Honestly... whenever I look back at my last primary care doctor, I just get chills. He was constantly swapping my diagnoses around on my referrals... and because of his mistakes, I ended up being sent to oncology for what turned out to be a malignant tumor... which wasn't even real. Not to mention the massive amount of money that clinic was saving by cutting corners, or how my wounds got infected because of the way he and the nurses were dressing them... anyway, I filed a formal complaint with Medicare... and I’ve since switched to a different physician... but when I think about the level of authority that doctor still holds... as someone from an entirely different profession, I am genuinely terrified for his patients! In my opinion, he's just going to cause an even bigger mess... I can't make heads or tails of these new referral forms either... I'm headed to the outpatient center for tests because that's what the specialist ordered... but what happens now?... what kind of referral is my doctor even supposed to issue me?... I honestly think even my poor doctor won't know what to do... haha...
I see him maybe once or twice a year, and even then, he barely manages a greeting. When I was little, he used to tell me to give him a call a few days before the holidays so he’d know to wish me a Merry Christmas... and he used to joke around with his friends, introducing me as his girlfriend... My parents are divorced, and I've lived with my mother my entire life.
Father... I don't even really know what that word means. I feel like I know my neighbors better than I know him. He doesn't know me, either... he never asks, and he clearly doesn't care. It's painful... but it's the truth. I guess you learn to live with anything, even this.
I was prescribed Cogentin because my legs kept swelling and cramping up... it’s just constant tremors in my hands and feet as a side effect from the Zyprexa. ...honestly, I’m telling you, I won't touch that stuff anymore.
What I mean is... I want to taper off my meds gradually... find what actually works for me and slowly reduce the dosage...
Listen, everyone, I've been hanging out on this forum for over a year now... and most of you all feel like the same kind of people... I've managed to change my treatment plan... I've tapered down to almost nothing by now... and I feel sooooo much better. That's what I want for every single one of you. I truly believe that at the end of the day... it's all about having faith... even in the medication you're taking... don't just hope for the best... have actual faith.
I have been incredibly happy with Prozac. Honestly, I still am. For the longest time, I searched for an antidepressant that could actually lift my spirits even just a little bit... and it seems like the dopamine boost from Prozac did exactly that. It truly feels like my life has completely changed since I started taking it. Looking back at my old regimen—it was a mess of antidepressants, antipsychotics, stabilizers, anxiolytics, and Cogentin just to deal with the side effects... and let me tell you, those side effects were brutal. I was sleeping for 20 hours a day, gaining 30 pounds in just four months because of the Zyprexa, dealing with terrible swelling in my legs, and having tremors in my hands and feet. Even then, mentally, nothing was improving; if anything, things felt worse. Now, my treatment is just Prozac plus Ativan on an as-needed basis... I don't need any of that other stuff anymore... and my life is finally feeling normal again.
Look, I’m not a doctor and I don't claim to be an expert on pharmacology; I'm strictly speaking from my own lived experience.
I have tried four different antipsychotics, and honestly, each one came with its own set of heavy side effects. For me personally, I didn't see any real progress from them. Maybe they just weren't the right fit for my body, I really don't know. But in my opinion, antipsychotics are incredibly potent medications, and if you ask me, I wouldn't touch them just to deal with insomnia. I'm just emphasizing this based on what I went through while on those drugs.
Of course, you should always consult with your doctor, and depending on what they say about your sleep issues, you could end up taking anything from chamomile tea to Haldol... but for me, the downsides definitely outweighed the benefits.
I want to emphasize that you should absolutely never take any medication, and I mean *any* medication, on your own, nor should you ever change your dosage or treatment plan without guidance. Psychotropic drugs directly impact the brain, mood, and behavior; they act on the system in various ways, not to mention the complex interactions between them. Please, nothing happens without the direct advice and instruction of your psychiatrist.
I totally get why the Associated Press might have brought that up. Maybe it makes sense if someone is dealing with actual psychosis... but for me... I don't know... treating BPD with a combination of antidepressants and antipsychotics wasn't exactly the silver bullet.
I strongly advise against using any antipsychotic just to help you sleep. Antipsychotics serve a completely different purpose, and they are far too heavy-duty to be used as simple sleep aids. Your body builds up a tolerance, and before you know it, you'll be on something like Zeldox that leaves you unable to stay awake for more than two hours, resulting in you sleeping 20 hours a day... hello? Seriously, do not use antipsychotics for sleep.
There is an anxiolytic (a benzodiazepine) called Ambien that someone brought up. It’s specifically designed for sleep, as the name implies... and it's potent enough that it's even used in psychiatric wards to sedate patients. To be honest, I only took one dose and it was way too much for me. It was explained to me that it has an immediate, short-term effect—meaning you fall asleep fast, but by morning, the effect has worn off. Personally, I felt a bit groggy in the morning, which is how I realized it was just too strong for my system.
In principle, I didn't really struggle with insomnia, except about three years ago at the very onset of my mental health issues (we've all been there—sitting out on the balcony counting stars almost all night). For me, the symptoms resurfaced a month ago while I was on vacation. I actually thought I had Restless Leg Syndrome; I was prescribed Ambien, but I didn't even need it. Instead, I changed my sleep environment—I moved my bed closer to the window... it sounds silly, but it worked for me, and now I sleep like a baby without any meds.
I’ve definitely made progress from where I used to be, but please try to work toward tapering off your medications and finding other alternatives instead... because the whole point isn't to spend your entire life on pills... it's just to get through the period until you become strong enough to move forward on your own. As for me, I just moved my bed, and I'm doing fine.🙂
I hope that soon, for all of you, things like rearranging your furniture or something equally simple will provide the relief you need instead of relying on medication.🙂
Hey everyone... I have a question. I haven't dealt with hemorrhoids in quite a while, but they've come roaring back over the last two days. About three years ago, I had a really severe flare-up and was taking Detralex to help strengthen my blood vessels... and man, it worked wonders. Everything cleared up in just two days. Now it’s happening all over again.... the pain when I'm on the toilet is unbearable... and afterwards, I practically have to go lie down because my whole body is still shaking from the intensity of the pain for like half an hour. The worst part is that I can't take Detralex because my blood pressure is through the roof, and I'm already on Enap to help dilate my vessels for the pressure. So now I'm stuck choosing between managing my blood pressure or dealing with this, and choosing the pressure meds just makes the hemorrhoid pain even worse.... Can anyone suggest a cream, a pill, or anything else I can take that won't mess with my blood pressure?
By the way, for anyone dealing with acute hemorrhoid inflammation... Detralex... it's a powerful medication... pretty pricey too... but it truly works miracles...
Raymond Gomez2 said:Hey there, I've been on Effexor for about ten days now. Every single time I take a pill, I get hit with this intense nausea that lingers for anywhere from thirty minutes to an hour. Is this actually normal? Has anyone else dealt with similar side effects from this medication?
Effexor is an antidepressant, and just like any other antidepressant, you might experience side effects during those first few weeks while your body is adjusting to the medication. Things like headaches and nausea are pretty common occurrences early on. All of this information is listed in the patient information leaflet inside the box, and you can easily look it up online as well. The most important thing is that if these side effects become too intense or start interfering with your daily life, you should definitely reach out to your doctor to discuss it.
I'm currently on Lamal. I think it’s pretty similar to what you're describing—it acts as both an anticonvulsant and a mood stabilizer. Personally, I really like it. It helps me manage my BPD, even though the official label on the prescription says it's for bipolar disorder. My psychiatrist explained to me that there are all sorts of different stabilizers out there, and the choice depends on whether they tend to lift your mood or bring it down. Basically, depending on whether someone struggles more with depression or mania, they prescribe the one that fits that specific profile. Since I deal with heavy depression—including those intense depressive crashes—I was put on Lamal. So far, it’s been great for me... I can actually feel things shifting for the better... at least when it comes to the mood swings and those episodes where I just end up crying uncontrollably for hours.
I have a question... I’m currently switching from Luxeta over to Prozac... today is day five... I’m still taking Lamal and Ativan as well... today I had this incredibly intense headache... obviously just side effects... maybe it's even the weather... so I ended up taking some Excedrin... I know codeine shouldn't be mixed with anxiolytics, and probably not with SSRIs either, but not only did my head stop hurting... I feel high... like a completely different person... almost like I'm on speed... is it actually possible that some combination of the ingredients in Excedrin reacted with my current therapy and boosted me like this? I have no intention of taking Excedrin again... I only took it because I didn't have any other pain reliever on hand... but I'm really curious about what happened to make me feel this sudden rush???
shadowbear9 said:Well, I suppose I should just present these options to her and let her give me her professional opinion... I'm counting down the days until the 25th.😳
But how does one even take "more" hypnotics? Like, could they prescribe me something like Ambien plus another one at the same time? Personally, I don't mind using a sedative, except for the fact that it runs out so quickly... I completely empathize with you. Yesterday and today I had to use some Ativan just to sleep like a normal human being, and tomorrow I’m heading out to pick up some Ambien. Before this, I hadn't slept properly for two weeks—I was barely getting three hours a night when I desperately needed twelve. 😢 It's absolutely horrific...
I don't know, I'm really just speaking from my own personal experience here... Trintellix helped me fall asleep okay... but it didn't actually do anything about the depression. I had a similar experience with Paxil where sleep was fine too. It’s all very individual... The only thing I've really noticed regarding myself is that I dealt with some insomnia during those first couple of months... but after starting the medication, that insomnia finally cleared up. My other issues and this heavy, new depression are still very much there, but despite all of that, I am sleeping soundly now. I really hope this clears up for you guys soon, too... having one less thing to worry about would definitely make life a whole lot easier. 🙂
Brandon Lopez6 said:not really sure which doctor they're talking about here.
Don't worry about it... we've got everything covered here, from general practitioners to psychiatrists and therapists... I actually know a few of them personally... our on-call GP is basically always ready to go... hahaha... but yeah, there are plenty of others around too....
I’m really hoping to get some insight from a medical professional here... whether that’s a specialist who actually knows this stuff or just a general practitioner.
Lamictal is an anticonvulsant and a mood stabilizer. According to the prescribing info, it's typically used for epilepsy and bipolar disorder. In my case, it was prescribed because I deal with BPD and severe depression.
I’m trying to figure out if there's any truth to what my GP is telling me—that they can't issue a standard prescription for Lamictal unless the ICD diagnosis code matches perfectly. Apparently, according to him, if the code isn't specifically for bipolar or BPD, it won't be covered by insurance, meaning I'd have to pay full price at the pharmacy. Because of that, my doctor only gives me a private prescription, so I end up paying for the whole thing out of pocket $57.
Is it actually true that medications can only be prescribed under a standard insurance claim if the diagnosis on the script matches the approved indications? And if that's the case, what's the point of prescribing a medication for a different condition if it clearly works for it? The FDA should just update the coverage guidelines...
I would truly appreciate a doctor's perspective on this, and some confirmation on whether my GP's explanation is actually how things work.
shadowbear9 said:No, no, you misunderstood me. I'm not even taking it myself, but I would definitely ask about it since it's so sedating and makes you sleepy. Right now, I'm on Xanax plus some sleep aids, yet they treat me like I'm a depressive struggling with an addiction, when in reality, I just can't sleep. So, I guess I'm wondering about the difference between Xanax and antipsychotics? How do they actually work? I don't know if they'd ever prescribe an antipsychotic just for insomnia. If they haven't already...
As far as I know, APs aren't meant for insomnia at all. There is a massive difference between an anxiolytic and an antipsychotic—they are completely different diagnoses... we're talking about two totally distinct classes of medication here. APs are for psychosis... Some people say that an anxiolytic like Ativan is good for sleeping because of its long-lasting effects. There's also that newer medication based on melatonin that specifically targets insomnia, Valdoxan... I don't know, it didn't do much for my depression, but I slept like a baby when I took it. 🙂 Your best bet is to talk to your doctor. They'll give you the most reliable answer on this.
shadowbear9 said:It seems to me like I might have to go looking for her advice, especially if she thinks it's acceptable to take ☕ my dose later in the afternoon. Can anyone tell me if that actually helps calm nerves generally, or does it work on a completely different principle than Ativan? I don't want to go down a rabbit hole right now...
Honestly, I think there's a very good reason why she prescribed you AP. Doctors don't just hand out AP without thinking about it. It all depends on your specific diagnosis and how you're doing right now. Whatever you do, please don't just stop taking it on your own. You really need to sit down and talk it over with your psychiatrist to figure out the best way to adjust your medication so you stay stable.
shadowbear9 said:It seems to me like I might have to go looking for her advice, especially if she thinks it's acceptable to take ☕ my dose later in the afternoon. Can anyone tell me if that actually helps calm nerves generally, or does it work on a completely different principle than Ativan? I don't want to go down a rabbit hole right now...
From what I understand, Xanax, Helex, and Misar all belong to the same class of drugs...
Jessica Brooks2 said:One of my main issues was being incredibly drowsy. After I slept all day the other day (woke up at 4 PM 😁), I skipped my morning dose of Xanax and felt fine. This current "Zeldox sleepiness" is nothing compared to how tired I used to feel.
I’m trying to follow the rules regarding meds, so I'll definitely tell my doctor today what I did with my Xanax dosage. Hopefully, this drowsiness doesn't get any worse.
It's probably best if you check in with your doctor.
For me, the Zeldox had me sleeping almost non-stop for three weeks straight... I was pulling 16-hour days... I couldn't even think or hold a conversation.... but that's just me... maybe it works differently for you... ask your doctor for some advice.
And I've got Xanax prescribed at 0.5 mg three times a day.
I can barely function right now. I skipped my afternoon dose, and this morning I only managed half of it. Now I still have to get myself and the kids ready for tomorrow and shove them into bed.🙂
I was on Zeldox once too... I barely made it three weeks before I had to stop. It's just brutal; it completely wipes you out and makes you so sleepy. I’d show up to work at 8:00 AM and be heading back home to nap by 9:30. Honey, that’s definitely the Zeldox talking... if it's hitting you that hard, maybe try asking your doctor about switching to a different antipsychotic.
Benjamin Martin65 said:I was wondering if it’s actually okay to switch up my antidepressant schedule—the one I usually take at night—and start taking it first thing in the morning instead? It seems to be keeping me wide awake lately, which makes it pretty useless right before bed...🙂
I think it really depends on which specific medication you're talking about... for instance, a newer drug like Trintellix is meant to be taken exclusively in the evening right before sleep... but as far as I know, most older generations of antidepressants, including things like Zoloft or Lexapro, are typically taken in the morning...