Geodon and zyprexa

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?

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.

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 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

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

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.

Before I was on Geodon I was on Zyprexa. That was the worse mistake of my life. Before I started with these anti psychotic I was 5'9 male who weighed 140 pounds after a few months I gained 50 pounds. Geodon stopped that though and I'm thankful.

The problem I have the most trouble with is never feeling awake unless its at night and I hate that.Now just a couple days ago I have been feeling that my jaw is locking. Other than that I do appreciate Geodon for what it does. I haven't been depressed for over 4 months now.

Geodon has been great for me. I was on Zyprexa and gained 125 pounds. Got off of Zyprexa and started taking Geodon. I have already lost 14 pounds. On Zyprexa I was sleepy all the time. I slept all day long. I hated it. On Geodon I'm not sleepy. I don't even need naps. I love it. The only side effect I have is a runny nose. I'm happy I switched to Geodon.

I have been on 40 mgs of Geodon since April 2006 and I have had absolutely no side effects from it. In fact, it is far better than the 7.5 mgs of Zyprexa I was on previously (gained 70 lbs on Zyprexa) and I have lost 40 of those lbs already. I told my doctor to take me off the Zyprexa as I couldn't stand to gain any more weight, so that is when he put me on Geodon. I was still in somewhat of a dark mood all the time and still paranoid on the Zyprexa, but when I started on Geodon it cleared it all up almost immediately. Geodon has been a life saver for me. I'm sorry to read about the bad experiences of some on this medication. I have never experienced any of the symptoms mentioned in previous posts. In fact, I have no side effects from it whatsoever.

Well I been on Geodon for about a year and a half now and at first I was taking two 80mg pills at night which was making me so tired the next morning that I had trouble waking up for class and so after the next time seeing my doctor I was told to take one 80mg pill during the day and one at night.For a few months everything was fine because I was going to class and working and then all of a sudden I started having trouble sleeping at night.I was sleeping maybe two or three hours at night which was effecting everything.I had stop going to my classes and I had quit my job because I kept getting written up because I kept falling asleep at work .Now my doctor has me on 10mg of Zyprexa and I take two 60mg of geodon during the day but I still feel tired all the time.

I can't say if I do or don't recommend this drug because the side effects are different for each person and I haven't had a good experience with Geodon

I have been on geodon for 5 months now. At first the side effects were horrible. I was very agitated, unable to sit still, flushing, and paranoia. However, now I feel better. The first month and a half were hell. I have BPD and my moods are very controlled. I have lost 30lbs on this medicine. I was on Zyprexa prior to this and experienced a 60lb weight gain. Thanks to everyone who has posted prior to this...when i was struggling so, it was good to know others had experienced my side effects too.

Yes, it is 3:40am and I too am up searching the internet to find out which medication is giving me insomnia! Looks like it's Geodon! I started with 40mg at bedtime for one month and they just upped my dose to 80mg at bedtime. My main problem has been sweating! As a 30 year young female living in sunny California (100 degress plus) it isn't to attractive to have a sweating problem. I am miserable! My eyes are so dilated and dry my husband actually asked me if I was using drugs (ha ha ha) and I am getting "trails" off things and small hallucinations if I wake up in the middle of the night (like a washcloth crawled away on the counter). I have trouble swallowing, am restless and anxious. I feel the symptoms worsened with the increasing dosage. But I guess this is better than the Zyprexa when I gained 30lbs in two weeks! I'm gonna give this drug a chance, hoping the sweat thing will get better with time. I've been playing this medication game long enough to know that unless the side effects are life threatening to stick with it and give it time. I have read many places that if you have stiffness and shuffling walk to stop the drug immediately and I saw a couple posts that were having that problem. It's on the manufacturers website; stop the drug immediately!

I have been taking Geodon for about 4-5 years. I was diagnosed with schizophrena in 97. I had tried Seroquel and Zyprexa prior but quit because I still heard things. I saw things. I had disillusions. On top of this, I have extreme anxiety as a symptom. I saw my doctor as a drug dealer trying to take my money. At $240 an hour, he probably was.

After 2 years of being off the medicine, I was quite a mess. In retrospect, my psychosis was influencing my thoughts. In an attempt to be normal by not being on medication, I had reached a whole new definition of abnormal thinking. I justified it by thinking I was a psychic and not psychotic. Hey, if spirits spoke to John Edwards, why not to me. They do make sense sometimes. They are just intrusive.

I came to a point of depression. I had never thought of killing myself before but it became an obsession. I just wanted it all to end. So back with the doctor and he prescribes me Zoloft and Geodon. The Zoloft had to go after 2 weeks because it made me extremely anxious. Anxiety causes increased thoughts and more anxiety.

I stayed on the Geodon. My doctor said that 120mg was the theraputic dose but I take 80 at night. Does it help. I guess. I have forgotten how I was before it. I still hear voices but my anxiety is under control. I can sleep at night when I take it without feeling like I am privy to some celestrial conversation. I haven't layed in bed worrying for years. I forgot a pill last week and had a restless sleep and that isn't fun.

I get hateful thoughts when I am getting close to the night. Anxiety starts to build and I am uncomfortable for a few hours. It takes about 3 hours for me to have an effect. I don't have the side effects other than insomnia when I skip. Sleep is impossible.

The major problem I have been having lately is with my memory. I feel like I am living life with a chemical labotomy. I can study for tests and pass but then forget the material shortly after. I can't remember if today was yesterday or a week before. This could be because I'm getting old though.