"Geodon" Why did the FDA Approve This Drug

[DP89]

I was currently taking the medication Geodon that was prescribed for psychosis which after seeing a therapist told me that I was given the wrong diagnosis and did not have this disorder instead of detoxing by the psych who put me on this medication who I suspected after taking this drug put me on a very high dosage from  the beggining (80 mg in the morning and 180 mg at night which he decreased to 40 mg in the morning and 120 mg at night)  I am detoxing myself.  I knew the dosage was too high in the begining because I was having terrible hallucinations, body quivers, heart palpitations, water retention in my face and trouble sleeping at night also I started stuttering as i talked.  I was in a psych unit for 12 days for no reason.  I was only taking this high dosage for only twelve days until I started detoxing myself before I saw the therapist who told me I did not fit the symptoms of Psychosis.  My question to you is since this medication has only been in my system for only 12 days will my insomnia go away?  The heart palpitations have already minimized and the Hallucinations are gone but I still get body movements and am going on my second day of no sleep.  Was this dosage too high in the first place since he did not start me off on the recommended dosage of 20mg twice a day?  will I be able to detox myself and have all of these symtoms go away?

[jst4shanell]

Geodon is the only thing that works for me when I am psychotic, hallucinating or having delusions.  The only side effect I get is a little sleepiness so I take it at night.  I guess it's just different for everybody.  I have tried many antipsychotics for acute episodes and they just don't work or the side effects are too much.

[monkeyc]

Id also point out that in any country I can think of no one spends 12 days in a psych ward without good reason and that includes symptomatic behaviours.  12 days is a longish stay for a first hospitalisation if nothing is wrong with you...

Again I encourage you to speak to your psychiatrist or get a second opinion from another psychiatrist.  Therapists are not qualified to diagnose mental illnesses.

[ILADVOCATE]

Geodon is the only antipsychotic that can cause this. It happenned to me as well. I remember when it was FDA approved it was under the condition that the heart arrythmia be labelled in a boxed warning but I did ask to start it and I had heart palpitations. Of course no medication should be discontinued without speaking to a psychiatrist. When I was on Geodon I was changed promptly back to Seroquel. Geodon, however, is less likely than other antipsychotics to cause weight gain but then again so is Abilify so you might ask about your psychiatrist about that but speak to your psychiatrist before making medication changes. I would say only a psychiatrist can diagnose psychosis. A person experiencing it can't see it in themselves and I wouldn't call it "detoxing" as its not a medication in that category. Speak to your psychiatrist about other options.

[Bear13]

Got to be honest here, Geodon was the worst medication I ever attempted.  I had the visual hallucinations, the constant urination, the unquenchable thirst, heart palpitations, and I was only on 40mg a day for about two weeks....  This drug is a miracle for some, and a nightmare for others.... it took about a week for me to feel somewhat normal after quitting the drug.  Horrible panic attacks, insomnia (even with a sleep aid)....... it will get better, but monkeyc is right, you should be tapering down your medication under supervision, not on your own as that can be dangerous and exacerbate the withdrawal symptoms.  Good luck!

[monkeyc]

Welcome to the forums.

The FDA approved it becuase it works as advertised basically.  It is an anti psychotic and works very well apparently for what it does.

There is also a wealth of information on it around in real sources including the manufacturers website at www.geodon.com which has the full FDA information and prescriber information on it in PDF format.

Im kind of confused.  A psychiatrist diagnosed you as psychotic and gave you the drug but a therapist says you are not?  Is the therapist also a psychiatrist?  And then instead of speaking to the psychiatrist about this you decide to stop taking the drug yourself?

Ok.

First thing is you should NEVER stop any drug like this on your own - its just not remotely smart.  How are you weaning off it (sorry detoxing is the wrong word here) ?

you need to speak to your psychiatrist or a doctor - none of us can answer you on ths subject and the reccomended dose is not 20mg twice a day its actually 20mb BID with food up to 80mg a day for schizophrenia and up to 120mg a day for bipolar as per guidelines of manufacturer but larger doses are used depending on psychosis.  

You need to speak to your psychiatrist - this is the FIRST thing you should have done when the side effects started and no doubt he told you that - you must speak to doctors when you get side effects from any drug, its on every drug information sheet.