? I am no longer hypomanic and I can get out of bed in the morning but it has to be better than this. Every day feels like a roller coaster. Has anyone else experienced this? Is this something I need to talk to my p-doc about? Any insight would be greatly appreciated.

[lunarpariah]

Hi K,

How long have you been taking Geodon? My understanding is that it can take several weeks to get to theraputic levels. One of the side effects of Geodon is being unusually tired or sleepy.

It tends to start getting better after the first week so if the drug is new to you try to hang in there.

Obviously it would be a good idea to talk to you prescribing doctor about any side effects you may be having.

I wish you luck!

[Sheba976]

I'm feeling just about the same as you. I recently started a mood stabilizer in addition to my antidepressant and it will take time to get to theraputic levels. It can be a daily struggle. Most days I am exhausted and I have a hard time dragging myself out of bed, sleeping through my alarm, my kids waking me up, etc but then it started to extend into my morning at work. Once I'm busy, I'm distracted, then I'm okay for awhile. Once the daily grind is over and I finally lay in bed, my mind starts racing and that's when my tears start up. So I've started reading before bed to try and distract my mind. My therapist also recommended a book called "Mind over Mood" and I think this will help me a great deal. I know your frustrations, I'm going through the same thing myself. Hang in there. I'm glad I came here and I can see I'm not the only one feeling this way. I think you will make lots of friends, and things will only get better from here.

[kmyers80]

I have been on geodon for almost two months. Now I am questioning if the dosage is enough. I don't have many side effects which is good, but I thought I would be back to my normal self by now. My sleep is finally normal and I am no longer hypomanic. The depression just seems to hang around at night. I am seeing a therapist also so I feel like I covered my bases. I am just impatient and want to feel better.

Thanks for the replies. It helps to know I am not alone.

[nacht]

Yeah, it just takes time. There's this feeling that we want things to work right away - I mean you take ibuprofen for a headache or an antibiotic for an infection, it should totally work the same way, right? - and when it doesn't happen we get impatient, because holy cow it is miserable to feel this way. It's something I'm having to remind myself of right now, too. I understand.

Hang in there. It does get better.