People with schizophrenia, do you feel much better on your medications?

Question

Do you find that you feel more like the old you? do you experience many side effects such as weight gain? do you find that the side effects of meds are as bad as the actual condition?

Answer 1

I can't tell any difference when I'm on medication but other people can. I have been taking anti-psychotic med's. for over 40 years. In looking back when the hallucinations were very bad, I can see myself the difference in my attitude when I was on medication and off it. Med's. do not seem to me to prevent hallucinations but tranquilize your moods so you can handle the trauma of them better. I do not seem to hallucinate any more I do not want to be like "the old you." I do not have a problem with weight gain. The only side effect of the medication I notice is a decrease in Libido. I did develop Tardive Dyskenesia from one anti-psychotic.

Answer 2

I don't have schizophrenia, but I do have schizoaffective disorder which is a close friend of schizophrenia. The anti psychotic that I'm on does cause weight gain and sometimes I get really restless especially at night when I'm trying to sleep. I don't think the side effects are as bad as the condition itself. I would rather have a few side effects then be totally nuts. I don't feel like the old me as I still have some residual symptoms like being slow and sometimes I mess up my speech. It's been almost two years since this whole thing started and while I feel better I still don't feel like the old me as I remember myself.