Psychotropic medication discussion thread

Dennis Turner6 said:Don’t get mad at me for saying this, but reading through this thread, I’m getting the feeling that it’s the exact same mess whether people are taking their meds or not. That’s just my take on it.

That is a fundamental misunderstanding. For instance, if I didn't have my tablet, I would be suffering from daily panic attacks; I wouldn't be able to function, let alone hold down a job.
While I am managing to work as it is, my role is freelance, which means there is a very real, very grounded fear that I will eventually lose this income stream entirely. It isn't some irrational anxiety; it is just reality.

.😉

redranger2 said:Your fear is centered on losing self-control, specifically at the moment
when you have an audience at work. Personally, I find it highly unlikely that such a thing would ever
actually happen, but it remains a compulsive thought, which falls squarely within the realm of anxiety.

Yeah, I know, you hit the nail on the head. I wasn't really thinking about an audience; I was more focused on getting hospitalized and losing my job. I agree it probably won't happen—I've been going to work since last November without a single incident—but that's just how anxiety works. I'm not a fan of being out in the city or any crowded places either... same fear. Getting to work is the hardest part. I usually deal with this tension from 8 until about 9, then it lets up and I can finish the day normally (well, on meds, but without the physical tightness). I spend so much time "talking" to myself, trying to convince myself everything is fine. I've dissected this with my therapist dozens of times, talked it over with my husband hundreds of times, and argued with myself a million times... which is why I decided to give Apple another shot.

Paul Newman5 said:Yeah, I know, you hit the nail on the head. I wasn't really thinking about an audience; I was more focused on getting hospitalized and losing my job. I agree it probably won't happen—I've been going to work since last November without a single incident—but that's just how anxiety works. I'm not a fan of being out in the city or any crowded places either... same fear. Getting to work is the hardest part. I usually deal with this tension from 8 until about 9, then it lets up and I can finish the day normally (well, on meds, but without the physical tightness). I spend so much time "talking" to myself, trying to convince myself everything is fine. I've dissected this with my therapist dozens of times, talked it over with my husband hundreds of times, and argued with myself a million times... which is why I decided to give Apple another shot.

There is something else I want to tell you. A person who spends their time worrying that they will have a nervous breakdown at work almost never actually experiences one. No one has ever suffered a breakdown simply because they were thinking about it. This is pure anxiety and its various manifestations. Subconsciously, you searched for the area where you might be most vulnerable, and you found it: your career.

Imagine if your husband earned a fortune and you didn't have to work at all. I would bet anything that those intrusive thoughts would simply migrate to some other area of your life. You have actually managed to give your anxiety a specific shape, a schedule, and a location. It is truly remarkable how much the nerves and brain chemistry can coordinate.

Dennis Turner6 said:Don’t get mad at me for saying this, but reading through this thread, I’m getting the feeling that it’s the exact same mess whether people are taking their meds or not. That’s just my take on it.

That's usually how it goes with people who aren't actually drowning. Most of the time, the folks who are truly struggling would swallow anything just to feel even a little bit better, let alone a couple of pills.🙂

redranger2 said:There is something else I want to tell you. A person who spends their time worrying that they will have a nervous breakdown at work almost never actually experiences one. No one has ever suffered a breakdown simply because they were thinking about it. This is pure anxiety and its various manifestations. Subconsciously, you searched for the area where you might be most vulnerable, and you found it: your career.

Imagine if your husband earned a fortune and you didn't have to work at all. I would bet anything that those intrusive thoughts would simply migrate to some other area of your life. You have actually managed to give your anxiety a specific shape, a schedule, and a location. It is truly remarkable how much the nerves and brain chemistry can coordinate.

Well, you said it. I honestly think you're right—it'll never happen. Thanks, really. You've encouraged me, even though I did deal with several panic attacks at the office last summer. I often daydream about my husband making enough for us to quit, but he tells me I'd probably just find something else to worry about, which is exactly what you're saying. Seriously, thank you, it means a lot. And yeah, the whole chemistry/nerves thing is totally real. For instance, when I'm home alone, these thoughts never cross my mind, but once I'm out in the world, they hit. You're great, redranger2, thanks.😉

Paul Newman5 said:Well, you said it. I honestly think you're right—it'll never happen. Thanks, really. You've encouraged me, even though I did deal with several panic attacks at the office last summer. I often daydream about my husband making enough for us to quit, but he tells me I'd probably just find something else to worry about, which is exactly what you're saying. Seriously, thank you, it means a lot. And yeah, the whole chemistry/nerves thing is totally real. For instance, when I'm home alone, these thoughts never cross my mind, but once I'm out in the world, they hit. You're great, redranger2, thanks.😉

Hehe... it sounds like your husband and I are on the exact same page.🙂
If you were truly a chronic worrier, it would follow you home, too, but in your case
it seems confined to the office. A few panic attacks in a high-pressure workplace isn't
all that unusual—that intense anxiety has to find a way to manifest somehow.

You mentioned this happened over the summer—attacks do tend to flare up more during those months.
Just make sure you always have a bottle of water with you at the office; don't let dehydration or
hunger catch you off guard by letting your blood sugar drop, and you'll be fine. Hang in there, 🙂

redranger2 said:Hehe... it sounds like your husband and I are on the exact same page.🙂
If you were truly a chronic worrier, it would follow you home, too, but in your case
it seems confined to the office. A few panic attacks in a high-pressure workplace isn't
all that unusual—that intense anxiety has to find a way to manifest somehow.

You mentioned this happened over the summer—attacks do tend to flare up more during those months.
Just make sure you always have a bottle of water with you at the office; don't let dehydration or
hunger catch you off guard by letting your blood sugar drop, and you'll be fine. Hang in there, 🙂

Thanks again for the support and the chat. It keeps me grounded, I guess, but not really. I’m not exactly itching to go anywhere either—every trip feels like such a chore. But nothing beats the dread of heading into the office.
I'll try my best not to buckle.🙂

I started taking Advil a few days ago, and I was wondering if anyone here has experience with them? Have you had any positive or negative results, and does it actually work for you?
Also, does Advil fall into the category of MAO inhibitors? Is there any danger when it comes to food interactions involving tyramine—like cheese or beer—similar to how other drugs in that class behave?
thanks

Dennis Turner6 said:Don’t get mad at me for saying this, but reading through this thread, I’m getting the feeling that it’s the exact same mess whether people are taking their meds or not. That’s just my take on it.

What’s your actual experience been like, though? And do you even have an official diagnosis for any mental health condition?
Your comment is totally baseless.

Brandon Lopez6 said:That's usually how it goes with people who aren't actually drowning. Most of the time, the folks who are truly struggling would swallow anything just to feel even a little bit better, let alone a couple of pills.🙂

I agree with the part about taking meds when things get desperate—not just for local issues, but everything—but I can't get behind calling this "just a couple of pills." Personally, I feel like AT&T is more like those drugs where you deal with side effects for weeks, or they don't even work half the time, or the side effects stop but nothing actually happens, and then you're just waiting months for any effect at all. A pill is what you take for high blood pressure to stay functional. This isn't that. I'm already on my third type of medication and who knows how that ends, so I'm technically all for treatment, but I won't sugarcoat this crap we're consuming.
Everyone's entitled to an opinion, including those who think there's no difference between this and actual pills.

Dennis Turner6 said:Don’t get mad at me for saying this, but reading through this thread, I’m getting the feeling that it’s the exact same mess whether people are taking their meds or not. That’s just my take on it.

Your "impression" is completely worthless. I am talking about reality here. Without my medication, I suffered from panic attacks so severe I ended up in the ER because doctors thought I was having a stroke. With my meds? I literally got my life back. Period.

And let me be clear: I am the type of person who would swallow pure poison if it meant I’d never have to deal with what I went through again. I don't even want to go into the details of the agoraphobia, the social anxiety, the endless cycle of phobias, and all that other garbage that made it impossible to breathe or perform basic daily tasks. It left me paralyzed. I'm not interested in debating the merits of being "natural" when my quality of life depends on this.

Has anyone here used Advil lately? I’ve been taking it for a few days now and was wondering if anyone knows about potential side effects. Also, is there any danger when mixing it with foods high in tyramine? I noticed some mention of it being part of the MAOI group... any insights?

Paul Newman5 said:I agree with the part about taking meds when things get desperate—not just for local issues, but everything—but I can't get behind calling this "just a couple of pills." Personally, I feel like AT&T is more like those drugs where you deal with side effects for weeks, or they don't even work half the time, or the side effects stop but nothing actually happens, and then you're just waiting months for any effect at all. A pill is what you take for high blood pressure to stay functional. This isn't that. I'm already on my third type of medication and who knows how that ends, so I'm technically all for treatment, but I won't sugarcoat this crap we're consuming.
Everyone's entitled to an opinion, including those who think there's no difference between this and actual pills.

You completely missed the point. Compared to absolute garbage (which is gross), anyone would rather take a pill (which is less gross). And trust me, I didn't just wake up yesterday knowing what you wrote in your post.

And if we're really going down that road, even blood pressure meds have side effects. They aren't magic. I used the word "pills" mostly sarcastically, but I guess you have to spell out every single damn word on these forums so someone doesn't misinterpret you and jump down your throat.

Does anyone know anything about Advil? Is it actually dangerous? I heard it might fall under the MAOI category, and those can be risky when you eat foods high in tyramine. I noticed nobody has replied yet 😢

Andrew Doyle said:Your "impression" is completely worthless. I am talking about reality here. Without my medication, I suffered from panic attacks so severe I ended up in the ER because doctors thought I was having a stroke. With my meds? I literally got my life back. Period.

And let me be clear: I am the type of person who would swallow pure poison if it meant I’d never have to deal with what I went through again. I don't even want to go into the details of the agoraphobia, the social anxiety, the endless cycle of phobias, and all that other garbage that made it impossible to breathe or perform basic daily tasks. It left me paralyzed. I'm not interested in debating the merits of being "natural" when my quality of life depends on this.

I deal with all those phobias too, just not the panic attacks. I'd love to know what you're taking and how long you've been on AT&T. I'd swallow anything if I knew it worked, but we can't figure out which "garbage" actually fits us... that's why I'm asking. I'm starting to lose hope in AT&T.

Brandon Lopez6 said:You completely missed the point. Compared to absolute garbage (which is gross), anyone would rather take a pill (which is less gross). And trust me, I didn't just wake up yesterday knowing what you wrote in your post.

And if we're really going down that road, even blood pressure meds have side effects. They aren't magic. I used the word "pills" mostly sarcastically, but I guess you have to spell out every single damn word on these forums so someone doesn't misinterpret you and jump down your throat.

I wasn't jumping down your throat, and there's no need for swearing. But I'm certain blood pressure medication doesn't cause this many side effects. And I wasn't saying I don't respect your experience. Just because you've been around here for years doesn't mean I, as someone relatively new, can't have my own opinion. I have more to say, but I'm not interested in forum bickering.

Robert Kim6 said:Does anyone know anything about Advil? Is it actually dangerous? I heard it might fall under the MAOI category, and those can be risky when you eat foods high in tyramine. I noticed nobody has replied yet 😢

The instructions for Aktivin H don't mention any of that stuff. I'm gonna go down a Google rabbit hole to see what else I can find.

I'm just going to leave this here... I did some digging online, and apparently, they fall into the category of MAO inhibitors. Those can be pretty risky when you mix them with foods high in tyramine. Usually, they're only prescribed for extreme cases. Then again, if Aktivin H were that intense, it probably wouldn't be available over the counter, right?

Paul Newman5 said:I wasn't jumping down your throat, and there's no need for swearing. But I'm certain blood pressure medication doesn't cause this many side effects. And I wasn't saying I don't respect your experience. Just because you've been around here for years doesn't mean I, as someone relatively new, can't have my own opinion. I have more to say, but I'm not interested in forum bickering.

That wasn't an insult, it was just a figure of speech. If I actually wanted to start swearing at you, I wouldn't have been this polite.
Nobody's telling you what to think, but you totally snapped at me over a comment that wasn't even about you, let alone directed at you. Honestly, I have no clue why you took it personally. Nobody else seems to have taken it the way you did, which probably means everyone else caught the sarcasm and what I was actually getting at.
I could be really rude right now, but I won't. 😉

Robert Kim6 said:I'm just going to leave this here... I did some digging online, and apparently, they fall into the category of MAO inhibitors. Those can be pretty risky when you mix them with foods high in tyramine. Usually, they're only prescribed for extreme cases. Then again, if Aktivin H were that intense, it probably wouldn't be available over the counter, right?

I saw one site saying it's an SSRI and another one calling it a MAOI. Good luck figuring out which one is right. 🙄
When I picked it up today, the woman at the pharmacy didn't mention a thing except to tell me to watch out for the sun and wear some SPF if I'm heading out. I feel like she would've mentioned the food thing if it were a big deal, since that feels much more important than the sun (which isn't even that strong lately anyway).

Yeah, I probably should've mentioned it... I was just second-guessing myself on whether I should keep asking about him.
Has anyone actually had any experience with it?