Posts by Larry Lewis

The one thing I just can’t wrap my head around regarding this girl's mother is why she hasn't snapped out of that psychotic state yet—because, in my experience, coming back to reality is actually the easiest part of the whole ordeal. It’s what happens afterward that really guts you... I’m talking about the crushing stigma, the way friends and acquaintances suddenly vanish from your life, and even doctors who look at you like you’re some sort of walking disaster zone just waiting to lose control. Then you’ve got the depression, the crippling anxiety, and all that other misery that follows once the dust settles.🤷

David Vaughn75 said:That’s just how a psychotic brain works—it’s constantly manufacturing an explanation for every little thing that happens.

And honestly, we’re always going to be doing that, even when we're on meds. The whole point of treatment is really just learning to recognize when you're losing it—realizing that what you're thinking is just a psychotic episode, a hallucination, or plain old nonsense—so you can shake it off and just keep moving with your life.

For me, kicking the actual psychosis out of my system was the easy part—it was these lingering shadows of the illness that really started to wear me down.

Donna Newman82 said:Hmm... so you’re saying you function normally while on medication? What does it feel like when you aren't taking them—when the hallucinations start kicking in and all that? Do you realize at that point that what's happening isn't real? I'm trying to wrap my head around what my mother is going through. She's convinced she's perfectly fine and just happens to have telepathy, allowing her to communicate with people from another dimension who can also read minds... which is one thing, but once the paranoia sets in, things get really freaky. That's when she starts talking to her "team" in her head about everything—her life, our lives, history, politics, even sensitive political topics. She spends hours sketching and scribbling in notebooks; seeing her like that actually reminds me a bit of Da Vinci working on his complex diagrams...

The illness itself—and the medication, too—makes functioning such an uphill battle because schizophrenia rarely travels alone; you've got depression, OCD, and all sorts of other baggage tagging along. So, even when you aren't in the middle of a full-blown psychotic break, life can still be incredibly difficult.

Eric Mitchell55 said:Nothing beats a good old-fashioned burger. <3

But let’s be real—we definitely hold the gold medal for the most prestigious mental health diagnosis out there.😍

Donna Newman82 said:If we're talking about genetics... does that mean schizophrenia is triggered by high levels of stress?

Don't go spiraling into unnecessary anxiety over this—honestly. I have a genetic predisposition for schizophrenia, yet my younger sister is completely clear, and neither my mom nor my dad shows any signs at all... looks like I hit the jackpot, didn't I?🙂

Though, if God were to ask me who should carry the family burden of this condition, I’d tell Him to just let me take it. I’ve already adjusted to the chaos of it all, and frankly, it's a weight I'm used to carrying.

Harold Anderson3 said:My mom is actually on a much heavier regimen, taking something like 6 mg combined with a 50 mg injection every two weeks. On top of that, she’s managing things like Lexapro and Prozac, along with a few other medications... though her doses aren't quite as "extreme" as the ones I mentioned earlier.

Yeah, well, my current regimen is a whole different beast: 4mg Risperdal, 600mg Seroquel xr, 300mg Faverin, 125mg standard Seroquel, and xanax as needed. You have to admit, that’s a pretty heavy-duty cocktail.

The thing is, I haven't even officially started this specific rotation yet because I'm in the middle of switching out my primary care physician—apparently, my current doctor refused to fill a prescription that was specifically ordered by my psychiatrist. So, right now, I'm just scraping by on my remaining stash: Zyprexa 20mg, seroquel xr 300mg, faverin 300mg, the regular 125mg seroquel, and xanax whenever things get too much. My psychiatrist told me to keep taking what I have until we can get the new regimen stabilized.

And just to be clear—if I ran out of the seroquel xr, which honestly was the one thing keeping me sane, I'd be in real trouble since I don't have much left, and my friends haven't been able to help me out with refills either. Because of this mess, I’m planning to file a formal complaint against this primary care doctor as soon as I transfer my medical records. It isn't me who's inconvenienced here; it's her. I've already got the clinic's number and everything ready to go.

Honestly, refusing to provide someone their prescribed psychiatric meds is like refusing to give a diabetic their insulin. It's just wrong.

Robin Lopez2 said:What’s the standard equine dosage for Rispolept?

A steady 4 mg a day.

Well, kids, my doctor went ahead and stripped me off the Zyprexa—again—so naturally, I’m right back on my old Risperdal... though at a dose large enough to knock out a thoroughbred, because clearly, I'm just a beast of burden. 🙂

As for that GP? I'm filing a formal complaint against her tomorrow morning. She flat-out refused to refill my prescription, and frankly, I've got the corporate office number right here—I might as well make her life a little more difficult for being so unhelpful.

fadedbear92 said:Good grief, at this rate, they might as well just finish us all off. What's the point of paying for supplemental insurance if we end up having to cover everything ourselves anyway? This is absolutely insane—honestly, the whole system needs to be torn down and rebuilt from scratch.

I mean, seriously, look at what they're doing to us. Social Security checks are a joke—absolute peanuts—leaving poor retirees scavenging through trash cans just to get by. You can't find a decent job anywhere, and trying to get actual medical care? Forget about it. It's impossible.

Meanwhile, those bureaucrats are cruising around in their BMWs and Audis, complete with private drivers and security details—because, you know, they're just *so* incredibly important. They spend every cent making sure they and their families are set for the next ten generations while everyone else struggles.

Kevin Nguyen3 said:My doctor is Martić Biočina. She is truly an exceptional physician.

She really is a wonderful woman—she goes above and beyond everything, truly willing to meet you halfway. I actually attended a group therapy session she facilitated alongside another psychotherapist, and get this—she wasn't even getting paid for it.

I realize I probably stooped to her level with my last post—but honestly, that’s just who she is, and I felt it was necessary to paint a clear picture of the situation,

See, her whole argument boils down to claiming that my medication isn't even working and that it's a waste of money—so, fundamentally, her main point is supposed to be its lack of efficacy.
But here is the reality: I haven't spent a single night in a hospital for four years. I don't hear voices, I don't deal with delusions or any of that madness; it's just my OKP and the occasional depressive episode—which, frankly, I've learned to live with and have come to terms with. So, how on earth can anyone say the treatment isn't working?

But whatever, it doesn't matter. Maybe I'll switch over to a different prescription soon, and who knows, maybe that one will actually be a better fit. But let me tell you this: if I do lose my grip on reality because of this, she’ll be the very first one to find out—and I promise you, it won't be pleasant for her.

Jason Vaughn482 said:He absolutely has to prescribe you something. I have spent countless hours obsessively researching these various pharmaceutical shifts, and if there is one thing I have learned, it is this: don't settle for the premium brands just because they have fancy packaging. You need to push for the most affordable generics available. Honestly, I am just praying my doctor doesn't start giving me grief about it; if he tries to lecture me on why I shouldn't be cutting corners on costs, I am not walking out of that exam room until we reach an understanding.

Exactly. They have to.
By the way, this woman has absolutely zero respect for anyone. I remember sitting in her waiting room once, and she actually asked me to go grab some paper towels for her—and fine, I did, it wasn't exactly a Herculean task.

But now, just imagine this:😁 This guy comes in, a delivery man who was supposed to bring her a new chair. His entire job—his actual profession—is delivering furniture, right? Yet, she looks at me and acts like *I* should be the one to lug that chair in for her, as if that poor man isn't literally being paid to do exactly that.
Naturally, I told her no.

My former psychiatrist goes by Martić Biočina, and even my wonderful little primary care doctor mentioned that Martić is a pretty formidable last name... if you catch my drift.

Jason Vaughn482 said:I had a feeling things were going to get complicated; I could feel the anxiety creeping in immediately. It seems like they won't even hand over a basic referral, especially for those of us whom they treat as if we're just "making up our symptoms."...
But listen, she was obligated to offer an alternative. You really ought to go back there and insist that she prescribes something comparable.

I’ll have a word with my buddy to see how much he actually knows about the situation and what his options are.

Look, I live with schizophrenia—it's my reality—and the last thing on my mind is playing nice or bribing some clerk with expensive cocktails like certain other people might do. She has a job to do, and frankly, she ought to do it with a bit of integrity.

I honestly couldn't wrap my head around it—it’s like telling a diabetic they just can't have their insulin. If I were to go even two weeks without my medication, I’d likely end up admitted to a hospital somewhere; we aren't talking about a sprained ankle or some nagging cold here, this is schizophrenia.

I’ve got enough supplies to last me right up until my next appointment with my psychiatrist, so I’ll play it by ear and see how things shake out then.

I actually have a close friend who’s a pretty sharp attorney, and if my doctor writes a prescription for Loquen in the new report but refuses to authorize my actual medication, well, I’m going to have a very serious conversation with him about my options.

Gerald Torres2 said:I was actually feeling hungry while I was on Seroxat... but since starting Lexapro, that hunger just vanished. Honestly, I don't even have a craving for sweets anymore—nothing at all. When it comes to my appetite, there hasn't been any noticeable change. If anything, I felt much hungrier back when I was taking Vitamin B complex.😂😂😂

Well, if that's the case, then good for you—I might just make the switch to Loquen or Qpin myself. Personally, I'm on Vitamin B complex too, but it hasn't triggered any hunger for me.
Yesterday, I finally laid down after finishing my meds, and once the Seroquel kicked in... man... I was absolutely famished. It was ridiculous. I spent the whole night fighting the urge to just raid the pantry and gorge myself, and while I managed to hold out, I barely managed to drift off because my stomach was growling so loud.
And honestly? It’s becoming a near-daily struggle.

Kevin Nguyen3 said:No, actually... based on what I've seen from others, Q-pin is much easier to tolerate. In my own experience, Q-pin is like chamomile tea compared to Seroquel.
So many people have switched from Ser to some other AP and finally found relief.
Does Seroquel even make sense unless you're dealing with schizophrenia? That's the only time. Otherwise, it doesn't knock you out quite as hard, so you can actually function during the day.

You’ve got a point there—Q-pin is definitely much easier to tolerate; I had a firsthand reminder of that today.

Gerald Torres2 said:Maybe give Loquin or Q-pin a shot... they seem a bit easier on the system. When I was on Seroquel, I felt like a literal statue—I couldn't remember anything, let alone get out of bed. It was a nightmare. Now I take Loquin when my anxiety spikes, and instead of wiping me out, it just settles me down. And yeah, okay, they're basically the same med... we're talking about the same dosage... except Loquin isn't the xr version. Maybe that's part of why I handle it better.🤷

I think I might try switching from 100mg of Seroquel at night to 100mg of either Q-pin or Loquen—well, I'll ask my doctor first, and if she gives the green light, then great.

By the way, I wanted to ask—do you find yourself getting hungry after taking Loquen? Because with Seroquel, I felt like I could have eaten a whole steak in the middle of the night. I actually managed to drop 25 pounds through some pretty grueling workouts, and there is absolutely no way I'm gaining those pounds back—not when Seroquel makes it impossible to sleep because I'm too busy raiding the pantry!

Blue Star said:
I wouldn't recommend taking it that way—honestly. Taking Seroquel in the morning is something you only do under strict medical supervision, usually while you're inpatient at a hospital or a clinic.
Why?
Because you’ll end up feeling like a total vegetable all day long.
Outside of a hospital setting, you'll basically be a zombie, and you really can't afford to let that happen to you.
100 mg isn't some tiny dose... go ahead, try it; nothing catastrophic will happen immediately, and then you'll see exactly what I mean.
Since you'll be sleeping through most of the daylight hours anyway... well, you won't have much left to write about.😁

I gave my doctor a call today and explained that I'm sticking to just the 25 mg dose in the morning because I took it earlier today and felt perfectly fine—completely relaxed and normal—so she told me to just keep doing that.
Man, I was worse than a zombie when I was on the 100 mg and 50 mg doses of Seroquel.
The only thing she brought up was switching me off the Xanax and putting me back on that silly Diazepam, but I'm going to try my best to avoid that—I'm being incredibly careful about how, when, and how much Xanax I take, because, frankly, it really helps me.
I don't know what's happening to me; I wasn't always like this, but lately, over the last ten days or so, I've been snapping at the smallest things—I just lose it, though, thank God, I calm down quickly.
Yesterday, I got into this ridiculous argument with my girlfriend over nothing, but we smoothed it all over and I apologized to her a hundred times, so there we are.
And honestly, this tendency to snap started right when I began taking this idiotic Seroquel in the morning per my doctor's instructions. I suspect it numbs me so much that my body starts fighting back—trying to force the brain to produce these volatile reactions just so it doesn't feel completely half-dead... that's just my theory, anyway.
Anyway, folks, just be careful with taking Seroquel in the morning.🙂

fadedbear92 said:I'm currently on an increased dose—three 50mg shots in the morning. Between the Effexor and Klonopin, I’m doing okay, though I am dealing with some pretty heavy anxiety right now.
Then at night, I take four 25mg doses to sleep; my doctor said I could even bump it up to five if I really need to crash, but that’s usually reserved for those rare nights when I’m feeling super worked up.

Man, sorry—Seroquel is the name-brand stuff, while Q-pin is just a generic version made here. As for whether there's a real difference between them... honestly, I have no clue.

I don't quite follow the logic here. Ever since I switched to the XR version of Seroquel, I've felt much better. My doctor bumped me up by another 100mg at night and everything was fine. Then, during a bit of a crisis, she added another 100mg in the morning—which completely wiped me out—so I dropped back down to 50mg, but even that is triggering these absolutely horrific episodes.
I think I'll try 25mg in the morning next; if I still feel totally unsettled, I might just stop taking the morning dose altogether.

It truly just drains the very will to live right out of you.

EDIT: Those two medications are essentially the exact same thing.

Does anyone else here take Seroquel in the morning—and I mean regardless of the dosage? My doctor put me on 100mg during the AM hours, but even just a measly 50mg sends me into this... well, I can't quite put my finger on it, but it's an inexplicable state that lingers for hours. It’s like this overwhelming wave of intense anxiety paired with a sort of mild psychosis—not that I'm losing it entirely, mind you—but more of a total inability to think straight or just this profound, heavy mental fog.