Coming off Invega Sustenna

Hi,
I was forced to take Invega Sustenna at 100mg a month for 10 months since Dec 5 2012. My last shot was on August 29th 2013. It gave me severe anhedonia and many other side effects and I am not unable to function. I have lost my job and have been on disability ever since. All of this started a week or so after my first injection.

I cannot describe in words how terrible I am feeling right now. I have no emotions and cannot feel joy, pleasure, happiness, or excited. Things that used to give pleasure have all stopped working after the first injection such as cigarettes, alcohol, etc. I have been off this medication for almost 3 months now and still haven't felt any improvement at all. I have read that this drug has a long half life of 25-49 days and can stay in your body for 300 days. It also usually takes a person 4-5 months after stopping the oral form of antipsychotics to start feeling better. So does this mean I will have to wait at least a year to start feeling better?

I am looking for anyone who has had experience with Invega Sustenna and how long it takes to feel better after coming off it. I am truly desperate and am hoping for some answers since my doctor can't seem to give a straight answer about this whenever I ask him.

Thank you in advance.

Still looking for some help..

No one has taken Invega Sustenna?

I have not taken the injectable form of Invega however I have taken the pill form. I think the difficult part of coming off any medication is that everyone's body is different. How one person reacts to coming off a medication can be completely different than another person. Some people have written on here that it has taken them a year or more to feel they have returned to their prior state after coming off a medication. Perhaps there are some other things you can do to try to increase your mood? Diet, exercise, building more positive experiences in your live, doing things that you used to enjoy and just getting into a regular routine is helpful for me.

Look, I have been wrongly diagnosed and obliged to take Invega. Main side effects: blocking concentration (to a debilitating level), anxiety (all caused by blocked serotonin), high cortisol, dyspraxia, fixed eyes, mutism, eventually urinary tract infection. The hospital, my psychoanalist and other psychiatrists urged me to stop it. In about 3 days my concentration loosed again, I talk and think again fast, my tongue is not entangled anymore, I LOOK more ok, my mood is ok. I have a very fast recovery period. I always maintain that if there is no a 100% certainty the individual has hallucinations antipsychotics should not be taken, really the side effects noticeable and on the organs are absurd.

It has been three months and a half now since my last injection. I still haven't felt any improvement and am scared to death.

Narshe81 wrote:It has been three months and a half now since my last injection. I still haven't felt any improvement and am scared to death.

Do you still talk to the doctor that gave you the stuff , if yes what does he/she say about the lasting anhedonia ?

I overcame the lasting anhedonia caused by the Zyprexa pills at first with Adderal and Ritalin often mixed with alcohol , not recommended .

Copy_Cat wrote:

Narshe81 wrote:It has been three months and a half now since my last injection. I still haven't felt any improvement and am scared to death.

Do you still talk to the doctor that gave you the stuff , if yes what does he/she say about the lasting anhedonia ?

I overcame the lasting anhedonia caused by the Zyprexa pills at first with Adderal and Ritalin often mixed with alcohol , not recommended .

I still see him. He still denies flat out that neuroleptic drugs caused my anhedonia. Regardless of what I told him about what I found online or how it all started after my first injection. He now says it's PTSD or a mood disorder and made an appointment for me to see a mood specialist on 24th coming up. It's all pointless. I gave up on them.

That is interesting. I did read a few posts from others who have ADHD and how their dopamine based ADHD medication all have stopped working after taking antipsychotics. This person said that only Ritalin at high dose works for him now.

How does it feel when you take RItalin? Maybe I can see if my pdoc can prescribe me some to try.

I started off by getting two shots back to back in august I am due for my next shot on sept 9 but I am not taking it and my psychiatrist terminated me bc of it I don't care I am so mad she put me on this med especially while I was in the hospital and had no way to research it before I took it.
I don't sleep, I'm highly agitated...and I've got bad anhedonia. I tried drinking too and also even meth I still couldn't get high not that I think it was a good idea I was just desperate to feel better in any way possible.
I think the more we excercise and drink lots of water it may come out our system faster...also am going to start pounding water...I am seeing a new dr next Wednesday and actually want to try some natural remedies, I don't like being on all this medicine.
I've gained 20lbs in a month ;(
If u are extremely bloated like I was I mean I definitely looked like I was having a baby but I got some probiotics and phazyme for gas and overnight my stomach has shrunk a lil.
I first thought that me getting newly diagnosed and on medicine was the best thing to happen to me now I know I've got better things coming for me bc right now I just feel absolutely horrible and like I'm a prisoner to my meds.
I hope this helped ... We will get through this one way or another it's just a stepping stone we've got to pass.
Also look for the stuff to detox your system that's my next purchase and experiment.

I was also misdiagnosed. I was forced to take Invega for 2years and have now been off it for 3months.I've been bedridden for that whole time I took invega and now feel no different. It has ruined my life. What I have read is that it takes 1-2years to start feeling better.I'm not sure I can hang in that long!

it will take a long time for the effect of the injection to come off and especially if you've been taking it for years. Slowly you might witness a gradual improvement in your condition but very slowly and you might need alot of patience. There are some instance that they do permanent alteration but I hope that not the same with you. Prayers to you.