[fern46]

I've been on Geodon for three months now. I was wondering if anyone else experiences muscle stiffness or fatigue. I'm trying to exercise and doing basic moves like leg lifts and my legs feel like they are encased in blocks of cement. I used to be able to do 3 times as many reps and now I'm hurting right after I start. Is this normal for Geodon? Of course, staying balanced mentally is more important right now, but I miss feeling fit.

[MickeyCheeky]

I have never tried it, fern46, so unfortunately I don't have a lot of advice to give to you Hopefully other people here on PC will be able to give you much better advice than I ever could. I do believe that your own physical health is every bit as important as your own mental health. It's your own health and your own well-being that we're talking about after all. I'd suggest to talk to your Pdoc about this and see how it goes from there if you haven't already. Hopefully he/she will be able to help you. He/she's there to help you after all. Talk to her about how are you feeling with Geodon andask what can you do and if there are any other, better meds that you may try out. Hopefully you'll be able to find the right meds combination for yourself. Remember that different meds have different effects on different people. Some people may have had different side effects from the one you wrote, or perhaps no side effects at all. That's normal. I'd suggest to focus on how are you feeling when you take those meds and talk to your Pdoc about this and see how it goes from there. You deserve to get better and to feel good. You deserve to be loved. You deserve to live an happy life just like everyone else does Remember that we're here for you if you need it. Feel free to PM me anytime. Let me know if I can do something to help you. Wish you good luck! Let us know how it goes. I'm so sorry you have to deal with all of this, fern46 Please don't give up. You're a strong, wonderful person, I know that. Try to hang on. I hope things will get better soon for you. I'm sure you'll be able to get through all of this. Keep fighting! You're awesome! You're strong! You're a warrior! I believe in you! We all believe in you! We're all rooting for you

Hi fern46. I read your post here and have been thinking about it for a couple of hours now. I took 160 mg of Geodon for about 7 or 8 years, but I am not sure I can definitively say whether or not it gave me any muscle weakness. I know that may sound strange, but I'm just not sure. I do know that for some years I had difficulty standing on my toes and kneeling. It got so bad that I wasn't even able to kneel without falling, unless I was holding on to something. But was it the Geodon that caused it? Some other med? Or did I somehow just stop having that issue? I don't know.

I do know that after 5 years on Geodon I got akathisia. When I went off the Geodon, the akathisia went away. I do remember some years on Geodon when I was quite well balanced and nimble on my feet. But when was it that I had that serious balance problem? Some years seem blurry and it's not always easy to place things in time, but something I took at some point seriously affected my muscle strength. And yet in the last couple of years I know for sure that I've had no problem kneeling or standing on my toes. It's not because I lost any weight. Just the opposite.

Are you on any other medications or started any others soon before, simultaneously with, or after the Geodon? Has the muscle weakness and stiffness only started after some time on Geodon? Or right away?

Please do mention this issue to your psychiatrist. I confess that I never did when I had similar problems. It was disconcerting for me, though, especially since I was a serious ballet dancer in my youth and standing on my toes and kneeling/doing plies is crucial for that. I had long since stopped dancing. Not even dancing at home for exercise/fun.

When I had the muscle weakness, I was likely on most or all of the following medications: Lithium ER (900 mg), Tegretol XR (likely 1400 mg), Lamictal (100 mg), Geodon (160 mg), perhaps Navane (up to 10 mg), Seroquel XR (anywhere between 150 and probably 350 mg), and a baby dose of Klonopin (0.5 mg) with occasional Ativan (mostly 1 mg prn). I have also taken Propranolol (40 mg) and Synthroid (150 mcg), but I doubt these last two played any role. Maybe supplements contributed? I doubt it. My cocktail was extremely big for about four or five years.

If I were to guess the cause of my past muscle weakness, I would guess Lithium. Lithium was a severe humdinger for me in terms of side effects. I got almost every single one on the books, other than weight gain, but not all at once. Some developed over time.

[fern46]

Hey BirdDancer, thanks for such a thoughtful response. I'm only taking 20mg of Geodon, but I typically react strongly to all medicines. I don't even like taking anything for a headache. I'm also on Risperdal. The goal is to get me off risperdal completely after my next proc visit. I'm currently taking .5 mg of that. The two can adversely interact together and I'm thinking that may have something to do with my issues as well.

I can't remember exactly how long after I started Geodon that the muscle weakness started. I don't feel it regularly and I only notice it when I exercise (which I've been trying to do more recently). The nurse practitioner I was working with mentioned to me the Geodon might make my legs feel a little sluggish, so I thought maybe this is a common side effect. Regardless, I've found I can push through it and stay active even though its a bit of a chore now.
The Geodon also makes me sleepy, and I'll start taking it at night instead of the morning once I'm off the Risperdal completely. I am hoping that move will give me more energy and maybe it will give my muscles time to recover as well.
I will definitely mention it to my doc. I don't really want to move to yet another med, but I'm sure there's something that can work for me. I did try Depakote and I felt like it was going to kill me. It made my heart beat over 150bpm and I felt like I was having a heart attack. I'm just super sensitive to all meds.