Invega Sustenna and Tiredness: What Users Say

• Ell...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• March 19, 2019

For Schizoaffective Disorder "I have felt very tired and just lethargic and lost interest in the Bible, which I once loved with a great passion. No one will take me at my word, and I have tried to get off this medication, but the doctor and my family won't let me even after I told them how much I don't like it. I have no periods, have high prolactin, and hand tremors in my right hand. Feel like sleeping all the time and would do anything to stop taking this medication. It is poison and should be taken off the market and never given to anyone. I'd rather hear voices than feel like I do on this medication."

• Ell...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• March 19, 2019

For Schizoaffective Disorder "I have felt very tired and just lethargic and lost interest in the Bible, which I once loved with a great passion. No one will take me at my word, and I have tried to get off this medication, but the doctor and my family won't let me even after I told them how much I don't like it. I have no periods, have high prolactin, and hand tremors in my right hand. Feel like sleeping all the time and would do anything to stop taking this medication. It is poison and should be taken off the market and never given to anyone. I'd rather hear voices than feel like I do on this medication."

• Tom...
• December 5, 2019

For Schizophrenia "I had a psychotic episode from drug use. They made me take an injection, and I feel like it was the worst drug possible. I honestly can't explain how bad the side effects are. You get a weird smell, irregular heartbeat, no energy, no sex drive, and you feel dizzy all the time. I am off of it now, and I am hoping I can feel better again."

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

For Schizoaffective Disorder "Do not take this medicine. So far, I have lost all my ambition, energy, personality, and my emotions. I am tired all the time and have random muscle spasms all through my body. It makes it really hard to feel things, I feel like I have to try to feel things. It's really weird. I have been taking the injection for six months now, and I'm a complete zombie. I have no social life, sex drive, or imagination. This medicine destroys the human body, it is poison and needs to be discontinued. I'd much rather hear voices and hallucinate than be on this medication."

• NKa...
• November 18, 2019

For Schizoaffective Disorder "At first, it didn't seem that bad taking Invega. I got the shot once a month. I was in the psych ward for paranoia and delusions. Hallucinations had subsided. They told me they would hold me at the V.A. for four months if I didn't take the shot. They used psychological manipulation to get me to 'agree.' Six months later, I'm 60 lbs overweight, depressed, and tired beyond belief. All I want to do is lay down and close my eyes. Today I woke up about 11:00 a.m., got out of bed for an hour, went and laid back down till about 4 p.m., then got up to make myself something to eat, then laid down till 6, got up for another hour, then right back to bed. This is my daily routine on this nightmarish drug. I'm taking one class in school and can't afford to withdraw off of it right now, but in a month I will graduate and finally get off this terrible drug forever. It makes me want to do nothing in life, nor could I work taking this medication. It has ruined a year of my life. I'd rather have symptoms."

• 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."

• Coq...
• Taken for 1 to 2 years
• November 24, 2021

For Schizoaffective Disorder "I took Invega Sustenna for a year and a half. I was forced on it by my old mental hospital, and the family member I was living with told me I had to stay on Invega to live with this person. I got a 234 mg shot once a month for a year and a half. This drug completely ruined my life. It is absolute garbage for anyone's body. I went from 170 pounds to 300 pounds within this time frame (this is literally the most weight I had ever gained in my entire LIFE.) It turned me into a complete couch potato, made me so lazy and tired that I had to drink at least 3 cups of coffee a day to counter this problem. It completely destroyed my motivation for doing ANYTHING throughout my day. I sat around eating junk food, but also healthy food. Regardless of what I ate, I would gain 10 pounds every single month. I am really tired of the USA and its doctors promoting these awful 'medications' to sick people as if they are good options. There was zero benefit to using Invega, do NOT take this drug."

• Coq...
• Taken for 1 to 2 years
• November 24, 2021

For Schizoaffective Disorder "I took Invega Sustenna for a year and a half. I was forced on it by my old mental hospital, and the family member I was living with told me I had to stay on Invega to live with this person. I got a 234 mg shot once a month for a year and a half. This drug completely ruined my life. It is absolute garbage for anyone's body. I went from 170 pounds to 300 pounds within this time frame (this is literally the most weight I had ever gained in my entire LIFE.) It turned me into a complete couch potato, made me so lazy and tired that I had to drink at least 3 cups of coffee a day to counter this problem. It completely destroyed my motivation for doing ANYTHING throughout my day. I sat around eating junk food, but also healthy food. Regardless of what I ate, I would gain 10 pounds every single month. I am really tired of the USA and its doctors promoting these awful 'medications' to sick people as if they are good options. There was zero benefit to using Invega, do NOT take this drug."

• Rea...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• December 3, 2019

For Schizophrenia "Let’s start off by saying it causes bloating. I hate the feeling. I have been dieting and exercising but no results after eating. I have no sex drive, tiredness, no emotion, and lack of energy. I also don’t want to leave the house. This shot has worked for my voices, but the side effects are worse. Hopefully getting off of it soon."

• Nic...
• December 17, 2016

For Schizoaffective Disorder "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."

• Rob...
• July 13, 2021

For Schizophrenia "Invega Sustenna was difficult at first. I felt very tired and would get headaches. I believe this was my body adjusting. After a few months, and now on the drug for a few years, I have had a great experience. I still have symptoms once in a while, but not as bad. With the education I was given before taking the drug for my first time, I am now well aware of what a 'symptom' is. I am prepared. The drug Invega Sustenna has only improved my thoughts, speech, and dialect. As I would hear voices, preventing me from speaking clearly, Invega Sustenna has given me the ability to articulate my sentences. When I am ready, I will take either oral tablets or a 3-month injection. I think this will only help my limitations that I keep private. I no longer have headaches. I am no longer fatigued. I am in a good position, and I am proud of the person I am becoming."

• BIb...
• December 17, 2015

For Schizoaffective Disorder "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."

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

For Schizoaffective Disorder "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

For Schizoaffective Disorder "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."

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

For Schizoaffective Disorder "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."

• Jun...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• December 2, 2018

For Schizoaffective Disorder "Been a week since the first 250 mg injection of Invega Sustenna. Arm hurt really bad for a few days and was kind of tired and felt like head under water, but as the week went on, that fog lifted and so did the pain. Still have some noise in my head, but can usually tell reality from fiction. Go back this week for 135 mg booster... hopefully no pain this time and no head under water feeling."

• Tur...
• June 6, 2020

For Schizoaffective Disorder "I've been on the Invega Sustenna for going on 7 years now, and I have to say that a lot of what I'm seeing in the feedback is all similar to different experiences I've had with schizophrenia while on the medication. Yes, the side effects are terrible, you cycle from being overly manic to super lethargic (I held down a job for 3 years as a line cook on a 256 mg dose). Your appetite is uncontrollable at times, and exercise is overly strenuous and difficult (I tried a regiment of weight lifting and killer ten-mile runs daily to keep the weight off, your body can't shed breast tissue when you're a male). Since the circumstance of me taking this medication is mandatory in all aspects of my life for somebody in a similar situation to me 8 years ago (I'll spare the details), I would recommend this medication for bipolar or schizophrenia."

• Dot...
• August 4, 2014

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