Symptoms: Akathisia, brain zaps, emotional blunting, sexual dysfunction, cognitive impairment, depersonalization/derealization, suicidal ideation, tinnitus, neuropathy, severe anxiety/panic, muscle/joint pain, dyskinesia, GI disturbances, tics, dissociation, weight gain, irritability
I was having symptoms of bipolar disorder again and wanted to get help, some relief from the mania. I sought a psychiatrist this time. After one session she prescribed me a medication that I can't remember. I had a blood pressure crash from it and said no more. So on the second visit she prescribed Vraylar. She said it was the safest antipsychotic on the market. I don't remember her going over the potential side effects. All she said is if I keep taking it, the side effects will go away. That she highly doubted I would get any from this particular medication.
After two days being on it, I could not sit still. My legs were constantly moving. I felt my skin crawling. By the fourth day I had uncontrollable eating. Other symptoms kept building on top of all the others. Every time I reached out with concerns, she said to keep taking it, that the symptoms would "drop off," and if not, she had prescriptions for my side effects.
Four weeks in, I had gained over 40 pounds and developed tics like Tourette's. I blurt out random words now. I have uncontrollable facial tics. My restless legs were so bad. I was miserable. She told me to keep taking it though. So I finally opened my eyes and realized she only cared about the kickback she was getting from Vraylar. So I slowly weaned myself off. Never talked to her again, nor will I ever talk to another psychiatrist.
It's been about a year now. I'm struggling to lose weight. I still have my tics. That has caused me some isolation due to public humiliation. Thankfully the restless legs have gotten better. The fact that it was not as safe as she told me, that she wanted me to keep taking it, and how she got snippy at me when I said I wanted to wean off tells me they only care about the kickbacks they get from prescribing. It's not about healing. It's about creating a repeat customer. Big pharma is a scam. They are not out to heal you. There is no real money in healing, but there is in making people take a pill, and another to combat those side effects. Next thing you know you are on five pills.
I have found relief through God and a low carb diet.