[crazycatlady_83]

I saw my pdoc today and he suggested maybe adding another mood stabilizer to bring me down a little. I get angry when I'm getting manic and decreasing the Lamictal didn't quite do the trick and he doesn't want to get rid of it completely because it does help with the depression. I'm currently also taking Geodon. What is similar to Geodon that I can look into? And how has it been for you? I also have to pay for the meds out of pocket because my Medi-Cal share of cost is outrageous right now.

He also said that summer generally tends to make people more manic, like winter brings on depression. So maybe it would only be for a few months? I'm going to try taking Ativan every 8 hours as needed to see if that helps. Any suggestions are greatly appreciated.

[Honeydew1]

I take a generic form of Geodon, 40mg. When I first started it I was on 60mg, I lost like 25lbs which I needed after coming out a behavioral facility being on Seroquel. I had gained like 25lbs on it in like 2 months. I also take Lamitcal a generic too. Not sure if it's working. I'm thinking I'd like to try a low dose of Seroquel for sleep and depression. It's either gain a little weight and not crash rock bottom when I go down.
What's Ativan for?
Not sure of another drug like Geodon? Just research it or hopefully someone here can help. Good luck

[HALLIEBETH87]

I gained a ton of weight on Seroquel as well...

I just got put on lithium cause Im a little up and my lamictal increase didn't help..

[BipolaRNurse]

Generic Zyprexa is cheap and very effective for most people. The trouble with it is it can often cause weight gain. But if you're only on it for the summer, it might not be too terrible.....after a few weeks the initial increase in hunger tends to level off, and so does the weight. (Your mileage may vary.)

[crazycatlady_83]

Originally Posted by Honeydew1

I take a generic form of Geodon, 40mg. When I first started it I was on 60mg, I lost like 25lbs which I needed after coming out a behavioral facility being on Seroquel. I had gained like 25lbs on it in like 2 months. I also take Lamitcal a generic too. Not sure if it's working. I'm thinking I'd like to try a low dose of Seroquel for sleep and depression. It's either gain a little weight and not crash rock bottom when I go down.
What's Ativan for?
Not sure of another drug like Geodon? Just research it or hopefully someone here can help. Good luck

I take the Ativan to help me relax enough to fall asleep, and I'm going to try it to see if it will help relax me enough to where I don't feel like I'm going to lose it on my family or any time I get worked up and upset. We're thinking maybe it's from the heat and the fact that I can't handle heat very well because of the meds that's causing me to be more irritable.

I've researched a little a while ago. I'm hoping I can find out more about the different meds so I have something to think about as I compare them, as well as their prices. I've thought about either Latuda or Saphris because they aren't supposed to cause a lot of weight gain, but they are really expensive. I don't think they make generic for them yet.

[crazycatlady_83]

Originally Posted by HALLIEBETH87

I gained a ton of weight on Seroquel as well...

I just got put on lithium cause Im a little up and my lamictal increase didn't help..

I actually think the Lamictal was making me head towards mania. I decreased from 300 to 100mg and I feel a lot better. I started taking it when I went "flat" from being on just Geodon. It was fine for a few years, but then it just seemed like it was making me too up.

[BipolaRNurse]

Originally Posted by crazycatlady_83

I actually think the Lamictal was making me head towards mania. I decreased from 300 to 100mg and I feel a lot better. I started taking it when I went "flat" from being on just Geodon. It was fine for a few years, but then it just seemed like it was making me too up.

Lamictal does have a way of being activating sometimes. I remember getting hypomanic when my dose went from 125 to 175mg, and then again when I went from 200 to 250. It's not very effective at suppressing mania, obviously, but it's better at helping the depressive side of the illness.

[crazycatlady_83]

So I did some research on Risperdal and Zyprexa. They are both atypical antipsychotics like Geodon and have the same side effects, with the exception of the weight gain for those two. I would lean more towards Zyprexa because it has a moderate interaction with Geodon, while Risperdal has a higher and more dangerous interaction. I found a few that I really liked that seemed like they would really work, but they are about $400-800 a month with no generics yet.

Is there anything that doesn't cause weight gain? I'm on a workout routine, but I don't want to go all out and work out all the time just to have no results. I'm already trying to lose the 25lbs I put on since I stopped working. I'd like to lose the weight, not gain any more. I wish I could just do Geodon by itself, it seemed to keep me more stable and away from mania and depression. But I didn't have much in the way of a personality.

Originally Posted by crazycatlady_83

So I did some research on Risperdal and Zyprexa. They are both atypical antipsychotics like Geodon and have the same side effects, with the exception of the weight gain for those two. I would lean more towards Zyprexa because it has a moderate interaction with Geodon, while Risperdal has a higher and more dangerous interaction. I found a few that I really liked that seemed like they would really work, but they are about $400-800 a month with no generics yet.

There are generic versions of both Risperdal and Zyprexa. Risperdal's generic is Risperidone, and Zyprexa's generic is Olanzapine. Both of which can be filled for less than $15 at Walmart pharmacy.

Is that what you were trying to find, or did I misread your post?