Asenapine and Increased Appetite: What Users Say

• Nev...
• Taken for 5 to 10 years
• September 4, 2019

For Schizophrenia "After being non-responsive to all antipsychotics, I was given Saphris at 27. My life was very hard up until this point. Saphris has given me a life free of all mental illness. I have absolutely nothing wrong with me now. I run my own business and was previously on a disability pension and couldn’t work. Eight years on and I have never been sick. Only downside is I get restless for a few hours at night when I take it and get sugar cravings and can’t sleep until I eat sugar, also this affects my weight. I’m quite hungry on Saphris and gain weight very easily, which bothers me, but it’s given me a normal life, so I have to deal with it."

• pea...
• April 10, 2013

For Bipolar Disorder "I just replaced my 75mg nightly Seroquel with 5mg (will probably go to 10) of Saphris. I was very scared to change. I am a successful and happy trauma nurse, mom, partner, etc., even though I do struggle with bipolar disorder and anxiety. My life has been going REALLY well for several years with low doses of Seroquel, Zoloft, and Lamictal, so when my annual spring crazies kind of snuck up on me worse than normal, I was very hesitant to rock the boat. So far this compares VERY FAVORABLY with my Seroquel. I am sleeping well, and the morning fog is getting better as my body adjusts. My thinking is clearer and quieter WITHOUT feeling dumb or sad. And I don't seem to be quite as ravenously hungry as on Seroquel. Hope it lasts!"

• Kat...
• September 16, 2015

For Bipolar Disorder "I do not deal with fits of rage anymore, nor do I go to extreme lows of sadness and the world is ending. Side effects I had were initially insomnia, grogginess after taking the medication, and a little bit more hungry. I eat a well-balanced diet with lots of vegetables, some fruit, high protein, and I notice having a snack before taking it helps with hunger pains. I make sure to get regular low-impact exercise such as walking. I am now able to be a better mother, keep my jobs, and feel much, much, much better mentally. Give it a try at least a month. It has been 3 weeks, and I do not have insomnia at night anymore and have dropped 14 pounds. Stay positive, don't let side effects get you down!"

• Alm...
• Taken for 1 to 2 years
• December 8, 2013

For Schizophrenia "I was put on Saphris after being on Clozaril for 13 years. My schizophrenia is completely controlled on this medicine. However, it is much less sedating than Clozaril, and sleep is sometimes a challenge. It also seems to not increase my appetite-the first of its kind! For a while, it was also prolonging the QT wave of my heart, but that seems to have leveled off. But I do have one major complaint. It sometimes makes me forget how to pronounce words. I guess this is similar to an effect of Topamax. All things said, it's good to be almost normal."

• Kri...
• Taken for 6 months to 1 year
• August 17, 2013

For Bipolar Disorder "I am currently taking 1/4 of a 5 mg tablet (but started out on a 1/2 tablet) of Saphris at night. I am also on Lexapro, 10 mg for depression and anxiety. The combo works great. I have horrible insomnia/waking in the night on just Lexapro (or other SSRIs I've tried), but with Saphris I sleep great and wake up refreshed! Only downside is that I've put on 10-15 pounds in the last 6 months, but not sure if it is due to Lexapro or Saphris or both. I eat very healthy (just too much) and exercise regularly... but find myself always feeling hungry. Oh well... at least I'm happy!"

• Jus...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• October 20, 2015

For Bipolar Disorder "I like Saphris but have experienced the nasty side effect of weight gain. I had tried four other antipsychotics, and all of them made me put on weight without relieving me of my bipolar symptoms. I am staying on Saphris because for the first time I feel normal. No more high highs or low lows. However, the increased appetite drives me nuts. I literally obsess about food all day. I recently cut out all processed sugar to see if this helps. If anyone has any advice, I'd love to hear it."

• jcl...
• February 2, 2011

For Schizoaffective Disorder "This medicine is fantastic. I have been on almost all the medicines available for my disorder, and I was previously on Fanapt, which caused me to gain 15 pounds, and I think I might have gained a little with Saphris as it made me really hungry about half an hour after I took it for the first two weeks. But now that has tapered off, and I find myself having to remind myself to eat. The only thing I don't like about it is the taste, but I take it with a sweet tart (candy) on my tongue as it is dissolving under my tongue, and it's not too bad. I get a good night's sleep on it as well, and I don't feel the 'hangover' effect that most psychiatric medications can give you. I'm up and ready to go!"

• Anonymous
• Taken for 6 months to 1 year
• October 25, 2012

For Bipolar Disorder "I responded well to this medicine, but I gained 50 pounds and was tortured by unending hunger. Eventually, I had to get off of it, and that wasn't easy. It took about a month to get over the withdrawal symptoms."

• MYA...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• May 27, 2013

For Bipolar Disorder "I have had some success in using Saphris, however, the side effects are somewhat mixed. I don't like feeling groggy or fussy the morning after taking the medicine. I also don't like having short-term memory loss. I like the stabilizing mental moods and the reduced depression and manic episodes. The medicine numbs my tongue and makes me hungry all the time, so I am hoping after time this stops. I have been taking this medication since May, 20mg."

• oce...
• September 6, 2011

For Bipolar Disorder "I am coming off Seroquel XR because of a 20-pound weight gain in 3 months. Now starting Saphris 5 mg, now on 10 mg, then going to 20 mg. I have tried all kinds of medicines to stop cycling and stop my depression. I never thought I would get out of the hole I was in until now. I have more energy, sleep great, and wake up wide awake, ready to go. Hate the taste. Do have more of an appetite, so since I'm eating, the weight should come off because before I was not eating at all. I pray this keeps working awesome."

• Ang...
• January 8, 2016

For Bipolar Disorder "This was my second time trying Saphris. Throughout my first experience, it worked great for my severe depression, but caused me to gain 20 pounds in a very short time frame. This increase in weight wasn't acceptable, as I battle with bulimia as well. The second time around, a few years later, I had high hopes for this medication, as it had virtually wiped out my depression while on it in the past, and I was taking the precautionary measure of adding Effexor to my medication regimen to help counteract the side effect of increased hunger and weight gain. The Effexor did help with decreasing my appetite; however, the antidepressant effect was not nearly as strong for some reason. It may have even worsened my depressive symptoms."

• Mar...
• Taken for 2 to 5 years
• November 7, 2020

For Schizophrenia "Saphris couldn't be more perfect in getting rid of the psychosis, but it makes me so hungry for unhealthy food. It makes me put on so much weight, and it makes me go to sleep right away, which is fine. I can still get up early in the morning. Also, I have another side effect that is my tongue moves against my inner mouth, which is tardive dyskinesia. It would be the perfect medication if it wasn't for the increased hunger, weight gain, and tardive dyskinesia."

• Ros...
• August 9, 2020

For Schizophrenia "I've been on Saphris 10 mg for about a month now, I was put on it in the hospital. I have been on almost all of the atypical antipsychotics and one first generation. All have either not worked well enough or caused horrible side effects, so I had to stop. Saphris works pretty well, some days are even symptom-free, which is a definite improvement from before. Works good for my hallucinations, the delusions are easier to distinguish, but I am still working on my reality testing. Taste is fine, it's not as bad as everyone makes it out to be. As far as side effects go, they are more tame than most of the antipsychotics I've been on. I haven't noticed any increased hunger or any excessive tiredness or fatigue. The only thing is not a specific problem with Saphris, just a problem with antipsychotics in general, is my mood is brought down. My illness doesn't come with depression, but when I am medicated, I feel an effect on my mood. This one brings down my mood quite a bit, but it is manageable."

• Ash...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• February 27, 2022

For Bipolar Disorder "I've been on Saphris for about a month (5 mg twice a day) and a half now, and I'd say it's going well. I always have issues remembering to take it, but I'm getting better with it. I have bipolar disorder (freshly re-diagnosed!) and psychosis, and I've realized my manic and depressive episodes aren't as bad, and I'm not as paranoid, and I can think way clearer. Only downsides I've noticed are I'm a bit hungrier, but not as hungry as I have been on other antipsychotics. It makes me pretty tired, but if I sleep it off, I feel well-rested when I wake up. My mouth gets a little numb after, but that goes away after 15-30 minutes. Also, it tastes pretty bad, but you get used to it. Other than that, zero complaints!"

• bip...
• December 19, 2015

For Bipolar Disorder "I was diagnosed with Bipolar II (with very few manifestations of depression), so mostly problems with mania. I started on 5 mg at night for a week, then went up to morning and night doses of 5 mg. I did that for 2 days, as the daytime doses made me feel restless, uncomfortable, edgy, weird, and sedated. I couldn't stand it and would count down the time before it would wear off. Then I tried taking 10 mg at night, but then I couldn't sleep. I would wake up exhausted for the 4th time in a night. Went back to just 5 mg at night, and this had little to no effect. I worried about weight gain, but I lost weight-helped that I was extra cautious about what I ate. If 'increased appetite' is listed, I take extra measures with exercise and diet to stay healthy."

• she...
• June 3, 2011

For Bipolar Disorder "I've been taking Saphris for four days now, and I'm not sure what I think yet. I'm still having major anxiety at night, and it's not helping that much at all. Also, I feel sedated when I take it in the morning, so it's difficult to care for my two-year-old. Hopefully, this will wear off as my body adjusts to the medication. I have been eating more, which I'm not happy about, since I just lost a lot of weight. I wish my doctor would put me on something for the anxiety, then maybe it wouldn't be so bad."

• Jaq...
• August 21, 2011

For Bipolar Disorder "This medication has really helped me a lot! I feel energetic, happy, and my mind is clearer, along with no more memory loss! It was rough the first day, though. I felt drugged, restless, and couldn't keep my eyes open. Now I'm on day 3, and the restlessness still remains along with hunger pangs and slight agitation, but overall, I'm pleased with Saphris."

• lip...
• May 11, 2011

For Bipolar Disorder "I've been on this medication for about two weeks. 5 mg in the morning and at night. I also take Topamax 125 mg twice a day. Remeron, 30 mg at night. Klonopin 0.5 twice a day as needed. I feel the Saphris calms me down, but after my nightly dose, I get the hunger pains very badly, and I eat and eat. This is not good for me. In the morning, it is very hard to wake up, and my sleep is not very deep. I was on Seroquel in the past, a small dose at night, and my hunger was not this bad, and my sleep was better. I hope being on Seroquel will work again."

• Nei...
• Taken for 1 to 2 years
• September 19, 2024

"Secuado Asenapine patches have really helped me with my bipolar I disorder and borderline personality disorder. I took the Asenapine sublingual tablets for a year, but I hated the taste and food/water waiting period. I also noticed the pills would wear off quickly, and I'd be left feeling suicidal by the end of my shift at work. The Secuado patches are a much smoother and more constant release of the Asenapine. Another thing is, I don't get as hungry with the patches as I did right after taking a dose of the sublinguals, possibly due to the patch being a more gradual release than the tablets. I don't know what I'd do without this medication! It's pricey, but my state SMI program was able to cover it! If you can get on these patches, I'd highly recommend doing so. They have improved my quality of life."

• Moe...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• September 30, 2019

For Bipolar Disorder "Just started this... helps me sleep... deep sleep. Increases appetite and more balanced mood. It's a tool in your toolbox."

• mcb...
• Taken for 6 months to 1 year
• March 10, 2022

For Bipolar Disorder "It makes you want to eat like a monster, but it has changed my life. It works so well for sleep, and I have never been more mentally stable in my life."