Psychotropic medication discussion thread

gentlesailor25 said:I’m guessing I might be the only one dealing with this particular mess, but who knows, right?🙄 I’ve tried to kick Helix off my routine about four different times now, and every single time, it’s the same story—around day three or four after stopping, I just get hit with this fever, plus the diarrhea and nausea. It’s honestly pretty brutal.
The longest I ever managed to stick it out was maybe three weeks, but even during those three weeks, things didn't really start looking up. If anything, it felt like my temperature just kept climbing higher and higher.
So, eventually, I’d just give in and start taking it again, and after a couple of days, I’d feel like myself again.🤷

I'm hitting the gym three times a week, doing 6.2 miles brisk walking sessions three times a week too, and I'm basically living on Herbalife for breakfast and dinner—lunch is usually just some salad or fitness cereal. My daily intake is hovering around 600 calories, yet even with my dear Seroquel, I just can't budge from those 175 pounds.

Mark Nelson said:Can Valium actually act as an antidepressant? And is it even a good idea to take it for that?
(It was originally prescribed for my insomnia, just as needed, but Seroquel absolutely wrecks me 😁)
so there wasn't really any point in taking it beforehand just to try and get some decent rest.

I tried it anyway, and honestly, I felt better—like, more okay—but it didn't knock me out at all. I know the whole addiction risk is real, though.

The thing is, I took it because I ran out of my AD, Zoloft. The doctors on duty wouldn't give me a refill because I missed my scheduled appointment due to school stuff. At the local Children's Hospital 🙂
(though I guess they have some decent doctors in there 🙂 )

so now I'm stuck without my meds until Monday. If they had given me more, their entire pill bunker would've been empty within three days.🙄

driftinggull21 said:Why go to the clinic for your prescription? I assume you have a report from the clinic stating your therapy; just copy it, take it to your primary care physician, and they can send you electronic prescriptions. That would be much simpler.🤷

Mark Nelson said:Can Valium actually act as an antidepressant? And is it even a good idea to take it for that?
(It was originally prescribed for my insomnia, just as needed, but Seroquel absolutely wrecks me 😁)
so there wasn't really any point in taking it beforehand just to try and get some decent rest.

I tried it anyway, and honestly, I felt better—like, more okay—but it didn't knock me out at all. I know the whole addiction risk is real, though.

The thing is, I took it because I ran out of my AD, Zoloft. The doctors on duty wouldn't give me a refill because I missed my scheduled appointment due to school stuff. At the local Children's Hospital 🙂
(though I guess they have some decent doctors in there 🙂 )

so now I'm stuck without my meds until Monday. If they had given me more, their entire pill bunker would've been empty within three days.🙄

Are you suggesting that simply bringing my GP a medical report listing all my current medications means I won't have to keep returning for new prescriptions once I run out?

Is this report some kind of official certification, or can I just present any old document regardless of when it was issued?

driftinggull21 said:

Are you suggesting that simply bringing my GP a medical report listing all my current medications means I won't have to keep returning for new prescriptions once I run out?

Is this report some kind of official certification, or can I just present any old document regardless of when it was issued?

You can't exactly walk in with a report from 2005😁. You bring a copy of your most recent report from Kuksa, which clearly outlines your prescribed therapy and refill schedule. From there, the doctor sends an e-prescription directly to the pharmacy for you to pick up.
Once you run low on medication—assuming you are following the prescribed dosage, of course—you call your primary care physician, and they can issue a new e-prescription based on that existing documentation.

Valium belongs to the benzodiazepine class; it does not have an AD effect. (It is used for sleep disorders)

Mark Nelson said:I've been in treatment since July 2011. 😁 So, I guess it doesn't really matter which one it was, right?

And as for the prescriptions and refills—well, she could have mentioned that, or even my psychiatrist! 🙄

But fine, from now on I won't be bouncing around from one doctor to another totally misinformed. 😬
Thanks, driftinggull21! 😉

Donna Torres5 said:Goodness, what on earth is going on with Kuksa??

Donna Torres5 said:Goodness, what on earth is going on with Kuksa??

fadedbear92 said:It falls under the category of "other" ADs

A Norepinephrine reuptake inhibitor is one of the newer types of antidepressants out there. Unlike standard SSRIs, which focus solely on serotonin, this one targets norepinephrine. It actually hit the market back in 2001. What’s interesting about it—and I find this part pretty cool—is how versatile it is; you can successfully pair it with SSRIs, and it can even be combined with MAO inhibitors without those usual safety concerns. It's used both for treating acute depressive episodes and for maintaining stability long-term. Plus, the effects tend to kick in relatively fast. Honestly, though? It feels like this medication hasn't been fully utilized by doctors yet, but I really think its time is coming

http://www.mentalmeds.org/prescripti...s/Edronax.html

So, I started taking it, and now I'm just waiting to see what happens...🙂

Mark Rivera8;37713667 said:

""""I’m dealing with the exact same thing on Seroquel. I don't get the shakes, but my stomach feels like there's just a giant gaping hole in it. If I catch myself near food, I'm eating.
The pill itself doesn't make you fat, it just makes you ravenous.
I really need to drop some weight because my knees are absolutely killing me right now.""""

It's the same story with me!!! I used to be 130 lbs, and after four years on this stuff, I've hit 175. Thank god I'm 5'9" so it's spread out a bit better, but still 😁

But man, once I take it, my stomach feels so empty and I get soooooooo hungry that I HAVE TO EAT IMMEDIATELY. LIKE RIGHT NOW!!!!
And every single night, even if I manage to pass out, I'll be dreaming and then wandering to the fridge, carrying a whole tray of sandwiches back to bed.
Then in the morning, I wake up to crumbs everywhere—under my pillow, all over the sheets!!!

Seroquel has been a lifesaver, honestly. It lets me actually function and hold down a job where I have to use my brain and carry a ton of responsibility.

But seriously, nobody in my family believes me when I tell them how hungry it makes me!
They're just like, "Oh, you're just lazy, you eat too much..." blah blah blah.
I'm at the gym three times a week, doing 6.2 miles power walking three times a week, I have Herbalife for breakfast and dinner, and lunch is usually just a salad or some fitness cereal. I'm barely hitting 600 calories a day and I'm still stuck at 175 lbs thanks to my precious Seroquel.

I want to hear from anyone else taking it. I'm on the 300mg XR version.
Is there anyone actually on this stuff who hasn't ballooned up, or who figured out a way to lose weight while taking it?

I'm trying a 500 calorie diet, but whenever that hunger gap hits, I end up grabbing pastries or yogurt or bananas. So my actual intake is probably closer to 800 or 1000.
I did manage to lose 3 lbs, but only after I cut out sweets entirely.
That's basically the key: ditch the sugar.
Honestly, the sweets and snacks are what caused the weight gain in the first place.🙂
I'm about 45 lbs overweight.
If I had just eaten normally, maybe I would've only gained a few pounds.

Luckily, I don't eat at night because I take something that knocks me out so hard I just sleep through it.🙂
Not eating at night is huge. If you can't help it, just drink water or grab a banana.

Kenneth Scott41 said:I wonder, who actually suggested that specific AD to you? Did you ask your doctor for it yourself, or was it their idea?

emma 88;37758481 said:

helybipolar;37713667 said:

""""Seroquel does something similar to me. I don't deal with the tremors, but I get this hollow feeling in my stomach, and whenever I feel nauseous, I just end up eating to compensate.
The medication itself doesn't necessarily cause weight gain, it’s just that it makes you ravenously hungry.
I really need to lose some weight because my knees are starting to kill me.

I’ve been trying this 500-calorie diet, but honestly, whenever that hunger pang hits, I usually cave and grab some pastries or yogurt or maybe a banana. So, my actual intake probably hovers somewhere between 800 and 1,000 calories.
I did manage to drop about 6 or 7 pounds, but only after I finally cut out all the sweets.
I suppose the real key is just getting rid of sugar altogether.
Looking back, most of the weight I put on came from snacking and sugary stuff.🙂
I'm carrying about 45 pounds of extra weight right now.
If I had just stuck to regular, balanced meals, I guess I might have only gained a few pounds.

Fortunately, I don't eat at night since I take some melatonin that knocks me out so thoroughly I just drift off.🙂
Avoiding late-night snacking is probably the most important thing. If you're hungry, maybe just drink some water or have a banana.

As for me, once that Seroquel kicks in, I go straight to horizontal; there is just no way I can stay awake. 😁

fadedbear92 said:While I was looking over the details of my new medication—which falls under that "other antidepressants" category—I came across some interesting info. Apparently, recent studies suggest that sometimes you actually need to combine two different types of meds to get a truly effective response. I’m talking specifically about major clinical depression, where those episodes tend to cycle back periodically. So, right now, I’m taking one to help maintain my norepinephrine levels and another for serotonin... whereas before, I always just stuck to a single type.