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Geodon medicine - effective or fashionable?

Geodon medicine is one of the atypical anti-psychotics originally developed to treat schizophrenia - a serious psychiatric condition characterized by delusions, hallucinations, paranoia, and an inability to function appropriately in social or interpersonal relationships.

In the US, the FDA has approved Geodon for use in treating ACUTE bipolar mania and mixed states.

However, it has also been known to TRIGGER mania.

Other side effects include:

1. Panic attacks (why I stopped taking Geodon medicine), and 2. EXTREME sedation (another reason so many folks can't take it).

It is also known to promote insulin resistance and cause diabetes in some patients.

Geodon is another so-called "bipolar med" that is NOT a mood stabilizer.

It is ONLY useful for treating ACUTE episodes of bipolar mania.

As Dr Jim Phelps says of Geodon and bipolar:

"It has no clear role; but hey, it causes less weight gain than Zyprexa, and really helps an occasional patient."

Geodon information - just the facts

In the US, the FDA has approved Geodon medication for treating:

Geodon medicine thought by many experts to be of limited use in the treatment of bipolar disorder.

1. Schizophrenia

2. Acute mania in bipolar disorder

3. Acute bipolar mixed states.

Geodon was created by Pfizer, a major US big pharma company. It is also available in generic form as ziprasidone.

As with many bipolar medications, it is not yet known exactly how Geodon medication works - only that it interacts with the neurotransmitters most often implicated in mood disorder. That is, dopamine, serotonin and norepinephrine.

Populations who MUST NOT use Geodon are elderly patients with dementia, and people with a history of heart conditions. Also, for those who CAN tolerate the side effects, it is only effective as a SHORT TERM TREATMENT when manic.

Pfizer persist in trying to promote Geodon medicine as a long term treatment, i.e. a maintenance treatment or mood stabilizer that someone with bipolar disorder can use over an extended period of time to prevent relapses and mood swings.

This is simply not true - Geodon ONLY WORKS as a longer term treatment if used with a proven maintenance mood stabilizer such as lithium.

"In September 2009, Pfizer pleaded guilty to illegally marketing Geodon as an effective treatment for a variety of conditions, including, but not limited to: depression, bipolar maintenance, mood disorder, anxiety, dementia, and obsessive compulsive disorder."

About Geodon Medication

Geodon medication and bipolar disorder

It seems that Geodon is of limited utility in treating bipolar. However, in some people it is helpful and as one of the few bipolar medications that does not cause weight gain, it is often a popular choice - at least for trial use.

Keep in mind that it is never suggested by experts as a first line treatment, unless the patient is in the grip of acute mania.

Consumer Reports summarized Geodon for bipolar disorder like this:

"Ziprasidone can help reduce symptoms of mania, such as feeling upset, having racing thoughts, and not being able to sleep. One study found that half of people felt better with ziprasidone, as compared with one third of people who felt better when taking a pretend treatment (a placebo)."

Geodon medicine treats many other conditions far more effectively than it treats bipolar disorder.

One thing to consider is that many people are misdiagnosed as having bipolar disorder. It may be that Geodon is effective in treating whatever other condition misdiagnosed patients may have instead.

Even on the Pfizer website dedicated to promoting Geodon for treating bipolar disorder, there is only one single point made in the drug's favor - that The American Psychiatric Association has stated that GEODON has a low risk of weight gain! Despite being less associated with weight gain, there are other serious side effects to consider.

To REALLY address weight gain, use THE BIPOLAR DIET

However, the main thing to understand about Geodon and bipolar disorder is that it does NOT provide any help with episodes of depression, and CANNOT be used for ongoing MAINTENANCE.

User Reviews of Geodon for Bipolar

Return from Geodon Medicine to Bipolar Medications

Return from Geodon Medicine to Bipolar Lives home