Saphris And Depression (Top voted first)

I was given saphris for depression. Saphris is a brand new drug but its labing is not for depression.
Has anyone else took this medicine

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i have found my depression is helped with 5 mg of saphris..however i have gained 7 lbs..it makes me unbelievbly hungry...also i feel alittle like speedy..but if it helps my depressions i am going to use it...but he weight gain is very bothersome to me....has anyone else had a huge appetite and weight gain? also kind of nervousness?

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I just started taking it for depression, after 15 years of other meds failing to help. My psychiatrist is prescribing it in addition to Lexapro, which doesn't do anything for me on its own.

It's been four days. I can get used to the nasty taste--like concentrated grapefruit rind.

I don't know if I can get used to how well it helps me sleep. I had been taking Ambien to help me sleep. Saphris (alone without Ambien) has me out within 45 minutes or so. But before I fall asleep, I feel a bit of anxiety, and I can't focus on anything. And then I sleep like a rock with some trouble getting myself up in the morning.

It's the weekend, so I can afford one more night. We'll see...

I don't get scared off by testimonials about meds...because you can find horror stories about everything...so I have an open-mind about Saphris...for now.

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Hi,
I've been suffering from major depression for years. I have tried almost every single medication available and none has worked, either due to lack of toleration or ineffectiveness. I've been on an MAOI called Eldepryl, which keeps me from committing suicide. I just started Saphris 3 days ago and I have actually had energy, been productive, and my mood has been much better! I may be a bit manic, which never happens, or I've just been depressed for so long that I actually care about life now. I take Ambien with it to help me sleep. I have some insomnia, but I am actually starting to sleep through the night!
I hope it continues working and there aren't too many dangerous long-term side-effects, since there is no research for use with depression, that I am aware of. I think we are both in the same boat. If it is more beneficial for you, I would try it for awhile to see if it works.

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My doctor just prescribed Saphris today. I have gained 11 lbs in two weeks taking Zyprexa. She told me Saphris has a better metabolic profile than Zyprexa and that I shouldn't gain any more weight once I switch but these posts have me really scared!

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I had been misdiagnosed as depressive 5 years ago and put on effexor by my general doc during a difficult depressive time in my life. It turned me into a frozen person who barely felt anything and lost interest in everything that I had loved in life. I gained 70 pounds and wound up hating everything. I decided to go off the effexor and became completely suicidal. I went to a shrink to get help going off the effexor and was put on a low dose of klonipin and ambien. within 10 days I was hospitalized for being suicidal. Evidentally I am actually bipolar and spent most of my life successfully manic with some depressive episodes. I was put on trileptal in the hospital and became nasty and mean. I was still weaning myself off the effexor. The depression was awful, crying all day and suicidal. I would get awful zaps of electricity in my brain trying to get off the effexor and migraines. couldn't work. new Dr offered Saphris stating it was the one med least likely to cause weight gain. took 10mg sublingual on way home from dr office. side effects awful, slurred speech, drunk feeling, dizzy, restless legs couldn't get comfortable couldn't sleep nausea, confusion. took 2 ambien & 3 knonipin to finally get to sleep. slept for 10 hours and when I got up, I never felt better actually happy and peaceful for the first time in many years. I was so afraid of the side effects I called the dr and was told to stop taking it. within 2 days the suicide returned. I took a smaller dose 2.5mg no side effects and felt great the next day. have stayed at that dose for the past three days. have energy, happy and excited about life again. I did notice some appetite with the happiness but I am trying to just eat healthy so I can finally get my weight back down. On effexor I felt I had no energy to diet and despair that drove me to snacks. Now I can eat healthy and have energy to exercise and have hope and a feeling of peace. side effects now if I don't fall asleep right away after I take it, I am up all night a little manic cleaning and organizing, but I missed that anyway. I am sure as the dose can go up I will be sleeping better and be more balanced. I did not think I would make it through the last depression without killing myself. I know there are drawbacks to the saphris, but right now I would be dead without it. I agree doctors do not have a clue what they are doing. If I hadn't taken a second chance on the saphris I don't know what I would have done. I have had a heart attack and difficulty with my asthma with all the weight gain from effexor and they could care less. There must be a better answer than the hell we are going through to just feel normal.

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Have been taking saphris for 2 years for bipolar. It is a good drug which has brought me out of 5 years of hell. The is the only word I can use to describe that time. It is difficult having mental illness and finding the right meds. My faith has helped me otherwise I would of killed myself. I was feeling such a enormous amount of despair. Have courage because there is hope. We may face many trials but don't lose hope.

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Try putting a listerine strip on the top of your tongue when you put the Saphris under your tongue, it makes such a big difference!

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I have had bipolar depression on and off for more than 5 years. For the last 2 years my depression had gotten worse. I've taken Prozac, Lexapro, and Wellbutrin. I've been taking lithium for over 5 years. Thankfully I haven't had any manic episodes. But it's terrible to loose your zest for life and basically just go through the motions of living. Last week suggested I give Saphris a try. She suggested starting with the lowest dosage of 5 mg. which I take a little before bedtime. I currently am also taking 20mg. of Lexapro and 300 mg. of Wellbutrin, along with lithium. I take Ambien to help me sleep through the night. The day after the first night I took the Saphris I was pretty groggy most of the day. I got a good long night's sleep though. Prior to taking the Saphris the first night, it was difficult to get more than 6 hors of sleep a night. I also had previously started needing to take 1 mg. of Klonapin along with the Ambien to help me get to sleep.
I really didn't have much faith that Saphris could help my depression. I had taken other drugs in its class and they hadn't had any positive effects. They just made me really sleepy and hungry. Of course each person's brain chemistry is different and those drugs may work wonders for others.
I was really disappointed after the first night of taking Saphris. The next day I was sleepy and hungry. I came really close to not taking it again but my doctor had told me to give it a fair shot and at least take it 2 or 3 nights, so I took the pill the next night. When I woke up the next morning I actually felt good. Almost great! I wasn't as sleepy or hungry as I was the first morning. The next few days have gotten better and better. So, if all continues to go well I intend to keep taking the drug. I feel interested in life and living again! For the first time in a long time I no longer have a loss of interest in life. My quality of life had been so poor I had pretty much given up hope of ever feeling any kind of insentive to do the things I used to do. What a great feeling!

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Let me start by saying how AWFUL Risperdal is. It made me not want to talk to anybody because of my owl eyes and I couldn't feel any emotions. I was also depressed and my buoyancy was off. NONE of these things happen with Saphris. I feel alive, my boss at work questioned me as to why I had so much energy and life. It's been a miracle and I hope it continues to stay that way. I've been on Saphris 12 days but its effects happened immediately. It might be because I went down on Risperdal at the same time I started.

But EVERYONE should give Saphris a try if they have nothing left to try. It's new... and I think that might be a good thing. Side effects: constipation and slight bloating. But that's what Senna tea is for :) Good luck

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I have been on Lexapro and recently Viibryd for five years and started taking Saphris a week ago but have been scoring the tablets in half per doc's advice. So far, so good and life is much better; in fact, remarkably so. The black cherry flavor is not bad at all. It does put you to sleep for sure and it is too soon to tell for me whether there is an issue with weight gain but I have not noticed appetite differences. First time in five years I have felt in charge of my happiness.

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I started Saphris a little over a month ago, and I overall like the medicine. I am bipolar and was in a mixed episode - I felt very depressed but was having some manic symptoms too, and my doctor took me off of my anti-depressant (pristiq) and put me on Saphris. I'm now taking Lamictal (a mood stabilizer), Provigil, and Saphris. Going off the antidepressant and on to Saphris somehow helped my depression, even though Saphris is not labeled for depression.

Its labeling is for Schizophrenia, Bipolar Mania and Bipolar Mixed episodes, I believe. For me, I was having very annoying obsessive thinking, and without the Saphris, that all comes back. I'm very teary all the time now though. I don't know if that has anything to do with the med or not.


My biggest problem though is the weight gain. I've gained 14 pounds in the short amount of time I've been on it! My appetite is so insatiable, it's like portion sizes just look way smaller to me because I'm so hungry. And it makes me drowsy and I swear I'm going along like a zombie, not even aware that I'm binging. It's ridiculous!

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I have taken Saphris for almost a year now and I have actually lost weight. I was on Abilify before and had put on about 13lbs in a year. Nw that I switched I'm actually down about 10lbs and my chloesterol and trigs are down too. I didn't like the taste but they have a black cherry flavor now that is a lot better. Ask your provider about it.

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Saphris took away my bad moods i was physically abusive to my boyfriend and had lots of episodes all my life i was on adderall fluoxotine and risperdal since i was six years old im now 22 and trying the saphris was the best choice i made i no longer am physically abusive and i am much happier the only thing is i sleep like crazy with it and am hungry alot but i would rather be a little more sleepy and more hungry than normal instead of being physical with and miserable to everyone i love.

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I've been bipolar all my life, diagnosed in early 20's, put on lithum which made me gain weight and sluggish. I stopped, self medicated until tried different anti-depressants for severe depression still being able to maintain hypomania (the best kind). Eventually anti-pressants started having reverse effect (happens with bipolar depression).Then tried Exffexor XR which managed depression, and was able to retained hypomania. It eventually starting caused me to pass into mania (the worst kind) with severe depression, mixed state, severe.
Tried lots of antipsychotics (which hated cuz dulled mind, etc) but had to settle on Seroquel and Lamictal out of necessity to get some of stabalization. Spent 9 years waiting for that hypomanic state to return. Instead mania/ depression continued to get worse along with full development of associated personality disorders developed in childhood; ADD, COD, generalized anxiety/panic. Then started Saphris 12 days ago. Use 10MG + 10MG Ambien for sleep. Still use 100MG Lamictal. Almost immediately I could get up with as little as 5hrs sleep, feel awake, minimally depressed and actually start my day. I remain cautiously hopeful. Have been too disappointed in past. I also maintain detailed documentation on mood stabalizers I take to inform Dr. of progress, etc. Psychiatrist's are only as good as there ability to assess patient's experiences with different med's and make adjustments.
I will continue Saphris in hopes to minimize depression, get some sleep and maybe get some functionality back in my life. As Bipolar we have limited choices, degrees of better. Give it a try, why not?

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Saphris comes in black cherry flavor it's alot better then the regular.

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Topiramate may help with weight gain and has off lable use for bipolar.

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I'm bipolar with severe depression. Like others, I've been on so many meds...too many to list. I'm currently on Cymbalta, Xanax and Trazadone. Lithium made me a zombie. Took my first dose of Saphras last nt, 5 mg, and today I feel amazing. The taste wasn't horrible; kind of like black licorice and it made my tongue numb, but no big deal. Makes you very sleepy within minutes. Slept great, felt groggy when I woke up, but it lifted within an hour. Today, I left the house for the first time in two weeks. I actually FEEL GOOD! Hope it continues.

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I, too, was prescribed Saphris for depression. It did a 180 degree effect in me. If feel more like myself....and in the last 3 years, that's saying a lot. I suggest you take the medicine and decide for yourself how it makes you feel. It's been a life saver.....actually.

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I, too, was prescribed Saphris for depression. It did a 180 degree effect in me. If feel more like myself....and in the last 3 years, that's saying a lot. I do feel a little "jittery" but nothing I can't handle. I've not noticed any weigh gain but, actually a little weight loss.

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I, too, was prescribed Saphris for depression. It did a 180 degree effect in me. If feel more like myself....and in the last 3 years, that's saying a lot. I do feel a little "jittery" but nothing I can't handle. I've not noticed any weigh gain but, actually a little weight loss.

Don't take it in the A.M...it's meant to help you sleep so your body can fight depression. Take the whole 5mg at bedtime.

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