Invega for Schizoaffective Disorder User Reviews (Page 3)

• Whoh
• March 2, 2017

"Exceedingly dry mouth causing broken sleep and frequent drinks, blood sugar ebbs and reduced stamina, encourages me to eat up to five times a day. Osteoarthritis worsens with the dryness however mentally stable. Wary of this drug being only a stop gap and apprehensive what's next on the medication menu as all have unbearable side effects."

• Leano
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• May 20, 2020

"I’m on Invega approximately 6 weeks I am diagnosed about 5 years never settling on any drug as they have me reactions. I am extremely sensitive to medication and always suffer high prolactin levels. On one of my previous medications after 6 weeks milk started coming out of my breasts. I was switched to invega and so far so good, it has brought out my creative side and I am much more alert, although it’s hard to get up in the morning as I keep falling back to sleep. I am demanding another blood test for tomorrow as I want to know if my prolactin levels have gone down at all. If not I’m getting off this drug as that’s not good for your body and it’s terrifying having milk coming out when it’s not supposed to. I’ve heard of caplyta the new drug and that has less side effects but the reviews online aren’t great"

• Anony...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• August 23, 2022

"I took the injection of 156mg and have felt suicidal, out of it mentally and don’t know if I can take anymore. I just wait day after day for the drug to clear from my system and it’s been 6 weeks since the injection."

• eckies
• Taken for 1 to 2 years
• June 16, 2020

"I take the 150/234 needle of Invega. I also take 30mg olanzapine. 45mg mirtazapine and a couple .5mg ativans a day. and sometimes take cogentin. I need coffee to function on this med. I drink like 5 coffees a day. The coffee stops the anxiety I get from this med. I also get a lot of body pain. I take acetaminophen. I feel better on this med if I don't smoke cigarettes. I tried smoking weed but it wasn't good. I'm trying to quit smoking by using nicotine gum. I have to chew 2 4mg pieces at once to get over my cravings. Its a good med. I has changed a lot while I have been taking it. I think I have got adapted to it now. It has been over a year. Sometimes I think I need a lower dose so I could feel more of my good emotions. It didn't stop my psychosis though. I still need olanzapine. my psychosis consists of very rapid thoughts and I always feel terrified. things look different and I feel different. Its a good med give it time and drink lots of coffee."

• Electro...
• Taken for 1 to 2 years
• November 18, 2018

"Invega really helped me a lot at first. It was like a miracle happened. But after about 3 months passed some of my symptoms came back, don't get me wrong, I am glad that I am on Invega, it just not a miracle drug like I first thought it was."

• Nietz...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• March 28, 2018

"first I was on zyprexa depot because of manic psychosis in 2016. The I switched to invega tabs 12 mg and I felt a lot better, less zombie feelings and less weight gain. Now I'm decreasing to 9 mg to see how this will work."

• Joe
• Taken for 10 years or more
• December 14, 2021

"I have been a user, since 2008, with a break of one year in the beginning related to my opinion that I am ok now, but unfortunately the disease was still there. After this break, it's been 11years that I am normal, I don't hear voices, I have a stable job, with no tension to feel conspiracies towards me. I may gained some weight in the beginning, then I was too thin, but now I am normal in kilos according to my age of 42. I would propose it to someone who wants to live a normal life. Of course,according to my doctor, it suits me perfect. May not to other people."

• Santi...
• Taken for 6 months to 1 year
• October 16, 2017

"This medicine helps in curing the voices and delusional thoughts that sometimes come with schizoaffective disorders.But the worst side of this medication is complete weight gain. I went from size 2 to 14. It also makes your boobs grow bigger and stops the menstrual periods.The drug stays in the system for a long period of time. I stopped it in May and it’s been 5 months but I keep on gaining weight and boobs keep getting bigger and bigger. Worst medication ever! I have to deal with the weight gain and this causes a lot of insecurities especially for a lady! But the doctor told me that it gradually comes out of the system with time. So still hoping that my life will get back to normal with time."

• ROMAN...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• July 10, 2022

"I have been on invega sustena twice. Once a few years Jan 2018 to March 2018 and recently one shot in May 2022. Both times for schizoaffective disorder diagnosed based on drug abuse. First time indeed gained weight and felt hopeless throughout the whole process. This last time I made a change that has been beneficial. This far I have 8 weeks since my shot and have lost weight. Especially liver fat. This has been accomplished by doing a ketogenic diet with intermittent fasting. Also I added a blended lemon with ACV (apple cider vinegar) and cayenne pepper blended with a glass of water twice daily. 11 am and 2:30pm. It is true... you are not in the mood to do anything at all times. All movies are boring all activities feel like an overwhelming need for energy which one does not posses. However... losing weight throughout the process this time around has been a tremendous help to boost non-dopamine morale, just cognitive comprehension of self, with no brain reward."

• Never...
• Taken for 10 years or more
• June 1, 2022

"Started this medication 10 years ago at initial diagnosis of schizophrenia as I had constant hospitalizations. Didn't gain weight just feel flat and couldn't pay attention to anything requiring attention span of a few minutes. I used to watch NetFlix, now I can't sustain more than 5-10 minutes into a movie before I find my mind wandering all over the place. Spoke with my prescriber and he just repeats that "Hey it's worked for others with your disability" . I dread my once each three month injections, as my psychosis seems to peak directly following my injections. Terrible medication and I feel that surely the prescriber's are pocketing something from handing this terrible medication out."

• Anonymous
• Taken for less than 1 month
• July 13, 2017

"My son just got injected with invega. I pray this is going to work for him. I want him to have a normal life and desire life again. He is also taking lamictal this is also new for him. I hope this convo works for him. He is 26 years old and new with all this. Just got diagnosed with bipolar mania. :("

• Shack...
• Taken for 1 to 2 years
• February 18, 2021

"Started getting monthly injections when I was stuck on a psychiatric petition hold for mood disorder and depression. The MD would not let me finally leave unless I started this here stuff with my regimen. It seems to balance me out and don't need to have a hospital transport nearly as often as I used to. With that being said, 99% of the ambulance rides were forced upon me and they have added significant amounts of debt being taken against my will. But, yes I plan on continuing this Invega and happy the product was approved by the FDA in the medical unit. I do eat quite a bit and it has made me gain weight since I started, but that's ok I guess. Oh, and run away from them paramedics because they are bullies trying to bring you into more debt. -thanks for reading"

• Anonymous
• Taken for 1 to 2 years
• October 19, 2022

"I was under clopixol for a short time coz I didn't see any change at all so the doc suggested I should start on invega at first the drug started with it's good deeds and I actually got tricked it into thinking it was working. Then I noticed the side effects I had bad nausea and I had change of taste and smell. I couldn't keep up with it coz the nausea was so so bad I couldn't eat at all. It also affected my ability to think I definitely felt had brain damage I couldn't concentrate and I starved for days to avoid the nausea. For anyone having my symptoms....you will get through this I can't lie coz it's been 2 years with the injection and my nausea is a living nightmare with me so yours might end earlier hold on and you'll be good"

• mochi
• Taken for less than 1 month
• April 17, 2022

"I've only had the two beginning doses of Invega and it has been awful. My doctor talked me into it since I sometimes miss my pills so she wanted me to get an injection. I agreed and now, I can't sleep. I have such vivid dreams like I wake up in another life. So vivid it seems real. Sometimes I can't decipher reality and my dreams. I'm seeing things often. More than when I was just on a pill medication and I am going to tell my doctor this week that I REFUSE to take this again. It made me lose a job, I can't focus. I'm scared all the time. It's just terrible"

• Higho...
• Taken for 5 to 10 years
• December 26, 2021

"Invega sustenna for the first year or so had many side effects. I gained a lot of weight. I got acid reflux. I slept a lot. Had trouble with remembering things. But other than that the medicine works well. It's annoying getting a shot every month but the insurance pays for it and its better than being hospitalized. Overall it's not bad but wish I had a lower dose 117mg instead of 156mg"

• Anony...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• September 10, 2021

"My doctor made me stop taking because of something in my blood work went over 200. It really helped, I begged to stay on but dr. refused because of the bloodwork, does this mean I am allergic? It worked great."

• Careg...
• Taken for 1 to 2 years
• October 31, 2021

"My mother has been getting monthly Invega injections for 1 year now. After not being compliant with her previous medication, she once again had to move in with me due to a severe mental break. She has improved to a point where she can complete daily tasks independently (make small meals, go for walks, basic hygiene & putting her laundry away) & it has also stopped mostly all of her “unhealthy obsessions/delusions”. In my opinion, this monthly injection has brought stability to her. Don’t believe all the bad reviews. I honestly don’t think my Mom would be out of a mental hospital without it."

• Rob
• Taken for 1 to 2 years
• August 11, 2022

"This is a god send yet it is so expensive unless your on insurance!. I have been on different anti-psychotics like olazapine, arizol and amisulpride which helped me keep away from hallucinations. However, they never addressed the real problem of delusional thinking. For instance, I believe in (schizophrenia )that can be categorized into two groups, where someone would experience jitters with sounds and one with delusional in thinking as though your thoughts are being leaked before reaching the end of the point, thus someone would loose the context of the event. Before this medicine , I was all around the places with my thoughts, which I had very bad delusions that cannot be justified by words. I have been taking monthly injections(Invega Sustenna) which got rid of all my delusions after the 2nd injection, where I have been taking a 150 mg monthly dose regularly. As with a schizophrenic, there were negative symptoms that was addressed by Bupropion 300 mg & Sertraline 200mg(1st) B.D."

• Kevin
• Taken for 1 to 2 years
• March 15, 2022

"Been on the drug for about a year. I still hear voices in my head. Haven't been sectioned to go to the hospital since I started taking it, so I continue to do so. I don't know what this injection does but I still feel the same."

• Anonymous
• Taken for 1 to 2 years
• February 11, 2022

"I am on the injection, not sure what mg but I get it every 3 months. It's been almost a year and I have gained 40lbs. I have frequent heart burn, and my cholesterol is high. My feelings are flat so I don't overact to things as I used to. And no depression. Sometimes I have very vivid dreams and nightmares. Most days I have no motivation, but some days I have excess energy to get everything done that I need to. I haven't had a menstrual cycle since I started this medication. It has kept the mania and psychosis away though. And other than all those side affects I listed I am grateful for this medication. I was one who would miss doses or stop taking my medication altogether and have almost ruined my life several times. Even with all those side affects, I would rather be on invega than not. It has saved my life."

• Yenne...
• January 3, 2022

"I was hospitalized for Bipolar and as a last resort I was given the shot. After being diagnosed with catatonic, I was officially diagnosed with schizoaffective disorder, and took the 100mg shot for years. Brain was quiet, I was quiet, everyone is happy. On the fourth year, I notice I tend to push my tongue on the roof of my mouth, sometimes my teeth. Expressed my concern and evidence of health, but of course, they don’t want to ‘risk it’. And 3 years later, 2021 came. Lockdown lead to tiny amount of drugs and lots of alcohol, and mixing Paliperidone and Seraquel with it somehow resulted to Tardive Dyskinesia. My tongue is now permanently flopped out of my skull. Sometimes my eyes would widen."

• 15438
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• March 31, 2023

"When I was admitted to a hospital my life was falling apart. I was given the shot every few weeks and it feels great! My bipolar disorder affects mostly my sleep, and I am always paranoid, my mood is like, I can’t explain it, but people just worry about me when I’m not on it. My insurance supposedly won’t cover it but my psych doctor said I might be covered for tablets. Ever since I was 23 years old and everyone accused me of being suicidal, so I took a lot of stuff. Escitalopram - nothing makes me want to do that more to myself when on it. Wellbutrin works well for me, but I was not okay with the side effects. Abilify didn't work either. I wanted to try Risperdal again now I’m older because when I was 23 the side effects were bad I felt so stupid on it. The Invega shots were doing good for me. I started taking Invega with anaconda vitamins and I don’t notice anything bad about it. Rather would like to take all of my next rx of it. Sex doesn’t matter at all, so don't do it."

• Bob...
• Taken for 5 to 10 years
• September 27, 2022

"Been taking it since 2016, it is great at keeping psychosis at bay. However the main side effect I have had is high prolactin levels.This month Im talking to my doctor to switch to abilify which keeps prolactin levels in normal range unlike invega."

• Goodf...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• September 8, 2022

"I had a difficult experience with the injection. I got psychosis from antidepressants so they injected me with this in the ER, and when I was hospitalized right after, I didn't really know enough to say no to the follow up injections they have to do when you take this for the first time. I developed gynecomastia after a few weeks. At first things seemed great, but after a while, my general perception of the world around me got really distorted and I was saying and doing some really weird stuff. And apparently this drug has a lot of horrible long term side effects like fertility interruption and liver damage."

• Sara
• Taken for 1 to 2 years
• April 15, 2022

"So far I have to say my experience with Invega has been great. The only setback is the weight gain. Which is a common side effect of most antipsychotics. I find my psychosis is gone. Clear thinking, more positive attitude.And I take this along with my lithium and Zoloft. I've found I'm excited to work and function in society."