TwittermailG7: Surviving Invega Sustenna & Tapering

[TwittermailG7]

I’ve been on Invega Sustenna for nearly a year. I find the drug terrible and has made my life worse. I put on lots of weight, loss all interest in caring for myself. I have also lost the ability to hold, start or maintain a conversation. I feel that this drug has robbed me from my ability to talk, be argumentative or intellectually stimulating. 

 

I am not taking this injection after my psychiatrist reduced my dose from 150mg to 100mg. I’ve had no side effects and I feel that I can leave the rest of the drug taper out of my system naturally. The drug has a long half life so the side effects will be mild. My psychiatrist said it’s up to me if I wish to no longer take the injection as I’m no longer psychotic and well in recovery. 

 

My question is to anyone who has tapered off this drug successfully: when does one’s ability to talk again and hold conversations come back. I used to be a highly passionate guy but now I don’t contribute to conversations. I feel as if I’ve nothing to say or if there is a mental block preventing me from talking freely or conversing. How long will it take for me to returning to pre-Invega Sustenna me and become bubbly and converse freely again. 

 

I am taking also Lexapro 20mg, and Seroquel 100mg. I tapered successfully from 800mg Seroquel to 100mg with little side effects. I’m enjoying not being tired and spaced out anymore.

 

Thank you for reading this comment and question. To iterate, my main complaint with Invega Sustenna as it robbed me from my ability to converse or chat to anyone, and I wish to know how long after not taking the injection will it take for me to return to my chatty and stimulating self?

Edited December 1, 2021 by Kiasofia
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[Kiasofia]

Welcome @TwittermailG7

I'm so sorry for all you have gone through and are going through, but relieved you have found us. I wish we could say for sure when you will feel normal again, but you will. Hopefully by learning more about what you are going through and being a part of this community, you will find the strength to pull through.

 

It is promising that you have been able to taper from such a high Seroquel dose without side effects and very good that it has made you feel better. It is also good news that your doctor supports you stopping the injections. The symptoms you describe are typical for Anti-Psychotics. There is a reason they used to be called "chemical lobotomy" back in the day when lobotomy was considered a good thing (won the Nobel Prize)...

 

How often were you getting injections? When was your last one? How have you been tapering Seroquel?

 

Unfortunately medical professionals have a poor understanding of how these drugs affect people. I found this post helpful to understand how these drugs actually work and why healing can take time:

How Psychiatric Drugs Remodel Your Brain

 

When we recover, there are times of feeling OK mixed in with times of feeling bad.  This is called windows and waves.

The Windows and Waves Pattern of Stabilization

 

Aside from a high quality fish oil and magnesium, be careful with supplements. Your central nervous system (CNS) has become sensitized from psychiatric drug use and can react unpredictably. Alcohol, caffeine, nicotine and other mind altering substances can make the condition worse.

Important topics about tests, supplements, treatments, diet

 

Here is our symptoms and self care section, you may find some useful ideas to help manage symptoms as you recover. 

Symptoms and self care topics

 

To give members the best information, we ask them to summarize their medication history in a signature following these instructions:

How to List Drug History in Signature

 

This is your Introductory topic, where you can ask questions and connect with other members.  If you need any advice specific to you and your situation, please ask it here. Otherwise, feel free to join discussions on other threads. We're glad you found your way here.

[TwittermailG7]

How often were you getting injections? When was your last one?
 

I am taking the Invega Sustenna injections monthly. My last dose was reduced from 100mg to 50mg, as it was ok’d by my psychiatrist. My next dose in at the end of January but I won’t be taking it. Instead, I’ll be letting the injection wear off naturally due to its long half life. I took my last injection as I didn’t want to feel bad, medically speaking, by not tapering the Invega. Again, my psychiatrist recommended taking the 50mg to reduce side effects, which has been so far mild: upset stomach. 

 

to anyone who had tapered off this horrible drug, when does your ability to converse come back to you. I feel as if I’ve nothing to say when I’m with people. It’s like a cannot speak at all beyond one or two sentences. 
 

How have you been tapering Seroquel?

 

a previous psychiatrist put me on Seroquel and kept maintaining a high dose. He didn’t listen to me about needing to reduce the dose, and he didn’t want me off Invega Sustenna either. That’s why I’m glad I’ve a new psychiatrist who is taking me off the injections. Out of frustrations, I tapered myself from 800mg to 400mg by splitting tablets because I was too tired, spaced out and felt like a zombie. Thereafter, I pestered my medical team to reduce my dose in increments of 50s. I am currently on 100mg and I’m going to taper off it over Christmas by splitting thr scores tablet. The side effects are an upset stomach, pain in head, diarrhoea and feeling slightly anxious for a while. However, I’m managing the side effects well. 
 

as stated, my goal is to return to myself pre all medications and return to being able to converse and chat with people and hold conversations again. I’m on Lexapro 20mg also and going to to taper of it over January. 
 

I get diarrhoea when tapering off Lexapro and Seroquel but that’s kind of how o know the drug is leaving my system and I’m riding myself of all these poisons. 
 

again, to anyone who has got off antipsychotics and Invega etc, when can I expect to be able to converse and be chatty again?

[Kiasofia]

Here is a thread about surviving anti psychotics.

 

Very good that you got a new psychiatrist who supports you. Hopefully your psychiatrist also understands withdrawal. Most do not.

 

Unfortunately it is not just a matter of getting the drugs out of your system. The drugs change the brain and the brain takes time to change back. That is why it is important to taper very slowly. We advise 10% of current dose every four weeks. Some can go faster and some must go slower. Coming off these drugs can cause many different withdrawal symptoms, often leading to doctors thinking the original condition is returning or that another mental illness has emerged. Often this leads to being put on more drugs. It is safest to not taper seroquel or lexapro until a few months after the invega injection has worn off. The withdrawal from these drugs can be bad and then it can take even longer to feel normal again.

What is withdrawal syndrome?

Dr. Joseph Glenmullen's withdrawal symptom checklist

 

If at the end of the injection period, you don't get withdrawal symptoms, you don't need to do anything else. If you do get withdrawal symptoms, you might take a very small amount of Invega in tablet or liquid form.

Tips for tapering off paliperidone (Invega)

About reinstating and stabilizing to reduce withdrawal symptoms

 

It is recommended to taper one drug at a time. That way if you get withdrawal you will know which drug is causing it.

Taking multiple psych drugs? Which drug to taper first?

Why taper by 10% of my dosage?

NEVER SKIP DOSES TO TAPER

Tips for tapering off escitalopram (Lexapro)

Tips for tapering off quetiapine (Seroquel)

 

So it’s easy for anyone reading your posts to get a quick overview of your situation we ask members to summarize their medication history in a signature following these instructions:

 

How to List Drug History in Signature

Edited December 4, 2021 by Kiasofia

[TwittermailG7]

Thanks, I’ll update how I get on with my Invega taper as the injection won’t start to wear off until end of January. Then, hopefully, my brain can heal itself and revert to myself again! 
 

again, to anyone who has got off antipsychotics and Invega etc, when can I expect to be able to converse and be chatty again? Invega really has robbed me of my ability to speak and converse!