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Dr. Bob is Robert Hsiung, MD,
bob@dr-bob.orgShown: posts 1 to 7 of 7. This is the beginning of the thread.
Posted by TommyIsland on July 27, 2005, at 13:19:31
I'll get right to the point. I have been taking Effexor 150MG for Depression for the last 5 years. I have obsessional thoughts that run a viscious cycle and cause tremendous mood change and distress upon me. I recently went back to my old original shrink who put me on Effexor and told him of my Obsessions and how they were really getting old and a major problem in the quality of my life. HIS SOLUTION: Try Geodon! To make a long story short.....I started at 20MG once a day for a week and then bumped up to 40MG. Sleep was basically all I wanted to do ----- HOWEVER - the second day after being on the 40MG pills I started to get a nervous energy inside and couldn't keep my legs still. Socially I felt "slowed" up inside my mind and conversation seemed completely uninteresting. I'm usually a social butterfly. THE BOMB - After being up all night I took a 40MG pill in the morning and by the afternoon things got WIERD. I have never taken LSD or acid tripped but this had to be the closest thing for me. I don't know what happened but I've been looking it up on the net and found another kid who said the exact same thing. http://remedyfind.com/review_long.asp?id=2956&review_id=23489 Anyways, I started noticing I was talking outloud while by myself watching TV and to say the least ------ the med gave me an OPPOSITE reaction from what it's supposed to do. It's supposed to quiet up thoughts ----- not make you schizz. I actually was peaceful in a strange sense just thinking that I guess I was becoming neurotic and it had all culminated down to this. But then I thought to myself, "What a coincidence that I'm taking a med for Depression and Obsessive Thoughts and the med is actually an Antipsychotic mostly given to Scizz patients and now I'm actually showing symptoms of that mental disease." I immediately stopped taking the med and it's now the story gets STRANGER. All hallucinations and outloud auditory comments have completely stopped and I now obviously know the med was inducing it in me. But now it's been almost 48 hours and I still havn't slept and I'm 100% completely wired. I can't even see sleep in my future and it's been a whole two days just about. I've been suffering from Unipolar Depression since my early teens and I'm currently 29 years old and now it's like I'm MANIC beyond belief now. I want to keep doing things. MY QUESTION TO ALL ON THIS WEBSITE WHO ARE CURRENTLY READING THIS ----- When in the world will this Insomnia subside? Why do you think I experienced Hallucinations and outloud speaking in a room by myself? Do you think it had anything to do with the fact that I'm taking Effexor XR 150MG in conjunction with the Geodon? Do you think that maybe the Dopamine properties of this drug boosted mine out of proportion and that's why I went manic and then hallucinated? Any responses from you great people would be EXTREMELY appreciated because it's so hard to find out anything really meaty about this strange drug called Geodon!
Thanks,
Tommy!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Posted by med_empowered on July 27, 2005, at 16:02:42
In reply to VERY VERY Important - Geodon Issues - Please Help!, posted by TommyIsland on July 27, 2005, at 13:19:31
hi! Weirdly enough, antipsychotics--old ones at lower doses, or new ones combined with antidepressants--can sometimes CAUSE psychosis, mania, hypomania, etc. To me, it sounds like you got a double-whammy: it sounds like you got a mild case of akathisia (inner turmoil/restlessness, associated with uncontrolled motor activity) AND some manic symptoms. I've heard that the Celexa and Geodon combo has thrown lots of people into mania; it certainly is possible that Effexor and Geodon could do something similar. My advice would be to call your shrink or ANY good doctor--even your GP-- and tell them what's up. Since its a drug-induced reaction, they should probably just RX some benzos to calm you down, and possibly an additional medication for sleep, like Ambien. Usually, reactions like this are pretty short lived, especially once the medication has been withdrawn, so don't fret; just contact a competent doc and take it from there.
Posted by TrishP on July 28, 2005, at 7:07:37
In reply to VERY VERY Important - Geodon Issues - Please Help!, posted by TommyIsland on July 27, 2005, at 13:19:31
My doctor wanted me to start with 80mg 2x a day with Geodon. I only took 80mg and was wired! I was very happy, but felt like I was on speed. Couldn't sleep at all. Not able to orgasim (but was ready for sex). After days of not sleeping and feeling way to hyper like I was going to have a heart attack, things got weird.
I had to stop. Either I really was going to have a heart attack or I was going to be committed for the lack of sleep weirdness.
I just couldn't take Geodon. I don't understand how it is suppoed to keep people for being manic?!
Posted by TommyIsland on July 28, 2005, at 10:58:00
In reply to Re: VERY VERY Important - Geodon Issues - Please Help!, posted by TrishP on July 28, 2005, at 7:07:37
I don't understand the basis for this med. It's as close to speed as you'll get. The energy rush is great for someone who's always in a low mood or in a state of depression but enoughs enough after sleepness nights and being wired for days at a time. In the end you'll end up crashing for 15 hours straight like I just did. Wierd Stuff to say the least peeps!!!!!!!!!
Tommy!!!!!!!!
Posted by dazedandconfused on July 28, 2005, at 11:23:31
In reply to VERY VERY Important - Geodon Issues - Please Help!, posted by TommyIsland on July 27, 2005, at 13:19:31
Hi Tommy,
I wrote a response yesterday but it appears to have disappeared!I suggest you call your pdoc asap. I had a very similar experience w/ Geodon while I was on Celexa. I ignored these side effects until they became unbearable. Severe symptoms...inner restlessness, wanting to jump out of my skin, rocking back and forth. Turns out pdoc thinks I had tardive dyskinesia (sp?) reaction. I tapered off Geodon w/ the help of some Xanax. Took a few days but I was fine afterwards.
Hang in there and call your pdoc.
Posted by spriggy on July 29, 2005, at 12:48:14
In reply to Re: VERY VERY Important - Geodon Issues - Please Help! » TommyIsland, posted by dazedandconfused on July 28, 2005, at 11:23:31
Tommyisland,
I did the same thing on Lexapro. I had hallucinations (visual and auditory) and got MUCH worse (not better). Going off of it was almost worse than being on it. I think it literally took me 2-3 months to get back to normal (but I was on it for almost 2 months).If you don't have a benzo to take (like Xanex, Valium, Klonopin) than I would call your doctor and ask for something to help you to calm down, rest, and sleep until this stuff leaves your body.
If you can't get in touch with your doctor, take Benadryl. I had to treat myself with Benadryl for 3 days before my doctor realized how bad I was (and by that time my husband took me to the hospital).
I know EXACTLY how you are feeling. I could've written your post word for word.
The main thing to KNOW is YOU WILL GET BETTER and this is not permanent. I think that was my biggest fear when I was going through it, I wondered, " will I ever be normal again?"
You will. It just takes a while for these meds to leave your system. Try to stay away from as much stimulation as possible- keep the tv off or down low, keep the lights dim, I wouldn't recommend going out in public. It's just too much sensory stimulation when you are going through this.
I am praying for you right now!
Posted by Sebastian on July 30, 2005, at 11:03:43
In reply to VERY VERY Important - Geodon Issues - Please Help!, posted by TommyIsland on July 27, 2005, at 13:19:31
Change meds! When I started a similar med, Risperdal, I also holucinated, and felt bad, could not move. Try zyprexa.
This is the end of the thread.
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