Iloperidone for Bipolar Disorder User Reviews

• Anonymous
• February 5, 2012

Iloperidone "Fanapt was the third medication I tried to treat mood swings associated with bipolar disorder. It has worked wonders for me! It decreased my emotional reactivity so that I am able to perform well at work. I have less anxiety, and my hypomanic episodes are not only fewer, but also less intense. I really wish that it was less expensive, though. My insurance will not cover it, and even if it did, it is so expensive that it would consume more than half of my annual benefit allotment. I hope I can find a way to continue taking it. It has made such a difference for me."

• bud...
• December 12, 2014

Iloperidone "At first, I thought it was helpful because I want to remain open and optimistic. I do think the medication helped with some anxiety. The side effects for me were so negative. It became very clear once off the Fanapt how the side effects were adversely impacting me. I had severe joint and muscle pain as a result of taking Fanapt. I can deal with a little anxiety. My other medications take care of that: Lamictal and Topamax. Fanapt side effects outweigh the benefits for me. Yoga and breathing exercises and mindful meditation. Also, the restlessness and dry nasal passageways, and feeling that I had to constantly move and shuffle my feet, as well as the long-term possible tardive dyskinesia."

• nic...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• May 29, 2016

"Fanapt is my fourth medication since September when I was finally diagnosed with Bipolar 2. Abilify, Latuda, and Geodon made me feel like I wanted to come out of my skin. I was misdiagnosed for years. But this medication, in addition to my treatment plan, has completely changed my life. It did make me quite edgy at first, and I still felt 'unstable', so my doctor added lithium last week to my Paxil, Lamictal, and Fanapt. I am feeling better than I have ever felt. I feel truly alive for the first time in my life. I go to counseling every week, and I haven't missed one appointment since I started in September. So I'm doing my part as well. Thank God for therapy and medication!"

• Gus...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• February 27, 2016

"Bipolar depression diagnosed and have tried Abilify, Geodon, Risperdal. All made me uneasy inside. Like I couldn't stop moving or like I needed to because my mind kept telling me to. I just couldn't sit still, watch TV, or worst part, I couldn't sit through Sunday Mass. Doctor put me on 2 mg of Fanapt, and it's like I should've been on it all along. I can do all the stuff I want to do and not slip so deep into a depression. Also, he gave me a voucher that pays $200.00 per prescription, so my copay is exactly $4.65. It's also good for a whole year. I was paying $50 on all the other stuff."

• Anonymous
• November 9, 2011

"I have Bipolar I disorder and have been on Seroquel, Geodon, and now Fanapt. It has worked wonders for me, and the only side effect I have is a stuffy nose. Life is brighter, stable, and I can laugh now. You will pry Fanapt out of my cold, dead hands!"

• Joh...
• April 10, 2015

"The Fanapt has eased my mood swings considerably, but alone it wasn't enough. Since I am such a rapid cycler, Topamax was added as well, and I feel that without these medications, I would more than likely have been turned into an incoherent, babbling idiot by the pharmaceutical list I was on before."

• Anonymous
• Taken for 6 months to 1 year
• January 10, 2015

"I am on a small dose of this to help me with anxiety that Brintellix doesn't alleviate. Only a 0.5 mg dose, but it does the trick. Insurance covers it, but I still need to pay about $150 out of pocket each month. I wish it wasn't so expensive."

• Ang...
• Taken for 2 to 5 years
• November 4, 2020

"This drug, iloperidone, changed my life. At the time when I was started on it, I was battling bipolar-induced suicidal ideation every waking minute. I felt my life was over. This drug brought me out of that unbearable state, and I am forever grateful!"

• acr...
• Taken for 6 months to 1 year
• December 5, 2013

"I'm a 22-year-old guy who went on Fanapt about 8 months ago for bipolar disorder. I'm pretty sure it helped me function in college again, calmed me down, stabilized my mood. The one problem was it demolished most of my sexual functioning: I completely lost the ability to ejaculate, could rarely get and keep an erection, and had significantly less sex drive. I have been talking to my psychiatrist about going off Fanapt soon because I don't think it is worth the sexual side effects."

• tpd...
• April 1, 2014

"I began taking Fanapt back in December of 2013 as recommended by a psychiatrist when in the psych ward getting my anti-psychotic med readjusted. It works well. I won't say great because I have not had any more problems since taking it. I have a couple of side effects that are listed, but would get them anyway either due to my brain injury or other medications that I take."

• Dar...
• Taken for 1 to 2 years
• July 13, 2024

"I have suffered with BP I my entire life but wasn’t diagnosed until 5 years ago. Until I found Fanapt, I had awful experiences with other medications. I took a med that lowered my WBC to a deficit that was dangerous and switched. I had severe weight gain (35 lbs) and grogginess with another. I tried Vraylar and I began having twitching in my face and in my hands. This brought me to a breaking point. Most of the meds had some positive effects but were so overpowered by the enormous life-changing side effects. After this, I changed to Rexulti, but the twitching did not stop. I feared it was irreversible and would be with me for the rest of my life. About three weeks after switching to Fanapt, the twitching ceased! My doc said he has seen this with other patients as well. My weight returned to normal and I began to have a feeling I had never experienced before; calmness. I am so grateful for this medicine. It has truly changed my life."

• Nat...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• June 6, 2024

"My doctor switched me to this new med because I had tried three others and had horrible side effects with all of them. Vraylar, Risperidone, and Lamictal. I had really bad restlessness and gained weight with all of them. I was getting scared I wasn’t going to find one to help. I have been on this new one for two months and it’s the most even I’ve ever been. I had a fast heartbeat at first but it went away. I take 6mg twice a day."