Geodon (Ziprasidone) for Aspergers headbanging?

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I have banged my head hith hands and objects since the age of 2. Finally, (after 8 years of psychiatric medications for depression and anxiety) at the age of 22 was put on the antipsychotic Ziprasidone. The headbanging stopped by 98% overnight. However, there are some very nasty side effects after it begins to wear off about 8 hours after I take it. Do any of you use Geodon or any other antipsychotics?

My son takes it for Bi-polar disorder. He also has AS. It doesn't seem to make a difference as far as stimming or tics, but it keeps him here with us. It makes him very sleepy so he takes it at night.

Geodon is a very powerful, strong and sedating antipsychotic used to treat severe forms of mental illness as Schizophrenia and yes, it will have very nasty side effects. The longer a person takes any kind of antipsychotic, throughout the years, the more devastating the side effects will become...and these are irreversible.

If you truly need such a strong antipsychotic, then use it to alleviate those behaviors such as head banging, hearing voices, etc.
In addition, listen to your prescribing doctor of this medication as the doctor should help you to minimized such side effects and help you to avoid the devastating long term effects of these powerful antipsychotics.

I used to head-bang quite a lot when younger & I still do it but not quite as bad or as often. I was on Geodon for a bit a few years ago cuz of emotional problems & psychotic-depression. I would recommend being very cautious of Geodon. I was on a low dosage & I had twitches/ticks & I was also really tired & had problems with slurring my voice.

I have always done rocking, head banging, and some other stims. When looking at sleep meds
agreed to try Clonidine which helps that and reduces stims along with being a med for blood
pressure. My stims were reduced quite a bit.

I tried Geodon and wanted to kill myself. (not exaggerating, I had the urge to do it and not just depression)... I never had a medication do that before (I have tried a lot of medications -include other antipsychotics). I had to get rushed to the hospital to get something to counteract it. One of the scarier moments in my life.

Everyone responds differently, but keep a close watch.

Geodon has saved my life! It keeps me from hurting myself and from having screaming melt downs everyday. I love it!

OP: If you're having side effects only when it's starting to wear off, ask your doctor if there's an extended release version that he can prescribe.

As for me, I've been on antipsychotics, and they made things worse--I would either be in a zombie-like haze, or I'd be hurting myself in order to be able to think more clearly.

Because of the risks to autistic people and because of the side effects, I don't recommend antipsychotics until other, less drastic, strategies have been tried. Personally, I would much rather occasionally hurt myself than constantly be tired. If my problems involved the risk of permanent injury, that balance might be different; but because I have never and probably will never cause any damage that isn't purely cosmetic, I don't think I'll ever be a logical candidate to try antipsychotics--and wasn't a logical candidate when doctors put me on multiple ones simultaneously.

Last bumped by macrent2 on 05 Nov 2016, 10:44 am.