Psychotropic medication discussion thread

Where did everyone go? Forum's been dead for two days. Everyone finally get healthy? Hopefully. I started Coaxil today. Nothing special yet, just day one, but at least the restlessness from the Lexus and Lexapro is gone, so I'm feeling okay about it. We'll see. Fingers crossed this actually works, though it's a long road before I can even tell if it's doing anything. For now, I'm just hanging out and eating some snacks.

Yeah, Coaxil helped a bit, but honestly? It was pretty weak...

Matthew White4 said:Yeah, Coaxil helped a bit, but honestly? It was pretty weak...

My doctor thinks this combo works better for me than Lexus or Lexapro. We'll see. If I can even manage that. Anyway, thanks for the info. Just hoping the side effects don't hit too hard.

I suppose I should probably weigh in here as well. I haven't actually been active on this forum for very long.
Uh... what can I really say? My therapy remains largely the same, though I have scaled back my dosage slightly, which ended up causing some weight loss 😁. Yes, well... who would have guessed, I suppose...🙂
I've been tapering down my intake of Seroquel.

Paul Newman5 said:Anyone here used Coaxil before? Would love to hear some feedback if you have any experience with it. I know everyone reacts differently, but I'd still like to know what's been the consensus.

So, I've been on it for about a year and a half now. My symptoms were still poking through at first, but my therapist was pretty set on not switching things up—so, yeah, I'm doing alright. Survived the worst of it, I guess. I take it twice a day (the pharmacist told me that way and I didn't really catch the mistake, so I just stuck with it),
it basically knocked all my symptoms down to almost nothing. No side effects for me either, though I will say it's probably one of the milder antidepressants out there—so, well, if you can handle that... good luck...

Andrew Peterson14 said:So, I've been on it for about a year and a half now. My symptoms were still poking through at first, but my therapist was pretty set on not switching things up—so, yeah, I'm doing alright. Survived the worst of it, I guess. I take it twice a day (the pharmacist told me that way and I didn't really catch the mistake, so I just stuck with it),
it basically knocked all my symptoms down to almost nothing. No side effects for me either, though I will say it's probably one of the milder antidepressants out there—so, well, if you can handle that... good luck...

I'm just starting one, per my doctor. We'll see how it goes in a week. Dealing with some headaches and constipation. I don't get the part about symptoms breaking through, or the "rough patches"—was that from the meds or the illness? And that last bit about who can endure it. Endure what? The side effects? Sorry, just asking. Honestly, it doesn't matter if other drugs work faster or harder; when I was spiraling, I tried Lexapro and Lexus, and they were terrifying. Lexus actually gave me suicidal thoughts, even though I've never been suicidal before or now.

Paul Newman5 said:I'm just starting one, per my doctor. We'll see how it goes in a week. Dealing with some headaches and constipation. I don't get the part about symptoms breaking through, or the "rough patches"—was that from the meds or the illness? And that last bit about who can endure it. Endure what? The side effects? Sorry, just asking. Honestly, it doesn't matter if other drugs work faster or harder; when I was spiraling, I tried Lexapro and Lexus, and they were terrifying. Lexus actually gave me suicidal thoughts, even though I've never been suicidal before or now.

Well, when I say "storms" and "symptoms breaking through," I mean those heavy phases of depression and anxiety—basically, it wasn't like everything just vanished overnight, it's been a hell of a ride. My doctor actually mentioned it's a good thing the antidepressants haven't masked everything, because now I'm forced to actually deal with the root cause. And she's right, the worst periods have passed... I'm hoping to start tapering down in a few months, but I don't want to rush it... So, I guess it's best to just listen to your doctor and trust the process. Plus, you've got psychotherapy and all that grueling self-work to do... The pills are just there to give us enough strength to tackle the actual issues, not to magically fix everything on their own...
plus I take some Xanax if I really need to...

Andrew Peterson14 said:Well, when I say "storms" and "symptoms breaking through," I mean those heavy phases of depression and anxiety—basically, it wasn't like everything just vanished overnight, it's been a hell of a ride. My doctor actually mentioned it's a good thing the antidepressants haven't masked everything, because now I'm forced to actually deal with the root cause. And she's right, the worst periods have passed... I'm hoping to start tapering down in a few months, but I don't want to rush it... So, I guess it's best to just listen to your doctor and trust the process. Plus, you've got psychotherapy and all that grueling self-work to do... The pills are just there to give us enough strength to tackle the actual issues, not to magically fix everything on their own...
plus I take some Xanax if I really need to...

I did psychotherapy for five months, then my psychologist suggested taking a break in early March—says that's just how it has to be. There aren't any psychiatrists near me who offer therapy, just psychologists. Thanks for the replies. We'll see. It's only day three... no point debating how things work right now. My biggest hurdle is the anxiety—the fear that I'll lose my mind and lose my job and my livelihood. That makes going into the office the hardest part. Luckily, I work from home part of the time, so I don't have to go in every single day... otherwise, I don't know. Were you dealing with anxiety too?

For those of you using Helix in your treatment—whether it's just as needed or on a set schedule—are you sticking to 0.25 mg or moving up to 0.5 mg?
Also, is anyone else taking Normabel to help with sleep? I use it to take the edge off so I can drift off, though it doesn't work every single time...

Paul Newman5 said:I did psychotherapy for five months, then my psychologist suggested taking a break in early March—says that's just how it has to be. There aren't any psychiatrists near me who offer therapy, just psychologists. Thanks for the replies. We'll see. It's only day three... no point debating how things work right now. My biggest hurdle is the anxiety—the fear that I'll lose my mind and lose my job and my livelihood. That makes going into the office the hardest part. Luckily, I work from home part of the time, so I don't have to go in every single day... otherwise, I don't know. Were you dealing with anxiety too?

Oh yeah, I was in a total meltdown—couldn't even make it into work, so I ended up on medical leave for about three months. Anxiety, depression, just feeling completely sick... it was pretty rough, but thank God, I pulled through.
The anxiety will definitely dial down over time, for sure. What are you taking for those flare-ups alongside the AD?
Therapy helped me out a ton, too...

Andrew Peterson14 said:Oh yeah, I was in a total meltdown—couldn't even make it into work, so I ended up on medical leave for about three months. Anxiety, depression, just feeling completely sick... it was pretty rough, but thank God, I pulled through.
The anxiety will definitely dial down over time, for sure. What are you taking for those flare-ups alongside the AD?
Therapy helped me out a ton, too...

Personally, therapy didn't do much for me. Then again, I never really spiraled that hard—never missed work or spent all day stuck in bed. I started out on Lexapro, but my doctor switched me over to Brintellix, saying it was better. I’ve been strictly on Brintellix since last December because I was terrified of anxiety after a horrible experience with Cipralex and Lexapro. Things took a turn for the worse toward the end of March, though. Extreme nerves, too much Brintellix, so I decided to try something else (my psychiatrist suggested this or Wellbutrin back in December, but I stayed away from Wellbutrin because of the side effects). I went to my GP with her referral and he wrote the prescription. We'll see how it goes. He wants me back in seven days to check in and decide if we need to bump up the dose. Currently on Brintellix SR, 0.5mg three times a day.

Andrew Peterson14 said:Oh yeah, I was in a total meltdown—couldn't even make it into work, so I ended up on medical leave for about three months. Anxiety, depression, just feeling completely sick... it was pretty rough, but thank God, I pulled through.
The anxiety will definitely dial down over time, for sure. What are you taking for those flare-ups alongside the AD?
Therapy helped me out a ton, too...

But what actually pulled you out of the depths? Because, if I’m being honest, it feels like I am currently in the midst of a total meltdown. Oh, wait, I see now—was it Coaxil? I have some Seroquel and Abilify sitting here at home, but I'm terrified to take them. I also have Lexapro, though it never seemed particularly effective for me; perhaps I should bump the dose up to 15 mg? It's all I have on hand, since when I saw my psychiatrist the other day, they didn't prescribe anything at all... I'm going through a particularly rough patch with health anxiety right now, and I desperately need something just to steady my nerves.

Matthew Clark3 said:For those of you using Helix in your treatment—whether it's just as needed or on a set schedule—are you sticking to 0.25 mg or moving up to 0.5 mg?
Also, is anyone else taking Normabel to help with sleep? I use it to take the edge off so I can drift off, though it doesn't work every single time...

I’m on 0.5 mg three times a day. My doctor at the Mayo Clinic just switched me to the 1 mg extended-release version and said I could take that three times daily too, but that sounds like overkill to me, so I’m skipping it. When things get really bad, I usually boost my morning 0.5 mg with an extra 0.25 mg. Since I started taking Wellbutrin three days ago, the 0.5 mg in the morning is plenty. For sleep, I use Lexapro; it works for me. I used to use Ambien, but I guess it’s too weak now. Try the Xanax—if 0.25 mg does the trick, great. If not, go to 0.5. It's not quite as rigid as being on antidepressants, at least in my experience.

Jason Vaughn482 said:But what actually pulled you out of the depths? Because, if I’m being honest, it feels like I am currently in the midst of a total meltdown. Oh, wait, I see now—was it Coaxil? I have some Seroquel and Abilify sitting here at home, but I'm terrified to take them. I also have Lexapro, though it never seemed particularly effective for me; perhaps I should bump the dose up to 15 mg? It's all I have on hand, since when I saw my psychiatrist the other day, they didn't prescribe anything at all... I'm going through a particularly rough patch with health anxiety right now, and I desperately need something just to steady my nerves.

Vegetable, just try that AP you have. I know you're nervous, but this collapse isn't sustainable either. Try a little AP. If you're really struggling as much as you say, just go for it.

Stop asking about those toxins right now instead of doing it bit by bit.

Richard Anderson33 said:Stop asking about those toxins right now instead of doing it bit by bit.

Which poisons specifically? The AP, the AD, or the anxiolytics. Personally, I'm off the AP entirely, I take Messer, and the AD by day three. I'd love—really love—to not need any of it. But I have to. I’d give anything to be back where I was a year ago, just bursting with energy, before all these pills were even on my radar.

Paul Newman5 said:Vegetable, just try that AP you have. I know you're nervous, but this collapse isn't sustainable either. Try a little AP. If you're really struggling as much as you say, just go for it.

Aha, so you're talking about antipsychotics? Yes, I'll take one tomorrow, but tonight I’m sticking to my standard dose of antidepressants because I usually only take half, and while I’m not entirely convinced it’ll pull me out of this funk, at least it might sustain me until someone can convince me that everything is going to be alright. My doctor insists this is nothing to lose sleep over, but frankly, my psyche hasn't quite accepted that reality yet... which brings me back to my point: I tend to function best when I'm staying far away from medical professionals. I skipped my appointments for six months and felt remarkably steady, but the moment I start seeing doctors again, my condition takes a massive dive. Now, I'm supposed to schedule a gastroscopy, but I honestly don't know if I can summon the nerve to actually go through with it.🙂

Richard Anderson33 said:Stop asking about those toxins right now instead of doing it bit by bit.

And what exactly is the alternative? Are we all expected to pace around our living rooms in a state of complete mental collapse? Besides, I have to wonder—what exactly is your own poison, and how on earth did you even stumble upon this corner of the internet in the first place?

Paul Newman5 said:I’m on 0.5 mg three times a day. My doctor at the Mayo Clinic just switched me to the 1 mg extended-release version and said I could take that three times daily too, but that sounds like overkill to me, so I’m skipping it. When things get really bad, I usually boost my morning 0.5 mg with an extra 0.25 mg. Since I started taking Wellbutrin three days ago, the 0.5 mg in the morning is plenty. For sleep, I use Lexapro; it works for me. I used to use Ambien, but I guess it’s too weak now. Try the Xanax—if 0.25 mg does the trick, great. If not, go to 0.5. It's not quite as rigid as being on antidepressants, at least in my experience.

Right now I'm on 0.25mg of Helix, but it isn't cutting it anymore and it feels like it's losing its edge. My therapist recently recommended bumping up to 0.5mg, but I haven't seen my doctor yet to get the prescription. I’m constantly torn... part of me wants to increase it, but the other part is terrified of becoming addicted. But given how bad things are right now, I know I’m going to have to take a higher dose eventually. Since I keep taking this 0.25mg every so often anyway, I might as well just move up to 0.5...

Paul Newman5 said:Which poisons specifically? The AP, the AD, or the anxiolytics. Personally, I'm off the AP entirely, I take Messer, and the AD by day three. I'd love—really love—to not need any of it. But I have to. I’d give anything to be back where I was a year ago, just bursting with energy, before all these pills were even on my radar.

Jason Vaughn482 said:And what exactly is the alternative? Are we all expected to pace around our living rooms in a state of complete mental collapse? Besides, I have to wonder—what exactly is your own poison, and how on earth did you even stumble upon this corner of the internet in the first place?

Honestly, just stop giving people like that any more of your energy... they only show up to act like they know everything anyway...
It’s like we’re all doing it because we want to, not because we actually need to... honestly, just ignore it...