[Sad Mermaid]

I have a tough case of Bipolar and Geodon helps me. I have just come out of a really rough mixed episode with a lot of suicidality - switching AP from Risperdal to Geodon got rid of the episode. I am actually productive at work and Geodon removed the depressive edge. I still feel a wide range of feelings, many of which painful, but since my objective life history is rather unusually sad, I cannot expect the medication to make me happy. What Geodon does is very powerful. It is exactly the right med for me, better than so many AP's I have tried.

I know that Geodon is used as a monotherapy for acute and mixed states, but for maintenance is it used with Lithium as adjunct because clinical data supposedly is lacking for monotherapy for maintenance.

I am very tired of taking Lithium, unhappy that it caused weight gain and thyroid dysfunction, and distrustful of it since it did nothing to prevent the scary mixed episode. I would like to convince the pdoc to try Geodon as monotherapy (not completely mono though - I take Lorazepam and Benadryl for sleep) without Lithium.

I am writing to inquire if anybody has tried Geodon alone, without Lithium or anticonvulsants, and what successes and failures you have experienced.

Thanks for answering my post.

[BastetsMuse]

Originally Posted by Sad Mermaid

I am writing to inquire if anybody has tried Geodon alone, without Lithium or anticonvulsants, and what successes and failures you have experienced.

Thanks for answering my post.

I take Geodon and Brintellix (antidepressant) to treat my bipolar I and I have had great success with it. I don't take any other anticonvulsants or antipsychotics.

Good luck!

[Sad Mermaid]

Thank you, B-Muse, this is very encouraging.

[Dontspeak]

Twin! Geodon saved my life from a mixed episode leading to dx. Lamictal gave me painful cystic acne, lithium plateau, weight gain, hair loss, regular acne, and I was afraid of it. So I was stable (good part of lithium) and we tried geodon mono rx. Wasn't long before suicidal idealization hit. I need a mood stabilizer, pure and simple. Also, started out on 20mg geodon, now 240mg, and I don't feel it (and boy did I used to). Terrified of what's out there, but think it's time for something new.

[Dontspeak]

PS I take Topamax to sleep, it's not a fun drug like knock you out, just an anti-anxiety that levels you out so you can sleep when you want to, and I don't dream, and sleep through the night, and no hangover. Side effects FROM HELL but once I hit 200mg, all but random feet and hand tingling went away. You should get a private island while titrating up on it. Afraid of benzos. Benadryl? Pdoc know?

[Sad Mermaid]

Benadryl recommended by pdoc, yet. With these kinds of drugs I do not experiment on my own .