Asenapine and Insomnia: What Users Say

• Car...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• May 15, 2015

Asenapine for Schizophrenia "I take Saphris 25 mg every day. I have bipolar/schizoaffective/OCD/PTSD. It has been 2 1/2 weeks and it is helping a ton! Negatives: kind of annoying to take but you'll get used to it. It is a tablet that you put under your tongue and wait for 10 minutes to eat or drink. It just came out with a black cherry taste which tastes like a little piece of candy. Other negatives are headaches, some insomnia, but then sometimes it will help a lot with sleep. I think the insomnia is due to my caffeine intake. So if you really want this medicine to work, don't use pop/coffee, big pupils. Positives: calmer, deeper and longer sleep, increased motivation, weight loss, decreased irritability, more stable mood, more creativity, can pay attention more, more creativity, and a clearer mind."

• Kat...
• September 16, 2015

Asenapine 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!"

• Mrs...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• March 26, 2016

Asenapine for Bipolar Disorder "Started on Saphris 2 months ago for sleep and bipolar. I started at 5 mg---total nightmare! Couldn't sleep, picked arguments with my husband, and was generally very hyped and energetic (in a good but bad way!). I never saw a manic episode coming at me--but I saw this one! After 5 days, I called the doctor and was advised to go up to 10 mg. WOW!! Immediate turnaround that night (I only take it at night), and my sleep was fantastic! My attitude was amazing, and my husband was delighted with his loving and easygoing wife! I felt great--not drugged, just happy and content. Work with it--it's turned my life around!"

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

Asenapine 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!"

• Box...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• October 25, 2012

Asenapine for Bipolar Disorder "I have been taking Saphris for 10 days. I went cold turkey off Seroquel 600 mg/day. I have had terrible insomnia. My psych said this should improve over the next few weeks, I hope so. I agreed that it tastes awful, and numbness under my tongue only lasts approximately half an hour. My mood improved the next day after my first 5 mg dose. I feel so happy and enthusiastic about life, which is amazing. The Seroquel fog has lifted, and I have lost 3.5 kg in 7 days (Seroquel munchies are gone)."

• Rey...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• April 9, 2013

Asenapine for Bipolar Disorder "Saphris is the best. 10/10. For those of you who had a bad experience starting out, I suggest trying it out again from a low dose. The key is to get the medicine in your system until it builds up in a few weeks. When all else failed, Saphris was the one that had saved my life and improved it like it has reversed the chemical imbalances associated with my bipolar. My mind and sense of attention have been brought back from the severe depression and mixed episode. And severe agitation. When I first started Saphris with 5 mg, it too gave me severe akathisia (restlessness). Thankfully, after finding out that my other medication, mirtazapine (Remeron), reduced restlessness, I can now sleep well after taking the Saphris with the Remeron without any insomnia."

• Fac...
• Taken for 6 months to 1 year
• December 17, 2012

Asenapine for Schizoaffective Disorder "This medicine is a miracle for me. I used to be on Zyprexa, I am also on Abilify, Trileptal, and Klonopin. On Saphris, I was able to diet and exercise and lost about 28 pounds. Occasionally, I have difficulty sleeping, but this medicine is the best I have come across. A long time ago, I used to be on Lithium. I have also responded well to Navane. I almost was in the hospital until I tried Klonopin. Anyone trying this medicine, in my opinion, should be careful because it is so new. I have read the product insert, and reactions with other medicines are not well studied. Currently, I am dieting and exercising, socializing, and just about normal. I do have periods where my mood swings are present along with a little paranoia."

• Edw...
• July 20, 2013

Asenapine for Schizophrenia "I'm 28 and was just diagnosed with schizophrenia about a month ago. I was given Saphris, this is my first antipsychotic medication, and it makes me immensely drowsy after 10 minutes. It slowed down the racing thoughts and negative ideas in my head in order to set aside my wants and needs and socially accept what is happening around me and what I need to do. The only downside so far is the intense drowsiness and that gnawing restless sleep feeling when I tried to go to sleep before my regular sleeping schedule. I can't remember falling asleep at all due to the tossing and turning. I do recommend taking it when you're 100% positive you're going to sleep and not a moment sooner. Woke up calm and well-rested. DAY 1."

• 831...
• November 30, 2016

Asenapine for Bipolar Disorder "I have been taking this med for years, and I feel trapped. I don't think it really does anything for me. The problem is that I tried to stop taking it, and I became completely useless, tired, irritable, and full of anxiety. Right now, I have not taken it for two days because I forgot it before I went out of town. I am tired, got insomnia, and I feel like I am hung over and nauseous. The withdrawals from taking this medication are awful. So, I think anyone that wants to start this med should seriously consider this when making a decision to ingest this. I am not the only one who has experienced this. There is a lot about withdrawing from this med on the net."

• Geo...
• May 8, 2010

Asenapine for Bipolar Disorder "Doctor warned me it tasted bad. Understatement. HORRIBLE! Numbs my mouth but is tolerable. Noticed a huge difference the next day. Mood is great, but I slept for 12 hours after first taking it. I'm sure my body will get used to it and that will stop happening. I'm supposed to take it twice a day but can't unless I want to sleep 24 hours a day. I expect to take it twice daily once my body adjusts. No other side effects except taste and sleep. Didn't have to use Lunesta for the first time in months."

• D J...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• June 2, 2016

Asenapine for Bipolar Disorder "Used it for six weeks. Cluster headaches, not able to sleep. Foggy all day from lack of sleep. Mind raced 1,000 miles per hour. BM several times a day. Muscle cramps in feet. Dosage 5 mg to start, 2 days 10 mg, 2 days 15 mg on day 5 at night. This went on for 6 weeks, doctor saying it would get better. It didn't. Finally stopped and went back to Depakote. I can live with the small tremors. Back to being able to sleep, no headache."

• Att...
• August 9, 2010

Asenapine "I have been on this medicine for almost 2 months now. It has helped a little with anxiety but not as much as Clonazepam. I am now on 15 mg of Saphris, 5 mg in the morning and 10 mg at night. It messes with my sleep, with agitation to the point where sometimes it hurts. It is also very expensive for someone without insurance of some kind. Also, a trick I used for the horrible taste is Crystal Light powder by sprinkling it on my tongue when I take the medicine."

• Big...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• December 2, 2021

Asenapine for Schizophrenia "It worked wonders for reducing my hallucinations and disorganized speech. However, I have barely slept after I started taking this medication. Small price to pay for peace of mind. And it's much cheaper than my previous medication being on the PBS."

• Sim...
• Taken for 6 months to 1 year
• December 13, 2015

For Post Traumatic Stress Disorder "Was great at first, but then noticed I slowly started developing anhedonia, severe memory and higher cognitive function issues. The real nightmare was trying to discontinue this drug. It's literally worse than hell, the anxiety is extreme, you're in a constant state of intense panic, it feels like you're going to die. Then the intractable insomnia hits you. Seriously, don't take this drug or any other neuroleptics for that matter."

• Sea...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• August 22, 2019

For Schizophrenia "After 30 years of insomnia, was prescribed asenapine and got the two most amazing nights ever of sleep!! Took it the third night and could not sleep at all. Stopped taking it immediately, but still did not sleep for a further 4 nights. The prescribing psychiatrist wasn't believing it, so I went to the hospital emergency (for the first time in my life) to get some help/answers. In the end, they found online that it can cause insomnia and I went home. Unbelievable, the psych convinced me it can't have happened, so I tried it one more time. It fried my brain, and I've felt cognitively damaged ever since."

• sti...
• November 28, 2013

Asenapine for Schizoaffective Disorder "I took Saphris for the first time recently. First, I was sad, then couldn't sleep, then paranoid and went into psychosis. Was told it wasn't very sedating. Much prefer Seroquel!"

• Jam...
• June 8, 2017

Asenapine for Bipolar Disorder "I gained 50 pounds in the first 2 months of taking it. Didn't work at all. Still had insomnia."

• Tra...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• June 23, 2013

For Bipolar Disorder "It was a miracle pill for 2 weeks, I felt completely normal for the first time in 15 years. After 2 weeks, I began to have neck stiffness, insomnia, suicidal thoughts, and became very manic."