Posts by Brian Young5

ironrider11 said:..so now I’ve been told I’ve got stage 4 brain cancer..
great, just great yeeeeeesssssssssuuuuuuuuuppppp..
ouch..

🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣

Larry Lewis said:Those night shifts are absolutely brutal.

It’s a strange feeling when you find yourself "out of the loop"—not that I mean it in a personal way or anything, don't take it like that.
personally.

Anyway, you should swing by sometime for a couple of shots of some bourbon I picked up recently—we can add a drop of oil to it too.
🙂

Sorry for crashing this private conversation, but I have to ask: is it actually safe to drink alcohol while you're on regular antipsychotic meds? Especially hard liquor. 😲I’m not judging, I’m just asking out of curiosity. As someone who’s gone sober and is currently on Seroquel, I keep having these dreams where I’m blissfully high on THC. It’s not like those paranoid trips, either—it’s pure euphoria. Maybe it’s just nostalgia, or some deep-seated craving to finally shut off the noise and get back to some kind of paradise. 🙂).

And if that’s actually the case, what kind of dosage are we talking about?

Is smoking weed or hash allowed in public housing complexes?

Urgent: I’ve got a fever, the flu, and maybe some stomach bug too. At 7:00 AM, on an empty stomach (I know, I shouldn't have), I took 25 mg of Seroquel and 250 mg of Depakote (my usual timing, though actually a little later because I was exhausted). Then at 7:30, I threw up. Did those meds actually absorb, or did they just come right back up? Should I take them again, or were they partially absorbed?
And look, I'm starving, but everything makes me nauseous, and I was supposed to take my Normabel and more Depakote by now.

Is anyone actually going to offer some advice or an opinion here? I got some decent suggestions regarding alternative medications over on Psychosoft, but I’m looking for specific ways to deal with the weight gain. Antipsychotics are notorious for slowing down digestion, spiking appetite, triggering metabolic syndrome, and potentially causing Type II diabetes—not to mention they seem to mess with your thyroid.

Does anyone know if these drugs actually contain sugar, or if they just trigger specific neurotransmitters that drive hunger or cause water retention? And how do you tackle weight gain when it all settles right in the gut and around the waistline? Are there specific exercises or dietary regimens that actually work? What are the absolute "no-go" foods? If I want to indulge in a treat every now and then, how often is that realistic? Is there a specific calorie limit I should be aiming for?

Does the standard rule still apply—that you lose weight if you burn more through exercise and sweat than you consume—or does the medication make it so the weight stays regardless?

Personally, I have an apple-shaped body (slim legs and narrow hips, but larger breasts and much heavier torso and arms when I put on weight).

It seems impossible that nobody has dealt with this or can at least give me some direction. 🕺

Eric Mitchell55 said:Honestly, I'm taking a whole handful of different meds these days, so it's getting a little hard to keep track of which one does what. 🤣

But from what I can tell, it feels a bit more uplifting than Seroquel... 🤔

Oh, okay. Thnx 🙂 🙂

Eric Mitchell55 said:So, I've been on Azolar for a few months now, and honestly, it’s been feeling pretty alright... 🙂

So, it’s actually available? Yay! 🙂 Does it knock you out as hard as Seroquel, or is it a bit more mellow (if anyone here has actually tried the first one)?

Sam Newman8 said:Yeah, well, specifically Azolar—that's what they call it here. It doesn't cause any weight gain at all. If anything, I actually lost some weight while taking it.

Are you still taking it, and is it covered by insurance?

Sam Newman8 said:Yeah, well, specifically Azolar—that's what they call it here. It doesn't cause any weight gain at all. If anything, I actually lost some weight while taking it.

I almost gave you a huge virtual hug out of pure gratitude, but then I stumbled upon this old post from back in 2013. Who knows if things have changed since then:

"Azolar, or aripiprazole, is an excellent medication and one of the newer antipsychotics out there. It’s approved for schizophrenia, but it’s used way more often as an add-on therapy for neurotic disorders that just won't budge with standard treatments. Unfortunately, I have to warn you that Azolar was pulled from the market because the manufacturer violated the patent rights of the original drug (Abilify), which hasn't expired yet. That means there aren't any cheap generics available, and Abilify itself is incredibly expensive and isn't covered by most major insurance providers.."

😢🙂

I posted this over on Psychosoft (in the Psychology subforum) too, but I figured I’d ask for some advice here as well.

I’m on Seroquel (a second-gen antipsychotic—taking half of a 100 mg pill once a day), which honestly saved my life at one point, but now I’m dealing with massive weight gain issues.
It’s infuriating. I used to have this lean, athletic build before I ever had to touch heavy-duty stuff like Depakote and Seroquel, but that version of me is gone. To put it bluntly, I've ballooned. Okay, maybe that's a slight exaggeration, but I’ve put on at least 25 to 30 pounds, give or take. My diet is actually healthier than it's ever been—back when I was drinking heavily and living on pizza and greasy takeout, I was much thinner. Now, it's mostly veggies, legumes, fruit, nuts, stews, fish, and poultry. I eat probiotics and I strictly limit bread to just the mornings, sticking to whole grain or rye.

I try to work out whenever I can—ideally every single day. I cycle, I do thirty minutes of indoor aerobics, I even use a hula hoop, but the weight just won't budge. In fact, I'm stuck in a plateau, fluctuating around 155–160 lbs at 5'8". My waist is hovering around 31 inches, though it swings by a few inches either way. That 31-inch mark is pretty alarming for women; it's right where you start looking at cardiovascular risks. My limbs haven't changed much, but I'm widening at the waist and developing this soft midsection that makes me look like a total blob.

I’ve scoured international forums endlessly looking for ways to lose weight while on Seroquel, and 98% of the consensus is that it's a lost cause—basically a pipe dream.

Does anyone actually have any advice? Are there specific drinks? Should I be chugging insane amounts of water? Do I need to push my workouts to at least an hour a day? And is this actual fat, or am I just bloated from water retention? Are there "magic" teas? Specific types of exercise? Should I cut out sweets forever? (Honestly, I think I’d snap—I never used to care for sugar, but since starting Seroquel, I've developed this craving for chocolate that I can only manage in tiny doses). What about dieting? Would a diabetic-style diet work, and is that dangerous? What about metformin? (By the way, I asked my psychiatrist about metformin given my struggles, but they refused to prescribe it, even though I've read online that you don't necessarily have to be diabetic to use it).

I just want to get rid of this doughy silhouette and somehow achieve the impossible—an hourglass figure (even if I don't have much hip to work with)—but I don't know if that's even feasible with this medication regimen.
I've thought about liposuction, but it's expensive and doesn't solve the root problem. I've even considered wearing a waist trainer 24/7 just to stay snatched, but that seems desperate.

Oh, and I have PCOS. I'm not sure if that's making everything worse or just adding fuel to the fire.

shadowbear9 said:It seems like Seroquel caused weight gain for me too, I guess. But I am certainly not going to reject it as a treatment option because, for once, I am actually sleeping normally. Besides, there isn't anyone in my life right now that I would care to look good for anyway. I only eat twice a day—early in the morning (IF I EVEN GET OUT OF BED), usually two crackers and maybe three donuts, and that’s it. Other than that, I eat vegetables, so there is no way that's making me gain weight. I've been on birth control for three years and it hasn't changed my weight at all; it is just the Seroquel. Regardless, I sacrificed so much just to get prescribed this, so I am sticking with it... even if I get fat. Honestly, my life doesn't exactly have some grand higher purpose right now anyway...

First off: it would be nice if you actually wanted to (and had the motivation to) look good, inside and out, primarily for yourself. And I'm sure you aren't a total wreck—I'm certainly not—but I fear the escalation. My whole situation with men has become a joke; I haven't had a serious relationship in over a decade, yet whenever some decent guy comes along—someone I might actually want to impress—I start working out like a maniac right before the date, as if that's going to make up for all the sitting around and neglecting myself. Maybe the reason you're feeling so desperate is precisely because you've given up on yourself, and by extension, everyone else (though I might be wrong). My life has meaning, but small hurdles like lousy body image push me toward bad decisions and spiraling. It's like everything has to be perfect. At first, I related—it's painful, Seroquel is my god, and I'd sacrifice everything at its altar—but now, I'm just fed up. And honestly? I'm jealous (or admiring, it's a mix) of Hollywood icons like Catherine Zeta-Jones who deal with bipolar disorder but also have gold bars to pay for extravagant treatments that keep them looking uber-sexy and tip-top despite any medication.

Jason Vaughn482 said:Perhaps there is an antidepressant out there that doesn't carry such a heavy metabolic tax; I recall seeing someone mention a specific option once... personally, I haven't had the chance to test the waters myself, though the common consensus seems to be that even something like Lexapro can cause a massive 30 to 40-pound surge. In my case, I've only put on about five pounds, and that's after three years of intermittent use.

Right, it just clicked—I remember reading somewhere that maybe Abilify is the only one that doesn't cause weight gain as a side effect. I'm just not sure if it's widely available here or if anyone in this group actually uses it. Honestly, the thought of switching meds terrifies me. Seroquel worked perfectly for me, unlike that nightmare Zyprexa that kept me knocked out for three days straight, or Risperdal, which just left me feeling like a total zombie or completely wasted. Still, I'll run it by my doctor.
Anyone using Abilify?

Here’s the real kicker: the meds saved my life. They stabilized me, and honestly, I haven't been this calm or happy in years. But now, the weight gain is kicking in and dragging me straight back into depression. So, what’s the move? It feels like one of those damn vicious cycles.

I want to actually live my life, not just hide away at home. And I can't just sit here and swallow the intense shame of showing up looking like a completely different person.

Yeah, I hate my body and I’m ashamed of it, and I’m only in my thirties. I used to be beautiful. Now, even though everyone tells me I look like a college kid—fresh face, zero wrinkles—this heaviness (more like a volatile, borderline obese state) makes me feel like a total wreck. It’s disgusting. I might seem like I’m glowing to others (apparently, ever since I quit drinking), but these extra pounds drive me to despair. As long as I look like this, I don't want to strip for anyone or even be physically intimate with someone, because I don't want to traumatize them with how I look. 😁 😢 😢 😢 (The fact that guys still hit on me doesn't change how tragic my own physical experience feels). I don't want to be "curvy" or "voluptuous"; I want that fragile, lean delicacy I used to have.
I don't consider the packaging more important than what's inside, but we aren't talking about minor imperfections here. To me, this looks like the visible side effects of psychotropic meds from an airplane view. My face is swollen, my neck is thick, my upper arms are puffy, and my stomach is just a glob. Only my legs have seen any minimal change. I feel old, ugly, and prematurely broken. I feel these deposits like a nauseating foreign object—something that isn't me, something that isn't part of my identity, and I just want to cut these layers off with a knife. (I finally get why mystics said the body is a prison for the soul. How blissful and carefree it must be to walk through the world thin, light, and airy, without the weight, the burden, and the dark cloud of this oversized, intrusive, metastasized, rotting, temporal physicality and grotesque distortion of sensuality.) Is anyone else dealing with this?

I don't want Seroquel in my life because I can't imagine living without medication anymore, but I also don't want to walk through the world like this—a mere shadow of my former vivacity, elasticity, and vitality.
Oh, and damn female vanity.

🙂

I see a lot of you are on Seroquel, but are you dealing with weight gain? (I’m on the 100 mg dose, taking half twice a day)
I’m beyond frustrated. My athletic, lean build—which was never an issue before I started these hardcore meds (Depakote and Seroquel)—is gone, vanished into thin air. Or rather, I’ve ballooned up to some ridiculous proportions. Okay, maybe I'm exaggerating slightly, but I've put on at least 10-15 pounds, give or take. I eat healthier now than I ever did; back when I was living on booze, pizza, and fast food, I stayed much thinner. Now, my diet is almost entirely vegetables, legumes, fruit, nuts, stews, fish, and poultry. I use probiotics and strictly limit bread to just the morning, sticking to whole grain or rye.

I try to work out whenever it crosses my mind—ideally every single day. I cycle, do thirty minutes of aerobic workouts in my living room, and even use a hula hoop, but the weight just won't budge. I've hit a plateau where I'm just oscillating at this new weight. My limbs haven't changed drastically, but my midsection has expanded; I've developed this semi-flabby stomach that makes me look like a total muffin top.

I’ve scoured international forums looking for ways to lose weight while on Seroquel, and 98% of the replies basically say it’s a lost cause—a total pipe dream.

Does anyone have actual advice? Specific drinks? Should I be chugging massive amounts of water? Do I need at least an hour of exercise daily? And is all this extra weight actually fat, or is it just bloating from water retention? Are there any "magic" teas? Certain types of workouts? Should I cut out sweets forever? (Honestly, I think I’d snap; I never used to care for sugar, but since starting Seroquel, I’ve developed this craving for chocolate that I can only manage in tiny amounts). What about specific diets? Like the diabetic diet—is that dangerous? What about Metformin? (By the way, I asked my psychiatrist about it, mentioning how much I'm struggling with my waistline, but they refused to prescribe it, even though I've read online that you don't have to be diabetic to take it).

I just want to get rid of this round silhouette and achieve the impossible: an hourglass figure (even if I don't have much hip to work with). I just don't know if it's even possible on this regimen.
I’ve considered liposuction, but it’s expensive and clearly isn't a permanent fix. I've also thought about wearing a waist trainer constantly to cinch myself back into shape.

Advice, please.

Oh, and I have PCOS. I'm not sure if that's making things worse or just adding fuel to the fire.

fadedbear92 said:I've been through plenty of different meds—honestly, this one is the best. It doesn't feel addictive, even if you increase the dose (at least until you hit that sweet spot where you can finally sleep 7 or 8 hours straight).

Thanks.
I’ve got a question for anyone who actually knows the answer—regardless of my previous posts. Is it possible to develop a tolerance to psychotropic drugs? Specifically Seroquel. I’m doing fine, there’s no crisis happening, but the medication suddenly isn't hitting like it used to. For example, it doesn't calm me down or knock me out anymore, and I find I need a higher dose just to get the same effect. Online sources (various international forums, official medical sites, Wikipedia) all claim it's possible (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Drug_tolerance, http://drugs.about.com/od/mdrugandme...erance_def.htm, http://www.healthline.com/health-blo...drug-tolerance etc.), yet every single psychiatrist I've talked to insists it can't happen. Who am I supposed to believe? (Forget my specific situation; I know my insomnia is tied to some underlying issue, I'm asking about drug tolerance in general). And if it *is* possible, why do psychiatrists (at least everyone I've dealt with, including the ones on duty at the 911 Emergency Center) always seem to say otherwise?

Jason Vaughn482 said:I am, currently on Xanax, four and a half years now at 1.5 mg, though lately I've been down to half that... but as for sleep aids, hmph, even 10 mg doesn't touch it, so I'm looking for something to add. It is incredibly difficult to fall asleep; I wake up at 5 AM, manage to drift off again, and then by 9 AM, I can barely drag myself out of bed...

I was on Xanax a long time ago, five years straight, and surprisingly, it actually worked without me needing to bump up the dose—at least initially. But I was also on Zoloft, and the combo left me feeling as jittery as a nervous wreck, so I started drinking just to take the edge off. I heard Benadryl is decent for insomnia since it's an antihistamine; apparently, it hits histamine receptors similarly to how Seroquel does, so that might help. 🤔 I'll ask my psychiatrist about it too.

redranger2 said:The fact that your insomnia hasn't subsided is the clearest indicator that you haven't fully stabilized yet. In my experience, insomnia is often the first signal that something is fundamentally wrong with a patient's progress. You really shouldn't worry about developing a tolerance to Quincy; higher doses are quite common, sometimes reaching anywhere from 600 to 800 mg, though you should never adjust your regimen without medical supervision. Even if you eventually need to bump up to something like 300 mg, your psychiatrist will always have other options available, such as Vera or Prizena, to help you sleep. Once things settle, you can always transition back to Quincy. The priority is fixing the sleep cycle, because once that stabilizes, your overall sense of well-being will follow naturally. Additionally, I'd suggest looking into B vitamins, as they are essential for proper nervous system function.🙂 B-12 is particularly vital.

Thanks for the input. 🙂 The issue is that Seroquel seems to be the only antipsychotic that actually works for me (though I haven't tried many—just Risperdal, Zyprexa, and Prazina) and it has minimal side effects. I'm terrified of swapping it out. Honestly, I'd rather just increase the dose than stop it entirely, but if there isn't another option, I guess I'll have to let my doctor decide when we meet face-to-face. Maybe I'm overthinking it; the insomnia has started, but it hasn't hit a breaking point yet. I still manage to fall asleep, though it's usually around 1:30 AM (I'm a night owl, and no pill is going to change that), and then I wake up around 5:00 or 6:00 AM. I try not to look at the clock because seeing the time would just freak me out and kill any chance of drifting back off, so I just judge by how much light is coming through the blinds. I could probably stay up at 6:00, but the problem is I'm getting about a third less sleep than usual. I'm worried this might be a precursor to hypomania, which absolutely terrifies me. Plus, there's the anxiety about the insomnia itself, which feels like a self-fulfilling prophecy. I definitely need to pick up those Vitamin B supplements again; thanks for the reminder. 🙂

fadedbear92 said:Why don't you just bring this up with your therapist during your next session?
Sleep is everything to me too, but man, my insomnia is brutal—I actually take a little Qpin to get through it. That Seroquel you're on is the real deal, though; maybe you should talk to your doctor about bumping up the dose if you're specifically using it to sleep. Definitely check in with your physician.

Have you been on that medication since the insomnia first hit, or did you start with something lighter? Also, how long have you been taking Q-pin, and have you had to increase the dose? Sorry if you already covered this earlier; I don't hang out in this thread every day and things are getting a bit intense right now.

fadedbear92 said:Why don't you just bring this up with your therapist during your next session?
Sleep is everything to me too, but man, my insomnia is brutal—I actually take a little Qpin to get through it. That Seroquel you're on is the real deal, though; maybe you should talk to your doctor about bumping up the dose if you're specifically using it to sleep. Definitely check in with your physician.

It’s an awkward setup. I have one shrink for my meds and a separate therapist for psychotherapy, and unfortunately, they aren't exactly on speaking terms these days. My doctor monitors my status and I give him the high-level summary of how things are going, while I dive into the gritty details with my therapist. The catch is she doesn't know anything about pharmacology, which is starting to feel like a massive blind spot. She thinks my insomnia is being triggered by some recent stress or a specific event, so we've been digging into that. But when I pass her theories along to my psychiatrist (as I always do), he just mumbles something and asks why I haven't discussed it with her directly—which, fine, he has a point. The real issue is determining whether this insomnia is actually caused by anxiety (I have a few worries, though nothing catastrophic, and I'm still working through them with my therapist) or if it's just drug tolerance. To make matters worse, my doctor refuses to acknowledge tolerance exists. According to his theory, you can't develop a tolerance to Norvasc or Seroquel. I can't exactly call him out on his flawed logic since he's "the expert" and obviously knows better than I do. I've swapped out several psychiatrists who prescribed my meds over the years, but they all function the same way and hold identical, copycat opinions, so I doubt changing doctors would change much. And if I increase the Seroquel to 200mg now, I'll be at 300mg next year, and eventually, I'll be hitting 1,000mg. For what? To end up with a trashed liver and a body shaped like a keg? Because if tolerance to every medication progressively increases over time, then pill-dependency is inevitable—not just for me, but for most people relying on psychiatric services.
I'd also love to hear from any "pill munchers" here who have actually managed to stay on the exact same dosage for years.

I’ve noticed I’m struggling to rediscover my intrinsic motivation. When I first started therapy, things felt lighter—I was finally shaking off the darkness, and those old symptoms just seemed to peel away. Being out of the trenches of illness and actually feeling in control of my thoughts and emotions made me feel incredibly grateful and genuinely bright. But now? It feels like I’ve hit a plateau. I’m starting to get bogged down by existential dread and the whole "what's the point" question. I'm trying to learn how to view life as a process—maybe even a game—rather than this rigid, linear, pathologically ambitious grind toward goals that might not even be real. I’m fully aware of all this, too, which makes it worse. Maybe I’ve finally hit the core of the issue. Is it possible that because my medication dosage has tapered off, my brain and subconscious are essentially telling me it's time to rely on my own strength since I've grown more resilient? If that's the case, how am I supposed to continue this healing mission when my most basic biological function is shot? Sleep is everything; without deep, restorative sleep, I can't function. It's what resets me and clears out the previous day's anxiety. How do I stabilize my sleep using nothing but willpower? I’ve been drinking chamomile tea to calm down, but it’s doing absolutely nothing to stop this sudden, unwelcome insomnia.