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Mental Health Has anyone come off anti psychotics (pills or depot shot?)
- Thread starter Sleek65
- Start date
King-Anubis
Bluelighter
It's long and difficult. Why are you on it? The main reason it'll suck is because your brain is going to go back to how it was before the drugs. If you're anything like me (Schizophrenic) then you'll plunge straight back into psychosis if it's done to fast. Take it easy, and take it slowly and you'll be fine.
As for whether you return to your old self, that depends. I'm a lot like you in that my memory is terrible, along with my creativity, all because of the drugs. But i realise that they we're only good because I was psychotic in the first place. I have to ask myself every day when I take these drugs "would I rather be psychotic, and creative, or normal and 'productive'". It's tough.
Best of luck!
As for whether you return to your old self, that depends. I'm a lot like you in that my memory is terrible, along with my creativity, all because of the drugs. But i realise that they we're only good because I was psychotic in the first place. I have to ask myself every day when I take these drugs "would I rather be psychotic, and creative, or normal and 'productive'". It's tough.
Best of luck!
I first got diagnosed with schizophrenia then i got a second diagnosis and found out i was mis diagnosed. I hope my memory comes back once its out of my system. Before the med i just had sequencial thinking and increased intuition through my psuchedelic experiences and life realizatioms.
King-Anubis
Bluelighter
Which anti-P are you on at the moment? Maybe try a different one? I know a lot of them cause mental problems (Quetiapine, Olanzapine, Risperidone, etc) but there are a few - like Amisulpride which I use, or aripiprazole - which seems to help with the memory and creativity side of things. Either way, just take it easy when you do come off them 
rollinstoner
Bluelighter
What were you experiencing that led to your initial diagnosis if you don't mind me asking?
Which anti-P are you on at the moment? Maybe try a different one? I know a lot of them cause mental problems (Quetiapine, Olanzapine, Risperidone, etc) but there are a few - like Amisulpride which I use, or aripiprazole - which seems to help with the memory and creativity side of things. Either way, just take it easy when you do come off them
Invega sustenna 234mg into my deltoid muscle.
King-Anubis
Bluelighter
If I remember correctly paliperidone is very similar to risperidone, so it doesn't surprise me that it caused your memory to fade, especially at those higher doses (234mg seems a rather random dosage, it's higher then most).
Anyway, if you know your mind and you know that you wern't psychotic, then you might be fine to come off it. BUT - and this is a big but - be aware that antipsychotic withdrawal, especially if the doseage is dramatically reduced, can MIMIC schizophrenia. I.e. you may not have been psychotic before but you could become psychotic if you suddently stop. Titrate your dose downwards if you can (ask your doctor to withdraw treatment - you have a right to choose) otherwise be VERY careful.
EDIT: I should add that the schizophrenia-like symptoms won't continue forever - so you could just plow through them, but again it won't be pleasant.
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I think your memory can get back to normal... I took antipsychotics for a few years and didn't even know what I was missing out. I was aware that I was quite debilitated by antipsychotics but the joy of when the full range of my psyche started coming back was immense. Took me some 3 months before I started noticing first improvements and I think I was mostly normal by 6 months and then some minor improvements by month 9. It wasn't all nice and pleasant though, I had moments when I felt like I was going a bit crazy, I was afraid of my own mind and I wondered if I should run back to my psychiatrist for help.
Paliperidone is just the active metabolite of risperidone so it will cause the same withdrawal effects. I have been on risperidone and quetiapine long term and they both made me feel strange going off them and the mania i get sometimes comes back. Sometimes if i'm on a medium to high dose (like say 4mg's of risperidone or 400mg's of seroquel) i can get these weird and intense flood of emotions and everything seems too much. This makes sense as risperidone is a very potent serotonin and dopamine antagonist while quetiapine is not a very potent dopamine antagonist. Some people also get nausea and vomiting especially with olanzapine and quetiapine as both help nausea through their anti-histamine, anti-cholinergic and dopamine antagonist properties. Also coming off quetiapine causes insomnia bad in some people.
Amisulpride is good - particularly for 'negative symptoms' (lack of drive, creativity etc); Aripiprazole may also be good from this point of view.
Everyone is different so it is often just finding what works best for you. If you do come off antipsychotics, please do so slowly, and definitely
with input from your Dr / Mental Health Team; rebound or relapse of psychosis is horrible and risky, and can result in hospitalisation or higher
doses of drugs than you started on!
Everyone is different so it is often just finding what works best for you. If you do come off antipsychotics, please do so slowly, and definitely
with input from your Dr / Mental Health Team; rebound or relapse of psychosis is horrible and risky, and can result in hospitalisation or higher
doses of drugs than you started on!
herbavore
Bluelight Crew
Sleek, it sounds like therapy would help--are you seeing anyone to talk about what you are going through? The problem with isolating yourself is that it gets more and more comfortable thus making it more and more difficult to break the cycle.
King-Anubis
Bluelighter
Hey Sleek, you really remind me of myself. If I remember correctly you have said before that you we're diagnosed with schizophrenia? Cognitive impairments and social isolation are all symptoms of the disease. I struggle myself to distinguish between what the medication is doing, and what the illness is doing. Like you I started to loose my memory and the ability to feel emotion when I started on medication, but it - at the same time - could have been due to psychosis. It's difficult to tell.
Either way, have you thought about going on oral medication, rather then having a shot which - in comparison - is very strong? Either way, I wish you the best of luck
Either way, have you thought about going on oral medication, rather then having a shot which - in comparison - is very strong? Either way, I wish you the best of luck
centrol315
Greenlighter
- Joined
- Jun 11, 2013
- Messages
- 4
How are you paying for the shot op? I know a little about the time relase after speaking to a nurse I think at a psyche ward. I took it for two months, and I hated it after the first month ( it was HELL ), and then the Hospitals Psychiatrist talked me into trying a lower dose for the next month..................I had to have my Father step in and tell the Psychiatrist NO the next time he stopped at my apt. They are very very pushy and do not understand any boundries.
I was in a similar situation. I was diagnosed wrong and they gave me the same horrible shit for two months. It seriously made me want to die hard, and the thing which probably saved me was pot. Yes, your cognitive functions will return. I swear it lowered my IQ by fourty points. Benzos are much better both in terms of efficacy and long-term effects.
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