Psycho-Babble Medication Thread 645333

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Does everybody hate Geodon?

Posted by heaven help me on May 17, 2006, at 22:07:08

I'm going to try and pick apart my regine med by med to locate what works and what doesn't. #1 is 120mg Geodon per night. I don't see much about it in these posts. Do you hate it, love it? Have anything to share to help me in deciding? If it is low in the choices is Seroquel in the top picks? What is? (I am talking about Anti-psychotics right now, right?) PS: I want to AVOID weight gain!

 

Re: Does everybody hate Geodon? » heaven help me

Posted by Phillipa on May 17, 2006, at 22:33:53

In reply to Does everybody hate Geodon?, posted by heaven help me on May 17, 2006, at 22:07:08

Antipsychotics and seroquel will put on weight . Don't know about Geodon. Did you google it? Love Phillipa

 

Re: Does everybody hate Geodon? » heaven help me

Posted by yxibow on May 17, 2006, at 23:45:37

In reply to Does everybody hate Geodon?, posted by heaven help me on May 17, 2006, at 22:07:08

> I'm going to try and pick apart my regine med by med to locate what works and what doesn't. #1 is 120mg Geodon per night. I don't see much about it in these posts. Do you hate it, love it? Have anything to share to help me in deciding? If it is low in the choices is Seroquel in the top picks? What is? (I am talking about Anti-psychotics right now, right?) PS: I want to AVOID weight gain!

Well I can't say much since I don't know the diagnosis/reason for its use, but if its not for a schizophreniform or bipolar disorder, it would not be my first choice. But I'm sensitive to akathisia, one of a variety of "EPS" (extra-pyramidal symptoms) or a fancy term for antipsychotic (and rarely some antidepressant) side effects. If you havent had akathisia, its like wanting to crawl on the carpet and bury your head in it or run through walls. It is not anxiety, and those who have experienced it can tell you it isn't. It may seem like it but it is much different. But there's no guarantee that you personally will experience it. Geodon has been recertified as far as QTc interval issues, so heart problems shouldn't be an issue, so if you respond well to it, its an allright antipsychotic. It is stronger certainly than Zyprexa or Seroquel which is partially why its EPS profile is higher.
If you're going to take it, I'm not sure why its prescribed at night, as generally it is "activating" (a key word really for its akathisia issues).


I personally take Seroquel for an OC/Somatiform/etc. symptom complex; its not nearly as lipid profile changing as Zyprexa but it does have some and some weight gain. I lost it though through excercise and my weight is now 40 lbs down and my cholesterol is nearly below normal -- actually a portion of that was due to previous use of Remeron so its hard to say how much Seroquel is affecting me in that way. I would take Zyprexa but it causes my hands to shake and makes daily tasks more difficult. Seroquel is milder in that regard.


As the relative potency increases and the observed EPS increases, of course, there is some, but not complete correlation in possible risk of TD, but that connection isn't completely established and if it is a medication that you really need, while something to consider -- all medication should be "informed consent" if one is not incapacitated -- it shouldn't scare you away from something that may provide benefit outweighting risks.

 

Re: Does everybody hate Geodon?

Posted by TJO on May 18, 2006, at 5:15:29

In reply to Re: Does everybody hate Geodon? » heaven help me, posted by yxibow on May 17, 2006, at 23:45:37

Hi,
Just to give you some info-there are five (newer) anti psychotics.

Risperdal-(puts on weight about half as bad as Zyprexa)

Seroquel- a little better about weight than Risperdal

Zyprexa-Horribly weight gain inducing and bad if you have a family history of Diabetes

Geodon-Some risk of heart problems

I think there is one more but i can't remember it.

Usually for bipolar you need a mood stabilizer, an anti psychotic and and anti depressant at the least.

hope this helps

Tammy

 

Re: Does everybody hate Geodon?

Posted by med_empowered on May 18, 2006, at 10:41:59

In reply to Does everybody hate Geodon?, posted by heaven help me on May 17, 2006, at 22:07:08

Your dosage is a little high, and strangely done. Geodon, like Seroquel, is dosed 2X daily (most antipsychotics are done once daily). Geodon doses usually start at 20mgs, then move up to a max of 80mgsX2 (daily total: 160mgs).

Geodon has some good points; it has some re-uptake inhibition properties that give it a built-in edge in terms of dealing with depression (although it seems to cause mania sometimes in bipolar and schizoaffective patients). Also, Geodon at higher doses seems to cause less sedation in chronic schizophrenics than other meds and so there's less cognitive impairment; it may actually improve cognition, or it could just be that it doesn't impair cognition the way the older drugs (and the atypicals) can and often do.

If you are schizophrenic, Geodon might be appropriate, but it really depends on you. If you have bipolar or another mood disorder, you can usually do without antipsychotics and just use mood stabilizers, with other meds if needed (antidepressants, benzos, stimulants, etc.).

Even if you have schizophrenia, sometimes the neuroleptic can be minimized by using mood stabilizers (like in bipolar).

Good luck!


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