User Reviews for Invega Sustenna to treat Schizophrenia

"I got this shot by doctors that had no clue and I had no idea what I got. This shot gave me lower IQ, worse memory, slower thinking, loss of emotions, depression so to say, high level of prolactin, erectile dysfunction, no sperm at all and also anxiety. My memory used to be extremely good and also I had high IQ, but now I have a hard time to remember things and my IQ dropped significantly on IQ tests. Im going to report them to the police and throw a law suit. All of this by a shot I shouldn't have got at all. Ban it please and don't let others go through the same hell as I did."

"This drug rendered me bed ridden with no interest in life. I went from being an opinionated funny guy that could read your emotions and make just about anyone laugh, or at least smirk. I've always been very emotional and this drug sucked my soul, will to live and emotions right out of me. I'm left an empty shell of who I was. This drug is referred to as a chemical lobotomy for good reason. It shuts down all free thoughts, the voice in your head, your conscience disappears. With nothing to say, no interest in anything, no thoughts, no emotions, you as a person just about stops existing. No feeling of gratitude, accomplishment, satisfaction. Your thought process and basic decision making skills are destroyed. I've been off this drug for about 5 months now and I'm not seeing too much relief. The fear of "being like this forever" is a constant fear that never lets up, since this isn't a life this is merely existing. My plea and advice to you? Stay away from this medicine."

"I took 6 injections over a 6 month period. I didn't notice much in the first couple of months. It helped with the paranoia, I still heard voices to a lesser extent. Around the 5th month, I had noticed I gained 50 lbs (115 to 165) It happened so rapidly. I also began to lactate. That was all horrible but the worst of it was the severe anhedonia. They wanted to slowly taper me off the injection but I refused to take any more after the 6 month period. I felt mentally slower. I got no pleasure from listening to music, or watching TV. I stopped laughing. This is just my personal experience, but if you look up this medicine you will find there are many people that have gone through a similar experience. It's been 14 months since my last injection and I think I have mentally fully recovered. I think this drug is too potent. I am almost certain it gave me some sort of brain damage. One of the biggest regrets of my life is taking this drug, I was better off before."

"To anyone who has lost their life like I have to this drug, what is the recovery wait time when you stop it? Does this ever get better? Do I ever get the sensitivity in my penis back? Is there any way to treat it? 3 months ago I took my last of 2 Invega injections and I would be thankful for positivity from this nightmare of a lifestyle I have. I lost my instinctive tendencies and so many more side effects a lot like I’ve been reading and just would like to know does it get better? It feels like my instincts where taken away and I have to put a lot more effort into focusing on things"

"Worst experience of my life. I can't describe all of the side effects I had on invega Sustenna in 1000 characters, but my mind was disturbingly blank on this medication. It was as if all of my conscious thoughts were gone. I gained 25 pounds even though I just got the initial dose & lost muscle. My delusions did go away so it worked for that, but it felt like it was because my thoughts stopped. I've gotten 4 sprains and one pulled muscle since I got injected with this poison at the end of August last year. My skin started flaking off and and my hair was falling out. I couldn't feel any emotions. I was unable to orgasm for the first month. There were more side effects, & I don't think I fully conveyed the desperation I felt on this medication. I would like to let people who have gotten on it & hate it that there is hope & you will get better - once you are off it"

"I've taken this for 3 and a half years and I noticed I have a ridiculously bad memory,I will start a sentence "I remember this one time " then I won't know what I was talking about in mid sentence - I forget what I'm talking about. I don't know if I have a sex drive cause I have no partner, and I gained 40lbs. I don't have an appetite,I don't feel hungry yet still I'm overweight, probably because my body thinks it's starving and I gain weight when I do eat. I have to make myself eat what feels like gross food even though it's good food. I have no feelings, my emotions are numb. This medication did help my paranoia though.I've become fat and forgetful."

"Where do I start with the side effects of Invega Sustenna, sexual dysfunction, yes, my penis, is useless I feel like a 2 year old. I have severe anhedonia (loss of pleasure), I have put on 20 kg, I sleep for 11-12 hours a day and just overall feel terrible my memory’s horrible, I’m depressed and just feel like I am not living some days. What ever you do do not take this drug other anti psychotics drugs are better they don’t all have the same effects so just try aiming else"

"The one positive effect of this drug (InVega Sustenna 150 mg every 4 weeks) is that it controls my hallucinations and delusions. But the trade off is really hard to bear. I’ve lost all the joy in my life, the anhedonia is so bad that I have to live in a constant state of pretending to be happy because I am now unable to feel any kind of happiness or pleasure especially from activities I once enjoyed very much. I can’t recall things and my memories have evaporated. I feel blunted and flat all the time. I can’t function in a meaningful way, and feel more depressed than I ever have in my life. I’ve gained lots of weight, lost muscle tone yet I feel agitated like I want to jump out of my skin all the time. Being on this medication is a living nightmare. I am 43 and feel like life has come to a screeching halt."

"If I could rate this medication a 0, I would. Going on this medication was one of the biggest mistakes of my life. I have bipolar I disorder and suffered a severe manic episode that didn’t respond to Seroquel or Risperdal. The psychiatrist prescribed me Invega and while it got rid of my mania and psychosis, it completely altered my personality. I had absolutely no emotion at all. I did not feel any sort of joy or happiness. Not to mention I gained at least 20pounds (I’m a very active 24 year old). The suicidal thoughts were so severe that I needed to be hospitalized. The absolute worst part is that even when you stop Invega, it stays in your system for months. It has an extremely long half life. If you want to be a zombie and lose interest in everything you ever loved, then take this medicine. If you’d like to be a productive member of society, avoid this medication at all costs. Find another medicine."

"I had a psychotic episode from drug use, they made me take injection and I feel like it was worst drug possible, I honestly can't explain how bad the side effects are. You get a weird smell odour, irregular heart beat, no up and go, no sex drive, dizzy all the time. I am off of it now and I am hoping I can come good again"

"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 dysrythmia. 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."

"Bad drug, it increases prolactin level's by a lot, in fact this drug ranks among the highest drugs that increase serum prolactin levels, and massive increase in prolactin levels reduces your testosterone by a hand full, 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 anti-psychotics will leave you feeling like a mix between a two year boy and a two year old girl."

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

"I now have a deadly and nontreatable heart condition called a Left Anterior Fascicular Block (LAFB) due to over prescribed 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 65lbs 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."

"It works! but you have to want it too. Mental illness is an illness of the brain. The mind.. So you have to couple your taking of available meds and therapy. You have to change the way your mind works and thinks. Think on purpose for up to an hour a day by repeating a phrase or quote such as if you're a voice hearer repeat up to an hour a day (I cannot hear voices, they aren't real) x repeat. Fish oil, good sleep, eat healthy and exercise every other day. Look after yourself and work your thought life out. I have schizophrenia, Bi-Polar and depression and hold 2 small businesses that I run for most of my work-week (Music Studio owner operator and Stock Market Trader) I've had schizophrenia for 14 years and for 7 of those years ran a highly successful business where I used to live (talking 7 figures) EAT healthy! THINK right, Exercise AND Do what you know you should! positive positive positive. you CAN do this!"

"I was misdiagnosed due to an incident. Ever since I got this injection I’ve been feeling less of myself. I’ve gained weight at least 90 lbs, no emotion, barely sleep at night (5 hours), foggy mind, can’t think, bad concentration, less dopamine, shortness of breath, no creativity, and no personality. What’s the point of having a medicine that has worse side effects than the problem?"

"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."

"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 40lbs, 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, 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 to try something else if you really need a medication. Basically a chemical lobotomy."

"I was injected twice 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"

"I have been getting injections for 8 months now, and I have no energy, no stamina, I have a really difficult time organizing my thoughts, and any suicidal ideations I may have had before this medication, were nothing compared to the urgent need I sometimes have to kill myself. I know that these impulses are not what I consciously want, but I get trapped within my own mind sometimes, and start crying and cussing uncontrollably. I feel dizzy, disoriented, without hope or a lifeline connecting this dedicating husk of a man, to the passionate person who used to volunteer at the animal shelter and local charities. I was a productive member of society before this nightmare started, a good person who strove to remain productive and busy with day to day task. I cannot complete a sentence most of the time, and the doctor's refusal to take me off of this dangerous drug is bad for me. I can barely associate what I have become, to what I was."

"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."

"DON'T GIVE UP. I have autism asperger's ADHD PTSD OCD. I am an artistic recluse with an IQ in the top 1% . I am terrified of doctors nurses + hospitals I was sleepy + tearful. They noted two facts and said I was delusional and deprived me of my freedom. I had 2 injections without a formal diagnosis. The 1st caused anxiety, depression, insomnia, agitation + hyper vigilance. My second in my arm caused extreme pain in neck, slurred speech, frequent drooling, constant pain at base of skull, blood in urine, swelling of ankles and face, extreme physical fatigue and sleeping 15 hours a day. I forgot what I was saying, was unable to spell and was curled in a ball shaking with fear. And a few months ago I wanted to swim out into the ocean at sunrise .. BUT ..i read these stories + knew i just had to wait. I did everything I should as a discipline. I ate though I had to force the food down. I cried for the person I knew I had been - optimistic + resilient + creative + productive. It destroyed me beyond repair . I may never trust a human being again."

"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 reccommend meditation, and/or seeing someone that is an energy healer."

"I have been on Invega sustenna for almost 2 years for schizophrenia. I’ve stuck with invega sustenna for so long because it is the second best option in terms of side effects (definitely not saying that it is a good drug). I have erectile dysfunction, insomnia, feeling of mental pain and loneliness, extreme fatigue, lack of motivation, worsened vision, and short term memory loss from this medication (all of the medications in fact). I’m showering about once a month, brushing teeth about twice a week and never exercising because I physically can’t do better on this medication. I used to shower and brush teeth daily in addition to having a six pack (abs). This medication is another antipsychotic that was marketed without care of how the patients feel physically or mentally while taking it. In short, current antipsychotics do work but the side effects are unbearable"

"Miserable all the time on this 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."