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Dr. Bob is Robert Hsiung, MD,
bob@dr-bob.orgShown: posts 1 to 5 of 5. This is the beginning of the thread.
Posted by agencypanic on April 8, 2003, at 18:55:15
My pdoc is switching me from Risperdal to Geodon, slowly tapering off the former and hoping that the latter will
help me to get over my paranoia. I'm starting with 20mg/day for a week and increasing to 60mg/day by week 3.
I guess that I'm looking for any tips/advice about Geodon. Any feedback at all will be appreciated.
Posted by sienna on April 8, 2003, at 19:47:10
In reply to New to Geodon, posted by agencypanic on April 8, 2003, at 18:55:15
hi there,
i took it and it worked good for a while, i hardly noticed any side effects after a while, but at first the sedation and insomnia were pretty bad. The highest dose is 160mgs a day, so if yuo arent benefiting at 60 mgs keep in mind that you can go up another whole 100mgs.
I was at i think 120 when i stopped it. but i had tried 160 for a while too.Its a good drug i think, i just didnt have it work quite as well on my psychosis but in terms of side effects the profile is supposed to be relaly good.
sienna
Posted by xjs7 on April 9, 2003, at 0:36:34
In reply to New to Geodon, posted by agencypanic on April 8, 2003, at 18:55:15
Hi,
I do not know the specifics of your illness (are there symptoms other than paranoia?) but most people with schizophrenia need 80-120 mg of Geodon for their first episode. I did okay on 80 mg and much better on 120 mg (which is what I take now). I have been on Geodon for about 17 months and it has done a lot to alleviate my positive and negative symptoms--especially the positive symptoms, but also to some extent the negative ones. I get EPS from Geodon and have to take Cogentin for it. I have heard that Geodon causes EPS more than some of the other drugs available, but overall the side effect profile of Geodon is mild. It does not cause weight gain for most people, including myself.
The most important thing about this sort of drug is the effect it has on your mind. Geodon has done great things for my mind, virtually eliminating the voices and bizarre delusions. I will probably be on it for several more years. I think you have good reason to be optimistic about Geodon. I hope this helps.
xjs7
Posted by agencypanic on April 9, 2003, at 17:42:11
In reply to Re: New to Geodon, posted by xjs7 on April 9, 2003, at 0:36:34
> Hi,
>
> I do not know the specifics of your illness (are there symptoms other than paranoia?)Yes, there are auditory hallucinations and illusions as well as social withdrawal and the rest. I am really anxious most of the time and really
hope that the Geodon will be the drug which works out for me. I spent about two months on Risperdal with only limited success, although there are a lot of
stressors in my life at the moment-- trying to find work, depression, bills to pay, depression etc.
I thank you and Sienna both for your answers to my post.
Posted by Lisa P on April 9, 2003, at 23:34:56
In reply to New to Geodon, posted by agencypanic on April 8, 2003, at 18:55:15
Hi. I started on Geodon last March after having a manic episode - in 4 days I went from being on only Lamictal (for a year) to being switched to the max dose of Zyprexa to the max of Geodon - 160mg. I felt like a zombie on the Geodon for several months - probably from going up to such a high dose so fast. And then all of a sudden, I had insomnia -just couldn't get tired enough to sleep, so I became hooked on Ambien which lost effectiveness as I kept increasing the dose.
I had a lot of weight gain on Risperdal - it was the first drug I ever took - 8lb a week for 3 weeks and I stopped taking it. It just made me eat and eat. The Geodon was really nice because it increased my metabolism and I also ate a bit less and was able to lose all of the weight I had gained from mental drugs.
However, within days of starting the Geodon, I had muscle problems where my back tightened up causing me to lean to the side while running. I ran a 13.1 mi 1/2 marathon and that problem occured and I injured my back and couldn't exercise and had to go to physical therapy for 3 months. I finally started running again and was given Amantadine (anti-parkinsons, use for drug side effects) to cover it up - it worked for awhile, but then at the max dose it became useless. And then due to the leaning, my left shoulder was an inch lower than my right and rotated backwards.
I knew it was the Geodon, but of course no one really believed me until I went to three neurologists who all recommended I come off the Geodon. Over 6 weeks I got off of it, onto the Serequel (insomnia went away), and went to phys therapy and now I've been able to start running again, and the leaning has gotten a lot better. The neurologists also said that I probably would never have had those muscle problems had I not been a runner - for some reason it just aggravated those muscle problems. And one of them thought that I had a mild case of tardive dyskenesia which I think has gone away since I stopped the drug. Also, after running my muscles would start tensing up - kind of like muscle spasms which went away eventually after I stopped the drug.
Other than that, Geodon was a great drug. Like with the Serequel, the Geodon didn't effect me in any way - I don't feel any different from taking it - it might as well be a sugar pill which is good, because I don't like it when drugs make me feel different than I normally do. You said that you have paranoia, so I guess the Geodon would need to help on a regular basis. I just have manic episodes - maybe once a year or less (when I'm not on AP's) which take only a couple of days to develop - other than that, I'm alright.
If you have any muscle problems from the Geodon, be careful - someone else said that he had EPS which was controlled by Cogentin - I wasn't so lucky in that the Amantadine didn't work after awhile. I would take the lowest possible effective dose of the Geodon to minimize side effects. I sure hope the Geodon works for you - it's so nice to not have to deal with weight gain - instead, weight loss.
Hope this helps.
Lisa> My pdoc is switching me from Risperdal to Geodon, slowly tapering off the former and hoping that the latter will
> help me to get over my paranoia. I'm starting with 20mg/day for a week and increasing to 60mg/day by week 3.
> I guess that I'm looking for any tips/advice about Geodon. Any feedback at all will be appreciated.
This is the end of the thread.
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