Psychotropic medication discussion thread

Brandon Lopez6 said:I mean, I don't think it's a bad topic at all. Honestly, a huge chunk of people deal with this exact thing, it’s just that most folks aren't exactly eager to talk about it openly. 🤷

I'm doing alright 🥳, but man, when I was on the pills... it was rough. 🙂

Milligram is really the one who pioneered this discussion, so he ought to be the one to officially start a thread about it.😍

redranger2 said:To sum it all up:

For those of us in America navigating life on medication, the sexual landscape tends to look like this:
He can’t get an erection, she can’t find any arousal, and even if by some miracle they manage to technically
get things moving, neither one of them can actually reach a climax. 🤣

Honestly, we probably ought to start a dedicated thread just for this particular misery. :-)))

In my own experience, things were quite difficult during those first two weeks after starting the antidepressant... but now, everything seems to have leveled out and feels okay... just thought I'd mention it. 😁

redranger2 said:To sum it all up:

For those of us in America navigating life on medication, the sexual landscape tends to look like this:
He can’t get an erection, she can’t find any arousal, and even if by some miracle they manage to technically
get things moving, neither one of them can actually reach a climax. 🤣

Honestly, we probably ought to start a dedicated thread just for this particular misery. :-)))

Perfect summary. Honestly, a thread wouldn't be a bad idea—might give us a break from talking about pills and side effects. And since most of you seem younger than me, maybe I could use the nostalgia for better days.🤣Jokes aside, it’s a conversation worth having. Even when you're sick, talking about sex feels awkward sometimes, but it's vital—especially for the partners who aren't on medication trying to deal with us.

Has anyone else tried Elice? I took 2 tablets today (well, half of each), and man, my anxiety just tripled out of nowhere. My head is spinning and I honestly feel pretty terrible right now. Is this just part of the side effects? How long does this stuff usually last before it settles down? I’m seriously thinking about ditching it entirely and just sticking to chamomile tea instead. This is just way too much for me...

frozenorca63 said:Has anyone else tried Elice? I took 2 tablets today (well, half of each), and man, my anxiety just tripled out of nowhere. My head is spinning and I honestly feel pretty terrible right now. Is this just part of the side effects? How long does this stuff usually last before it settles down? I’m seriously thinking about ditching it entirely and just sticking to chamomile tea instead. This is just way too much for me...

I was on Lexapro, which is basically the same thing. I had to stop because it hit me just as hard—it sent me through the roof, couldn't sit still, and I was practically popping Lexapro just to try and settle down. It was terrible. Not just dizzy, but totally manic. Same thing happened with Lexet. Now I'm on day 8 of Coaxil. Side effects were just some headaches and diarrhea for the first three days, plus that constant fear that this one won't work like the last two antidepressants. So far, so good, but who knows... too early to tell. Still, there are people here who swear by Elice or Lexapro, so maybe someone else will chime in. For me, it was so bad, I was so manic that I told myself on day 5 to just stop.

Paul Newman5 said:I was on Lexapro, which is basically the same thing. I had to stop because it hit me just as hard—it sent me through the roof, couldn't sit still, and I was practically popping Lexapro just to try and settle down. It was terrible. Not just dizzy, but totally manic. Same thing happened with Lexet. Now I'm on day 8 of Coaxil. Side effects were just some headaches and diarrhea for the first three days, plus that constant fear that this one won't work like the last two antidepressants. So far, so good, but who knows... too early to tell. Still, there are people here who swear by Elice or Lexapro, so maybe someone else will chime in. For me, it was so bad, I was so manic that I told myself on day 5 to just stop.

Thanks for sharing. My doctor at the Mayo Clinic prescribed it, but instead of calming me down, it's actually cranking up my anxiety, leaving me totally wiped out, exhausted, and dealing with headaches and diarrhea. I gave my doctor a call, and they just told me I've only been on it for two days and need to give it a fair shot, unless I start feeling aggressive. They did put me on some Helex to help tide me over until things settle down. Man, I really hope this works for me... I had no idea these meds could hit you this hard. I'm in my 40s now and I think I've probably gone through maybe three boxes of Normabal in my entire life, so my body isn't exactly used to taking stuff for anxiety and all that, which is probably why it's reacting so strongly. 🙂

frozenorca63 said:Thanks for sharing. My doctor at the Mayo Clinic prescribed it, but instead of calming me down, it's actually cranking up my anxiety, leaving me totally wiped out, exhausted, and dealing with headaches and diarrhea. I gave my doctor a call, and they just told me I've only been on it for two days and need to give it a fair shot, unless I start feeling aggressive. They did put me on some Helex to help tide me over until things settle down. Man, I really hope this works for me... I had no idea these meds could hit you this hard. I'm in my 40s now and I think I've probably gone through maybe three boxes of Normabal in my entire life, so my body isn't exactly used to taking stuff for anxiety and all that, which is probably why it's reacting so strongly. 🙂

Every single medication carries side effects, including antidepressants. You just started, so you have to give the medicine a fair shot. During my first week, I felt like I was losing my mind... nausea, dizziness, diarrhea—I couldn't even keep food down. It was absolute hell. Just use the Helex when it becomes truly unbearable and hang in there; it gets better once you find the right antidepressant.
Good luck.😉

frozenorca63 said:Thanks for sharing. My doctor at the Mayo Clinic prescribed it, but instead of calming me down, it's actually cranking up my anxiety, leaving me totally wiped out, exhausted, and dealing with headaches and diarrhea. I gave my doctor a call, and they just told me I've only been on it for two days and need to give it a fair shot, unless I start feeling aggressive. They did put me on some Helex to help tide me over until things settle down. Man, I really hope this works for me... I had no idea these meds could hit you this hard. I'm in my 40s now and I think I've probably gone through maybe three boxes of Normabal in my entire life, so my body isn't exactly used to taking stuff for anxiety and all that, which is probably why it's reacting so strongly. 🙂

A PCP prescribing that? Surprised they even would. Mine wouldn't touch it. When I started, I thought these things worked like antibiotics—take them and you're cured—but clearly not. Stick with it for a few more days and see. What did you feel like when your doctor gave you AT&T instead of sending you to a psychiatrist? Sorry if you don't want to talk about it, I'm still pretty new to all this, the illness, and dealing with AT&T, so just curious.

Larry Campbell said:Every single medication carries side effects, including antidepressants. You just started, so you have to give the medicine a fair shot. During my first week, I felt like I was losing my mind... nausea, dizziness, diarrhea—I couldn't even keep food down. It was absolute hell. Just use the Helex when it becomes truly unbearable and hang in there; it gets better once you find the right antidepressant.
Good luck.😉

Thanks so much! Up until now, I've mostly been sticking to herbal remedies, which helped quite a bit, but I'm still not feeling like myself. I don't really have any other choice but to give Lexapro a shot. I'll just power through the rough patches if it means I'll feel better down the road...

Paul Newman5 said:A PCP prescribing that? Surprised they even would. Mine wouldn't touch it. When I started, I thought these things worked like antibiotics—take them and you're cured—but clearly not. Stick with it for a few more days and see. What did you feel like when your doctor gave you AT&T instead of sending you to a psychiatrist? Sorry if you don't want to talk about it, I'm still pretty new to all this, the illness, and dealing with AT&T, so just curious.

My neurologist was the one who put me on Lexapro, so my primary doctor is just following her lead. As for Elon Musk, my doctor gave me that because Normabell was basically turning me into a zombie. For me, all these symptoms kicked in right after I lost my job; it started with tingling in my hands and feet, then dizziness, and eventually this weird numbness on one side of my face. Since I've already survived an aneurysm and two brain tumor surgeries, the doctors were initially terrified that everything was coming back, but after an MRI and a bunch of other tests, they diagnosed it as recurrent depression and my neurologist prescribed Lexapro. They probably didn't bother sending me to a psychiatrist because they already knew exactly where all this was coming from. Eventually, it spiraled into anxiety and full-blown panic attacks, and honestly, I tried treating myself with herbal tea because I was so against taking antidepressants, and while it helped a lot, I can still feel that anxiety lurking. So now, I’ve decided to finally bite the bullet and go the "chemical" route to kill it off for good—basically just so I can function normally while I hunt for a new job. I really hope it works, because this constant tightness in my chest is absolutely wrecking me, both physically and mentally.

frozenorca63 said:My neurologist was the one who put me on Lexapro, so my primary doctor is just following her lead. As for Elon Musk, my doctor gave me that because Normabell was basically turning me into a zombie. For me, all these symptoms kicked in right after I lost my job; it started with tingling in my hands and feet, then dizziness, and eventually this weird numbness on one side of my face. Since I've already survived an aneurysm and two brain tumor surgeries, the doctors were initially terrified that everything was coming back, but after an MRI and a bunch of other tests, they diagnosed it as recurrent depression and my neurologist prescribed Lexapro. They probably didn't bother sending me to a psychiatrist because they already knew exactly where all this was coming from. Eventually, it spiraled into anxiety and full-blown panic attacks, and honestly, I tried treating myself with herbal tea because I was so against taking antidepressants, and while it helped a lot, I can still feel that anxiety lurking. So now, I’ve decided to finally bite the bullet and go the "chemical" route to kill it off for good—basically just so I can function normally while I hunt for a new job. I really hope it works, because this constant tightness in my chest is absolutely wrecking me, both physically and mentally.

The tingling and panic attacks started for me too, though luckily I didn't have your medical history. I'll vouch for how anxiety and dread can own a person; I'm going through it myself, especially the anxiety. Good luck with the AT&T. Hopefully the side effects die down soon. People here say Lexapro is solid and praise it on the forums. Hang in there, you'll see how it goes in a few days. Good luck.😉

Paul Newman5 said:The tingling and panic attacks started for me too, though luckily I didn't have your medical history. I'll vouch for how anxiety and dread can own a person; I'm going through it myself, especially the anxiety. Good luck with the AT&T. Hopefully the side effects die down soon. People here say Lexapro is solid and praise it on the forums. Hang in there, you'll see how it goes in a few days. Good luck.😉

Thanks so much! Honestly, I was trying to dodge the meds entirely and just stuck to chamomile tea, and for a little while, I thought I had actually beaten it, but the anxiety is creeping back in and I'm just done playing games with my own head—it's time to give the medication a real shot. I was always a bit wary of taking pills since I feel like I've swallowed enough medication in my life to sink a ship, but honestly, taking something for a few months is way better than staying in this headspace where my body feels completely wiped out and I'm catching every little bug going around... Sending all the good vibes back your way! 🙂

[QUOTE=frozenorca63;44585065]Thanks so much! I was avoiding meds and just using St. John's Wort, and I almost cured myself, but I see the anxiety creeping back. I don't want to mess with my head anymore, so I'm going to try medication. I was wary because I've swallowed so many pills in my life, but a few months of meds is better than this state I'm in—it's worn me down so much I'm catching every little bug. Wishing you all the best too 🙂[/QUOTE
I went straight back to the psychiatrist. After two failed attempts with AT&T and some nasty side effects, I got spooked and wouldn't touch anything from mid-February onwards. Just took Mary and tried bioenergy stuff. But by late March, the nerves were getting to me and I couldn't take it, so I went for a prescription. I'm on day 9 of Claritin; we'll see. It feels a bit too anxiolytic and leaves me feeling kind of "numb," but the doctor says I have to be on it for at least 3 weeks before deciding if it works. Personally, I don't mind the calm since I was pretty jittery, but being half-asleep in the mornings is a problem because of work.
Hang in there, and thanks for the good vibes.
Question for anyone who’s been on Claritin: did it act anxiolytic for you too? Like it's a "downer" instead of an "upper," or is that just expected since it's only been 9 days? I don't have many other side effects. My appetite is a bit lower and I'm sweating more, but that's about it. Had headaches, bone aches, and diarrhea the first couple of days, but that settled down. Thanks in advance for sharing your experiences.[/QUOTE]

I was on Claritin for a few months, and honestly, it worked okay—it had that anxiolytic vibe—but it just wasn't hitting hard enough to actually kill my anxiety, let alone touch the depression. It was way too mild for what I was dealing with. The silver lining was that I didn't deal with any side effects, and I’m seriously grateful my psychiatrist realized on her own that I needed something with a bit more punch...

Matthew White4 said:I was on Claritin for a few months, and honestly, it worked okay—it had that anxiolytic vibe—but it just wasn't hitting hard enough to actually kill my anxiety, let alone touch the depression. It was way too mild for what I was dealing with. The silver lining was that I didn't deal with any side effects, and I’m seriously grateful my psychiatrist realized on her own that I needed something with a bit more punch...

Thanks. I thought about talking to my therapist today, but I bailed. I'll stick with this for another 2 or 3 weeks first. Then I'll check in with my psychiatrist. My main issue isn't really depression—it's the anxiety. This just takes the edge off since I was a total wreck before starting it.

Matthew White4 said:I was on Claritin for a few months, and honestly, it worked okay—it had that anxiolytic vibe—but it just wasn't hitting hard enough to actually kill my anxiety, let alone touch the depression. It was way too mild for what I was dealing with. The silver lining was that I didn't deal with any side effects, and I’m seriously grateful my psychiatrist realized on her own that I needed something with a bit more punch...

Did it keep making you feel that anxious all those months, or did the fatigue eventually let up? I know everyone reacts differently, but I'm curious. You can't stay this sluggish forever. Why bother with a few months of meds if they just leave you feeling sedated? I've seen enough posts here to know what works for one person doesn't mean it works for everyone, so I'm just asking.

Yeah, it felt exactly the same the whole way through—zero change. At first, I actually thought I just needed to wait for it to kick in and finally start helping me, but nope, nothing moved the needle. Honestly, I can’t even remember how long I was on it... maybe two months? Then my doctor switched me over to something else.
I tossed all my old medical records from 2006 through 2012, so now the timeline is a total blur to me.
I do remember that Lexapro worked pretty well for me. On the other hand, Anafranil made me gain like 50 pounds, or maybe it was Lariam. But with Lexapro, I actually dropped all those extra pounds in just a few months.
Callista absolutely wiped me out; I couldn't wake up no matter what I tried, and I could only stomach it for a couple of days. Then Zoloft gave me these intense heart palpitations and a super stiff jaw.
And so on.
The only one I’m actually a fan of is Effexor. For a few years, I took two 37.5 mg pills in the morning, and then eventually transitioned to one 150 mg Effexor XR in the morning.
Throughout all these years, I’ve also been taking Dogmatil, though my new psychiatrist swapped it out for Zyprexa about two or three months ago.

Matthew White4 said:Yeah, it felt exactly the same the whole way through—zero change. At first, I actually thought I just needed to wait for it to kick in and finally start helping me, but nope, nothing moved the needle. Honestly, I can’t even remember how long I was on it... maybe two months? Then my doctor switched me over to something else.
I tossed all my old medical records from 2006 through 2012, so now the timeline is a total blur to me.
I do remember that Lexapro worked pretty well for me. On the other hand, Anafranil made me gain like 50 pounds, or maybe it was Lariam. But with Lexapro, I actually dropped all those extra pounds in just a few months.
Callista absolutely wiped me out; I couldn't wake up no matter what I tried, and I could only stomach it for a couple of days. Then Zoloft gave me these intense heart palpitations and a super stiff jaw.
And so on.
The only one I’m actually a fan of is Effexor. For a few years, I took two 37.5 mg pills in the morning, and then eventually transitioned to one 150 mg Effexor XR in the morning.
Throughout all these years, I’ve also been taking Dogmatil, though my new psychiatrist swapped it out for Zyprexa about two or three months ago.

Not exactly comforting, but I asked, so now I'm thinking.😂Just kidding, thanks for the reply. If anyone else here has experience with Claritin, let me know. It can't be just us two taking this among everyone on these forums. That's the worst part about AT&T—you have to take it for at least a month before you even know if it works... anyway, you went through this yourself, and plenty of people here have too.

Matthew White4 said:Yeah, it felt exactly the same the whole way through—zero change. At first, I actually thought I just needed to wait for it to kick in and finally start helping me, but nope, nothing moved the needle. Honestly, I can’t even remember how long I was on it... maybe two months? Then my doctor switched me over to something else.
I tossed all my old medical records from 2006 through 2012, so now the timeline is a total blur to me.
I do remember that Lexapro worked pretty well for me. On the other hand, Anafranil made me gain like 50 pounds, or maybe it was Lariam. But with Lexapro, I actually dropped all those extra pounds in just a few months.
Callista absolutely wiped me out; I couldn't wake up no matter what I tried, and I could only stomach it for a couple of days. Then Zoloft gave me these intense heart palpitations and a super stiff jaw.
And so on.
The only one I’m actually a fan of is Effexor. For a few years, I took two 37.5 mg pills in the morning, and then eventually transitioned to one 150 mg Effexor XR in the morning.
Throughout all these years, I’ve also been taking Dogmatil, though my new psychiatrist swapped it out for Zyprexa about two or three months ago.

What dosage of Callista were you prescribed? Even at a mere 7.5 mg, I find myself trapped in this perpetual state of lethargy, unable to wake up. I am desperate to move past it once I receive a different sedative, because my current sleep aid doesn't always seem to do the trick.

1x 30 mg

It absolutely wrecked me. I was so out of it for a couple of days that I couldn't even function, so I ended up heading straight to my psychiatrist...