Injection vs Oral

I just wondered what everyones experience is of injection vs oral meds?

I take Invega injection every 3 weeks instead of 4 weeks and take Zyprexa 10mg every day instead of Abilify injection every 3 weeks instead of 4 weeks and oral Abilify 10mg a day.

I'm not on a community treatment order where I have to take the injection but I take the injection because I know I'll just stop taking the oral pills if I wasn't and it's nice to have the freedom to stop the injection any time I want.

I'm on 234mg Invega Sustenna every month, also on some oral meds, I'm not sure what my original doctor's intention was putting me on a shot but I've just stuck with it since it works so good, probably because I was always trying to get off my meds

Personally, I find injections insulting, degrading and controlling. It's a subject that has come up a lot the past 14 months I've been in hospital.

I find them insulting because I was told injections are a way for MH staff to be sure I'm taking medication - which assumes that I'm a LIAR. I have NEVER lied about whether I am/not taking my meds, so I told them straight all they have to do is ask me, not jab me in the arse to be sure!!

I find them degrading because, whilst there are loads of injections that can be given elsewhere on the body, all of the psych ones can apparently only be given in the backside! It makes me wonder if they didn't design it that way on purpose just to humiliate 'mental patients' even further! It is awful being held down by 5-6 people whilst your trousers and underwear are being taken down and your bum exposed for the whole room to see. Quite traumatic really.

And I find it controlling because I can't stop them whenever I choose like I can oral meds. You have to wait for it to wear off, which takes longer than with oral meds. And they dangle the threat of a Community Treatment Order over me whereby I would have to comply with the depot in the community or be hauled straight back into hospital for people to hold you down to give it. That is my biggest fear. I'd really rather disappear and be homeless than endure that hell!

However, I know not everyone feels as I do about them. They can be good for people who regularly forget to take meds, or for those who agree they need meds but sometimes struggle to take them for whatever reason. But it should be the patient's choice: I don't agree with it being forced.

Anyway, that's my 2p worth. Welcome to PC!

*Willow*

I'm with willow it's true they are degrading been on them it was as though they needed to control me hideous as that sounds! I was always compliant with meds but they believed I wasn't because on many occasions I looked and seemed like a zombie I was on haldol and resiperdone injections you look like a zombie too! Nothing worked plus at one point I was on 15 different pills!

I'm only on 4 meds now!

That ***** at the hospital wanted to put me on the injection and I had to beg for the pills instead. I feel like Willow does (although here they do shots in the arm, I remember reading here), that it's a violation of trust and dignity, and extremely controlling. On the other hand, if you have a stomach flu or chronic nausea, it's better to be on the shot, but yes, it should be the person's choice.

I have a question. Does the rush of monthly med flow from injection and the withdrawal over the month take away its effectiveness to work in the future, thereby building up a tolerance and have to take a bigger dosage in the future?

yes...mine always wore off...after several weeks...it was suppose to be effective for 4 weeks but at one point I was getting every 2 weeks. and then the dose was doubled.

I like the injection. I don't have to worry about taking meds. My insurance refuses to pay for it. Now I'm on disolvable ones.

I'm of two minds about treatment orders, the way they are where i live. Can be good or bad.
The injection itself you can receive by choice or medical recommendation, not just from order, and i know some people who prefer it, or are helped best by it. However, it can be difficult to receive if you don't qualify for case management where i live, and i do not agree with that.
The shot goes in your hind end because it needs to go into muscle tissue. Your butt muscle is the biggest on your body, and thats why its the best choice. I don't think they put it in the rear end for added humiliation. I've had other, medical (not psychiatric) shots that I've had to receive this way.

Take nightly meds. 150mg Seroquel. Barely works :/

I was on a depot for over a year because I didn't want to take meds. I completely agree with Willow I found it humiliating and insulting. I should have the right to not take meds if I don't want to. But with the injection each time she would emotionally blackmail me into taking it saying things like 'please just take it for me'. I was on depixol to start with and then invega. With the depixol I got horrendous side effects and with the invega I found it gradually wore off earlier and earlier until I was on the highest dose and I might as well not have taken it.
I'm now on oral meds and I'm so much happier. I now choose to take them, and it is my choice.
I know some people find the injection helpful, I think it's good if you want to take meds and forget to take them.
But this is just my opinion.

Not to derail the topic, but seroquel/quetiapine is not a potent AP. Also at that dose, I'm not even sure it is operating as an AP?! It acts as an antihistamine at low doses and it only starts to block dopamine at higher doses. Doses can go up to 900mg, so your pdoc has scope to increase it, or switch you to something more effective. I hope that you can mention to them that it's not working and they can do something to help you.

All the best,

*Willow*

i was on 234mg of Invega Sustenna every 3 weeks

i was not med compliant and wound up being committed to a psych ward...and was put on the injection. i stayed on it for 2 years, got stable and more level in my thinking. got off the shot and havent had to have one since! i take 12mg oral invega every day

in my case the shot was necessary. if i had not been put on an injection i would be dead

It goes up 50 every other month sometimes every month but i feel that its too long. Its too slow. I dont want to tell him "its not working put me on something else because he will say "dont worry about what meds youre on and what dosage. Thats my job, you focus on getting better" and he'll probably think "Whos the doctor here"

Seroquel works for me because when i skip a dose i can see a huge difference. Way more racing thoughts. Just take forever. How long will it take?

Personally I think going up 50mg a month or every other month is too slow. It's weird cos most pdocs go up too fast! But I still think you should tell them it's not enough and you want to go up faster. He might get pissy about it - most pdocs IME have an ego and don't like assertive and informed patients - but you need to advocate for yourself.

I can't tell you how long it will take as there's no way of knowing what dose is right for each person. Or if it will even help you at all more than it currently does. Personally it did nothing helpful for me, just made me insatiably hungry and tired so we stopped it at 400mg because I'd had enough of the side effects.

Anyway, all the best,

*Willow*

I take the injection because pills weren't working.