Psychotropic medication discussion thread

fadedbear92 said:Caffeine isn't really recommended because it can cause jitters and might even trigger a panic attack.

I'm on Lamictal, an antiepileptic, and I've been told the same thing. It's tough, though, because I love my coffee and soda.😢
Anyway, I wanted to ask about a different combination.
I'm dealing with terrible insomnia. Based on what you all have experienced, what are the best sleep aids? I mean, looking for effectiveness with minimal side effects. And most importantly, which ones are safest to mix with other medications?
In case it helps, the main ingredient in my Lamictal is lamotrigine. Aside from epilepsy, it's used as a mood stabilizer for bipolar disorder...
Please don't tell me to just ask my doctor, because I already tried, and she pushed Samuel on me. I've read such bad things about Samuel that I'm hesitant to try it. Though, maybe it isn't actually that bad.🤷
This matters to me because my therapist insisted that getting enough sleep is my top priority right now.
If anyone could share their own experiences, I'd appreciate it.🙂

Alex Barnes8 said:I'm on Lamictal, an antiepileptic, and I've been told the same thing. It's tough, though, because I love my coffee and soda.😢
Anyway, I wanted to ask about a different combination.
I'm dealing with terrible insomnia. Based on what you all have experienced, what are the best sleep aids? I mean, looking for effectiveness with minimal side effects. And most importantly, which ones are safest to mix with other medications?
In case it helps, the main ingredient in my Lamictal is lamotrigine. Aside from epilepsy, it's used as a mood stabilizer for bipolar disorder...
Please don't tell me to just ask my doctor, because I already tried, and she pushed Samuel on me. I've read such bad things about Samuel that I'm hesitant to try it. Though, maybe it isn't actually that bad.🤷
This matters to me because my therapist insisted that getting enough sleep is my top priority right now.
If anyone could share their own experiences, I'd appreciate it.🙂

Ugh, I feel you—I've tried everything. Samuel just knocks you out, but doesn't really help you stay asleep. I’ve tried Ambien and a whole bunch of other stuff, and eventually, an antiepileptic called Tegretol was the only thing that actually saved my sleep. But that’s kind of a "last resort" option.

fadedbear92 said:Hey, fadedbear92—don't you think it might be smarter to spread those milligrams out a bit more, maybe split them right down the middle?!

I honestly don't think I can do it. Seriously, it’s just not working. There isn't even a score line on these things to guide me, and they are so incredibly small that trying to split them feels impossible. I suppose if I actually managed to break one in half, the piece would probably just disintegrate instantly anyway, given that they're these soluble tablets.
I mean... I'm not exactly taking them on a strict schedule or anything. It’s more like I just reach for them whenever the need arises, I guess.

Alex Barnes8 said:I'm on Lamictal, an antiepileptic, and I've been told the same thing. It's tough, though, because I love my coffee and soda.😢
Anyway, I wanted to ask about a different combination.
I'm dealing with terrible insomnia. Based on what you all have experienced, what are the best sleep aids? I mean, looking for effectiveness with minimal side effects. And most importantly, which ones are safest to mix with other medications?
In case it helps, the main ingredient in my Lamictal is lamotrigine. Aside from epilepsy, it's used as a mood stabilizer for bipolar disorder...
Please don't tell me to just ask my doctor, because I already tried, and she pushed Samuel on me. I've read such bad things about Samuel that I'm hesitant to try it. Though, maybe it isn't actually that bad.🤷
This matters to me because my therapist insisted that getting enough sleep is my top priority right now.
If anyone could share their own experiences, I'd appreciate it.🙂

My doctor pushed Samuel on me too, but I’m not taking it... as if that’s not enough on top of the thousand other pills they've prescribed... half of which I don't even take. Now I'm nervous about occasionally mixing Helix with my antidepressants... so I don't even take the Helix (hahaha). I'm extremely consistent with the antidepressants, but they still haven't really kicked in yet... I feel a slight shift, but nothing significant...

Why don't you just ask your doctors for an alternative since you're absolutely refusing to take Samuel? Isn't it much better to be upfront with them rather than simply skipping a part of the treatment they prescribed for you? 🤷

Matthew Lee65 said:My doctor pushed Samuel on me too, but I’m not taking it... as if that’s not enough on top of the thousand other pills they've prescribed... half of which I don't even take. Now I'm nervous about occasionally mixing Helix with my antidepressants... so I don't even take the Helix (hahaha). I'm extremely consistent with the antidepressants, but they still haven't really kicked in yet... I feel a slight shift, but nothing significant...

I have to ask, just so I can understand—could you list exactly what medications you're currently taking?
Wait, why are you worried about combining Helix with an antidepressant? Don't you want the AD to actually start working? There's a specific reason doctors prescribe Helix alongside an AD at the beginning of treatment. Surely they aren't just throwing random pills at you without a plan!

Roger Rodriguez said:I have to ask, just so I can understand—could you list exactly what medications you're currently taking?
Wait, why are you worried about combining Helix with an antidepressant? Don't you want the AD to actually start working? There's a specific reason doctors prescribe Helix alongside an AD at the beginning of treatment. Surely they aren't just throwing random pills at you without a plan!

It’s like this... I was prescribed three specific things: Helix, Fevarin, and Samuel... I feel like I've typed this out five hundred times on this forum already, everyone knows my list.😁 ...but I only take Samuel and Helix as needed. I stay consistent with the Fevarin. I haven't touched the Samuel and I don't plan to since my sleep is fine right now. As for the Helix, I stopped taking it because the crises aren't happening anymore. So, it's just the beta blockers and the antidepressant for me.

A friend of mine has been asking around about beta blockers—apparently she thinks they’ll help her out whenever she performs (she plays the violin)... I mean, what kind of anxiety or nerves are we even talking about here?

Matthew Lee65 said:It’s like this... I was prescribed three specific things: Helix, Fevarin, and Samuel... I feel like I've typed this out five hundred times on this forum already, everyone knows my list.😁 ...but I only take Samuel and Helix as needed. I stay consistent with the Fevarin. I haven't touched the Samuel and I don't plan to since my sleep is fine right now. As for the Helix, I stopped taking it because the crises aren't happening anymore. So, it's just the beta blockers and the antidepressant for me.

Wait, which betas are we talking about now?🤷

fadedbear92 said:Wait, which betas are we talking about now?🤷

Oh, please—as if she’s actually taking that stuff... honestly, I should probably be the one to tell her to stop playing games with it. It’s exhausting, really—you feel like you have to teach everyone everything these days.🙂

p.s. I misquoted you there, fadedbear92—my mistake, I'll take the blame for that one.🙂

Larry Lewis said:Oh, please—as if she’s actually taking that stuff... honestly, I should probably be the one to tell her to stop playing games with it. It’s exhausting, really—you feel like you have to teach everyone everything these days.🙂

p.s. I misquoted you there, fadedbear92—my mistake, I'll take the blame for that one.🙂

http://dl.glitter-graphics.net/pub/3...ai7h9zeppn.gif

fadedbear92 said:Well, thank God you're feeling some relief from it—honestly!😉

Look, things might improve a little bit, sure, but don't expect perfection. That social anxiety isn't just going anywhere, and god, I hate it—it honestly makes me want to scream.

Larry Lewis said:Oh, please—as if she’s actually taking that stuff... honestly, I should probably be the one to tell her to stop playing games with it. It’s exhausting, really—you feel like you have to teach everyone everything these days.🙂

p.s. I misquoted you there, fadedbear92—my mistake, I'll take the blame for that one.🙂

http://dl.glitter-graphics.net/pub/3...ai7h9zeppn.gif

Do you remember that whole Mr. Bean fiasco? Honestly—I haven't received a compliment quite like this one in ages.🙂

Roger Rodriguez said:Why don't you just ask your doctors for an alternative since you're absolutely refusing to take Samuel? Isn't it much better to be upfront with them rather than simply skipping a part of the treatment they prescribed for you? 🤷

I have to address this: "why don't you just ask your doctors?".
I honestly don't know where people find these approachable physicians who actually want to talk and answer questions. Everywhere I go in the States, doctors act like you're killing them just by asking a question. I really can't get anything out of anyone. I've tried communicating normally so many times, but it just doesn't work.
It's not like I'll stop seeing doctors altogether... But I've just gotten used to leaving appointments feeling confused. They seem superficial, arrogant, and frankly, pretty rude. Most lack basic manners. And even the ones who claim they are "constantly training" or whatever—they're always away at some symposium or seminar, traveling constantly. You couldn't get a moment of their time if you were a billionaire.👎

Larry Lewis said:Do you remember that whole Mr. Bean fiasco? Honestly—I haven't received a compliment quite like this one in ages.🙂

Honestly, I just wanted to show some love.😂😉

Alex Barnes8 said:I have to address this: "why don't you just ask your doctors?".
I honestly don't know where people find these approachable physicians who actually want to talk and answer questions. Everywhere I go in the States, doctors act like you're killing them just by asking a question. I really can't get anything out of anyone. I've tried communicating normally so many times, but it just doesn't work.
It's not like I'll stop seeing doctors altogether... But I've just gotten used to leaving appointments feeling confused. They seem superficial, arrogant, and frankly, pretty rude. Most lack basic manners. And even the ones who claim they are "constantly training" or whatever—they're always away at some symposium or seminar, traveling constantly. You couldn't get a moment of their time if you were a billionaire.👎

That's true—but if you're paying out-of-pocket for a specialist, suddenly they're all smiles.🙄

You’d practically have to pay me to tell you just how insane you are... though, I suppose it is a pretty damn good profession🙂

fadedbear92 said:That's true—but if you're paying out-of-pocket for a specialist, suddenly they're all smiles.🙄

I don't know about that. Even private doctors aren't always more capable than those at the local clinic. I've actually had better luck with my insurance-based dentist than the ones in private practice. I guess there are just good and bad practitioners in both worlds.
I guess you're seeing a private specialist? Maybe.

fadedbear92 said:Honestly, I just wanted to show some love.😂😉

Oh, honey... what's the point when everything—honestly, everything—is becoming less and less funny?🙂