Schering-Plough’s new schizophrenia and bipolar drug Saphris is now available in US pharmacies. Yesterday, I had my doctor’s appointment, and he agreed that we could give the new drug a try. I’ve been asking him about it for months, and I found out from the drug’s web site, www.saphris.com, that it is now available in pharmacies. My doctor had seen a presentation on the new drug, and so was familiar enough with the prescribing information to give it a go. I started on it yesterday, so it’s too soon to tell anything yet, although the fact that I’m writing a blog right now is a great sign. Really, not a lot is known about the drug as of yet, especially how effective it will be in treating symptoms, although its metabolic side effects (i.e. weight gain) is minimal to none, and its performance in the preliminary efficacy studies seems promising. I can’t help being hopeful and excited that my quality of life will improve with the help of this drug. I’ve been through this drill before a number of times, but that does nothing to dampen my hopes that this will be the drug that allows me to lead a somewhat normal life. Hope springs eternal, especially when one has persistent auditory hallucinations, et al., and there’s a new treatment option on offer. I’ll keep my fingers crossed, and keep you updated as to how the drug works for me.