Psychotropic medication discussion thread

Timothy Wood38 said:I’ve tried Ashwagandha myself. To be honest, it didn't do much for the actual process of falling asleep—which was always my biggest hurdle—but once I *was* out, the sleep felt way deeper and lasted longer. It’s a solid adaptogen, really one of the better supplements out there. I’ve even heard of people using it to manage anxiety disorders. As for combining it with most psychiatric meds? Probably fine, but please, just check with your doctor first. Better safe than sorry.

Hey

Timothy Wood38, check your DMs immediately!!!😉

Quick question. My psychiatrist prescribed me Normabagel 10 mg a few months ago, saying I could take one or two tablets a day. For me, two isn't even enough—sometimes I need more. But my doctor insists on just one, so I’m only getting one box a month. She claims it’s not good for someone my age to be taking higher doses, but honestly, I just need them. Some days I don't take anything at all, and other days I end up taking five. How on earth am I supposed to prove to her that I actually NEED them? I’m not asking for fifteen boxes a month 😁 I just want two, so I can take 2 tablets a day.

Arthur Vaughn2 said:Quick question. My psychiatrist prescribed me Normabagel 10 mg a few months ago, saying I could take one or two tablets a day. For me, two isn't even enough—sometimes I need more. But my doctor insists on just one, so I’m only getting one box a month. She claims it’s not good for someone my age to be taking higher doses, but honestly, I just need them. Some days I don't take anything at all, and other days I end up taking five. How on earth am I supposed to prove to her that I actually NEED them? I’m not asking for fifteen boxes a month 😁 I just want two, so I can take 2 tablets a day.

They aren't "needed" because they won't help you forever.
Sure, they might provide some relief now, but it won't last. By cranking up the dose, you are doing direct damage to your own body.
Both the psychiatrist and the doctor explicitly recommended 10 mg, once or twice a day—not just shoveling them down whenever you feel like it!
You will develop a dependency incredibly fast. Normabagel is a tricky medication, and after a while, it simply won't work the way you expect it to.

Kevin Nguyen3 said:They aren't "needed" because they won't help you forever.
Sure, they might provide some relief now, but it won't last. By cranking up the dose, you are doing direct damage to your own body.
Both the psychiatrist and the doctor explicitly recommended 10 mg, once or twice a day—not just shoveling them down whenever you feel like it!
You will develop a dependency incredibly fast. Normabagel is a tricky medication, and after a while, it simply won't work the way you expect it to.

I get that addiction is a real risk, but I often find myself in situations where absolutely nothing else can calm me down. I’ve tried taking two Lexapros a couple of times when I didn't have any Normabagel on hand, and it worked, but I’m not sure how smart that is...

And I know all too well that Normabagel can stop working, too. That’s exactly what happened with the Meyer I was on before. I started at 0.25, moved to 0.5, then went to 1mg. Then it was one, two, three pills... and suddenly, it just stopped calming me down. It stopped working entirely. So, my psychiatrist just switched me straight to Normabagel at 10mg...

The exact same thing is going to happen with Normabel—honestly, it might even work in reverse and trigger real issues. And who is actually going to suspect Normabel? Absolutely nobody. Even if you go to your doctor and ask, they aren't going to admit that Normabel is the culprit behind those bad episodes, because then they’d have to admit they made a mistake.
So, please, don't overdo it with the medications. If you push too hard, before you know it, your doctor will just keep piling more drugs on you (most likely an AP) because the line between the actual symptoms of the illness and the side effects from the medication becomes totally blurred.
That is when the real trouble starts... the kind of problems that stick with you forever.
Scale back as much as you can possibly manage. I went through hell myself, and it took everything I had just to finally get my mental state and behavior back to some semblance of normal.

Arthur Vaughn2 said:I get that addiction is a real risk, but I often find myself in situations where absolutely nothing else can calm me down. I’ve tried taking two Lexapros a couple of times when I didn't have any Normabagel on hand, and it worked, but I’m not sure how smart that is...

And I know all too well that Normabagel can stop working, too. That’s exactly what happened with the Meyer I was on before. I started at 0.25, moved to 0.5, then went to 1mg. Then it was one, two, three pills... and suddenly, it just stopped calming me down. It stopped working entirely. So, my psychiatrist just switched me straight to Normabagel at 10mg...

What was your peak dosage with Misar, and more importantly, how did you navigate the exit strategy? I’ve been relying on Xanax for a few years now, and while it still manages to do the job, I’m haunted by the thought of how grueling the eventual withdrawal might be. Currently, I’m hovering between 1 to 1.5 mg daily, depending on how hard the panic or anxiety hits. I try to start other things and quit them quickly, and while I recognize that AD meds are the superior long-term play, I honestly don't know if I have the stomach to endure those brutal adjustment periods again.

Jason Vaughn482 said:What was your peak dosage with Misar, and more importantly, how did you navigate the exit strategy? I’ve been relying on Xanax for a few years now, and while it still manages to do the job, I’m haunted by the thought of how grueling the eventual withdrawal might be. Currently, I’m hovering between 1 to 1.5 mg daily, depending on how hard the panic or anxiety hits. I try to start other things and quit them quickly, and while I recognize that AD meds are the superior long-term play, I honestly don't know if I have the stomach to endure those brutal adjustment periods again.

And yeah, it was a mess. I used to pull up to 5 pills at a time (the 1 mg ones). It hit me with this massive depression, I was sweating constantly, and there were a few other weird side effects I can't quite pin down if they were from the withdrawal or something else...

fadedbear92 said:Hey

Timothy Wood38, check your DMs immediately!!!😉

Oh
Yeah🙂

Larry Lewis said:I called my GP today to get a refill for Seroquel 300 XR, which I've been on for a while now. She basically tells me I've been on it too long and that it's way too expensive, so she refuses to write the script. She didn't even offer a generic alternative—she just flat-out said no. I have a psychiatrist's recommendation for this specific med, and I’ve been taking it for about two years. Usually, they just give it to me without a second thought, but now she's acting like this.

I know there have been some shifts in the healthcare system lately, but I don't buy that a primary care doctor can just deny you a prescribed medication without even mentioning a generic option. That's just plain wrong.

Anyone dealt with this before? Is this becoming a thing?

Every single one of my psychiatric evaluations includes a note stating that the primary care physician can prescribe a different drug from the same class with equal efficacy and dosage. Translation: she should have given you a generic.

Your doctor is being difficult. Tell her to quit stalling and at least prescribe Loquen.

Larry Lewis said:So I called my primary care doctor today to get a refill on my Seroquel 300 XR—which I've been on for a while now—and she tells me I've been on it too long and that the med is way too expensive. She flat-out refused to write the script and didn't even bother suggesting a generic... just said no. I have a psychiatrist's note specifically for this med, and I've been taking it for about two years. Usually, she'd just give it to me without a second thought, but now she's acting like this.
I know there have been some shifts in the healthcare system lately, but I don't buy that a GP can just deny you a prescribed medication without even mentioning a generic option... they can't just say no like that.
Anyone dealt with this? Has this happened to anyone else?

I freaking knew this was coming. Long live our "new bureaucracy"... basically just cutting everything down to nothing. The fact that she didn't even offer a generic? That's absolute insanity.
Goddammit... seriously...

I honestly couldn't wrap my head around it—it’s like telling a diabetic they just can't have their insulin. If I were to go even two weeks without my medication, I’d likely end up admitted to a hospital somewhere; we aren't talking about a sprained ankle or some nagging cold here, this is schizophrenia.

I’ve got enough supplies to last me right up until my next appointment with my psychiatrist, so I’ll play it by ear and see how things shake out then.

I actually have a close friend who’s a pretty sharp attorney, and if my doctor writes a prescription for Loquen in the new report but refuses to authorize my actual medication, well, I’m going to have a very serious conversation with him about my options.

Larry Lewis said:I called my primary care physician today to get a refill on my Seroquel 300 XR—which I’ve been taking for quite some time now—and she basically tells me I've been on it too long and that the medication is just too expensive, so she refuses to write the prescription. She didn't even bother suggesting a generic alternative; she just flat-out refused. I have a specialist's recommendation for this specific medication, and I've been using it consistently for about two years without issue, yet suddenly, there's this wall being put up.

I am well aware that there have been recent shifts in the American healthcare landscape, but I find it hard to swallow the idea that a GP can simply deny a prescribed medication without even offering a generic option. It feels less like medical necessity and more like a blunt refusal.

Has anyone else encountered this kind of runaround? Is this becoming a common hurdle?

I had a feeling things were going to get complicated; I could feel the anxiety creeping in immediately. It seems like they won't even hand over a basic referral, especially for those of us whom they treat as if we're just "making up our symptoms."...
But listen, she was obligated to offer an alternative. You really ought to go back there and insist that she prescribes something comparable.

Jason Vaughn482 said:I had a feeling things were going to get complicated; I could feel the anxiety creeping in immediately. It seems like they won't even hand over a basic referral, especially for those of us whom they treat as if we're just "making up our symptoms."...
But listen, she was obligated to offer an alternative. You really ought to go back there and insist that she prescribes something comparable.

I’ll have a word with my buddy to see how much he actually knows about the situation and what his options are.

Look, I live with schizophrenia—it's my reality—and the last thing on my mind is playing nice or bribing some clerk with expensive cocktails like certain other people might do. She has a job to do, and frankly, she ought to do it with a bit of integrity.

Larry Lewis said:I’ll have a word with my buddy to see how much he actually knows about the situation and what his options are.

Look, I live with schizophrenia—it's my reality—and the last thing on my mind is playing nice or bribing some clerk with expensive cocktails like certain other people might do. She has a job to do, and frankly, she ought to do it with a bit of integrity.

He absolutely has to prescribe you something. I have spent countless hours obsessively researching these various pharmaceutical shifts, and if there is one thing I have learned, it is this: don't settle for the premium brands just because they have fancy packaging. You need to push for the most affordable generics available. Honestly, I am just praying my doctor doesn't start giving me grief about it; if he tries to lecture me on why I shouldn't be cutting corners on costs, I am not walking out of that exam room until we reach an understanding.

Jason Vaughn482 said:He absolutely has to prescribe you something. I have spent countless hours obsessively researching these various pharmaceutical shifts, and if there is one thing I have learned, it is this: don't settle for the premium brands just because they have fancy packaging. You need to push for the most affordable generics available. Honestly, I am just praying my doctor doesn't start giving me grief about it; if he tries to lecture me on why I shouldn't be cutting corners on costs, I am not walking out of that exam room until we reach an understanding.

Exactly. They have to.
By the way, this woman has absolutely zero respect for anyone. I remember sitting in her waiting room once, and she actually asked me to go grab some paper towels for her—and fine, I did, it wasn't exactly a Herculean task.

But now, just imagine this:😁 This guy comes in, a delivery man who was supposed to bring her a new chair. His entire job—his actual profession—is delivering furniture, right? Yet, she looks at me and acts like *I* should be the one to lug that chair in for her, as if that poor man isn't literally being paid to do exactly that.
Naturally, I told her no.

My former psychiatrist goes by Martić Biočina, and even my wonderful little primary care doctor mentioned that Martić is a pretty formidable last name... if you catch my drift.

Larry Lewis said:I honestly couldn't wrap my head around it—it’s like telling a diabetic they just can't have their insulin. If I were to go even two weeks without my medication, I’d likely end up admitted to a hospital somewhere; we aren't talking about a sprained ankle or some nagging cold here, this is schizophrenia.

I’ve got enough supplies to last me right up until my next appointment with my psychiatrist, so I’ll play it by ear and see how things shake out then.

I actually have a close friend who’s a pretty sharp attorney, and if my doctor writes a prescription for Loquen in the new report but refuses to authorize my actual medication, well, I’m going to have a very serious conversation with him about my options.

She should have recommended a generic version immediately; by withholding treatment like this, she's actually committing a punishable offense.
Would she dare treat a heart patient with such negligence? Or does she genuinely believe schizophrenia is on par with a minor cold where nothing happens if you're left without your meds?

Go see her and demand the generic—it's your right, and she's obligated to provide it. If she starts acting up, tell her straight that you intend to file a formal complaint.

I realize I probably stooped to her level with my last post—but honestly, that’s just who she is, and I felt it was necessary to paint a clear picture of the situation,

See, her whole argument boils down to claiming that my medication isn't even working and that it's a waste of money—so, fundamentally, her main point is supposed to be its lack of efficacy.
But here is the reality: I haven't spent a single night in a hospital for four years. I don't hear voices, I don't deal with delusions or any of that madness; it's just my OKP and the occasional depressive episode—which, frankly, I've learned to live with and have come to terms with. So, how on earth can anyone say the treatment isn't working?

But whatever, it doesn't matter. Maybe I'll switch over to a different prescription soon, and who knows, maybe that one will actually be a better fit. But let me tell you this: if I do lose my grip on reality because of this, she’ll be the very first one to find out—and I promise you, it won't be pleasant for her.

rowdyhawk152 said:I also signed up for one of those psych evaluations where you spend hours grinding through tasks. They recommended psychotherapy, and I think I'll go check it out, even though my schedule is slammed with work. Honestly, I’m pretty skeptical—can you really fix deep-seated issues just by talking? Maybe I'm wrong. I was kind of hoping that after a few months on these meds, my brain would just "learn how to stay chill" during stressful moments... does that even make sense?🙄

I went through a rough patch a few years back when I spent all day glued to a computer screen. That might be why things are so bad at work now; I can't sit at my desk for long without feeling terrible. I have to get outside for some fresh air and a walk just to function. That's probably the real issue, not "classic depression."

Anyway, I picked up some Ashwagandha to help me sleep, so we'll see if it works. Does anyone know if it's safe to mix that with what I'm already on (Zoloft, Xanax, Sanval)?

I took a spoonful of Ashwagandha this morning and man, it was like a miracle. Anxiety? Gone. I was smiling, energized, focused... absolutely incredible. I'm still on Zoloft for my OCD, but I don't need the Xanax or Sanval anymore.

Took the Ashwagandha before bed last night and fell asleep way easier. Sure, I woke up at 5 AM again—got about 7 hours of sleep—but that's probably because it wore off after 7 hours... either way, the quality of sleep was way better.

My doctor is Martić Biočina. She is truly an exceptional physician.

I’ve got a great doctor on paper... but her massive flaw is that she doesn't actually believe depression is a real thing, especially when it comes to younger people. She’s totally against any kind of medication, too. She basically tries to prescribe the absolute bare minimum just because some specialist's report says I need it. It’s like she thinks she can just manage my condition on her own terms. Well, starting tomorrow, I'm officially done with her prescriptions. I'm actually heading over there today to pick them up, which feels pretty ironic.
Honestly, what the hell are we paying extra for health insurance if they refuse to give us the actual meds we were prescribed and instead just hand over the cheapest possible alternative? We all know those aren't even in the same league. She can try to lecture me all she wants, but I know the difference between Xanax and a cheap generic, just like I know Seroquel and Loquen are worlds apart. The difference is night and day! 🙂🙂