Paliperidone for Bipolar Disorder User Reviews

• won...
• July 15, 2013

Paliperidone "I get the shot of Invega Sustenna 156mg once every 4 weeks. I am 62 and have tried everything in every research hospital in Indiana and Illinois. I use it as monotherapy along with counseling, and it has revolutionized my life. I have no side effects. I work full-time as a school teacher, and I am working on my master's degree and expect to graduate soon. I finally found my miracle in this medicine. I am so grateful to my new doctor, nurse, and therapist and now to you who are reading this."

• LHH...
• August 3, 2013

Paliperidone "I had tried Abilify, Fanapt, lithium, Depakote, and Geodon for my bipolar disorder. Luckily, a doctor introduced me to Invega. It helped dramatically with my bipolar issues and alcohol abuse. I have absolutely no problem with my mood since being on this medicine. I'm always happy and am no longer irritable since being on this medicine. I don't have a problem with alcohol abuse anymore and I'm able to drink like a normal person. There are two problems I have with Invega though. The first is that I gained weight dramatically. In 5 months, I gained 50 lbs. Also, I would have random spurts of horrible anxiety. Great medication all in all though."

• Out...
• September 22, 2009

Paliperidone "I've been terrified about staying on any anti-psychotic medication, the side effects are horrible. This drug has very few side effects, no weight gain is a plus! Not to mention, it stabilizes my moods and stops psychosis. Another added bonus is the drug company provided me with a free lifetime user card. Thank you for giving me my life back."

• Jel...
• February 15, 2020

"Had 5 shots of this paliperidone after I had a manic episode. Since going off of it, I never feel tired, but get 12 hours of sleep a night. Can’t zone out, get high, or drunk. I get a lot of headaches, have no sex drive, and feel numb. So I forget about sex, very low motivation. So it’s hard to get motivated to shower or do laundry, it used to be really easy. I used to clean the house all the time, but now no dopamine reward. Weight gain, lower intellect. It's hard to have conversations now because I can’t think as fast. Thoughts of what to say don’t seem to come to me anymore. Long-term and short-term memory is screwed. Always forget things. Don't enjoy my hobbies and interests. E.g., I watch a movie, and my face and soul are just blank/numb. Couldn’t cry for 5 months, now I finally can. Sadness, happiness, love, anger, fear, jealousy have come back a little bit. Hardly any food tastes nice anymore. Miss calling my friends and chatting, but get scared because I hardly talk anymore."

• Bli...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• October 9, 2019

"This drug has completely ruined my life. I was a driven illustrator and designer. I can’t believe how they treated me like absolute trash. Overnight, this drug took my life from me, and it flipped every personality trait. It’s been about 10 months since I stopped it, and I’m still in a deep depression, mourning the loss of myself. Everything that made me me was taken away. My passion, creativity, sense of humor, can-do attitude, energy, self-care, intelligence, joy, motivation, strength, positivity, rationality, etc. The human brain isn’t equipped to deal with this much change."

• Sam...
• September 4, 2021

"Ever since I've been on this drug, I felt down, emotionless, demotivated, weak, no sex drive, and don't know what to say in conversations. Everything I loved to do now feels like a chore. I'm getting a 100 mg dose, getting it reduced to 75 mg next week. Hope it goes well and I get some of my emotions back."

• Anonymous
• October 13, 2010

Paliperidone "My 8-year-old son was put on Invega 3 mg and then moved up to 6 mg a day. About 1 1/2 months ago after gaining too much weight on risperidone. He gets the dosage on time daily, but since starting Invega, he has had the worst uncontrollable muscle spasms/twitches. He is constantly twitching his arms, neck, and head without knowing he is doing it. Also, he has started making vocal noises (random humming) without noticing he is doing it. I was really hoping the Invega would work, but I think in our case, the side effects are too much to accept, so he will be switching again today."

• Dan...
• March 2, 2019

"I was given this drug to control hypomania - I was given 150 mg monthly depot. It absolutely destroyed my life. I became, within a couple of months, severely depressed and severely socially anxious. Yes, I was hypomanic to begin with, but the change was from happy in mood to an absolute wreck. The mental pain I experienced for a year and a half was the worst for a period of about 6 months. It seemed my only motivation and energy were being directed towards my wish to die. I just couldn’t live with the unrelenting mental pain. The dose has since been lowered by one-third, I am feeling much better now. Far more social and in a less depressed mood. I still want to lower the dose further, down to say, 50 mg because I am still somewhat depressed."

• Han...
• May 30, 2018

"While using this drug (Invega, injection), I gained 25 pounds and I think I am still gaining weight. I am 5'6" and 180 lbs. I feel a lack of motivation in the things that used to give me joy. I just no longer feel like doing them or even being social. I avoid social situations. I have a very irregular sleep pattern and cannot take caffeinated coffee in the morning anymore. My doctor told me she would not treat me unless I took this medication. That doesn't seem like this medication is working well for me. Before I took this, I was taking risperidone and weighed 155 lbs and was highly motivated to work out and pursue my creative endeavors. I don't like psychiatrists as they do not really seem to listen to valid reasons for not wanting to take specific drugs and not switch to something else. My quality of life has really gone down, just because it's easier for her to have someone give me a shot for one month. Now I feel at risk for diabetes."

• Kel...
• Taken for 6 months to 1 year
• October 18, 2020

"This is terrifying, horrible. This drug is the worst. I was on it for 7 months, it physically and mentally messed me up. I pray to God it gets better. I don't know what I'm going to do with myself. It messed me up internally, and nobody seems to know anything. I feel stuck and am always on the edge all day long-a never-ending nightmare. I'm bipolar, I feel like this medicine was a misdiagnosis. My doctor put me on Abilify but didn't really wean me off. It's serious. I cry all day now and don't know how to help myself anymore."

• Gaz...
• Taken for 6 months to 1 year
• December 31, 2019

"I was forced onto this injection when I was hospitalized and told that if I didn't take it, I would stay in the hospital indefinitely. I have put on a lot of weight, and I sleep most of the time. I have no motivation to do anything. I get jittery legs when I try to sleep, and I can't be bothered to do anything. I used to be passionate about a lot of things, but I now feel like everything is a chore. I have lost all my social skills and lack my personality, it has all been stripped away from me. I've been on the injection for around 6 or 7 months, and I am going to refuse to take it when I get my driver's license back, as I had that taken away from me as well. I have lost my sex drive as well. Totally against this horrible drug. Do not take."

• Fat...
• July 17, 2019

"This paliperidone is a miracle drug to my 15-year-old daughter. She’s diagnosed with bipolar last December 2018. She’s on paliperidone 3 mg for 5 months and works great for her. With minimal side effects, a little weight gain. All in all, this is the best meds for her. She is back to her normal life again. Good luck, everyone!"

• Sea...
• Taken for 2 to 5 years
• January 10, 2017

"I have been on this drug a few years (3 mg). It seems like I have been on every drug out there. I'm the most stable I've ever been and don't have all the side effects-spasms and twitches-of Abilify. To me, this is a miracle drug. I have gained weight but attribute it to overeating and not to the drug, and it is nothing a good plus-sized clothing store can't take care of."

• dha...
• March 30, 2012

Paliperidone "Invega has gotten rid of my mania at 75 mg monthly injection. However, the side effects are much more than lithium or valproic acid, and it is much worse on the body. So I think it is really better to just take a mood stabilizer, so I am thinking of switching to lithium or valproic acid. I will try to reduce to the lowest injection, which is 50 mg monthly. I am using it as a monotherapy. It, along with Risperdone injection, are the only long-lasting injections available. So they force it on me because they don't"

• nem...
• February 8, 2023

"This medication seriously changed my quality of life. I have been in therapy for 30 years and have never had such an immediate and positive experience with any drug, regardless of it being an antidepressant, something for anxiety, something for sleep, etc. It seems like Invega has given me my life back. Two months ago, before trying Invega, I was in pretty bad shape, I should’ve been inpatient, things were so bad, but at the same time, I couldn’t be away from my family. So intensive outpatient was the answer for my situation. And while doing outpatient, we experimented with my medications a bit, and a few months later, I was put on Invega. It has been four weeks, and the change is incredible. I have energy. I have the drive to live and be happy while doing so."

• Tom...
• Taken for 1 to 2 years
• October 17, 2018

"The pros - it eliminates mania and psychosis - you can experience new steady life patterns. The negativity - weight gain, loss of interest in things you liked before, happiness seems unattainable, and some suicidal thoughts, numbness in limbs at night. I scared myself with my last episode, so taking it gives me confidence it won’t happen again. I get regular sleep. Maybe I miss the highs of bipolar, or it’s changed my personality. I won’t take risks anymore - it’s been 1 year, and it’s working better than any antipsychotic med, but not sure if it’s too strong for bipolar. I probably would stop taking it, but on a CTO order, hoping for a reduction from 150 to 100 injection - wishing you good luck."

• Day...
• November 23, 2016

"I have been taking Invega for 3 years. I just increased from 6 to 9 mg. I take it in the morning as part of a bipolar drug therapy. I still take Prozac and lithium as well. I didn't have any side effects starting Invega. My moods are 99% controlled. I'm still bipolar and have very infrequent mood swings, but they are not as long or as severe. I did gain 20 lbs. My quality of life has greatly improved."

• Kle...
• June 20, 2016

"I have experienced extreme drowsiness with my paliperidone injection. When I first started, I also experienced muscle spasms and blurred vision. I gained approximately 20 lbs in 2 months of taking it. I also experience depression and lack of motivation. This drug makes me feel like a zombie. I am hoping to switch medications soon."

• Tom...
• April 4, 2020

"Paliperidone is the only medication I take for bipolar. A monthly injection of 100 mg. It has single-handedly stopped me from going back to hospitals, there’s no psychosis. I’m often on the side of depression, though, feeling empty of emotions. This is where I try to think that this is how normal people feel without a condition of bipolar or schizophrenia. I’ve become more reliable. I don’t get suicidal thoughts, I’m no longer a danger to myself or others, which I could be in psychosis. The relationships I have now are more secure. To summarize, it’s changed my life. I no longer worry about hospitals and losing everything. Do I miss the highs? Yes. Do I miss the damage I inflicted on relationships and myself? No. Also, there are benefits to an injection and a CTO order. I know I would never agree to taking medication in the long run. I’d stop taking it to feel the highs - good luck."

• Jay...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• November 2, 2019

"So I was first prescribed paliperidone while I was in the hospital, and I was receiving the injection. I believe my first was around the 75 dose, and at the start, things were fine. It was only when they bumped up the dose to 150 that I started to notice some unusual sensations throughout my body. Tingling-like pain started through my legs and arms, and over the months it has gotten worse. Even now, I can still feel pain within my legs, and it annoys the hell out of me. My last shot of this drug was down to 100, and my condition hasn't improved. I don't know what's causing all this pain throughout my body, but it's gotta be the drug. On top of that, I've got really bad anxiety and agitation that is stopping my everyday life, something I haven't had before, which again I blame this drug for. I think people with bipolar should stay away from this drug, it causes a lot of harm if things don't go your way."

• Car...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• October 23, 2019

"Been on a monthly injection of InVega for 4 months now. I agree with most of the other comments that while it stopped the hallucinations, it has left me void of all emotion or personality. I feel numb most to all of the time. I’ve gained a lot of weight (maybe 30 lbs so far). It has sapped me of all energy, severe anhedonia, apathy, weakness, and depression. I’m very torn, I don’t want to continue this medication, but it has kept me out of the hospital for 4 months."

• Arc...
• September 20, 2017

"I have bipolar I with psychosis and began receiving the 170 mg monthly injection and have not had any psychosis or noticeable mood swings since. My head is no longer filled with racing thoughts or voices from God. I no longer connect everything together like a never-ending string theory. I'm no longer paranoid or fearful. I no longer have a sense of impending doom. And I can now sleep all through the night, although I now have the craziest dreams, including astral projection and lucid dreams, which is kind of cool, but sometimes scary. The biggest problems from this medication are that I have gained 40 pounds in 2 years and it levels me out so much that I can't be super happy about great things that happen in my life, and it's impossible to cry. I'm just mostly neutral."

• Inv...
• December 14, 2009

Paliperidone "I have been on Invega 6 mg for about 3 years now. I have gained about 70 extra pounds, and nothing I do seems to drop the weight. Also, it messed with my periods so much that I had to have a hysterectomy. But it does keep my moods stable for the most part. I think it's time for me to start a new medication, though. Because when I do have outbursts, they are really bad. And the depression is still here."

• Tyy...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• November 19, 2017

"For my bipolar 1, I have been on Invega 156 mg since July, now it's November, and I have minimal side effects, including high prolactin and some tremors once a day. Zero symptoms of mania and psychosis. No weight gain, which is why it's a ten. Overall, a good med, sleep good. No anxiety."

• Sam...
• October 22, 2021

"This drug has turned me into something that wasn't even living, it has ruined my life. Can't the need to want to do anything anymore, no sex drive, lack of emotions, counting every hour and feeling the boredom. I still have another year to go with the injection. Was put in the hospital involuntarily. I hope this soon ends. Currently taking 75 mg. Makes 0 difference whether you are taking 100 mg or 75 mg. The effect is still there."