Ziprasidone and Depression: What Users Say

• Gia...
• September 23, 2019

Ziprasidone for Bipolar Disorder "I've been taking Geodon for years and now take the generic Ziprasidone. I can't tell any differences and are unremarkable. It has NOT made me gain weight and that is one reason I started taking this particular antipsychotic. I sleep like a rock but am a little groggy when I first wake up but that goes away pretty fast. The only really remarkable side effect is my emotions or lack thereof. I have total radical acceptance on most issues in life. I'm never overly happy or overly sad. I'm just on cruise control and it takes a lot to make me angry. It has definitely slowed down my rapid cycling, which I'm very grateful for. I am glad my doctor put me on this medication. It has literally been a lifesaver for me."

• Anonymous
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• June 19, 2012

Ziprasidone for Schizoaffective Disorder "When I first went on Geodon, it was like a sigh of relief. The first day I slept all day, but the grogginess passed. I took 160 mg once daily (the 80 mg twice daily didn't work, as it made me groggy). I had slight headaches and akathisia, but it was tolerable, and my mood was greatly improved. No rage, mood swings, or delusions. Unfortunately, I started getting depressed and was bumped up to 240 mg. Big mistake. I became a total zombie. I barely laughed, I couldn't read, and I had no emotions or interests. I lay in bed all the time. I lost 20 pounds and didn't have an increased appetite, which was a plus, but I was so tired. This medicine is a good one, just be careful you aren't put on a high dose."

• Ace...
• Taken for 1 to 2 years
• June 7, 2022

Ziprasidone for Bipolar Disorder "I've been taking Geodon for a little over a year, and I am constantly exhausted. Tired, no memory, no motivation, raw depression. I'm sure it works for some people, but me? I feel dead inside. So, do not recommend."

• Cle...
• Taken for 1 to 2 years
• September 14, 2015

Ziprasidone for Bipolar Disorder "This medication turned me into a zombie. I was so tired and unmotivated all the time. I decided I wanted off of this poison and had to taper so slow because I got bad withdrawals in the smallest dose changes. I even went down to 10 mg by emptying out half the capsule. When I went to zero, I ended up in the emergency room with severe dehydration from the vomiting and diarrhea caused by the withdrawals, and I was unable to care for myself or my daughter for about two weeks. I thought my body was giving up its will to live. I have quit dilaudid cold turkey with minimal discomfort, so it's not like I can't handle discomfort, but quitting Geodon was terrible, and from now on I will be doing more research on each medication I put in my body."

• Man...
• Taken for 6 months to 1 year
• April 24, 2020

Ziprasidone for Schizophrenia "I have been on Geodon for 9 months now, and though I have lost 30 pounds of the Risperdal weight I gained, I am now experiencing a condition called Anhedonia, and I am absolutely ruined. Now that I see the world this way, I can never go back to the way I was, I get no pleasure out of life whatsoever."

• she...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• October 14, 2015

Ziprasidone for Bipolar Disorder "This medication was a disaster for my bipolar disorder. I felt depressed and hyper at the same time. I couldn't sleep, and couldn't think clearly. I was more manic than I'd ever been. Stopping the drug was like turning off the faucet of pain."

• Jil...
• November 15, 2016

Ziprasidone for Bipolar Disorder "My Dr. switched me from Risperidone to Geodon because of weight gain. I had taken Geodon back in 2002 and didn't have any side effects that I can recall. However, this time it was a nightmare. As soon as I started taking it, I felt sick. The side effects I experienced: sore throat, cough, sore throat glands, restlessness, acid indigestion, heartburn, belching, depression, rash on my neck, loss of appetite, back pain, joint pain, flatulence, hot flashes, insomnia, unable to stay asleep, exhausted. I was on it for 2 1/2 weeks. My Dr. told me to stop cold turkey. The withdrawal was hell. I was dizzy for a week, hot flashes, chills, shaking, nauseous, vomiting, terrible spasms in my thighs. It took about 8 days for me to feel better."

• Ohi...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• November 3, 2015

Ziprasidone for Autism "The doctor prescribed Geodon 20 mg at night for my 8-year-old daughter. She has autism and a mood disorder. She has been on this medication for about a week, and I am stopping it. She has become very agitated and restless. As of this evening, she has become severely depressed and is sobbing over everything. It breaks my heart seeing her like this. I would never recommend this medication for any child."

• Tac...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• May 13, 2019

Ziprasidone "Was on Geodon for 6 weeks. Did not help with my irritability at all. If anything, it made it worse. It caused me to feel depressed as anything, as if I couldn't escape my own mind. It was a really messed up feeling. Ironically, Geodon was on my GeneSight test in the green column, yet it had this negative effect on me. Weaning off it now and never taking it again."

• But...
• December 15, 2016

Ziprasidone 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."

• joh...
• July 3, 2016

Ziprasidone for Bipolar Disorder "I was put on 80 mg twice a day. Couldn't handle that, so I started taking both at night. I've been on for 4 years, and then the side effects started: bad dystonia in my legs, arms, and face. Also, I was very depressed, felt hollow, and so snappy, always yelling at my kids. No ability to cry (you know sometimes a good cry just helps). So I called my doctor, and she cut it in half to 80. At first, I had some mood swings, but I have gotten them under control. Now I just ache all over and have bad headaches. But, on the lighter side, I feel much happier, not scared of people like I was before (because I was sure they were all talking about me and hated me). I haven't decided if I'm going to go off or completely. Right now, I'm happy where I'm at."

• fix...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• July 7, 2019

Ziprasidone for Bipolar Disorder "Do not take Geodon, I cannot stress this enough. It's a terrible drug. For me, it caused loss of appetite, bloating, and easy bruising. When you come off of the drug, it caused severe withdrawal such as brain fog, depression, and flu-like symptoms."

• Kay...
• Taken for 6 months to 1 year
• April 25, 2022

Ziprasidone for Schizophrenia "I take 120 mg Geodon for voices, hallucinations, and delusions, and it definitely helps that, from what I’ve noticed, a year later after starting it. The good thing is that it helps the positive symptoms, and it’s weight neutral. Make sure to eat at least 500 calories with it, as I have eaten less and heard voices. I think I lost like 20 lbs on this, as Zyprexa made me gain 40 lbs, but I was very underweight before. I think it gives me anhedonia, loss of intellect, and less creativity. My thoughts are a lot more clear, so clear that I can now go to college and live a productive life. It disappoints me because I cannot really enjoy myself or any artwork. I used to be an artist, now I cannot come up with new ideas. Geodon has made me stupid. I swear it suppresses a lot of my cognition. I take things so literally now, it’s insane."

• kyl...
• Taken for 1 to 2 years
• September 26, 2019

Ziprasidone for Schizoaffective Disorder "I have been on Geodon/Ziprasidone for about a year. My doctor convinces me it fights my symptoms, but all I experience is that 30 minutes after taking it, I go into depression. After the depression wears off, I then get sleepy, and I sleep. Other drugs that I have taken don't fight my mania symptoms, and I stay awake for days. The only advantage of Geodon is I sleep, but not after 40 minutes of depression. A small price to pay for sleep. But surprisingly, I wake up like a new man."

• Tom...
• Taken for 2 to 5 years
• March 4, 2021

Ziprasidone for Schizoaffective Disorder "Whenever I take this medicine, I start to feel depressed, then I feel so sleepy that I am unable to stay awake. So I give in, and after a 3-hour nap, I am all better and back to normal. It happens every time I take the medication. It is the only medication that can take me to sleep. I take 80 mg morning and night."

• Ash...
• Taken for 1 to 2 years
• June 23, 2019

For Bipolar Disorder "This is the second time I've been on Geodon for my bipolar disorder, and honestly, it's the only thing that's ever helped me. Geodon made me sleep 18 hours a day at first, but as I've increased the dose and gotten used to it, I've noticed that my anger has gotten better, in that after I take it, I'm not enraged. Also, it helps me not be psychotic. It helps me stay grounded in reality. I feel calm, prepared, and stable after I take it. I actually love this medicine. I take 60 mg twice a day. The only side effects are late periods (up to 10 days late) at times of dosage increases, making the PMS very intense, extreme sleepiness, and mild depression. But it's very manageable compared to my anger and psychosis and what I'm like without Geodon, so I'm happy with what Geodon does for me."

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

Ziprasidone 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."

• Rai...
• Taken for 6 months to 1 year
• April 2, 2023

For Schizophrenia "Yes, less anxiety but awful side effects. The doctor started me on the highest dose of 40 mg twice daily. I have pain in my head and pain behind my left eye, which I had to have a test done. Tapered down to 40 mg in the morning and 20 mg at night. I had severe agitation and irritability, which caused restlessness in my legs and feet at night. So then down to just 20 mg at night. Clenching jaw, a feeling of crawling in my left ear, muscle tension, neck pain, a fluttering of the heart, constipation, and the list goes on. I do not recommend this medication, the side effects have been too much for me to handle, but to mention worsening depression and suicide. Please research before any doctor prescribes this to you. I’m yet to get off of the 20 mg."

• Alw...
• Taken for 2 to 5 years
• May 27, 2019

For Bipolar Disorder "I have been on Geodon (Ziprasidone) 100 mg for 5 years to treat my Bipolar II. I also take an antidepressant. For me, Ziprasidone was highly effective in that it treated my depression, mood swings, and mania. Ziprasidone has kept me stable for the past 5 years and enabled me to keep several part-time jobs (I lost all of my full-time jobs due to my illness or wrong medications). However, I have just weaned off Ziprasidone over a one-month period (no problems). I finally had to give it up because of the constant tiredness and lack of motivation that it leaves me with. I wake up tired, it is hard to get out of bed every morning, and I have no motivation once I do so. Obviously, I cannot lie in bed because I must work. I have read on another column that Ziprasidone is extremely sedating. Well, this has been the experience with me. No other side effects, no weight gain, so it may be a good drug for you if you do not experience the sedation effect."

• Ron...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• March 25, 2019

For Bipolar Disorder "This medication works for me, surprising because the drug reviews are not very high on this one. Just goes to show that all of our brains are so different, so you really do have to try each one to see if they work for you. I've tried Vraylar, lamotrigine, and Seroquel, but too many side effects after a certain dose. Now steady taking Geodon 20 mg in AM and 60 mg PM, with 50 mg Seroquel at bedtime so I can sleep. Not too many side effects with Geodon, just a little muscle movement at night. I did get depressed on this, so I’ve been through a few trials of antidepressants. The combo that worked for me was when I combined it with Pristiq. They have made me feel like I can get through life again. I’m taking generics of both."

• Anonymous
• March 7, 2021

For Bipolar Disorder "This drug is the worst! I feel exhausted all day and can hardly keep my eyes open. My brain feels numb, and I feel emotionless. I’m hoping my doctor decreases this med for me because all I need is to sleep and zone out all day. Can’t clean, can hardly shower... have just enough energy to cook dinner because I have to eat with the pills (even though I’m never hungry)."

• Ann...
• Taken for 1 to 2 years
• October 20, 2018

For Schizoaffective Disorder "This stupid drug caused nothing but trouble for me. I've been on ziprasidone on and off for two years, and all it did to me was make me more aggressive, impulsive, and depressed. I recommend people not to take this drug."

• Mum...
• Taken for 2 to 5 years
• November 16, 2019

"I've been on ziprasidone for 4 years now for borderline personality disorder, and at first, I thought it was wonderful. Late last year, I developed an involuntary clenching of my jaw and teeth grinding, it's absolutely horrible, my whole face contorts. About 2 months ago, my psychiatrist said to stop taking it. I went downhill very fast, I suffered anxiety like I've never had before, and suffered a psychotic episode and became acutely unwell. I also fell asleep while driving, causing havoc. I was unable to get into my psychiatrist for two weeks and started taking Zeldox again. When I did see my psychiatrist once again, he said to stop the Zeldox as it was getting dangerous. That was 2 weeks ago, and I'm going through such a bad time trying to kick this drug. I was on 40 mg morning, 40 mg night, I have managed to get down to one a day. I'm very depressed, my thoughts are bad, I can't sleep at times, other times I cannot stay awake. My children had to move in with their dad. I've been unable to work and now in financial hardship."

• Anonymous
• March 22, 2016

For Bipolar Disorder "First of all, I hate when doctors lie. I was told no weight gain with this med, and I gained 4 pounds the first month. I only took the lowest dosage at night. I noticed after three weeks my weight gain, dizziness, blurred vision, the base of my tongue seemed swollen, visual hallucinations, and a dry mouth. I also became unusually depressed. I was trying to help myself because of anger outbursts. This was a terrible experience."

• ilo...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• August 26, 2020

For Schizoaffective Disorder "Medication took much trial and error, but ziprasidone really works for me. It doesn't completely make my symptoms go away, but they are relieved enough that I can function properly. It's an effective mood stabilizer at 160 mg/day, and I can always feel it doing its job when I think I'm going into another episode. I have no akathisia, no weight gain, no anhedonia, no sleepiness like other antipsychotics. My only complaint is that it's short-acting, and you will have to take it twice a day."