Posted by medlib on July 21, 2001, at 20:53:59
In reply to Help! GEODON, hypomania?, posted by Chloe on July 21, 2001, at 17:11:05
Hi Chloe--
The Geodon lit from Pfizer states that the mean terminal half life is approx. 7 hours and that it takes 2-3 days to reach a "steady state." I had what was probably a brief hypomanic reaction ("flight of ideas", rapid speech) for 2 days about a week into my trial.
It *does* seem to have the potential for significant "wearing off" or withdrawal side effects. Much to my dismay, I had to discontinue Geodon after developing extrapyramidal symptoms on Day 17--very weird, in fact, unheard of. Although I was only taking one 20mg. capsule, when I stopped the drug I began having *severe* panic attacks ("false suffocation syndrome") every 12 hours for about l0 days. (I'd never experienced anything resembling anxiety, much less panic.) Needless to say, this, too, was a completely idiosyncratic response; undoubtedly, no one else in the universe will ever react to Geodon this way. Before all hell broke loose, I thought Geodon was finally "it" for me--the closest I've ever come (or probably ever will come) to normal.
Geodon, like most antipsychotics, is a "dirty" drug--that is, it acts on many different neurotransmitters. So, teasing out exactly what action is responsible for which effect probably is an exercise in futility--especially when individual responses to the *same* substance are so varied.
If you would like to continue on Geodon, I have a suggestion: open the capsule, divide the powder into 2 portions and take half with breakfast, the other half with dinner. Geodon is poorly soluble in water. Also, it is 60% more bioavailable when taken with meals.
Good luck and well wishes---medlib
poster:medlib
thread:71234
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/20010720/msgs/71263.html