Psychotropic medication discussion thread

Has anyone ever felt drunk after taking Rivotril?
I can't even walk straight; I tried walking in a straight line and failed miserably. On top of that, my head is spinning, my vision is blurry, and I just feel incredibly weak.

Man, that stuff is honestly a total lifesaver for mood swings, everyone on this board knows it's a solid stabilizer.
You might feel a bit buzzed or lightheaded during those first couple of days when you start a new prescription—that’s just the usual side effects like nausea or dizziness—but trust me, that feeling totally clears up after a few days...

I mean, I haven't dealt with any side effects at all from the meds I'm on, so I really don't get what the big deal is...

I’ve been lurking on this forum for a while now, and while I see plenty of people dealing with heavy medication loads, it doesn't seem to hit quite this level. My current regimen looks like this:
Seroquel 300mg 1-0-1
Xanax SR 1mg 1-0-1
Topamax 50mg 1-0-1
Arvind 50mg 1-0-1
Calixta 30mg 0-0-1
Wellbutrin XR 150 mg 1-0-0
Prazine p.p.
On top of all these pills, I’m also seeing a therapist regularly. Honestly, it felt pretty awkward sitting there in group sessions having to list out my entire pharmacy list when everyone else seems to be managing with just two or three meds. Anyway, I had a check-up yesterday, and since I wasn't feeling great, I decided to take
some Wellbutrin, so now I'm wondering if anyone here has actually used it. I’ve been reading up on the side effects, and the mentions of seizures and convulsions are honestly making me a little paranoid.

So, this is the third time they’ve messed with my meds—just switching from one pill to another, I guess. To start things off, I was given a weaker dose of Valium, 0.25 mg 1 1 0
Escitalopram Pharmas 1 0 0 and Ambien 10mg 0 0 1. Now, some people over at the pharmacy are telling me that combining these specific drugs—specifically the Valium and the Ambien—isn't really recommended. It’s left me feeling a bit lost, honestly, because my doctor didn't mention anything about it during our appointment. Does anyone have any advice on what I should do here?

rowdycobra10 said:So, this is the third time they’ve messed with my meds—just switching from one pill to another, I guess. To start things off, I was given a weaker dose of Valium, 0.25 mg 1 1 0
Escitalopram Pharmas 1 0 0 and Ambien 10mg 0 0 1. Now, some people over at the pharmacy are telling me that combining these specific drugs—specifically the Valium and the Ambien—isn't really recommended. It’s left me feeling a bit lost, honestly, because my doctor didn't mention anything about it during our appointment. Does anyone have any advice on what I should do here?

Escitalopram is a slightly stronger antidepressant intended for more significant depressive episodes.
Sanval works well during the initial phase to help with insomnia.
People tend to underestimate Xanax—they just pop them like candy—but it really is quite dangerous.
Since both medications you mentioned are only meant to be taken for a specific, short duration, they can be combined without significantly increasing the risk.
That being said, I must emphasize: they should only be taken for a maximum of 4 to 6 weeks.
After that point, there is no longer any sense in taking Sanval.
It’s better to take Xanax when things are worse (the anxiety hits) or, as it's often prescribed, "PRN" (as needed).
Both Sanval and Xanax serve a purpose; they relax and calm the system, helping you get some normal sleep while the antidepressant begins to kick in.

rowdycobra10 said:So, this is the third time they’ve messed with my meds—just switching from one pill to another, I guess. To start things off, I was given a weaker dose of Valium, 0.25 mg 1 1 0
Escitalopram Pharmas 1 0 0 and Ambien 10mg 0 0 1. Now, some people over at the pharmacy are telling me that combining these specific drugs—specifically the Valium and the Ambien—isn't really recommended. It’s left me feeling a bit lost, honestly, because my doctor didn't mention anything about it during our appointment. Does anyone have any advice on what I should do here?

Hmm, I'm the first voice in the room. As for me, those are the only two I'm taking: xanax and Ambien.🤷

Kevin Nguyen3 said:Escitalopram is a slightly stronger antidepressant intended for more significant depressive episodes.
Sanval works well during the initial phase to help with insomnia.
People tend to underestimate Xanax—they just pop them like candy—but it really is quite dangerous.
Since both medications you mentioned are only meant to be taken for a specific, short duration, they can be combined without significantly increasing the risk.
That being said, I must emphasize: they should only be taken for a maximum of 4 to 6 weeks.
After that point, there is no longer any sense in taking Sanval.
It’s better to take Xanax when things are worse (the anxiety hits) or, as it's often prescribed, "PRN" (as needed).
Both Sanval and Xanax serve a purpose; they relax and calm the system, helping you get some normal sleep while the antidepressant begins to kick in.

I've been cycling through Xanax and Sanval for four years now. Honestly, I can't wrap my head around your argument that Xanax is somehow more dangerous than other benzos like Ativan or Klonopin; they all occupy the same pharmacological space, even if doctors switch you from one to the other to manage dependency. Look, I'm no fan of Sanval—I truly detest it—but I’d take it over Prozac any day of the week. As for which is worse or which is better... fine, I agree that an antidepressant is the gold standard if it actually works, but what happens if it doesn't?

Kevin Nguyen3 said:Escitalopram is a slightly stronger antidepressant intended for more significant depressive episodes.
Sanval works well during the initial phase to help with insomnia.
People tend to underestimate Xanax—they just pop them like candy—but it really is quite dangerous.
Since both medications you mentioned are only meant to be taken for a specific, short duration, they can be combined without significantly increasing the risk.
That being said, I must emphasize: they should only be taken for a maximum of 4 to 6 weeks.
After that point, there is no longer any sense in taking Sanval.
It’s better to take Xanax when things are worse (the anxiety hits) or, as it's often prescribed, "PRN" (as needed).
Both Sanval and Xanax serve a purpose; they relax and calm the system, helping you get some normal sleep while the antidepressant begins to kick in.

Well, fine, but these doctors actually scared me a bit—they almost refused to give me all of that combined. I used to take 5mg of Sanval, but it was basically useless, like a tiny little candy that does nothing. Now I've started doubling the dose, which helps a little bit, I guess, but I still keep waking up feeling like my heart is going to jump right out of my chest. I don't know if that's from the meds or just the whole situation, but my diagnosis is reactive depression under f 43.2.

Jason Vaughn482 said:I've been cycling through Xanax and Sanval for four years now. Honestly, I can't wrap my head around your argument that Xanax is somehow more dangerous than other benzos like Ativan or Klonopin; they all occupy the same pharmacological space, even if doctors switch you from one to the other to manage dependency. Look, I'm no fan of Sanval—I truly detest it—but I’d take it over Prozac any day of the week. As for which is worse or which is better... fine, I agree that an antidepressant is the gold standard if it actually works, but what happens if it doesn't?

Well, when you consider that anxiolytics and hypnotics generally trigger that classic psycho-physical dependency—the kind that is incredibly difficult and painful to break away from—then yes, in that context, they are riskier or more dangerous.
Of course, that's assuming someone overuses them. And looking at the sheer volume of posts here, people definitely do.
Unfortunately, I’ve dealt with massive struggles regarding this myself. Most recently with normabel, which, in my opinion, are extremely dangerous.
Antidepressants don't cause addiction; specifically, your body doesn't start demanding them just to maintain the same effect. That isn't how it works with AD-ov.
If one specific antidepressant fails to work or just isn't helping, there are regular doctor visits (or other check-ups) where the physician adjusts or changes the prescription.
It sounds harsh, I know, but there really isn't any other way.
It's rare for a doctor to hit the nail on the head with the right medication on the very first try, because we are all unique individuals and we all react to drugs differently.
Some people need years of trial and error, while others might find their match in just a month. Is that why there are so many controversial facts floating around about medication? Perhaps.

rowdycobra10 said:Well, fine, but these doctors actually scared me a bit—they almost refused to give me all of that combined. I used to take 5mg of Sanval, but it was basically useless, like a tiny little candy that does nothing. Now I've started doubling the dose, which helps a little bit, I guess, but I still keep waking up feeling like my heart is going to jump right out of my chest. I don't know if that's from the meds or just the whole situation, but my diagnosis is reactive depression under f 43.2.

Yes, all those F43 codes refer to some variation of Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder. In your case, it's an adjustment disorder, which is essentially part of the PTSD spectrum—more like a continuation of the primary condition.
The reality is, the core issue is the underlying condition, not the medication.
Esci. will definitely help you; there is absolutely no question about that. The only real unknown is simply how long it will take to kick in.
Until then, you must follow your doctor’s prescription exactly. No deviations.
As for the waking up, the irregular sleep patterns, or the lack of rest... for now, you have to accept that as part of the disorder itself. You can't really treat the sleep issues separately from the disorder, can you? They are intertwined.
It should stabilize naturally over time; as the adjustment disorder begins to resolve, your sleep will follow suit.
If it turns out that your general symptoms improve but the waking up persists, I imagine your doctor might prescribe a stronger sleep aid (like Ambien or something similar).
And only after those fail—because there isn't anything stronger than those—would we even consider antipsychotics. Those usually fix sleep problems relatively quickly, but they are notoriously hard to tolerate and come with side effects. But that is a much longer, more complicated conversation.
So, the best course of action is to listen to your physician and take things one step at a time.😉

Kevin Nguyen3 said:Yes, all those F43 codes refer to some variation of Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder. In your case, it's an adjustment disorder, which is essentially part of the PTSD spectrum—more like a continuation of the primary condition.
The reality is, the core issue is the underlying condition, not the medication.
Esci. will definitely help you; there is absolutely no question about that. The only real unknown is simply how long it will take to kick in.
Until then, you must follow your doctor’s prescription exactly. No deviations.
As for the waking up, the irregular sleep patterns, or the lack of rest... for now, you have to accept that as part of the disorder itself. You can't really treat the sleep issues separately from the disorder, can you? They are intertwined.
It should stabilize naturally over time; as the adjustment disorder begins to resolve, your sleep will follow suit.
If it turns out that your general symptoms improve but the waking up persists, I imagine your doctor might prescribe a stronger sleep aid (like Ambien or something similar).
And only after those fail—because there isn't anything stronger than those—would we even consider antipsychotics. Those usually fix sleep problems relatively quickly, but they are notoriously hard to tolerate and come with side effects. But that is a much longer, more complicated conversation.
So, the best course of action is to listen to your physician and take things one step at a time.😉

Honestly, this explanation makes way more sense than what I've heard elsewhere... I'm just hoping things turn around soon, since everything stems from that X61.0 diagnosis. Even during my stay at the hospital, I wasn't getting much besides Norvasc for sleep because the insomnia was just relentless. My doctor mentioned that I seem to be pretty resistant to medication—they're trying to tweak my treatment plan, but so far, nothing's worked. They also noted they have to be extra cautious because of the specific circumstances that led to my hospitalization in the first place (so we'll see when and how they decide to proceed with or without supervision...).

Is anyone still taking Nexium, or has anyone tried it recently?
I'm curious to hear about your experiences with it.

Is anyone else here taking lithium? I was wondering where one actually gets their serum lithium levels tested—do I need to head to a major hospital, or can a local community clinic handle it?

Is it possible for hiccups to be a side effect from taking some kind of medication?
I’ve just been hiccuping all day long, and honestly, it's starting to wear me out.

Eric Mitchell55 said:Is it possible for hiccups to be a side effect from taking some kind of medication?
I’ve just been hiccuping all day long, and honestly, it's starting to wear me out.

Just hiccups?
There have to be other side effects happening alongside this that you aren't even noticing.
And what do you mean by "all day long"?
Are we talking about non-stop hiccups for several hours at a time, or do they stop and start occasionally?

Kevin Nguyen3 said:Just hiccups?
There have to be other side effects happening alongside this that you aren't even noticing.
And what do you mean by "all day long"?
Are we talking about non-stop hiccups for several hours at a time, or do they stop and start occasionally?

It usually lasts about 15 minutes straight, and it happens several times a day—pretty frequently, actually.

Eric Mitchell55 said:It usually lasts about 15 minutes straight, and it happens several times a day—pretty frequently, actually.

Honestly, it sounds harmless. It isn't some major medical crisis. I mean, if you were hiccuping for hours on end without stopping, then we would have something to worry about, wouldn't we?
Sometimes it's just your nerves being a bit overstimulated. There are all sorts of little tricks to make them stop—holding your breath, sipping water, reaching your arms up high, things like that.
Certain medications might be triggering it, but that should pass as your body adjusts.

Eric Mitchell55 said:Is it possible for hiccups to be a side effect from taking some kind of medication?
I’ve just been hiccuping all day long, and honestly, it's starting to wear me out.

I dealt with constant hiccups after being on Misar for about a week—but I managed to shake it off just like any other minor annoyance.

Eric Mitchell55 said:It usually lasts about 15 minutes straight, and it happens several times a day—pretty frequently, actually.

Personally, whenever I’m struck by a bout of hiccups, I simply take a sip of water while holding my breath, and the whole ordeal ceases immediately.

Does anyone here have any firsthand experience taking Cipla's 2.5 mg Olanzapine?