Psychotropic medication discussion thread

Paul Newman5 said:The first one was private, but this current one is through the clinic. Still, she gave me her cell number to call in two weeks if side effects don't settle down (right now I'm off everything, waiting for my doctor to get back from vacation tomorrow so she can write a new prescription). I was given Ludiomil, but if I start gaining weight like crazy, I have no intention of staying on it for months. Same thing happened to me with Coaxil... nerves were fine, tapering off the anxiety meds went okay, sleep and appetite seemed normal, but my legs were giving out from muscle weakness. My doctor told me to stop after the fourth week. They explained that depression doesn't resolve in just 2-3 weeks, but the side effects shouldn't persist. I'm not a doctor though, so I'm just repeating what my doctors and some people on here have said.

She didn't give me any specific number.
She just scheduled my next checkup and told me to stop taking the medication if I start breaking out in a rash.

[User Name] said: [Text]

My legs just gave out on me due to muscle weakness, and my doctor actually told me to stop taking it after only four weeks. The explanation I got was that you shouldn't need to extend an AD for two or three weeks, provided the side effects subside. But then again, I'm no medical expert, so I’m really just repeating what my doctors and some folks here on the forum have told me.

My "side effects" aren't even remotely this specific.
They’re more like an aggravation of an already existing condition than anything else.
I was reading through the instructions, and it says that it takes about four weeks for Prozac to actually start working.
It is perfectly normal to experience side effects during that timeframe.

I haven't even come close to hitting that four-week mark yet, since I only recently transitioned onto the full dosage.

I am still waiting for someone to provide some actual clarity on this situation. It’s incredibly frustrating when you’re looking for straightforward answers and all you get is vague nonsense. kaže:
Exactly.

How long have you been on Prozac and what’s your dosage? For me, I was basically a zombie for the first two weeks because of the drowsiness, but once that passed, my body finally adjusted and things leveled out.
: top:

I've been on them for 19 days now.
I reached my full dosage five days ago.
My full dose is 2x100 mg.

copperheron18 said:Good grief, you wouldn't believe the day I've had. I was on a bit of a trek today—about a two-hour drive—and decided to take some Dramamine beforehand because, frankly, long trips always make me feel physically wretched. It never even crossed my mind to consider how that might interact with my current medication. The result? I was essentially a zombie. It felt as though I hadn't slept in three days straight; I couldn't even stay upright, let alone focus on anything, despite having actually slept quite well the night before.
It was incredibly awkward, too, being around the people we were visiting. Luckily, since I have a little one, I could just play it off by saying we all had a rough night of sleep. Even so, once the afternoon rolled around, I managed to catch a quick 90-minute nap with the kid, which finally helped me feel a bit more human.
Honestly, if I had known, there was no way I would have taken it. It only hit me after the fact, but then I checked the fine print on the Dramamine packaging, and sure enough, it explicitly mentions that it can cause these kinds of effects when combined with certain other drugs.

You're out here drugging yourself with Dramamine.😲🤣

copperheron18, don't go drugging yourself.🙂

[Username] said: "[Original Text]"

It only just dawned on me that this was caused by that medication. I actually checked the Dramamine insert, and it explicitly states that such an effect can occur when combined with certain other drugs.

This is exactly how Americans try to justify themselves when they get caught behind the wheel misusing their prescription drugs.
"I had no idea he was such a criminal, honest to God."

You really gave me a good laugh there.😬

The updated drug formulary just dropped, and it’s honestly a bit of a mess. Even though I pay for supplemental coverage every $27 month, I’m still stuck footing the entire bill for Normabel $0.83 🙂

Kenneth Scott41 said:The updated drug formulary just dropped, and it’s honestly a bit of a mess. Even though I pay for supplemental coverage every $27 month, I’m still stuck footing the entire bill for Normabel $0.83 🙂

That really is an enormous amount of money... I honestly can't wrap my head around how they could possibly justify that...

goldenbison31 said:That really is an enormous amount of money... I honestly can't wrap my head around how they could possibly justify that...

I guess it’s not even about the actual dollar amount, it’s more about the principle of the thing. Like, if your employer or the government is already covering your basic health insurance and you're paying out of pocket for extra coverage on top of that, it just feels totally unfair to be hit with even more fees.

frozenorca63 said:I guess it’s not even about the actual dollar amount, it’s more about the principle of the thing. Like, if your employer or the government is already covering your basic health insurance and you're paying out of pocket for extra coverage on top of that, it just feels totally unfair to be hit with even more fees.

That’s nothing compared to my experience last month, when I actually had to pay out of pocket for my Concor—something that was never supposed to require a co-pay$3.25 just because I picked up a 50-count bottle; meanwhile, all my other prescriptions are covered for free. Since I was already standing there at the CVS pharmacy, I figured I might as well pay it, but it’s pure madness. It’s the same ridiculous logic with Sanval: if you get 20 pills, you pay, but if you get 30, it’s covered? Who in their right mind designed a system this nonsensical?

Quick question for you all. 🙂
My psychiatrist put me on Lexapro today (along with all my other drugs 😁), and I was wondering if it's something I can just pick up at the pharmacy along with everything else?
What has your experience been like with it? 🙂

Arthur Vaughn2 said:Quick question for you all. 🙂
My psychiatrist put me on Lexapro today (along with all my other drugs 😁), and I was wondering if it's something I can just pick up at the pharmacy along with everything else?
What has your experience been like with it? 🙂

I actually take the generic version, Elicea, and honestly, it’s been a total game changer for me. I finally feel like myself again without all those crazy panic attacks and anxiety hanging over my head. I think the brand-name stuff costs money, but you can usually get the generic for free through insurance.

frozenorca63 said:I actually take the generic version, Elicea, and honestly, it’s been a total game changer for me. I finally feel like myself again without all those crazy panic attacks and anxiety hanging over my head. I think the brand-name stuff costs money, but you can usually get the generic for free through insurance.

Yeah, it definitely isn't free. It's going to run me about $15 or so out of pocket. Way too much.

Arthur Vaughn2 said:Yeah, it definitely isn't free. It's going to run me about $15 or so out of pocket. Way too much.

I seem to remember when I first started taking Lexapro; things felt a bit better, though I didn't really deal with any nasty side effects, just some dry mouth. It can be a decent option if you're dealing with mild depression or maybe a little anxiety. But then again, my situation is probably a bit more complicated than that, so I'm actually on one of the stronger medications, HP LaserJet.

Jason Vaughn482 said:That’s nothing compared to my experience last month, when I actually had to pay out of pocket for my Concor—something that was never supposed to require a co-pay$3.25 just because I picked up a 50-count bottle; meanwhile, all my other prescriptions are covered for free. Since I was already standing there at the CVS pharmacy, I figured I might as well pay it, but it’s pure madness. It’s the same ridiculous logic with Sanval: if you get 20 pills, you pay, but if you get 30, it’s covered? Who in their right mind designed a system this nonsensical?

I suppose I'm in the same boat, having been forced to pay the entire retail price for my medication, roughly $10 for just 10 pills!!!
It feels like I'm paying $1.00🙂🙂 per pill, almost as if they were treating it like pure cocaine🤣
And this is just for a sleep aid—Dormicum.

Has anyone else taking Haldol dealt with muscle stiffness as a side effect?

I wasn't sure if I should start a whole new thread for this or just post it here, but let's try it here first.

So, my partner has been struggling big time for years now. We're talking anxiety attacks, panic, paranoia, aggression, insomnia, and he’s constantly miserable at his job. On top of that, he carries some heavy childhood trauma, and his dad has been battling alcoholism and pill addiction for a long time. He and I have only been together for about a year and a half (I'm 34, he's 39). It was really tough getting him to open up emotionally, but we've been living together for a few months now and things are actually going pretty well. I finally earned his trust, and along with his mom, I managed to talk him into seeing a psychiatrist. They gave him two diagnoses—Borderline and something else they'll pin down once he finishes some psych testing. In the meantime, he was prescribed Risperdal and Faverin (for sleep and depression). He’s been on them for about five weeks, and honestly, a lot of his symptoms have eased up or disappeared entirely. He’s more social, less high-strung, his headaches have cleared up, we're traveling more, and he's much more affectionate and emotionally present. There's just one catch: our sex life has completely vanished. 😕 In all that time, we've only hooked up twice. The affection is still there, but as soon as we start getting intimate, he just totally relaxes, rolls over, and snores.

I don't want to make a huge deal out of this because, frankly, after all those sleepless nights, I’m actually happy whenever he finally falls asleep. But I am wondering: is the low libido a side effect of the meds, and will it eventually get better?

I'd really appreciate hearing from anyone who has dealt with something similar.

Best,

Gregory Anderson4 said:I wasn't sure if I should start a whole new thread for this or just post it here, but let's try it here first.

So, my partner has been struggling big time for years now. We're talking anxiety attacks, panic, paranoia, aggression, insomnia, and he’s constantly miserable at his job. On top of that, he carries some heavy childhood trauma, and his dad has been battling alcoholism and pill addiction for a long time. He and I have only been together for about a year and a half (I'm 34, he's 39). It was really tough getting him to open up emotionally, but we've been living together for a few months now and things are actually going pretty well. I finally earned his trust, and along with his mom, I managed to talk him into seeing a psychiatrist. They gave him two diagnoses—Borderline and something else they'll pin down once he finishes some psych testing. In the meantime, he was prescribed Risperdal and Faverin (for sleep and depression). He’s been on them for about five weeks, and honestly, a lot of his symptoms have eased up or disappeared entirely. He’s more social, less high-strung, his headaches have cleared up, we're traveling more, and he's much more affectionate and emotionally present. There's just one catch: our sex life has completely vanished. 😕 In all that time, we've only hooked up twice. The affection is still there, but as soon as we start getting intimate, he just totally relaxes, rolls over, and snores.

I don't want to make a huge deal out of this because, frankly, after all those sleepless nights, I’m actually happy whenever he finally falls asleep. But I am wondering: is the low libido a side effect of the meds, and will it eventually get better?

I'd really appreciate hearing from anyone who has dealt with something similar.

Best,

It is widely recognized that SSRIs, which include medications like Faverin, can cause a decrease in libido, so it is certainly a possibility.

Jason Vaughn482 said:It is widely recognized that SSRIs, which include medications like Faverin, can cause a decrease in libido, so it is certainly a possibility.

Well, in my own experience, I did notice a pretty significant dip in my drive, though it was really only during that initial adjustment period at the start; eventually, things seemed to level out quite nicely, and honestly, everything feels perfectly fine now. 🙂

Jason Vaughn482 said:It is widely recognized that SSRIs, which include medications like Faverin, can cause a decrease in libido, so it is certainly a possibility.

Yes. It absolutely is. But here is the real headache: how many people are actually just taking one single medication? Rarely! Most people are on a cocktail, so how can anyone point a finger at one specific pill and say, "This is the culprit"? It’s nearly impossible to be certain. However, if we are talking generalities, almost any combination you throw at them can lead to a drop in sex drive. And let's be honest, Paxil isn't exactly the gold standard everyone raves about, is it?

Kevin Nguyen3 said:Yes. It absolutely is. But here is the real headache: how many people are actually just taking one single medication? Rarely! Most people are on a cocktail, so how can anyone point a finger at one specific pill and say, "This is the culprit"? It’s nearly impossible to be certain. However, if we are talking generalities, almost any combination you throw at them can lead to a drop in sex drive. And let's be honest, Paxil isn't exactly the gold standard everyone raves about, is it?

it worked great for me🤷

fadedbear92 said:it worked great for me🤷

Furthermore, I have to say, it truly was a lifesaver for me; it really helped pull me through😍

Thanks, everyone.

Benjamin Martin65 said:Well, in my own experience, I did notice a pretty significant dip in my drive, though it was really only during that initial adjustment period at the start; eventually, things seemed to level out quite nicely, and honestly, everything feels perfectly fine now. 🙂

Can you tell me how long that state lasted?

Mark Nelson said:Has anyone else taking Haldol dealt with muscle stiffness as a side effect?

Just Google "extrapyramidal side effects." If you bring that up, your psychiatrist will likely prescribe you some Akineton.

fadedbear92 said:it worked great for me🤷

The thing is, medication is never a one-size-fits-all solution, is it? Every individual reacts differently. I have frequently observed—and continue to see even now—that Fever rarely acts in total isolation. When it is combined with other medications, the effects shift entirely! How can anyone truly predict how a specific cocktail will impact a specific person? It is incredibly difficult to assess.
As for the issue of decreased libido... yes, there is a very real possibility that this medication is a contributing factor.
Does the effect change over long-term use? I cannot say for certain. However, doctors often prescribe supplementary medications based on their own clinical experience to help boost libido (think things like Q-pin, Seroquel, or similar drugs). This is common when treating neuroses. But when you are dealing with psychosis, hysteria, or schizophrenia... well, that is an entirely different story altogether.