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Mental Health Coming Off Invega Sustenna (Paliperidone) v.2

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eduardorosarios said:
Does anybody have a success story related to sexual dysfunction? when will it stop?
Click to expand...

Hey everyone, I haven't posted in awhile, but I noticed a lot of people complaining of sexual side effects caused by Invega...so I figured I should chime in. I'm 8 months off the injections and I have very minimal sexual side effects. It is difficult for me to get a "full, rock hard" erection, but I can easily get an erection good enough to have sex with my girlfriend. We first started dating when I was around 6 months off Invega, and it was a bit more difficult to achieve an erection then, but I was still able to get one solid enough to have sex. Sometimes it wouldn't sustain itself, but 90% of the time I could maintain my erection until intercourse was done.

I still feel like I get less pleasure from sex...I feel more numb when having sex than I used to pre-Invega. While this does suck, it has made me be able to last longer...which is a nice bonus...and sex still feels really good. Just not quite as good as it used to.

As far as sex drive/libido, I'd say they are back to normal. For example, if I didn't have a gf and a smoking hot girl asked me to have sex, I'm 99.9% sure that I would have a strong desire to have sex with her AND be able to maintain an erection for the entire time. Sex isn't on my mind as frequently as it used to be because of the Invega, but, as my freshman year football coach would say, "If the worse thing that happens to you in life is that you stop thinking about sex all the time, you're gonna have a pretty shittin good life."

So for me personally, at month 6 off the poison, sexual side effects, with the exception of not being able to achieve full, rock hard erections, were no longer a concern.

My biggest concerns now are the cognitive dulling and lack of motivation to do things. I'm 25 and a professional mixed martial artist who used to train pretty intensely for 2-3 hours per day, 4-6 times per week. Now I can barely get out of bed because this whole experience has made me borderline suicidal. I know deep down that I could FORCE myself to train martial arts again...but I just don't have the same drive I used to and fatigue/cardio has become a big issue post-Invega. I just built a home gym at my house to train with a couple friends and try to ease back into it. Hopefully the energy levels and motivation I used to feel start to return soon. Not knowing if this is my new permanent baseline scares the fuck out of me and it's given me crippling social anxiety in addition to severe depression.

That being said, I've definitely made a decent amount of progress since first receiving the injection. I don't walk around like a zombie, drooling on myself anymore. I no longer drool when I talk either...I can now FORCE myself to do things, but the Invega has just made me feel so miserable from its effects on the dopaminergic system in my brain that I still struggle to do things that I used to love doing. To get out of bed and workout feels like a monumental task now and I get tired so quick. I used to be able to practice 10 five minute rounds of mma sparring and loved doing it. Now I'd probably throw up if I sparred 1 five minute round....and I don't feel like I would enjoy sparring the same way I used to.

If I knew for certain that the effects of invega are not permanent then I would feel happy again and experience way less depression and anxiety. It's the "not knowing for sure if I'll ever fully recover" that causes me to have suicidal thoughts quite frequently. I thought I would be recovered after 8 months since my psychiatrist told me the Invega shot should only last around 3 weeks to a month. It's starting to get really demoralizing...it breaks my heart really. I feel so sorry for all of you going through this.

Anyway, I know this post didn't end up being all sunshine and rainbows...but I hope it gives those of you struggling with sexual side effects hope that they will improve significantly with time. As for all the other terrible side effects of Invega, I honestly don't know how long they will last. I just hope it's not forever.
 
eduardorosarios said:
Does anybody have a success story related to sexual dysfunction? when will it stop?
Click to expand...

Sorry for going off on a bit of a tangent after answering your question. That was just some stuff I needed to get off my chest. Anyway, I hope your sex life is back to normal soon! And keep your head up because IT WILL IMPROVE SIGNIFICANTLY.
 
eduardorosarios said:
Does anybody have a success story related to sexual dysfunction? when will it stop?
Click to expand...

One last thing I forgot to mention. Your sexual side effects might start to go away before the 6 month mark. 6 months was when I knew for sure they improved because I had a new girlfriend and we were having sex. So I had something in my life that proved to me that my sexual side effects were diminishing. But if I started dating her at month 4 off the poison, I might have noticed improvements sooner. I can't say for sure, but it's very possible you won't even have to wait 6 months. Definitely not a year based on my experience with Invega...unless you're on some other meds that cause somewhat similar side effects like SSRI's.
 
Man, every time I post a reply something else pops into my head that I feel like I should mention. My psychiatrist has me on 450mg of Wellbutrin per day, adderall for add, clonopin for anxiety and lamictal as a mood stabilizer. Adderall has a bad reputation for causing negative sexual side effects, so one would think that coupling adderall with Invega would be a cocktail for sexual disaster. BUT, research has shown that Wellbutrin can sometimes help improve sexual functioning and counteract the negative sexual side effects caused by certain meds like SSRI's. I can provide a source if you need one. Just let me know.

So, maybe you could ask your doctor about trying Wellbutrin to see if that helps. I don't think that's the only reason I seemed to regain my sexual functioning relatively quickly, but it's possible the Wellbutrin expedited the process of sexual recovery. Just another option to consider if things don't start to improve soon.

By the way, YES I do feel pleasure when I orgasm. When I first got shot up with the poison my orgasms were terrible. They felt like shit. But now they feel almost like they did pre-Invega. Slightly less intense I suppose, but still feels great. Anorgasmia is no longer an issue.
 
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Koz26 said:
Hey everyone, I haven't posted in awhile, but I noticed a lot of people complaining of sexual side effects caused by Invega...so I figured I should chime in. I'm 8 months off the injections and I have very minimal sexual side effects. It is difficult for me to get a "full, rock hard" erection, but I can easily get an erection good enough to have sex with my girlfriend. We first started dating when I was around 6 months off Invega, and it was a bit more difficult to achieve an erection then, but I was still able to get one solid enough to have sex. Sometimes it wouldn't sustain itself, but 90% of the time I could maintain my erection until intercourse was done.

I still feel like I get less pleasure from sex...I feel more numb when having sex than I used to pre-Invega. While this does suck, it has made me be able to last longer...which is a nice bonus...and sex still feels really good. Just not quite as good as it used to.

As far as sex drive/libido, I'd say they are back to normal. For example, if I didn't have a gf and a smoking hot girl asked me to have sex, I'm 99.9% sure that I would have a strong desire to have sex with her AND be able to maintain an erection for the entire time. Sex isn't on my mind as frequently as it used to be because of the Invega, but, as my freshman year football coach would say, "If the worse thing that happens to you in life is that you stop thinking about sex all the time, you're gonna have a pretty shittin good life."

So for me personally, at month 6 off the poison, sexual side effects, with the exception of not being able to achieve full, rock hard erections, were no longer a concern.

My biggest concerns now are the cognitive dulling and lack of motivation to do things. I'm 25 and a professional mixed martial artist who used to train pretty intensely for 2-3 hours per day, 4-6 times per week. Now I can barely get out of bed because this whole experience has made me borderline suicidal. I know deep down that I could FORCE myself to train martial arts again...but I just don't have the same drive I used to and fatigue/cardio has become a big issue post-Invega. I just built a home gym at my house to train with a couple friends and try to ease back into it. Hopefully the energy levels and motivation I used to feel start to return soon. Not knowing if this is my new permanent baseline scares the fuck out of me and it's given me crippling social anxiety in addition to severe depression.

That being said, I've definitely made a decent amount of progress since first receiving the injection. I don't walk around like a zombie, drooling on myself anymore. I no longer drool when I talk either...I can now FORCE myself to do things, but the Invega has just made me feel so miserable from its effects on the dopaminergic system in my brain that I still struggle to do things that I used to love doing. To get out of bed and workout feels like a monumental task now and I get tired so quick. I used to be able to practice 10 five minute rounds of mma sparring and loved doing it. Now I'd probably throw up if I sparred 1 five minute round....and I don't feel like I would enjoy sparring the same way I used to.

If I knew for certain that the effects of invega are not permanent then I would feel happy again and experience way less depression and anxiety. It's the "not knowing for sure if I'll ever fully recover" that causes me to have suicidal thoughts quite frequently. I thought I would be recovered after 8 months since my psychiatrist told me the Invega shot should only last around 3 weeks to a month. It's starting to get really demoralizing...it breaks my heart really. I feel so sorry for all of you going through this.

Anyway, I know this post didn't end up being all sunshine and rainbows...but I hope it gives those of you struggling with sexual side effects hope that they will improve significantly with time. As for all the other terrible side effects of Invega, I honestly don't know how long they will last. I just hope it's not forever.
Click to expand...
I feel exactly the same way as you with the lack of motivation to do anything.. How many shots did you recieve and for what reason? I also used to love working out daily..now I find it hard to get out of bed. You said you noticed some improvement over time do you still feel like you are improving on a month by month basis?
Also, do you feel like you have any emotions, and has talking become more difficult for you? Not only do I have no motivation I feel like a emotionless zombie who cant hardly think past the level of a 5th grader.
 
iridescentblack said:
Most of the people from the first few pages of the original Invega Sustenna Recovery thread disappeared. But a lot of people get tired or move on from forums after just a few posts.

Some of us were left to assume that they had either recovered and moved on or taken their own lives. The former is more likely. But by now, Narsche, for one, has most likely recovered by this point, even if there isn't a conventional way of contacting him to find out for sure.
Click to expand...

I think narshe did kill himself
 
I think it's easy for people who are undergoing struggles to jump to conclusions like these. A whole host of things could have happened.

My guess is, considering that narshe was actively seeking out help, they didn't kill themself. It makes more sense to me that narshe recovered, and that this thread was emotionally difficult to come back to after the fact. It's like not wanting to visit your old high school because you had a lot of bad memories associated with it.

Please press on, guys. I know it's difficult, even if I can't feel exactly what you're going through. Please be the agents of your own destiny.
 
Well said. I'm going to come off Invega Sustenna next month. This month was my last injection. I was wondering, will I experience withdrawal symptoms? It's an injection, I've only taken it for five months at a minimum dose of 50 MG. Will I be fine coming off or will I have withdrawal symptoms? I was misdiagnosed.
 
Hi everyone :)

2 months ago I let you know that I've fully recovered from this poison after having waited 10 months off! Now I'm even better, I finally recovered today my periods! So, for the girls, don't worry they will come back as painful as before ! lol

I'm rooting for you guys, it's just a matter of time, be strong and patient you'll see the results, I swear it

With love,

Decisive
 
Decisive said:
Hi everyone :)

2 months ago I let you know that I've fully recovered from this poison after having waited 10 months off! Now I'm even better, I finally recovered today my periods! So, for the girls, don't worry they will come back as painful as before ! lol

I'm rooting for you guys, it's just a matter of time, be strong and patient you'll see the results, I swear it

With love,

Decisive
Click to expand...
Thats really great news I am glad to hear you are doing better Decisive! It gives us all some hope that someday this poison will leave us. I am still suffering from severe anedonia, lack of motivation and emotional flatness, I don't care about anything in life.. It is so hard to make it through the day getting no joy out of life.. how many shots did you receive? Also, did you regain all of your emotions and cognitive abilities at the ten months mark as well? I feel like my iq has dropped 50 points sense being on this poison.
 
Invegasucks said:
Are you experiencing any side effects? You say that you were misdiagnosed with having a mental illness. What did they misdiagnose you with?
Click to expand...

Psychosis.

Invegasucks said:
Are you experiencing any side effects? You say that you were misdiagnosed with having a mental illness. What did they misdiagnose you with?
Click to expand...

Did you come off cold turkey?
 
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Ho-Chi-Minh said:
I think it's easy for people who are undergoing struggles to jump to conclusions like these. A whole host of things could have happened.

My guess is, considering that narshe was actively seeking out help, they didn't kill themself. It makes more sense to me that narshe recovered, and that this thread was emotionally difficult to come back to after the fact. It's like not wanting to visit your old high school because you had a lot of bad memories associated with it.

Please press on, guys. I know it's difficult, even if I can't feel exactly what you're going through. Please be the agents of your own destiny.
Click to expand...
That's almost the exact simile my father used when I told him about this forum and Narsche...
 
Invegasucks said:
Yes, my last shot was on March 15,2016. I don't really feel any withdrawal symptoms I just feel the bad side effects that are caused by the drug. What bad side effects are you experiencing?
Click to expand...

Did you take it for a long time? What was your dose? I only had one side effect, constipation. No other side effects, I was very lucky.
 
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