![[dr. bob]](/dr-bob-sm.gif)
Dr. Bob is Robert Hsiung, MD,
bob@dr-bob.orgShown: posts 1 to 8 of 8. This is the beginning of the thread.
Posted by lois on February 13, 2011, at 16:39:33
I have been on abilify with cymbalta, and the abilify is affecting my swallowing. I decreased the dose and the depression is worse. Thinking about geodon as adjunct now. Any experiences?
Posted by Christ_empowered on February 13, 2011, at 17:19:43
In reply to cymbalta and geodon, posted by lois on February 13, 2011, at 16:39:33
do you have psychotic depression or bipolar disorder? Don't get me wrong--I take a hefty dose of Abilify daily for my bipolar type I w/ psychotic features--but I kind of need an antipsychotic in my life, at least for the time being. If its depression (I don't want to say "just depression," b/c depression can be crippling), have you tried other augmentation strategies?
You could try: BuSpar, Wellbutrin, Ritalin or an amphetamine, a benzo, lyrica or neurontin, lamictal, depakote, lithium, a tricyclic, pindolol...
I'm sure there are others you could try as well. I'd just hate to see you spend all kinds of $$$ and end up with side effects when you may not have tried alternatives that don't involve an antipsychotic.
I'd be concerned that if you had problems with Abilify, similar problems might pop up with Geodon. If anything, Geodon is more likely to cause most kinds of EPS, except akathisia.
Good luck!
Posted by lois on February 13, 2011, at 17:32:51
In reply to Re: cymbalta and geodon, posted by Christ_empowered on February 13, 2011, at 17:19:43
I have been on all the other drugs you mentioned.
Lois
Posted by Christ_empowered on February 13, 2011, at 19:22:04
In reply to Re: cymbalta and geodon » Christ_empowered, posted by lois on February 13, 2011, at 17:32:51
hey...I'm sorry about your struggles. I was just concerned that maybe you hadn't tried some other things (too many docs put people on atypicals right away...)
Anyway, I'm really sorry about your struggles, and I hope Geodon will work for you. I read a case study online where a patient developed tardive dyskinesia after Abilify (which, as an Abilify patient, was AWESOME to read). Anyway, they tapered her off the Abilify and switched her to (you guessed it) GEODON, and she did well. And her depression improved.
How much cymbalta are you taking?
Posted by lois on February 13, 2011, at 20:13:59
In reply to Re: cymbalta and geodon, posted by Christ_empowered on February 13, 2011, at 19:22:04
I am on 60 mgs of cymbalta. I had been to 120mgs,but had to go back down.I think it was because it didn't help the depression any more than 60 mgs. I have bipolar I atypical rapid cycling. I am also on clonazapam, lamictal, small dose of rememron( to help me sleep, which doesn't help too much), and 25mgs seroquel-which I cannot tolerate to increase. Thanks for your interest.Lois
Posted by Christ_empowered on February 14, 2011, at 14:44:50
In reply to Re: cymbalta and geodon » Christ_empowered, posted by lois on February 13, 2011, at 20:13:59
Hey. Sorry about your situation :-(
Hopefully, the Geodon will be just the thing to get you on an even keel. Its supposed to be weight neutral and it doesn't cause as much EPS as some other drugs. I've heard that it can elevate one's mood, which would be great for you.
Posted by lois on February 14, 2011, at 18:00:16
In reply to Re: cymbalta and geodon » Christ_empowered, posted by lois on February 13, 2011, at 20:13:59
Thanks. Do you know how much it costs?
Lois
Posted by Christ_empowered on February 14, 2011, at 18:46:37
In reply to Re: cymbalta and geodon, posted by lois on February 14, 2011, at 18:00:16
At drugstore.com, Geodon #60 is just under $575, which I think is about a month at the highest standard dose. Do you have insurance?
If not, don't despair. I take Abilify, since I need an antipsychotic and I don't have insurance. My dose would be over $700 out-of-pocket. I don't have that kind of money. I order my drugs through http://www.pharmacyescrow.com
They hook you up with generics from India and sometimes other countries. Its so much cheaper than what you'd pay at a US pharmacy--I pay about $80/month, and I'm on the highest FDA approved dose.
Since you have Bipolar I, you might consider taking an older antipsychotic (lots of people with Bipolar I are on some sort of antipsychotic long-term). Perphenazine (trilafon) worked as well as the newer drugs in one study but it is considerably cheaper. Just be sure to keep the dose as low as possible, consider taking anti-oxidants, and watch out for signs of tardive dyskinesia (which is a risk with any antipsychotic, but the risk is higher with high dose older drugs).
In addition to pharmacyescrow.com, there are a number of other sites that sell generic versions of the atypical antipsychotics. I looked it up at wwww.drugbuyers.com , and there's a place (united pharmacies) that sells 40mgs Geodon tablets for $1 per pill. That would make a final cost of $2-$4/day cost, depending on your dose.
Good luck!
This is the end of the thread.
Psycho-Babble Medication | Extras | FAQ
Dr. Bob is Robert Hsiung, MD,
bob@dr-bob.org
Script revised: February 4, 2008
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/cgi-bin/pb/mget.pl
Copyright 2006-17 Robert Hsiung.
Owned and operated by Dr. Bob LLC and not the University of Chicago.