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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 SheilaC on July 29, 2009, at 10:02:21
I finally switched to Geodon 20mg in the morning. So far, no side effects except for a little tiredness. I noticed that this is a drug you are supposed to take 2x a day. What times do most people take it?
I take Serquel at night for sleep, so that is why I started Geodon during the day. I'm going to give it some more time, but I feel like I need more than 20mg. Not sure if I should take 20mg when I wake up and 20mg in the afternoon? Along with Seroquel at night? Is this too much?
Or should I just work up to 40mg in the am and Serquel in the pm?
Posted by Rdragon on July 29, 2009, at 10:11:37
In reply to Geodon 1x or 2x a day?, posted by SheilaC on July 29, 2009, at 10:02:21
> I finally switched to Geodon 20mg in the morning. So far, no side effects except for a little tiredness. I noticed that this is a drug you are supposed to take 2x a day. What times do most people take it?
>
> I take Serquel at night for sleep, so that is why I started Geodon during the day. I'm going to give it some more time, but I feel like I need more than 20mg. Not sure if I should take 20mg when I wake up and 20mg in the afternoon? Along with Seroquel at night? Is this too much?
>
> Or should I just work up to 40mg in the am and Serquel in the pm?
>
>
>I'm on 80 at night, 80 in the morning. 20mg would be way too weak for me.
Posted by Phillipa on July 29, 2009, at 10:47:36
In reply to Re: Geodon 1x or 2x a day?, posted by Rdragon on July 29, 2009, at 10:11:37
Why two atypicals? I have heard twice a day with the geodon. Phillipa
Posted by SLS on July 29, 2009, at 10:52:47
In reply to Geodon 1x or 2x a day?, posted by SheilaC on July 29, 2009, at 10:02:21
> I finally switched to Geodon 20mg in the morning. So far, no side effects except for a little tiredness. I noticed that this is a drug you are supposed to take 2x a day. What times do most people take it?
>
> I take Serquel at night for sleep, so that is why I started Geodon during the day. I'm going to give it some more time, but I feel like I need more than 20mg. Not sure if I should take 20mg when I wake up and 20mg in the afternoon? Along with Seroquel at night? Is this too much?
>
> Or should I just work up to 40mg in the am and Serquel in the pm?
Geodon is supposed to be taken twice a day with food.
- Scott
Posted by SheilaC on July 29, 2009, at 11:06:01
In reply to Re: Geodon 1x or 2x a day?, posted by SLS on July 29, 2009, at 10:52:47
I'm thinking that instead of taking 20mg 2x a day, (and not being able to keep my eyes open!) I should drop the Seroquel at night and just take 40mg of Geodon.
This way I won't have to take 2 anti-psychotics and the Geodon should knock me out at night instead of during the day.
I swear, just 20mg in the morning and after a few hours I want to go back to bed!
Any thoughts on this regime?
Does the sleepiness wear off? Or can I pretty much count on it helping me with sleep if I take it at night.
The only reason I take Seroquel at night is to help me with sleep.
Posted by Brainbeard on July 29, 2009, at 15:28:16
In reply to Re: Geodon 1x or 2x a day?, posted by SheilaC on July 29, 2009, at 11:06:01
Interesting question!
I'm on low dose Geodon myself, and I've been asking myself this very question.
There's the drug's half-life, which is only about 7 hours, but the most prominent effects of the drug in the brain (5HT2A-antagonism and D2-antagonism) last much longer, close to 24 hours.
Geodon also does some noradrenalin and serotonin reuptake inhibition (SNRI), reportedly about as potent as amitriptyline, which means this would probably become really significant only at doses of about 80mg and higher.
Anyhow, I think that the SNRI action in the brain is more short-lived and is the reason that people may experience unpleasant effects when their dose wears off.The Geodon can also mess with blood pressure and pulse, and fluctuations in this area can be highly unpleasant too.
Now for the sedation. I had no idea that Geodon would be so sedating in low doses; but I completely recognize the need to get back to bed in the morning! The studies I've seen swear that this effect wears off soon. I'm not so sure. A friend of mine is on the stuff for a longer while and she says the sedation can be 'brutal'.
Now, your suggestion that Geodon could sedate you in the evening doesn't work for me. I now take my Geodon with dinner, and it totally doesn't sedate me. I tried taking it with lunch, and then it did sedate me. Not surprisingly, it also sedated me when I took it in the morning. More than that: I tend to be sedated in the morning no matter if I take the drug in the morning or the evening before!
If it wasn't for the sedation, I would definitely dose both with breakfast and with dinner to have more steady blood levels. I'm on 25mg now and I do have the feeling that I experience mild withdrawal effects in the hours before my dinner dose.
By the way, in low doses Geodon can act more as an activating antidepressant (which is why I take it). The antipsychotic effects only come to the fore with doses of 80mg and up.
And, perhaps superfluously: don't take Geodon without a meal, since it won't be absorped half as well!
Posted by SheilaC on July 29, 2009, at 16:02:38
In reply to Re: Geodon 1x or 2x a day?, posted by Brainbeard on July 29, 2009, at 15:28:16
Brainbeard, thank you for your interesting and insightful posts. I feel like I really learn things from you.
How much Geodon are you taking? What other meds do you take?
Thanks for the info.
I called my doc and he said it was fine to take my 20mg of Geodon at night and if it worked well for me that I could go up to 40mg at night.
Posted by Brainbeard on July 29, 2009, at 16:38:39
In reply to Brainbeard...Re: Geodon 1x or 2x a day?, posted by SheilaC on July 29, 2009, at 16:02:38
Most welcome.
> How much Geodon are you taking? What other meds do you take?
I take 25mg at dinner now. Even 5mg had a pronounced effect for me though!(I split the capsules into several ones).
I also take 25mg of sertraline (Zoloft), 15mg of Buspar, 3mg of amitriptyline (Elavil) and 6mg of imipramine (Tofranil); PRN (as needed): modafinil 50-100mg, selegiline 2.5-10mg, tramadol 12.5-50mg, tianeptine 12.5-25mg; once a week: amisulpride 50mg. I may have forgotten something.
(Not mentioning Tylenol and sometimes codeine, or the occasional Ibuprofen.)
This is the end of the thread.
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