Posts by driftinggull21

@Noah Garcia4

The situation is quite straightforward:
1. No one has the right to lay a hand on anyone else.
2. If he felt he couldn't stay married to you for any reason—even if that reason was your illness, because people do divorce due to health issues, much to some people's shock—he should have simply left and filed for divorce rather than becoming a frustrated abuser.

And what about you? Does your condition worsen if you stop taking your medication?🤷

Everything points toward metabolic syndrome, but dietary adjustments and increased physical activity remain highly recommended.😉

There have also been individuals who didn't gain any weight on olanzapine; some were even outliers who actually lost weight.🤷😁

For instance, someone with anorexia won't gain weight on Zyprexa.😛

Alexis said:I gained over 45 pounds from Zyprexa, and since I’m on the shorter side, it’s hard to ignore.
Now I'm taking Olanzapine (that's the same thing as Zyprexa, right?) and Cymbalta, which is supposedly good for weight loss, but I haven't noticed any difference. Unfortunately.

Yes, they are the same.

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.

driftingcanyon17 said:Honestly, it’s been pretty awful. My husband has already ended up in the ER twice because he wasn't staying on top of his medication. Now he’s still stuck in the hospital, and I'm just hoping he can make it home before Christmas. I’m honestly terrified he’ll start messing around with his meds again, and I just don't have the energy left to keep nagging him about it. I'm feeling pretty burnt out by all of this...

What specific therapy was prescribed to him?

Emily James4 said:That med is amazing. Anyone know of anything else with a similar effect?

It can still be obtained via private prescription in the US or ordered through a pharmacy, provided you have a specialist's recommendation. Who has been prescribing it to you up until now?

Emily James4 said:Does anyone know if Desoxyn is available here, and if so, what's the brand name?

It isn't FDA approved, nor are any other drugs in that same class.

hollowsailor48 said:Hey everyone, I’ve been taking Pfizer, Alicia, and Valium to help me get some sleep.
Has anyone else dealt with their lips starting to tremble as a side effect?

When did this start, specifically after which medication was introduced? Also, has any dosage been increased?

Chloe Hughes6 said:Honestly, wouldn't it be better if people used a bit of common sense before posting questions like this? Up until recently, you might have been able to get Normabel over the counter depending on how a pharmacist evaluated your situation—but in those cases, the pharmacist takes full legal responsibility if things go sideways. This forum shouldn't be used as a platform for DIY psychopharmacology or to facilitate the misuse of medication through these kinds of inquiries.☕

That is completely false. Normabel—diazepam—can only be obtained via a valid prescription or a doctor's order. If a pharmacist was handing it out without one on their own accord (and I am not saying that doesn't happen), they were breaking the law.

vividdrifter26 said:Look, I’m no medical expert, but in plain English—it’s not even about overeating. It’s more like this deep, gut-wrenching "devouring" feeling you get when a problem haunts you so hard you can't even think about it without feeling pure dread.

It’s basically that sensation that the whole world is collapsing and there’s nothing you can do about it—you're just at the mercy of whatever comes your way. I’ve been on Zoloft for 10 years now (currently at 200mg a day since 2009), and I have Xanax prescribed up to 1.5mg, though I try to avoid it unless things get really bad. I do yoga and meditation, which helps ease the symptoms quite a bit, but for it to actually work, I have to commit two and a half to three hours of meditation every single day.

The reason I’m posting is because I feel like my Xanax just doesn't hit the same way it did ten years ago. Maybe it’s just me, but back then, 0.25mg once a day worked wonders. Now? I need closer to 1mg to get that same relief. First, my doctor told me those doses were too low for someone my size (100kg), but then later she said it was great that I hadn't needed an even higher dose after a decade. So... what gives?

Xanax is a facade, and tolerance builds just as you described. In the beginning, 0.25mg was enough to steady you, and now even 1.5mg fails. Consider why some people end up "devouring" a pill a day only to find it provides no relief. They eventually wind up in rehab, which is neither easy nor simple.
Go for a check-up and have them taper you off the Xanax; instead, have them switch you to Normabell as a regular three-times-daily regimen so you can actually live your life.

Justin Rogers5 said:My doctor cut me off my Seroquel for sleep and switched me to placebos. Haven't even taken one yet. What's the deal? How does that actually work? I’m also supposed to stop taking Zonadin (doc won't prescribe it anymore either). Anyone here on Zonadin or Sanval long-term?

Prazosin is an AP that possesses distinct sedative and sleep-inducing properties (depending on the dosage and intended goal, of course). It is most commonly used to aid sleep onset or to calm restless, uncooperative patients. You won't need a hypnotic alongside it.

Benjamin Martin65 said:I was wondering if anyone could tell me whether it's actually safe to take Lexapro and Valium at the same time?

That isn't a standard combination.😁
Decide which one works better for you, Ili-Ili. It would be wiser to increase your current dosage instead. Generally speaking, you should aim for the fewest number of medications possible in your regimen.

I haven't read the entire Open Dial study, but even looking at the abstract, it clearly shows a "...trend toward reducing antipsychotic use..." It isn't exactly breaking new ground.🤷 Once a patient is stable, any competent psychiatrist will aim for the lowest possible dose of an antipsychotic required to manage symptoms while maintaining functionality and quality of life.
The other issue arises when someone in an acute psychotic state is admitted to a locked ward. At that stage, there is no such thing as "dialogue," as already explained:

During my own psychotic episode, I couldn't count and had massive gaps in my memory. No amount of dialogue would have pulled me out of that.

.

Either the individual is aggressive—breaking things and causing chaos—or they are so terrified they’d rather bash their head against a wall just to end the agony. Meanwhile, you have a distraught family standing in the hallway begging for help for their loved one.😢
In those moments, the most humane approach is to administer a higher dose of an antipsychotic and a sedative via intramuscular injection, allowing them to sleep through the "worst" of it for two or three days. Dialogue is impossible then.🤦

However, regarding outpatient care, I am entirely in favor of establishing meaningful dialogue and minimizing medication doses as much as possible.

Associations, psychiatrists?!🤷😕
What exactly are we debating here?
When someone is physically assaulting another person, you don't call an association or a psychiatrist—you report them to the police.

Your mother likely suffers from caregiver burnout, but I’m sorry, if you continue to insist on caring for her while losing your temper and abusing her (instead of hiring a home health aide or moving her to an assisted living facility), you must be held accountable. What you are doing is a criminal offense.

...And how exactly am I supposed to cure these ideas about relationships?

With antipsychotics.

Emily James4 said:I wouldn't. I had a bad experience with her. The real issue is that after everything, I just can't function normally anymore. I go days without talking to anyone because I can't seem to meet anyone. It's this massive wall. If I could just break free from this loneliness, maybe there'd be a foundation to fix things... but instead, all I have are meds to stop me from completely snapping while the same movie plays on loop in my head a billion times.

I don't know what to do, but I probably won't do anything. I can't just walk up to some therapist and say, "Look, doc, loneliness and depression teamed up to destroy me, so please just give me some pills before I kill myself from the misery." I'll probably just end up behind locked doors again if I get too honest, and I don't want that. I can't afford private specialists either, so I'm stuck. It would be nice if it all just stopped, even if it cost me everything...

Even Professor Iva Žegura at the local psychiatric hospital specializes in transgender issues, so you could reach out to her.
Otherwise, I agree with Rosey; I believe you should seek professional help, perhaps starting with your primary care physician.
Good luck.🙂

George Allen71 said:What exactly makes antipsychotics different from empty placebos?

True, though they possess a distinct sedative component.😉

George Allen71 said:My question was meant to be a general inquiry about why someone with BPD would be prescribed an antipsychotic... I wasn't asking for a diagnosis for myself specifically. After all, nobody on an internet forum can truly understand my personal medical history or my exact situation...

It isn't uncommon—though certainly not a rule—for an AP to be prescribed for BPD. Individuals with borderline personality disorder can experience what are known as "mini-psychoses." We can define these as very mild episodes of psychotic symptoms; they can even go unnoticed or be masked by other symptoms.
I am speaking in general terms, and obviously, I am not familiar with your specific case. However, you should absolutely be able to discuss your treatment plan openly with your psychiatrist, as it ought to be a collaborative process. If you cannot find common ground, find a new doctor.

Prozac... maybe four, five, or six months... I can't recall the exact timeframe.
It just keeps getting better.

They don't call Prozac the happy pill for nothing. I was just a kid back then, but I remember seeing the commercials on cable TV and in American magazines (back when they were actually allowed to advertise medication)—they used to use those little Prozac smiley faces...😂 It’s ridiculous.😁