Geodon and lithium

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'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 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 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.

Geodon - Weight Loss, Mania Anyone?
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I've been on Geodon for 5 wx & have lost 15 #'s. I usually weigh 130, now 115. looking anorexic, but my depression is a lot better now, I'm happy, first time in ovr a yr. nothing else could break the barrier except the Geodon, but it makes me manic, on top of already being manic…can't sleep. as I was about to crash & burn (thu), before I went running to the ER, i found my stash of 4 mg Risperdal that I just weened myself off of 3 mos ago, due to the long term side effects I was having (td, slurring, twitching, sexual dysfunction...). it took the edge off, til I can talk to the pdoc on tue.

like many of you, i’ve tried everything. i’m at my wit’s end. This bizarre combo seems to work for me. It puts a muzzle on the mania, allowing me a more hypomanic state where I can function & still feel really happy. although I’m going to try 40 vs 60 mg geodon. & try going down to 2 mg risperdal or try another a/p. adding the risperdal allowed me to sleep, along w/the lorazepam. but, I prefer not to be on risperdal

So, as of now…i'm on 60 mg geodon, 675 mg lithium, 4 mg risperdal & 1 mg lorazepam X 2/day.

has anyone else had this experience? Especially w/the mania & weight loss?

PLZ HELP! QUEENIE

I was put on GEODON because my Doctor believe I am hypomanic. I'm also on Lithium. I'm taking 40 of the Geodon in the morning and 80 at night. I want to start taking 40 am 40 pm...it makes me so tired. When I'm not on it though I FEEL LIKE I am on cocaine. It terrible. I don't even have to do drugs anymore to become talkative and hyperactive. I wish I never started doing drugs. I've been clean for 3 weeks.

Within 5 days of beginning course of Geodon, 40mg daily, doc doubled my dosage to 80mg, began to have problems. Intensely manic, easily frightened, insomnia, terrifying dreams. I decided to get out of hospital ASAP and decide if to quit taking Geodon.
On day six already my face was twitching, was irritable and manic, pacing, increasingly manic throughout day, decided to skip evening dose, keep total dosage same as before, 40mg. Began tripping around midnight and it was all downhill from there. Sleepless all night, by morning I had convulsions, increased heart rate, fear and anxiety, psychosis, uncontrollable crying. Had another seizure 12 hours later. Slept a little with help of Valium. Next day developed Parkinson's like symptoms, had my father not been there to help me, Lord knows what would have happened to me. Still awake in day 3 of withdrawal. Hoping the worst is over.

Hi I'm Link! I'm only taking 40mgs of Geodon after taking 120mgs for 6 years,I also take 1200 mgs of lithium,600mgs of Depakote and 2mg of Klonopin for sleep.My only side effects that stand out to me are very bad dry mouth and sexual dysfunction which is mostly caused by the Geodon since I did not have these problems since before I started on it,but my doctor sees a mark improvement in me and feels confident that we can go off the Geodon soon.Hopefully the ED will go away since I am a married man.This is my biggest concern because I know the dry mouth will certainly lessen even though I do take a lot of lithium,but my doctor says he only went up on that to go down on the Depakote so I may switch from Depakote to Lamictal because the Depakote gives me harsh tremors in my extremities and then I will go down on the lithium on the amount I was on before.

At first I felt really stoned on the Geodon (60mg). Took about 2 weeks to adjust to it. I am also on Lithium 600 at night. Seems now that by the end of the day it has all worn off and I feel bad. The suicidal ideations come back at night. In the morning I feel good. Also take restoril 30 and Klonopin 2mg at bedtime. I mentioned to the MD about taking Geodon twice a day and he was unimpressed. I feel like I burn through it. Any comments would be appreciated! Thanks.

At times this has been a great drug for me. It let me get up from utter depression and start gardening, cooking. But now I think, after 4 years off and on, mostly on, the side effects are hurting me. My tongue is always red and painful. Does anyone else have this problem? I take lithium and Lamictal too for bipolar disorder.

Geodon has definitely proved useful for me, thus far, for the depression side of my bipolar disorder, and compared to Lamictal (which had many and terrible side effects for me, even at a low dose) and Trileptal (to which I discovered I'm quite allergic), it's been a blessing. Took it for three days and it was like throwing a switch to turn off my depression, which had been increasingly bad and getting worse over the past two years. I've been on it for only two weeks, but thus far, I have had minor problems with a rash (easily controlled with a small dose of benedryl, and which will hopefully go away in time), one night of insomnia, and a day of frequent need to urinate. The jury's still out as to whether or not it is affecting my blood pressure. I'm also taking Klonopin, which may be why I have not had much trouble with sleeping, but the need to suddenly run to the bathroom every two hours (or less) is disconcerting and will be watched. I'm taking what most doctors would probably consider an extremely low dose, only 20 mg, but my particular variety of BPD makes me extremely hypersensitive to drugs of any kind. My doctor has suggested that I try increasing the dose in another two weeks, but so long as I'm doing well at this level, I have no intention of doing so, and he knows it. I am seldom able to reach "normal therapeutic levels" for these kinds of drugs, and if I do, it takes years for me to get there. Thank God my doctor understands that if the level I'm taking is effective for me, it doesn't matter that it's half, or less, of what "normal" people take. Because nobody's body chemistry is the same, and one size does not fit all when it comes to drug dosage.

My daughter is 12 yrs old and has taken geodon along w/other 3 other meds. Lithium, risperidal & strattera. She is not able to verbalize what she is feeling. But I have noticed that she is sleeping alot. She was also just released from hospital for hematoma in her after having blood drawn. Does anyone no if Geodon or other meds that i mentioned can cause hematomas.