[Blitter2014]

I'm after some advice from anyone who's had anything to do with Saphris or an overwhelming sense of imminent doom.

I had been on Seroquel for approx 18 month when I started to get locked jaw and various other side effects which I couldn't live with. PDoc moved me onto the slow release Seroquel XR, but the side effects continued to get worse. On the next visit PDoc moved me onto Saphris, starting at 5mg at night.

Initially it was f a n t a s t i c! But I learned pretty quickly that it was inducing a manic episode and so the dosage was upped to 10mg. I loved the mania, had so much energy and so much enthusiasm for life, but was told I could not continue else I would end up with full blown mania.

So, the 10mg took away everything the 5mg had given me. But what is of concern now is the overwhelming feeling of impending doom that I cannot seem to shift. I wake in the morning feeling like a huge rock is sitting on top of me, making it impossible to move, to be motivated, to feel like I can engage the world. It has left me wondering what the point of life is, I don't want to die, but seriously, what IS the point of life, all I seem to be doing is marking time, making dumb decisions, making others unhappy.

This overwhelmed feeling makes me feel like I don't dare do anything, else it will go wrong, something will go wrong. I need to have the lights on in the house and the curtains open all the time, because I have become scared that the doom is linked to the dark skys we currently have because of winter. I have stopped going out again in social events, have almost totally stopped working and am slipping backwards fast.

I see my pdoc next week, and my therpist the week after I am doing all the right things, breathing exercises, distractional therapy, quiet time, taking my meds as prescribed, I don't want to stay like this. Has ANYONE had experience with either a sense of overwhelming doom or any experience with Saphris that could offer some advice. Please.

As always, hugs to everyone here on PC

[Wander]

Saphris, at 5mg, made me almost immediately much more agitated and irritable. I was climbing up the walls and the staff at hospital could see my distress so it was ceased. Olanzapine (zyprexa) has been more effective for me.

[pawn78]

I never took saphris, but I can relate to your description of waking up in the morning and feeling like a huge boulder is on top of you, killing all motivation. That is exactly what my depressive episodes are like.

[Curiosity77]

I'm on Saphris, and there are things i don't like about it, but it doesn't cause the sense of doom you are describing. Are you sure you are not getting depressed? Because anxiety can be part of depression. Your description doesn't sound like something Saphris would cause, but then you never know, everyone is different.

I have complicated feelings towards Saphris. It took me out of severe depression, and keeps me pretty stable. But it leaves me a little flat, and it stops hypomania, which i really miss. Plus i just don't like the idea of being on an AP because i am not psychotic. I know it is a mood stabilizer too, but it just seems pretty heavy to me, because i think i'm be ok just on lamictal, but my pdoc disagrees. So i struggle with taking it. But it does do what it's supposed to do.