Paliperidone and Sexual Dysfunction: What Users Say (Page 3)

• Pop...
• Taken for 2 to 5 years
• July 7, 2019

For Schizophrenia "Warning, ladies: I was injected monthly with paliperidone over a period of 3-4 years, approximately 4 years off it. I could handle the weight gain and inability to lose weight (jumping from 60 kg to 80 kg in my early 20s, which was depressing in itself), but I began to lactate outside of childbirth. I was told this was due to a high level of prolactin being secreted. I was told to get checked for the possibility of breast cancer and was then treated with aripiprazole in combination to lower the hormone. I am now pregnant with my second child. With my first child, I was unable to breastfeed - I secrete a low level of prolactin now, if any at all. I've not been entered in a national breast screening program, despite having a hormonal imbalance since the age of 24, and I am now 30. And again, I am unable to breastfeed my second child. For the men: erectile dysfunction, weight gain, and loss of libido should definitely be investigated, as hormones are seriously affected by paliperidone."

• Ube...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• September 11, 2021

For Schizophrenia "DO NOT TAKE PALIPERIDONE!!!!! I was put on a loading dose. After that, I was given the injection for 4 months. Then I stopped it. It caused me to have physical symptoms like erectile dysfunction, low sex drive, low to no sperm, enlarged liver, weight gain, elevated prolactin level, low testosterone, and I also developed bad dandruff. My mental symptoms were brain fog, trouble concentrating and having complex thoughts, forgetting things I just thought of, trouble learning and remembering them, struggling to remember words and how to spell them. My cognitive abilities and IQ have declined. And the doctors didn't warn me of the effects, like brain atrophy (loss of white and gray matter, brain damage). It has been a year since I stopped taking it and I'm still not back to 'normal'."

• Ube...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• September 11, 2021

For Schizophrenia "DO NOT TAKE PALIPERIDONE!!!!! I was put on a loading dose. After that, I was given the injection for 4 months. Then I stopped it. It caused me to have physical symptoms like erectile dysfunction, low sex drive, low to no sperm, enlarged liver, weight gain, elevated prolactin level, low testosterone, and I also developed bad dandruff. My mental symptoms were brain fog, trouble concentrating and having complex thoughts, forgetting things I just thought of, trouble learning and remembering them, struggling to remember words and how to spell them. My cognitive abilities and IQ have declined. And the doctors didn't warn me of the effects, like brain atrophy (loss of white and gray matter, brain damage). It has been a year since I stopped taking it and I'm still not back to 'normal'."

• Ano...
• Taken for 6 months to 1 year
• November 23, 2021

Paliperidone for Schizophrenia "Well, what can I say? Been on this drug almost a year for schizoaffective. I believe it’s 254 mg every 3 months. I’ve been the most depressed I’ve ever been. Sleeping all day, don’t want to get out of bed, no thoughts, strange dreams, no motivation, reduced sex drive, difficulty finding pleasure in things I used to enjoy. Just an overall bad experience. I can function perfectly fine with medication or drugs, but they told me if I stop taking it, I will get “unwell,” which is rubbish! Enough is enough. I will be refusing treatment from here on out."

• Sam...
• October 22, 2021

For Bipolar Disorder "This drug has turned me into something that wasn't even living, it has ruined my life. Can't the need to want to do anything anymore, no sex drive, lack of emotions, counting every hour and feeling the boredom. I still have another year to go with the injection. Was put in the hospital involuntarily. I hope this soon ends. Currently taking 75 mg. Makes 0 difference whether you are taking 100 mg or 75 mg. The effect is still there."

• dun...
• Taken for 6 months to 1 year
• April 12, 2018

Paliperidone for Schizophrenia "I'm on Invega Trinza for schizophrenia, and it's not bad. I can function somewhat well, but the problem is the side effects such as no sex drive, anhedonia, and no emotions. This is really hard to deal with, but I can't go off it anymore because I already tried and got another psychotic episode."

• DTa...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• April 27, 2019

Paliperidone for Schizophrenia "Invega did work to keep me from relapsing into psychosis. Also, the injection makes it ideal for people who might tend to forget or stop taking medication. I have had some minor issues like diminished sex drive (also times when I couldn't produce any semen), blurry vision, and weight gain. However, soon after taking this medication, I developed a depression. My depression has varied from severe mental agony for entire days to its current more anhedonic state. It is debilitating, to say the least. After holding on for five months, I will try to switch back to Seroquel, which in the past has left me more stable while also getting rid of any symptoms related to psychosis. I am, however, not sure how much of the depression was caused by this medication."

• Dan...
• Taken for 1 to 2 years
• February 7, 2018

Paliperidone for Schizoaffective Disorder "I don't know why they started me on 156 mg, but I couldn't think straight on such a high dose, and I was sleeping 16 hours a day. Zero libido, dizzy spells, acne, plus 50 pounds of weight gain. I lowered my injection 3 times to now 39 mg, the lowest dose. Less acne, still fat, still zero libido, but less dizzy. The benefit was that I have zero delusions."

• Doy...
• December 29, 2018

For Schizophrenia "I have noticed some side effects on paliperidone. I have lost my sexual desire for women. My thoughts are not as creative. I don't feel my emotions as fully. I was hearing voices before I was put on the drug, but the voices weren't a symptom of mental illness. I ended up in the hospital because I kept getting in trouble with the law, and they would assume that I was mentally ill and take me to the hospital. I believe I was misdiagnosed. What I have learned is that it is the work you do on yourself that will determine your well-being. If you are ill, you will require treatment in most cases, but the real work begins when you are stable. The work to becoming a flourishing human being. Exercise, a clean diet, meditation, journaling, discovering your goals and purpose in life, and striving towards it all count and can keep you from experiencing mental illness again. Unfortunately, treatment teams don't usually encourage developing your well-being, their job is to medicate you and stabilize you."

• 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."

• som...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• June 13, 2023

Paliperidone for Schizophrenia "It works very well for the positive symptoms like the paranoia, delusions, and hallucinations. It's also good for being hassle-free since you can work up to getting one injection every six months. Personally, though, the sexual dysfunction killed it for me, so I had it changed. You should personally weigh the pros and cons and see if it's worth it for you."

• Hap...
• Taken for 1 to 2 years
• January 24, 2023

For Schizoaffective Disorder "I experienced bad things from this medication. My doctor recommended it for me, and once he did, I started it with the hope that it would make my mental health better, but it didn't. The side effects that I experienced all came from the fact that I had a high prolactin level. They were: nipple discharge, psychosis, paranoia, worsened anxiety and depression, suicide attempt due to paranoia, loss of sex drive, hot flashes, and God knows what else. I'm glad that I'm alive here today because this entire experience with this medication along with Latuda has caused so many issues. Now I'm on medication that helps and doesn't harm. I'm thankful I've become aware of this after seeing the endocrinologist specialist."

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

Paliperidone 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!"

• Ano...
• March 6, 2019

Paliperidone for Schizophrenia "This has helped with the symptoms of my illness. There are negative symptoms to it though. Foggy emotions, not sure if it’s because of the illness or the med. I am sort of happy now though, but no sex drive, periods, and gained 75 pounds. I took fluphenazine for a couple of months, lost 20 pounds but felt worse than when I was on Invega."

• the...
• Taken for 6 months to 1 year
• May 7, 2022

Paliperidone "I've been on this since December 2021 for bipolar disorder. It makes me feel dysphoria, and it has destroyed my sex drive. I can't feel emotions. I feel numbness and pain. I feel dumb. It has more bad than good."

• Wom...
• November 17, 2021

Paliperidone for Schizophrenia "Invega ruined my life until I actioned by myself the switch to another antipsychotic. Any side effects mean that the meds are not really working to treat the mental illness. I stopped sleeping for 3 years straight and gained so much weight I looked like a mutant. My body and face. I lost both my menstruation and sex drive, so it was like sterilized. Well, I stopped living my life, obviously. I couldn't even get out of bed for those years. And I was totally going crazy. Much worse than before my diagnosis. I believe my psychiatrist gets kickbacks from pharmaceutical companies, so he doesn't really prescribe as a doctor. My new meds, just another antipsychotic, still leave me with chronic insomnia, but I fought for sleeping pills by now. And the rest, I am back to ME all the way."

• Rob...
• Taken for 10 years or more
• October 6, 2021

Paliperidone for Schizophrenia "I have taken Invega for 10 years on and off. It does stop the mood problems and psychosis, but at what cost? I'm 334 lbs and was 250 lbs when I started. I have lost sexual function. I have night terrors, and for years I have had panic attacks. I am an insomniac because sleep is the worst. I sleep two hours and wake up. Then I wait till I'm tired again and sleep. I haven't slept 8 hours in 4 years. I'm diabetic now. This ought to tell you how bad schizophrenia is--I still take the medicine and never plan to stop. I'm about to get a bachelor's degree in two months and have had straight A's for a year. This is the best medicine I've gotten yet. When are we going to do better with pharmacy?"

• Mon...
• Taken for 1 to 2 years
• March 22, 2023

For Schizoaffective Disorder "I was diagnosed with schizophrenia following a mental episode that occurred after taking flavonoid pills. I was prescribed asenapine, which worked well, but without my consent, I was admitted to a hospital for a week, which they referred to as 'therapy.' Shortly before or after leaving the hospital, I was put on paliperidone, which resulted in a series of negative effects including memory loss, lack of motivation and passion, inability to communicate emotions, and sexual dysfunction. Additionally, I remained paranoid while feeling numb. I eventually stopped taking the medication, but relapsed after taking it again, experiencing even worse symptoms such as heart pain, rigid bones, worsened paranoia, and a lack of motivation. Both times, I thought I would die, and I feel fortunate to have made it past the age of 18. I refused to continue taking the medication after discussing it with my mother, but the doctors continued to keep me on it and misled me when I asked about discontinuing use."

• Anonymous
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• November 18, 2022

For Schizoaffective Disorder "It's been about one and a half months on paliperidone. I cannot feel the goodness that I used to feel every morning when I wake up. I feel numb and don't want to get out of bed, even though I don't have any sleep left in me. It makes me feel extremely anxious sometimes. I have little to no sense of orgasm when I ejaculate. I have no libido. I don't know what to say about this medicine. I am suffering at least. I used to have no problems with reality, but after this medicine, I am not feeling reality as real as before. If this medicine is causing only suffering and harm with less goodness, then why is it called a medicine?"

• med...
• Taken for 2 to 5 years
• August 18, 2017

For Schizophrenia "I'm a UK citizen born in England, and I must say this is bad medication. I've been on it 2 years, yes, the voices are gone, but I have gained about 50 pounds because of it. At one stage, I was dribbling from the mouth, and it takes away your sex drive, and I still get paranoia. Stay away from any antipsychotics, especially paliperidone or risperidone."

• Bra...
• Taken for 6 months to 1 year
• April 27, 2018

Paliperidone "I have bipolar schizoaffective disorder. Tried a lot of pill forms of various medications that had terrible side effects or made my delusions worse. I was on Invega Sustenna for about a year and a half and noticed the effects during the last week of the shot were kind of wearing off. Now that I’m on Trinza, I’ve had a few sexual side effects, but made all my delusions and paranoia/anxiety disappear aside from the occasional Xanax requirement. I also take risperidone 2 mg as needed for the occasional paranoia. It’s given me my life back, though. Costs way too much unless you’re on good insurance. The shot also kind of hurts, but I am terrified of needles and I can handle it. It’s worth it for sure."

• Anonymous
• January 11, 2019

Paliperidone for Schizoaffective Disorder "I've been on this drug since December of 2017, and now it's January 2019, so more than a year. I think it has good and bad effects. It helps me control myself better. I don't blurt out random nonsense anymore like I used to. I don't like the fact that it causes sexual dysfunction and weight gain. I've been taking topiramate for a while now, and I barely eat anything, but my psychiatrist blames my weight gain all on me, even though weight gain clearly is one of the side effects of Invega, as well as other antipsychotics. I noticed I haven't ejaculated as much semen the last few times I came, and I think the Invega is to blame. If it weren't for the sexual dysfunction and weight problems, and also the decreased testosterone due to increased prolactin, I'd say this medicine is not that bad, but because I'm forced to take it, I might as well just suck it up and live with it and accept what I have to live with."

• Ann...
• Taken for 6 months to 1 year
• July 18, 2021

Paliperidone for Schizophrenia "This drug works really well to control my positive symptoms like hallucinations, delusions, and paranoia. I still have breakthrough symptoms, but only when very fatigued or stressed, but nowhere near as intense as off medication. I have managed to lose 2 stone (in 6 months) of the 6 stone I put on from taking the Abilify injection. I feel less fatigued, and insomnia isn’t as bad as when taking the other medication. I still have less interest in social situations and relationships, and my sex drive is nonexistent compared to before my illness. All 3 are symptoms of schizophrenia I know can be made worse by medications like these. The main negative is it has increased my prolactin levels to 4 times that of a healthy non-pregnant woman."

• ano...
• August 19, 2017

For Bipolar Disorder "This medication simply does not work! I have been on it for 7+ years, and I have only gotten worse. My symptoms have gone from mild to severe. All they do is increase the dosage, and now I'm on the maximum dose. I relapsed last week, and I found myself wandering around aimlessly in a parking lot. I have become more paranoid and delusional. Not to mention the side effects: uncontrollable bowel movements, extreme tiredness, low energy, low libido, muscle pain, chest pain, etc., etc... It is almost impossible to get off this medication once you are on it for a while. I've talked to my doctor, sent him letters, and he will not change the medication. And I've called other p-docs, and no one can see me or even answer the phone. Time for a switch."

• Jas...
• Taken for 2 to 5 years
• August 5, 2022

Paliperidone for Schizophrenia "I am male, 40, and was put on this Invega Trinza for schizoaffective disorder, after being unsuccessful with, at the time, 900 mg Seroquel. I was given Invega Sustenna, 234. Within a day, I was out of psychosis. No side effects. I continued getting it after being released (Sustenna 234). Worked great. I eventually went on Invega Trinza. I've tried Risperdal, Seroquel, Abilify, and some other ones. Started Seroquel (2008-2017). Since 2017 till August 2022, I've had success on Invega Trinza (3-month shot). I feel nice and calm, not drugged out at all. The increase in prolactin causes sexual dysfunction. The doctor added Abilify (10 mg). Less sex drive but still active. I've tried a lot, so I was broken in as far as trying antipsychotics. If this is your first try on antipsychotics, you will probably have different results. I'm also on Effexor 150, Lamictal 300, Abilify 10, Naltrexone 50, and Lipitor. No more depression/mania. Be warned, once you take this med for more than a year, it's going to be really hard getting off it, if you can. Good luck!"