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  • TDS Moderators: AlphaMethylPhenyl | paranoid android

Mental Health Coming off Invega Sustenna (paliperidone)

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wrongly diagnosed schizophrenic checking in. 2 psychiatrists in the private sector have confirmed this. currently stuck on a community treatment order & looking to get switched to the private sector ASAP, they seem to listen & care more. could be worthwhile advice to someone in the same position.

subscribed to the thread - my voices were the most positive thing to ever happen to me, really do hope they return in time, along with my soul, health & happiness.
 
Its pretty weird but i can honestly relate so much to some of the posts displayed on this forum...

I have never even taken a anti-psychotic, yet some of the stories described by people resonate with me so much...

I also feel emotionally flat, can't laugh can't cry. I don't really enjoy doing stuff like playing games anymore. I feel empty and dead inside, like i've lost my personality. Also i'm affected in social situations, like i don't really know what to say in a conversation anymore.

Clearly there is some sort of biological mechanism that induces these effects. For me though, this happened like 2 years ago. I've been smoking weed every day for the last 5 years, however i did quit 3 months ago. I have seen maybe the slightest improvement, but no where near what i used to be, and believe me i was 'normal' for at least 18 years of my life.

My theory is something along the lines of downregulation of serotonin/dopamine receptors in the prefrontal cortex/frontal lobe area, but its probably wayyyy more complicated then this.

Still though its crazy how similar some of these stories are to me, the only other types of people that have similar symptoms like me, are those that suffer from depression, however im pretty certain im not depressed. Its weird, but it also gives me some hope, because a lot of people say they start getting better after 6-18 months.
 
Time goes so slow, coming up to 8 weeks since my last injection
My foot is not continually shaking at least, but i am still taking procycledine 3 times a day
Its laughable that the experts think that the injection only lasts a month
The half life can be up to 49 days and then all your dopamine receptors are blocked
 
I don't understand why doctors and even pharmacists won't seem to acknowledge the fact that this shot could last more than 4 weeks either...but just so you know, not all of your dopamine receptors are blocked. I'm prescribed adderall for adhd and I can feel it a little bit, although not very much. Also, I was prescribed Tylenol 3s for tooth pain and the first day I took two and felt good for a few hours until it wore off. I know we shouldn't have to use other drugs to get back to feeling somewhat baseline, but I just wanted to say not all of your receptors are blocked buddy. It will get better. I truly believe it will. Even though it feels almost unbearable right now...
 
Tempted to start self medicating with cannabis when i get off the procycledine or make another doctors appointment

Its all over my medical notes that i have a bad reaction to antipsycotics medication now,
It was before, but the doctors in the hospital decided to ignore it

At least i shouldn't have to go through this again

I'm thinking the 4 month mark might be when you notice some improvement
Its just so depressing wishing your life away
 
From what I've gathered, 25-50 days per half-life. I'm assuming the smaller number is subject to the smallest dose(39mg[?]), 50 being from the highest dose (234mg). I was given 117mg in late May of this year. The half-life in my case is 30-34 days. I'm sure with this information, some of you guys can do the math and figure out what day (probably between the 5th and 6th half-lives) you'll start to see a major difference. I'm almost at the 5th half life (which is according to some - and now even experiencing it myself - the major turning point where the "efficacy" of the effects starts to "wear off") and will be in two days. Just try to live these moments as they are. The more you try to force your way out of this "coma" the more stress will build up.

On the note of doctors not seeming to know when the medication is out out... my own pdoc is clueless. She said it should have been well out of my system... and I was like, "Did you actually even DO any research on this?!"
 
Bad Robot said:
Tempted to start self medicating with cannabis when i get off the procycledine or make another doctors appointment

Its all over my medical notes that i have a bad reaction to antipsycotics medication now,
It was before, but the doctors in the hospital decided to ignore it

At least i shouldn't have to go through this again

I'm thinking the 4 month mark might be when you notice some improvement
Its just so depressing wishing your life away
Click to expand...

self-medicating with cannabis will just stunt your recovery
 
Bad Robot said:
Tempted to start self medicating with cannabis when i get off the procycledine or make another doctors appointment

Its all over my medical notes that i have a bad reaction to antipsycotics medication now,
It was before, but the doctors in the hospital decided to ignore it

At least i shouldn't have to go through this again

I'm thinking the 4 month mark might be when you notice some improvement
Its just so depressing wishing your life away
Click to expand...

I can relate, cannabis has no effect whilst on Abilify for me, but will be my go-to medicine for recovery. Have researched tirelessly and most people seem to recover fully after 6-12months depending on how long and how much of these drugs they were on.

Wishing you a speedy recovery
-Zombie
 
Its so annoying that you go in hospital to be treated and made better and the shrinks just force this stuff on you
And all for getting to high that you lose the plot for a couple of days
I didn't even get the choice of taking tablets
To top it all my medical notes say i have a bad reaction to antipsycotics let alone a depo shot

The depression is setting in and these next few months aren't going to be much fun
Even thinking of asking for anti depressants even though its just lack of dopamine thats making me feel this way

The cannabis is another option, but i need to get off the procycledine, currently on 2 tablets a day for a shaking leg
caused by the first injection of clopixol, some sort of tardive itus i think

The only option is another doctors appointment, i'm not due to see the the shrink until christmas and i'll nearly be
at the 4 month mark by then

There has to be some sort of none addictive chill pill available
 
invegascrewed said:
anyone fully recovered from this and will like to share their experience - greatly appreciated
Click to expand...
Here's a success story for you. One day away from the fifth half life (give or take a couple days), the invega sustenna in my system is rapidly losing its efficacy on me. By the time the sixth half life roles around, I should be able to imagine things as vividly as I could back in 2011 (before I was hospitalized and put on anticholinergics). Without going into great deal about some of the things I used to be able to do before being prescribed risperdal consta, followed by invega sustenna (a stupid decision to make on my part) I will just simply say that I have broken through the threshold of this medications power. These medications work in waves as most of you probably know. I like my highs and lows. But I don't like the highs and lows on invega sustenna or risperdal consta. Highs and lows on these medications is like sailing on a ship during a storm and trying to keep your head level.

If it weren't for this experience, I'd probably be more mentally sound. But as it is, I'm in a better place spiritually and financially. The time it takes to get out of your system is unbearable and at times I wanted to kill myself because of that. Once you start to accept what's going and just go with the current, living every moment as it comes to you - that is when you'll start to recover. I wish I knew this when I stopped my medications cold turkey in the days of taking risperdal consta.
 
iridescentblack said:
Here's a success story for you. One day away from the fifth half life (give or take a couple days), the invega sustenna in my system is rapidly losing its efficacy on me. By the time the sixth half life roles around, I should be able to imagine things as vividly as I could back in 2011 (before I was hospitalized and put on anticholinergics). Without going into great deal about some of the things I used to be able to do before being prescribed risperdal consta, followed by invega sustenna (a stupid decision to make on my part) I will just simply say that I have broken through the threshold of this medications power. These medications work in waves as most of you probably know. I like my highs and lows. But I don't like the highs and lows on invega sustenna or risperdal consta. Highs and lows on these medications is like sailing on a ship during a storm and trying to keep your head level.

If it weren't for this experience, I'd probably be more mentally sound. But as it is, I'm in a better place spiritually and financially. The time it takes to get out of your system is unbearable and at times I wanted to kill myself because of that. Once you start to accept what's going and just go with the current, living every moment as it comes to you - that is when you'll start to recover. I wish I knew this when I stopped my medications cold turkey in the days of taking risperdal consta.
Click to expand...

great post, thanks for sharing! I can certainly relate, hopefully I too can someday break through this shit! Have also noticed that the medication works in bursts or waves, just wish there was such a thing as an anti-antipsychotic.

thanks again for sharing, gives me hope! stay well
 
Only one success story isn't very inspiring, lets hope people are out there living their life and forget about this place when their receptors start working properly

Been to the doctors and got some chill out tablets (propanadol) Quite looking forward to trying them and get a blood test done in 2 weeks
 
Recovering / repairing the damage from neuroleptics after misdiagnosed schizophrenia is a really complicated matter but I think there are ways to aid the brain to improve and achieve equilibrium again. Have to research more.

Memantine is probably a good thing, but it needs to be prescribed off-label. It's anti-excitatory (will take care of rebound effects from coming off the antipsychotics etc as well as anxiety) but actually pro-dopaminergic and helps to restore the natural dopaminergic transmission.

Pregabalin / gabapentin can be good too but they have some addictive potential.
 
Also guys, sometimes you need to work hard to restore your normal self...

Yes i have read recovery stories from people who decided to sit at home for 1 year playing video games waiting for recovery, and that person was lucky to return to himself before he tried anti-psychotics ! but most people need to also work for their recovery...

What i'm saying is you need to stimulate those receptors and parts of your brain...Exercise, eating healthy, meditation, reading books, forced socializing (even if you don't want/feel like doing these stuff, they will most likely help !)
 
Londonscouser said:
What i'm saying is you need to stimulate those receptors and parts of your brain...Exercise, eating healthy, meditation, reading books, forced socializing (even if you don't want/feel like doing these stuff, they will most likely help !)
Click to expand...

Sounds like what my psychiatrist said when I first got on injection medications.

How do I exercise when my strength and stamina are gone?
How do I eat healthy if my medication makes me addicted to junk?
How do I meditate if I can't see the energies I'm supposed to be working with?
How do I read if I can't focus?
How do I socialize if my medication causes me to stutter/be really awkard?

How do I function if I'm just not "there"?
 
iridescentblack said:
Sounds like what my psychiatrist said when I first got on injection medications.

How do I exercise when my strength and stamina are gone?
How do I eat healthy if my medication makes me addicted to junk?
How do I meditate if I can't see the energies I'm supposed to be working with?
How do I read if I can't focus?
How do I socialize if my medication causes me to stutter/be really awkard?

How do I function if I'm just not "there"?
Click to expand...

I'm in the same boat as you dude, so no this isn't just 'advice' from a random person...

Strength and stamina gone ?...i mean yeh i can understand you might feel like shit, unmotivated, can't be asked to get out the house, but you can still train strength.. Personally my stamina is donkey-shit, so i can't even run or jog, doesn't mean i can't take walks ect. Even yoga would be good...

Addicted to junk from medication ? Cmon mate lets be honest, you can still eat junk and eat healthy foods on the same day...

I've never personally meditated yet, so i can't really comment

yeh its hard to focus and concentrate, but then again, you read what i said, and then you replied ?

I know i know, socializing is fucked up like this...feels like personality is gone, nothing comes to mind in conversations ect and yeh a few years ago i didn't know people had problems socializing...i was such a social butterfly, got along with everyone, very very very rarely had any awkward moments whatsoever. Anyways a few things i've been doing is just learning about body language and facial expressions, i'm pretty good at 'acting normal', which is sad as well...

Overall, if people like us do nothing while brain recovers, then i guess you might not fully recover...You CANNOT expect to recover by doing nothing, even though it is actually possible lol...

Ever heard of Hebb's theory ?

If you don't use it, you lose it.
Neurons that fire together, wire together.
 
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