Anti-Psycotics

What are your thoughts? Which ones help you. What side effects have you faced from them. I am looking for input on ones other than Geodon. I am looking to drop Geodon. Was actually looking to drop Anti-Psychotics all together. Although I am not sure how my pdoc would feel about it.

Also wondering how you are doing if you are not taking one.

I'm BP I, too, & definitely wouldn't take the risk of going without an AP. Speaking only for myself, the damage done when manic often can not be undone...I've "bought a ticket to Crazytown" a few times too often.

I'm currently on abilify & can't say enough about this med. Not only is it an AP, it also helps with depression. I've had no side-effects & it isn't accompanied by the weight gain many APs cause.

No matter what you decide, I wish you luck.

I have tried most all of them, despised the side effects of weight gain and just feeling stupid on them. I refuse to go back on any AP. Lithium works well enough for me, mood wize.

Good luck

Risperdal could stop psychosis and/or full blown mania in its tracks for me. So in that respect it did its job very well.
The problem was it did it too well for my liking. Took away my spark, drive, ambition, creativity, and in high enough doses, made me a walking zombie to comatose.
So, I no longer take it. But to halt psychotic symptoms: A+

I have been OP-free for a few weeks, by choice, so far so good. The p-doc was hesitant, but agreed. Added that since I am on the Granddaddy of all mood stabilizers, I should be OK. I liked his calling Lithium granddaddy.

But to answer your question about side effects:

Seroquel: horrible akathisia and some weight gain and some constipation
Risperdal: orthostatic hypotension, low energy, anorgasmia, Parkinson-like side effects, horrible acne
Geodon: anorgasmia at high doses, flat orgasms at medium doses, acne
Zyprexa: weight gain, but, I must admit, excellent for overcoming jet lag

I've been off Zyprexa for several months, and with the exception of sleep, I really haven't needed it. I gained 20 lbs. almost overnight and my diabetes spun out of control when I was on it; since I went off I've lost 30 lbs. and my blood sugars have gone back down to near-normal levels.

I think I'll be OK without an AP unless/until I have another manic episode like the whingding I threw last summer, which is how I came to be on Zyprexa in the first place. I really did love that stuff, because I got the best sleep and was mellower than I've ever been in my life (without the use of non-prescription substances). But, if I CAN get along without an AP, why not?

I think my psydoc would be totally against me coming off of seroquel, but it was first given to my by my PCP and she said some people go on and off of it because it is a.......cycling disorder.

I only take a small dose and not even all the time. Tonight, too late, would never wake up, but will be fine tomorrow so may stop altogether.

I guess I'd want to find the right one if pdoc recommends and then if some time later i feel okay i could go on and off, up and down....

blah blah bllah...good thing I did not take it tonight....

I'm on Seroquel and feel very drowsy and am putting on weight. I'm still trying to find the benefits.

I'm on abilify and works so well for me! No side effects at all!! Not even weight gain! It helps and has no side effects which is a bonus for me . But I do find it doesn't help much with my depression which I have been cycling in and out of for moths now... . Although its supposed to help...

Abilify works well for me.

riperidol for 10 years worked fine but then i started lactating on itl
switched to abilify and so far so good , no weight gain at all.

With my expierence i have tried many of them in which all came with such horrible side affects i chose never to take one again. I take prestiq and neurontin now. The neurontin is the one i benefit from the most..just started the prestiq about a month ago and the only difference ive had is that im less hyper and not crying as much. It gives me bad headaches though and the day i take it since im on it every other day ..it makes me a little manic while the next day i feel mellow. Ive seemed to have lost all my creativity and the "fun" about myself i feel so im not sure i will be taking it much longer.

I have tried several AP but now I am on Zyprexa and I personally think it works well and fast. It's helped with mania and irritability and explosive anger/rage. My wife will agree. It does add weight but I exercise so I don't think it's too bad.

I've taken riperidol but stopped due to side effects I can't remember now (maybe anxiety attacks), took Zyprexa and was hungry all the time and gained a large amount of weight in a short amount of time.

Currently taken Seroquel and have taken it the longest - it worked for the longest time, but I'm currently in the process of changing it. I took it with Lamictal and I think that was a good combo for me, but my old pdoc wanted me on as little meds as possible, and possibly no medication (I don't agree with that and neither does my current pdoc). But the Seroquel hasn't been enough for awhile.

I did gain weight I've been on Seroquel for nearly a decade and I've gained 70 lbs or so. I'm not happy about that. We tried increase my Seroquel (I take 200 mgs) and I gained 10 lbs in a month and had brain fog so that experiment stopped.

Abilify made me groggy/tired all the time, pdoc said that happens in about 1 out of 10 people. Saphris gave me restless leg feeling and anxiety. So now I'm on Lithium and it seems to be working but I don't think I'm at a theraputic dose yet.

I like the brain fog that antipsychotics provide when I'm not feeling well. I don't take medications but, if I needed to go back during a fit of desperation I'd definitely want an antipsychotic for a couple weeks to a month.

I take Abilify, but only 5 mg which I wonder if that much is doing anything. I haven't had mania in two years though so it might be working at that level. I also take Wellbutrin XL 150 mg. I feel as if I could use more Wellbutrin -- maybe I'll ask my pdoc about it.

I took ability and for it to be effective I took 45mgs so I got horid restless legs from it, but other than that I felt great and stable. Next saphris took it and it made me very sick feeling I couldn't handle it, so after that risperdal which worked ok but caused me extremes movement issues tremors and restless legs or body as I called it. And now stelazine which is working great I still have to take cogentin but it's much better.

Thanks for all of your input! I am hoping to get off of Geodon. Although my pdoc is being really resistant on taking me off of it. I would think that lithium may help me as well as taking an AP. I would even suggest that I have one as a prn. I have been stable since June 2011. And have only really had bad episodes every couple years when I am really stressed out.