[dimlyFourOwls]

I'm recovering from schizophrenia, I still have occasional episodes but I am learning to manage them better. I just cannot stand the side effects from my antipsychotic (risperdal, 4 mg). I'm restless, can't settle down, I can't focus, I have to get up to walk around every ten minutes, I can't focus on reading for pleasure or for work for more than a few minutes at a time, I don't find pleasure in things where I should, and I don't feel alive.

I want to get off this as soon as I can and I was wondering if anyone had any advice for coping with the side effects of antipsychotics. I heard it turns some people into zombies and reduces creativity too?

To reiterate, my psychosis is getting better and less frequent, and I have been tapering my risperidone very very slowly.

[Nammu]

You can talk to your doctor about getting a medication to help with those side effects

[cincidak]

There are many different antipsychotics on the market. Geodon is weight neutral, and I've have my full strange of emotions.

[cincidak]

I meant range

[cincidak]

As far as the restlessness there are also many different meds that help. I take Requip, Amantadine, and Gabapentin

[SlumberKitty]

I take Rexulti, which I mostly like, except it makes me gain weight (like a lot of weight) and it makes me feel pretty numbed out at times, like theres no thoughts in my head. It has done a world of wonders for the depression part of my illness though. I still get hallucinations so....hmmm. But so far its the best anti-psychotic I've been on. Kit

[still_crazy]

hi. i hear ya. i was on that much risperidone (4mgs) plus a hefty dose of Depakote for a while and...no. just...no. now, I'm down to a moderate dose of Abilify and...problems are popping up (from the pill) as I recover from the underlying illness or whatever. strange...

I go to a clinic, so there's the additional issue that anytime I get the tranquilizer reduced, my counselor's eyebrows go up. i gues its a minor thing, but...ugh.

antioxidants and b vitamins help me tolerate abilify. i recently added lots of fish oil, to help my mood so maybe i wont be prescribed another drug (fingers crossed...).

the tranquilizers -are- serious drugs. not saying dont take it, just...they're very serious drugs, and informed consent is a rarity in psych treatment. bad combination.

there are other tranquilizers out there, old and new. dosage reduction...but still staying on the risperidone, or a tranquilizer, might be a valid option. i guess talk to your doctor...if that's not working out and you can, see about a different doctor.

[dimlyFourOwls]

Thanks for the input, guys. I went down to 4 mg, had relapse, and went promptly back to 5 mg to ease the agony of the disease. Weird thing is now, I don't feel the side effects are as bad. We also bumped up my klonopin to 1 mg from 0.75 mg. Not a huge change but it seems to be helping. Psychiatrist says possibility of increasing klonopin further if necessary, which is a godsend as I think anxiety is the biggest problem (besides psychosis) and a slow-acting steady anti-anxiety med is just what I need (beside the antipsychotic). I'm feeling pretty lucid, kind of had a prolonged panic attack today which was I guess a bit strange but also not too unexpected, and the psychotic symptoms (being psychically attacked by family, coworkers, and people on the internet) was actually tolerable! It's definitely getting better.

I just wish my psychiatrist had the perfect medical solution straight away after diagnosing me, but it does take time. I'm copping out here. Idealism. Stay straight. Things should be perfect. There you go.

Cheers.

[dimlyFourOwls]

I was having good ideas about gabapentin as it seems everyone and their uncle on the internet is on it, but then my psychiatrist said you can have a seizure if you miss a dose and it's just a very dangerous relaxant in general, so I'm preferring not to go on it, as is he.

[dimlyFourOwls]

Originally Posted by SlumberKitty

I take Rexulti, which I mostly like, except it makes me gain weight (like a lot of weight) and it makes me feel pretty numbed out at times, like theres no thoughts in my head. It has done a world of wonders for the depression part of my illness though. I still get hallucinations so....hmmm. But so far its the best anti-psychotic I've been on. Kit

So would you recommend rexulti for depressive schizoaffective disorder then?

[SlumberKitty]

Originally Posted by dimlyFourOwls

So would you recommend rexulti for depressive schizoaffective disorder then?

I have depression with psychotic features so I don't know the difference between that and depressive schizoaffective disorder. Rexulti is marketed as a drug that can help depression if the depression drugs aren't doing enough but it is an anti-psychotic. But it does make you really hungry. The weight gain sucks. But the depression that I have is almost non-existant compared to what I used to have. The psychotic features are the same really. Maybe even a little worse. Kit.