Psychotropic medication discussion thread

velvetsailor26 said:When you mix alcohol with medications that mess with your brain chemistry—think things like anti-anxiety meds, antipsychotics, antidepressants, sleeping pills, or even local anesthetics—you’re playing with fire. You can end up dealing with side effects like extreme drowsiness, dizziness, shallow or labored breathing, memory gaps, and a total loss of coordination.

I pulled this text from a mental health forum where it was originally posted by Dr. Maja Jakševac Mikša, and interestingly enough, there isn't a single word in there about strokes.

Nathan Kim10 said:Check my earlier post. You aren't going to get a stroke from mixing antidepressants and alcohol. The worst case scenario is probably just stopping breathing—anxiolytics and ADs hit the respiratory center, and alcohol just cranks that effect up.
Honestly, you'd be better off just having some intense sex that night than touching a drop of alcohol.😉😍

If everything was readily available online, would there even be just two posts on this thread?
I actually spoke with a psychiatrist about this, and they told me that mixing ADs with alcohol usually just intensifies existing symptoms—like drowsiness, tremors, or dizziness. That said, in certain instances, one can't entirely rule out the possibility of a stroke. 🤷

Roger Rodriguez said:If everything was readily available online, would there even be just two posts on this thread?
I actually spoke with a psychiatrist about this, and they told me that mixing ADs with alcohol usually just intensifies existing symptoms—like drowsiness, tremors, or dizziness. That said, in certain instances, one can't entirely rule out the possibility of a stroke. 🤷

I haven't seen a single case of that, nor have I ever heard of it.😉 Besides that, it's common knowledge that alcohol dilates blood vessels. A stroke happens either because a vessel gets blocked, leading to an infarct, or because a vessel bursts and causes bleeding in the brain.
In neither of those situations is there any mention of combining sedatives and alcohol being the cause.

Nathan Kim10 said:I haven't seen a single case of that, nor have I ever heard of it.😉 Besides that, it's common knowledge that alcohol dilates blood vessels. A stroke happens either because a vessel gets blocked, leading to an infarct, or because a vessel bursts and causes bleeding in the brain.
In neither of those situations is there any mention of combining sedatives and alcohol being the cause.

Look, I'm just relaying what I was told. I'm certainly not claiming it's a proven fact. 😉

Man, these new ADs, those SNRIs, they are freaking legendary. Forget about anorgasmia, seriously, what a game changer!!! 😍 👍

Nathan Kim10, where you at? Come on, I need to hear your expert take on this, hahaha! 😁

Robert Collins2 said:Man, these new ADs, those SNRIs, they are freaking legendary. Forget about anorgasmia, seriously, what a game changer!!! 😍 👍

Nathan Kim10, where you at? Come on, I need to hear your expert take on this, hahaha! 😁

Are you for real?!?! 😲

hey everyone....

... it’s day five on Alvent and honestly, I feel like crap. I’ve been asking around and everyone keeps telling me these are just standard side effects from switching from one AD to another—that I'll start feeling human again in maybe two weeks...😢

Exactly. Just give the new AD some time to get up to speed. 👍

Nathan Kim10 said:Exactly. Just give the new AD some time to get up to speed. 👍

Man, I really hope things turn around soon because these side effects are brutal—I honestly don't know what to do... I've just been trying to sleep as much as possible to tune everything out, but even then, I'm taking the same dose and it’s clearly not hitting the same anymore. I really don't want to start upping my dosage, though...😢

Oh man, I’m actually feeling pretty anxious about this...😢 On Tuesday, I cut my dose in half again, going from 20mg of Paxil down to 10mg. I asked my psychiatrist if we could maybe meet in the middle at 15mg instead, but they insisted there was no need to 😕
What should I be bracing for, everyone? If things felt absolutely unbearable just a month ago, am I looking at a repeat performance?
I feel fine for the moment, but I can't help but remember how much I struggled once the fourth day hit last time.

"As above, so below"—it’s basically saying that your internal reality dictates your external one. If your head is a mess, your life is going to be a mess too.
Roger Rodriguez, just do me a favor and try not to obsess over cutting your dose right now.

Roger Rodriguez, everyone knows exactly what kind of hell you’re going through right now. I’m with velvetsailor26 on this one—just try not to obsess over cutting your dose or constantly worrying about which day is gonna hit you the hardest. I know, sounds easy said than done, but honestly, you don't really have much of a choice. Just grit your teeth and push through—there's always a way out. 🙂
I’m actually dealing with some similar crap myself at the moment, but hey, things have to get better eventually. Gotta stay optimistic despite everything, right? 🙂

Everyone’s got some kind of inner strength buried somewhere deep inside
and we gotta dig it up somehow—even if it takes until the end of time—but let’s be real, it’s hard to get there without help from antidepressants, Paxil, or maybe some Xanax every now and then 😉
We’re all basically in the same boat here, just trying to make it through the day and hoping we wake up tomorrow feeling like this whole mess was just a bad dream. But
one day it will happen, hopefully, and that’s how we’ll manage to push through these dark thoughts about ourselves and life in general,,,,,,,,

velvetsailor26 said:"As above, so below"—it’s basically saying that your internal reality dictates your external one. If your head is a mess, your life is going to be a mess too.
Roger Rodriguez, just do me a favor and try not to obsess over cutting your dose right now.

Charles James3 said:Roger Rodriguez, everyone knows exactly what kind of hell you’re going through right now. I’m with velvetsailor26 on this one—just try not to obsess over cutting your dose or constantly worrying about which day is gonna hit you the hardest. I know, sounds easy said than done, but honestly, you don't really have much of a choice. Just grit your teeth and push through—there's always a way out. 🙂
I’m actually dealing with some similar crap myself at the moment, but hey, things have to get better eventually. Gotta stay optimistic despite everything, right? 🙂

Thanks, ladies, I truly appreciate the support. I am trying my best to keep it off my mind, but it's always lurking in the back of my head. Last night, I actually had a dream where I was crushing my Paxil just so I could snort it to make it kick in faster.🙄.
It's true, I don't have much of an option. I either power through even when I feel terrible, or I go back up to 20mg and spend the next few years trying to taper down again.
Charles James3, I don't know the specifics of your situation, but I really hope everything turns out okay.👍

Roger Rodriguez said:Thanks, ladies, I truly appreciate the support. I am trying my best to keep it off my mind, but it's always lurking in the back of my head. Last night, I actually had a dream where I was crushing my Paxil just so I could snort it to make it kick in faster.🙄.
It's true, I don't have much of an option. I either power through even when I feel terrible, or I go back up to 20mg and spend the next few years trying to taper down again.
Charles James3, I don't know the specifics of your situation, but I really hope everything turns out okay.👍

Who isn't dealing with that stupid sense of worthlessness or feeling totally detached from the rest of the world? Just stick with the antidepressants, try to find something small to enjoy, focus on something positive, get outside, walk a bit, maybe hit the gym... eventually, things will settle down.👍

Roger Rodriguez said:Thanks, ladies, I truly appreciate the support. I am trying my best to keep it off my mind, but it's always lurking in the back of my head. Last night, I actually had a dream where I was crushing my Paxil just so I could snort it to make it kick in faster.🙄.
It's true, I don't have much of an option. I either power through even when I feel terrible, or I go back up to 20mg and spend the next few years trying to taper down again.
Charles James3, I don't know the specifics of your situation, but I really hope everything turns out okay.👍

If I'm reading this right, Roger Rodriguez is trying to get off Paxil for good.

Brandon Newman95 said:If I'm reading this right, Roger Rodriguez is trying to get off Paxil for good.

That’s exactly it; I think Walter Brown8 might have misunderstood me.
Hang in there, everyone! 😘

Charles James3 said:Tbh, after being in a deep depression, I don't feel much different on this Alvent since I was on Prozac for so long anyway. But what you mentioned is exactly what's eating at me—what happens with pregnancy while on AD 🤷

I talked to my doctor about it, and the main thing is that I want to have a baby ASAP, and I'm terrified of any side effects. My doctor obviously told me it's not good and that taking AD during the first trimester while the baby is developing is risky. But if it's absolutely impossible to function without them, maybe there are some ADs available outside the US that might be safer? I mean, if I have to go abroad to find something, I will, but I'm still scared as hell..

As for the sex stuff—I've basically gotten used to not reaching orgasm by now. Mostly because my boyfriend doesn't fully get it and thinks he's the one failing, which is just... yeah.🤷

I went to see my psychiatrist and we talked things through; I explained that I'm feeling that surge of adrenaline again, like I have to constantly move and I'm hyperactive, plus that constant nervous knot in my stomach. He prescribed Xanax 0.5, both morning and night, and I've been taking it and feeling pretty good. I realized, though—and I feel like such an idiot—that when I looked at his report from about a month and a half ago, it listed Xanax 0.5, but I hadn't actually checked the prescription issued by my primary care physician (the paperwork in our healthcare system can be such a mess). It turns out the script actually said Xanax 0.25, just two boxes. So, I've essentially been taking Xanax 0.25 in the morning and at night instead of the 0.5 dose. I think I'll start taking the 0.5 starting tomorrow and see how it goes.
Xanax doesn't affect my sex life; I double-checked that as early as Wednesday 🙂 and everything was 👍, whereas while I was on Alvent, it was 👎.
Regarding pregnancy and Xanax, I plan to keep taking it right up until the moment I find out I'm pregnant. A year ago, I was pregnant and didn't take anything, and I lost twins, which absolutely destroyed me mentally. That's why I'm seeing a psychiatrist now. I suppose if it's meant to be fine, it will be fine, and if not 🤷....

Roger Rodriguez said:That’s exactly it; I think Walter Brown8 might have misunderstood me.
Hang in there, everyone! 😘

Guess I actually did 🤷

Walter Brown8 said:Guess I actually did 🤷

No worries, kind wishes are always appreciated 😁

slywolf11 said:I went to see my psychiatrist and we talked things through; I explained that I'm feeling that surge of adrenaline again, like I have to constantly move and I'm hyperactive, plus that constant nervous knot in my stomach. He prescribed Xanax 0.5, both morning and night, and I've been taking it and feeling pretty good. I realized, though—and I feel like such an idiot—that when I looked at his report from about a month and a half ago, it listed Xanax 0.5, but I hadn't actually checked the prescription issued by my primary care physician (the paperwork in our healthcare system can be such a mess). It turns out the script actually said Xanax 0.25, just two boxes. So, I've essentially been taking Xanax 0.25 in the morning and at night instead of the 0.5 dose. I think I'll start taking the 0.5 starting tomorrow and see how it goes.
Xanax doesn't affect my sex life; I double-checked that as early as Wednesday 🙂 and everything was 👍, whereas while I was on Alvent, it was 👎.
Regarding pregnancy and Xanax, I plan to keep taking it right up until the moment I find out I'm pregnant. A year ago, I was pregnant and didn't take anything, and I lost twins, which absolutely destroyed me mentally. That's why I'm seeing a psychiatrist now. I suppose if it's meant to be fine, it will be fine, and if not 🤷....

I'm sorry, I missed whether you mentioned exactly which medications you're on, but if you're only taking Xanax, I have to say your psychiatrist isn't being very responsible. He's filling you up with anxiolytics that create a massive dependency rather than actually treating the root cause.
Are you taking an antidepressant?
Xanax won't impact your sex life, but antidepressants definitely can; they aren't the same thing.
If I were you, I wouldn't increase the Xanax dose, or perhaps look into switching to something else entirely, because Xanax isn't going to cure you or provide long-term relief.
I'd love to know who this doctor is! 🙄
By the way, if you need something during pregnancy, you can take Ativan; it shouldn't harm the baby. 👍

Roger Rodriguez said:No worries, kind wishes are always appreciated 😁

I'm sorry, I missed whether you mentioned exactly which medications you're on, but if you're only taking Xanax, I have to say your psychiatrist isn't being very responsible. He's filling you up with anxiolytics that create a massive dependency rather than actually treating the root cause.
Are you taking an antidepressant?
Xanax won't impact your sex life, but antidepressants definitely can; they aren't the same thing.
If I were you, I wouldn't increase the Xanax dose, or perhaps look into switching to something else entirely, because Xanax isn't going to cure you or provide long-term relief.
I'd love to know who this doctor is! 🙄
By the way, if you need something during pregnancy, you can take Ativan; it shouldn't harm the baby. 👍

Soryy cow, I didn't catch that you were tapering off Paxil. I've only been on it for 27 days myself, and honestly, I haven't had many side effects—nothing serious, anyway.
And yeah, I'm taking Xanax alongside it, obviously, like a little side snack, but the antidepressant is definitely the MVP here.
So, how long have you been on it?