Psychotropic medication discussion thread

Anthony Lopez8 said:That sounds fine, I suppose, but one really ought to be cautious about overshooting the mark. It is well-documented that Prozac is among the most likely SSRIs to trigger hypomania, and that isn't strictly limited to those with bipolar disorder; it happens to others as well. 😬

That’s exactly what I struggle with. Hypomania.

When I’m on Zoloft, I become talkative, a bit laid-back, predictable, bursting with energy, maybe a little intense, and incredibly active. But normally? I’m passive, unmotivated, totally lifeless, dull, irritable, and just feeling helpless...

On Zoloft, I can be a bit rough around the edges. My mood is fantastic, but my behavior often comes off as unpolished, careless, or inconsiderate toward others. I definitely get a boost of overconfidence. Still, none of it feels excessive.

With Zoloft, I feel like that mischievous kid I spent years trying to hide because I was embarrassed by how bubbly, cheerful, open, and naive he was. He's a kid full of life, ideas, strength, and willpower. I ended up burying him deep inside the shell of black depression just because it felt easier for everyone around me :-(

Susan Edwards8 said:Has anyone ever tried mixing Paxil and unknown for anxiety and depression? I’ve been on both in the mornings, though I used to take the unknown in the afternoons too. My doctor pulled the second one away from me about three weeks ago. But honestly? Even with both of them, I still feel like a total nervous wreck.

I went through something similar when I first started my treatment. Usually, you phase out the unknown once the Paxil actually kicks in and starts doing its job. If the jitters are getting to be too much, maybe the dosage for the unknown needs a little tweaking. For me, I started at 100 mg three times a day before moving up to 200 mg three times a day. But honestly, for your specific diagnosis, you typically don't stay on unknown long-term; as I mentioned, it usually gets tapered off once the Paxil takes over—which usually happens around the 3 to 4-week mark. Just hang in there, try to be patient, and definitely run it by your doctor.

Frank Campbell said:That’s exactly what I struggle with. Hypomania.

When I’m on Zoloft, I become talkative, a bit laid-back, predictable, bursting with energy, maybe a little intense, and incredibly active. But normally? I’m passive, unmotivated, totally lifeless, dull, irritable, and just feeling helpless...

On Zoloft, I can be a bit rough around the edges. My mood is fantastic, but my behavior often comes off as unpolished, careless, or inconsiderate toward others. I definitely get a boost of overconfidence. Still, none of it feels excessive.

With Zoloft, I feel like that mischievous kid I spent years trying to hide because I was embarrassed by how bubbly, cheerful, open, and naive he was. He's a kid full of life, ideas, strength, and willpower. I ended up burying him deep inside the shell of black depression just because it felt easier for everyone around me :-(

My philosophy is quite simple: everyone should have the autonomy to take whatever they want, provided it makes them feel good.

However, you really have to weigh whether or not you actually maintain control while in that state. A textbook symptom of hypomania is when a person starts making risky decisions that could lead to negative psychosocial or physical consequences. Another issue is developing an overly hostile attitude toward others, becoming manipulative, or acting on impulse—not to mention direct harm, though I suspect that isn't happening in your case. You really ought to think deeply about whether this is truly the kind of person you want to be...

Have you ever considered taking a mood stabilizer alongside your Zoloft? As far as I understand, it won't block the positive effects of the antidepressant, but it does prevent those dangerous escalations.

I am honestly just fed up with this Zoloft; I’m still sitting at a mere 25 mg, yet I can’t feel a single positive effect—no reduction in appetite, no lift in my mood, nothing. All I’m left with is constant nausea and this heightened, jittery nervousness... frankly, I felt much better before I ever started this stuff.

Jason Vaughn482 said:I am honestly just fed up with this Zoloft; I’m still sitting at a mere 25 mg, yet I can’t feel a single positive effect—no reduction in appetite, no lift in my mood, nothing. All I’m left with is constant nausea and this heightened, jittery nervousness... frankly, I felt much better before I ever started this stuff.

What day of treatment are you on?

George Allen71 said:What day of treatment are you on?

If my internal clock hasn't completely failed me, I believe it's day ten; I was actually supposed to bump up to the 50 mg dose by now, but I haven't made that jump yet. How has the adjustment been treating you?

Jason Vaughn482 said:If my internal clock hasn't completely failed me, I believe it's day ten; I was actually supposed to bump up to the 50 mg dose by now, but I haven't made that jump yet. How has the adjustment been treating you?

Well, okay, so it can hold out for another week... though it really should be stopped.
I switched from Valdoxan. It's my fourth day on Lexapro now... it's basically just like Zoloft, but manufactured by Pfizer...

George Allen71 said:Well, okay, so it can hold out for another week... though it really should be stopped.
I switched from Valdoxan. It's my fourth day on Lexapro now... it's basically just like Zoloft, but manufactured by Pfizer...

What kind of dosage are you running? Personally, I find the way this makes me feel absolutely intolerable, and I’m seriously considering tapering off altogether; I woke up this morning feeling like a total shell of a human being.

Jason Vaughn482 said:What kind of dosage are you running? Personally, I find the way this makes me feel absolutely intolerable, and I’m seriously considering tapering off altogether; I woke up this morning feeling like a total shell of a human being.

I'm currently on 50mg... though my doctor mentioned I'll likely need to bump that up eventually since this is just the starting dose.
Everything felt pretty awful for me at first... specifically during those initial two or three weeks. Compared to that, taking something like Wellbutrin felt almost side-effect free... whereas I was dealing with headaches... nausea... it was honestly a nightmare. Now that I'm in my fifth week on Lexapro, the only things I deal with are some sleepiness and these intense intrusive thoughts about self-harm... but nothing else. You really just have to push through that initial adjustment period to let the medication actually kick in before you can decide if it’s right for you.

George Allen71 said:I'm currently on 50mg... though my doctor mentioned I'll likely need to bump that up eventually since this is just the starting dose.
Everything felt pretty awful for me at first... specifically during those initial two or three weeks. Compared to that, taking something like Wellbutrin felt almost side-effect free... whereas I was dealing with headaches... nausea... it was honestly a nightmare. Now that I'm in my fifth week on Lexapro, the only things I deal with are some sleepiness and these intense intrusive thoughts about self-harm... but nothing else. You really just have to push through that initial adjustment period to let the medication actually kick in before you can decide if it’s right for you.

Are you dealing with nausea as well? And tell me, has your sleep quality improved since starting the regimen? Personally, I’ve never struggled with suicidal ideation—never once—but I do find myself spiraling into heightened anxiety and a general sense of profound malaise. It’s exhausting. As for tonight, I ended up taking Zoloft and then added Mirataz because I couldn't catch a wink of sleep, and now I feel like I've been run over by a freight train.🙂

Jason Vaughn482 said:Are you dealing with nausea as well? And tell me, has your sleep quality improved since starting the regimen? Personally, I’ve never struggled with suicidal ideation—never once—but I do find myself spiraling into heightened anxiety and a general sense of profound malaise. It’s exhausting. As for tonight, I ended up taking Zoloft and then added Mirataz because I couldn't catch a wink of sleep, and now I feel like I've been run over by a freight train.🙂

I used to struggle with nausea, but that’s passed now... the problem is I simply can't bring myself to eat. The anxiety is still very much there, too... but what’s truly overwhelming is this constant urge to just disappear, these intrusive thoughts... I just want everything to stop... I can handle the headaches and the nausea if I have to; if things get bad, I'll just take some Advil and lie down for a few hours... but there is nothing I can do about the other part... it's terrifying... I'm going through all of this entirely on my own, struggling just to get by... and honestly, I am so scared.

Moving my post from Sept 3rd over here. Maybe someone actually has an answer.

Day 11 of trying to kick Paxil after being on it for a year, plus years of messing with various anti-anxiety pills. Honestly? Today feels like the absolute worst, and the day hasn't even really started yet. I try to distract myself by sitting at the computer, which helps a bit, but man... this tremor is killing me. Total tension. My fingers feel like they're cramping up and it feels like electricity is surging through my body. Just read some posts and wanted to add myself to the list of people who were on Paxil while also dealing with hypothyroidism.

Withdrawal is officially on pause. As soon as life gets busy and I have to actually move around, I’m right back on them. Back to once a day. This stuff is destroying me. Now I'm starting to think I'll never be able to function without these things. 😢

George Allen71 said:I used to struggle with nausea, but that’s passed now... the problem is I simply can't bring myself to eat. The anxiety is still very much there, too... but what’s truly overwhelming is this constant urge to just disappear, these intrusive thoughts... I just want everything to stop... I can handle the headaches and the nausea if I have to; if things get bad, I'll just take some Advil and lie down for a few hours... but there is nothing I can do about the other part... it's terrifying... I'm going through all of this entirely on my own, struggling just to get by... and honestly, I am so scared.

In my estimation, we are all essentially solitary figures in this struggle, regardless of who might be standing by our side in the family; it is a profound truth that no one can truly grasp the depth of another's experience unless they have walked that same dark path themselves. Even when we attempt to support one another, there is a disconnect—you may be grappling with the desire to vanish while I am desperately clinging to existence, my greatest fears being illness and mortality. For instance, I rarely find myself moved to tears, yet I am far from okay. I find it difficult to even step foot outside my house, not out of fear, per se, but because of a crushing sense of helplessness; I am perpetually exhausted, drained of all vitality, often setting ambitious plans for the next day only to watch them crumble before they even begin. To make matters worse, since I started taking Zoloft, everything seems to have taken a turn for the worse. I think I'll skip my dose today and see how I feel tomorrow... truthfully, the only moments of reprieve come when I manage to catch up on sleep and wake up feeling somewhat rested, but solving this chronic insomnia feels like trying to catch smoke with my bare hands.

Jason Vaughn482 said:Well, that unknown is essentially the same thing as Ambien produced by a major US pharmaceutical firm, and you mentioned previously that it affects you terribly... generally speaking, you can take 10 mg along with Xanax; I do it quite frequently myself because even 10 mg of Ambien fails to knock me out most nights.

Seems weird to me. Zonadin doesn't mess with me at all, but Sanval does.😕Then again, taking four Sanval pills is a different story than one Zonadin (I learned the hard way to leave my meds in my desk at work so I don't accidentally swallow the whole pack.☕

Justin Rogers5 said:Seems weird to me. Zonadin doesn't mess with me at all, but Sanval does.😕Then again, taking four Sanval pills is a different story than one Zonadin (I learned the hard way to leave my meds in my desk at work so I don't accidentally swallow the whole pack.☕

Oh, give me a break; if that's the case, I might just have to start hunting for some Zayn Malik myself... what's the dosage on that one?

Jason Vaughn482 said:Oh, give me a break; if that's the case, I might just have to start hunting for some Zayn Malik myself... what's the dosage on that one?

But honestly, looking at the literature now, the profile seems identical to Prozac; it’s effectively the same thing, so it hardly matters.

Jason Vaughn482 said:Oh, give me a break; if that's the case, I might just have to start hunting for some Zayn Malik myself... what's the dosage on that one?

5 and 10 mg. I don't take it every day, but when things go south, I can't sleep a wink even with 10 mg. Once the issue is sorted, then I can sleep. For me, Zoloft is way weaker. It just knocks me out before I even realize it.🤷Seroquel didn't work the way they promised, so I quit after half a pill. Why bother if it doesn't work? Worst part is, seeing that it fails makes me scared to take Zoloft—I have no idea how those two interact.
One thing, my psychiatrist gave me Sulpiride for "stomach sensations." According to her, it’s for the stomach. Everyone raves about it, but it does nothing for me. And even though Celexa helped me back in the day, I stopped taking it two years ago because it turned on me. I was on the lowest dose and suddenly fell into a deep depression. Will it happen again?

Justin Rogers5 said:5 and 10 mg. I don't take it every day, but when things go south, I can't sleep a wink even with 10 mg. Once the issue is sorted, then I can sleep. For me, Zoloft is way weaker. It just knocks me out before I even realize it.🤷Seroquel didn't work the way they promised, so I quit after half a pill. Why bother if it doesn't work? Worst part is, seeing that it fails makes me scared to take Zoloft—I have no idea how those two interact.
One thing, my psychiatrist gave me Sulpiride for "stomach sensations." According to her, it’s for the stomach. Everyone raves about it, but it does nothing for me. And even though Celexa helped me back in the day, I stopped taking it two years ago because it turned on me. I was on the lowest dose and suddenly fell into a deep depression. Will it happen again?

Well, Zoloft and Sanval are essentially the same generic, which is Zolpidem. Your experience is likely just subjective. Also, Sulpiride isn't an antidepressant; it's an antipsychotic, though yes, it gets prescribed off-label for GI issues. Just don't take it too late in the day because it can be stimulating, but there aren't any contraindications with Zolpidem. As for Celexa—well, Paroxetine is actually a very solid medication. And one more thing for everyone here who goes absolutely wild during medication changes: I've been there. In my case, adjusting the dosage was the most progressive move I made. Taking 60 mg of Prozac and 60 mg of Paxil daily basically brought me back from the dead. I don't need those high doses anymore, but the lesson stuck. So, please, stop playing games with your health and find a competent psychiatrist who actually understands pharmacology.

Jason Vaughn482 said:In my estimation, we are all essentially solitary figures in this struggle, regardless of who might be standing by our side in the family; it is a profound truth that no one can truly grasp the depth of another's experience unless they have walked that same dark path themselves. Even when we attempt to support one another, there is a disconnect—you may be grappling with the desire to vanish while I am desperately clinging to existence, my greatest fears being illness and mortality. For instance, I rarely find myself moved to tears, yet I am far from okay. I find it difficult to even step foot outside my house, not out of fear, per se, but because of a crushing sense of helplessness; I am perpetually exhausted, drained of all vitality, often setting ambitious plans for the next day only to watch them crumble before they even begin. To make matters worse, since I started taking Zoloft, everything seems to have taken a turn for the worse. I think I'll skip my dose today and see how I feel tomorrow... truthfully, the only moments of reprieve come when I manage to catch up on sleep and wake up feeling somewhat rested, but solving this chronic insomnia feels like trying to catch smoke with my bare hands.

George Allen71 is essentially alone

And I'm not entirely sure if you're allowed to mix Zoloft and Mirtazapine—you really shouldn't be doing that anymore.

feralstag72 said:George Allen71 is essentially alone

And I'm not entirely sure if you're allowed to mix Zoloft and Mirtazapine—you really shouldn't be doing that anymore.

Ugh, reading this was so hard for me too.... I won't let it get to me... I'm strong... hang in there, Jane, through all these years... though I'm not even Jane... ughhhhh

Day 6 on Luvox... 25 mg Lamictal first thing in the morning... then another 50 mg in the evening.... man, once I finally get stabilized... oh boy😂