TeenHelp - Medication question

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Medication question

I have an appointment with my psychiatrist on Monday but last appointment she gave me the names of two medications to look up and said she would be giving me one or both of them next time for my bipolar.
My first question is about Invega, I tried looking it up but I can't figure out why it gets prescribed to people with bipolar.
My next question is about Geodon, which I also can't figure out.

And my next, which I don't think can be answered here anyways is if I take one or both of these would it be added on top of my current meds or be replacing one or both of them? I currently take lithium and tegretol.

Re: Medication question

Well Rick, I'm not a professional, but I'll try my best to help you. :)

As far as Invega goes, I looked at their website. Seems to me that, perhaps, your psychiatrist wants to try this medication because it helps with the moods and psychotic issues with Schizo-Affective Disorder, which isn't a whole lot different from Bipolar Disorder, in most ways.

Now, the website for Geodon, one of the first things that comes up is that it's meant to treat Bipolar Disorder. Apparently, Geodon is supposed to be able to accompany lithium for treatment of Bipolar Disorder (mostly acute Manic and Mixed episodes, it says).

I don't know why she'd bring up the 1st one without trying the 2nd one with your Lithium first, but I'm not the doctor. But, maybe knowing a little bit more about what she might be thinking on this will help you make the right judgement when it comes time to get the medications..?

Sorry I can't do much for you here, Rick. I hope it all goes well and helps you out in the end. :)

Re: Medication question

Any little bit helps, I didn't know all that about Invega because I didn't think of going to the manufacturers website so thanks.
And I didn't know Geodon was meant to be used with lithium so that kind of answered one of my questions too.

Re: Medication question

Invega is an atypical antipsychotic. I'm not sure about you but i get psychotic both when i'm depressed and when i'm manic which may be why they are choosing this medication. I also know that many antipsychotics can also be used to help treat bipolar disorder, such as the one i'm on right now.

Re: Medication question

Quote:

Originally Posted by daisyduck (Post 827290)

Hey, I get psychotic when I'm depressed or manic too. I used to be on zyprexa at one point, and resperidone at another. I hated them so much because I gained so much weight and felt like a zombie. All my limbs felt like they were full of wet sand and I just felt more depressed on them than I was before so I stopped taking them. Then the doctor told my parents to make sure I was swallowing them every night which made me dislike them more but I still wasn't taking them.
Eventually the doctor decided to give up on antipsychotics with me, but now I have a new one and she wants to try them. From what she says it sounds like she thinks I either rapid cycle or am usually in a mixed episode. I think I'm usually mixed but once in awhile I get a little peak of mania or a little peak of depression but then go back to mixed or normal.

I'm a bit scared of antipsychotics still though, last time I was on them I was 17 and I just recently got over the TD it gave me. It even made it hard to talk, what kind of medication that's supposed to help you makes it hard to talk?

Re: Medication question

There are two things that go into med decisions form the docs perspective. Speed and efficacy. How fast does it begin to work, and how effective is it given the presenting symptoms. The goal being the fastest way to alleviate most of the symptoms. Makes sense.

Invega (or other anti psychotics) are used with Bi Polar because they target the psychotic component of Bi Polar (manic phase), AND they work much more quickly than lithium. They also work differently in the body, on a cellular level, but that's another story.

Zyprexa is known for weight gain, but at the time it was introduced, it was seen as an improvement over it's predecessors b/c of how quickly it worked and how more thoroughly it targeted the more aggressive psychotic symptoms.

Invega is a newer anti psychotic, and with each new drug, they tweak it..it's evolution.. to maximize beneficial effects x speed to target - side effects. So, if you didn't do well on Zyprexa, etc., Invega might be a good choice.

It takes a while sometimes to find the right combo of meds, but with time and patience it's worth it...keep talking to your doc and help him/her find the right ones for you.

Re: Medication question

Antipsycotics are supposed to help with bipolor helps to not get manic. I have mood disorder un specific kinda like bipolor and I take a antipsycotic for my moods so I dont get manic.

If you have questions about a med then you can always ask your psyciatrist. Huggss