Geodon withdrawal & weight loss?

I have been on Geodon since January 2, 2005 and have had a HORRIFIC experience!  I gained 40 pounds in six months, need to wear glasses because of my blurry vision, foggy thoughts, bad short-term memory, extreme dry mouth, body spasms, facial tics, grinding teeth, palpitations, slurred speech, and extreme nausea.  I have been to many doctors over the years and they all say that these side effects had nothing to do with my medication.  Well, I am no doctor, but it does not take a genius to figure out that when all of these side effects happen within weeks of starting this medication, that the medication is the cause.

Over the years I have had a horrible time trying to lose weight.  I am usually very skinny and I have tried EVERYTHING to lose weight and nothing has worked!  Now that I have stopped taking Geodon, I would like to know if anyone out there has been through the same experience with weight gain AND if weight loss is a side effect of coming off of Geodon?  If not, is it easier to lose weight once you are off of the medication?  I have my mind back and now I want my body back!  Hope to hear some good news!

[Livinglonely]

I was on geodon for 1.5 years. Decided to quit because of weight gain. When i discontinued i had HORRIBLE discontinuation symptoms but i am losing weight reasonably fast without any dieting. Geodon was the culprit in my case of weight gain.

[Starbuck451]

The only thing Geodon did for me when I withdrew from it was give me violent hallucinations which landed me in the hospital. I was extremely skinny anyway because I'm on Topamax for alcohol abstinence; my dosage was increased; lost a little more which came back when I was put on Seroquel.

Anyway, depending on what you were on the Geodon for, ask your doctor about going on Topamax. Weight loss is a side effect.

[ann1919]

I didnt know serequel cause weight gain.  no wonder I gain so much weight. Im on geodon and serequel. Glad to be off geodon. Dr will put me on topamax soon/ serequel 200mg at bedtime really helps me sleep. Is there anything else helps sleep that wont cause weight gain?  Is 200mg a high dose of serequel?

[ILADVOCATE]

  200 mg. isn't a high dose of Seroquel and I am not sure if the concern of weight gain increases with the dose but you could ask your psychiatrist about that. You could also your psychiatrist ask if the Seroquel is being prescribed only as a sleep aide or also for mood stabilization purposes as an adjunct to other medications. If not you could ask them about other sleep aides one of which is Rozerem which is an FDA approved medication that is safe and non addictive and works like melatonin to adjust the sleep cycle and whether that would be a viable option.

[jilly1966]

how about an anti--anxiety drug like Klonopin to help you sleep? i was on Geodon and within a few weeks i was convinced i had cancer.  talk about bad side effects.  i now know what paranoid schitzophrenics feel like.   i was convinced my husband and doctors wouldn't tell me how sick i was.  geodon is a very terrible mood stabilizer in my book.  try something else.  Lamictal?  sorry about the weight - Seroquel should be outlawed i gained 40 pds just like the other poster.  good luck. we'll all make it through.