Paliperidone and Insomnia: What Users Say

• Gra...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• May 23, 2018

Paliperidone for Schizoaffective Disorder "My son started Invega, and the drug made his symptoms worse. He couldn't sleep and became very agitated. He had hospital admissions after hospital admissions. I am sorry to say he killed himself about three months after starting this drug. Please don't let anyone you love start this drug, it is a very bad drug."

• Dea...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• January 5, 2019

Paliperidone for Schizophrenia "I got diagnosed with schizophrenia and bipolar in the hospital. I was taking risperidone which was helping me a lot, but then I started taking Invega. This medicine has ruined me. All of the things that I've loved doing now suck. I was on it for 4 months, but I've been off of it for 3 months now and I'm still dealing with side effects. I can't sit still or lay still. I'm always tired, my tongue is always numb, my speech is off. I can't have a simple conversation, I can't sleep at night. I hate waking up in the morning, my thoughts are all confusing, and I feel weak. My body is really sensitive...I just miss the old me."

• Any...
• February 1, 2020

Paliperidone for Schizoaffective Disorder "I’m currently writing with trembles in my hands and muscle stiffness. I had a nervous breakdown and classified bipolar NIGHTMARE BEGAN. I have extreme paranoia, lost my job because Invega destroyed my hand coordination, TD (I believe I have permanent brain damage), sexual dysfunction, muscle stiffness, tremors in my whole body, hands shaking, face twitching, curling fingers. I can’t hold down food, severe anxiety, depression, suicidal, antisocial, no emotions, removed from relationships, no periods, infertile at this point, no sleep in 3 months, pacing, blurry vision, absolute chemical lobotomy - fear of body deteriorating. 39 years old, hard to find the energy just to stay alive. Everything in my body is dry. I’m a nervous wreck. Detoxing: I was trying to restart my body - No change in 2 months. Instead, have early signs of Parkinson’s."

• Dad...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• June 30, 2019

Paliperidone for Schizophrenia "I started taking this medication for 3 months after I was diagnosed with schizophrenia, and it has ruined my life. I now have trouble speaking, I'm always anxious, I can barely concentrate on anything, I'm depressed and sleeping a lot, and I no longer get erections and have trouble producing semen. I have been off of it for 2 months, and I'm still dealing with the side effects. This is the worst thing I have ever been on, and I wouldn't recommend it to anyone."

• Mom...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• April 3, 2018

Paliperidone for Schizophrenia "My son (23-year-old) got the Invega shot. It's the worst thing ever. It's making him cripple, still hearing voices, shuffling when he walks, insomnia. This drug needs to be taken off the market. I am going to write to the FDA. It's very expensive and does nothing to help. Where are our tax money going? Why isn't there a cure? The insurance companies are bloodsuckers. The poor mental health patients cannot get any help. I am so sick and tired of this disease right now, I just want my child back."

• Nse...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• November 28, 2018

Paliperidone for Schizoaffective Disorder "I was forced to take Invega after a spiritual emergence was diagnosed as schizophrenia, bipolar, and schizoaffective disorder. I had the initial dose of 256mg, I believe, then 150mg for four months. My last shot was in August 2018. By the second shot, my thoughts had stopped. I could no longer think. It shut off my consciousness. My memory and retaining information have been affected. I developed anhedonia. I can no longer feel any emotion. I have no libido or menstrual cycles. I haven't had an appetite in 4 months. I have no desire to eat or get pleasure from it. I have insomnia. I believe this medicine has caused brain damage. Other drugs have reduced or no effectiveness such as cannabis, nicotine, caffeine, alcohol, and sleep medication. This drug has a half-life of 25-49 days. So it's going to take at least a year before it is completely out of my system."

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

Paliperidone 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

Paliperidone 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."

• MDJ...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• November 25, 2019

Paliperidone for Schizoaffective Disorder "This is a terrible drug. In four days, I've had heart palpitations, wheezing, shakes, insomnia, aggression, restlessness. Horrible drug for schizophrenics. I interacted more with my voices due to insomnia and headaches. I had to call the suicide crisis line because I had a panic attack so severe on night 4 of taking this poison."

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

Paliperidone 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."

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

Paliperidone 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."

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

Paliperidone 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."

• ano...
• June 7, 2015

Paliperidone 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

Paliperidone 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."

• all...
• Taken for 1 to 2 years
• May 6, 2016

Paliperidone for Schizoaffective Disorder "I think this is the only antipsychotic that has worked for me. I was on Risperdal previously, and it didn't work that well, except that I made good friends and was nice usually. But I was always really paranoid or psychotic when I'd do all-nighters for school and thought there was a serial killer outside the window. Invega is much better, though, and I don't get that paranoia anymore or the really scary type of paranoia anymore. Although I get scared sometimes, it doesn't stop me from doing things. I'm on 12 mg of Invega and 300 mg of Lamictal. I'm not doing the best because the Lamictal should be at 400 mg to be optimal. I wasn't able to tolerate too high of a dose of Invega at first because it made me really tired and sleep all day, but I can now."

• Phl...
• October 18, 2017

Paliperidone 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

Paliperidone 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."

• som...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• June 24, 2023

Paliperidone for Schizophrenia "It made me feel akathisia along with insomnia, erectile dysfunction, and anhedonia. It was useful for the positive symptoms like paranoia, delusions, and racing thoughts, but at huge costs. You are basically trading a huge portion of your own happiness and energy for controlling your symptoms and likely never becoming psychotic again. I am not saying it is totally bad, but it can work for some people. This is your decision to make, with Invega, you will suffer some serious side effects in return for never becoming psychotic again."

• ano...
• Taken for 1 to 2 years
• April 11, 2019

Paliperidone for Schizophrenia "I have been on this injection since 2017. Received the monthly injections for about three months before my doctor noticed my remarkable stability in mood and made the switch to the tri-monthly injection. When switched to the tri-monthly injection, I noticed that in the third month of being on it, my symptoms of paranoia and delusions would flare up. I've learned to live with it. However, my sex drive is completely gone and my menstrual cycle is too light. As well, there are nights that my insomnia flares up. I have not gained any weight, but I haven't lost any either. To counter all the bad side effects, I have to say that this is the longest that I have been out of the hospital. Besides the odd paranoia/delusions in the third month, I don't hear any voices like I used to or experience a full-blown manic episode (diagnosis is schizoaffective with bipolar tendencies)."

• Nat...
• Taken for 2 to 5 years
• February 13, 2023

Paliperidone for Schizoaffective Disorder "I love this drug. It saved my life. The only bad side effect is I can't sleep and have no sex drive, but this drug took the voices away and no paranoia anymore. I love it, it made my life a million times better. I would probably be dead by now if I had stayed on the other meds I was on. I go out all the time, and I have totally learned to take care of myself. I don't feel like my brain is foggy like the other drugs I've been on. I was really depressed for years and tried killing myself four times on the other drugs I have been on. Invega has totally taken my depression away. I am happy for the longest period of my life. I had a mental illness for 29 years and was depressed for 25 of the years, but since I have been on the Invega, no depression at all. Invega is the best thing that has ever happened in my life."

• Ram...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• July 5, 2021

Paliperidone for Schizoaffective Disorder "Our adopted son was born with prenatal alcohol exposure and has permanent brain damage. He was diagnosed with FAE and various other disorders associated with it. He has suffered from sleep issues, explosive rages, and psychosis. He has been prescribed over 40 different drugs with some disturbing side effects. He just started Invega Sustenna in March, and there was an immediate change in his mood and overall behaviors and is stable. He has now moved up to Trinza and is doing very well."

• Mar...
• May 13, 2017

Paliperidone for Schizophrenia "Was doing well on 4 mg risperidone but wanted to try an injectable long-acting med. Doctor suggested I start with Invega oral to be sure it would work. Tried 6 mg Invega for a month but never felt as good as with risperidone. Made me depressed, tired, insomnia, and even had some breakthrough delusions. So glad I didn't go straight to injections. Restarted risperidone and feel good again. It must work for some people but not for me. No data anywhere comparing Invega to risperidone, which is odd because the drugs are related. No evidence this is a better drug than risperidone."

• ER2...
• June 4, 2016

Paliperidone for Schizophrenia "I have been using Invega for less than a year. The reason I appealed to this medication was because it was the only extended-release medication on the market. What this means is that the medication slowly released into our body within 24 hours. Other medications, when you take them, hit our body straight away to the top and gradually decrease the medication in our body. I find that it is good as it gives less severe side effects, as the medication in our body is at a constant level. I don't have any major side effects from this medication other than depression and insomnia, but that is in general related to my unresolved personal life issues. My prolactin level is lower compared to when I was on Solian. Less lethargic and sleepy."

• Meg...
• Taken for 6 months to 1 year
• May 19, 2023

For Bipolar Disorder "I’m on paliperidone and lithium, so unsure which drug is to blame for my side effects, but after reading other reviews, I’m guessing it’s the paliperidone. I have the driest, roughest skin, have gained weight, about 2 stone, that’s the physical side. Emotionally, I feel empty inside, had severe anhedonia, don’t want to do anything, feel anxious all the time. I would kill myself if it wasn’t for knowing it’s the medication's fault, that gives me a little hope. Also, my sleep is messed up, wake up throughout the night, and barely dream."

• Ano...
• Taken for 1 to 2 years
• April 16, 2021

For Schizoaffective Disorder "I'm a 38-year-old male on a monthly 117 mg dose. This medication has taken my life away. I have developed insomnia, I also have no energy to get out of bed. I have been on it just over a year, and symptoms are getting worse. Take it if you like sitting around all day, as you won't be able to do much more. I've developed memory problems, lost nearly all my muscle, and put on 15 kg even with dieting. It also raised my prolactin levels, so now I need to go on another medication with more side effects. I doubt whether the medication will help most people, as it mainly helps people that hear or see things, not the average person. There were a lot of side effects I didn't write about, if you take it, you will find out like I did that everyone is different. Other side effects that come and go: headaches, sexual side effects, sinus problems, muscle pains, eyesight problems to just name a few."