Posts by Brenda Allen2

Man, I'm in NYC, but honestly, I don't even know the specific neighborhood—it's just kind of all over the place, pretty much everywhere at once.

Yeah, those little ear picks help a tiny bit, but they don't really do much—it’s just a temporary fix. Honestly, I need something with some actual kick behind it.

Anyone here know a decent psychiatrist? If you've got a solid recommendation, please hit me up

Man, the noise in my new apartment is absolutely driving me insane. Does anyone know if there’s anything out there besides those basic earplugs? I need some kind of serious ear protection or something so I can actually get a decent night's sleep without losing my mind.

bluecyclist28 said:Brenda Allen2, sorry if this is intrusive, but are you maybe a minor talking about Kukuljević?? If not, no big deal.

I only asked because I was hospitalized there twice. Now I'm just going in for outpatient therapy sessions...

I'm 22, and I'm heading to the psych ward at Bellevue if you've heard of it.

bluecyclist28 said:Brenda Allen2, your sleeping issues are definitely coming from the Risperdal... unfortunately... I was on Moodstar once and felt great, but it gave me EPS (tremors, stiffness)...
then they switched me to Risperdal. For a while, things were actually better, but then the auditory hallucinations started, along with these intense, obsessive suicidal thoughts. Even at the highest dose, Risperdal just wasn't strong enough...
after that, they put me on Zyprexa. As far as meds go, it’s an excellent drug, except for the fact that I felt like a literal zombie (that's basically what all antipsychotics do). The reason I quit as soon as I felt even slightly better was because I gained almost 😲 33 lbs. Everything spiraled out of control; I didn't even realize it was happening... antipsychotics stabilize you, but weight gain comes right along with it...
I was struggling to shed those extra pounds until just a little while ago...

I went a long time without any antipsychotics, but now they've started me on Seroquel. I am terrified of gaining weight again. I weigh myself every single day... I've already put on two pounds. If I hit three, I'm stopping this stuff, no matter how much better I feel...

My advice? Be completely honest with your psychotherapist. If the side effects are really messing with you, tell them. Make them switch your meds until you find one that actually works for you...

That's how it went for me with antidepressants... I've cycled through Zoloft, Anafranil, Prozac, Fevarin, and Celexa, and now I'm taking Mirtazapine hoping it helps... Celexa was the only one that actually worked, but after two years, it just stopped working for me...

It takes time to figure out a solid medication regimen. Everyone is so different; there is absolutely no way to predict how a person will react to any specific psychotropic drug...

Things will get better. Hang in there! 👍

Meanwhile, I'm skin and bones and can barely eat anything. I'm down in Miami right now, but I have to head up to see my therapist in Atlanta this Tuesday to figure things out. I actually walked out of the hospital the first time, so they didn't even follow up with me properly—they just left the pills and told me to check back in two weeks for a follow-up.
God, I'm such a mess when it comes to these meds.
I really wonder if I can ever just stop taking this stuff altogether.

crimsonhound80 said:Look, you have to give your body some actual time to adjust to the Risperdal before things settle down—once that happens, you'll be fine. And honestly, I agree with what my colleague said; it’s probably got nothing to do with the Misar.

Antipsychotics essentially "attack"—if that's the right word—dopamine and serotonin levels, which is why you're feeling so weird right now, but that's usually just during the first week or two... after that, you won't even realize you've taken it. 😉

I've been on the Risperdal for 13 days straight and there is absolutely zeroooooo improvement. The side effects are still hitting me hard; I'm just constantly exhausted, and then I can't even sleep through the night because I'm wide awake by 1 or 2 AM. Please, someone help me out here. My follow-up appointment isn't until Tuesday and I feel like I'm about to lose my mind.

hollowtinker8 said:You’re probably feeling that heavy sedation on the second day because of how much the Risperdal makes you sleep.
It was the exact same thing for me back when I was on Zyprexa—it's an antipsychotic just like Risperdal, so they have similar effects and, clearly, similar side effects.
Maybe talk to your doctor about lowering the dose, or see if you can switch to another medication in the same class.
In my case, I swapped Zyprexa for Moodstar and I feel great—I'm sleeping less, I don't feel wiped out on the second day, and I can actually function normally.
As for the Misar—or rather the Xanax—I take that too (0.5mg three times a day), and I really don't think the Misar is causing such intense sedation.
Based on what I've been through, I'm pretty sure the Risperdal is the culprit.😉

Man, this Risperdal is knocking me out, but I can't even actually fall asleep. I'm just walking around like a total zombie. Like, I'm physically exhausted, but the second I try to close my eyes for three minutes, something just jolts me awake.
And the anxiety? It's through the roof.
So yeah, it's definitely not the Misar. Whatever.

So, I started popping these pills about ten days ago, but man, the side effects are hitting me like a freight train. I’m feeling drowsy for like 20 hours a day—if you can even call it that—because even though I'm exhausted, I can't actually fall asleep. Is this coming from the Risperdal or the Misar?
I literally feel like a walking zombie, just totally sluggish and slowed down. Does anyone know how long it takes to actually get used to this crap? I stopped taking the Misar the day before yesterday, but the drowsiness is still hanging on like a bad habit. Please, someone, give me some advice.