Pressured speech symptoms and conditions

Kenalog-40 I was never told what I was being given in my bottom, just that it would help with seasonal allergies. FDA site "Neurologic-Psychiatric: Psychic derangements may appear when corticosteroids are used, ranging from euphoria, insomnia, mood swings, personality changes, and severe depression to frank psychotic manifestations. Also, existing emotional instability or psychotic tendencies may be aggravated by corticosteroids." FDA More "Neuro-Psychiatric: Convulsions, depression, emotional instability, euphoria, headaches, increased intracranial pressure with papilledema(pseudotumor cerebri) usually following discontinuation of treatment, insomnia, mood swings, neuritis, neuropathy, paresthesia, personality changes, psychic disorders, vertigo. Arachnoiditis, meningitis, paraparesis/paraplegia, and sensory disturbances have occurred after intrathecal administration."
I went to an Urgent Care Clinic for allergies. My skin was crawling every time I left the house so I was told the cause was environmental allergies. The Benadryl wasn't helping. The nurse noticed my skin was patchy and swollen. Another nurse returned to the room and said this shot would help with the reactions. I was not told what it was till it was done and she mumbled the word Kenalog. Three hours later I was anxious and talking irratically. Pressured speech, I could not stop talking. I called Nurse Advice line, then told to call a Pharmacy Help Line, who in turn said to go to the ER but to not drive myself in such a condition. I was talking as if I was on speed or manic. The ER said to go home it was just an anxiety attack. I took 2mg Clonzepam to calm down and sleep. In the morning, the symptoms returned. I called the hospital pharmacy and was told to go in immediately to see my doctor, that it is a steroid and causes psychic reactions. My regular doctor didnt have an opening so I saw a different doctor who wasn't familiar with my normal personality. She said she saw nothing wrong no matter that she couldn't get a word in unless I physically put my hand over my mouth. She sent me to a Nurse/psychiatrist next door to her. He said there was nothing wrong also. I had to keep repeating myself, speeding along, stuttering because I was talking so fast, telling him I was going 100 miles an hour in my head and out my mouth. I thankfully had an appointment with my psychologist a few minutes later in a different part of the hospital. I see her weekly. She immediately saw my change in mood and personality and called the clinic nurse/psychiatrist and told him to prescribe clonzepam. I did some reading about kenalog 40 injections. The clinic doctors didnt have the same list of side effects as their own pharmacy. I should never have been given the shot because I already have an emotional/mood problem and have epilepsy. I have to increase my anti-convulsants for at least two weeks and watch my mood very very closely. Some days I "fly" then "crash" now. This is all new, extreme symptoms of an already existing condition. This Urgent Care Clinic nurse was told all these things by me, repeatedly because of all my allergies to drugs, daily convulsions and counselling I already undergo for PTSD. I was never seen by a doctor that day or counselled. I will never take a steroid again based on the information I now have on its effects on psychiatric and seizure conditions. I am already disabled because of daily seizures and now I have even more daily seizures. These mood swings and seizures will be abnormally high for over 3 weeks I was told by the doctors but the more reading I do the longer I find that the steroid will cause side effects. Epileptics or those with a low seizure thresh hold, anyone with psychiatric conditions, emotional problems such as panic attacks or anxiety, PTSD, depression, Please use caution with kenalog. My friends are very helpful and supportive during this time. They can see the emotional impact the steroids are having on me. They will tell me I am speeding and I say "sorry, its the 'roids talking" Now, I will be watching my butt, too. Its been 7 days since the injection.

originally posted to Queenie30
(also should mention that in addition to the Geodon, I take Lamictal and Wellbutrin)
I have been on Geodon for just under a week and have already lost 5 lbs! I was on Seroquel, which I loved and depended on for over a year, but could no longer stand by and watch the needle on the scale get higher and higher... 50 lbs total. Talk about depression. The Seroquel was previously the only thing that worked to halt my mania and put me to bed. Since the switch from (50 mg) Seroquel to (20 mg) Geodon I feel all around better than I have in years! I felt an improvement in mood almost immediately. I am clear headed, awake, smiling and laughing, have energy, and my previously (insatiable!) appetite is clearly suppressed. I have a natural nervous/anxious/self-conscious disposition which I attribute to my personality- in addition to the BP, all of my life which limited my eating, but in a healthy way- I was not underweight/overweight. (The Seroquel turned me into a lazy, careless cookie monster to say the least.) I have gone from sleeping 12 hrs a night (and still feeling exhausted) to sleeping 6 hrs a night and waking up feeling well rested, refreshed, and actually wanting to wake up! (That says a lot, I haven't felt like I wanted to wake up since I was a kid and I'm almost 30...) The not-so-fun part- I am extremely nauseous with diarrhea. I have called out of work the last 2 days because of the constant trips to the bathroom and vomiting. I really hope this part ends soon because I want to be able to tolerate this drug and not have to go back to the seroquel. I was in such a fog w/ the Seroquel that I did not see the true zombie effect it has had on me for over a year. I completely stopped doing the things that I loved and enjoyed- including using my creativity and intelligence. I feel 'alive' again on Geodon. I have felt myself when triggered, mind racing into mania which does have me on guard. I stayed awake in bed the first 2 nights til' at least 3am unable to stop the thought train/obsessing about something stupid my husband did 6 years ago :-) This is the part however, I want to learn to control on my own without meds which I why I am aggressively seeking therapy. Though, when my mind is racing/obsessing the geodon does seem to give me that strong sense of reality/insight that what I am doing is not normal or healthy, whereas before, I'd just be extremely angry and blame my husband or whoever 'wronged me' for my obsessing/anger/rage. Now I have a clear sense that I am (or should be) in control of myself/thoughts and feelings. I need to work on that missing link between obsessing about something I can not control or change, and reality- what is healthy for me. A med can not do this for you.
Hope this makes sense! Good Luck :-)

I forgot to mention this site:
http://www.askapatient.com/viewrating.asp?drug=20825&name=GEODON

You can read patient reviews on this or any drug and submit your own. I must admit, the page on Geodon is quite scary, but since my experiences have been mostly all good, I am staying extremely hopeful :-)