Invega Sustenna and Dizziness: What Users Say

• Tom...
• December 5, 2019

For Schizophrenia "I had a psychotic episode from drug use. They made me take an injection, and I feel like it was the worst drug possible. I honestly can't explain how bad the side effects are. You get a weird smell, irregular heartbeat, no energy, no sex drive, and you feel dizzy all the time. I am off of it now, and I am hoping I can feel better again."

• Jun...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• February 3, 2019

For Schizoaffective Disorder "If you want your life back and want to finally quit hearing the voices, believing the delusions that persist in your head and just be able to live a “normal” life, then this medication is absolutely for you. You will overeat, gain a little weight, have restless nights, and sleep all afternoon, you will have restless leg syndrome where you just can’t sit still. It takes about a month and a half for side effects to diminish. I’m so thankful to finally be happy again and be able to hold down a job. Those dark voices are gone. I don’t read a news article and believe I spoke to the President of the United States personally anymore. Now I wake up every day with just a calm, happy persona both internally and externally. The best part is that it’s only a once-a-month injection. I’ll tell you that on the day of the shot I do still get a little dizzy and tired, so I usually request off the entire day so I can relax. But even my family has noticed the huge change in me."

• sae...
• May 7, 2019

For Schizophrenia "I've been on this drug/medicine for about two years, and it has caused a lot of problems in my life. It barely helped with the auditory hallucinations such as the voices and paranoia. I feel like a zombie all the time, really tired, drained of energy, and like my brain is slowed down. I've had little to no sex drive (sexual dysfunction) and have no pleasure from sex. Within the first couple of weeks of getting the injection of Invega Sustenna every month, I get muscle stiffness in my neck, arms, and hands. I feel like I can't breathe, along with a rapid heartbeat and a fever. I become confused, unable to function, dizzy, and lightheaded. This happens two to three times a month within a few weeks after getting the injection. I believe it might be because of NMS (neuroleptic malignant syndrome), which is a rare side effect of the drug/medicine that might cause death. This is a horrible drug/medicine for me. I'm going to try a different medicine from a different doctor and hope for the best."

• Cit...
• Taken for 6 months to 1 year
• May 21, 2022

For Schizophrenia "I have been getting injections for 8 months now, and I have no energy, no stamina. I have a really difficult time organizing my thoughts, and any suicidal ideations I may have had before this medication were nothing compared to the urgent need I sometimes have to kill myself. I know that these impulses are not what I consciously want, but I get trapped within my own mind sometimes and start crying and cursing uncontrollably. I feel dizzy, disoriented, without hope or a lifeline connecting this dedicating husk of a man to the passionate person who used to volunteer at the animal shelter and local charities. I was a productive member of society before this nightmare started, a good person who strove to remain productive and busy with day-to-day tasks. I cannot complete a sentence most of the time, and the doctor's refusal to take me off of this dangerous drug is bad for me. I can barely associate what I have become with what I was."

• ano...
• June 7, 2015

For Schizoaffective Disorder "A lot of issues with this medication: extreme bloating, weight gain, and hunger. Pain in abdomen, gurgling sounds in abdomen area, burping and belching after every single meal, which normally never occurred with me. Dizziness almost all the time, extreme headaches, EXTREME muscle stiffness, and much difficulty walking and doing daily activities. Sweating for no apparent reason. Insomnia."

• BIb...
• December 17, 2015

For Schizoaffective Disorder "Would be an absolutely perfect drug without the side effects. Constant tiredness and dizziness make it almost impossible to work. It definitely has high effects on motor skills and sexual ability. But hallucinations and delusions are gone. No more voices and paranoid thoughts after only a month. It's a good drug if you want to sleep all day."

• paz...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• April 12, 2015

For Schizophrenia "My daughter had the injection this month. It stopped her psychosis, still a little paranoia. The first ten days severe pain in neck. Also some dizziness still and balance problems, she says. She took Cogentin for neck. Some relief from the neck now. Another issue from blood test is high prolactin level. We will be seeing her doctor this week. Don't know if side effects are worth it."

• paz...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• April 12, 2015

For Schizophrenia "My daughter had the injection this month. It stopped her psychosis, still a little paranoia. The first ten days severe pain in neck. Also some dizziness still and balance problems, she says. She took Cogentin for neck. Some relief from the neck now. Another issue from blood test is high prolactin level. We will be seeing her doctor this week. Don't know if side effects are worth it."

• Dan...
• Taken for 1 to 2 years
• February 7, 2018

For Schizoaffective Disorder "I don't know why they started me on 156 mg, but I couldn't think straight on such a high dose, and I was sleeping 16 hours a day. Zero libido, dizzy spells, acne, plus 50 pounds of weight gain. I lowered my injection 3 times to now 39 mg, the lowest dose. Less acne, still fat, still zero libido, but less dizzy. The benefit was that I have zero delusions."