1297 posts shown.
dustytrucker02 said:By the way, there’s an creative art project (which debuted last year at the Avant-Garde Minds & Bodies festival) aimed at destigmatizing mental illness. If anyone wants to get involved, you can head to the link under the stickers section, download the PDFs, and print them out as stickers to put up around town. They have both American and English versions available.
boldowl88 said:I see Effexor mentioned, but lately, I haven't seen anyone using it in combination with Ritalin. If anyone has had similar experiences, I would appreciate an answer. My sister (50+) was taking Ritalin and Effexor together for over a year and a half. Her psychiatrist began tapering her off the Ritalin three months ago until she stopped completely. She felt good, though she was sluggish in the mornings. She continued on just the Effexor and her blood pressure medication (she felt fine and was happy to stop the Ritalin since it caused weight gain). Now, she’s experiencing muscle twitches in her sleep that are strong enough to wake her up, and her blood pressure has also risen—likely due to the panic of everything returning. She called her psychiatrist, who told her to resume the Ritalin until she can come in with a referral next week. I notice many people use psychotherapy alongside their medication, which her doctor never suggested (her issues started three years ago with anxiety and panic attacks). If anyone has dealt with similar struggles, please comment or offer advice. Best regards.
dustytrucker02 said:No, because they can just claim they don't trust my own psychiatrist's assessment.
The most frustrating part is that I am more than capable of working. I love interacting with people, I'm responsible, and I've never had a single complaint about my performance. I haven't even taken a single day of sick leave or vacation yet. But obviously, that doesn't matter here.🙄
For the record, the job was at a retail gallery.
dustytrucker02 said:I actually intended to start a new thread, but since dustytrucker02 brought it up, I hadn't fully realized the extent to which mental health stigma still dominates the American workforce. Apparently, the trend is actually increasing.
Basically, I was offered a job where the owner requested—and quite frankly, had every right to request—a medical clearance from an occupational health specialist. I naively assumed this would just be a standard physical where you get a basic sign-off, but it turns out that because of my "F-code" diagnosis, I can't get cleared for work. I've approached five different occupational doctors, and they all just redirected me elsewhere, claiming that "oversight on F-diagnoses has been tightened" and that they "don't have the necessary specialists on staff."🤷
As if I'm some medical anomaly that requires an entire board of experts just to study me.
In what way am I unfit for work if I'm managing my condition with regular medication? This feels completely illegal.🙂
Anyone else dealt with this?
mystic2006 said:I have one more question regarding Xanax... Once a panic attack actually hits, is it better to take standard Xanax or stick with the Xanax SR for that slow release?
Larry Lewis said:I haven't seen any mention of "rejoflajt" in our recent discussions—unless, of course, I’ve missed some obscure technical jargon or perhaps a typo from one of those late-night forum ramblings—but if you're referring to a specific medication or a niche regulatory term, please do clarify. I tend to lose the thread when things aren't explicitly laid out, and frankly, my patience for deciphering cryptic shorthand is at an all-time low these days. If this is related to the ongoing discussions regarding FDA advisories or those endless clinical trial debates, let me know. Otherwise, I'm just staring at a word that looks more like a keyboard smash than actual information. kaže:
USA
Back in '96, Abbott Labs first applied for U. S. food and drug Administration approval for sertindole—though, looking back at how things were handled then, I can’t say I’m surprised by the timeline—but... The whole thing was pulled back in '98—an absolute disaster of a situation—once everyone realized the terrifyingly high risk of sudden death caused by QTc prolongation. I mean, just look at the numbers, if you can stomach them. We’re talking about a trial involving 2,000 patients where 27 people died unexpectedly... and 13 of those were sudden deaths. It’s enough to make anyone lose faith in the entire process—it really is. Just a grim reminder of why these things happen when oversight fails.
Europa in Europe
Back in the mid-nineties—specifically around 1996—Sertindole had already cleared the hurdles for approval and hit the market across nineteen different nations in Europa in Europe. But, well... things didn't exactly stay smooth sailing for long.Back in '98, the FDA pulled the plug on its marketing authorization—basically, they yanked the drug off the shelves entirely. It was a mess. But then, fast forward to 2002, and things started shifting again because of some fresh data coming down the pipeline. The FDA's advisory committee suggested that Sertindole could be reintroduced for restricted Use in clinical trials , with strong safeguards including extensive contraindications and warnings for patients AT risk of cardiac dysrhythmias. They weren't taking any chances, though—they recommended dropping the max dose from 24 mg down to 20 mg in almost every single case, and they insisted on rigorous ECG monitoring both before and during treatment. It’s all about those precautions, I suppose—one wrong move with heart rhythms and you're looking at a disaster.The marketing ban was finally lifted back in 2005—an era of significant shifts, if you can believe it.
I was digging through some old medical archives—it’s a bit of a rabbit hole, honestly—and stumbled upon the history of Sertindole again. It’s one of those cases that just leaves a bitter taste in your mouth if you think about it too long. You know, the kind of bureaucratic dance that makes you wonder if anyone is actually looking out for the little guy? So, here’s the deal: back in the day, this drug was supposed to be a big player for treating schizophrenia. But then the wheels fell off because of the heart risks—specifically those nasty cardiac dysrhythmias. I remember reading about a patient of my cousin's who had a similar scare with a different medication years ago; the anxiety of waiting for test results is enough to age a person a decade. Anyway, back to the point. The regulatory side of things is where it gets truly exhausting. After the initial fallout, there was all this back-and-forth with the authorities. Eventually, the FDA's advisory committee suggested that Sertindole could be reintroduced for restricted Use in clinical trials, with strong safeguards including extensive contraindications and warnings for patients AT risk of cardiac dysrhythmias. It’s a cautious, almost hesitant approach—typical of how these massive institutions operate once they've been burned. They don't exactly rush back into the fray. They move with this slow, deliberate skepticism that feels both necessary and incredibly frustrating when you consider how much time passes between these "re-evaluations." It’s just more proof that in the world of pharmacology, nothing is ever as simple as a single pill. 😲
http://www.facebook.com/topic.php?ui...88&topic=14057 😲
It seems the manufacturer behind that particular antipsychotic—Sertindole, or Serdolect, if you prefer the brand name—has decided to pull the plug. They’ve gone ahead and voluntarily suspended its availability entirely. It’s just one more thing in this increasingly unpredictable landscape of pharmaceutical stability—though I suppose I shouldn't be surprised, given how often these things seem to vanish from the shelves just when you think you have a handle on them. The whole thing boils down to those nagging, deeply unsettling reports regarding cardiac arrhythmias—and let’s not even get started on the instances of sudden cardiac death linked to its use. It's enough to make anyone lose sleep, really.
(Reference: (GBRCW) Communication, December 2, 1998)
Safety—or rather, the illusion of it—and those dreaded serious adverse events. It’s a heavy topic, isn't it? One minute you think you're navigating a clear path, and the next, you're staring down the barrel of a medical complication that feels like it came out of nowhere. I was reading some old reports the other day—reminded me of a time back in Chicago when a friend of mine thought he was just dealing with a bit of indigestion, only to find out he was facing something far more systemic—and it really strikes a chord regarding how we perceive risk. We want to believe the data is airtight, that the protocols are foolproof, but there's always that shadow of uncertainty hanging over every clinical trial and every new rollout. It’s exhausting, frankly. You look at the numbers, you look at the reported side effects, and you realize that "safety" is often a moving target, constantly being redefined by new findings and shifting regulations. It makes you wonder how much we actually know versus how much we simply hope is true.
Out of the 97 serious adverse events documented—and believe me, that is a staggering number—ten of them ended in fatalities. It’s quite grim when you sit down and actually parse through the data... ten lives gone. We’re looking at two suicides, three sudden deaths—specifically two heart attacks and one pulmonary embolism—and then there's this cluster of four "other" deaths that includes yet another pulmonary embolism, an unspecified case of intoxication, a myocardial infarction, and even a mesenteric artery infarction. To top it all off, there was one death where the cause remains completely unverified. It’s a messy, heartbreaking tally, really.
Thanks for the heads-up, Ray—really appreciate you sharing that info.
Larry Lewis said:Is there anyone out there currently relying on Serdolekt who might be willing to share their honest take on the drug? I’m looking for some actual insight—not just the glossy brochure version—regarding how it actually feels to use it.
restlesscobra9 said:The only thing I truly regret is how he keeps hurting me, even if it’s never intentional. It’s just that someone who hasn't walked in those shoes can't possibly grasp the reality of this struggle. He acts out of the best intentions and tries to help with his advice, but to me, it feels like he’s just picking at a wound that hasn't had the chance to heal yet.😢
It's exhausting.🙄
frozengardener57 said:Help!
For the last two days, I’ve been taking 1/4 of a Prozac tablet before bed, along with 0.25 mg of Xanax..
My plan is to gradually work my way up to 10 mg.
However, I woke up today feeling absolutely terrified. All my symptoms—the anxiety, the intrusive thoughts—are dialed up to eleven! I know the beginning phase is always rough and the body needs time to adjust, but I honestly didn't expect this much intensity from such a tiny starting dose.
I am also genuinely worried about becoming dependent on Xanax if I end up needing to take it three times a day.
I just took another 0.25 mg, but it hasn't fully calmed me down. I'm panicking a little... is this medication actually going to help me at all? 🙂🙂
What has your experience been like?
Timothy Wood38 said:My doctor put me on Empty at 100 mg today—just one dose at night before I turn in. Has anyone here actually dealt with this medication? I'm wondering how it feels... does it really provide that anxiolytic effect people talk about, or help with sleep?
Timothy Wood38 said:Awesome :-), really happy for you. Hopefully that 1mg dose hits the spot—it seems like nobody's even talking about it on here lately. By the way, how's the Klonopin treating you? If I remember correctly, that's clonazepam, right? Does it give you that heavy sedative or hypnotic feeling?