[Luctor]

I've decided after a few years of being on geodon/Ziprasidone to drop it from my meds regimen. I'm doing so with the approval of my pdoc.

Reasons for quitting:

- General sense of anhedonia
- Feeling numb, unable to experience joy or happiness
- Feeling like my mind had been blunted
- Memory issues
- I was building up a tolerance
- Extreme fatigue an hour after each dose (not ideal as a parent to a busy toddler).

I'm going to document the withdrawal/recovery process here for future reference, if someone else has decided to stop taking geodon.

I wasn't on a very high dose; 40mg a day. 20mg in the morning and 20mg in the afternoon. I started off taking my afternoon dose at 5pm. But gradually the time between doses got shorter and shorter. As of last week by 1pm I would start experiencing withdrawal symptoms.

So I was faced with a choice: up my dose or drop it completely. I chose the latter.

My experience so far:

I've dropped to 20mg per day as of 3 days ago. Holy hell it's been a rough ride. I've experienced all of the withdrawal symptoms which I'll list below. It hasn't been disabling as I'm still able to function at work and home. But it hasn't been pleasant.

Symptoms so far:

- Confusion. A constant feeling of brain fog.
- Dizziness.
- Unable to moderate body temp. I'm either too hot or too cold.
- Sweating. I suffer from hyperhidrosis but this is more than normal.
- Jaw clenching.
- A tightness at the base of my skull that I guess could be described as a constant dull headache.
- Tremors in my hands.
- Inability to speak properly/stuttering. Caused by a combination of jaw clenching and brain fog.
- Heart palpitations.
- Tingling sensation all over my body.
- Inability to concentrate.

And that's just the physical stuff. The emotional/mood stuff only kicked in 2 days into the process. I feel like crying all the time. I feel sad and hopeless. Nihilism is at an all-time high. Fighting off thoughts of suicide. Extreme anxiety. It's as if the floodgates to all the sad, depressing thoughts that the medication suppressed for so long have been opened. Feel on the verge of panic attack at most times. I've been quite defensive combative with my wife.

The worst feeling is the experience of isolation. I don't really have anyone to share this with. My wife tries to understand but can't. And I can feel it.

I'll soldier on and document my progress. If anyone else has experience coming off geodon/antipsychotics please feel free to share.

[Anrea]

I am sorry you are experiencing negative side effects. Good luck with the cleansing process.

[Luctor]

Day 5:

Physical symptoms are far less severe. Confusion is also subsiding. Concentration returning. Now it's just the mood stuff. Moods fluctuate wildly from excited to teary. Seemingly without provocation. Anxiety, as always, is just below the surface, but with a bit of mindfulness, manageable.

On the plus side, I feel far less fatigued and feel as though my mental clarity is returning.

This process might take longer in most people as I do have a ridiculously fast metabolism and I wasn't on a very high dose. The point is it does get better, and despite the mood fluctuations, feels well worth it.

Side note: I've lost 3kgs in 5 days. The urge to constantly binge eat has almost entirely disappeared. Appetite is still low but I think that's attributable to recovery process and will even out with time.

[amicus_curiae]

I understand your reasons for wanting to stop taking Geodon, but are you still planning on taking any antipsychotic meds?

Mine were increased yesterday. I gotta have my APs.



***bells ring, look what you have done***

[Luctor]

Originally Posted by amicus_curiae

I understand your reasons for wanting to stop taking Geodon, but are you still planning on taking any antipsychotic meds?

Mine were increased yesterday. I gotta have my APs.



***bells ring, look what you have done***

Well, I'm going to test out how I am off them. My pdoc did recommend a "lighter" AP which we could try if it doesn't work out. I have made considerable improvement with the aid of DBT and mindfulness. Hoping those are the silver bullet.

I've also been on an array of APs. They all eventually konk out, or cause horrible side effects.

Side note: another reason for wanting to ditch Geodon specifically is that for some reason it's in short supply here. Last month I had to go to 8 different pharmacies, and ended up going to a hospital, to get my prescription.

[Luctor]

The symptoms have all cleared. I'm feeling emotionally stable. I can actually say that I'm LESS irritable now than I was before.

The extreme fatigue would make me agitated and irritable. Which is the exact opposite of what APs are supposed to do!?

Also, when on Geodon I'd be VERY grumpy in the morning. Mostly due to the fact that my last dose was so long ago that I was withdrawing by morning. Which made me anxious and moody. Now I wake up feeling okay.

NOTE:

I'm not suggesting geodon is a terrible med without its uses, and I'm certainly not encouraging people to stop taking it or APs in general. Geodon fulfilled its purpose excellently when I first started taking it. It just became less effective over time.

I've also made considerable improvements with the use of DBT and, more specifically, mindfulness.

I am still on a mood stabiliser and an antidepressant (Lamotrigine and Bupropion). So I'm by no means ditching all meds because I'm going through a phase where I think I'm better. Meds will always be a part of my life.