I have been taking geodon for years....80mg twice a day the max dose.
I worked my way up to that dose over the years, my moods are some what stable but I still have manic episodes so it doesn't work all of the time.
I missed a dose this morning forgot to take all of my vits etc after lunch , I use a pill box during the week and have a nice routine set up with out fail.
It is the weekends that mess me up. I am out of my routine.
I was fine until this evenings walk, granted it was hot but there were clouds and a breeze..it felt nice out.
Half way thru the walk I started sweating.
After the walk I went home and cooled off in the air conditioning. I am starting to go thru menopause so my temperatures have been fluctuating.
My brain is already off by the time dinner had come around...I had decided to go off geodon so I did not take my evening dose with dinner.
I can't believe after all of these years taking it I just decided to go off it..
I came on line and googled geodon withdrawl and scared myself to death.
after reading about the horror stories and potential for Tarditive dyskinicia and rebound psychosis...I went in to the bath room and took my evening dose with my night meds. I am afraid of withdrawl and wonder about developing a tolerance at this maximum dose for so long.
geesh
what an impulsive thing to do...maybe I am getting hypomanic????? I have been eating and drinking excessively lately and stopped seeing my therapist because I felt she was judging me.... my sleep is good so that is good.
sigh
some times I am an idiot.....

bizi

Bizi,

I am glad you took your Geodon and night meds.

These things happen. You are back on track.
You can find a new therapist. Or when you go back to the current therapist, have a talk with her first about what is bothering you.

I am grateful that your sleep is good.

Mari

Stay safe.
Remind yourself that you are ok.

M

Dear Bizi

I'm sorry about all these things happening. It sounds like a bit of a whirlwind. You don't sound hypo to me but what do I know.

• Sounds like there's an issue with your therapist - happens in therapy.
• Sounds like you got drug-spooked on google - happens on the internet.
• Peri-menopause is a confusing time. Your hormones are almost certainly affecting your feelings, so that you do not feel well centered.

That's my take.

---------------

Remember that side effects and after effects of any drug only affect a portion of patients. They have to list everything imaginable or ever reported but most side effects affect only a small % of patients, sometimes a downright miniscule %. Tardive dyskinesia has been known to affect patients who come off the old antipsychotics after much longer-term use than you have been on Geodon.

Another thing. If you google acetaminophen for side effects, you will find out a lot of scary stuff. They have to put all possible side effects on the labeling. It doesn't mean we should all stop taking Tylenol or that if we do we will wind up comatose or die a premature death from liver failure. How many people do you know who take Tylenol? And are they alive and well? You see? So please, stay away from googling drugs for now.

Please call your pdoc if you want to change med. You will need a replacement. It is not a good idea to just get off a prophylactic antimanic. I know you don't want to become manic, Bizi. Really, that is the biggest concern.

Actually, I think you should call your pdoc regardless unless you have an appointment this same week. Voice your fears about the Geodon. I think she will be able to reassure you.

----------------------------------

It is ok to take a break from your therapist until you sort out your feelings. I'd encourage you to find someone you can see meanwhile, to help you through this difficult time - possibly someone you can see often. When you are ready, I would go to see your old therapist and confront her. I am glad you are owning the feelings, and the apparent suspicion of her judgement. Whether you continue to see her after that or not is up to you, but working out what happened will help you to grow. The same kinds of dynamics will happen with other people in your life, with whom you will not have the opportunity to dialog in the way you do with a therapist.

I do understand that right now might not be the best time - that's ok. However, if later on you go back to her and no longer feel that she was judging you, I would talk with her about what happened. I believe you will gain insight from doing this.

I hope you feel much better soon Bizi. Remember we are all here to support you. I am your friend and don't worry, I will remain your friend even if you don't take any of my longwinded "advice" LOL.



love,

~ waves ~

Please be careful.

Drugs that affect neurotransmitters in the brain, all have some sort of discontinuance/withdrawal effects.

These are the receptors affected:
from http://www.rxlist.com/geodon-drug/cl...armacology.htm

So discontinuing this drug would have to be done carefully.
The link to the alpha-1-adrenergic receptors suggests that there may be elevated blood pressure on discontinuance. So I would be sure to monitor that as well.

I am so glad you posted. you need to seek treatment and probably a new therapist. If you hadn't said you have been eating and drinking a lot more i wouldn't be as concerned about your impulse and especially that you no longer like seeing your therapist. I really like that your sleep has been good.
we all care so much about you. I didn't have any trouble with menopause but one hears so many stories how it affects so many women. who knows, maybe your body is telling you that your body needs a change from geodon. maybe that is where the impulse came from.
post a lot and let us know what you decide. sorry if i came on strong
love
bobby

I told jeff what happened and he asked me why did I do that.
It is hard to explain, I am seeking a way to get more motivated in life, exhibiting some depression both my pdoc and tdoc worried about that and wanted me to try a small dose of an ssri which scared me since the last time I tried that I went manic. so my illogical thinking thought that if I went off the geodon then I would maybe experience some hypomania and give me some extra energy....bad thinking. This all happened in such a short amount of time...I really had not even thought of going off of geodon until I realized that I accidentally missed the dose then it just was impulsive and then the thinking came about after I took the evening dose with my nite meds.... hind site.
The therapy was getting to be primarily about my drinking behavior and how I was abusing alcohol and should quit. I don't want to quit....until I have a better handle on my drinking I am not going to see her until then.
thank you for your comments and support.
bizi

About forgetting your dose, and then having that impulse that maybe if you got off it you'd get some hypomania... instead of the stupid depression... i can totally relate. totally 5000%. not saying jumping off the geodon is a good thing, but i follow the feeling AND the logic - it isn't illogical at all.

you know i once dumped my depakote... it started incidentally too except more i was sick of taking the depakote... i didn't want it. well, i ran out over a weekend, and i had some gabapentin and used it to cover seizure threshold. then i said, what the heck i don't need the stupid depakote. (meanwhile, on gabapentin for about a week, i saw an effect on migraines - that's how i discovered it.) But it doesn't affect mood for me.

I was on Zoloft at the time and did not reduce that dose nor did I really taper the Depakote. i mean to go medless one has to taper really slowly, as far as mood goes. I got manic not too sure how quickly. I know we kept having to lower my Zoloft but I remember finally my pdoc quite went off at me ... i was talking and talking wouldn't shut up and he couldn't interrupt - he ended up ... using a louder voice to talk over me saying GO BACK ON DEPAKOTE!!! IMMEDIATELY!!!! lol.

i don't blame you about your therapist either. i thought it was your pdoc who was hung up on the alcohol. if she is a good therapist though, she will know that if you are not ready, she cannot push. also, you get to choose your own path and she cannot be the one to decide what you can and cannot control. so i would at least take one session to confront her - when you feel ready. I would tell her exactly what you said here. that you do not want to stop drinking, that you feel judged and pushed by her, that you feel therapy is not useful when you feel this way, and that what you want from her is something different. Then, tell her what you DO want out of your sessions and ask her if she is good with that. if she is, fine. if she insists on harping... well you might really have to let her go. I know you really liked this therapist and go back a ways. That is why i think you should talk to her. It seems like the relationship is worth saving - and probably can be. But i do understand needing to stay away for a while. I can relate too. I have done that before. (((hugs)))

keep us posted as to what happens with the Geodon... what your pdoc says if you ask her about it...

waves

Bizi,
I am not sure about the meds, but the change and warmth a rising I do. Even on the trips to FL I am not use to the heat so I need to keep cool. I bought this bandana that has crystals in it, soak and it gets real cold, wraps around my neck. Because it is on the neck it cools the blood in the carotids down a few degress.
With going to FL next month I am wondering if it is going to work as well in the southern style heat to cool off.
The beads are sewn in a long snake thing with scarf ends to tie, it soaks in water 20 minutes no longer to activate the cold. Last hrs, even days in the fridge.

There is a cap, and wrist bands also. oh and boobie toobies, along with cool patches 3 x 6 in.
Feel better,
di

Thank you for writing waves. I think that I exaggerated when I wrote that I have been over eating.
I have not been on a diet so that is over eating to me...eating freely.
I have gained back all of the weight that I lost...scrubs are tight again...sigh
I am going to the gym tomorrow night, have got to get back into a routine. I miss my routine of gym then shower. Ihave not had to take a nap after dinner in quite a while so maybe that was too much calcium? I don't know, could be hormonal, menopause stuff....I don't know that I will ever know, I just know that I hope it doesn't come back. It is why I stopped going to the gym 2 months ago, at least that long ago.
bizi