Psychotropic medication discussion thread

I’m honestly feeling pretty lost right now. I've been taking Faverin, which is an AD and theoretically should be helping me manage my anxiety—at least enough to take the edge off, right? Or am I just totally misreading the situation? Personally, I’d much rather deal with being lethargic or having low mood than feeling wound up like a coiled spring. It just doesn't work that way. Are you all finding that your AD actually tackles those specific issues effectively?

restlesstiger49 said:I’m honestly feeling pretty lost right now. I've been taking Faverin, which is an AD and theoretically should be helping me manage my anxiety—at least enough to take the edge off, right? Or am I just totally misreading the situation? Personally, I’d much rather deal with being lethargic or having low mood than feeling wound up like a coiled spring. It just doesn't work that way. Are you all finding that your AD actually tackles those specific issues effectively?

Lexapro worked wonders for those unbearable tensions in my case. Occasionally, the stress still manages to creep back in, but I usually just suppress it with Misar, which acts as my anxiolytic.
I gave Faverin a shot once, but the side effects were brutal—it felt like I was coming down with the worst flu imaginable, complete with aching bones, so I eventually gave up on it.

How long have you been on the Faverin? These medications always require some time to actually settle in and work.

redranger2 said:Lexapro worked wonders for those unbearable tensions in my case. Occasionally, the stress still manages to creep back in, but I usually just suppress it with Misar, which acts as my anxiolytic.
I gave Faverin a shot once, but the side effects were brutal—it felt like I was coming down with the worst flu imaginable, complete with aching bones, so I eventually gave up on it.

How long have you been on the Faverin? These medications always require some time to actually settle in and work.

I've been on 50mg for five weeks, and just this past week, I bumped up to 100mg. Honestly, every morning when I'm heading out the door for work, I feel like a total zombie on the verge of a panic attack.😢

restlesstiger49, I have to agree with redranger2 here. I had a similar experience where Faverin just wasn't working for me, but things finally started looking up once I switched over to Elicei, which is the generic version of Lexapro.

Ethan Cruz4 said:restlesstiger49, I have to agree with redranger2 here. I had a similar experience where Faverin just wasn't working for me, but things finally started looking up once I switched over to Elicei, which is the generic version of Lexapro.

Well, I am certainly not signing off on anyone's opinion here.
While Faverin has been a lifesaver for plenty of people, that clearly isn't the case for restlesstiger49, yet he remains so incredibly stubborn! Hasn't he already been told to step away from that specific medication? And what does he do? He goes and increases his dosage... simply brilliant, isn't it?

The reality is that Lexapro doesn't work for everyone either, so in this light, who can honestly say whether it would actually help restlesstiger49 or not?

In any event, we find ourselves circling back to that age-old dilemma: how on earth do you hit the right target with AT&T?

Faverin is generally intended for severe depression or OCD... but does restlesstiger49 even struggle with those specific issues? I highly doubt it.

restlesstiger49 said:I've been on 50mg for five weeks, and just this past week, I bumped up to 100mg. Honestly, every morning when I'm heading out the door for work, I feel like a total zombie on the verge of a panic attack.😢

Did your doctor actually bump you up to 100mg?
It takes about five weeks to really get a sense of whether an antidepressant is actually doing its job or not.
You should definitely have a serious talk with your psychiatrist about it; I was lucky enough that my
first AT&T worked perfectly and the side effects were barely even noticeable.

Kevin Nguyen3 said:Well, I am certainly not signing off on anyone's opinion here.
While Faverin has been a lifesaver for plenty of people, that clearly isn't the case for restlesstiger49, yet he remains so incredibly stubborn! Hasn't he already been told to step away from that specific medication? And what does he do? He goes and increases his dosage... simply brilliant, isn't it?

The reality is that Lexapro doesn't work for everyone either, so in this light, who can honestly say whether it would actually help restlesstiger49 or not?

In any event, we find ourselves circling back to that age-old dilemma: how on earth do you hit the right target with AT&T?

Faverin is generally intended for severe depression or OCD... but does restlesstiger49 even struggle with those specific issues? I highly doubt it.

I personally reached out to redranger2 regarding a negative experience with Faverin; that particular AT&T didn't work for me, whereas escitalopram successfully reduced my anxiety. For me, five weeks or more is necessary to see results, and I agree with that assessment.

I don't have the full picture of restlesstiger49's medical history, and no one on this forum can dictate which medication someone should take or offer any guarantees. We are simply sharing our personal experiences. That said, thank you for the reminder about the disclaimer; sometimes I forget how easily posts can be misinterpreted. 🙂

Is there anyone else on here who’s dealt with psychotic disorder and actually managed to go totally off the meds? Like, is there even a real chance at getting better and leaving this stuff behind?

My doctor brought it up during my checkup, basically saying I might be stuck on these pills forever. Now I can't even find a way to break the news to my mom without feeling like a failure.😢
I've been diagnosed with F23.2, and honestly, I feel pretty good right now.

Mark Nelson said:Is there anyone else on here who’s dealt with psychotic disorder and actually managed to go totally off the meds? Like, is there even a real chance at getting better and leaving this stuff behind?

My doctor brought it up during my checkup, basically saying I might be stuck on these pills forever. Now I can't even find a way to break the news to my mom without feeling like a failure.😢
I've been diagnosed with F23.2, and honestly, I feel pretty good right now.

I really hope someone reaches out to you; you can find more in this thread.

personal experiences.

As for your mom, she’s just going to have to face reality—I mean, what other choice is there besides hospitalization? Neither you nor her would want that, let's be honest.
It's great that you're feeling better on the meds—it means they're actually working for you.

fadedbear92 said:I really hope someone reaches out to you; you can find more in this thread.

personal experiences.

As for your mom, she’s just going to have to face reality—I mean, what other choice is there besides hospitalization? Neither you nor her would want that, let's be honest.
It's great that you're feeling better on the meds—it means they're actually working for you.

I've been hospitalized before, and let me tell you, it was rough for both me and my mom. I totally agree that you just have to pick the "lesser of two evils," if you can even call it that. Honestly, I've felt so much better since my doctor finally got my prescription cocktail sorted out—I actually have energy again, which was nonexistent before.

Thanks a ton for the links.

Mark Nelson said:I've been hospitalized before, and let me tell you, it was rough for both me and my mom. I totally agree that you just have to pick the "lesser of two evils," if you can even call it that. Honestly, I've felt so much better since my doctor finally got my prescription cocktail sorted out—I actually have energy again, which was nonexistent before.

Thanks a ton for the links.

I'm so sorry to hear about the hospital stay, but hey, anything that helps is a win in my book.
No problem at all😉

Roger Bennett62 said:Man, I've been on it for 5 years now. The most I ever took was 2mg twice a day, but lately it's just 2mg in the morning and maybe 1mg if things get rough. Honestly, if the meds are doing their job, there's no reason to stress about getting addicted. My tolerance hasn't even bumped up over the years, even when I was hitting that 4mg total daily dose; mostly I've just stayed at 2mg.
Sometimes I can even go a whole day on just 1mg. It’s a solid med, honestly haven't found anything better. Works great as both an AT&T and an anxiolytic, plus there aren't really side effects besides feeling a little sleepy when you first start. 🙂

Sent from my G2

Understood. Thank you for sharing your experience. 🙂

Kevin Nguyen3 said:Well, I am certainly not signing off on anyone's opinion here.
While Faverin has been a lifesaver for plenty of people, that clearly isn't the case for restlesstiger49, yet he remains so incredibly stubborn! Hasn't he already been told to step away from that specific medication? And what does he do? He goes and increases his dosage... simply brilliant, isn't it?

The reality is that Lexapro doesn't work for everyone either, so in this light, who can honestly say whether it would actually help restlesstiger49 or not?

In any event, we find ourselves circling back to that age-old dilemma: how on earth do you hit the right target with AT&T?

Faverin is generally intended for severe depression or OCD... but does restlesstiger49 even struggle with those specific issues? I highly doubt it.

It’s not that I’m being stubborn; it’s just that I currently don't have a doctor I can actually walk into an office to sit down and discuss my Fevarin dosage with. It seems like every single physician in town is out on vacation right now. This decision to bump up the dose was actually the result of a phone consultation with a specialist from a crisis intervention center. I wanted to see if a higher dose would actually make a difference, especially since so many people in this community have mentioned—and of course, I know this isn't medical advice—that 50mg just isn't enough for me.

Kevin Nguyen3 said:Well, I am certainly not signing off on anyone's opinion here.
While Faverin has been a lifesaver for plenty of people, that clearly isn't the case for restlesstiger49, yet he remains so incredibly stubborn! Hasn't he already been told to step away from that specific medication? And what does he do? He goes and increases his dosage... simply brilliant, isn't it?

The reality is that Lexapro doesn't work for everyone either, so in this light, who can honestly say whether it would actually help restlesstiger49 or not?

In any event, we find ourselves circling back to that age-old dilemma: how on earth do you hit the right target with AT&T?

Faverin is generally intended for severe depression or OCD... but does restlesstiger49 even struggle with those specific issues? I highly doubt it.

I gave it a shot. Honestly? Never again. The side effects were just way too much to handle.

Kevin Nguyen3 said:Well, I am certainly not signing off on anyone's opinion here.
While Faverin has been a lifesaver for plenty of people, that clearly isn't the case for restlesstiger49, yet he remains so incredibly stubborn! Hasn't he already been told to step away from that specific medication? And what does he do? He goes and increases his dosage... simply brilliant, isn't it?

The reality is that Lexapro doesn't work for everyone either, so in this light, who can honestly say whether it would actually help restlesstiger49 or not?

In any event, we find ourselves circling back to that age-old dilemma: how on earth do you hit the right target with AT&T?

Faverin is generally intended for severe depression or OCD... but does restlesstiger49 even struggle with those specific issues? I highly doubt it.

A question for the 21st century. 😂

Kevin Nguyen3 said:Well, I am certainly not signing off on anyone's opinion here.
While Faverin has been a lifesaver for plenty of people, that clearly isn't the case for restlesstiger49, yet he remains so incredibly stubborn! Hasn't he already been told to step away from that specific medication? And what does he do? He goes and increases his dosage... simply brilliant, isn't it?

The reality is that Lexapro doesn't work for everyone either, so in this light, who can honestly say whether it would actually help restlesstiger49 or not?

In any event, we find ourselves circling back to that age-old dilemma: how on earth do you hit the right target with AT&T?

Faverin is generally intended for severe depression or OCD... but does restlesstiger49 even struggle with those specific issues? I highly doubt it.

Not really, to be honest. So, yeah. 🤷 Why Fevarin? To be honest, I was pretty upfront with my therapist about how I just didn't feel like living anymore. That probably served as a major red flag that prompted him to suggest trying Fevarin. It’s not that I fit the typical profile of someone struggling with clinical depression, per se. It’s more that I’ve just reached a point of profound disappointment with life itself.

restlesstiger49 said:It’s not that I’m being stubborn; it’s just that I currently don't have a doctor I can actually walk into an office to sit down and discuss my Fevarin dosage with. It seems like every single physician in town is out on vacation right now. This decision to bump up the dose was actually the result of a phone consultation with a specialist from a crisis intervention center. I wanted to see if a higher dose would actually make a difference, especially since so many people in this community have mentioned—and of course, I know this isn't medical advice—that 50mg just isn't enough for me.

I gave it a shot. Honestly? Never again. The side effects were just way too much to handle.

A question for the 21st century. 😂

Not really, to be honest. So, yeah. 🤷 Why Fevarin? To be honest, I was pretty upfront with my therapist about how I just didn't feel like living anymore. That probably served as a major red flag that prompted him to suggest trying Fevarin. It’s not that I fit the typical profile of someone struggling with clinical depression, per se. It’s more that I’ve just reached a point of profound disappointment with life itself.

Maybe we’ve already chewed this one over, but here is my take—my own subjective, personal opinion, if you will. I honestly think a light dose of an antidepressant might be the way to go? And perhaps an antipsychotic as well, though strictly in the evening. Just to settle things down at night. What do you all think?
In the morning, you feel fine—truly fine—and you can actually make it through the workday without everything falling apart. But then, as the hours tick by, that dark, heavy urge to do something drastic, something like suicide, just starts to evaporate? It’s strange, isn't it? One minute the thoughts are there, looming, and the next, they simply... vanish. How does that even work?
Some people will inevitably look at you like you’ve lost your mind—they'll ask, "Are you actually serious? Taking an antipsychotic?" But honestly, does anyone really get it? At these tiny, micro doses, you aren't some drugged-out zombie stumbling through life, nor are you being knocked out for twelve hours straight during the workday. It isn't about that. Can't they see? Sometimes, it's just about having that extra bit of help to shift your entire perspective on life. Isn't a change in attitude worth a little skepticism from people who don't understand?

Just hang in there until the gentlemen make it back from their jet skiing trip, alright? Once they return, we’ll have a proper sit-down and talk things through. There really isn't any other way about it!

electrichound3 said:
Prozac is really intended for those heavy-duty cases of depression or OCD... whereas Tox doesn't typically deal with those specific issues.

I actually spent about a year and a half on Prozac, though it was originally prescribed just to help with some mild social anxiety—I didn't have even a hint of clinical depression or OCD to speak of, honestly. On the bright side, I found it worked wonders for my weight management.😉

electrichound3 said:Hey, hey there. I’ve been dealing with a similar diagnosis since July 23rd... they told me the same thing, that maybe I'll be on meds forever, or maybe not—it's all very individual, I guess. When the psychosis was actually hitting me, man, it was brutal. It all stemmed from having a super stressful life since I was a kid. As for antipsychotics, I was on Zyprexa and that stuff just made everything worse; I practically lost my grip on reality, so they had to pull me off it. Then I switched to Risperdal and that finally brought me back to my senses, though the side effects at first were rough. My doctor slowly tapered me down until I was off the antipsychotics entirely. Honestly, I struggled with them so much. But, after several years since that episode, the psychotic breaks are gone. Now I just deal with anxiety, which has been a thing since childhood. My doctor says I just inherited this kind of temperament, so I guess I just have to make peace with it. I'm just on low doses of antidepressants now. Don't stress too much about how long you'll be popping pills; I mean, people take insulin for life, right? Just try to keep stress levels down if you can, stay active, and I personally take B-complex supplements. Life knocks you down sometimes, but I guess we just have to get back up and keep moving. 😉

My situation is actually the exact opposite. I react pretty well to the meds, but I'd still love to be "normal" and medication-free one day, if I'm being honest. It's not like it's the most important thing in the world to me right now, though. I'm okay with things staying exactly as they are, and I'd be more than happy to just keep going like this. 🙂
But even so, it doesn't exactly sound great to be dependent on something, and I think anyone would want to be free from that.
I struggle with anxiety and intrusive thoughts too, but usually, once I take some Lorazepam, I feel better. Everyone gives me the same old advice—tell me to just distract myself, go do this or that—but how are you supposed to do that when it's this overwhelming feeling that just drowns you? It's not like it's voluntary. I don't know if that means I'm addicted or what. Anyway, my doctor just bumped up my Solanax dose, so hopefully, I can stop the Lorazepam. We'll see how it goes, I guess.

I was on Zyprexa too. Did the severity vary for you while you were taking it?
I gained weight, so my doctor decided it wasn't the right fit for me and switched me from Zyprexa to Lamictal instead. I feel pretty good on it.
So, let me get this straight—you aren't on an antidepressant, and you aren't having psychotic symptoms anymore, if I understood you correctly? How long were you on the antipsychotics?

Mark Nelson said:My situation is actually the exact opposite. I react pretty well to the meds, but I'd still love to be "normal" and medication-free one day, if I'm being honest. It's not like it's the most important thing in the world to me right now, though. I'm okay with things staying exactly as they are, and I'd be more than happy to just keep going like this. 🙂
But even so, it doesn't exactly sound great to be dependent on something, and I think anyone would want to be free from that.
I struggle with anxiety and intrusive thoughts too, but usually, once I take some Lorazepam, I feel better. Everyone gives me the same old advice—tell me to just distract myself, go do this or that—but how are you supposed to do that when it's this overwhelming feeling that just drowns you? It's not like it's voluntary. I don't know if that means I'm addicted or what. Anyway, my doctor just bumped up my Solanax dose, so hopefully, I can stop the Lorazepam. We'll see how it goes, I guess.

I was on Zyprexa too. Did the severity vary for you while you were taking it?
I gained weight, so my doctor decided it wasn't the right fit for me and switched me from Zyprexa to Lamictal instead. I feel pretty good on it.
So, let me get this straight—you aren't on an antidepressant, and you aren't having psychotic symptoms anymore, if I understood you correctly? How long were you on the antipsychotics?

Of course we all want to be free from pills, but sometimes we need them just to make life livable. I’m a total wreck sometimes; my anxiety can skyrocket and just drain the life out of me. Things are getting better, though. People say you should just redirect your focus when it happens, but I know firsthand that isn't easy. That way of thinking just crawls into your brain and stays there. I was prescribed Solanax early in my treatment, but I only stayed on it for a couple of days before I developed extrapyramidal symptoms. I froze up, had to get an injection of Cogentin immediately, and finally felt okay again. But they stopped giving it to me. You’re lucky you respond so well to antipsychotics... like Zyprexa... As for my weight, yeah, it fluctuated. There were phases where I had no appetite, followed by phases of binge eating. I haven't been on antipsychotics for over five years now, and I haven't had any psychotic symptoms since. I was on them for three years; I think it was Risperdal at 2 mg, and toward the end of my treatment, I was only taking half a pill before they tapered me off. How long have you been on your current regimen?

electrichound3 said:
We might have touched on this already—but if you ask me, a low-dose antidepressant paired with an antipsychotic taken at night is the way to go.
In the morning, you feel fine—ready to head into the office—and over time, that intense urge to do something reckless, like suicide, just kind of evaporates.
Now, I know what some people will say... "Are you crazy? An antipsychotic?" But look, small doses won't leave you feeling drugged or groggy during the day; instead, they can really help shift your entire outlook on life.

Just hang in there until the guys get back from their trip to Lake Tahoe, then we can all sit down and talk—there's no other way.

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electrichound3 said:Of course we all want to be free from pills, but sometimes we need them just to make life livable. I’m a total wreck sometimes; my anxiety can skyrocket and just drain the life out of me. Things are getting better, though. People say you should just redirect your focus when it happens, but I know firsthand that isn't easy. That way of thinking just crawls into your brain and stays there. I was prescribed Solanax early in my treatment, but I only stayed on it for a couple of days before I developed extrapyramidal symptoms. I froze up, had to get an injection of Cogentin immediately, and finally felt okay again. But they stopped giving it to me. You’re lucky you respond so well to antipsychotics... like Zyprexa... As for my weight, yeah, it fluctuated. There were phases where I had no appetite, followed by phases of binge eating. I haven't been on antipsychotics for over five years now, and I haven't had any psychotic symptoms since. I was on them for three years; I think it was Risperdal at 2 mg, and toward the end of my treatment, I was only taking half a pill before they tapered me off. How long have you been on your current regimen?

Man, you really went through the ringer, didn't you?😢
As far as side effects go, when I first started Seroquel, I broke out in this nasty rash that was itching like crazy. My doctor tried to tell me it wasn't from the Seroquel, but honestly, the timing felt way too perfect for it to be anything else. Eventually, the itching cleared up, so I just kept going with the Seroquel.
I've been on psych meds on and off since July 2011—so about three years total, give or take.
I originally started on Quetiapine to deal with some depersonalization and derealization issues. It helped a bit, and I ended up doing group therapy too.

Around month three of last year, I ended up hospitalized with an F23.2 diagnosis. I actually had to switch psychiatrists because my old one works in pediatric psych, and they wouldn't admit me there since they only take patients up to 18, and I was already 19.
Since I live in NYC, I ended up being treated over at the Brooklyn facility.
While I was there, I was on a cocktail of Haldol, Zyprexa, and Cogentin... along with a ton of dose adjustments that would be way too much of a headache to list out right now. These days, I'm taking Lopomin, Seroquel, Lamictal, and Lorazepam.
So yeah, that's my messy little history with meds and treatment..

Do you have any actual advice on how to beat panic attacks and anxiety? 🙂

Blueberry said:
Now, I know what some people will say—"Are you crazy? That's an antipsychotic..." But honestly, taking a low dose won't leave you drugged or knocking you out all day. In fact, it can really help shift your whole outlook on life.

I’ve tried that class of meds before, specifically Zyprexa, taken at night. The next morning, I felt like a total stranger to myself. More recently, I took some Seroquel—you know, the Q-pin—in the evening, and the following morning I actually missed my bus stop because I was having such a bad panic attack. I just don't think antipsychotics are the right move for me. Besides, I already feel like I have way too little dopamine in my brain as it is; I definitely don't need to go using chemicals to lower it even further.