Paliperidone for Schizophrenia User Reviews (Page 2)

• JoD...
• October 15, 2016

"This drug saved my son's life. He failed to respond to any other drug and lost two years of his life in mental facilities. He was put on Invega Sustenna and within 2 weeks was changed. Within 3 months he was almost asymptomatic. Over the next 4 years he earned a degree in computer science with a 4.0 GPA and within 1 unit of a Masters with a very high GPA and accepted into a PhD Program. The insurance company forced us off the depot sustenna injections onto pills. Within 8 weeks he was fully psychotic and in a lockdown facility. The injectable form is a miracle drug! It should be a crime to allow an insurance company trying to save a few dollars more to destroy someone's life as they have. Write to Janssen, Write to your congressman!"

• Deb...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• July 25, 2020

"Taking Invega makes me spaced out and weird. Spend most of my time lying in bed. Feel miserable. Wish I don’t have to take the medicine. But my sister is supervising to make sure I take the medicine. What should I do? Feel good when I am not taking any psychotic medicine."

• Anonymous
• August 11, 2018

"This drug ruined me. I was fine before after they forced me to take it. I've been unable to write music since, which was what I had a passion for. This drug has made me depressed and given me anxiety, which I was never experiencing before the drug. Beware of this drug, it helps some and can ruin others."

• Yes...
• March 11, 2019

"This medicine is horrible. Every time I take it, I am unable to work out. I can't even run a mile, I am so weak. I get restless leg syndrome, fatigue, weight gain, and blurred vision. I'm done taking medicine, sick of it."

• Poo...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• May 3, 2020

"I was taking Clozaril for about 24 years. My doctor stopped my medicine and didn’t taper down. Instant stop. He then overdosed me on 256 mg of the shot. I had young emotions. No thought left. Couldn’t remember how to turn the key in my car. My legs started going up and down, face twitches. Forgot how to cook. Just could sit there and not move. My head started shaking. I stopped this drug, but my mind never came back. I’m slowly losing love and emotion for life. If you love somebody, don’t ever let them take Invega. It is the worst drug on the market."

• div...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• November 2, 2019

"Bad drug, it increases prolactin levels by a lot. In fact, this drug ranks among the highest drugs that increase serum prolactin levels, and a massive increase in prolactin levels reduces your testosterone by a handful. Don't expect to have a baby while on this medication. Don't expect an erection. Don't even bother with sex drive, that's for losers anyway. A massive decrease in libido. In short, this drug, among a few other antipsychotics, will leave you feeling like a mix between a two-year-old boy and a two-year-old girl."

• PRO...
• March 11, 2016

"These drugs are dangerous. They ruined my life and made my illness much worse. The doctors do not believe me as they think I'm an inferior life form. Symptoms include tooth decay, lack of motivation, extreme weight gain, heart pains, and reduced level of consciousness. They also made me extremely delusional to the point I didn't even believe anymore."

• inv...
• August 7, 2016

"This medication completely ruined my life. I gained 15 kg over six months on this injection, whereas before I was fit. I grew man boobs on this medication. I have no libido and complete sexual dysfunction. This medication gives you terrible anhedonia. I was forced to take Invega Sustenna after some stupid psychiatrist diagnosed me with 'psychosis.' I had no symptoms of psychosis."

• Lew...
• December 22, 2019

"I now have a deadly and nontreatable heart condition called a Left Anterior Fascicular Block (LAFB) due to overprescribed high doses of Invega and not being diagnosed 3 years in a row with hyperlipidemia (high cholesterol and extremely high triglycerides) and hyperprolactinemia (abnormal hormones causing loss of erection and sperm production) and 'reduced function' stage 2 kidney damage, as well as 65 lbs weight gain, none of which was diagnosed or referred to a PCP for treatment. Now I am without a treatment plan, and my fate is sealed. Bad drug period."

• Anonymous
• Taken for 6 months to 1 year
• December 14, 2018

"I started taking this medication as a monthly injection for hearing voices/paranoia, and I took it for about 6 months. It made me gain 40 lbs, I lost all sex drive, my mind became foggy, and I felt mentally slower. I also got severe anhedonia and became unable to feel the effects of alcohol and cigarettes. I don't recommend this medication to anyone. I've been off it for 4 months and am still dealing with the side effects of this medication. I will say that it did reduce the voices significantly, but only because it's such a powerful mind-numbing drug. I would advise trying something else if you really need a medication. Basically, a chemical lobotomy."

• Oni...
• Taken for 5 to 10 years
• April 20, 2020

"I have been trying for 7 years to get off the monthly Invega shot because the side effects make me feel like I’m in a nightmare. I’ve gained 80 pounds, trouble getting to sleep and staying asleep, no sex drive so no point to having a girlfriend, I feel down all the time, have wet stools, heartburn constantly, frequent headaches, and I could go on. If you have a loved one on this drug, ask them to be honest about the constant suicidal thoughts."

• Gai...
• Taken for 2 to 5 years
• September 26, 2020

"I personally don't like this medication at all. It is simply impossible to stay lean and fit while taking it. Does it manage your symptoms of bipolar/schizophrenia/schizoaffective disorder? Yes. But myself and I believe many other people get to a point where they want to move on with their life after years of mental clarity. This drug will prevent that and prevent you from living a healthy lifestyle. It's been proven to elevate blood lipids to unhealthy levels and, in some cases, cause heart dysrhythmia. It's a good medication to stabilize patients with the mental illnesses listed above, but I truly believe this medication should not be prescribed long-term, especially if the individual prescribed it has managed their symptoms for multiple years."

• Lea...
• Taken for 5 to 10 years
• June 12, 2018

"I have been taking Invega prolonged release tablets for 8 years. I was diagnosed with schizophrenia and put on 3 mg, and it took a little while for the delusions to end. I then fell into deep depression. I couldn't stand my head the way it was. This drug blocked all my mind wandering that I loved so much. I was given a 6-week course of ECT and put on 75 mg doxepin antidepressant and Invega upped to 6 mg. When the dose was increased to 6 mg, I had heart palpitations and couldn't sit still in a chair from stiff joints and was constantly falling asleep. My psych blamed Invega, lowered my dose to 3 mg, and increased my doxepin to 150 mg. I was still robotic in thought and movement, but I could lead a productive life. My head did feel very dry, and I was in survival mode, though. I started having 2000 mg fish oil capsules a day, and my thoughts became fluid, and so did my joints and movement. It's not a cure, but I would recommend fish oil capsules to people with psychotic illness taking these meds."

• kan...
• March 7, 2021

"Invega Sustenna nearly ruined my life. If I had given myself the choice between a life without the capacity to feel or be present while the rest of the world ignored my problem, or manage myself holistically with smaller challenges, I would have chosen the latter. Also note that breast milk develops in most patients, and it took nearly a year of removing the drug/pharmaceutical from my system to put an end to that nightmare. Choose what you put into your body wisely."

• Yus...
• December 22, 2019

"Gained 40 lbs in two weeks right after taking it. Made me pale (I'm olive complexion). Made anxiety horrible for a few months (could not stop moving around). Messed up sleeping habits for a few months. Stopped my periods for three months in a row. Never had problems with any of these things before taking. Been off for ten months now, just now getting back to close to normal."

• Mim...
• Taken for 2 to 5 years
• May 28, 2018

"Horrible side effects! Caused facial hair, missed periods, swollen tender breasts, I would produce breast milk though I was not pregnant, severe uncontrolled muscle jerks, spasms, changed color of pubic hairs. After a year, I still had involuntary movements and spasms. My neighbors assumed I had Parkinson's disease."

• Gre...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• May 13, 2019

"I was injected twice with Invega Sustenna. I had no sex drive, no emotion, no pleasure for the first three weeks. I was miserable, and it lasted 8 to 9 months off the drug. I wouldn't recommend this drug to anybody. I am on Abilify Maintena now, and I am feeling much better. 0/10 Invega Sustenna."

• Dar...
• Taken for 5 to 10 years
• February 24, 2021

"Miserable all the time on these Invega injections from several side effects. I'm mentally blank like poverty in thoughts. I'll sit around a lot staring at TV while mindless. I have no emotions except anxiety and akathisia, which is chronic restlessness. I take Inderal blood pressure medication to treat akathisia. Feel like an emotionless robot going through the motions and barely alive. Poor memory, focus, learning, and concentration. Feel physically numb. Gained 40 pounds. No sex drive and no libido. No interest and motivation to do anything."

• pel...
• July 15, 2015

"I was on Risperdal for 3 years. I switched to Invega just over a month ago and am already losing a good deal of weight. I do sometimes get restless, but I accept this as the price for not sleeping 17 hours a day on Risperdal. My appetite is normal, and I don't eat huge portions anymore. My energy is up, and I can actually feel emotions fully again for the first time in a long, long time. Would recommend giving this a try to anyone - just remember some people get different side effects. For me, this also took away sexual side effects that were limiting my relationships."

• Ros...
• May 2, 2019

"I have been on Invega for 7 months. I have noticed many side effects like muscle stiffness, agitation, involuntary movements, horrific nightmares, headaches, and I have gained about 40 pounds in that time while continuing to exercise and eat healthily. I was on 9 mg for about 3 months and then was lowered to 3 mg. It did stop my severe psychosis when initially prescribed, so for that, I am very grateful. I am now weaning off the medication to hopefully improve my quality of life. Would not recommend unless absolutely necessary."

• Inv...
• February 28, 2018

"Warning: this shot will destroy your life. I only had 1 shot, the 234 mg. I dropped out of school, became depressed. It's been 3 years, and I still suffer from absence of emotion. It doesn't sound like much, but trust me, life becomes empty without emotions. In some cultures, hallucinations are a sign from beyond. People that can hear or see things will often become shamans, medicine men, or healers. I highly recommend meditation and/or seeing someone that is an energy healer."

• sae...
• May 7, 2019

"I've been on this drug/medicine for about two years, and it has caused a lot of problems in my life. It barely helped with the auditory hallucinations such as the voices and paranoia. I feel like a zombie all the time, really tired, drained of energy, and like my brain is slowed down. I've had little to no sex drive (sexual dysfunction) and have no pleasure from sex. Within the first couple of weeks of getting the injection of Invega Sustenna every month, I get muscle stiffness in my neck, arms, and hands. I feel like I can't breathe, along with a rapid heartbeat and a fever. I become confused, unable to function, dizzy, and lightheaded. This happens two to three times a month within a few weeks after getting the injection. I believe it might be because of NMS (neuroleptic malignant syndrome), which is a rare side effect of the drug/medicine that might cause death. This is a horrible drug/medicine for me. I'm going to try a different medicine from a different doctor and hope for the best."

• Ano...
• February 1, 2008

"This drug works great for the treatment of schizophrenia. It has made me feel a ton better, and its benefits far outweigh the few side effects. Be sure to take exactly when you are supposed to and not try to catch up on a dose. I did this and had to go to the hospital for treatment of muscle rigidity and uncontrollable muscle spasms, but as I said it has only happened once and happened when I missed a dose and tried to double up. So this is a great medicine, but take as prescribed only."

• Str...
• Taken for 6 months to 1 year
• November 5, 2018

"Invega Sustenna was a horrible experience for me. This medication caused me to gain 20-30 pounds. It stopped my monthly cycles. I was also not able to experience sexual pleasure. This medication ruins lives."

• Jac...
• Taken for 1 to 2 years
• September 14, 2017

"Okay, let me get started. Every social worker, psychologist, and mental health doctor shouldn't prescribe this drug to anyone. It is harmful in so many ways. I took it for 1-2 years because they said I had bad schizophrenia. I did not have bad anything except a drug issue, which they already knew as they had tested my urine, but they didn't take that into consideration. If you take this drug, you will sleep away your life. You will lose your train of thought every 5 sentences. You will probably have a 75% chance of losing your job in a fast-paced environment. When you take this drug, you will lose muscles, goals, and cause you to get depressed."