Posted by bark2323 on October 27, 2004, at 18:06:50
In reply to Any Information on atypical antisychotics needed., posted by BRC on October 27, 2004, at 14:10:08
Hi. I currently take zyprexa (10mg), I guess mainly for BP. But its benefits are more than just mood stabilization for me; I would actually say the thing I like about it most IS the fact that it helps my racing thoughts. At first it was kind of a non-specific sedation, but as that goes away there is still a sort of control or ability to think logically it gives me. I now have some power over my thoughts. Its like I can say "go away" or "slow down" to them and it works. I think it also helps that it grounds me, so that reality can actually get through the world in my head, and reality is a lot slower most of the time! I feel more a part of the world on zyprexa, and dont really feel out of it. There are other benefits I could list, but I wont go on. The main drawbacks are weight gain, and for me a dose dependent lowering of my threshold for excitement (which may be the point anyway). In spite of the excitement thing though, I would say I am left with a wide (but healthy) range of emotions and do not feel particularly flat, although some people do on APs. As for my experience with other atypicals, seroquel seemed like a sedating sugar pill (though I only ever got to 200mg) and geodon put me in a fog. But these (and others I havent tried) do great things for other people, and tend to have less side effects, especially weight gain, than zyprexa. If you dont want sedation (I like it since I can never sleep) or the possibility of weight gain, risperdal or geodon might be a good place to start. Abilify can cause restlessness, possibly more so that the other atypicals, which could aggravate the feeling of racing thoughts, but who knows. As for the neurological side effects, they are a possibility, though much less than with typical APs, and, in general, the risk is very small in low-med dose for the atypicals. Hope this helps.
matt
poster:bark2323
thread:407959
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/20041024/msgs/408063.html