This means I'm only 3 months off and I can't take it
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Mental Health Coming off Invega (paliperidone) injections, v 5.0
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Jabberwocky
Frumious Bandersnatch
I'm 4 months off in 3 days. I know how hard it is. It's like a living nightmare. It's ruined everything it's also ruined my pyshical appearance so badly which makes everything else so much harder to deal with. I'd be able to deal with the side effects the not feeling hunger or tiredness & anhedonia so much better if it hadn't made me look like such a freak physically. I'm hiding away from the world because I look so horrible
Kaatrina
Bluelighter
- Joined
- Apr 23, 2019
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- 342
Don't worry. You will go back to your normal appearance. A few months ago I posted some photos of myself on and after Invega. You do go back to normal. Invega really shows that beauty comes from what you feel on the inside. And I know what you mean by eating just to feel something. It's the only thing you can really feel on Invega. Four months is hard but you are halfway there. Keep going
Kaatrina
Bluelighter
- Joined
- Apr 23, 2019
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- 342
Hope everyone is doing well here. Just sending in an update from a recovered person.
I've been off of the Invega injection since January of 2019. I haven't had an episode of psychosis since March 2020. I'm doing very well and am active in my community. I'm more social than I've ever been in my life & have made many new friends and a few very close ones. I started a homeschooling co-op with a friend who liked my teaching style so much that she set me up with an interview at the school she's starting at in the fall. My interview went very well and I will also begin teaching there this fall. I'm excited to finally be starting a career. I'll be finishing my bachelor's in Business Management in 2023 as well. I find it easy to deeply connect with anyone I meet or establish very interesting conversations with strangers. It's strange how being at the bottom of the barrel can make you fearless later on.
Some people comment on how busy my life is. I tell them that I'm in bounceback mode after being shutdown for covid, but that's not just it. I think that after being forced to be "dormant" during my time recovering, I am perhaps snapping back hard in order to prove myself -- to prove to everyone, especially my family, that nothing was wrong with me all along.
My relationship with my family is still not what it was. My siblings won't speak to me. My mom has started to apologize to me for the way she treated me through everything. Part of me feels vindicated and like I've done a good job proving that I'm not sick anymore...but part of me also feels like she's never going to think of me in the same way again (& that perhaps she never liked me that much in the first place). She said she regretted asking my brother and sister to interfere when I was psychotic. I didn't even know she had. My therapist told me to consider that I was the "scapegoat" of the family. I think part of that is true and part of that burden is at least part of what may have led to my mental health decline in the first place. From her online writings I know that at least my sister blamed me for my brother's death.
I'm always working on something or building something. Just resting and enjoying myself has been something I've avoided for some time now. I think I'm close to identifying this chip on my shoulder that keeps me pushing hard toward everything. I think part of it has to do with my relationship with my parents & how they'll be disappointed in me no matter what. I think part of it is the false schizophrenia diagnosis and my need to prove that wrong. And I think another part of it is just .. harder to define but something to do with wanting the word itself to be a different place and to spur myself on to do everything I can to change that.
Late night writings. Things get better. Don't kill yourself. That prescription they want to give you or switch you to won't help or change anything. Your psych is just guessing. Feelings come back. As far as my recovery goes, I consider myself 100% recovered in every physical, mental, and spiritual aspect. My concern with re=entering psychosis lessens every year. Good luck everyone
I've been off of the Invega injection since January of 2019. I haven't had an episode of psychosis since March 2020. I'm doing very well and am active in my community. I'm more social than I've ever been in my life & have made many new friends and a few very close ones. I started a homeschooling co-op with a friend who liked my teaching style so much that she set me up with an interview at the school she's starting at in the fall. My interview went very well and I will also begin teaching there this fall. I'm excited to finally be starting a career. I'll be finishing my bachelor's in Business Management in 2023 as well. I find it easy to deeply connect with anyone I meet or establish very interesting conversations with strangers. It's strange how being at the bottom of the barrel can make you fearless later on.
Some people comment on how busy my life is. I tell them that I'm in bounceback mode after being shutdown for covid, but that's not just it. I think that after being forced to be "dormant" during my time recovering, I am perhaps snapping back hard in order to prove myself -- to prove to everyone, especially my family, that nothing was wrong with me all along.
My relationship with my family is still not what it was. My siblings won't speak to me. My mom has started to apologize to me for the way she treated me through everything. Part of me feels vindicated and like I've done a good job proving that I'm not sick anymore...but part of me also feels like she's never going to think of me in the same way again (& that perhaps she never liked me that much in the first place). She said she regretted asking my brother and sister to interfere when I was psychotic. I didn't even know she had. My therapist told me to consider that I was the "scapegoat" of the family. I think part of that is true and part of that burden is at least part of what may have led to my mental health decline in the first place. From her online writings I know that at least my sister blamed me for my brother's death.
I'm always working on something or building something. Just resting and enjoying myself has been something I've avoided for some time now. I think I'm close to identifying this chip on my shoulder that keeps me pushing hard toward everything. I think part of it has to do with my relationship with my parents & how they'll be disappointed in me no matter what. I think part of it is the false schizophrenia diagnosis and my need to prove that wrong. And I think another part of it is just .. harder to define but something to do with wanting the word itself to be a different place and to spur myself on to do everything I can to change that.
Late night writings. Things get better. Don't kill yourself. That prescription they want to give you or switch you to won't help or change anything. Your psych is just guessing. Feelings come back. As far as my recovery goes, I consider myself 100% recovered in every physical, mental, and spiritual aspect. My concern with re=entering psychosis lessens every year. Good luck everyone
pikachu_69
Greenlighter
- Joined
- Apr 2, 2022
- Messages
- 9
Hey is it possible to get a link to your recovery from invega photos? Only if you allow. Thanks!
t_xeplionhell
Bluelighter
- Joined
- Aug 1, 2021
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- 1,758
Looks dont help, It didn't ruined my looks much, only like 10%.
t_xeplionhell
Bluelighter
- Joined
- Aug 1, 2021
- Messages
- 1,758
When does sleep recover, Im almost 10 months off and can now sleep only 2h-3h.
t_xeplionhell
Bluelighter
- Joined
- Aug 1, 2021
- Messages
- 1,758
Expect your recovery soon, some people recover at 2y or between 2y-3y. I read cases like that on this forum, but dont remember their usernames.
Risingson8
Bluelighter
- Joined
- Dec 10, 2021
- Messages
- 175
Almost 10 months off , i still struggle but at least i can work and my job needs some brain efford...my brain functions not that bad i can say...and my look is not that bad eighter i look good i think. All i can say it will pass ecpeccially the weird looking eyes...just wait a little more.
Or maybe its the Ritalin I take that makes me quite negative and enforces memories of the Invega experience. I must swear that my inner monologue is quite alright but the stims makes me anxious of so? Idk
Jabberwocky
Frumious Bandersnatch
Thankyou for giving me abit of hope. Did it affect your hair also? How much weight did you gain? How long did it take for your looks to recover? How many shots did you have after loading doses? Would you be able to post photos again or send them to me?
Jabberwocky
Frumious Bandersnatch
Hi everyone, I thought I'd post with an update too:
I'm over six months off now and I have improved quite a lot. I've lost all the weight I gained (I gained over 20 pounds when I was on Invega) through intermittent fasting (which was difficult, but I was very motivated) and exercise. I've stopped fasting now that I've reached my goal weight, but I'm still eating less than I was when I was on Invega, because I'm not as hungry as I was. I eat healthily and my energy levels are good.
I started running again and ran my first 5k (in a few years) a couple of weeks ago. And I ran it in an above average time. I'm aiming to get to 10k by Christmas. I think it will be quite difficult, but I'm determined. I listen to audiobooks when I'm running.
My sleep is fine - similar to how it was before Invega, which means that occasionally I wake up in the night with lots of thoughts and do some reading, and then I go back to sleep after a little while. I often have a nap around lunchtime too - I don't always sleep during this time but the rest energises me anyway.
I got a pet a couple of months ago, which has probably helped too. She gets me out walking three or four times every day. I also walk across town a few times a week to visit family. I've read that having a pet can help with neurogenesis - because of oxytocin, which boosts neurogenesis, memory and learning.
I've started adding turmeric powder (and black pepper - which helps its absorption, as does fat) to my porridge every morning - I've read that turmeric helps with neurogenesis too. I take it primarily for cancer prevention though.
My period came back after 5 months.
I'm not working yet, but I'm hoping to begin voluntary work after Christmas. I spend my days reading and researching things (along with walking and visiting family). My interest in things has come back completely. Time doesn't drag anymore, in fact, there aren't enough hours in the day to read all of the things that I want to read.
I'm not sure if my emotions are back completely, I get emotional and cry easily, but I don't cry a great deal. Even on invega, I could cry, so I'm not sure how much this effected me. Before invega however, I would regularly cry buckets, so I think that my emotional intensity was probably reduced by invega. But I definitely don't feel so flat anymore. I think my intensity has already recovered or will do.
I'm not taking any other antipsychotics or psychiatric medications now and my mental health is stable. I had psychotic delusions, which lasted a few years, before starting invega. They haven't come back. I hope that I will be able to recognise it if they ever return. I think I've learned to think more critically and to definitely not just believe a thought because I *feel* it to be true. I am less spiritual, but this is actually a good thing, because my spirituality and imagination were deeply emneshed when I had delusions and I could not differentiate between real and imagined.
I have really good family support, which I'm very grateful for. We've talked a lot about what we'll do if I become unwell again (hint: no injections! and antipsychotics only for a short time...).
I wish you well, everyone
edit: I do actually take a supplement - vitamin C and I've been taking it for a long time. I take about 4 - 5 grams each day.
I've just read that it has important roles in neurological functioning and it can protect brain cells from neurotoxins and facilitate dopamine neuron differentiation (the final stage in the development of neurons).
Your post has given me hope. I'm 4 months off in 2 days. When did you start exercising & when did you start seeing weight loss? Most people on here have said you don't lost weight until around 6 months so it's good to know you lost weight before then. I've gained around 17 kgs & seem to be putting on a kg a week. I tried going for walks but gave up because I was still putting on the weight. What kind of fasting did you do? What did you do for exercising was it just walking & running? How long did you walk for?
I got my period 5 days ago. Alot earlier than expected so that's given me some hope of things going back to normal.
When did you start to feel your emotions again? When did you feel motivation again? Are you a coffee drinker? Did invega block the effects coffee for you & did it return?
How many shots after the loading doses did you have?
dirtyinvega
Bluelighter
Nah I don’t think it’s the Ritalin that is making you think negative or enforces memories I call “Invega nightmare” a life time of “PTSD” but you have to look at life a different way after invega post recovery anyone who goes though invega nightmare is definitely a hero in my books it’s the worse kind of mental pain you wouldn’t wish on your worse enemy. But anxiety is common on stims sometimes it means the dose is too high maybe lower it 5mg or so.
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Usually when it comes to stimulants in use with people in psychotic disorders, if a stimulant is to be prescribed then it should be given after the antipsychotic has had enough time to set the brain up before stimulant induction. This could be days or years, honestly. It depends on the doctor. Then of course many doctors wouldn't prescribe a stimulant to someone with a psychotic disorder, but there are cases in which it is therapeutic. Someone I knew was give that combination, though only because they were going to university.
I also took Ritalin for some time; it was too harsh for me, creating a lot of anxiety at the end of the day, and rather than throw a benzo or another downer at it, I just said enough is enough. But I do need to be on an antipsychotic.
In all, taking as little medication as is needed is the way to go. It's different for everyone. For example, some people need 5mg Abilify, whereas others have to stay at 30mg. Good Luck, dear Bl'ers!
I also took Ritalin for some time; it was too harsh for me, creating a lot of anxiety at the end of the day, and rather than throw a benzo or another downer at it, I just said enough is enough. But I do need to be on an antipsychotic.
In all, taking as little medication as is needed is the way to go. It's different for everyone. For example, some people need 5mg Abilify, whereas others have to stay at 30mg. Good Luck, dear Bl'ers!
Aight I do after with you on the first part. Well I actually I know think ive recovered. I guess that the stress from my exams,loneliness,etc might bother me more. Buy yeah the Invega really was a nightmare.
I'm also an example who had to take Ritalin (for my Narcolepsy)with an antipsychotic (I don't have any mental ilness, I'm not diagnosed with one). I would be sleeping all day if if wasn't for the ritalin.
I spend the days laying in bed I can't do nothing my legs hurt and people are here talking about doing exercise. How did you all manage the worse months?
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