Geodon side effects

uhhh I just started taking GEODON 2days ago and i've just got the superrr groggy feeling in the morning thru to mid day....im n bed now and its like 6:30(i cant wait to sleep).... But now that ive come to this website y'all have me scaredddd! ....I was put on PAXIL for my depression and first put on DEPAKOTE for my my bipolar and anxiety but i started hearing the voices and got super more depressed and i called the doc n a panic so he put me on 40mg of GEODON.. my family has no major history of heart conditions and im only 24yrsold...n I dont want to die due to THIS... soooo what do u suggest??anyone pleaseee??im scared??!!

I have been taking Geodon for about 4 months now and it has relieved my bipolar symptoms remarkably well but in the last month and a half I have experienced a "Shocking" feeling to my heart that goes down my arms and legs. I was referred to a cardiologist and had a not so good EKG. I am scheduled for a ecocardiograma and to wear a heart monitor for a few days and then follow up with a nuclear stress test on Friday. The feeling is scary and recently I have not been sleeping. At first the medication was a miracle and I had for once in my life a normal sleep pattern. I guess I am worried about my heart. I take 180 mg every night along with a sleeping pill that was prescribed by my doctor. He was running out of medications that would help me. I have lost 27 pounds since being on the medication which is on the good side but is the cost going to be my heart? I will post what the doctor finds so that all of you can know what to look for or be on the watch out for. Many thanks for listening. B.

I have been taking Geodon for roughly 2 weeks, and after the 2nd week my dosage was upped to 80mg's. Last night I had to be taken to the ER because I was suffering dystonic side effects from interactions with another medication. Basically my whole body was suffering spasms. No place was immune, it would go into my face and I had no control over it, it was a very sobering ordeal, and made me want to quit this drug immediately.

I just came off Geodon 48 hours ago, I took 20 mgs at night for mood disorder which was caused by PMDD. I am not on a micro pill so thought I should go off Geodon to see if the hormone replacement is really working. I feel horrible and cried non stop yesterday, hope this passes soon.

My wife has been on it and Seroquel and Lamictal for about 2 years. The longest on Geodon. Up to 80MG per day and as low as 20. She started having muscle cramps in her legs after about 2 weeks on 80 mg. Doc put her on Benztropine to counter act the cramps. Then Seroquel at night. (she had bad psychosis). Then later the Psychiatrist would not treat her and we switched to another doc. She was on Seroquel. He increased it to 600 mg at night. Then her throat felt like it was locking up at 2am She quit Seroquel immediately. Then back to 20 mg Geodon... Zyprexa for a trial.. 2 doses and she had a seizure. Invega... akathesia and heart rate up after one dose.
Now she has been off of Geodon for 5 weeks and has SEVERE gi upset. She is having ERCP and Pancrea ultrasound tomorrow. But I think it is ALL gi upset caused by Geodon. She took ONE 20 mg Geodon Saturday and EVERYTHING went away. GI normal... but I will NOT let her stay on this drug. I WANT MY WIFE BACK! It has destroyed her personality. HOW LONG WILL IT TAKE? Is the permanent?

Hi. My 16 year-old daughter was diagnosed as being bipolar 2 years ago. She was put on several drugs which produced very negative side effects. She finally was placed on Lamictal (200m) and Geodon (80m). We have just found out that she has a liver problem and a heart problem. I can't be more specific because we need to get her evaluated. She has also gained 50 pounds in those 2 years and her meds make her VERY tired...so tired, she must have caffeine a lot. She is weening off of Geodon over a 3-day period. Her psychiatrist told her to take half (40m) a day for 3 days then nothing. I will keep you posted of her symptoms from withdrawal. We are then taking her off of Lamictal. I leave you with 3 thoughts from me having done research for years:
1. Get off all drugs, eat well (no sugar, refined crap and processed stuff) and exercise
2. Get therapy for dealing with bipolar disorder instead of being on drugs - it helps
3. For those of you who continuously mention that you just started a drug and have side-effects - OF COURSE you will have side effects as your body needs to adjust

I initially went to the doctor requesting my ADHD medication and within 10 minutes of talking to this guy he tells me I don't have ADHD and proceeds to tell me I'm bi-polar. I'm 30yrs old and was placed on 80mg/daily 40mg in the a.m. and another 40mg before bedtime. I was on this medication for 2 1/2 days and was taken off of it due to involuntary mouth movements followed by episodes of dystonia (neck, eyes, mouth and hands for hours at a time)...it was almost as if I was having a seizure without swallowing my tongue. I also experienced very blurred vision and now when I'm speaking to someone I feel like my brain went for a walk because sentences don't come out right and I find myself struggling to make rational decisions. I have now been off of it totally for 3 days and I'm still experiencing the blurred vision and I had 20/20 vision prior to taking this drug, The doctor wants me to try Abilify but the side effects of that drug are very similar to Geodon, I'm literally scared to even pick this up from the pharmacy and give it a try. My pupils are very dilated, I don't know how long this is going to last but it's affecting my job (meaning I haven't been to work in a week because I can't see straight. If anyone is experiencing the same issues after being off the medication for a while...can you tell me how long I am to expect this to go on.

I have been on Geodon for 5 weeks.The bothersome side effects thus far are flatulence, decrease in libido and feeling groggy in the morning. I am hoping that these will subside in time as I am being treated for atypical depression and the medication is proving to be beneficial in alleviating my symptoms. I am not experiencing any increase in appetite as is so usual with other anti-depressants.

My husband has been taking Geodon for about 3 years now. He's a paranoid schiztophrenic (gee, that was a surprise to me finding out a few years into our marriage when his old meds just stopped working) and the Geodon really controls things. He hasn't lost any weight (unfortunate, actually, he needs to lose a good 60 pounds) and he sleeps just fine. He also tried a few other meds, risperadol amongst them, but this is the one that seems to work. Thank goodness we have excellent health insurance through my work, I can't imagine how some of you are managing without it. :(

I was on Geodon for a couple of weeks. I started out not sleeping for about 3 days. I then called the dr. and she raised my meds from 60mg at suppertime to 60mg at suppertime and in the morning. But that very night she changed the medicine, before I could try the morning dosage; I went to a movie and fell asleep during the first 20 minutes. So unlike me! Then I would walk around like a zombie, and be restless. I would fall asleep at any given moment..no notice. Nerves and restless, but so groggy I couldn't drive at the same time. I'd be trying to 'walk it off' but afraid I'd fall asleep walking! (******)

I took geodon for about a week. At first I wasn't sleeping. Like for 3 days. Then something clicked and it was just the opposite. Restlessness..but weird grogginess at the very same time. I went to a movie and fell asleep within 20 minutes. I was falling asleep at odd times. I stopped cold turkey and went back on Seroquel. I hated Geodon! I couldn't sleep my days away! R. (******)

I have been off geodon for 2 weeks now and am still so nauseated I can barely function. Does anyone know how long this lasts?

Hello All,

I have been on Geodon for about 3 weeks. It has helped my depression, and I also have had my Lamictal dosage increased. i was doing well on it up to about 4 days ago. I started to have chest pain. I am 35, in great shape, I am a spin instructor part time. The Geodon has helped my ADD and bipolar symptoms. I am going to have to come off the drug due to the chest pain. Today while teaching class, I got a case of chest pain. I pushed through it, but I am not going to risk a heart attack for a more pleasant life. It just isn't worth it. Please, remember is it better to live happy for a short time, because this drug can kill, or is it better to take something different?

I have been on Geodon for 6 months now as treatment for schizophrenia. It totally gets rid of the paranoia, hallucinations, and delusions. The only bad thing that I noticed right off was the insomnia. I never feel sleepy and if I'm awakened in the middle of the night or early morning, I'm wide awake and cannot get back to sleep easily. I feel restless sometimes and never feel relaxed or rested. Lately, I've noticed my tongue moving involuntarily and some shortness of breath when I am in bed trying to get to sleep (I take 80mg Geodon once at night) I am worried about the shortness of breath because I previously was on Seroquel and stopped taking it because I was feeling dizziness and shortness of breath. I have to be on some form of medication though because I don't want to have another episode with the schizophrenia.

I THINK IT IS VERY SAD THAT EVERY TIME SOMEONE GETS UPSET OR MAD THAT THEY THINK PILLS ARE AN ANSWER. I STARTED TAKING GEODON THREE YEARS AGO BECAUSE OF SEVERE ANGER. IF MY DOCTOR WOULD HAVE ACTUALLY PAID ATTENTION TO ME SHE WOULD HAVE REALIZED THE ANGER WAS FROM GETTING DROPPED ON MY HEAD AND YELLED AT FROM MY FIANCE. ONCE I GOT A HOLD OF MYSELF GOT AWAY FROM THE BOYFRIEND AND GOT MY S#*% TOGETHER I SLOWLY AND I STRESS SLOWLY WINGED MYSELF OFF OF THE GEODON. WHEN I GOT DOWN TO 20 MG AT NIGHT I STARTED HAVING CHEST PAIN AND THE PHARMACIST TOLD ME THAT IT ALTERS THE WAY YOUR HEART FUNCTIONS. YES YOU WILL FEEL CRAPPY FOR A LITTLE WHILE BUT THIS DRUG IS SERIOUSLY DANGEROUS. IT IS FAIRLY NEW SO NO ONE ACTUALLY KNOWS WHAT THE LONG TERM EFFECTS ARE BUT IF THEY ARE WORSE THAN THE SHORT TERM(HEART ATTACK AND MUSCLE DISTORTION) THAN THEY NEED TO TAKE IT OFF THE MARKET.

Hello All. Diagnosed bipolar in 2004, been on and off meds realizing that I guess I can't really be off of them, though having a hard time dealing with it. Been on Lamictal, Lithium, Geodon, and several anti-depressants and others I can't remember honestly in the past, now just Geodon, 80 mg at night (can't do it in the morning, can't work). It's now 2 a.m. and I'm desperate. I feel worse on my meds than I do off, though I get suicidal and sabotage my life and my marriage and kids. I have experienced insomnia, tired in the morning, my muscles ache, I dance all morning long and my co-workers think I'm crazy ( I guess I may be). I have landed in crutches because my "dancing" has caused shin splits. I hold a good job and I have two kids that I need to tend to. My husband travels a lot and I just can't seem to deal with the Geodon. All others caused similar issues. I'm desperate on my meds, but I suffer schitzo symptoms off meds. Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated. BTW, just found two great doctor's, one for therapy and one for med admin. Only been back on my meds and doctor's appts for 2 months after being off meds for 9 months and suffering another "great" relapse. Help me!!!!

I started taking Geodon (40 mg) for depression two nights ago. I am totally groggy. I don't think I've been on it long enough to suffer any withdrawal if I stop taking it as of, like, now.

I was on 80mg of Geodon for about 1 year. I started having uncontrolled eye and neck movements. I was taken off the drug. However, I've been left with the side effect of Dystonia. I have no control over my neck muscles, my head is in the backwards and to the left position. Trying to move my neck to the right is very painful. I have to get botox injections every 3 months in my eyes and neck. The shots stop the movement for a few weeks but do nothing for the positioning of my neck as the shots weeken the muscles. I've been told I will have this the rest of my life and the only other treatment would include brain surgery. I am in pain on a daily basis, and when upset or in public the movements are greater which only causes anxiety.

I was on 80mg of Geodon for about 1 year. I started having uncontrolled neck and eye movements. The Dr. took me off immediately. However, I was left with the side effect called Dystonia. I have uncontrolled neck and eye movements. I have to have botox injections every 3 months in my neck and eyes. I'm left with my neck in the backwards and to the left position. I've been told that this is something I will have to live with the rest of my life. I'm in pain on a daily basis. Trying to move my head to the right side if extremely painful. I've been told other then the botox treatments which don't work that well and wear off my only other course of treatment would be brain surgery.

I just begun with Geodon so my dose is low, 20 mg bid for 3 days, 40 mg bid x 3 days, then up to 60 mg bid. I also take Effexor 150 mg once a day. I am a bit leary in taking this. However am willing to try anything at this time. Better than the depression. Not sure of the bi-polar diagnosis, since the Dr. randomly said it. I just want my life back.

I have OCD and BDD. Never heard voices before in my life. That is, until the time started geodon to help ocd 6 months ago. Is is possible that geodon can cause voices and if so, can the voices be permanent even if off geodon?

I was taking 40mg of geodon twice a day. The doctor is weaning me off.
So, he said to stop taking my evening dose. Well, I did for two nights and couldn't sleep. I was really jumpy, leg spasms, couldn't sleep, hot and cold flashes, trembling,nausea. It was like having the flu really bad. I also had a couple brain zaps. I wish I never would have started geodon. It's awful.

The anti-depressant Doxepin elliminates many of the negative side effects of Geodon, shaking, restlessness, salavation,,,,
Doxepin is a anti-histimine and most anti-histimines would most likely do the same thing but Doxepin lasts all day and is a good anti-depressant also. All of the negative side effects of Doxepin are only temporary also.

I've been on 300 mg's of Lamcital since last December. Great drug, really helps my mania get under control. Lithium wasn't cutting it for me with my depression, in fact the side effects were making me even more depressed. My pdoc decided to try out Geodon (at 100 mg's). In the most part, it has been great. I feel alive and like myself again for the first time in years. But...
I wonder if making me so stable has also given my mind way to much time to over- analyze what I see and do. I see things out of the corner of my eye all of the time. I had something appear right in front of me the other day. I can no longer sleep past seven in the morning. And I have three facial twitches: my lower lip, the arc in my left eyebrow and the very top of my forehead where the first of my hair follicles start on my widow's peak. Those drive me nuts.
I am also on 40 mg's of Propranolol (Anderall) and Cytomel for my thyroid. For having such a severe case of BP, it's nice to be on so few medications. Geodon has been a lifesaver and has given me back my creativity and my marriage. I'll take seeing things and facial twitches any day for those.

I'm trying to wean myself off Geodon and I had a minor, panic attack,. My doctor won't help me because she said I need to see a psychiatrist but I can't afford to see one. Does anyone know how long the side effect last when you get off Geodon. I am a single parent and have a job I need to function at so any advice will help. I have ,anxiety, all the time the doc had to prescribe some anti-anxiety medicine which I never had anxiety like that before. My symptoms on the medication is sleeplessness, restlessness, loss of appetite, can quit moving, racing thoughts, depression.

Hi all. My DH has been taking Geodon for 5 months for "delusion - other". The docs don't feel he's bi-polar or schizophrenic. He started up on 20mg and was taken all the way up to 160mg at night until he got ridiculously drowsy on this drug from that dose. He was having issues getting up in the morning (even after 9 1/2+ hours of sleep the night before) and was getting scared of driving to work as out of it as he'd be. The doc took him down to 120mg and it was still bad. So, then they dropped him down to 80mg and he started experiencing severe anxiety. He said he felt like his chest was closing in on him. So, now he's on 100mg and still tired, but not as bad.

Don't get me wrong.. if this was the only issue, I'd be fine with it. The Geodon was a godsend, at first. It really made his delusion dissipate (he wanted to run off and preach the word of God on street corners) and he was able to go back to working 8-hour days after a few months.

But now that he's gotten past that (he's had this once before, 6 years ago, and they had him on risperdal and depakote until the delusion was gone and then took him off of everything completely) he is BEYOND depressed. He has no history whatsoever of depression and has never felt this way before.Our family has never seen him like this. It's increasingly interfering with our relationship, as he just stares at me blankly if I happen to get upset about anything. He's just completely dead inside and feeling worthless. He can't even have an emotional conversation with me anymore and he used to be the most attentive, wonderful husband and friend he could ever be before he got on Geodon.

He also has zero interest in sex. I mean, he can go through it just fine, but he just doesn't want it on his own. And that's depressing for me!!

All in all, I want him off this drug as it seems that, once it did its job, it's eating away at his cognitive and emotional sides. He has a hard time reasoning and, of course, then ends up getting depressed because he feels worthless at his job. I just don't get it.

My question is: if he should happen to be bi-polar ( I mean, if the docs have all gotten it wrong) and he's going through a depressive phase, shouldn't the Geodon be helping? He just seems to get more and more depressed as gets further and further away from being delusional.

We're going to the doc on Thursday and I'm going to tell him that I want DH off this med.. no matter what he thinks. We just can't keep going through this crud anymore. I'd appreciate any feedback/advice/empathy you all can give.

I just miss my husband and I feel like this drug is running him into the ground and wrecking our marriage. :(

Its hard to say for sure what people will experience with any of these drugs, but its nice to hear from you all.

I am looking at whether geodon or lamictal is causing me these horride nightmares.

It seems both drugs can.

I started taking catapres, which is a blodd pressure med that has an off-label use to control nightmares which helped quite a bit...

but beware...missing a dose or two of caterpress will give you a rather bad day, as it suppresses adrenaline...which causes nightmares.....so imagine what happens when this suppression suddenly stops???? BAD.

i am tapering off geodon, i had no issue with it, but being seroquel is the only FDA approved anti-psychotic med to treat depression/aniexty....i will find out soon if the geodon was causing the nightmares or the lamictal. i will post later.

just know- for me..tappering off geodon is not going pleasant for me.

my doctor said the drug rep even mentioned it had a high side effect profile...

my friend has been on geodon for about 3 years and is experiencing some very strange things! She gets cramps, like seizures in her legs and can't walk when this happens. Her doctor says there is nothing wrong. She gets neck and leg twitching and recently, the leg things have come with shortness of breath. Does anyone know anything about these side effects?Please reply! Thank you.

I liked the energized feeling Geodon gave me, but ended up having to stop taking it because it caused agitation in me. I wasn't on a very high dose, either. One night I more or less caused a fight with my husband and planned to divorce him. Totally unlike me. I went off the Geodon and things were better fast.

geodone gives me a long anxious feeling, the kind that makes you want to keep moving constantly. but it also sucks you of your energy, making it difficult and uncomfortable to move around as much. so wether you're sitting still or moving, you generally feel wasted tired and horrible.

hey, my name's Sam, I've been on Geodon for a little over a year. Yesterday I raised my dose from 160, 80 two times daily to 240, two eighties and one at night. wow. um i did this because i was feeling like i did when I'm withdrawing from caffeine, about 3 hours after my morning pill. Other side effects are I can't drink caffeine because it will usually make me 'freak out' at things that are too much and sometimes triggering mental and heart panic attacks. I'm 22 and schizoo

I have been on geodon for about one year. My dosage have been changed too many times to count. I am presently taking geodon 60mg, lamictal 200mg and lunesta at bedtime. On some nights, I am unable to sleep and I have to get up at 430 am. I am very depressed and I feel that nobody understands what I am going through. I don't know which of my meds are causing which side effects, but I need a change. I am 5ft 7in tall and I now weigh 118# (one year ago I weighed 142#).

I honestly do not like taking Geodon. It can have negative effects on your heart. However I have been taking Geodon for at least six months now.

If I miss just one dose I start to feel extreme withdrawal. My withdrawal side effects are blurred vision, nausea, headache, and weakness.

And I've never had withdrawal from a medicine before. But for some reason it's really bad with Geodon.

I'm going to ask me Doctor about this.

I took Zyprexa for 11 yrs always pleading with my psychiatrist to let me try something else. I had gained 90+ lbs with Zyprexa and slept about 12-14 hrs every day. Plus I just sat around watching TV all the time. No motivation. But it did stabilize me when it seemed nothing else could.

Two weeks ago my doctor changed me to Geodon. What a wonderful change! At least the first 12 days I had no problems and lost 7 lbs. My head is clear, I am hypomanic which is so much better than mired in drowsiness and trouble thinking. Now I have energy galore and feel maybe I can even return to work soon.

HOWEVER, the last two nights I just can't go to sleep. Night before last I tossed and turned for 2 hrs before I could sleep. Last night it was 4 hrs. I tried taking the Geodon (80mg) this morning instead of taking it tonight, hoping that would help the situation. But after taking it in the morning, I was in terrible shape. I couldn't seem to keep my mouth closed -- it kept falling open and I looked like an idiot. I couldn't concentrate to drive -- I know I ran at least one red light. Finally I just went home and slept for a couple of hours. Then I was fine.

Also I have light headaches and nausea off and on and totally no appetite. I like the appetite part but have had anorexia in the past so I have to be careful when I don't want to eat. Insomnia too, as I said. And hypomania. All in all, a trade up from Zyprexa, which I hated. I just hope I can manage the side effects enough to stick with it. I hope they will go away, but you never know about that. Zyprexa's side effects never went away.

Hi All,
I am very concerned about the effects of Geodon. My 12 year old daughter is on it has been on it for some time and now is having speech problems. When she talks its as if she has what I call a"Mush Mouth" you can barley understand her and it's almost like a whisper talk. Has anyone else experienced this? Please I am in need of any input. Thanks,Annette from Michigan

I was on 80mg at night and discovered it was far too high of a dosage for me. I became severely depressed, my throat closed up, and the hangy-ball in the back of my throat swelled up to the point where I'd occasionally choke on it. I would wake up in the morning (very late), only to find that I couldn't move out of my bed. It was as if I was paralyzed. I almost lost my job. I wasn't able to get ready and leave the house until hours after waking. If you are experiencing any of these side effects, stop taking Geodon immediately. I went through a month of this thinking I needed to wait it out until it would work. If only I had talked to my doctor sooner, I would've been able to avoid all of it.

At lower doses, Geodon still wasn't giving me the results I was looking for. I was rapid cycling between depression and extreme mania where I experienced delusions and (for the first time in my life) auditory hallucinations. I think Geodon is one of those medications that either works for you or doesn't. There really wasn't much inbetween for me.

Another common side effect I experienced was weight loss. I lost 10lbs in a month. So I'm now 115 and 5'5''. That was the only good thing about the pill.

I am on 60mg 2x a day of GEODON. I tried to stop taking it completely and went through bad trembling almost like a never ending anxiety attack. I had to start taking it again the 2nd night. I am not giving up I am going to try again this is the worst medication ever created. and I've been on alot.

I've been on Geodon for 3 years now. At first I was on 120mg per day and then I was so sick of being drowsy in the morning that I reduced my dosage to 80 mg a day. I'm really sad and frustrated because I told my doctor that I wanted to go off of it, because I don't think I have a mental illness and she refused to help me go off of it. Its a really hard drug to come off of. And it makes me so angry because she never warned me when I was first forced to go on it that going off of it would be so difficult. It makes me so angry and sad and even suicidal that other people think they know whats best for me. I had a beautiful religious experience with Jesus. I made the mistake of telling my family and doctor, and they labeled me as schizophrenic and forced me onto medication (Geodon). I think its so unfair and I have resentment that my family did this to me. Nobody believes me that I had this religious experience (I'm a Catholic) and they all think I'm crazy. Now I want to enter a religious order and become a nun. I tried to enter an order and they asked me if I take any medication. The religion teaches that its a sin to lie, so I told the truth and told them about the medication. Religious orders are strict about not admitting people with 'mental problems' so she refused to admit me. Now I want to go off of the medicine so that the next time a religious order asks me if I take medication I can say 'no' and therefore avoid the whole subject of mental illness. My advice to anyone who is starting this medicine is quit before you get addicted because going off it is next to impossible. I really resent my psychiatrist and I think she's a horrible person for forcing me on this drug. They wouldn't let me leave the mental hospital and told me they would make a court order and give me shots if I refused to take the medication. Looking back, what I should have done is just quit the medication right when I got out of the hospital because they couldn't have done anything about it. Sorry this is so long but this whole issue has caused so much friction and even hatred for me for my mom, who refuses to believe in my religious experience. I think she says she believes me to shut me up. But if she really believed me she wouldn't see the need for me to be on this medication. I'm planning on slowly weaning myself off of it, but based on what I've read I know its going to be almost impossible. I work so I need my sleep every night. I asked my doctor for Xanax and sleeping pills to help me with the withdrawal symptoms, and she refused to give them to me. I'm afraid I'll overdose on sleeping pills just trying to get the sleep I need because going off Geodon causes awful excruciating insomnia. I buy the store brand sleeping pills because my doctor wont give them to me. My opinion is most mental illness can be solved with God and prayer to Jesus. Psychiatrists put everyone and their mother on medication and I think the ones I've had are awful, sadistic, uncaring, unfeeling, unloving, do more damage than good, godless, learned in the wrong kind of knowledge, wretched people. What I wanted here was advice or any tips to going off of Geodon. I kind of got off track. If anyone has gone off of it successfully, lend me your advice.

I am 21yrs old and was just diagnosed with Bipolar 2 disorder. My doc put me on Lamictal,Prozac and Geodon. I take 80mg at night. I feel pretty manic after being on it for only 2 days. I have enough energy for 3 people and my hands shake and my vision is quite blurred which isn't good because I'm legally blind in one eye anyways. The only real side effect that I find troublesome is when I feel like I can't breathe. It only happened when I took it the 2nd time though. It felt like I couldn't get enough oxygen in my body. It was literally hell. My mom finally gave me benadryl thinking that maybe it was allergies and I fell asleep when the benadryl kicked in.

I felt the same with Geodon when I took it for the 2nd time. The first time I took it I had no side effects but this time I could not sleep and finally took benadryl to put me to sleep. I felt like I could not breathe. It was horrible but I'm hoping it won't happen tonight.

I was forced to go off geodon after finding out that I couldn't afford it in the new state I moved to (no Medicaid, no job). OMG I had an anxiety attack that escalated to a paranoid incident raising my blood pressure incredibly high. I went through sleeplessness, sweating, did I mention total paranoia and finally went to the emergency. I will never put my mental health at stake because I can't afford a drug. My mental illness alone is better than what I went through.

ive been on geodon for 4 yrs now im taking 30mg now but i wanna get off this will be my 4th attempt to try and get off this drug its been a day since my last dose i have a bad headache and i cant sleep i know this is only the beginning but i am determine to get off this time

Been on Geodon, substituted for weight-gaining Zyprexa, 3 weeks. No more paranoia, clear thinking, but want to go off because of horrible insomnia. Racing heart while on too high a dose of Geodon. Doc won't let me off, so here I go myself....

I was on Geodon for bipolar in addition to lithium and depakote. I had to stop the Geodon after 2 months because I had intense shaking. I also could not stop fidgeting/restless movements. My first night without Geodon I have a massive headache and nausea/chills/sweats.

I have been on 40 mg Geodon for over 6 months, and I stay like I am in the clouds and my legs and hands will shake ,bad anxiety,I don't want to go out and do anything.I want to get off this drug against my docs orders , does anyone have any information on withdrawals from the Geodon?and how do you tapper yourself off it . email me *** thank you Melissa

update on Geodon-
Last week I wrote a raving review on Geodon, this week, not so good... I have lost a total of 11 lbs. in 9 days which should make me feel great, right? Nope! Because I went straight from feel good to full fledged mania (spent $300+ worth of nothing on eBay) to wading in mud depression and borderline psychotic. My husband wants me to "call the doctor and get back on the Seroquel!" I'm still trying to stick it out. The nausea is coming and going vs. staying that way all day but I'm still running (feels like crawling) back and forth to the bathroom. So- the ultimate question- to be fat and lazy, 'out of it' and with no life (including sex life) on Seroquel? or be skinny, sick and totally bipolar on Geodon? Yesterday at work, (I am a personal care assistant) I watched myself pour pepper in the pot of boiling water when I wanted salt, attempted to dry dishes with a wet dish rag, on the way home I was repeatedly forcing the windshield wipers to off trying to get them to turn on in a freezing rain storm... My words are jumbled, confused, can't make sense, crying and Belligerent, pistons aren't firing right... we'll see what happens...

So...
The Geodon seemed to make me too drowsy and I felt it was causing my sleep issue. I couldn't wake up in the morning. It was like I was still in REM while trying to wake. I could sleep until 12 noon and then realize I was late for work. Adderall barely seemed to help anymore.
After swearing off medications forever, I finally hit rock bottom realizing that my BiPolar had gotten the best of me. A DUI, WAY BAD CREDIT...I dug my self a hole of DEBT! My compulsive EVERYTHING had dug me a hole that thank God my Mother is still willing, after 22 years, is willing to help pull me out.
On my own, no psychiatrist involved, with my samples of Geodon and a prescription of Adderall provided by my primary care physician...I decided to go back on medication and so far...a week into it, I have noticed a significant difference...and so has others. Yes, I still might not want to wake up in the morning, but I am able to effectively work and actually somewhat enjoy doing it. I feel like I want to do things where as before...I just wanted to sleep or lay on the couch watching TV. I want to have a future and I want to better myself, where as before I wanted nothing but another drink and some pills. I feel that my quality of life has already improved and I hope with seeing my new psychiatrist on Tuesday, he might better my therapy.

Here is my current problem before asking my doctor.... hadn't taken any adderall for days. I took the Geodon at night, 60mg one day and 80mg the next thinking it might help with my sleep but it didn't do a thing. I Then the next day I took adderall around 7AM and 80mg of Geodon about 9PM and I couldn't keep my eyes open about 1-2 hours after taking the Geodon and I over-slept that morning and didn't wake up until after 10:30am when I am suppose to be at work at 9:00am.

Is it common for the extreme drowsiness to occur with the combination of Adderall in the morning and Geodon at night? I know before when I took both never missing either one, I was always extremely drowsy and that's one of the reasons I stopped taking meds. But after experiencing Geodon without adderall, I am wondering if the TWO don't mix well.

PLEASE HELP.

I have been on some different medications since told I was BiPolar. My first Doc prescribed Seroquel, Lexapro and eventually Adderall. The combo worked well seeing that I had no life after leaving home and moving up north with an aunt where I knew no one. I worked and slept. I felt like a robot. With the Seroquel I was falling asleep and barely able to make it up the stairs to go to bed. After moving home my new doctor informed me that a woman at the age of 20 really should have some form of sex drive, which I was completely lacking since taking the medications. He started me on Wellbutrin rather than Lexapro and Geodon rather than Seroquel. Needless to say, my sex drive did come back...but not out of control like before treatment. Things got better and a couple years later my doctor lost his license due to malpractice...long story. Searching for another doctor...I was told I was not BiPolar...just depressed and he took me off of every thing switching the Geodon to PROZAC and changing the Adderall to a low dose Dexedrine (10mg twice daily vs. the 40mg Adderall twice daily!!!). Needless to say...he was a quack and after 4 visits being bullshit...the appt was at 5 and I wasn't seen until after 8PM. He over booked and was a QUACK!!! So...after swearing off medications forever...

Too be continued.

I've only been on Geodon for three weeks and I have had nightmares so bad I'm afraid to go back to sleep. I even had a nightmare so bad that I couldn't snap myself out of it even after I woke up. I had to be sedated finally

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 :-)