Psychotropic medication discussion thread

If only I had lost weight instead... I’ve actually gained pounds faster than most pregnant women would warn against 🤮

Michael Reed45 said:If only I had lost weight instead... I’ve actually gained pounds faster than most pregnant women would warn against 🤮

I have no appetite at all. Food tastes like nothing. I basically eat one tiny thing once a day, usually only when I start feeling dizzy from hunger and need to shove something down my throat.🤷
He claims this is normal for depression.
Those psychologists think everything is "normal."😂

slymaker9 said:After my session with the psychiatrist today, my treatment plan was updated. I’ve been prescribed 150 mg of Wellbutrin XL. Apparently, it is effective for this kind of lethargic, "can't-be-bothered," fatigue-heavy depression, and it should theoretically jumpstart my energy and appetite within about 15 days. Does anyone have experience with it? Out of all the antidepressants I've tried, only Faverin caused me issues and felt terrible; others, like Cipralex or Zoloft, were just mediocre. Right now, I am feeling quite unwell, having lost a significant amount of weight...

For me, Paxil actually worked right away because it has that calming, anti-anxiety effect—and anxiety was always my biggest struggle.
Everyone reacts differently... I'm crossing my fingers that this does the trick for you. Back in the day, Zoloft really pulled me out of a deep depression; I stayed on it for five years.

I can totally vouch for Fevarin being a total game-changer—honestly, fluvoxamine has been an absolute lifesaver for my libido! 😍 😂

slymaker9 said:I have no appetite at all. Food tastes like nothing. I basically eat one tiny thing once a day, usually only when I start feeling dizzy from hunger and need to shove something down my throat.🤷
He claims this is normal for depression.
Those psychologists think everything is "normal."😂

I went through the same thing, though it was before I started the medication. For me, there were days when I couldn't manage to eat a single thing.

Good times. 😬 Just kidding. It didn't happen again. Never. 😱 )

slymaker9 said:I have no appetite at all. Food tastes like nothing. I basically eat one tiny thing once a day, usually only when I start feeling dizzy from hunger and need to shove something down my throat.🤷
He claims this is normal for depression.
Those psychologists think everything is "normal."😂

Yes. 🤣

I haven't eaten a single thing. Not even my favorite Hershey's bar. 😁 It’s perfectly normal given what you’re going through.

The first time I ate like there was no tomorrow—let’s call it what it is, emotional binge eating. The second time? That was just a side effect of my medication.

Give me a break. 🤣

I swear, I am so done with these damn dropouts; our whole medical system is circling the drain because everyone else seems to be miles ahead of us. It’s getting ridiculous how they’re outperforming us in every way, while we’re stuck here dealing with nothing but scraps and leftovers! 🤣

I don't have any kind of box 😁 But maybe one day I'll have that one tied up, sitting in a cozy room with checkered floors 😍 🤣

I had one once, man, but honestly, those guys in the white coats were way more unhinged. 😂 🤣

@Robert Collins2 - well, I finally worked up the nerve to talk about it and headed out, though it took quite a bit of coaxing myself😛
I suppose I’ve finally laid my demons bare for the doctors. My GP was actually quite kind—she wrote me a referral for a psychiatrist immediately and even suggested a specific specialist, treating me with a sort of gentle empathy that felt almost misplaced, given how I feel😁
Anyway... when I arrived at the psychiatrist's office, I ended up explaining everything to a different doctor, someone younger, who took all my notes and then went to consult with "the" specialist I was supposed to see right away. But despite the referral being marked "urgent," there's always that inevitable waiting game... it's exhausting
Once the psychiatrist actually sat down and listened to my history, she seemed genuinely alarmed. She told me she’d call me tomorrow and insisted that I absolutely come back for a follow-up in two weekspwalking to her clinic🙄. She even suggested I might consider inpatient care—just staying in the hospital for a while—but I turned her down
. Now, I’m left feeling a bit confused. First of all, why don't patients arriving with an "urgent" referral for suicidal ideation get immediate priority? And secondly, why did she insist on me walking there? She made sure to ask where I live first (I live about 40 minutes away on foot), so I assume she's worried I won't be able to drive safely😕. As for the medication, she increased my dose of Alice to two tablets in the morning and added a new prescription, Vera. From what I've read online, it's essentially the same as Zyprexa, just a liquid version. I also read everywhere that it's incredibly expensive and usually requires special authorization, yet she handed me a full box to take home right then and there at the clinic. Generally, it's used for schizophrenia, bipolar disorder, or mania, none of which apply to me entirely—though, I suppose, I do deal with bipolar symptoms and suicidal thoughts.
What I wanted to ask you all is, once I finish this current box, will I have to pay through $33 for the next refill via a prescription? Or is it just that the American version of Zyprexa is overpriced?
Also, does anyone here have actual experience with Olanzapine, specifically Vera?
How did it affect you... and did it actually help anyone?

Hehe, welcome to the club, man. Did they put you on an antipsychotic? Those things are usually prescribed for schizophrenia or bipolar disorder, and yeah, they are expensive as hell. I remember when my Logan cost me $166 (200 mg) and $86 (100 mg)... back in the day, you couldn't even get them covered by insurance without going through some insane medical board review just to prove you actually needed them. It’s not quite that bureaucratic nightmare anymore, but let's be real—they still cost a fortune. Better start saving up some cash... suicidal thoughts aren't cheap, damn it...

Is anyone here currently on Zoloft?
🤷

I’ve heard that most SSRIs tend to cause weight gain, but apparently, Zoloft can actually help people lose weight.
Because of that, I know some women take it specifically for that reason...😲

Robert Collins2 said:Hehe, welcome to the club, man. Did they put you on an antipsychotic? Those things are usually prescribed for schizophrenia or bipolar disorder, and yeah, they are expensive as hell. I remember when my Logan cost me $166 (200 mg) and $86 (100 mg)... back in the day, you couldn't even get them covered by insurance without going through some insane medical board review just to prove you actually needed them. It’s not quite that bureaucratic nightmare anymore, but let's be real—they still cost a fortune. Better start saving up some cash... suicidal thoughts aren't cheap, damn it...

But a friend of mine was also taking Zyprexa, and since he has full medical coverage and a good supplemental plan, he said he didn't end up paying anything at all.🤷

Larry Howard8 said:Is anyone here currently on Zoloft?
🤷

I’ve heard that most SSRIs tend to cause weight gain, but apparently, Zoloft can actually help people lose weight.
Because of that, I know some women take it specifically for that reason...😲

so, are you planning on starting it now? 🤣
I think you might have been misinformed about the weight loss thing; honestly, it seems like it varies entirely from person to person.

Kenneth Scott41 said:so, are you planning on starting it now? 🤣
I think you might have been misinformed about the weight loss thing; honestly, it seems like it varies entirely from person to person.

I've been on it for six years now, but I don't need it for weight loss.

If we’re really doing this, then honestly, Velax is the absolute king when it comes to shedding those extra pounds—go get it, people! 🍿

Kenneth Scott41 said:But a friend of mine was also taking Zyprexa, and since he has full medical coverage and a good supplemental plan, he said he didn't end up paying anything at all.🤷

No way, there’s no chance. He definitely padded that prescription somehow. It used to be that if you weren't out there actively endangering everyone around you, the board would just rubber-stamp your stuff without a second thought. But now? Total headache. Honestly, I don't even bother with all that bureaucracy anymore—I just go to my private doctor and pick up my Logan myself.

slymaker9 said:After my session with the psychiatrist today, my treatment plan was updated. I’ve been prescribed 150 mg of Wellbutrin XL. Apparently, it is effective for this kind of lethargic, "can't-be-bothered," fatigue-heavy depression, and it should theoretically jumpstart my energy and appetite within about 15 days. Does anyone have experience with it? Out of all the antidepressants I've tried, only Faverin caused me issues and felt terrible; others, like Cipralex or Zoloft, were just mediocre. Right now, I am feeling quite unwell, having lost a significant amount of weight...

Even Wellbutrin didn't hit the mark for me right away. Honestly, nothing happened at the 300 mg dose until I started mixing in half a dose of Cipralex. It worked like a charm. Give that a shot; after a few days, I felt better and was able to drop the Cipralex entirely, sticking first to the 300 mg of Wellbutrin before eventually tapering down to 150 mg. That combo saved me twice.
You should definitely mention that combination to your doctor!
It was a total game-changer for both me and my psychiatrist! She's actually started trying it out with other patients since then, and it works!👍👍

amberdriver85 said:Even Wellbutrin didn't hit the mark for me right away. Honestly, nothing happened at the 300 mg dose until I started mixing in half a dose of Cipralex. It worked like a charm. Give that a shot; after a few days, I felt better and was able to drop the Cipralex entirely, sticking first to the 300 mg of Wellbutrin before eventually tapering down to 150 mg. That combo saved me twice.
You should definitely mention that combination to your doctor!
It was a total game-changer for both me and my psychiatrist! She's actually started trying it out with other patients since then, and it works!👍👍

I believe it will help; I can already feel the effects. And I've only taken two doses so far. 🙂
🙂

So, does anyone here actually have some real-world experience dealing with lithium?
How long have you been riding that wave?

Robert Collins2 said:No way, there’s no chance. He definitely padded that prescription somehow. It used to be that if you weren't out there actively endangering everyone around you, the board would just rubber-stamp your stuff without a second thought. But now? Total headache. Honestly, I don't even bother with all that bureaucracy anymore—I just go to my private doctor and pick up my Logan myself.

Well, I actually went and picked up a box today using a standard prescription. What do you mean, paying for it? 😕 Who on earth were you paying then? 🤣
To make matters more confusing, my pharmacist handed me the sublingual version of Jane Doe instead of the regular tablets.😁