Psychotropic medication discussion thread

Ambien was also mentioned here.

I want to emphasize that you should absolutely never take any medication, and I mean *any* medication, on your own, nor should you ever change your dosage or treatment plan without guidance. Psychotropic drugs directly impact the brain, mood, and behavior; they act on the system in various ways, not to mention the complex interactions between them. Please, nothing happens without the direct advice and instruction of your psychiatrist.

I totally get why the Associated Press might have brought that up. Maybe it makes sense if someone is dealing with actual psychosis... but for me... I don't know... treating BPD with a combination of antidepressants and antipsychotics wasn't exactly the silver bullet.

I strongly advise against using any antipsychotic just to help you sleep. Antipsychotics serve a completely different purpose, and they are far too heavy-duty to be used as simple sleep aids. Your body builds up a tolerance, and before you know it, you'll be on something like Zeldox that leaves you unable to stay awake for more than two hours, resulting in you sleeping 20 hours a day... hello? Seriously, do not use antipsychotics for sleep.

There is an anxiolytic (a benzodiazepine) called Ambien that someone brought up. It’s specifically designed for sleep, as the name implies... and it's potent enough that it's even used in psychiatric wards to sedate patients.
To be honest, I only took one dose and it was way too much for me. It was explained to me that it has an immediate, short-term effect—meaning you fall asleep fast, but by morning, the effect has worn off. Personally, I felt a bit groggy in the morning, which is how I realized it was just too strong for my system.

In principle, I didn't really struggle with insomnia, except about three years ago at the very onset of my mental health issues (we've all been there—sitting out on the balcony counting stars almost all night). For me, the symptoms resurfaced a month ago while I was on vacation. I actually thought I had Restless Leg Syndrome; I was prescribed Ambien, but I didn't even need it. Instead, I changed my sleep environment—I moved my bed closer to the window... it sounds silly, but it worked for me, and now I sleep like a baby without any meds.

I’ve definitely made progress from where I used to be, but please try to work toward tapering off your medications and finding other alternatives instead... because the whole point isn't to spend your entire life on pills... it's just to get through the period until you become strong enough to move forward on your own. As for me, I just moved my bed, and I'm doing fine.🙂

I hope that soon, for all of you, things like rearranging your furniture or something equally simple will provide the relief you need instead of relying on medication.🙂

John Smith

George Allen71 said:Ambien was also mentioned here.

I want to emphasize that you should absolutely never take any medication, and I mean *any* medication, on your own, nor should you ever change your dosage or treatment plan without guidance. Psychotropic drugs directly impact the brain, mood, and behavior; they act on the system in various ways, not to mention the complex interactions between them. Please, nothing happens without the direct advice and instruction of your psychiatrist.

I totally get why the Associated Press might have brought that up. Maybe it makes sense if someone is dealing with actual psychosis... but for me... I don't know... treating BPD with a combination of antidepressants and antipsychotics wasn't exactly the silver bullet.

I strongly advise against using any antipsychotic just to help you sleep. Antipsychotics serve a completely different purpose, and they are far too heavy-duty to be used as simple sleep aids. Your body builds up a tolerance, and before you know it, you'll be on something like Zeldox that leaves you unable to stay awake for more than two hours, resulting in you sleeping 20 hours a day... hello? Seriously, do not use antipsychotics for sleep.

There is an anxiolytic (a benzodiazepine) called Ambien that someone brought up. It’s specifically designed for sleep, as the name implies... and it's potent enough that it's even used in psychiatric wards to sedate patients.
To be honest, I only took one dose and it was way too much for me. It was explained to me that it has an immediate, short-term effect—meaning you fall asleep fast, but by morning, the effect has worn off. Personally, I felt a bit groggy in the morning, which is how I realized it was just too strong for my system.

In principle, I didn't really struggle with insomnia, except about three years ago at the very onset of my mental health issues (we've all been there—sitting out on the balcony counting stars almost all night). For me, the symptoms resurfaced a month ago while I was on vacation. I actually thought I had Restless Leg Syndrome; I was prescribed Ambien, but I didn't even need it. Instead, I changed my sleep environment—I moved my bed closer to the window... it sounds silly, but it worked for me, and now I sleep like a baby without any meds.

I’ve definitely made progress from where I used to be, but please try to work toward tapering off your medications and finding other alternatives instead... because the whole point isn't to spend your entire life on pills... it's just to get through the period until you become strong enough to move forward on your own. As for me, I just moved my bed, and I'm doing fine.🙂

I hope that soon, for all of you, things like rearranging your furniture or something equally simple will provide the relief you need instead of relying on medication.🙂

That perspective is fundamentally flawed. In fact, antipsychotics are precisely what are prescribed for stubborn insomnia. I used to take Quetiapine for sleep, but I couldn't tolerate it, so now I'm on N/A.
And nothing is "too strong" if the dosage is calibrated correctly. Surely the goal isn't to leave you
in a zombie-like stupor all through the
day.
My psychiatrist maintains that an antipsychotic is actually a superior choice for insomnia compared to hypnotics, since you build up a tolerance to those much faster. And I trust his judgment.

John Smith

Kevin Nguyen3 said:John Smith

N/A, did I misread that? Hypnotics. My apologies for the unnecessary explanation.
Zonadin. 10 mg in the evening before bed. Just because I take it doesn't mean you should. Talk to your doctor first.
..and..
Ambien primarily provides sedative (calming) and hypnotic (sleep-inducing) effects, while also acting as an anticonvulsant (preventing or stopping seizures) and a muscle relaxant (reducing muscle tension).
We use Ambien for:
* short-term treatment of severe, debilitating insomnia.
That was a copy-paste.
Both are effective. I haven't personally taken Ambien, but based on what others say, it works quite well.
Have your doctor explain the mechanism of action to you.

Zonadin is essentially the same thing as John Smith... I really don't want to touch Ambien. Jane Doe at 25 mg just isn't cutting it for me; tonight I took one plus 10 mg of John Smith, so maybe it's better to steer clear, or perhaps try two and see how it goes... Calixta, hmm, 7.5 mg alongside John Smith seems fine, but honestly, I’d ditch the John Smith entirely; it's all getting too complicated.

Look, I’m not a doctor and I don't claim to be an expert on pharmacology; I'm strictly speaking from my own lived experience.

I have tried four different antipsychotics, and honestly, each one came with its own set of heavy side effects. For me personally, I didn't see any real progress from them. Maybe they just weren't the right fit for my body, I really don't know. But in my opinion, antipsychotics are incredibly potent medications, and if you ask me, I wouldn't touch them just to deal with insomnia. I'm just emphasizing this based on what I went through while on those drugs.

Of course, you should always consult with your doctor, and depending on what they say about your sleep issues, you could end up taking anything from chamomile tea to Haldol... but for me, the downsides definitely outweighed the benefits.

Jason Vaughn482 said:John Smith

Zonadin is essentially the same thing as John Smith... I really don't want to touch Ambien. Jane Doe at 25 mg just isn't cutting it for me; tonight I took one plus 10 mg of John Smith, so maybe it's better to steer clear, or perhaps try two and see how it goes... Calixta, hmm, 7.5 mg alongside John Smith seems fine, but honestly, I’d ditch the John Smith entirely; it's all getting too complicated.

Zonadin and John Smith are supposed to be identical medications. Yet, when I take John Smith, I can't even begin to think about sleeping, but with Zonadin, I drift right off.
How is that even possible?
There is clearly something wrong with this supposed "equality." I have read the instructions cover to cover, down to the tiniest detail, and I see absolutely no difference listed. Is it that tartrate thing? Something about the chemistry must be tripping me up...
Don't make life harder than it needs to be; why wouldn't you just have an honest, direct conversation with your doctor?
Getting quality sleep is the absolute first step if you ever hope to have the strength to take the next step.☕

I'm currently in the thick of a severe depressive episode—prescribed Tavor, Lexapro, and Olanzapine (if I remember correctly). What am I actually looking at here?

Yesterday, my primary care physician asked if I was cool with her prescribing me Olanzapine—which is just the generic version of Zyprexa—and I told her, sure, why not? No problem at all.

I’m curious though—are these generics actually identical to the brand-name originals? One group of people swears they're exactly the same, while others claim there's a massive difference... what's the real deal?

Kevin Nguyen3 said:Zonadin and John Smith are supposed to be identical medications. Yet, when I take John Smith, I can't even begin to think about sleeping, but with Zonadin, I drift right off.
How is that even possible?
There is clearly something wrong with this supposed "equality." I have read the instructions cover to cover, down to the tiniest detail, and I see absolutely no difference listed. Is it that tartrate thing? Something about the chemistry must be tripping me up...
Don't make life harder than it needs to be; why wouldn't you just have an honest, direct conversation with your doctor?
Getting quality sleep is the absolute first step if you ever hope to have the strength to take the next step.☕

Good God, Kevin, of course I talk to my doctor—she’s the one prescribing everything in the first place, but she isn't holding a magic wand. This specific one doesn't help, and I'm not ready to touch antipsychotics yet; sure, they're technically classified that way, but I'm not going to start popping multiple different ones. As for those two being the same, if one works for you and the other doesn't, I suspect it’s all in the mind. It’s like when someone claims Ativan works wonders while Xanax does nothing at all, or vice versa; to me, they feel indistinguishable. Honestly, I just stick with Xanax because the pill is much easier to split in half, whereas the other one just crumbles into dust. Beyond that, the effects are identical—it's the same deal with Prozac or any other similar option...

Joshua Vaughn9 said:I'm currently in the thick of a severe depressive episode—prescribed Tavor, Lexapro, and Olanzapine (if I remember correctly). What am I actually looking at here?

😕
Ativan?!
Where on earth did you get that name?
Lorsilan, Ativan... those are anxiolytics. Benzodiazepines. They cause dependency!
And you didn't even mention what dosage you're taking for any of these.
Celexa is an antidepressant. Citalopram (Starcitin, Celexa...)
What is the catch here?
Which Olanzapine?
And where did you even get your hands on them...

Kevin Nguyen3 said:😕
Ativan?!
Where on earth did you get that name?
Lorsilan, Ativan... those are anxiolytics. Benzodiazepines. They cause dependency!
And you didn't even mention what dosage you're taking for any of these.
Celexa is an antidepressant. Citalopram (Starcitin, Celexa...)
What is the catch here?
Which Olanzapine?
And where did you even get your hands on them...

Well, that’s just what they give you in the hospital (it's not like that here in the States)... as far as I know, it isn't schizophrenia, it never was... he just deals with some panic attacks...😢

Kevin Nguyen3 said:😕
Ativan?!
Where on earth did you get that name?
Lorsilan, Ativan... those are anxiolytics. Benzodiazepines. They cause dependency!
And you didn't even mention what dosage you're taking for any of these.
Celexa is an antidepressant. Citalopram (Starcitin, Celexa...)
What is the catch here?
Which Olanzapine?
And where did you even get your hands on them...

Where did you get them from????
Do you honestly believe everyone in this group is sourcing their medication through underground channels? To be perfectly honest, I have no idea how people do it; perhaps some things can be found on the black market, but that certainly isn't how one obtains antidepressants or antipsychotics. It is completely standard for us to receive everything directly from our doctor. In my experience, my physician would occasionally provide me with a couple of pills or a blister pack before the official paperwork was even finalized.
You can't even pick up a basic bottle of Advil at a local pharmacy without a script, let alone an anxiolytic or anything of that nature.

Eric Wood7 said:I don't know much about that specific medication... but I've been through the ringer with Zyprexa and everything else you mentioned. Honestly? I put on 30 pounds. And that wasn't even my biggest issue—since Zyprexa is relatively newer, I also ended up with high blood sugar. My doctors actually had to pull me off it because of that. It’s not just me, either; there are hundreds of thousands of people worldwide filing lawsuits over Zyprexa. In my opinion, it might be "fine" for some, but it hits your entire system—we're talking things like elevated liver enzymes and stuff like that. If it's absolutely necessary, then okay, fine... but if you have an alternative, skip it. You should probably do some digging online regarding Zeldox, too... I'm sure there are already issues popping up with that one. Actually, at places like the Mayo Clinic, they sometimes give out long-acting Zyprexa injections on an experimental basis, and patients get paid around $1333 a month for participating. Even with the older drugs, things can still feel pretty experimental. I just want to warn you to be really careful with these newer meds—so much gets swept under the rug or outright lied about.
As for me, I personally react terribly to psychotropic drugs. Not that I'm exactly the gold standard for everyone, though! For most of my experiences, the side effects were way more intense than any actual improvement in my condition.
Risperdal... caused sexual dysfunction for me.
Everbio... gave me nothing but nausea and vomiting.
Zyprexa... it's alright, I guess, but there's a massive risk of weight gain and developing diabetes.
I honestly don't know if it's worth dealing with all that unless you absolutely have to take it.
All in all, just try to weigh which one is the lesser of two evils.
Hang in there... all the best.

You laid it out pretty well. I had to cycle through various antidepressants and antipsychotics myself just to find one that actually worked for me without making things worse. I have a friend who is currently on Zyprexa, and he has become so overweight and lethargic... he gained about 65 pounds. Because of that, my psychiatrist suggested Zeldox, claiming it works like Zyprexa but won't cause the same weight gain. But, just like you pointed out... there's no way I'm dealing with that kind of sexual dysfunction. So, I told her I wasn't interested in taking it, and now I just stick to one antidepressant and take Quetiapine at night. That seems to be enough for me; I'm functioning well enough şekilde.🙂

restlesstrucker15 said:Where did you get them from????
Do you honestly believe everyone in this group is sourcing their medication through underground channels? To be perfectly honest, I have no idea how people do it; perhaps some things can be found on the black market, but that certainly isn't how one obtains antidepressants or antipsychotics. It is completely standard for us to receive everything directly from our doctor. In my experience, my physician would occasionally provide me with a couple of pills or a blister pack before the official paperwork was even finalized.
You can't even pick up a basic bottle of Advil at a local pharmacy without a script, let alone an anxiolytic or anything of that nature.

Oh, I am aware. I know that these medications might go by different names here or simply don't exist in these specific combinations.
I merely created the impression that people somehow find ways to acquire these drugs—how... well, I truly do not know.
I myself used to occasionally receive medication directly from my psychiatrist (for example, Q-pin), but I always picked up everything else at the local pharmacy.
I asked him where he sourced them because there is no way they are coming from the US.
That is what I meant. In Mexico, Canada, or South America, the exact same medications often carry entirely different names.
In Europe, some drugs share a name, but the active ingredients are often quite different.
How people abroad manage to obtain their medication, I cannot say, but I do believe many of them can be bought almost as easily as items in a grocery store.

Kevin Nguyen3 said:Oh, I am aware. I know that these medications might go by different names here or simply don't exist in these specific combinations.
I merely created the impression that people somehow find ways to acquire these drugs—how... well, I truly do not know.
I myself used to occasionally receive medication directly from my psychiatrist (for example, Q-pin), but I always picked up everything else at the local pharmacy.
I asked him where he sourced them because there is no way they are coming from the US.
That is what I meant. In Mexico, Canada, or South America, the exact same medications often carry entirely different names.
In Europe, some drugs share a name, but the active ingredients are often quite different.
How people abroad manage to obtain their medication, I cannot say, but I do believe many of them can be bought almost as easily as items in a grocery store.

I live in Germany. The meds I get at the hospital are Celexa 20mg and olanzapine 2.5mg.

Kevin Nguyen3 said:Antipsychotics—APs—exist to treat psychotic symptoms. Or various disorders. Depending on their chemical makeup, most APs also have a sedative effect.
The primary purpose of APs is treating all types of schizophrenia.
However, they can be used for certain non-psychotic disorders too, though usually only for short periods.
There are people out there taking 600 mg of Seroquel every single day and they still can't sleep!
It clearly works the opposite way for you, so you don't need them.
And there is absolutely no talk of getting rid of Amylase. It is a very specific medication, and there aren't many others with those exact properties.
Jane Doe is an AP used mostly for treating psychosis associated with certain somatic illnesses.
But then again, anyone would take it if they had to.
Lexapro is strictly for schizophrenia. When nothing else works, you turn to Lexapro. It’s a heavy, dangerous AP.
Goodness, you have tried just about everything, haven't you?
Looking back at my own experience... hmm... I'm actually surprised you're still standing at all.
Seroquel is the kind of drug that doesn't forgive and it certainly doesn't forget... the side effects are quite frequent and quite dangerous.
I don't know what your diagnosis is, but I highly doubt any doctor would ever prescribe such a massive pile of medications.☕

I've tried a ton of different things because if the side effects hit too hard right at the start, my psychiatrist and I just scrap them. We don't give them a chance to settle in while I'm suffering like an animal.

For example, I took Faverin (an antidepressant with sedative effects) for maybe a week because the side effects were total apathy and a complete loss of appetite... I couldn't even live my life. I told my psychiatrist, and he told me to toss it because the damage outweighed the benefit. He and I are on the same page. If the side effects are that brutal right off the bat, it means my body isn't accepting the drug, and probably won't.

Prozac worked for me immediately. A little nausea and a slight loss of appetite. Nothing crazy. And it started lifting my mood really fast. That's why I've stuck with just that one antidepressant for the last year... or so.

Xanax made me feel depersonalized. So we dropped it. Ativan felt like Prozac at first. A bit more drowsiness initially, but nothing worth mentioning.

Same goes for Seroquel.

There are a billion drugs out there, so I gave myself the luxury of ditching anything that caused overwhelming side effects in the first few days... and moving on to the next one. I'm not going to wait months for side effects to subside just to see if a drug actually works. If it's bad, it's bad, and I'm not taking it more than a couple of times.

Honestly, Lopomin—it’s basically a heavy hitter. It hits you so hard that it feels like your legs just stop working; you can't really do anything except crawl into bed and pass out. For me, personally, it’s easily the most powerful medication I’ve ever dealt with.🙂😁
They gave it to me when I was tapering off my previous meds. But honestly? Never again. That stuff is intense. I guess if you're feeling completely bottomed out and spiraling into a deep depression, maybe it makes sense to just take it and sleep it off rather than doing something reckless, like attempting suicide.

I have been incredibly happy with Prozac. Honestly, I still am. For the longest time, I searched for an antidepressant that could actually lift my spirits even just a little bit... and it seems like the dopamine boost from Prozac did exactly that. It truly feels like my life has completely changed since I started taking it.
Looking back at my old regimen—it was a mess of antidepressants, antipsychotics, stabilizers, anxiolytics, and Cogentin just to deal with the side effects... and let me tell you, those side effects were brutal. I was sleeping for 20 hours a day, gaining 30 pounds in just four months because of the Zyprexa, dealing with terrible swelling in my legs, and having tremors in my hands and feet. Even then, mentally, nothing was improving; if anything, things felt worse. Now, my treatment is just Prozac plus Ativan on an as-needed basis... I don't need any of that other stuff anymore... and my life is finally feeling normal again.

George Allen71 said:I have been incredibly happy with Prozac. Honestly, I still am. For the longest time, I searched for an antidepressant that could actually lift my spirits even just a little bit... and it seems like the dopamine boost from Prozac did exactly that. It truly feels like my life has completely changed since I started taking it.
Looking back at my old regimen—it was a mess of antidepressants, antipsychotics, stabilizers, anxiolytics, and Cogentin just to deal with the side effects... and let me tell you, those side effects were brutal. I was sleeping for 20 hours a day, gaining 30 pounds in just four months because of the Zyprexa, dealing with terrible swelling in my legs, and having tremors in my hands and feet. Even then, mentally, nothing was improving; if anything, things felt worse. Now, my treatment is just Prozac plus Ativan on an as-needed basis... I don't need any of that other stuff anymore... and my life is finally feeling normal again.

That sounds wonderful. But I have to ask, who on earth prescribed you Cogentin?! Do you even realize what that medication is typically intended for?

Kenneth Scott41, I don't see what's so weird about prescribing Cogentin to people who are on a heavy cocktail of various antidepressants and stabilizers. I know a few folks dealing with much tougher mental health issues than mine—people on way 😬 heavier regimens than I am—who actually take Cogentin just to deal with the side effects of their meds.

Kenneth Scott41 said:That sounds wonderful. But I have to ask, who on earth prescribed you Cogentin?! Do you even realize what that medication is typically intended for?

Cogentin is an anticholinergic.
To put it simply... it slows down intestinal peristalsis. Those involuntary movements.
It is a standard medication for those specific issues.
Then again, there are also natural remedies for the gut, such as, say, fig and prune syrup. Or fig and senna syrup. Senna is a medicinal herb. They regulate digestion.
In any case, Cogentin falls under the category of so-called antipropropulsive drugs, which have two subtypes: antidiarreals and anticholinergics.
They help in cases of chronic diarrhea as well.
This isn't directly related, but there is a specific program for bowel regulation (a stool control program).
So many people deal with these kinds of problems, so wouldn't it be a good idea to open a dedicated thread just to offer some help?☕
I know quite a few people suffer from constipation caused by medications, narcotics, iron supplements, and so on. There is a way and a mechanism to prevent those occurrences too.