Invega Sustenna and Insomnia: What Users Say

• Jid...
• Taken for 1 to 2 years
• October 9, 2021

For Schizophrenia "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?"

• Jun...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• February 3, 2019

For Schizoaffective Disorder "If you want your life back and want to finally quit hearing the voices, believing the delusions that persist in your head and just be able to live a “normal” life, then this medication is absolutely for you. You will overeat, gain a little weight, have restless nights, and sleep all afternoon, you will have restless leg syndrome where you just can’t sit still. It takes about a month and a half for side effects to diminish. I’m so thankful to finally be happy again and be able to hold down a job. Those dark voices are gone. I don’t read a news article and believe I spoke to the President of the United States personally anymore. Now I wake up every day with just a calm, happy persona both internally and externally. The best part is that it’s only a once-a-month injection. I’ll tell you that on the day of the shot I do still get a little dizzy and tired, so I usually request off the entire day so I can relax. But even my family has noticed the huge change in me."

• She...
• Taken for 6 months to 1 year
• July 4, 2019

For Schizoaffective Disorder "Horrible drug, causes weight gain. I call it the '15 lbs shot', with every shot, I gained another 15 lbs. My hallucinations went into overdrive, I could not sleep, depressed, angry, overweight, psychotic, hated every day. I am now seeing a new psychiatrist, and I am getting my life back without the Invega Sustenna injection."

• cat...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• April 11, 2021

For Schizophrenia "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, and hospitals. I was sleepy and tearful. They noted two facts and said I was delusional and deprived me of my freedom. I had two injections without a formal diagnosis. The first caused anxiety, depression, insomnia, agitation, and hypervigilance. My second in my arm caused extreme pain in my neck, slurred speech, frequent drooling, constant pain at the base of my skull, blood in urine, swelling of my 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. A few months ago, I wanted to swim out into the ocean at sunrise, but I read these stories and 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, and productive. It destroyed me beyond repair. I may never trust a human being again."

• Anonymous
• Taken for 1 to 2 years
• May 10, 2022

For Schizophrenia "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 for how the patients feel physically or mentally while taking it. In short, current antipsychotics do work, but the side effects are unbearable."

• ano...
• June 7, 2015

For Schizoaffective Disorder "A lot of issues with this medication: extreme bloating, weight gain, and hunger. Pain in abdomen, gurgling sounds in abdomen area, burping and belching after every single meal, which normally never occurred with me. Dizziness almost all the time, extreme headaches, EXTREME muscle stiffness, and much difficulty walking and doing daily activities. Sweating for no apparent reason. Insomnia."

• Str...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• May 29, 2018

For Schizophrenia "I find the drug makes me calm/relaxed, but I have the most severe insomnia. I've gone 7 weeks without much sleep and have 0 energy or motivation. This drug has basically ruined my life and turned me into a stay-at-home vegetable with no future. Gonna switch to Abilify and hopefully have my life back and good, healthy sleep back."

• Phl...
• October 18, 2017

For Schizophrenia "Well, I have been on this medication for some time now. It has helped me with the voices, but to be honest, you do sleep a lot, and that's the only constant this medication has. It makes you eat a lot, and as far as sex drive goes, lol, I won't talk about it. I think that it depends on who you are around to make you feel depressed. You have to keep in mind that it's a serious disease, but with medication, it can be manageable. And if you are getting too fat, exercise. You will get the weight off. Keep positive people around you and remember the struggle is never done. We may always have a stigma put on us or a label put on us, but prove the enemy wrong. Be the best you can be and shine bright like a diamond. And remember, God loves you."

• Hel...
• Taken for 1 to 2 years
• November 6, 2021

For Schizophrenia "When I was on the 75 mg injection, I wouldn’t stop gaining weight, my weight went from 104 lbs to 136 lbs and was increasing with crazy hunger. I had bad acne from this medication, no period, couldn’t work out, went to bed at 6:00 pm, lost my internal voice, couldn’t think at all. They dropped me down to 50 mg, and the weight persisted. They then spaced out my injection to five weeks apart, and I dropped some weight but not enough to be proud of. I’m around 120 lbs, still don’t have a period, have crazy hunger, no internal voice, can’t perform like I used to, have puffy eyelids, one drooping eyelid, can’t use my imagination, bad memory, can’t lose weight, don’t sleep at night, and the side effects keep piling up. It has taken away my voices during the day and my delusions."

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

For Schizoaffective Disorder "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!"

• Kev...
• Taken for 6 months to 1 year
• March 29, 2023

For Schizoaffective Disorder "I got this shot in my 3rd inpatient hospitalization. I was covered by Medicaid, so there weren’t any issues. I was getting injections monthly, and I started doing way better with my schizoaffective bipolar disorder. Without medications, I have a verge behavioral emergency practically weekly. When I was on it, I could feel it in my steps and my balance, I felt so much better. The frantic thoughts racing through my head leveled out, and the main reason I see the doctor is regarding sleep insomnia. I started getting the shot, and my balance felt well enough to get to sleep. When I would eat, I wouldn’t panic. Some of these reviews are not true, the only bad part now is my new insurance doesn’t cover it, and it’s $3000."

• Dot...
• August 4, 2014

For Schizophrenia "Very high smoking sensation, weight gain, tiredness, and insomnia. But it's the best antipsychotic med for me."