Invega Sustenna and Memory Loss: What Users Say

• Dol...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• November 5, 2020

For 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, high level of prolactin, erectile dysfunction, no sperm at all, and also anxiety. My memory used to be extremely good, and I had high IQ, but now I have a hard time remembering things, and my IQ dropped significantly on IQ tests. I'm going to report them to the police and file a lawsuit. All of this by a shot I shouldn't have gotten at all. Ban it, please, and don't let others go through the same hell as I did."

• Anonymous
• Taken for 2 to 5 years
• September 28, 2020

For Schizophrenia "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 because I have no partner, and I gained 40 lbs. 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."

• Bae...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• September 3, 2020

For Schizophrenia "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 is horrible, I’m depressed, and I just feel like I am not living some days. Whatever you do, do not take this drug. Other antipsychotic drugs are better, they don’t all have the same effects, so just try aiming elsewhere."

• Blk...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• October 30, 2019

For Schizophrenia "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."

• Sky...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• October 21, 2019

"If I could give this a 0 rating, I would. This drug has completely ruined my life. It was given to me so that I could leave the hospital sooner, and just like anyone else, I desperately wanted to leave. So I was given the loading dose of 254 mg and 156 mg (never have I made a worse decision in my life...) It's been 3 months and since then I have lost my memory completely, can hardly remember what I ate for dinner last night. I've lost my social skills and sense of humor, I've lost my personality, I've lost my love for smoking weed, I've lost a crazy amount of muscle mass-giving me stretch marks all over my biceps, I've lost my erections at the age of 19."

• bec...
• Taken for 2 to 5 years
• March 23, 2020

For Schizoaffective Disorder "I've been on this drug Invega Sustenna for the last 5 years. I've gained 65 lbs, I'm 5'4" tall. I'm restless, have liver problems, memory problems. I don't know which symptoms it is treating. I do not hallucinate. I originally got diagnosed with bipolar disorder 23 years ago because I could not sleep at night. This drug is horrible, and there are no benefits from it."

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

For Schizophrenia "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."

• day...
• January 30, 2018

For Schizoaffective Disorder "This is the worst possible nightmare of a drug. I was injected with one 234 mg dose and never took the 2nd shot or 156 mg because I felt so horrible. I was so miserable I wanted to die. I had no emotion, no imagination, no memory, and no initiative. I disappeared into a dark hole for months. It took 6 months before I started to feel any better. It took about 2 1/2 years before I felt like I was anywhere near back to normal. Don't let anyone inject you with this poison. You will regret it."

• 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."

• 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."

• Ear...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• October 13, 2022

For Schizophrenia "Terrible experience. I have slurred speech, head tremors, loss of thought, memory loss, lower IQ, weight gain, and disconnected from reality. I have lost all my friends from not being able to communicate. I shuffle when I walk. I would not wish this on my worst enemy. My family thinks I am mentally impaired. It is hard for me to make eye contact with people as my vision has slowed. I have been off of the 150 mg injection for 2 months and have seen no improvement. If it takes 14 months like the other reviews mention, I don’t know how I’m going to make it."

• SKE...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• December 22, 2022

For Schizoaffective Disorder "I got this in the mental hospital for the first time. Immediately, my mood became much more positive. After about 2 months, I really started to benefit from it. The noises/voices/paranoia disappeared, and I was able to start full-time employment after losing several jobs and applying for disability. I do notice that about a week before I’m due for my monthly injection, I start to get some symptoms again. I also notice that my memory is much worse than it was before, but I’ve been trying to keep my mind active by reading, playing games, and working. I don’t know if I have schizophrenia (I was diagnosed as bipolar at the hospital, but the doctor seriously sucked so bad), but I would guess I do, given the symptoms. Before this medication, I would hear things, see things, and would be extremely paranoid. Now, I’m happy and able to take charge of my life. I will say that I have gained a lot of weight (up to 300 lbs from 265 lbs before the hospital)."

• Anonymous
• Taken for less than 1 month
• August 9, 2022

For Schizoaffective Disorder "This drug definitely helps with paranoia and delusions. However, it causes memory loss, weight gain, and emotional numbing. I have gained 12 pounds in 3 weeks."