Benjamin Martin65 said:I just got my prescription for Faverin and Xanax, but I am a bit stuck on the instructions for the Faverin; it says 100mg 1/2,00 for the first 5 days and then 1,00.. I am honestly a little confused by those notations—does that mean I should take half a tablet for the first five days and then move up to a full one?
As for the Xanax, the label just says "as needed" (p.r.n.)? Thank you so much! 😉
your therapist probably forgot a few commas😬
yeah, you take half a Faverin in the morning (then go full dose after 5 days). Basically, those zeros represent the time of day—so 1,0,0 means morning, 0,1,0 is afternoon, and 0,0,1 is night. It’s just showing how many pills per dose at which time. You could also have combos like 1,0,1 or 2,1,0 and so on. 🙂
I get the feeling your psychiatrist's ego is way bigger than his actual expertise—though I guess if he’s got 30 years under his belt, he probably knows his stuff. Still, if you can swing it, go find a sixth opinion. Just because someone is the top doctor in town doesn't mean they're the right fit for you.
From the way you're describing this, it sounds like he’s trying to force a treatment plan on you that you aren't feeling. Look, if you had a schizophrenia diagnosis and were refusing antipsychotics, I might get it, but in this case? It just doesn't make sense.
Try to stand your ground. You aren't there to cater to him; he’s there for you. He should be tailoring a treatment plan that actually works for your life, not just playing dictator and pushing pills you don't want to take.
I actually had the exact opposite situation happen. When I first saw my psychiatrist—right after my life had basically fallen apart—he wanted to taper me off Xanax. But I was dealing with like four massive panic attacks a day back then, and without Xanax, I couldn't even function. In the end, we met somewhere in the middle; he didn't cut it out entirely, and through our later talks, he realized I wasn't just making excuses about needing it.
The point is, fight for yourself and what you feel is best for you right now. Antipsychotics and antidepressants are different stories—the doctor definitely knows more about those—but you're the one who knows if you need something for anxiety or not. Besides, you mentioned yourself that you'd take them as needed, so you already know there are times you might need that help. Just explain that to him. And if he won't budge, go find a sixth option. Maybe that person will actually be the right match for you.🙂
steelhound35 said:Just because people do random stuff doesn't mean it's right. It just shows how easily some things are taken lightly. Personally, I'd never mess around with my cycle, but that's just me. Especially not because of $20.
30 if you've got supplemental coverage and I'm with you on that. 👍
I shortened my own cycle by just one day once, and even then, I was low-key terrified that I'd messed something up internally 😢
Does anyone know how long the waitlist is for an initial psychiatry appointment at the local hospital in Aurora? Also, what's the best way to book that first visit—do I call them, shoot over an email, or just show up in person? If you've been there, hit me up via PM with the scoop on the quality of care!
My first doctor totally spooked me with all this talk about Normabel—claiming it wasn't right for me, saying it’d just leave me feeling like a zombie, that it isn't really meant for anxiety disorders, or that the dosage was way too high for my body weight and all that...
fadedbear92 said:Why aren't you asking your doctor? Generally speaking, you shouldn't mix unverified herbal remedies with actual pharmaceutical chemistry.
I was addicted to Xanax for 15 years—it's basically what they call Helex in other places—but I finally managed to get off by using Normabrel. However, you really need a verified tapering program for these kinds of drugs—taking it incredibly slow, reducing the dose step-by-step. That program was developed by a British physician named Ashton.
Honestly, even these four Xanax pills feel like nothing after two years on them. I only take them because I can't seem to quit, but if you're asking if they actually do anything—nope.
I was wondering if it’s actually safe to mix Parsley (that herbal calming stuff) with Xanax.
I'm trying to get off the Xanax, but man, it's tough. I managed to taper down from 5 or 6 of those 0.5 mg pills to just four 0.25 mg doses a day—basically taking half of a 0.5 mg pill four times daily—but I've hit a wall. I can't go any lower.😢
Yesterday, I had this thought about using Parsley to bridge the gap... like, maybe cycle them? Xanax - Parsley - Xanax - Parsley... eventually cutting out the Xanax entirely while keeping the Parsley going. It shouldn't matter much since it's just an herbal supplement, right?
The big question is, will the Parsley interfere with how the Xanax works? I don't have my meds on me right now, and trying to read the fine print on my phone is a total pain, so I figured I'd just ask here.🙂
It’d be handy for classifieds, I guess, but also kind of pointless if someone decides to go back and edit a post they labeled "stupid" two years later.
Great idea for the ads section, sure, but for the rest of the forum? Not so much.🙂
Matthew White4 said:Find an alternative. Or just vent and dump everything you're feeling right here. Tell them straight up that it isn't meeting your needs; I once had a doctor tell me that if a kid is outgrowing their psychiatrist, it’s officially time to find someone new...
How am I supposed to "find an alternative" when I can't even afford the gas or make the drive out to a major city like Chicago? Sometimes there just aren't any options. I've looked everywhere, but nothing fits what I can actually handle right now.
Timothy Wood38 said:Of course the blame doesn't lie with the patient. But modern psychiatry is supposed to involve the patient actively in their own treatment plan—within reason, obviously. You have every right to switch doctors if yours isn't listening.
I was seeing him every single week. From, I think, July 2011 through March 2012. And honestly? The guy didn't help me one bit. Worst psychiatrist I've ever dealt with, hands down. I get that I have the right to find someone else, but whether I actually have the means to do that... man, who knows. Life happens.
Timothy Wood38 said:When it comes to finding the "best" antidepressant, it’s almost impossible to give a straight answer because everyone’s brain chemistry is just... different. It's incredibly individual. In my view, most of the newer antidepressants on the market are actually top-tier medications; there’s usually a right fit out there for everyone if you look hard enough. Unfortunately, a major issue here in the States is that some psychiatrists seem pretty poorly educated when it comes to psychopharmacology. Too often, they’d rather just swap one pill for another instead of carefully adjusting the dosage—even though fine-tuning the dose is absolutely vital. Generally speaking, you need about six to eight weeks of consistent use, alongside gradual dosage adjustments, before you can truly decide if a specific antidepressant isn't working. Sadly, in many American clinics, they tend to make that call after only a month. Of course, sometimes you need a combination of drugs to get things right, so the possibilities are endless. I won't go too deep into dosages, but just as an example, Velafax is frequently prescribed at a maximum of 150 mg here, even though that’s really just the starting effective dose. You can actually go up to 375 mg daily, and doses around 225 mg are arguably the gold standard. It’s a similar story with other drugs in the class; they have very low toxicity, and fatal overdoses are incredibly rare. There is so much room for maneuver in psychopharmacotherapy that the idea that "no antidepressant works for me" just doesn't hold water.
I agree, but it's not the patient's fault that things aren't working; it's the doctor's. It's rare to find a doc (especially private practice ones) who will actually listen to your suggestions regarding medication. At least, that’s been my experience. 🤷
For me, I was on an AD for about 8 months straight—every single day, same time, strictly by the book—but it did nothing. My doctor kept insisting I just stick with it and that it would eventually kick in. It didn't. He wouldn't bump the dose, and he wouldn't switch the med, always hitting me with lines like, "This one is best for you because of [some technical jargon I don't understand]," or "The others definitely won't help you as well as this one." That was just how it went. So, yeah... my med usage (after those 8-9 months) and all those doctor visits.
An antipsychotic was what finally changed things for me within two months, after I told him sixteen different times that I wasn't feeling any improvement whatsoever. Like, zero. Then he hit it right on the money with a second therapy, but he still refused to touch the antidepressant. (Just to be clear, I told him every single time that I wasn't doing well, but he just had this canned response ready that I couldn't even argue with.) And since he was a private doctor, he definitely wasn't cheap. 🙄🙄
Lisa Myers, you're just taking your frustrations out on someone else. I'm not even going to stoop to your level—honestly, it’s lower than the temperature in Alaska right now. Look, I know what my doctor told me. I'm not saying he's always right, but I trusted him. Nobody knows everything, but being this rude and mocking people is just plain obnoxious, so back off!
lonetiger98 said:wait, what does that even mean?!😕 look, I've taken both—literally used them interchangeably—and they felt identical to me.🤷 seriously, zero difference at all, and I've been on them for years.
For me, 0.5 Xanax didn't even touch my anxiety as much as 0.25 Ativan did. My doctor mentioned Ativan is better suited for psychosis.
Lisa Myers said:I assume they don't want to go on record saying something stupid. They're following that rule about not speaking on things they don't actually understand. It's smart.
🤣
"do me a favor and save yourself some embarrassment"
honestly, I really hope you don't end up learning firsthand just how much "the same" they all are
but anyway 👋
@Susan Edwards8 dealing with depression. It didn't even go away after the Lexapro, but hey, at least I'm not a total sociopath anymore 👋 🙂 it just didn't work for me, not even close.
I was taking it because my doctor wouldn't prescribe anything else. In five months, I gained like 20 pounds.
so now I'm looking for something that won't absolutely wreck me. 🙄