Ziprasidone and Restlessness: What Users Say (Page 2)

• crw...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• January 4, 2021

Ziprasidone for Bipolar Disorder "Geodon gave me extreme akathisia, which sucked because it truly took away my ruminating thoughts. Or rather, I was so consumed by the akathisia that I didn't have time to think. If you can stomach it, I think it's a good drug, but was not right for my body, unfortunately."

• Anonymous
• April 8, 2012

For Paranoid Disorder "I would get very restless after each dose, and it really knocked me out, although in some ways that was a very good thing. I lost weight on it, which was a huge plus, and was way less paranoid. It was a great medicine, probably my favorite antipsychotic besides Latuda. No anger at all either; I was very relaxed."

• Mor...
• Taken for 2 to 5 years
• December 28, 2015

Ziprasidone for Bipolar Disorder "I've been taking Geodon for a few years now. I'm supposed to take 180 mg at night. But instead of knocking me out, I'm restless and feel like I'm going to crawl out of my skin. So I take 80 mg in the morning and evening along with Zoloft, Vistril, and Klonopin, a cocktail that makes me slumber for over twelve hours a day. My mood, all the time unless triggered, is 'numb.'"

• Dav...
• June 24, 2021

For Bipolar Disorder "Ziprasidone has changed my life. In 26 years of trying to treat my bipolar disorder, I have never found a medication that works as well as ziprasidone at managing my symptoms. It keeps depression at bay while preventing me from swinging into hypomania, and I haven’t slept this well in as long as I can remember. I wake each day feeling refreshed with a sense of calm well-being, and my mood is smooth and steady. In the beginning, and while titrating to my current dose (40 mg twice a day), the side effects were pretty rough. I had gastrointestinal issues with multiple bouts of diarrhea in the morning, and it gave me akathisia, which was quite uncomfortable and made falling asleep difficult. My doctor prescribed 50 mg of hydroxyzine for the akathisia, which worked extraordinarily well (and has also helped me sleep through the night). Once I had been on Geodon for several weeks, the side effects subsided, and I was left with excellent mood stability."

• Nov...
• September 22, 2016

For Schizoaffective Disorder "Although with side effects, this medication made my bipolar symptoms almost disappear. It works a little on my delusions. The side effects I have are tiredness, akathisia (internal restlessness), and muscle twitches. My hands especially tremble a lot. Overall, it's worth it to not be suicidal constantly."

• Noc...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• July 10, 2021

Ziprasidone for Schizoaffective Disorder "All I’m going to say is that it gave me such extreme akathisia that I was suicidal and landed in the psych ward again. I may be prone to akathisia, as I’m realizing with antipsychotic meds, which is unfortunate."

• 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."

• Jac...
• Taken for 6 months to 1 year
• April 7, 2022

Ziprasidone for Schizoaffective Disorder "DO NOT TAKE THIS DRUG: REALLY BAD INSOMNIA. This medicine helped with my symptoms, but it wasn't worth it. It made me feel like a zombie, it made me feel like, it rubbish got rid of my appetite and I lost 70 lbs in about 6 months, it took away all creativity and motivation I had. It made me severely depressed and anxious for a while, made me restless where I couldn't get comfortable, and worst of all was the chronic insomnia. That started with me waking up after three hours of sleep sometimes and not being able to fall back asleep, then turned into me laying awake for hours without even getting close to sleep. I started taking sleeping pills to sleep, and sometimes they wouldn't even work. And even when they did, they made you feel horrible the next day. I never felt sleepy. I know if I wouldn't have taken those sleep aids, I probably would never have slept. Stay away from this drug if you value sleeping."

• Ver...
• Taken for 1 to 2 years
• February 26, 2023

For Schizoaffective Disorder "I'm on lamotrigine, which stopped all the depression. However, on it alone, I still got hypersexuality, a desire to spend, and hear voices. I have had anger outbursts and slipped into past trauma because I also have CPTSD. The ziprasidone cleared my thinking almost straight away. I no longer have the other symptoms. It calms me. It helped a bit with sleeping, but I now take prazosin for sleeping. Unfortunately, I put on possibly 5 kg, not too bad. I can't take a high dose because I get restless and have a very tight jaw. I can only take 20 mg at night. I tried 40 mg but got shaky and couldn't drive. I'm very sensitive to meds, though, and given I'm on lamotrigine, I guess I only need the ziprasidone to stop the voices, hypomania, and hypersexuality, which it's doing. I highly recommend it."

• Afl...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• August 23, 2019

Ziprasidone for Bipolar Disorder "I absolutely hate this medication. I either feel numb or like it has dulled my personality. I feel anxious and restless on it. It really does nothing to help my mood swings."

• Anonymous
• September 14, 2009

Ziprasidone for Bipolar Disorder "Worst akathisia - anxiety, very hyper, pacing, tachycardia."

• All...
• February 19, 2016

Ziprasidone for Bipolar Disorder "Geodon has helped with the low mood swings. It does make me restless. I take it only in the morning. Lamictal has been my saving grace. It's been months since I've slipped into depression."

• Ano...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• April 18, 2022

Ziprasidone for Bipolar Disorder "Really bad akathisia. Also, the 500 calories 2x a day with the medication is absolutely ridiculous. Pass. This med doesn't deserve a 1 in my book."

• vos...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• April 12, 2017

For Schizophrenia "This medication worked the best of any antipsychotic for my delusions and paranoia, but the side effects were basically unbearable. Akathisia was sometimes so bad I wanted to have my legs amputated."

• Tra...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• August 5, 2021

Ziprasidone for Schizophrenia "Did not work to stop or reduce my delusional thinking and voices. Also made me extremely restless. I hated it and wanted to die."