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Invega Sustenna Side Effects

Generic name: paliperidone

Medically reviewed by Drugs.com. Last updated on Jan 13, 2024.

Note: This document provides detailed information about Invega Sustenna Side Effects associated with paliperidone. Some dosage forms listed on this page may not apply specifically to the brand name Invega Sustenna.

Applies to paliperidone: intramuscular suspension extended release.

Other dosage forms:

Important warnings This medicine can cause some serious health issues

Intramuscular route (suspension, extended release)

Risk of death is increased in elderly patients with dementia-related psychosis treated with antipsychotic drugs.

Paliperidone palmitate is not approved for use in patients with dementia-related psychosis.

Serious side effects of Invega Sustenna

Along with its needed effects, paliperidone (the active ingredient contained in Invega Sustenna) may cause some unwanted effects. Although not all of these side effects may occur, if they do occur they may need medical attention.

Check with your doctor or nurse immediately if any of the following side effects occur while taking paliperidone:

More common

  • anxiety
  • bladder pain
  • bloody or cloudy urine
  • body aches or pain
  • chills
  • cough
  • deep or fast breathing with dizziness
  • difficult, burning, or painful urination
  • difficulty with breathing
  • difficulty with swallowing
  • dry mouth
  • ear congestion
  • fever
  • frequent urge to urinate
  • headache
  • inability to sit still
  • irregular heartbeat
  • irritability
  • loss of balance control
  • loss of voice
  • lower back or side pain
  • mask-like face
  • need to keep moving
  • nervousness
  • numbness of the feet, hands, and around the mouth
  • restlessness
  • runny or stuffy nose
  • shaking
  • shuffling walk
  • slowed movements
  • slurred speech
  • sneezing
  • sore throat
  • stiffness of the arms and legs
  • tic-like (jerky) movements of the head, face, mouth, and neck
  • trembling and shaking of the fingers and hands
  • trouble with sleeping
  • twitching, twisting, uncontrolled repetitive movements of the tongue, lips, face, arms, or legs
  • unusual tiredness or weakness

Less common

  • blurred vision
  • difficulty with speaking
  • dizziness
  • drooling
  • inability to move the eyes
  • increase in body movements
  • increased blinking or spasms of the eyelid
  • loss of balance control
  • muscle trembling, jerking, or stiffness
  • pounding in the ears
  • slow or fast heartbeat
  • sticking out of the tongue
  • uncontrolled movements, especially of the face, neck, and back
  • uncontrolled twisting movements of the neck, trunk, arms, or legs
  • unusual facial expressions

Incidence not known

  • change in mental status
  • chest tightness
  • decrease in the amount and frequency of urination
  • difficulty speaking
  • hives, itching, skin rash
  • large, hive-like swelling on the face, eyelids, lips, tongue, throat, hands, legs, feet, or genitals
  • loss of bladder control
  • pale color of the skin
  • pinpoint red spots on the skin
  • puffiness or swelling of the eyelids or around the eyes, face, lips, or tongue
  • seizures
  • severe constipation
  • severe vomiting
  • stomach pain
  • swollen tongue
  • yellow eyes or skin

Other side effects of Invega Sustenna

Some side effects of paliperidone may occur that usually do not need medical attention. These side effects may go away during treatment as your body adjusts to the medicine. Also, your health care professional may be able to tell you about ways to prevent or reduce some of these side effects.

Check with your health care professional if any of the following side effects continue or are bothersome or if you have any questions about them:

More common

  • bleeding, blistering, burning, coldness, discoloration of the skin, feeling of pressure, hives, infection, inflammation, itching, lumps, numbness, pain, rash, redness, scarring, soreness, stinging, swelling, tenderness, tingling, ulceration, or warmth at the injection site

Less common

  • back pain
  • constipation
  • diarrhea
  • difficulty with moving
  • dry mouth
  • increased weight
  • lack or loss of strength
  • muscle pains, cramps, or stiffness
  • nausea
  • nightmares
  • pain and swelling in the joints
  • pain in the arms or legs
  • tearing of the skin
  • toothache
  • upper abdominal or stomach pain
  • vomiting

Incidence not known

  • sleepwalking

For healthcare professionals

Applies to paliperidone: intramuscular suspension extended release, oral tablet extended release.

General

EXTENDED RELEASE TABLETS: The most commonly reported side effects included sedation, extrapyramidal disorder, akathisia, and hyperkinesia.

1-MONTH EXTENDED-RELEASE INJECTABLE SUSPENSION: The most commonly reported side effects included akathisia, parkinsonism, insomnia, and headache.

3-MONTH EXTENDED-RELEASE INJECTABLE SUSPENSION: The most commonly reported side effects included increased weight, insomnia, and use of anticholinergic medications (for extrapyramidal symptoms).[Ref]

Nervous system

EXTENDED RELEASE TABLETS:

1-MONTH EXTENDED-RELEASE INJECTABLE SUSPENSION:

3-MONTH EXTENDED-RELEASE INJECTABLE SUSPENSION:

Extrapyramidal symptoms included oculogyric crisis, muscle rigidity, musculoskeletal stiffness, nuchal rigidity, torticollis, trismus, bradykinesia, cogwheel rigidity, dyskinesia, dystonia, extrapyramidal disorder, hypertonia, hypokinesia, involuntary muscle contractions, parkinsonism gait, parkinsonism, tremor, and restlessness. Somnolence includes the terms somnolence, sedation, and hypersomnia.

Based on pooled data from 6-week fixed dose studies, the following nervous system adverse events appear to be dose-related: akathisia, dystonia, extrapyramidal disorder, hypertonia, and parkinsonism. The increased incidence occurred primarily at the 12 mg dose, although in some cases, also the 9 mg dose.[Ref]

Metabolic

EXTENDED RELEASE TABLETS:

1-MONTH EXTENDED-RELEASE INJECTABLE SUSPENSION:

3-MONTH EXTENDED-RELEASE INJECTABLE SUSPENSION:

Rare (0.01% to 0.1%)K Diabetic ketoacidosis, hypoglycemia, polydipsia, thirst

Psychiatric

EXTENDED RELEASE TABLETS:

1-MONTH EXTENDED-RELEASE INJECTABLE SUSPENSION:

3-MONTH EXTENDED-RELEASE INJECTABLE SUSPENSION:

Cardiovascular

EXTENDED RELEASE TABLETS:

1-MONTH EXTENDED-RELEASE INJECTABLE SUSPENSION:

3-MONTH EXTENDED-RELEASE INJECTABLE SUSPENSION:

In a QT study evaluating the effect of immediate-release oral paliperidone 8 mg (n=50), a mean placebo-subtracted increase from baseline on day 8 at 1.5 hours postdose was 12.3 milliseconds (ms). The mean steady-state peak plasma concentration achieved with immediate-release paliperidone was determined to be more than twice the exposure expected with the recommended 12 mg dose. None of the subjects had a QTc interval exceeding 60 ms. According to the phase 3 safety database which included double-blind and open-label extension studies (n=2054), 2 patients experienced QTc interval prolongation greater than 500 ms.

In placebo controlled trials with oral paliperidone, orthostatic hypotension increased with increasing doses, primarily at the 12 mg per day dose.[Ref]

Other

EXTENDED RELEASE TABLETS:

1-MONTH EXTENDED-RELEASE INJECTABLE SUSPENSION:

3-MONTH EXTENDED-RELEASE INJECTABLE SUSPENSION:

Gastrointestinal

EXTENDED RELEASE TABLETS:

1-MONTH EXTENDED-RELEASE INJECTABLE SUSPENSION:

3-MONTH EXTENDED-RELEASE INJECTABLE SUSPENSION:

Local

1-MONTH EXTENDED-RELEASE INJECTABLE SUSPENSION:

Common (1% to 10%):

3-MONTH EXTENDED-RELEASE INJECTABLE SUSPENSION:

Redness and swelling were observed in 2% or less of patients receiving the 3-month IM extended-release suspension. Residual injection pain peaked 1 or 6 hours after injection and trended downward 3 days after the injection. Deltoid injections were numerically more painful than gluteal injections.[Ref]

Musculoskeletal

EXTENDED RELEASE TABLETS:

1-MONTH EXTENDED-RELEASE INJECTABLE SUSPENSION:

3-MONTH EXTENDED-RELEASE INJECTABLE SUSPENSION:

Respiratory

EXTENDED RELEASE TABLETS:

1-MONTH EXTENDED-RELEASE INJECTABLE SUSPENSION:

3-MONTH EXTENDED-RELEASE INJECTABLE SUSPENSION:

Genitourinary

EXTENDED RELEASE TABLETS:

1-MONTH EXTENDED-RELEASE INJECTABLE SUSPENSION:

3-MONTH EXTENDED-RELEASE INJECTABLE SUSPENSION:

Galactorrhea, amenorrhea, and impotence have been reported in patients receiving prolactin-elevating compounds.[Ref]

Dermatologic

EXTENDED RELEASE TABLETS:

1-MONTH EXTENDED-RELEASE INJECTABLE SUSPENSION:

3-MONTH EXTENDED-RELEASE INJECTABLE SUSPENSION:

Hepatic

EXTENDED RELEASE TABLETS:

1-MONTH EXTENDED-RELEASE INJECTABLE SUSPENSION:

3-MONTH EXTENDED-RELEASE INJECTABLE SUSPENSION:

Immunologic

EXTENDED RELEASE TABLETS:

1-MONTH EXTENDED-RELEASE INJECTABLE SUSPENSION:

3-MONTH EXTENDED-RELEASE INJECTABLE SUSPENSION:

Ocular

EXTENDED RELEASE TABLETS:

1-MONTH EXTENDED-RELEASE INJECTABLE SUSPENSION:

3-MONTH EXTENDED-RELEASE INJECTABLE SUSPENSION:

Endocrine

EXTENDED RELEASE TABLETS:

1-MONTH EXTENDED-RELEASE INJECTABLE SUSPENSION:

3-MONTH EXTENDED-RELEASE INJECTABLE SUSPENSION:

Paliperidone (the active ingredient contained in Invega Sustenna) has a prolactin-elevating effect similar to that seen with risperidone. Risperidone is associated with higher levels of prolactin elevation than other antipsychotic drugs.

Hyperprolactinemia may suppress hypothalamic gonadotropin-releasing hormone (GnRH), resulting in reduced pituitary gonadotropin secretion and in turn inhibit reproductive function by impairing gonadal steroidogenesis. Gynecomastia has been reported in patients receiving prolactin-elevating compounds.[Ref]

Hematologic

EXTENDED RELEASE TABLETS:

1-MONTH EXTENDED-RELEASE INJECTABLE SUSPENSION:

3-MONTH EXTENDED-RELEASE INJECTABLE SUSPENSION:

Hypersensitivity

EXTENDED RELEASE TABLETS:

1-MONTH EXTENDED-RELEASE INJECTABLE SUSPENSION:

3-MONTH EXTENDED-RELEASE INJECTABLE SUSPENSION:

There have been postmarketing reports of anaphylactic reaction in patients receiving long-acting injection who had previously tolerated oral risperidone or oral paliperidone (the active ingredient contained in Invega Sustenna) [Ref]

Renal

EXTENDED RELEASE TABLETS:

1-MONTH EXTENDED-RELEASE INJECTABLE SUSPENSION:

3-MONTH EXTENDED-RELEASE INJECTABLE SUSPENSION:

References

1. Cerner Multum, Inc. "UK Summary of Product Characteristics."

2. (2007) "Product Information. Invega (paliperidone)." Janssen Pharmaceuticals

3. Cerner Multum, Inc. "Australian Product Information."

4. (2014) "Product Information. Invega Sustenna (paliperidone)." Janssen Pharmaceuticals

5. (2015) "Product Information. Invega Trinza (paliperidone)." Janssen Pharmaceuticals

Frequently asked questions

Further information

Invega Sustenna side effects can vary depending on the individual. Always consult your healthcare provider to ensure the information displayed on this page applies to your personal circumstances.

Some side effects may not be reported. You may report them to the FDA.