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Helping Your Loved One Stay on Track
Taking his/her medication for schizophrenia is one of the most important things your loved one can do to get better—and stay better.
However, atypical antipsychotic medications like INVEGA take time to work—and staying on track with any medication can be difficult. You may hear all sorts of reasons:
- Your loved one may not believe that he or she is ill and may deny the need to take any medication
- Your loved one is discouraged with the improvements in symptoms
- Your loved one might be feeling better and think that he or she can stop taking medication
- Your loved one’s thinking might be disorganized, causing her or him to forget to take the daily dose
- Your loved one is experiencing bothersome side effects
To help your loved one remember to take her or his medication as directed, encourage her or him to try the following strategies.
Help your loved one stay motivated
Your loved one’s symptoms should gradually improve with schizophrenia treatment. To help keep your loved one motivated, encourage her or him to keep a daily record of how he or she is feeling. You’ll both be able to see that your loved one actually is improving a little each day.
If your loved one doesn’t seem to be making progress for a few days, it shouldn’t lead to despair! The important thing is for your loved one not to lose confidence in the treatment. Encourage your loved one to stick with the treatment, keep taking the medications as prescribed, and visit the doctor.
Don’t let your loved one stop because he or she "feels better"
Symptom free? Don’t let your loved one jump to conclusions!
Medications can help your loved one manage schizophrenia symptoms, allowing her or him to feel better. Your loved one might even think there’s no need to take medication anymore—but there is!
Remember, schizophrenia is a long-term illness; there’s no "cure." The good news is your loved one can keep symptoms under control with medication.
If your loved one stops taking schizophrenia medication, her or his symptoms may start to come back. You and your loved one may not notice any change for a while, but the fact is, if your loved one stops taking her or his medication, there’s an increased chance of a relapse. Plus, if your loved one's symptoms return, they may be more intense.
Don’t let side effects slow your loved one down
If your loved one is troubled by side effects, don’t let her or him suffer silently. Encourage your loved one to speak to the doctor as soon as possible.
INVEGA® (paliperidone) extended-release tablets are used for the treatment of schizophrenia.
IMPORTANT SAFETY INFORMATION FOR INVEGA
Elderly Patients with dementia-related psychosis treated with atypical antipsychotic drugs are at an increased risk of death compared to placebo. INVEGA (paliperidone) is not approved for the treatment of patients with dementia-related psychosis.
Neuroleptic Malignant Syndrome (NMS) is a rare and potentially fatal side effect reported with INVEGA and similar medicines. Call your doctor immediately if the person being treated develops symptoms such as high fever; stiff muscles; shaking; confusion; sweating; changes in pulse, heart rate, or blood pressure; or muscle pain and weakness. Treatment should be stopped if the person being treated has NMS.
One risk of INVEGA is that it may change your heart rhythm. This effect is potentially serious, and you should talk to your doctor about any current or past heart problems. Some medications interact with INVEGA. Please inform your healthcare professional of any medications or supplements that you are taking.
Tardive Dyskinesia (TD) is a serious, sometimes permanent side effect reported with INVEGA and similar medications. TD includes uncontrollable movements of the face, tongue, and other parts of the body. The risk of developing TD and the chance that it will become permanent is thought to increase with the length of therapy and the overall dose taken by the patient. This condition can develop after a brief period of therapy at low doses, although this is much less common. There is no known treatment for TD, but it may go away partially or completely if therapy is stopped.
High blood sugar and diabetes have been reported with INVEGA and similar medications. If the person being treated has diabetes or risk factors such as being overweight or a family history of diabetes, blood sugar testing should be performed at the beginning and throughout treatment with INVEGA. Complications of diabetes can be serious and even life threatening. If signs of high blood sugar or diabetes develop, such as being thirsty all the time, going to the bathroom a lot, or feeling weak or hungry, contact your doctor.
INVEGA and similar medications can raise the blood levels of a hormone known as prolactin, causing a condition known as hyperprolactinemia. Blood levels of prolactin remain elevated with continued use. Some side effects seen with these medications include the absence of a menstrual period; breasts producing milk; the development of breasts by males; and the inability to achieve an erection. The connection between prolactin levels and side effects is unknown.
People with narrowing or blockage of the gastrointestinal tract (esophagus, stomach or small or large intestine) should talk to their healthcare professional before taking INVEGA.
Some people taking INVEGA may feel faint or lightheaded when they stand up or sit up too quickly. By standing up or sitting up slowly and following your healthcare professional's dosing instructions, this side effect may be reduced or it may go away over time.
INVEGA may affect your driving ability; therefore, do not drive or operate machinery before talking to your healthcare professional. Avoid alcohol while on INVEGA.
INVEGA should be used cautiously in people with a seizure disorder, who have had seizures in the past, or who have conditions that increase their risk for seizures.
Extrapyramidal Symptoms (EPS) are usually persistent movement disorders or muscle disturbances, such as restlessness, tremors, and muscle stiffness. If you observe any of these symptoms, talk to your healthcare professional.
Inform your healthcare professional if you are pregnant or if you are planning to get pregnant while taking INVEGA. Caution should be exercised when INVEGA is administered to a nursing woman.
INVEGA may affect alertness and motor skills; use caution until the effect of INVEGA is known.
INVEGA may make you more sensitive to heat. You may have trouble cooling off, or be more likely to become dehydrated, so take care when exercising or when doing things that make you warm.
INVEGA should be swallowed whole. Tablets should not be chewed, divided, or crushed. Do not be worried if you see something that looks like a tablet in your stool. This is what is left of the tablet after all the medicine has been released.
The most common side effects that occurred with INVEGA were restlessness and extrapyramidal disorder (for example, involuntary movements, tremors and muscle stiffness).
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You are encouraged to report negative side effects of prescription drugs to the FDA. Visit www.fda.gov/medwatch, or call 1-800-FDA-1088.
Please see the Important Product Information for INVEGA.
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This page was last modified on: Oct 01 2007 at 01:20:56 EDT