Posted by Larry Hoover on January 4, 2004, at 9:22:58
In reply to Geodon side effects or benzo problem?, posted by scotagne on January 4, 2004, at 8:25:08
> I'm having panic and anxiety 1-2 hours before my 40mg Geodon twice a day. I take it for paranoia/ psychosis and have been on it six months. Before that I was taking Risperdal. Also take 40mg of Lexapro once a day for depression. I had an abuse issue with Ativan and Klonopin in the Fall, but I have been off those for a month. Did I zap my fragile system with the benzos or does the Geodon stop working? I've been pretty stressed lately. Thanks in advance.
Are you taking the Geodon with food? Food doubles the absorption of the drug, so the assumption with respect to dosing is that you always take it with food.
The half-life is something around 7 hours (that's an average, meaning some will be faster and some slower), but it is rather slowly absorbed, so the peak concentration in blood comes hours after the dose (probably meaning it is absorbed from the small intestine).
You should talk to your doctor about maybe trying a TID dosing schedule, but you'd probably have to cut pills (ooops, shoulda checked first, it's in capsules). Hmmm....talk to your doctor about maybe going to a 20 20 40 dosing, or 20 40 20, every eight hours. Something like that.
Or maybe the pdoc might add something non-benzo as an augment.
Delayed benzo withdrawal symptoms are well-known, but they usually only apply to people who already had acute withdrawal symptoms. You didn't zap your system with benzos. More like, your system is still messed up despite the benzos. You could also try some supplements. Magnesium and niacinamide both sensitize the GABA receptors, and niacinamide is also a weak agonist of that receptor. Because your symptoms come with some regularity, you might want to try taking 500 mg niacinamide (NOT niacin, or slow-release niacin) 3 or 4 hours before the next geodon dose. If symptoms happen anyway, you might consider another 500 of niacinamide. You'll likely get a mild flushing reaction at that dose, but if it's stronger, you'll have to deal with your pdoc.
Good luck,
Lar
poster:Larry Hoover
thread:296286
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/20031231/msgs/296298.html