shadowbear9 said:Personally, I find the effect of Cerson to be incredibly unpleasant; it feels as though I’ve downed four liters of black coffee all at once, leaving me completely wired. I suppose I have tried just about everything by scavenging my dad's medication stash—he takes various pills. Xanax works okay for me, though it leaves a bitter aftertaste, which is annoying. Mirtazapine feels far too weak for my needs, generally speaking. My absolute favorite used to be Norvasc, but I haven't seen any of that in ages... and I occasionally take some Paxil I get from my grandmother; it's decent enough, but the effectiveness seems to fade away during the night.
Yes, I remember that girl mentioning those hallucinations caused by Seroquel, haha. It's funny how negative she was about it. For me, I once crawled under the covers, and with just a little bit of light peeking through, I totally convinced myself I was in Wonderland—or perhaps riding horses or something equally pleasant. There have also been a few times where I couldn't actually read what I had typed on my computer, haha; it felt as if I had been typing for an eternity... though I haven't had any issues with spiders or anything like that.
The whole thing with the balloons wasn't even bad, until I tried jumping from my bed onto the bunk bed to reach them. I couldn't sit down for two weeks after that. 😳
shadowbear9 said:I honestly have no idea how to handle this when asking for stronger medication. I’m terrified they might just refuse me outright. I mean, are they actually obligated to provide what I need, or should I perhaps try to exaggerate my symptoms just to get a prescription? When I talked to my doctor about Misar, I told them I struggle with anxiety throughout the day, even though I really only take it to get some sleep at night. It feels like they aren't exactly thrilled about prescribing things to me because I'm young, yet on the other hand, isn't it their literal job to help me? Any advice?😢
How old are you?
I’ve never really understood that whole "you're too young" argument. Honestly, what does age have to do with anything? Mental health doesn't check your ID before it hits you. I remember being on Haldol when I was only 15, and it felt like every doctor I saw suddenly had something to say about it—things like, "Why would you need that? You're so young, it's not good for you," or "You're far too young for this." It was like all these doctors decided at once that my age should dictate my treatment. 🙄
Kenneth Scott41 said:I’m sorry you’re going through such a hard time. I went through a similar stretch a while back where sleep was just... impossible, no matter what I did. I’ve tried most of the same medications you mentioned, and if I had to say, Ambien was the best for me.👍 It always manages to knock me out. But if even that doesn't work for you, well... I remember this old antipsychotic called Prazina, I think it comes in a red 100mg pill. If you try that, I’d bet anything you’ll sleep like a baby, without fail.😉
Like I was saying, I usually stick to about 50mg, which is two of the yellow ones. Maybe try starting with a lower dose first; if that doesn't work, then move up to the higher amount.🙂 Anyway, that's my take on Prazina.
When I’m tossing and turning, taking 50-75mg of Prazina usually does the trick to get me to sleep.🙂 It honestly just knocks me right out.
Edit: I should probably mention that almost nothing else worked for my insomnia. I’ve tried just about everything on the market and it was all a total bust. The one time I tried Sanval, I ended up having these really weird hallucinations—it was like I’d jump from my bed onto some bouncy castle, or see spiders and bugs crawling all over the ceiling and stuff. It was pretty intense. :\
Honestly, it might be better not to mess around with that stuff—you just never know. You could get lucky a hundred times, but it’s that 101st time that really gets you... :\
I don't know, honestly. I’ve definitely had my fair share of nights where I woke up feeling pretty hungover, but I never really felt like it was a major issue, you know? Yet, seeing all this massive commotion and panic surrounding it makes me wonder if there's actually some valid reason behind the fuss. :\
Is it actually a smart move to drink given everything else we're taking? I’ll be the first to admit I’m not exactly an expert on this, but since I'm already on Adderall and Aprazolam, I can't help feeling a little uneasy about it... Besides just feeling sleepy, what else should I be looking out for? And look, I’m definitely not talking about going overboard or anything crazy, but is even a single glass okay??
Between Elon Musk and Zyprexa, I could honestly sleep all day and still want more at night. And if I take some Barack Obama, I’m basically out for 17 hours straight. Just total blackout.
That’s pretty much what I was thinking, too. It’s just strange because I don't even feel like I'm overeating, yet the pounds just keep creeping up on me.
As soon as atypical antipsychotics—specifically olanzapine—are prescribed, given their tendency to increase appetite (it isn't the pill itself adding calories, but the hunger), a strict diet and exercise regimen should be implemented immediately.
I’ve been trying to stay pretty disciplined about my diet and staying active lately; honestly, I don't know where I'd be if I wasn't being mindful of it.
Henry Garcia9 said:Why would they cut the Risperdal and put you on something that caused weight gain in the first place? Both worked fine for me...
I've been on Risperdal for a really long time, but ever since I started taking it, my prolactin levels have spiked so much that I'm actually not allowed to take it anymore.
George Allen71 said:Honey, Olandix is an antipsychotic just like Zyprexa... they have the same packaging, they crumble the same way... and I suspect the side effects are similar too. Why couldn't they have prescribed a different antipsychotic? I know they're all terrible... you either gain weight, or you sleep constantly... or who knows what else. Did you tell her that you gained that much weight while on Zyprexa? My doctor tried to put me back on an antipsychotic too, but I refused. Try to get some more details from her. You're only 19, and you've already been through so many awful medications... fight for yourself!
She knows about Zyprexa, but she mentioned it seems like the best possible solution, even if I have to deal with the side effects. It seems like I always end up getting hit with the worst side effects from every single medication... Zyprexa was the only one that actually helped with the hallucinations and other psychotic symptoms... To be fair, Haldol helped too, but the side effects from that were way worse—I literally couldn't move.
restlesstrucker15 said:I can only offer my perspective on the Valium. It functions as a hypnotic for sleep; it doesn't knock you out instantly the way Sanval or Dormicum might, but rather it seems to have a more sustained effect, if I may say so. It should be fine if you find yourself waking up during the night. You were likely prescribed either 15mg or 30mg. If you haven't used any sleep aids previously, it will probably feel alright to you. 🙂 They likely gave it to you so that you can actually fall asleep, even if you do wake up later.
I've tried Sanval before, but I had a really bad reaction to it. I took Valium back when I was seeing a different psychiatrist, but honestly, I can't even remember how I reacted to it because my treatment plan has changed so many times since then. She just gave me 30mg this time. Anyway, thanks so much for the info! 🙂
My doctor just switched me off Prozac and put me on Cymbalta instead. I’m also scheduled for another injection of Risperdal, and since we're starting to prep for tapering off the long-acting stuff, I started taking Olandix this evening. On top of all that, they gave me some more Valium to help me sleep along with some Prazin.
Does anyone here have experience using the meds I mentioned above? Is Olandix basically the same thing as Zyprexa? I'm really not thrilled about this change—I definitely don't want to end up gaining another 40 pounds again.
I hear you, but my psychiatrist mentioned that Diazepam is frequently prescribed just to help take the edge off, so that’s what I use for calming down. I usually take it right before bed, and it really helps me settle in. I tried Flunitrazepam once—honestly, it did absolutely nothing for me. Then there was the time I took Valium and ended up having hallucinations, which was pretty scary. Valium didn't work for me either. Xanax didn't seem to have any effect at all, and Normabel was super weak. For me, Diazepam is just right.
Jason Vaughn482 said:Hmm, I take Sanval too, and it’s no good for me because it triggers those late-night binge eating sessions, but what on earth is one supposed to take just to get some sleep? What are you using for sleep these days?
I find that taking Prazina helps quite a bit, so I'll have some before bed every now and then just to make falling asleep a little easier.🙂
I was on Haldol for quite a while... and honestly, it was a total nightmare. I felt completely disconnected from myself, like I could barely even move. It was just awful. With Zyprexa, things started off okay, but then the weight gain hit me hard—I put on over 40 pounds once I started taking it. On top of that, I felt totally numb, like all my emotions were just gone. It was this hollow, empty feeling that was really unsettling. Eventually, though, it stopped working for me, and those psychotic episodes started creeping back in. Then they put me on Risset, and later transitioned me over to Risperdal Const. I’m actually functioning relatively well on that combo now. I still get the occasional bout of psychosis, but whenever things start to spiral, they give me a Risset tablet, and I’m usually back to feeling okay pretty quickly. Through all of this, I’ve been through the ringer with antidepressants, sedatives, and various other antipsychotics. Zoloft, Effexor, Faverin, Misar, Helix, Prazin, Akineton, Prozac, Sanval (which used to make me see these weird blobs on the floor and ceiling, so I’d end up jumping at them from my bunk bed)... yeah, I've tried just about everything. After dealing with all that, I kind of lost sight of myself and my life. Nothing seemed to matter when I was constantly drugged up 24/7 on all that stuff. :\
Right now, my regimen is Prozac, Risperdal Const, Akineton, and Prazin as needed. I’m really hoping I won't have to be on this for much longer.
Edit: Just to be clear, I mean taking my prescribed therapy, not anything else. I don't want anyone getting the wrong idea.