Last Updated on August 9, 2022 by
Alternative to Meds Editorial Team
Medically Reviewed by Dr Samuel Lee MD
Table of Contents:
Rarely can you find a medical professional equipped with the confidence and expertise to competently navigate Invega tapering, or weaning & titration programs for the antipsychotics drug class.
Antipsychotics like Invega©, though perhaps properly prescribed during a time of demonstrable crisis, may not mean that a lifetime of being medicated is justifiable as the best way forward.
Does Your Diagnosis
Require Invega?
Alternative to Meds has treated thousands of clients using superior methods for antipsychotic tapering and withdrawal. We have been dedicated to holistic treatments for the better part of 2 decades now. See our published evidence regarding our documented success. Alternative to Meds Center has found that leaving underlying issues untreated is too often the case. But medical conditions or other factors can be investigated and addressed using holistic and non-drug-based ways. In these ways, we can avoid such misdiagnoses and get our client back to better health without piling on additional unnecessary heavy drugs. And we have established that they do better off the drugs in over 77% of cases.
The generic name for Invega is paliperidone and is also available under other brand names, in a time-release or injectable form, which may introduce some added complications for Invega tapering. It is one of the atypical antipsychotic medications that have become widely used for treating schizophrenia, schizoaffective and bipolar-related mania, episodes of psychosis, and other critical conditions.
Aim to begin your taper when you are stable, sleeping and eating well, and not experiencing psychotic or other major symptoms — except for life-threatening medical reasons such as NMS. In all cases, medical oversight should guide the starting and stopping of antipsychotic medications.6,7
Antipsychotic drugs are most concerning because they are noted for causing significant side effects, especially after long-term usage. Tardive dyskinesia, for example, has been observed in 16-50% of patients on antipsychotic medications, a number according to research by Loughlin et al published in the 2019 Journal of PLoS One is likely underestimated.29 Other adverse effects include elevated blood sugar levels, weight gain, high cholesterol, Parkinson’s disease or Parkinson’s-like conditions, dystonia, cogwheel rigidity (rigid limbs/muscles), and akathisias as mentioned on Invega’s label insert. Also of concern, antipsychotics may precipitate or aggravate certain heart problems such as cardiac arrest, stroke, and long QT syndrome.6 This type of drug can cause many other potential side effects that can negatively impact a person’s health and reduce their quality of life. When the initial crisis of a psychotic episode or other mental health event has passed, a person may consider Invega tapering and the use of Invega alternatives to avoid these types of risks.
Antipsychotics can affect several types of neurotransmitters and their receptors. Regarding dopamine, for example, the drug is thought to create hypersensitive dopamine receptors along the CNS pathways while concurrently setting up a chronic dopamine blockade that is also medication-induced. This can cause a cascade of other responses including oxidative stress and cell death.31
