Invega Sustenna for Schizoaffective Disorder User Reviews (Page 2)

• Joj...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• July 31, 2021

"This medication gave me a chemical lobotomy. Turned me into a zombie for 3 months, and after I recovered from going cold turkey, I got crippling anhedonia permanently from it. I consistently contemplate suicide now. Thanks for nothing..."

• Ken...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• August 29, 2023

"I am Kenny. I have schizoaffective bipolar type, and I am a 26-year-old male. When I first started this drug 4 months ago, I was 360 lbs. Now, I am 300 lbs, so I lost 60 lbs (due to not being depressed and working out). I haven't noticed any bad side effects of this drug. My mood is cheerful, my sex drive is what it should be at my age, and I don't have ED. It's very hard, on this drug, to slip into psychosis for me. It keeps me grounded. I'm absolutely afraid of what my life would be like without it."

• Pix...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• January 17, 2015

"Wow, this is like a miracle for me. More free space in my head than ever before, easy to think straight, increased motivation to look after myself, no paranoia. Overall, I have found this fantastic. Was on Seroquel and have lost a few kgs already since swapping to Invega! Yay."

• Iam...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• August 3, 2020

"I have MDD with psychotic features, and I've been on this med, Invega Sustenna, for 4 months. I've gained a lot of weight, feel numb, feel dumb, feel like my life is now one big act, like I'm a puppet that doesn't really have any emotions because I don't feel good or bad, and I just act and do what I feel should be the norm although I don't feel anything. Hope that makes sense... I don't always feel that way, sometimes I feel my normal positive self, but for the most part, that is the case. It has stopped hallucinations, visual/auditory and tactile. I don't know how to make an informed decision on this med :/ I'm 50/50."

• Nim...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• June 10, 2019

"I had to take Invega Sustenna after running away from being treated 5 times. It helps eliminate the delusions and voices. I love it as it does not make me believe that the king's son is in love with me, or Adam Sandler is talking to me through every thought with another person in my head and sharing tips for his movies while looking at an image. But I hate the fact that it has a weight gain effect that has muscle constraints. Feeling happy through space is barely not there... natural life is much better... and keeping all the craziness of schizophrenia is way more interesting than waking up."

• Nic...
• December 17, 2016

"I have been on this medication over a year now, and it has done wonderful things for me. Before I was on it, I had my first episode and was in and out of the hospital 4 times in 5 months, trying different medications and being unstable. Now I'm going back to school, and I have no symptoms. Side effects are minimal: a little tired the day or two after the shot, and I've gained 15 pounds or so-not too bad. This medication gave me my life back. I just hope my new insurance will cover it."

• Inv...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• March 25, 2022

"Yeah, it controlled my hallucinations, but at what cost? This drug should not be prescribed to anyone, especially young males. Literal chemical castration. Invega robbed me of my erections, sex drive, and sperm. When I ejaculate, nothing comes out. High prolactin and low T levels. My memory is awful, with no pleasure in doing anything at all. Restlessness, brain fog, no thoughts or emotions. This injection will leave you bedridden. Literally, all I do is lay down and hope for the day to pass by fast nowadays. My depression got a lot worse on this drug. Stay far away."

• Mil...
• January 7, 2017

"Took just one 156 mg a month ago (33 days). I was given this by force to control my irritability. I was misdiagnosed as my irritation is caused by a physical condition that I kept mentioning to the doctors who did not listen and said I had mood swings. Unable to get sore from workouts. Have lost muscle tone. Loss of strength and stamina. Constant sore throat and thirst. 0 sexual interest and completely impotent. Heavy increase in urination. Have occasional feeling of a tight band around my head after slight arousal. Rarely some left abdominal pain. Blood AST and ALT levels increased by 30 points. I have noticed my 15-inch arms shrink to 13 inches in just a month. I cannot exercise or pick up weights at all. I am not getting even slightly sore from intense work."

• Anonymous
• Taken for 1 to 2 years
• April 9, 2022

"I was on Invega for almost 2 years. The drug worked, it did what it was supposed to do. I was leading a good life, and my relationship was great for about 2 months. Then the symptoms came, and it was the one symptom a man did not want of all of them. Erectile dysfunction is really a problem for a guy in his late 20s. My girlfriend left me because she thought I was no longer attracted to her. I went without an erection for 18 months and decided to get off the Invega shot, and for about another 6 months I was unable to get an erection still, and I have never been the same since. I've been prescribed 150mg Viagra, Cialis, and Levitra, none of them worked for me. I took 2 of the Viagra and nothing. My condition has now gotten worse, and I've become extremely aggressive and irritable since getting off this drug. The worst thing that ever happened to me. I feel we should all file a class action lawsuit for this particular symptom and the damage it has caused to our brains and bodies."

• BIb...
• December 17, 2015

"Would be an absolutely perfect drug without the side effects. Constant tiredness and dizziness make it almost impossible to work. It definitely has high effects on motor skills and sexual ability. But hallucinations and delusions are gone. No more voices and paranoid thoughts after only a month. It's a good drug if you want to sleep all day."

• Ble...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• October 12, 2021

"Wow, where do I even begin with this horrible drug? About 3 days after I received my injection, I started to experience severe restlessness. I couldn’t sit still and had to constantly move. My sperm was gone. I was literally counting every hour, praying so that the drug's half-life wears out (which is 1 month, so you can imagine how torturous that was). I couldn’t think straight, I was only focused on counting the hours. I had no pleasure in doing anything. I literally got turned into a vegetable that you see in movies about psychiatric patients. PLEASE, only try this drug AFTER you tried other antipsychotics that proved to not work. Stay healthy."

• Hir...
• Taken for 2 to 5 years
• May 9, 2020

"Invega 156 mg every three weeks has been good to me. I no longer have voices, and I am able to maintain my weight. I don’t menstruate, that’s a negative. I can’t drive or work, get out of the house by myself because of agoraphobia caused by Invega, as I suspect. I don’t have anxiety, that’s a plus, no panic attacks, that’s a plus."

• mim...
• January 22, 2015

"I have been on Invega Sustenna now for 4 months. It has been a great medication, but I started to have small facial movements, but I'm afraid it might increase. I will ask my doctor to reduce the dosage so I might not have side effects."

• Gsu...
• March 27, 2020

"I've been on Haldol, Aristada, Zyprexa, and Invega, and so far, these medications just give your brain time to heal, not actually heal your disorder. They help manage your symptoms. So far, I've had delusions, hallucinations, and voices. Invega may be harmful, but when you have schizophrenia like me, you have to be on something. So far, Invega helps the most but has the worst side effects, it works kind of like that. I advise taking it over the ones I mentioned for me personally."

• MiG...
• Taken for 6 months to 1 year
• May 23, 2019

"Invega Sustenna will make it easier to take your medication, as it’s an every 4-week shot in the arm (or butt). However, the side effects are many. This drug, though stopped all hallucinations and mania, caused my skin to flake, my face to get puffy, my overall weight to increase by 40 lbs, incurred symptoms of depression and other personality changes, and lastly, caused me to sleep for hours on end. If you enjoy sleeping your life away, this is the drug for you. However, I myself miss living my full life!"

• Tri...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• January 18, 2018

"Best medication if you get the right dose that works for you. I went from being miserable on this drug to 'this is the best medication I’ve ever been on.' It only took 8 years with trial and error and giving this med another try. I still can’t do as much as I could before the illness set in, but my motivation and joy have returned. I never thought recovery was going to be possible, now filled with hope for the future. Don’t give up, it’s worth the fight!"

• Nat...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• January 26, 2023

"I was misdiagnosed with schizophrenia in the psych ward and was given two shots of Invega Sustenna on November 4th. It is now January 26th, and I’ve been off this drug for two months but am still suffering from side effects. I have no pleasure during sex, no thoughts, and am super tired. This drug has ruined my life. I hope it doesn't take too much longer till I can feel like my old self."

• Jun...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• November 30, 2018

"Update: it’s been almost a week since my first shot of Invega. Here is my assessment. After a day or two, very sore arm where the injection happened. Been very sleepy and lethargic, but the body couldn’t sit still. Very vivid dreams. Also, I haven’t had much let-up in my delusions, voices, or mania. It’s just right now I don’t have the energy to do much about them. Due for the next shot in 3 days. I’m finally starting to not feel as tired, and the arm is starting to not be as sore, but not 100% yet. Hoping this next shot will help with the above-mentioned things (mania, paranoia, etc.). I’ll keep you updated."

• Dan...
• Taken for 1 to 2 years
• February 7, 2018

"I don't know why they started me on 156 mg, but I couldn't think straight on such a high dose, and I was sleeping 16 hours a day. Zero libido, dizzy spells, acne, plus 50 pounds of weight gain. I lowered my injection 3 times to now 39 mg, the lowest dose. Less acne, still fat, still zero libido, but less dizzy. The benefit was that I have zero delusions."

• Din...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• April 26, 2023

"The worst medicine. I had a radical weight gain, 60 lbs gained in 3 months. I felt depressed while on it. I’ve been off for 2 and a half years and still haven’t gotten back to my normal weight, although I’ve lost 22 pounds."

• Dou...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• February 4, 2021

"I took 6 shots of Invega (for bipolar), so it is for 6 months now. Talking about symptoms of mania and depression, they have disappeared, I am not experiencing any of the symptoms. On the other hand, this drug has played with my cognition. Since I took my first injection, my concentration went down, I barely focus in my classes. My long and short-term memory has been poor. I have tiredness and sleep for long hours. I have a lack of thoughts and new ideas, especially when talking to people, I can't find words to say. This drug has a positive side and a negative side, there I will discuss with my psychiatrist to change the dose or change the medication."

• Eli...
• Taken for 1 to 2 years
• February 17, 2018

"Cons: Invega increased my 'prolactin hormone' 5 times more than the maximum level. Thus, I lost my menstrual cycle for more than one year, sexual dysfunction, depression, sleep disturbances, etc. This drug also lowered my metabolism. As a result, I experienced food coma (falling into deep sleep) after eating food. It also increased my blood sugar. I gained 20 kg in 8 months. Tremor was another side effect of Invega. I was on a 100 mg injection. But, I had no delusion with it!"

• Cai...
• September 5, 2017

"This is the most effective medicine I've ever been on for not only the psychosis, but for the depressive symptoms too. The only slight problem I have is that it seems to wear off the week before I get my next shot, but that's an easy fix by getting the injections closer to around every three weeks instead of every four."

• Mar...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• December 12, 2023

"The drug is helpful but only in small doses of 50-75 milligrams. The higher doses that most patients are being given are way too much. I have a relative that was put on a high dose to start and turned into a cripple with Parkinson's-type symptoms. At the hospital, the emergency doctor gave an injection and prescribed medication to reverse the side effects (very important). After 6 weeks, we asked the psychiatrist to only administer 50 milligrams this time and that is working very well. The problem, I believe, is in the high doses. It's too much for some people. It's not a one size fits all..."

• new...
• Taken for 2 to 5 years
• May 5, 2016

"Before I was on this injection, I was taking up to 7 pills a day, and lucky me, I had a good social worker and nurse who talked to my doctor to find something better too for me to take. I was having episodes and tripping out like I was in the spirit world. TVs were talking to me, and people were turning into demons. But after taking this medicine, it clears my mind and keeps me sane. I have quit my medication a couple of times, but the episodes come back. This medicine is really good. I did gain weight, but riding my bike to school helps. The longer you stay on this medicine, the better it works, I find. But I was always getting headaches. I thought it was the medication, but really, I just needed glasses. The medicine works, I get it in my arm."