[Wander]

Hi All,

My pdoc is taking me off Lamotrigine and Seroquel and putting me on Geodon and Tegretol (plus another drug I cannot recall). Has anyone had experiences with these meds. I know we are all different. I am just looking for feedback to add to my thoughts on these changes. Lamotrigine was not helping at all at 300mg and Seroquel was making me put on weight even at 25mg for sleep. The Geodon knocked me out cold last night which is good but I am hoping the morning hangover will pass.

Thanks

[Sunflower123]

Geodon knocks me out cold at night as well. When I wake up in the morning, I am alert....no hangover. I hope your med change is helpful to you.

[Wander]

Oh, and I woke up hungover af and slept another two hours. My nurse suggested I do something physical so I did ten mins of yoga. OMG now I am high as a kite - hypomanic yet still suicidal. Weird. Any experiences like this? I am hoping the positives will remain and the SI will decline through the day. I am just so damn happy. Weird to feel when my mind is so dangerous.

[Sunflower123]

No, I never had any experiences like that. I hope that side effect goes away for you soon. I’m sorry you are having a tough time.

[AspiringAuthor]

The sleepiness from Geodon can quickly wear off, requiring another sleep medication. But then Tegretol might provide sleepiness. Just warning you that how you react to Geodon at first might not be predictive of how you react to it in the long run.

[Sunflower123]

Originally Posted by AspiringAuthor

The sleepiness from Geodon can quickly wear off, requiring another sleep medication. But then Tegretol might provide sleepiness. Just warning you that how you react to Geodon at first might not be predictive of how you react to it in the long run.

It hasn’t for me and I’ve been taking it for years. I guess I’ve been fortunate that I haven’t had hangovers and it hasn’t bottomed out. I went through a period where I was put on a new medication and slept for 3 hours or less a night forever but that was due to the new med. I have noticed extreme stress and anxiety can impact its effectiveness sleep wise.

[Wander]

Does Geodon Get rid of psychosis?

[Sunflower123]

I’m sorry to say I don’t know since I’ve never had it.

Originally Posted by Wander

Hi All,

My pdoc is taking me off Lamotrigine and Seroquel and putting me on Geodon and Tegretol (plus another drug I cannot recall). Has anyone had experiences with these meds. I know we are all different. I am just looking for feedback to add to my thoughts on these changes. Lamotrigine was not helping at all at 300mg and Seroquel was making me put on weight even at 25mg for sleep. The Geodon knocked me out cold last night which is good but I am hoping the morning hangover will pass.

Thanks

I have a lot of experience with all of the meds you mentioned. I'll be brief because it's almost midnight, and I'm tired.

Geodon's sleepy effects eventually eased, even at 160 mg. It was weight friendly for me. I had no other side effects for about four or five years. Then it caused me akathisia. My psychiatrist gradually weaned me off. The withdrawals were worse than with other meds I took.

Tegretol XR gave me some side effects in the beginning. I had occasional blurry and double vision and some cloudy headed feeling. That all went away. It's weight friendly for me. I have no side effects from Tegretol XR even at 1,200 mg. I've taken this med for seven years. The only issue for me has been it's interaction with hormonal birth control. It lowers its effectiveness. Alternative birth control options need to be used. If you're a man, this is a non issue.

[Pookyl]

Originally Posted by Wander

OMG now I am high as a kite - hypomanic yet still suicidal. Weird. Any experiences like this? I am hoping the positives will remain and the SI will decline through the day. I am just so damn happy. Weird to feel when my mind is so dangerous.

I get the hypomanic suicidal combo. And I have to hit it hard with PRN’s. I’m currently experiencing it and losing insight. I don’t want to take PRN’s.

It is safer for me to be dopey in the morning than to exercise. Exercise in the morning makes me feel manic.

[Sunflower123]

Originally Posted by BirdDancer

I have a lot of experience with all of the meds you mentioned. I'll be brief because it's almost midnight, and I'm tired.

Geodon's sleepy effects eventually eased, even at 160 mg. It was weight friendly for me. I had no other side effects for about four or five years. Then it caused me akathisia. My psychiatrist gradually weaned me off. The withdrawals were worse than with other meds I took.

Good to know about the akathisia.

[AspiringAuthor]

I did not have akathisia on geodon alone, but did when I combined Geodon with Zyprexa.

As an antipsychotic, Zyprexa (alone) is more effective for me than Geodon (alone). Also, I sometimes had panic on Geodon but never on Zyprexa. But Geodon is weight neutral, which is a big benefit of it.

[Goforward]

Yes Wander it does get rid of psychosis. I have been on 20 mg of Geodon for 2 years and my body is used to it now. The doctor who ordered it told me it has an "activator" in it and I believe it. I would be up 24/7 if I didn't take my noc Seroquel. Geodon gave me dental problems last year. My mouth was sore and I was grinding my teeth and chomping on my inner cheek. My tongue was wider for a while affecting my speech. Now I'm ok. I only hear something if I'm still and listen. But that's rare too. It has really clamped down on the psychosis.

[~Christina]

I took it to help with Bipolar and PTSD I had a constant internal itchiness ( very hard to explain) but I stayed on for a month then just quit it cold turkey over a holiday weekend I just couldn’t have the itchy feeling anymore.

I went through hell for 5 days , flu-ish , GI problems and virtually no sleep. I was freezing in 80+ degree weather.

I should have quit the first week due to such a odd side effect for me... wasn’t akathesia or TD , just super funky

Everyone reacts differently , hope it helps you

[VerMOZZica]

I was on Geodon once as well. I don`t remember it doing much for me. It didn`t make me sleepy but the Seroquel sure made me sleep. I was on that too. My current p doc took me off those when I started seeing him.

[liveforsummer]

I’ve never taken either, I’m just hoping you find the right Med combo that works for you.

[Wander]

Damn, I typed a big update and lost it. Basically the Geodon made me very hypomanic but left me suicidal. A dangerous place to be. The doctor ordered I be constantly obsevered and drugged heavily until he arrived two hours later. Due to the massive amount of drugs I was compliant and able to sleep it off. After two hours of feeling like I had drunk two bottles of whisky this morning I am back to a happy hypomanic, so safe for now. I love life today and cannot imagine ending it. Hopefully it was just a glitch and I can remain on this med.

[raspberrytorte]

Geodon gave me heart problems so I had to go off it. It was very effective for psychosis though. I hope it works for you.

[Wander]

Thanks everyone. You are right for those who say it gets rid of psychosis. It has for me in a week. MY pdoc said last night I was mildly psychotic but today I feel clear headed again. I am so happy about this outcome. The experience was scary and dangerous.

I am not sure I it makes me tired as I take 25 mg of Largactal at 6 pm but I doubt that has a sedative effect. I usually sleep straight through too, apart from a few occasions.

My pdoc has decided to keep me on lamotrogine instead of switching to Tegretol. I am happy with this. I hate switching meds. Its so hard to know what is going on.