Ziprasidone and Anxiety: What Users Say

• Anonymous
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• May 25, 2012

For Bipolar Disorder "I have tried many medications for bipolar disorder. All had to be discontinued due to side effects. Then I finally tried Geodon. I have been on it for about a month. This has been the best tolerated and effective medicine for me so far. It really stabilizes my mood shifts, and I tolerate it well. The major side effects for me are restlessness, anorexia (a welcome side effect!), a little anxiety, and morning drowsiness. I went from taking this medication 40 mg twice a day to just 80 mg at night, and my morning drowsiness subsided. I am glad I tried Geodon. I hope its positive effects continue."

• soo...
• Taken for 1 to 2 years
• December 30, 2020

For Bipolar Disorder "I've been on Geodon for almost a year now. Started it because Zyprexa made me unbearably tired and confused, and Abilify made me insanely anxious. For the first three weeks, I felt tired within two hours of taking it at dinner, so I was going to bed at like 8 every night and waking up at 3 or 4 in the morning. I was also incredibly nauseous to the point where I didn't eat hardly anything for about a month and lost about 15 pounds. After that, the side effects basically went away (about once a month I'll get the sleepiness again), and it's been great at controlling my symptoms!"

• Des...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• June 27, 2021

For Bipolar Disorder "This is by far the worst medication I have ever taken for my bipolar. I would give this a zero if I could. I didn’t feel terrible at first, but I noticed some mild paranoia and anxiety. I ignored it, though, because I was actually more motivated and able to get more things done, and I was finally losing weight. I desperately wanted this med to work. The doctor increased my dose, and things got bad very quickly. I was having intense delusions, the worst I’ve ever had. They were so bad that I would just start crying because I was so scared. The brain fog, memory problems, and dissociation on this medication are awful as well. I feel so out of it all the time, and I even went to the ER because it felt like I had been drugged. My head constantly feels funny. I’m dizzy and lightheaded. My vision is blurry. Currently switching to a different med and dealing with awful withdrawal. Hopefully, the side effects go away soon. Please take caution with this medication."

• Anonymous
• Taken for less than 1 month
• May 29, 2012

For Bipolar Disorder "I was only taking Geodon for 3 weeks (tapered up to 60 mg), and one evening I was sitting in front of my computer and experienced the worst panic attack of my life (also my first panic attack). I was admitted to the ER that day. I felt like I was about to have a drug-induced psychosis. My pdoc instructed me to stop taking it immediately. The withdrawal was an absolute nightmare. I experienced over 30 different symptoms (anxiety, panic attacks, insomnia, paranoia, nausea, crawling skin, heart palpitations, chills, and tingling just to name a few). It has been almost 2 months, and I am still struggling with anxiety."

• Mar...
• Taken for 6 months to 1 year
• July 15, 2019

For Bipolar Disorder "I took Geodon for one year. While this drug did increase my motivation to exercise, I felt the side effects were too negative to continue using. It ruined my personality for some reason and interfered with my ability to make quick, witty jokes like I am normally able to do when not taking this med. For that reason, I did not like it because it turned me into a robotic, unemotional Stepford wife or something. It gave me such severe anxiety that I had frequent panic attacks and had to be treated with an anti-anxiety med to counteract the negative side effects of the Geodon. It made me have to frequently urinate or feel like I had to go at least every 20 minutes. If you want to flatline your personality, have severely agitated anxiety, and spend your life in the bathroom, take this drug."

• Eli...
• December 13, 2016

For Bipolar Disorder "I took this medication for about 5 days, and from the start, I knew something was wrong. I remember hallucinating in the dark, and the very next day, I went manic. I had acid reflux issues, and it felt so bad that I had a hard time breathing. I passed out and was taken to the ER. Withdrawal was terrible, in fact, I'm still going through it. I have had the worst anxiety of my life. My delusional beliefs were at an extreme high, and I was so scared that I would break out crying. Every one of my worst thoughts was greatly emphasized on this med. I would have anxiety attacks and feel like I had to puke. I would not recommend this medication to anyone."

• Ran...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• January 16, 2020

For Bipolar Disorder "I had bad mania and needed to be on something. I couldn't go to sleep, crazy focused on everything and felt so scattered. My doctor recommended Geodon, and it worked for the first 2 months, but then it gave me horrible anxiety. I had to get off it and get on an anti-anxiety. I also had some bad side effects from Geodon - lots of vomiting and nausea, cravings, and anxiety."

• rik...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• May 6, 2015

For Bipolar Disorder "I felt like a zombie while on this. I gained ten pounds in the first week - and I am one to watch my weight! Also, my hands began trembling a lot, and I felt very nervous. I was always quivering when I spoke. This medicine ended up being quite scary, with a trip to the emergency room because I felt and looked like I was having a seizure. My family called paramedics, and it was a dystonic reaction."

• Jay...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• July 17, 2022

For Bipolar Disorder "Absolute crap. Made me bedridden for two months straight. Horrible anxiety, and I only left the house to buy food. Warning to anyone with bipolar. This medication is trash, and the only worse drug is Effexor/Venlafaxine."

• Str...
• Taken for 6 months to 1 year
• January 23, 2016

For Bipolar Disorder "I am a 48-year-old woman with bipolar I disorder. A year ago last fall, I was severely depressed. In the hospital, they put me on 20 mg of Geodon for depression and 10 mg of trazodone for sleep. I was already on 1000 mg of Tegretol. At first, this combo was a lifesaver, and I felt the best I have felt in years - even became slightly hypomanic and over-the-moon happy. Then, 4 months in, my mood swung to a deep suicidal depression, so I went back in the hospital for 2 weeks, and they upped the Geodon to 40 mg, then 80 mg, and the anxiety and insomnia became so bad they gave me the max they could with sleep meds, and I left the hospital worse than ever. Anxiety so bad I had to take clonazepam to counteract. Would not take again."

• Mug...
• Taken for 5 to 10 years
• July 19, 2018

For Bipolar Disorder "I was on Geodon from 2004 to 2014. The effect actually made me like a zombie. My neurologist actually diagnosed me with Parkinson’s, drug-induced. Pale skin, stone face, never smiled or showed expression, my tongue would be sticking out, and I had no clue. I stumbled and fell often. My daughter researched it in college, and her psychopharmacology professor told her how bad it was. Took me 2 months to be weaned off. Four years later, and I am having extreme anxiety and trust issues. Been on other psych meds for 15 years, new psychiatrist researching to find answers. Wish me luck."

• hea...
• January 19, 2012

For Bipolar Disorder "I have only been taking this medicine for a few days to replace Seroquel, and I feel good but very jittery at 80 mg PM. I gained a lot of weight on Seroquel, and my blood tests were not good. My doctor said for some people Geodon is 'activating' at this dose, and he raised it 20 more mg and said maybe I would feel calmer. I have read reviews of people getting sleepy - I hope I get sleepier! I have a great doctor - that also makes a difference!"

• Ang...
• Taken for 1 to 2 years
• May 8, 2016

For Schizophrenia "It's wonderful for treating the symptoms of schizophrenia. Unfortunately, it comes with terrible anxiety for me. Almost every night, I get this weird, overwhelming feeling, can't sit still, and I can only describe it as a panic attack. My benzo doesn't help, all I can do is go to bed. I'm only taking 20 mg twice a day. I'm scared if I ever need to increase the dosage."

• But...
• December 15, 2016

For Bipolar Disorder "This was the worst experience I've had with a medication. I had to go off Lithium because it gave me hypothyroidism and diabetes insipidus, and Geodon was a replacement. I was given Geodon at the lowest dose for about two weeks. I was okay, but experiencing a bit of random anxiety. Then my dose was upped, and I had a panic attack (I've only had 3 of those in my life before) within 24 hours. Several days later, I was in the ER with suicidal thoughts for the first time in 20 years. As far as general effectiveness goes, before the dosage increase sent everything haywire, I got depressed right away once totally off the Lithium, so it wasn't really helping anyway. The suicidal thoughts and anxiety were gone within 48 hours after I stopped taking it."

• 515...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• July 29, 2017

For Bipolar Disorder "This basically affected me the same as Latuda, did nothing to help my depression, and made my anxiety worse, also made me feel restless and kinda agitated, plus I was clenching my jaws, and had jaw tightness and pain, something I normally do not have, stopped taking this."

• Fat...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• March 22, 2019

For Bipolar Disorder "Worst experience ever! Took this horrible medicine for bipolar disorder since Zyprexa made me gain weight. The first dose was like something out of a nightmare. I felt extremely drowsy, but anxious. Worst anxiety I have ever felt. Everything made me anxious. I wanted to sleep, but couldn't because of the anxiety. Worst feeling I have ever felt. I wanted to go to the hospital to flush it out, but just waited it out. One day later, still feeling slight anxiety and want to grind my teeth really badly."

• Hey...
• June 24, 2019

For Bipolar Disorder "Been on Geodon over 2 years with Lamictal for bipolar 1 disorder. Handled mania well for a year at 120 mg of Geodon once a night. Summer came, extreme mania hit, and now take olanzapine only when feeling nuttier than usual. Haven't experienced extreme mania over a year now and take 120 mg of Geodon once at night. Causes low libido for me and clonazepam daily needed for bad anxiety. Give it an 8.5."

• CGr...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• July 23, 2022

For Bipolar Disorder "Never left a review for any medication, but my experience was so awful I felt obligated to leave this one. I experienced the worst possible depersonalization, anxiety, and full-blown drug-induced psychosis already on my first dose of 40 mg. I am literally changing doctors for this reason. My doctor didn’t even mention the possibility of such a bad reaction. I had only seen the positive reviews before, so it wasn’t something I “placebo’d” myself into. In fact, I was very hopeful and positive. Wish I had checked the negative reviews beforehand. It shouldn’t be legal to try this drug on anyone outside of a hospital setting."

• Anonymous
• October 21, 2011

For Bipolar Disorder "I'm taking Geodon 20 mg in the morning and evening now. The first night was AMAZING, it was the prime of my existence. I felt so calm and present and able to think of one thing at a time. I requested to take it in the morning too. The second day, I got an anxiety attack in the middle of the day, and I'd never had one previously, so I didn't know what to do with myself. The next few days, the restlessness got better until it was gone. I thought it was over, but today I got a weird feeling of uncoordination and discomfort, I couldn't write either. But every time I get a strange side effect, I nap it off. Seems to work. After napping, I'm golden. Tomorrow will be my first completed week of Geodon."

• Amy...
• November 17, 2018

For Schizophrenia "I have been on Geodon for the last 5 years. As soon as I started taking Geodon at 20 mg, my sleep started to get disturbed. I was bumped up to 60 mg, and the hallucinations have tapered off. I still get delusions and feelings that people are talking out of my mouth as my mouth moves with words. I had initial symptoms of restlessness and anxiety, but over time these symptoms have decreased and managed. I take Geodon with food at 5:30 pm, and it wires me so I can't sleep at night. I tried taking Geodon in the morning with food, but sometimes if I don't eat enough food, it causes forced drowsiness and I am unable to do anything but sleep for a couple of hours. I switched to evening in case the forced drowsiness appeared again. I found that moderate exercise 5 days a week helps with sleep because Geodon increases DHEA levels, and when DHEA is elevated, you have sleep issues. In the fifth year of Geodon, I started to get drug-induced Parkinsonism."

• Anonymous
• Taken for 10 years or more
• September 19, 2017

For Schizoaffective Disorder "I was on Geodon for 12 years. I would take it at night with 500 calories. No weight gain. It worked really well for me for about 9 years. I did have mouth movements and then got anxiety. The past 2 years, I've been struggling with all the symptoms of schizoaffective disorder. Now I'm trying something new. I wish it worked the way it used to."

• ran...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• August 21, 2019

For Bipolar Disorder "I was on Geodon and Depakote a dozen years ago for a few months. The whole time I was on Geodon, I was so down on myself. It's a terrible drug. They gave me Klonopin for the anxiety caused by Geodon, but that made me fall asleep all the time, so I couldn't keep taking it. It gave me a blank, vacuous expression, too."

• 600...
• Taken for 1 to 2 years
• January 20, 2022

For Bipolar Disorder "I have been taking antidepressants for approximately 20 years now. I normally find one that works well and am able to maintain progress for years until it just stops working. I take Geodon (20mg, CL62 Generic ONLY) at night, after eating at least 600 calories. The catch-22: I have little to no appetite, so it is often a chore to decide on something to eat in order to fulfill that caloric requirement. I say requirement because if I ever fall short of those 600 at night, the next day, I will have extreme anxiety (day-long panic attacks) and various other side effects. It took me almost 8 months of suffering to figure that part out on my own. I've also noticed that my caloric intake during the day needs to be at a similar level or the panic, paranoia, overheating, nausea will creep its way into my day. I just wanted to share my 'ah hah' with anyone else who may be suffering through anxiety and other effects while trying to stay with an otherwise miracle med."

• Eer...
• Taken for 2 to 5 years
• June 9, 2022

For Schizoaffective Disorder "This is a nightmare drug. Idiotic doctors prescribed me every medication in the book, every sleep aid, even Chinese acupuncture, hoodoo, voodoo. Hell, I've even dabbled in witchcraft to try to stop my mental anguish. Brain zaps, itchiness, muscle pain, back pain, anxiety, heart palpitations, muscle spasms. I've been put on medication to help with the side effects of this demonic drug. I'm in immense pain, and my head is jerking uncontrollably. Be aware that this garbage is made by Pfizer and has been known to cause brain damage."

• Dru...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• February 5, 2022

For Bipolar Disorder "This is my second review. I just want to warn everyone about this drug. I felt suicidal because of my horrible experience of taking it for 2 months. I felt drugged on this medication. My doctor went from 20 mg to 80 mg twice daily over several weeks. At 20-40 mg twice daily, I felt weird, like I viewed life from a strange perspective, and at 60-80 mg, I felt drunk all day long. I was crying all the time, depressed and suicidal, also very moody. I switched to asenapine and so far the veil between me and the world has been lifted, but suffering withdrawal now. Terrible anxiety and trauma from this drug."