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Dr. Bob is Robert Hsiung, MD,
bob@dr-bob.orgShown: posts 1 to 9 of 9. This is the beginning of the thread.
Posted by bigscreen on December 25, 2005, at 11:11:18
i have tried mostly all antidepressants. i have taken risperdal, seroquel, abilify. abilify cause akathesia(restless leg). i currently take klonopin .5 twice a day, celexa 10, and trileptal 150. im thinking about going back to risperdal at .25 mg do u think that dosage may help with racing thoughts and hearing voices. seroquel made me gain weight. i almost out of medication to take because my body is sensitive to high dosage of medications. any suggestions
Posted by med_empowered on December 25, 2005, at 17:01:16
In reply to best med for psychotic depression or bipolar2, posted by bigscreen on December 25, 2005, at 11:11:18
You might want to try upping the Trileptal..its good for bipolar, some forms of depression, and schizoaffective disorder. Usually, 600mgs is the starting point; taking 1200-1800mgs is pretty common, too.
Posted by Phillipa on December 25, 2005, at 20:02:08
In reply to Re: best med for psychotic depression or bipolar2, posted by med_empowered on December 25, 2005, at 17:01:16
Wonder if I'd gone up to 300mg of trileptal would it have helped my depression? But at $l78 a month couldn't afford it. Fondly, Phillipa
Posted by hawkeye on December 26, 2005, at 21:53:35
In reply to Re: best med for psychotic depression or bipolar2, posted by Phillipa on December 25, 2005, at 20:02:08
You should definitely give Geodon a try. It is an atypical antipsychotic with true antidepressant properties (SNRI).
I found it to be the best antidepressant I have taken. I took it for depression only. I do not have anto pyschotic symptoms.
The only reason I stopped taking it was that it caused me to gain a lot of weight. However, this is atypical and in most people it is weight neutral.
Posted by med_empowered on December 26, 2005, at 23:48:50
In reply to GEODON, posted by hawkeye on December 26, 2005, at 21:53:35
hi! Yeah, the last poster has a point--Geodon, probably the least used of the atypicals, is a good option. It tends to be kind of sedating, at least at first, but its weight neutral (watch out for problems w/ blood sugar though).
Another option might be Molindone. This is an odd antipsychotic, one that is considered "typical" but is actually pretty recent (developed in the 70s). It tends to cause weight *loss*, not weight gain. Anyway, it can cause EPS, and its high on akathisia, but...it doesn't seem to cause TD all that often,and it has antidepressant properties kind of built-in to its actions. Might be worth considering.
Posted by Phillipa on December 27, 2005, at 0:01:47
In reply to GEODON, posted by hawkeye on December 26, 2005, at 21:53:35
Geodon is an SNRI like effexor or cymbalta? Fondly, Phillipa
Posted by med_empowered on December 27, 2005, at 1:36:16
In reply to Re: GEODON, posted by Phillipa on December 27, 2005, at 0:01:47
hey! yeah, Geodon has an SNRI component to its action, which is one reason it seems good for some bipolars and schizoaffectives.
The bad news, of course, is the heart stuff..the whole qTC issue has made Geodon less popular than the other drugs in its class. Some docs think this is unlikely to cause problems, others are more cautious.
Like most antipsychotics, there have been some cases of TD reported with Geodon, and you can get EPS, especially at the upper-end of the dosages recommended by the manufacturer. Weight gain usually isn't an issue, but a form of "metabolic syndrome" can occur.
Posted by Sebastian on December 27, 2005, at 14:01:02
In reply to Re: GEODON, posted by med_empowered on December 27, 2005, at 1:36:16
My doctor sayed that geodon has never had the qt problem in anyone. I take it and it is an excelent anti-depressant. No weight gain. No sedation. And the only side-effect I get is slightly blury vision.
Posted by cinn65 on January 6, 2006, at 7:13:53
In reply to Re: GEODON, posted by Sebastian on December 27, 2005, at 14:01:02
I just wanted to put in my two cents concerning Geodon. I have suffered from severe treatment-resistant depression for over 20 years. I have taken just about every anti-depressant medication on the market, to no avail. I tried Abilify last year, which really helped, but I did have the akathasia and had to stop taking it. I started on 40 mg of Geodon one month ago and I have never felt better in my life! It has literally saved my life. If you haven't tried it, I would definitely recommend trying it. And please let me know how you're doing.
Best of luck to you!
This is the end of the thread.
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