Posts by Timothy Wood38

boldpilot2 said:First, it was listed as F20.6, simple schizophrenia. Now it just says F20. That’s what scarlet mentioned regarding the requirement for paranoia. Honestly, I don't understand how they switched to paranoid without any history of speech issues. It's absurd to me because that diagnosis implies hallucinations and such. I read extensively on schizophrenia and can swear I have zero auditory, visual, tactile, olfactory, or gustatory hallucinations. Seriously. I'm done being spooked by movies like *A Beautiful Mind* or clips on YouTube. That isn't how I act. Even if I did hear voices or experience delusions, I would end myself. I certainly wouldn't claim it's "normal." I am afraid of things that aren't there. Besides, neither my family nor anyone else has noticed any hallucinations. The only thing is humming or complaining when the computer acts up 🤣. If I talk to myself internally, it's just me. Not Hitler or some voice. And I consider constructive thought to be a form of conversation. (For example, if I placed object A on board B, what would the pressure force be? I'd guess 2N. But that's irrelevant...) You get the point; it's a poor example, but that's the gist. These are the "official" symptoms, but I will highlight the ones I actually feel and those others have noted:

The DSM states the following characteristic symptoms:

a) Thought insertion or withdrawal, thought echoing or broadcasting; -none of that transmission stuff here. I had OCD previously, so there were compulsions related to that, like washing hands or dying!
b) Delusions of control, influence, or passivity relating to:
- body or bodily movements, -no 😲
- specific thoughts, actions, or sensations, -what specific ones? I wouldn't say any...
- delusional perceptions; -no 😲
c) Hallucinatory voices that: -no 😲
- comment on the patient's behavior,
- discuss the patient among themselves,
- various forms of hallucinatory voices emanating from a body part; -from where? Those things?
d) Persistent bizarre delusions that are impossible or inconsistent with the patient's culture and intellect: -haha, interesting, but I'm not an alien or anything
- impossible political, scientific, or religious identities,
- superhuman abilities or powers, e.g., controlling time,
- communication with extraterrestrials, etc.;
e) Persistent hallucinations of any modality when accompanied by transient delusions without emotional content, or persistent overvalued ideas, or when hallucinations are persistently present for weeks or months; -as I said, no!
f) Disorganized thinking, irrelevant and disorganized speech, neologisms (creating new meaningless words); -I wouldn't say that. My speech is perfectly normal. Except I am quite anxious about almost every word. Due to shame and fear.
g) Catatonic behavior - marked rigidity or maintaining unnatural postures, or extreme agitation; -no!
h) Negative symptoms such as apathy, poverty of speech, blunted affect, or inappropriate emotional response, which typically lead to social withdrawal and decline in social functioning. -that happened at the beginning, alongside the OCD. Perhaps my responses are inadequate?
i) Significant and persistent changes in behavior in terms of loss of interest, aimlessness, preoccupation with self, and social withdrawal. -this is the most prominent.

So, basically... I am certain I have no illusions, delusions, or hallucinations... Tinnitus? No, that isn't it.

The F20 diagnosis stands. If that's classified as paranoid, then the hallucinations aren't there. You would notice them in a house with four people constantly present. I dealt with intense suicidal ideation and increased aggression. What else? Perhaps grandiose, unrealistic plans? Or constant shifts in interests—gaming one day, sports the next. Given what exists:

In clinical studies, we distinguish several types of schizophrenia based on the dominant symptom groups.

The paranoid type is characterized by pronounced delusions and hallucinations. Most commonly, these involve persecutory delusions.
Disorganized or hebephrenic schizophrenia is dominated by symptoms of incoherent, disconnected, or illogical speech and disorganized behavior.
The catatonic type is quite rare today; it involves impaired posture, extreme purposeless motor agitation, or complete physical rigidity known as stupor.
If no specific symptoms predominate, it is referred to as undifferentiated schizophrenia.
Residual schizophrenia is characterized by an absence of prominent delusions, hallucinations, or disorganized speech/behavior, though evidence of the disorder remains through negative symptoms, odd beliefs, or unusual sensory experiences.

I don't fit into any of those categories. Honestly, I am unsure where I land. I don't feel better or worse without medication. For the last six months, it has just been insomnia and certain anxieties. Presumably, the psychiatrists know best. They likely "hit" the mark somehow, even if I don't recognize these primary symptoms.

What can I tell you? Go get a second opinion. I've cycled through more than five different psychiatrists, and almost every single one tried to write me a new diagnosis or tack on another one. At the end of the day, they're just people, and unfortunately, sometimes they're too limited by their own experiences. I'm no expert, but my take is that you don't have schizophrenia. If insomnia is the real issue, ask for a hypnotic: zolpidem, flurazepam, midazolam; or maybe something from a different class with strong sedative effects. For instance, I handle my insomnia with 300 mg of prazosin and 20 mg of Sanval. Some people sleep fine on just 25 mg of prazosin; I don't think there's a hard rule for it. Just don't give up. Keep seeking treatment, switch doctors if you have to, and eventually, you'll find a solution.

boldpilot2 said:I saw a psych. But I didn't realize it was this significant of an issue until now. Clearly, it is. It's more pressing than the schizophrenia. This is my number one concern right now. My follow-up is at the beginning of December. I will ask her, obviously. Dealing with this insomnia and all that... it isn't pleasant. I actually panicked when my pulse hit 85. I thought it was a heart issue, but then I noticed I have these frequent physical symptoms:

Psychological symptoms of anxiety include excessive fearfulness and apprehension, a sense of internal tension or restlessness, impaired concentration, irritability, increased sensitivity to noise, sleep disturbances (difficulty falling asleep, frequent waking during the night, nightmares), impaired memory due to poor attention and focus. Physical symptoms of anxiety include palpitations or skipped heartbeats, shortness of breath or labored breathing, chest tightness, dry mouth, difficulty swallowing, stomach discomfort, bloating, frequent urination, decreased libido, tinnitus, feelings of loneliness, numbness in the limbs, and hand tremors.

I realized it had to be anxiety. However, I am wary of aggressive medications, especially if they require long-term use 🙂. I just switched from Zyprexa and Faverin to Risperdal and Depakote. There haven't been any major side effects. But adding an anxiolytic now? Like Zoloft 🙂? What is that going to do to me? Is it really going to crush me 😢?

Edit: If it's only dangerous regarding dependency (later on), then it's fine :P
This is a non-starter for me! Frequently, doctors prescribe SSRIs (fluoxetine - Prozac, paroxetine - Paxil, sertraline - Zoloft......) and, during the initial stages of treatment, benzodiazepines (Valium, Xanax....).

Just hold on a second—it seems to me you might be a bit of a hypochondriac. How can sleep issues or GAD be a bigger problem than schizophrenia? Usually, those things just come as part of the package. You shouldn't be afraid of anxiolytics; they are actually very effective drugs, even if most of them carry a risk of both physical and psychological dependency, not to mention building up a tolerance. Please, let me know what specific diagnosis your doctor gave you? And why are you bringing up Zoloft? That's an antidepressant, not an anxiolytic. Based on the meds you've taken and are currently on, I could guess several different diagnoses, so please tell me exactly what yours is—or if there are multiple—so I can actually be helpful.

boldpilot2 said:Apologies for the double post; editing is unavailable. I have a question for the group: is there a reliable anxiolytic out there? I am not guessing; I am certain I have this condition. I check almost every box. The worst parts are the inability to fall asleep quickly and the sensation that my heart is racing at a thousand miles per hour. I relied heavily on Xanax to try and calm down or sleep, but it isn't working... likely because I overused it. What else is available? Valium? Some reports mention hallucinations. I have no desire to experience that. It was mentioned regarding Smith, but nothing occurred, and it wasn't particularly effective either. And does everything cause dependency? It certainly won't resolve itself in three days. This irrational fear and constant dread are exhausting. Is there anything effective, and can a primary care physician prescribe it rather than a psychiatrist? What are your experiences? Any suggestions for sleep? Falling asleep takes about three hours.

What are you almost certain you have? Maybe generalized anxiety disorder or something similar, but have you seen a psychiatrist yet? In my opinion, only a professional can actually give you a diagnosis. That stuff you mentioned is essentially just Diazepam. If you are looking for an anxiolytic with strong hypnotic effects, I might suggest Midazolam—which is known as Dormicum in our market—or perhaps Flurazepam. Though, honestly, I have no idea how any specific medication will affect someone, given how much metabolism varies. You're probably best off seeking professional medical help.

quietgull75 said:So, what actually happens when a healthy person takes something like Haldol? I can tell you firsthand—I was 12 and did it just being stupid. Like someone else mentioned, I ended up with symptoms basically identical to Parkinson's. It was brutal—easily one of the worst days, or two, of my entire life.
It kicked in a few hours after I took it, and then the dread and anxiety just set in. Then came the stiffness—every single muscle started seizing up, my fingers cramped, my eyes were rolling upward uncontrollably, my face froze into this grimace, and my tongue—well, my tongue locked up and stuck out of my mouth, and I couldn't stop it. Mentally, I felt like garbage. I ended up in the ER where they gave me an injection of Akineton, if I remember right, just to get my muscles to relax. Just wanted to share that experience—definitely wouldn't wish it on anyone.

I don't quite follow... you pretty much answered your own question. It's well-documented that haloperidol causes extrapyramidal symptoms, which is exactly why doctors usually prescribe Akineton alongside Haldol.

Nicole Barrett76 said:Since antipsychotics work by blocking dopamine, I couldn't help but wonder: if a mentally healthy person were to take them, wouldn't they experience symptoms mirroring Parkinson's disease? Given that Haldol is one of the oldest antipsychotics on the market, is it not reasonable to assume it isn't nearly as refined as the modern alternatives? Therefore, wouldn't the side effects from Haldol be significantly more pronounced?

Well, I wouldn't say they completely nullify dopamine. It’s more that they act on the dopamine receptors—how exactly that mechanism works is still a bit of a gray area in the science. And, if we're being technical, I don't think Haldol is actually the oldest; personally, I’ve always thought chlorpromazine was the very first real antipsychotic.

driftinggull21 said:Nothing. Aside from being extremely drowsy.

Well, I suppose it depends on which one we're talking about and the dosage... for instance, Haldol would likely trigger some pretty intense side effects compared to something like Zyprexa.

fadedbear92 said:Is this what you had in mind?

http://forum.ottawa-rs.com/lofiver...php?t3806.html
The following links are related—specifically when an American scientific journal is mentioned at the end of the text:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Proceed...my_of_Sciences

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Proceed...my_of_Sciences

Or perhaps this one?

http://www.jcu.edu.au/cgc/PsychogeneticsHP.html

Well, I was actually thinking of that last link—something closer to that, anyway. As for those other two, I managed to get them a bit mixed up (completely unintentional, I assure you). I meant to say "pharmacological" instead of "psycho." Basically, I was referring to pharmacodynamics and pharmacokinetics within the organism. My apologies, really, that was my mistake. I read about it ages ago and clearly, my memory isn't what it used to be. I hope you'll forgive the blunder. Sorry again.

driftinggull21 said:A 2 mg dose of Risperdal is actually quite low. If you’ve just started, give it some time—a lot of those side effects tend to taper off. As for that F20 diagnosis code... without the suffix, it basically points to F20.0, which is paranoid schizophrenia. F20.6 would be schizoaffective disorder. Either way, we're talking about chronic, lifelong conditions that require ongoing medication management.

By the way, Abilify and paliperidone are FDA-approved here in the States, though they aren't covered by Medicare yet.

I assume you're referring to pharmacogenetics and neurochemical pathways. Psychology students cover psychopathology in their curriculum, but Psychodynamics is the theory and systematic study of the psychological forces that underlie human behavior, especially the dynamic relations between conscious motivation and unconscious motivation—that's more of a psychotherapy school of thought, not really something pharmacists deal with.

No, that’s not what I meant. I was talking about psychopathology and pharmacogenetics. Believe me, I know my stuff. And of course, psychodynamic and psychokinetic properties are relevant to pharmacology, specifically regarding how drugs are metabolized. Perhaps there was just a bit of a misunderstanding.

Kenneth Scott41 said:Is Abilify covered under Medicare?

I'm guessing not... since you can't even pick it up on the American market yet, even though it's officially registered. With so many other antipsychotics already on the formulary, I really doubt they'll bother adding it to the list. It's a similar story with Valdoxan—it's cleared for use here in the States, but it hasn't actually hit the shelves yet, and honestly, they probably won't cover it because the price tag is just astronomical. Though, interestingly enough, it's the first melatonin-based antidepressant out there.

boldpilot2 said:True... But you’re always just choosing between different palettes of garbage side effects. With Zyprexa, I'm sleeping for 16 hours and still can't wake up, plus there's the constant hunger. You feel like you could eat an entire buffet. Then there's this one that numbs you so much you don't even care about a live & direct broadcast XD. Honestly, I don't know. There isn't really a "truth" to find here. I read something about some third-generation Abilify from Japan... nothing better. To be honest, no medication... from Adderall to aspirin to this crap... has ever actually worked wonders for me. It's all just chemistry, which I dislike. Sleeping 3/4 of the time? Gaining weight? Sexual dysfunction? You just pick your poison. Whatever your heart desires.

Edit: Man, when I remember being on typical Fluphenazine, I realize I survived everything.

Every body reacts differently. I was on 10 mg of Zyprexa daily for a year and I didn't sleep at all because of it; it actually had zero sedative effect, let alone hypnotic, so I had to take extra sleep aids on top of it. Zyprexa isn't a bad drug, per se, but it doesn't fit everyone. As for Abilify, I think it's been approved in the US for about seven months now, though it might hit the mainstream markets more broadly next year. Regardless, plenty of people are switching to Abilify, especially in America, because it tends to have fewer side effects than other antipsychotics, but again, it's all highly individual. For doctors to actually find the right medication for someone, they would need a much deeper, more concrete understanding of psychopathology (which is mostly based on assumptions anyway), followed by psychogenetics, then psychodynamics, then psychokinetics, and so on. But of course, that's not profitable for them, so psychiatrists usually just prescribe things based on trial and error.

p.s. Found something interesting about benzodiazepines that I didn't know. Apparently, once you develop a tolerance to a certain dose, that tolerance stays with you forever.

Kenneth Scott41 said:@Timothy Wood38, I suspect your complexion is looking a bit pale lately, which might just be why you’re struggling to drift off at night. Maybe if you took a Benadryl, you'd finally sleep like a baby.

I'm not entirely sure what point you're trying to make here, but you've completely missed the mark. Honestly, think whatever helps you sleep at night :-P I'm just going to stick with what actually works for me.

Nicole Barrett76 said:Timothy Wood38, one really shouldn't play games by mixing psychotropic medications with alcohol.

Many of those drugs and stimulants function by amplifying the effects of dopamine neurotransmitters, whereas antipsychotics work to counteract the action of dopamine. Therefore, psychostimulants and drugs essentially operate in direct opposition to antipsychotics.

And look, I know I’m pretty self-destructive, so mixing psych meds with booze isn't exactly new territory for me. As for the other stuff... I thought that too. But, obviously, I'll give it a shot and find out for myself. Everyone reacts differently, I suppose.

I suppose I should probably get around to actually typing something out here. It’s been a while. Just sitting here, staring at the screen, wondering if anyone even reads these ramblings. Probably not. Anyway... [Username] says:
Yeah, they really knocked me sideways with it... honestly, I'm feeling pretty wiped out now. I've actually cut my dose in half—so instead of 25mg, I'm just taking 12.5mg—and even that feels like more than enough to do the job. My doctor made a good point, though; sometimes you just need a tiny amount of an antipsychotic to help get some actual sleep.🙂

Must be nice. Honestly, I’m currently sitting here on 150 mg of prazosin, plus 20 mg of Ambien just to stand a fighting chance at getting through a full night's sleep without tossing and turning like crazy. It’s quite a cocktail. On a side note—and I'm curious if anyone else has experienced this—has anyone on SSRIs noticed an increased tolerance to alcohol? It feels like I can drink significantly more than I used to since starting the SSRIs, yet whenever I look things up online, everything seems to suggest the exact opposite should be happening. It's a bit of a head-scratcher. Also, does anyone happen to know if antipsychotics can inhibit the effects of psychostimulants, like cocaine or amphetamines? Just wondering about the chemistry of it all.

Kenneth Scott41 said:As for sleep... I actually spent the entire night wide awake, and on top of that, I’ve got a fever, a stuffed-up nose, and this splitting headache that just won't quit.🙂
I honestly can't even say for sure why I couldn't drift off... I suppose I'm just hoping it isn't some kind of dependency developing from the Dormicum.🙂

I really hope you aren't developing a habit with the Dormicum. You should probably take a moment to actually look into how benzodiazepines work—honestly, once you dig into the research, you'll see that pretty much all of them trigger tolerance and physical dependence. And let's be real, the psychological addiction side of things is just as prevalent.

fadedbear92 said:Lucky you! Not because of the dependency, but because you actually get a full night's sleep off just 5 mg!!!😲😲😲

Lucky indeed. Honestly, I can't even get any sleep without 20 mg of Valium—and I've definitely gone up to 100 mg a few times in the past, though usually after 100 mg of Valium I'd spend the entire next day throwing up. But this current combo, 100 mg of Prazin plus 20 mg of Valium... it's been working wonders for me. Hey, fadedbear92, did you happen to catch my previous post? I was wondering if you had any thoughts on it, or if you've even brought up what I wrote there to your therapist?

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fadedbear92 said:The reason I even asked this is because I've used Prazina before, but I had a really scary situation happen yesterday—actually, it started brewing the night before.
Basically, I had been taking Sanval so regularly that they were basically like Tic Tacs to me—I was popping three 5 mg pills at once, so 15 mg just to get three hours of sleep, waking up, and then doing another three pills for another three hours. Naturally, when I told my doctor, she lost it! That's why she prescribed me Prazina 25 mg (or 50 mg if the 25 mg isn't enough). So, what happened? The day after all that Sanval, around 3:00 in the afternoon, I took a 25 mg Prazina—that yellow pill—and it wasn't until a few hours later, on my drive home from work, that I started feeling all "rubbery." Once I got home, I crawled into bed and was out for about two hours. Then I woke up, but I felt so incredibly lethargic that I didn't even dare touch my antidepressant or my mood stabilizer; I just fell back asleep and slept through the rest of the night (about five hours straight).
But the next morning? I couldn't wake up for the life of me. I tried splashing cold water on my face, nothing worked—I just drifted off again. I ended up calling the ER, and they just told me to drink some salt water and eat something salty. Anyway, I called my doctor, and she suggested there was probably a synergy happening between the leftover Sanval from two nights ago, the Prazina, and my regular meds. She told me to just take half a Prazina tonight—basically cutting that 25 mg dose in half. I didn't quite have the guts to do it, so I ended up being awake most of the night.
My doctor mentioned that she can't predict exactly how my brain will react; apparently, some people take much higher doses of Prazina along with other drugs and are totally fine. It's so individualistic that it's actually pretty terrifying... I'm supposed to take half a pill tonight... yikes... I don't know...😲

Hmm, interesting either way. Honestly, just more proof that psychiatrists don't have a clue when it comes to psychopathology, regardless of the situation (I've seen more than five of them, so I have plenty of experience), and clearly, yours isn't particularly well-versed in psychopharmacology either. A "synergy" between Sanval and Prazina? That sounds like complete nonsense to me. First off, the half-life of Zolpidem—which is what Sanval is—is roughly 2-3 hours, whereas the half-life of Prazina is 24 hours or even longer. Secondly, the metabolism is entirely different; I suspect completely different enzymes are involved in processing Sanval versus Prazina, though I can't say for sure. But what I don't get is why she didn't warn you about the side effects you described. When I first started Prazina, I had the exact same side effects, but my psychiatrist warned me ahead of time and told me it would take a while for my body to adjust. Currently, I take 100 mg of Prazina and 20 mg of Sanval every single day, and I haven't experienced any interactions that could cause issues. At the end of the day, every organism is unique, not to mention the complexities of psychogenetics and psychopathology that some psychiatrists
simply don't grasp. Most psychiatrists rely far too heavily on "experience," which is a massive mistake because it limits them so much that they can't actually help the patient. Personally, over the last six months, I've seen so many psychiatrists and collected so many diagnoses—I've even manipulated a few of them. Ultimately, I gave up on psychotherapy altogether; I'm basically treating myself. I found the medications that work for me, and I live a perfectly normal life on them. I remember the last time I ended up in the ER; three different psychiatrists showed up, and it became clear they had no idea what was going on with me or my specific pathology—I knew more about it than they did. In the end, they sort of agreed that I have an unspecified personality disorder and that they couldn't label me. Once they realized their standard treatment methods weren't working, they told me I was hovering on the line between genius and insanity, claiming I had pushed them to the very edge of their knowledge. They eventually concluded my personality disorder might have an organic basis and requested I get a brain CT or MRI along with a full endocrine panel. After all that, I realized I was just wasting time and money on doctors. That's my experience, anyway, but of course, I'm not generalizing; for some people, psychiatrists are incredibly helpful. Everything is still relative.

fadedbear92 said:Is anyone else taking for sleep? I’m curious about what dosages people use—but specifically for that purpose—since, at its core, it’s actually an antipsychotic...

Yeah, I take 100 mg of prazine just to get some shut-eye. You really have to time it right—I usually take mine around 8 PM if I’m planning to hit the hay by 11. Sometimes it works perfectly and knocks me right out, but other times? Not so much. Then I end up needing to add some Sanval to the mix. The only side effect I deal with is dry mouth. Honestly, I’m not even sure how much longer I can rely on prazine. My body just builds a tolerance to absolutely everything so fast; I’m constantly having to switch things up or layer medications just to feel anything. Still, prazine is a decent hypnotic, even if its primary job is being a neuroleptic.

Kenneth Scott41 said:The subject at hand is psychopharmaceuticals, if I recall correctly... though if you're skeptical, you might want to take a look at the title itself.
I was actually wondering why it seems impossible to find Catapresan at any local pharmacy lately... I heard a rumor that they might be discontinuing its production altogether.

I realize the main topic is psychotropics, but since you were quoting my previous post regarding psychostimulants, I assumed your question was actually about those—which, let's be honest, fall right under the umbrella of psychopharmacology anyway. So, I don't really see the issue here. Besides, I'm genuinely curious... what specific criteria are you using to decide whether a drug qualifies as a psychotropic? Just wondering.

Kenneth Scott41 said:And what about Catapresan?

I’m not sure I follow... what would that even mean? We're talking about psychostimulants here, and Catapresan definitely doesn't fall into that category, does it?

Jessica Grant5 said:I'm honestly a bit baffled—why is it that you can't find any Adderall or Adderall XR anywhere in the US, even though Pfizer is actually one of the world's largest producers of generic Adderall?!?

I actually tried to order some myself once, but I was told it’s restricted here in the States and basically reserved for the domestic market. The only psychostimulant in that family available to us is Concerta—which is really just Ritalin with a time-release mechanism. Still, I might try to track down some Concerta to see how it works for me. Apparently, besides being used for ADHD treatment in America, students everywhere abuse all these amphetamines and their derivatives because they help with focus and energy boosts... though they can trigger euphoria too. They're essentially just legal drugs.