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Dr. Bob is Robert Hsiung, MD,
bob@dr-bob.orgShown: posts 1 to 3 of 3. This is the beginning of the thread.
Posted by SheilaC on August 16, 2010, at 7:54:36
I am trying to figure out how Geodon works. I was told by a doc many years ago that the higher the dose the more alert and awake. The lower the dose the more drowsy and tired.
But another doc I saw a few months ago told me that a small dose shouldn't effect me and make me flat and lethargic.
I don't know what to think?
Anyone know?
Posted by Christ_empowered on August 16, 2010, at 12:58:14
In reply to Geodon dosing questions..., posted by SheilaC on August 16, 2010, at 7:54:36
I found this (http://www.biopsychiatry.com/ziprasidone.html) which would seem to indicate that the dose really depends on your problem(s) and the phase of your illness at the time you start therapy. The abstract I linked to above discusses the possibility of using higher doses for acute phases of severe bipolar and schizophrenia, and then lowering down to a "maintenance dose" of around 40mgs/day.
I personally think that since you don't have psychosis or mania, you might want to start very low and gradually get up to a dosage that provides control of your problems w/o any (or too many) side-effects. The great thing about antipsychotics (both "atypical" and "conventional") is that they're pretty fast-acting in some respects; since you don't have hallucinations or acute mania to contend with, lower doses should help deal with anxiety, agitation, irritability, and possibly even dysphoria rather quickly. In fact, some docs use neuroleptics on an as-needed basis for control of certain symptoms in non-psychotic mood-disorders (and borderline personality disorder, too).
I think one problem you're having is that your doctors seem to think that Geodon, and possibly the other atypicals, are somehow special drugs that have unusual properties that show themselves at the "right" or "target" dose. I've been on various meds at various doses, and I can tell you: there's really nothing special about Geodon or any other "atypical" (or "conventional") antipsychotic. There is no magic dose. The special thing about the "atypicals," from my view as a patient, is that you're more able to get control of your symptoms w/o running into problems such as tardive dyskinesia, drug-induced depression, and "affective flattening" (jargon-y term for being Thorazine-d into oblivion).
I guess I wrote all this to say these 2 things: 1) even though Geodon is probably a lot safer than, say, Haldol, it is still heavy artillery, so start low, go slow so you can discover the lowest dose at which your problems are minimized; and 2) keep your expectations low. I know its hard, with all the advertising and glowing reports from shrinks, to be at all skeptical, but it certainly helps. Drugs can help with certain aspects of what we call mental illness, but they're really not "cures" and there's a whole lot more to obtaining a good Quality of Life (QOL, another jargon-y term I'll borrow from the shrinks) than taking the "right" med(s) the "right" dose(s).I wish you the best of luck. I hope my post was helpful.
Posted by SheilaC on August 16, 2010, at 17:00:01
In reply to start low, go slow, posted by Christ_empowered on August 16, 2010, at 12:58:14
Thank you for that post. I couldn't get in to see my pdoc today, but I did talk to my regular doc about my lethargy and general inability to do anything. She said that it sounded like my ADD and not depression. She also asked me why I wasn't taking my 20mg of Adderall a day like I use to.
So, I see my pdoc on Wednesday and I will discuss this with her.
I'm wondering if you can take low dose Geodon (40mg), Adderall and Klonopin. I'm guessing you can.
I think the Lithium was bringing me down, which I've been told can happen.
This is the end of the thread.
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