[Crazy Hitch]

Obviously a question for my pdoc which I will tell him about when I see him early January.

But I’m not usually on AP unless psychotic. Happened twice in my life. When stable I’m usually just on lamotragine.

I’m not psychotic now (he even told me that at my last appointment). Said I’m doing really well. Don’t need to see him for 6 more weeks (about 3 weeks ago).

Problem is the 1mg of Rexulti makes me tired to the point of falling asleep at 7:00pm at night. I can barely drive to and from work from utter exhaustion.

I stopped taking it for 2 days then had a massive panic attack at the thought of going all psychotic again so I took it last night. I don’t want to take it tonight because I know I will barely be able to drag myself to work on Monday morning.

[sarahsweets]

I have been on an ATP for years now because it as acts like a mood stabilizer. I take Geodon.

[daladico]

APs can act as mood stabilizers- many people with bipolar take APs even though not psychotic.
Can you try adjusting the times you take them so that the extreme drowsiness doesn’t interfere so much with your life? If it is a newer med for you, the side effect may improve with time. You could also contact your pdoc, as they may be able to adjust the dosage (etc) to help with the drowsiness.

[*Beth*]

I, too, am wondering if you might be able to get by on half the dose you're on - if Rexulti comes in .5mg, or if the 1mg can be halved. Like you, I would be nervous about dropping it altogether.

[Crazy Hitch]

Originally Posted by daladico

APs can act as mood stabilizers- many people with bipolar take APs even though not psychotic.
Can you try adjusting the times you take them so that the extreme drowsiness doesn’t interfere so much with your life? If it is a newer med for you, the side effect may improve with time. You could also contact your pdoc, as they may be able to adjust the dosage (etc) to help with the drowsiness.

Thing is, I take it when I get home from work around 5:00-6:00pm. Apparently I'm on the lowest dose that there is. If I take it any later I really can't get up in the morning. It's just not working for me (even though it stopped the psychosis).

[Crazy Hitch]

Originally Posted by BethRags

I, too, am wondering if you might be able to get by on half the dose you're on - if Rexulti comes in .5mg, or if the 1mg can be halved. Like you, I would be nervous about dropping it altogether.

I did cut down to 0.5mg but that had the same effect as the 1mg I'm on. Thing is when I'm psychotic I don't know I'm psychotic otherwise I wouldn't be psychotic in the first place. Because everything just seems so real.

[MuddyBoots]

Maybe there’s another AP you could try that would be less sedating like geodon or abilify? I dont think everyone with bp needs to be on an AP all the time either. If your psychosis only comes with extreme manic or depressive episodes and a mood stabilizer prevents that, you probably wouldn’t need an AP IF that mood stabilizer works well. I will say from my experience and from anecdotes from others, it seems to be uncommon for someone who has psychotic episodes to not need to be on an antipsychotic, but it does happen.

[Moose72]

I take haldol every night even though I have no psychosis, amongst other things, yes. (See signature.)

[*Beth*]

It sounds like a less sedating AP is in order. I've noticed that interestingly, sometimes the older AP's in low doses can be less sedating than some of the new AP's.


I know that many people with BD use an AP only when psychotic. Apparently, that works for some. I stay on Trilafon (perphenazine) because of extreme anxiety and "light" psychosis. It's an older med that is not especially sedating, nor does it have much of a hangover effect.