Generic Name: Saphris for Schizophrenia (asenapine)
Saphris for Schizophrenia Reviews
"After being non-responsive to all antipsychotics, I was given Saphris at 27. My life was very hard up until this point. Saphris has given me a life free of all mental illness. I have absolutely nothing wrong with me now. I run my own business and was previously on a disability pension and couldn’t work. Eight years on and I have never been sick. Only downside is I get restless for a few hours at night when I take it and get sugar cravings and can’t sleep until I eat sugar, also this affects my weight. I’m quite hungry on Saphris and gain weight very easily, which bothers me, but it’s given me a normal life, so I have to deal with it."
"I want everyone to know that my son has taken Saphris for about 4 years. His biggest side effect problem was the jaw tightening and the facial contortions. However, we recently found that if he eats a banana within 20-30 minutes of taking Saphris, these symptoms do not happen. This is based on Saphris removing dopamine, and the banana gives a little boost of dopamine back, so it counteracts these side effects. I tried to call Allergan to let them know this works, but I have not heard back from them. This really does work. So if you take Saphris and have this side effect, try eating a banana within 20-30 minutes after taking it, and the facial contortions do not occur. This would probably work with other antipsychotic drugs also. It has made my son's life so much easier. Antipsychotic drugs shut down certain dopamine receptors in the brain. The banana gives a small boost of dopamine, just enough to counter the effects of the drug."
"I take Saphris 25 mg every day. I have bipolar/schizoaffective/OCD/PTSD. It has been 2 1/2 weeks and it is helping a ton! Negatives: kind of annoying to take but you'll get used to it. It is a tablet that you put under your tongue and wait for 10 minutes to eat or drink. It just came out with a black cherry taste which tastes like a little piece of candy. Other negatives are headaches, some insomnia, but then sometimes it will help a lot with sleep. I think the insomnia is due to my caffeine intake. So if you really want this medicine to work, don't use pop/coffee, big pupils. Positives: calmer, deeper and longer sleep, increased motivation, weight loss, decreased irritability, more stable mood, more creativity, can pay attention more, more creativity, and a clearer mind."
"I was put on Saphris for voices and intrusive thoughts. I think it works really well. Most of my voices are gone, and as far as my intrusive thoughts, they're better. I'm on 10 mg at bedtime and 10 mg in the morning. It also helps with sleep. After about a month on Saphris, once I got stable, I started being more active and exercising. I even started volunteering at a job. I know it works differently for everybody, but it really works well for me."
"I was put on Saphris after being on Clozaril for 13 years. My schizophrenia is completely controlled on this medicine. However, it is much less sedating than Clozaril, and sleep is sometimes a challenge. It also seems to not increase my appetite-the first of its kind! For a while, it was also prolonging the QT wave of my heart, but that seems to have leveled off. But I do have one major complaint. It sometimes makes me forget how to pronounce words. I guess this is similar to an effect of Topamax. All things said, it's good to be almost normal."
"I have been on this medicine for only 2 weeks, and I already know that it's the best thing that could happen for me. I wanted to post so others know that the benefits of Saphris are real in my case. Perhaps people's side effects are from other medicines/withdrawal from other medicines? I was on olanzapine, but I continued to have unclear thinking, and my weight gain over a year was astronomical. I live in Australia, and it's a subsidized medicine here, it is truly the lucky country, and I'm so very grateful. This medicine is changing my life."
"For the first few weeks, I felt amazing. So much better, I couldn't believe it. I hadn't been that totally free from visions with any other medication. I didn't much enjoy randomly falling asleep when I took my afternoon dose, but at the time, it seemed worth it. However, after about a month, I started feeling like the best thing for me to do would be to kill myself. I didn't get depressed, none of my old symptoms returned, I just felt like it was the logical thing to do. It felt so normal that I didn't report it to my doctor for a month. He told me to stop taking Saphris, and within 2 weeks, all of my suicidal thoughts stopped. My symptoms returned, but it was a fair trade. I just want people to know and to be careful."
"Saphris has done wonders for me. I have been on 10 mg at night since July 7th, and I have lost 4 lbs already. I was on Invega paliperidone 9 mg for 10 years. No matter how hard I tried (fasting, counting my calories), I couldn't lose weight. I like how Saphris puts me to sleep right away, but I'm not tired the next day. Also, I have my sex drive back, which I never had on Invega. I am so glad they have come up with better medications these days."
"I've been on so many antipsychotics, but none have ever worked as well as Saphris. (I'm on 40 mgs. I think that's the max dose.) It tastes HORRIBLE. They are supposedly 'black cherry' flavored. Well, I don't know where the manufacturers are getting THEIR black cherries, but this stuff certainly doesn't taste like any cherries I have ever eaten! Other than the taste and the tingly tongue, I love it. It had been a miracle worker for me. I'm relieved, because I think my psychiatrist and I are running out of options!"
"I've been taking Saphris 10 mg twice a day for over a year. It has helped me tremendously. I no longer hear 9 voices, down to 2 voices that are quiet. I do not get dizzy or tired on it as well. It has given me clarity and rest from voices. It has been good for me so far, so grateful. I no longer have anxiety as well."
"I'm 28 and was just diagnosed with schizophrenia about a month ago. I was given Saphris, this is my first antipsychotic medication, and it makes me immensely drowsy after 10 minutes. It slowed down the racing thoughts and negative ideas in my head in order to set aside my wants and needs and socially accept what is happening around me and what I need to do. The only downside so far is the intense drowsiness and that gnawing restless sleep feeling when I tried to go to sleep before my regular sleeping schedule. I can't remember falling asleep at all due to the tossing and turning. I do recommend taking it when you're 100% positive you're going to sleep and not a moment sooner. Woke up calm and well-rested. DAY 1."
"I have been on Saphris for two and a half months now. So far, it has been great. My eating is under control compared to when I was on Invega. So far, I have lost 3 kg due to diet and exercise. Hope to lose some more weight. The only side effect I will complain about is my extended sleep. I sleep for 12-15 hours a day. A bit of a worry for when I am trying to get back to work."
"I've been on Saphris for 3 years now, mostly because of my voices. I have been at my healthiest, and voices are at the lowest they've been in the past 30 years of being sick! I'm thankful for this medication and wish I could've found it sooner. Thanks!"
"I took Saphris for about 3 months for very, very mild schizoaffective disorder. I have body paranoia, delusions, constant fear, anxiety, severe depression, anorexia (unrelated) etc. This medication took all of that away. I was happy, smiling more, being more social, I was eating more again and even got back to a healthy weight (intentional gains) However, after being on it for 3 months I found myself unable to do every day tasks. My mental ability to do anything was gone, totally. My mental functioning got so bad I had to have an accommodation through HR at work so I didn't lose my job while I got off the meds. Overall, super helpful. But that whole brain not working was a dealbreaker. I was so sad to get off Saphris. Back to square one."
"I have been on first 5mg then 10 mg now 20 mg of Saphris since 10-14. At first I thought I'd fould the Holy Grail of schizophrenia! All hallucinations just stopped! However, as time goes on, schizophrenia sticks it's insidious little head out of the sand and back I go into the hospital. Overall-compared to the other anti-psychotics out there, pretty good stuff man."
"I have been on several medications over my many years (36 years old now). I have been on medications for over 20 years off and on. I have been on Saphris for almost 3 weeks now, and I cannot tell you what a godsend this has been. My doc just added lithium to my regimen, and as he refers to it, it is like Batman and Robin. Batman works great but can sometimes use the help of Robin. The only thing is it can be cost prohibitive without insurance."
"I've been on this medicine for about 6-9 months and its a wonderful drug. No more paranoid thoughts or delusions. I'm on the max dose which is 20 mg. It made me sleep for 12-14 hours a night at first but not anymore."
"I'm a 50 year old man. I have been on Saphris for 5 years for Schizophrenia after many years of Risperdal. The Saphris quiets the voices pretty well and they come back quickly if I'm late with a dose. I still feel a little anxious but the med really helps. I sleep heavily at night with lots of strange dreams and usually take a nap during the day but I haven't had any weight gain."
"It seems to have calmed the ranting, raving, racing thoughts in my mind, and I have not heard any voices, or bad thoughts against myself or others. It is also helping me with quitting my smoking addiction. The racing thoughts have always triggered smoking needs but now I find myself going much longer times with out worries and need to smoke. I'm staying on task better also. I'm on Depakote ER, Invega, Cogentin, Lexapro, Abilify and Saphrise is a very pleasant surprise."
"I'm happy. I've tried all medicines for schizophrenia on the Australian market, this just came out here. I've been on it for a couple of months, and my old depot of flupentixol is washing out now. I'm pretty amazed at how few side effects there are. I can wake up in the mornings and have sex. I suffered from female sexual dysfunction and/or somnolence for years, I was so unhappy with both those scenarios. Now I'm only sleeping about 9 or 10 hours, and I can date and romance. As far as these antipsychotics go, this is the best for me. It still makes me a little sleepy and sedated, but I am approaching normalcy again for the first time in 20 years. It's easier on my heart as well, I can go a lot further in my workouts."
"After my whole life suffering with schizophrenia and being non responsive to anti psychotic drugs . Saphris (10mg) put me into complete remission to the point that I no longer had ANY mental illness in any shape or form. And every year that passed I become stronger and more alive then ever ! But unfortunately I get intense sugar cravings through the night after I take it that I can’t control and I have to get out of bed and eat. This had resulted in unwanted weight gain and I have a history of an eating disorder so it’s important not to be over weight. The weight gain bothers me so much that I’m now trialling Rexulti to see if that can help with hunger."
"I been on so many medications. This one is the best medication I have been on. The only negative is that it makes me sleepy when I take the medication. Overall, this medication is great because you don't have to worry about the voices."
"I just started taking this medication last night. I've tried Abilify, Risperdal, Geodon, Fanapt, Latuda, Loxitane and others as well as an array of Antidepressants and Antianxiety pills. It is very bitter, but I have to say I sleep GREAT now! I will try to put more on here as my treatment continues."
"I was put on this medication while in the hospital for voices and other symptoms. It is the worst antipsychotic I've been on. Not only does it taste foul and numbs your mouth, but it also made me dizzy and extremely nauseated. The nausea and dizziness were so horrible that I ended up getting physically sick; I could not keep food or water down. Whenever I stood up, I could feel my blood pressure drop and I had difficulties walking straight. I was lucky that I was with other patients while off the ward because I could have easily fallen. After two days of misery, I told the staff that I wouldn't take it anymore. I'm sure it was helpful for some people, but the amount of sickness it caused me wasn't enough for me to stay on it."
"Been on every psych medicine available...have severe OCD, mostly related to sex and sexuality issues. I was on Invega and it was steps above any of the other antipsychotics I've tried. I was functional. I'm on Saphris now and it is steps above Invega. Has helped my depression so much it's amazing. I was severely suicidal and had been for at least 2 years with two serious attempts. Not suicidal any more. Also, sometimes I'm even able to socialize pretty normally. Take it with Prozac, Adderall and Neurontin."
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