Psycho-Babble Medication Thread 109623

Shown: posts 1 to 25 of 37. This is the beginning of the thread.

 

risperdal for anxiety

Posted by jenna23 on June 12, 2002, at 18:46:31

Has anyone taken Risperdal for anxiety. I was taking Xyprexa but that didn't work. But it sure made me gain weight. Any insight into Risperdal would be great.
Thank you!
jenna

 

Re: risperdal for anxiety

Posted by Coyote on June 13, 2002, at 4:31:16

In reply to risperdal for anxiety, posted by jenna23 on June 12, 2002, at 18:46:31

I find Risperdal helps with anxiety. I take a low dose (2mg). There is weight gain however.

 

Re: risperdal for anxiety

Posted by bobbyy on June 13, 2002, at 6:19:51

In reply to Re: risperdal for anxiety, posted by Coyote on June 13, 2002, at 4:31:16

I take risperdal..I am bipolar II..I don't know if it helps with anxiety but it certainly helps with obsessive thought and it certainly helps with tempering rage....I take 1 mg ..research shows that there is less weight gain with this atypical antipsychotic than with others... I also experience no side effects...I also take it at night to help me sleep
I think it is a great medication...
Bobby

 

Re: risperdal for anxiety

Posted by henryO on June 13, 2002, at 7:08:51

In reply to Re: risperdal for anxiety, posted by bobbyy on June 13, 2002, at 6:19:51

I take .5 of Risperdal and it makes a world of difference. I have gained weight in the last year, but can't blame it all on Risperdal. I guess it is an antipsychotic at certain dosages. But for me it is a great augmentation to my cocktail. Give it a try, it works well for some people.

 

Re: risperdal for anxiety

Posted by jay beck on July 8, 2003, at 19:09:59

In reply to risperdal for anxiety, posted by jenna23 on June 12, 2002, at 18:46:31

my ex-pdoc (for a good reason) gave it to me for my anxiety, insomnia and paranoia. it worked a little for the paranoia didnt really take the anxious edge off tho. funny thing my insomnia was untouched. i felt really really sedated. i felt like a mindless zombie just floating through life. i lost my creativity also (im a musician) so i went off risperdal in 2 weeks and recoverd from the zombie experiance. what have you tried so far for your anxiety?

 

Re: risperdal for anxiety » jay beck

Posted by Jack Smith on July 8, 2003, at 19:20:07

In reply to Re: risperdal for anxiety, posted by jay beck on July 8, 2003, at 19:09:59

> i felt like a mindless zombie just floating through life. i lost my creativity also (im a musician) so i went off risperdal in 2 weeks and recoverd from the zombie experiance.

What dose were you at?

 

Re: risperdal for anxiety

Posted by girl on July 9, 2003, at 16:35:18

In reply to Re: risperdal for anxiety » jay beck, posted by Jack Smith on July 8, 2003, at 19:20:07

Risperdal is a great pill. It lessens feelings of anziety. For it to be effective, you have to take the right dosage or else you get nothing at all or too much. It's also great to help you sleep.

 

Re: risperdal for anxiety

Posted by juanantoniod on July 9, 2003, at 17:22:29

In reply to Re: risperdal for anxiety, posted by girl on July 9, 2003, at 16:35:18

I'm on 1.0mg/day of Risperdal for augmentation of antidepressants. At what dose does it lessen anxiety and help with insomnia?

Thanks!

Antonio

> Risperdal is a great pill. It lessens feelings of anziety. For it to be effective, you have to take the right dosage or else you get nothing at all or too much. It's also great to help you sleep.

 

Re: risperdal for anxiety

Posted by SilmarilOne on July 9, 2003, at 18:02:53

In reply to Re: risperdal for anxiety, posted by juanantoniod on July 9, 2003, at 17:22:29

Wow! Am I the only one who had horrible INCREASED anxiety and agitation from risperdal? It made me have panic attacks and a feeling of wanting to crawl out of my skin. It was so bad I wanted to kill myself.

--thomas--

 

Re: risperdal for anxiety

Posted by darksky on July 9, 2003, at 20:56:13

In reply to Re: risperdal for anxiety, posted by girl on July 9, 2003, at 16:35:18

My experience wih risperdal is similar to jay beck's It was prescribed for me to aid with sleep, yet it kept me wide awake, worse than my normal insomnia. I noticed no easing of anxiety with it either.

 

Re: risperdal for anxiety

Posted by darksky on July 9, 2003, at 21:03:57

In reply to Re: risperdal for anxiety, posted by darksky on July 9, 2003, at 20:56:13

An afterthought. Apparently not everyone responds the same to meds, if there are similarities, or "types" I guess, in peoples responses it may be helpful to know that while respirdol didn't have the desired effects for me, an AD called remeron (mirtazapine) did help with both my anxiety and sleep difficulty. (I'm intolerant of paxil as well)

 

Re: risperdal for anxiety » jenna23

Posted by babs on July 12, 2003, at 9:48:59

In reply to risperdal for anxiety, posted by jenna23 on June 12, 2002, at 18:46:31

Risperdal (2.0 mg) worked relly well for my anxiety and OCD as an augmentation to celexa. It was the calmest I've felt in years but it gave me two major p[roblems- I gained 60 pounds and I had a great deal of difficulty concentrating and had to add adderalll. But despite those problems, I still think it is an amazing drug. Every drug affects people differently so you may not gain any weight at all. I think my case was extreme. I have since switched to klonopin ( had to stop risperdal because my prolactin levels were too elevated) and that seems to be working well. I was sad when I had to stop[ the risperdal though. Best, babs

 

Re: risperdal for anxiety

Posted by taister on December 26, 2003, at 3:16:37

In reply to risperdal for anxiety, posted by jenna23 on June 12, 2002, at 18:46:31

I take 3mg/day of Risperdal. Thoughts gone. I feel like a mindless zombie too. No creativity or now after 2 weeks.. a different creativity. Anxiety has increased tenfold. Level of Prolactin I guess is much higher than usual because I do not ejaculate normally.

To fight the intense anxiety I take Ativan 0.5 to 1mg whenever I can't cope with anxiety anymore.

 

Re: risperdal for anxiety

Posted by leopard on December 28, 2003, at 2:25:15

In reply to Re: risperdal for anxiety, posted by taister on December 26, 2003, at 3:16:37

> I take 3mg/day of Risperdal. Thoughts gone. I feel like a mindless zombie too. No creativity or now after 2 weeks.. a different creativity. Anxiety has increased tenfold. Level of Prolactin I guess is much higher than usual because I do not ejaculate normally.
>
> To fight the intense anxiety I take Ativan 0.5 to 1mg whenever I can't cope with anxiety anymore.


Has anyone on this thread tried Geodon? It is supposed to be like Risperdal but with NO weight gain. I am relatively new to this board, but I have noticed that there isn't a whole lot being said about Geodon. I am BPII and Geodon seems to be a miracle...just wanted to share this...

 

Re: risperdal for anxiety

Posted by KathrynLex on December 30, 2003, at 12:43:39

In reply to Re: risperdal for anxiety, posted by leopard on December 28, 2003, at 2:25:15

My pdoc initially prescribed risperdal and lexapro for my anxiety. I've heard that this has been a very successful combination for many people. (I didn't care for it though.)

 

Re: risperdal for anxiety

Posted by JLM on December 31, 2003, at 20:28:42

In reply to Re: risperdal for anxiety, posted by leopard on December 28, 2003, at 2:25:15

Are there any gold label studies that shows Risperidone is effective for anxiety, or ANY studies at ALL for that matter?

Here's a nice little ditty about Risperidone, and off label prescribing:

http://www.billingsgazette.com/index.php?id=1&display=rednews/2003/11/02/build/nation/30-offlabel.inc

"Victims of off-label prescribing whom Knight Ridder interviewed have suffered heart attacks and strokes, had permanent nerve damage or lost their eyesight. Most said they never were told that the FDA hadn't approved their treatments.

Based on the FDA's own data, Knight Ridder estimates that at least 8,000 people became seriously ill last year after taking some of the nation's most popular drugs off-label. The true number is likely to be many times higher.

"Sometimes it may help, sometimes it may do more harm than good and sometimes it may kill people," said Arnold Relman, a former editor of the prestigious New England Journal of Medicine.

Despite the rise in off-label drug use, the FDA has done little to discourage it, and is considering whether to allow drug companies greater leeway in pushing unapproved therapies.

George Murphy's hands, made strong by years of climbing utility poles for Houston Lighting & Power, shake with tremors. His legs, now rigid, shuffle as he pushes his walker through his studio apartment in Deer Park, Texas.

"I wish I didn't have to use this thing," he said as the walker snagged on his recliner while he was showing off his Army dog tags from World War II, a plaque for 40 years of service as a Mason, his Shriner fez and the oil paintings his wife did a few years before she died.

Murphy, now 85, began having the tremors last year after he had a series of strokelike attacks while taking Risperdal, a powerful antipsychotic drug that the FDA has approved only for treating schizophrenia.

Murphy's family practitioner in Pasadena, Texas, Dr. Dennis Yaworski, prescribed Risperdal for an off-label purpose: "cancer phobia," according to case notes from an office visit on Sept. 9, 2002.

The drug's maker, Johnson & Johnson, has marketed Risperdal heavily to doctors who treat elderly patients.

In 1999 the FDA cited Johnson & Johnson for downplaying the drug's risks to the elderly and making false and misleading claims that it could be used not just to treat schizophrenia, but also "for psychotic symptoms associated with a broad range of disorders."

While doctors are free to prescribe as they wish, the FDA prohibits drug-makers from marketing unapproved treatments.

Despite the FDA's action, Risperdal has become a popular off-label treatment for Alzheimer's disease and dementia. About 670,000 such prescriptions were written last year, up more than 350 percent from 1998, the Knight Ridder analysis found. Sixty-five percent of Risperdal's prescriptions last year were for unapproved treatments, generating $929 million in retail sales.

Then in April 2003, Johnson & Johnson sent a letter to U.S. doctors warning that Risperdal may be associated with an increase in strokes when prescribed off-label to elderly dementia patients.

The public warning came nearly two years after the drug maker privately alerted the FDA that there was a problem with Risperdal, agency officials said in response to questions from Knight Ridder. It came six months after drug regulators in Canada issued a similar warning and urged doctors in that country to reassess their use of Risperdal to treat dementia.

FDA officials, in a written statement, said it took several rounds of questions to the drug maker before they had enough evidence to have the drug company issue the warning. Johnson & Johnson, based in New Brunswick, N.J., had no comment.

Murphy and his family have sued the drug company, which in court filings denies any wrongdoing. His daughter, Robbie Murphy, said: "Our father has been taken away from us. Basically the last enjoyable times he could have with us are gone."

Cancer PHOBIA? I'd read the whole article folks.

 

Risperdal - twitching down under

Posted by Utopia on January 1, 2004, at 16:55:31

In reply to Re: risperdal for anxiety, posted by JLM on December 31, 2003, at 20:28:42

Hi

For years I took Risperdal to help my sleeping. Not for schizophrenia but to assist my sleep and anxiety including panic attacks.

I took a minute dose. It worked like a charm. As far as I could tell there were no side effects and I slept like a baby.

Then it started, a very slight twitching in my left leg that eventually would be noticeable if I was lying down on the couch with the leg semi-bent.

It had not got to the point that I couldn't walk but ...man oh man was it irritating! Went to see the pdoc, took me of it and replaced it with something else. The twitch took three months to completely dissapear, I'm lucky I suppose because once there I believe it can stay, even if off the medicines-incredible!

So if you're twitching down under and you're on Risperdal, see your doctor.

 

Re: risperdal for anxiety

Posted by JacquieJ on January 2, 2004, at 8:10:40

In reply to Re: risperdal for anxiety, posted by JLM on December 31, 2003, at 20:28:42

Risperdal can help some people with anxiety. And as far as off label uses, that is how MANY drugs get discovered for so many new uses (THANK GOD). My nephew had major problems with PTSD as well as anxiety after he came back from the Gulf War. The PC doc tried all kinds of antidepressant cocktails including xanax (highly addictive!) and none helped. He went to a Psych at the VA who fully informed him of what Risperdal's potential side effects were (weight gain, decreased libido, etc) but Stuart was willing to try ANYTHING short of suicide (which he had thoughts of). Risperdal added onto lexapro was the magic bullet. He has been on 1mg Risp and lexapro (celexa first and then switched) and he is a new person. I think we all need to be a little less accusing of drug companies these days...I agree that there are certainly abuses that take place-but I wouldn't want to go anywhere else in the WORLD for my health care. There is no "one drug fits all" in this world. I volunteer for NAMI and have seen time and time again patients who don't work on one agent and then are switched to another with great results. The brain is a mysterious thing and it is an art form to help heal it. Off label uses of drugs are miracles for many, so respectfully, I suggest unnecessarily alarming people into thinking their docs are intentionally harming them.

 

Re: risperdal for anxiety » JacquieJ

Posted by JLM on January 2, 2004, at 8:48:14

In reply to Re: risperdal for anxiety, posted by JacquieJ on January 2, 2004, at 8:10:40

> Risperdal can help some people with anxiety. And as far as off label uses, that is how MANY drugs get discovered for so many new uses (THANK GOD). My nephew had major problems with PTSD as well as anxiety after he came back from the Gulf War. The PC doc tried all kinds of antidepressant cocktails including xanax (highly addictive!) and none helped. He went to a Psych at the VA who fully informed him of what Risperdal's potential side effects were (weight gain, decreased libido, etc) but Stuart was willing to try ANYTHING short of suicide (which he had thoughts of). Risperdal added onto lexapro was the magic bullet. He has been on 1mg Risp and lexapro (celexa first and then switched) and he is a new person. I think we all need to be a little less accusing of drug companies these days...I agree that there are certainly abuses that take place-but I wouldn't want to go anywhere else in the WORLD for my health care. There is no "one drug fits all" in this world. I volunteer for NAMI and have seen time and time again patients who don't work on one agent and then are switched to another with great results. The brain is a mysterious thing and it is an art form to help heal it. Off label uses of drugs are miracles for many, so respectfully, I suggest unnecessarily alarming people into thinking their docs are intentionally harming them.

First, I'd like to say that its great that you had good outcome. I'm glad to hear that. I think in extreme cases its worth the risk of trying something novel. However, you are still left with the 2 problems pointed out in the article:

1. in the absence of any controlled trials, you can't say for certain what caused the improvment.
2. you really have no idea of what the potential adverse effects are when you give a drug to a population for which it wasn't studied.

I am also puzzled about your statement that 'psychiatry is an art form'. Either its an art form, or its medicine based on sound science, with repeatabled and demonstrable results. Treating people with diabetes, heart disease, immune system dysfunction is not an art form. It's science based. As are nuclear physics, electrical engineering, anthropology, and mathematics.

So, I think the premise of the article stands, insofar as with off label precribing you can't be sure that the treatment effect is not placebo effect, and you are assuming a huge unknown risk.

As far as being less acussing of drug companies of these days, they have more congressional lobbyists
than any other industry, and more drugs have been withdrawn from the market in the last decade than have been withdrawn in previous decades. And those were drugs being used for approved indications. And there is a lot evidence out that there the drug companies knew about many of those adverse events and didn't disclose them.

I guess MY point is that a lot of the off label prescribing that goes on is NOT for extreme cases like your nephew where the possible benefit outweighs the unknown risks. Docs are too cavalier about it. Its basically experimenting on patients without their consent.

 

Re: Risperdal - twitching down under

Posted by JLM on January 2, 2004, at 8:52:14

In reply to Risperdal - twitching down under, posted by Utopia on January 1, 2004, at 16:55:31

> Hi
>
> For years I took Risperdal to help my sleeping. Not for schizophrenia but to assist my sleep and anxiety including panic attacks.
>
> I took a minute dose. It worked like a charm. As far as I could tell there were no side effects and I slept like a baby.
>
> Then it started, a very slight twitching in my left leg that eventually would be noticeable if I was lying down on the couch with the leg semi-bent.
>
> It had not got to the point that I couldn't walk but ...man oh man was it irritating! Went to see the pdoc, took me of it and replaced it with something else. The twitch took three months to completely dissapear, I'm lucky I suppose because once there I believe it can stay, even if off the medicines-incredible!
>
> So if you're twitching down under and you're on Risperdal, see your doctor.


I'm glad you got it straightened out. I remember when Risperidal was first marketed and the drug company propaganda was that it didn't cause EPS/TD. We were giving it to the mentally retarded residents of the state facility I worked it, specifically on the claims of no TD.

Well, that didn't exactly work out too good now did it? I saw several people who were completely stable, with no TD, either develop EPS/TD or just completely freak out in general. Since most were non verbal I would suspect akathisia in the 'freak out cases'.


 

Re: risperdal for anxiety » JLM

Posted by leopard on January 2, 2004, at 9:16:29

In reply to Re: risperdal for anxiety » JacquieJ, posted by JLM on January 2, 2004, at 8:48:14

I am taking Geodon under an "off lable" guise and it has been a miracle drug for me. I am BPII and this is the ONLY drug that has helped me. I believe the drug comapny is trying to get it approved for BP/MD as we speak...I sure hope they do... in the meantime, I try to enlighten as many BPII's on this board. The lable of "anti psychotic" scared me away from it...glad I decided to take the plunge and try it. It worked.

 

Re: risperdal for anxiety

Posted by Tony P on January 2, 2004, at 17:30:57

In reply to Re: risperdal for anxiety » JLM, posted by leopard on January 2, 2004, at 9:16:29

A small dose of Risperdal seems to be helping me quite a lot (very recent).

I am in the process of some major changes in my meds, after a tentative rediagnosis as BP 2 or 3: mainly getting off Serzone and on to Lamictal. After the usual buildup I started experiencing extreme anxiety after 3 days at 100 mg Lamictal per day. My MD put me on 4 mg/day clonazepam as an emergency measure - helped a lot for a week, but afrter that I was simply not coping with ordinary life. After seeing my pdoc, I suggested Risperdal myself, as I was really feeling *crazy* - I couldn't think of any more technical way to put it!!

He wa perfectly willing to give it a try. He prefers Seroquel because of lower S/E profile, but he happened to have some samples of Risperdal .25, and said go ahead and try it - 1 to 4 a day.

I am currently taking .5 mg a day, and what a difference! My feelings seem to make sense, I am no longer swinging wildly or feeling euphoric from the clonazepam, I just feel generally more sensible and normal. And I experience less inclination to self-medicate with OTC etc. A little drowsy, but, i trust that will pass.

My pdoc's hope is that as I get up to higher doses of Lamictal, it will do everything I need - antidepressant, mood stabilization and help with social/GAD, so I won't need the Risperdal or Seroquel, clonazepam, or the other meds I have been taking for a while. I am a bit sceptical still, but it sure would be good to get away from mixing medical cocktails all the time!

 

Geodon - JLMspeak to me oh fountain of knowledge

Posted by Utopia on January 4, 2004, at 15:37:59

In reply to Re: risperdal for anxiety » JLM, posted by leopard on January 2, 2004, at 9:16:29

tell me few things about your condition e.g. besides Bipolar II was there any otherco-morbid cinditions. Agitation, anxiety, etc. have you been treated on multiple regimens and have had multiple multiple failures? Why was Geodon so succesful?

Iknow very little about the drug Geodon, please include it's generic or pharmaceurical name so that I may do a bit of research.

Thanks a ton

 

Re: Geodon - JLMspeak to me oh fountain of knowledge

Posted by leopard on January 5, 2004, at 15:10:16

In reply to Geodon - JLMspeak to me oh fountain of knowledge, posted by Utopia on January 4, 2004, at 15:37:59

Your subject title has me confused. I won't try to sort it out. ;)

I have recently (as in the past couple of months) been diagnosed with BPII and even more recently begun the long and arduous journey of exploring different ways to treat this disease.

Previous to my diagnosis, I thought I was a nervous, depressed person…plain ‘ol vanilla diagnosis. For the past 10 years I have tried several SSRI’s, various RX sleep aids, most herbal and vitamin remedies, all without success. I would become a “sleeping giant” on the SSRI’s…I would sleep 10 to 18 hours p/d only to wake up as a risk taking rageaholic. I look back on the personal/business decisions I made while taking these meds and I just cringe.

I tried Wellbutrin and Effexor last year…overlapping them for a few months. I eventually dropped Wellbutrin altogether. With all the meds I took, there was a honeymoon phase, a feeling that my brain shut down and I seemed more focused and less agitated/paranoid. The much maligned Effexor seemed to be the most effective med out of the long list I had tried.

I started taking Geodon a few months ago while I was still on Effexor. I have finally phased out the Effexor and now I am taking Geodon exclusively. I could feel the effects of Geodon from the very first pill.

Geodon has pretty much cleared up my constant negative/obsessive/paranoid thoughts. I didn’t realize how bad things were until I was no longer experiencing them. I am more even keeled and less agitated/angry. I am able to listen to others without a negative record playing in my head…I don’t “read into” things and form opinions around my warped perceptions. I am a lot less defensive, I leave the house more, I feel more at ease and accepting of others…they should dump this stuff into the general water supply. 

By far, the most interesting and conclusive proof that I have indicating am better off, is to watch other people who remind me of my pre Geodon days. It lends tremendous insight into just how much damage the chemicals in our brains, when out of control, can do to us.

My life would look much different than it does today had Geodon been around 10 years ago. I can only imagine. For now I am very happy/relieved and very sad too…I wasted so much of my life and didn’t know it…all I can do is make up for it and let as many people out there know that BP is the most mis/non/under diagnosed disease we have today… it is more prevalent than previously thought.

Reading these boards is tough sometimes…I feel like I can almost sense when someone is BP…any flavor of it… and then I read the high doses of various unipolar drugs they are taking…specifically SSRIs and I feel for them… Too bad the new antipsychotics have such scary names like, “psychotic” or rather too bad there is such a stigma surrounding mental illness and the term “psychosis.”

I have no idea why Geodon isn’t discussed more frequently on this board. I try to talk about it as much as I can and hopefully help people who remind me of my previous behaviors/feelings…a place I never want to revisit.

The generic name for Geodon is Ziprasidone. I take 20 mg at lunch time every day. It must be taken with food to work properly and it has a very short shelf life…6.5 hours…and yes, I can feel it wearing off…when it does I hit the gym or go for a walk and that seems to bring down the anxiety. I could pop another pill but I want to use the minimum amount necessary and I don’t believe there is one drug that can do it all…we need to be proactive…

I also take four teaspoons of Carlson’s fish oil every day (two teaspoons in the am and another two teaspoons in the pm), a multi vitamin, I do not drink any soda of any kind anymore and I make sure to stay away from all artificial sweeteners. I try to eat organic when possible but I never drink or eat dairy that is not organic…way too many pesticides in non organic dairy…I prefer the Horizon brand but that’s me…what else…oh, caffeine, how could I forget…the only caffeine I get nowadays is from either green tea or hot cocoa. Unfortunately, cutting back caffeine has made a huge difference in my mental stability…it was hard to let it go…but the results are worth it.

In addition to the meds, I see a shrink and have successfully used EMDR to augment my psycho therapy.

Hope this helps and best to all.


tell me few things about your condition e.g. besides Bipolar II was there any otherco-morbid cinditions. Agitation, anxiety, etc. have you been treated on multiple regimens and have had multiple multiple failures? Why was Geodon so succesful?
>
> Iknow very little about the drug Geodon, please include it's generic or pharmaceurical name so that I may do a bit of research.


>
> Thanks a ton

 

Re: Geodon - JLMspeak to me oh fountain of knowle

Posted by JLM on January 6, 2004, at 4:37:58

In reply to Re: Geodon - JLMspeak to me oh fountain of knowledge, posted by leopard on January 5, 2004, at 15:10:16

> Your subject title has me confused. I won't try to sort it out. ;)
>
> I have recently (as in the past couple of months) been diagnosed with BPII and even more recently begun the long and arduous journey of exploring different ways to treat this disease.
>
> Previous to my diagnosis, I thought I was a nervous, depressed person…plain ‘ol vanilla diagnosis. For the past 10 years I have tried several SSRI’s, various RX sleep aids, most herbal and vitamin remedies, all without success. I would become a “sleeping giant” on the SSRI’s…I would sleep 10 to 18 hours p/d only to wake up as a risk taking rageaholic. I look back on the personal/business decisions I made while taking these meds and I just cringe.
>
> I tried Wellbutrin and Effexor last year…overlapping them for a few months. I eventually dropped Wellbutrin altogether. With all the meds I took, there was a honeymoon phase, a feeling that my brain shut down and I seemed more focused and less agitated/paranoid. The much maligned Effexor seemed to be the most effective med out of the long list I had tried.
>
> I started taking Geodon a few months ago while I was still on Effexor. I have finally phased out the Effexor and now I am taking Geodon exclusively. I could feel the effects of Geodon from the very first pill.
>
> Geodon has pretty much cleared up my constant negative/obsessive/paranoid thoughts. I didn’t realize how bad things were until I was no longer experiencing them. I am more even keeled and less agitated/angry. I am able to listen to others without a negative record playing in my head…I don’t “read into” things and form opinions around my warped perceptions. I am a lot less defensive, I leave the house more, I feel more at ease and accepting of others…they should dump this stuff into the general water supply. 
>
> By far, the most interesting and conclusive proof that I have indicating am better off, is to watch other people who remind me of my pre Geodon days. It lends tremendous insight into just how much damage the chemicals in our brains, when out of control, can do to us.
>
> My life would look much different than it does today had Geodon been around 10 years ago. I can only imagine. For now I am very happy/relieved and very sad too…I wasted so much of my life and didn’t know it…all I can do is make up for it and let as many people out there know that BP is the most mis/non/under diagnosed disease we have today… it is more prevalent than previously thought.
>
> Reading these boards is tough sometimes…I feel like I can almost sense when someone is BP…any flavor of it… and then I read the high doses of various unipolar drugs they are taking…specifically SSRIs and I feel for them… Too bad the new antipsychotics have such scary names like, “psychotic” or rather too bad there is such a stigma surrounding mental illness and the term “psychosis.”
>
> I have no idea why Geodon isn’t discussed more frequently on this board. I try to talk about it as much as I can and hopefully help people who remind me of my previous behaviors/feelings…a place I never want to revisit.
>
> The generic name for Geodon is Ziprasidone. I take 20 mg at lunch time every day. It must be taken with food to work properly and it has a very short shelf life…6.5 hours…and yes, I can feel it wearing off…when it does I hit the gym or go for a walk and that seems to bring down the anxiety. I could pop another pill but I want to use the minimum amount necessary and I don’t believe there is one drug that can do it all…we need to be proactive…
>
> I also take four teaspoons of Carlson’s fish oil every day (two teaspoons in the am and another two teaspoons in the pm), a multi vitamin, I do not drink any soda of any kind anymore and I make sure to stay away from all artificial sweeteners. I try to eat organic when possible but I never drink or eat dairy that is not organic…way too many pesticides in non organic dairy…I prefer the Horizon brand but that’s me…what else…oh, caffeine, how could I forget…the only caffeine I get nowadays is from either green tea or hot cocoa. Unfortunately, cutting back caffeine has made a huge difference in my mental stability…it was hard to let it go…but the results are worth it.
>
> In addition to the meds, I see a shrink and have successfully used EMDR to augment my psycho therapy.
>
> Hope this helps and best to all.
>
>
>
>
>
>
> tell me few things about your condition e.g. besides Bipolar II was there any otherco-morbid cinditions. Agitation, anxiety, etc. have you been treated on multiple regimens and have had multiple multiple failures? Why was Geodon so succesful?
> >
> > Iknow very little about the drug Geodon, please include it's generic or pharmaceurical name so that I may do a bit of research.
>
>
> >
> > Thanks a ton
>
>

LAF, I can't make any sense out of the subject title either ;)

Well, it sounds like you're on the righ track. I saw a rather interesting webcast about Fish Oil from NIH, that dealt specifically with schizophrenic patients, and in that population it seemed to be VERY helpful from the data they presented. I'll try and dig up the link.

I'm curious how you found your way to Geodon, and what exactly (and I do mean exactly here) your doc said to you that persuaded you to try it.

Your post was very interesting to me personally because my psychologist does both EMDR and is a big fan of Fish Oil. That's where I first heard about it.

Welp, anyway the fountain is now dry, at least for today ;)


PS. Is the Carlsons PCB/mercury free? I recently heard that the FDA is recommending that pregnant women not eat too much Tuna during a weeks time, due to possible contamination.


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