Posts by Mark Nelson

Daniel Gomez10 said:Hmm, honestly, I'd say that's a tough one.
It’s probably more realistic to aim for keeping your current weight steady or at least preventing any big jumps.

But hey, nothing is impossible—how a medication interacts with your body is super personal.

Best, 🙂

But look, when you're starving, your body has to burn through its own reserves, which usually means losing weight. Could Seroquel mess that up too? 😢

Daniel Gomez10 said:Regarding the spike in testosterone levels as a side effect of taking Seroquel, it's thought to be tied to how the drug works:
- by blocking histamine H1 receptors in the brain
- by blocking muscarinic M3 receptors in the pancreas, which can throw off insulin regulation (meaning besides hormone shifts, you could also see issues like high cholesterol or diabetes)

Well, it doesn't explicitly say if it's more about the increased appetite or the metabolic shift, but I'd bet it's a bit of both.

Maybe this is a pretty dumb question, but can you offset all that junk by sticking to a strict diet?

Thanks for the deep dive. 🙂

Daniel Gomez10 said:Positive results usually show up after about three weeks on it.
Side effects should clear up within a week or two.

You don't necessarily need to take such tiny steps; theoretically, you could increase it every 4 days up to 75mg (which is the max).
Also, there's Effexor XR 75mg, where you can just start with one pill a day instead of splitting up the 37.5mg tablets.

Olanzapine tends to increase weight.

So, is that because you end up eating way more than usual, or does the medication itself just cause weight gain on its own? I guess it’s hard to tell which one it is.

Has anyone here actually managed to lose weight while on Olanzapine?

If you did, please just tell me how you pulled it off 🙂
It’s just not happening for me, and I'm trying to figure out why. I'd really appreciate some insight so I can at least confirm if Olanzapine is the culprit or if it's something else entirely. Just a rough idea would help. 🙂

Zachary Stewart2 said:I'm on Lexapro and Citram. Honestly, I have no clue what "dg" means...

diagnosis 🙂

So, I’m taking 100 mg of Lamictal in the morning and again at night. I read somewhere online that you aren't supposed to mix Lamictal with other meds, but I'm also on Lamal and Solian. Am I totally messing this up? Like, what are the actual odds that I'm putting myself in danger here? Everything I do is strictly per my doctor's orders—she's the one prescribing all of this—but she hasn't mentioned anything about these specific interactions. Does anyone out there actually know anything about these drugs, or maybe have some firsthand experience with this combo?

Is xanax actually more effective than Lorazepam when you're dealing with panic attacks?

Kevin Nguyen3 said:No. In your specific situation, that "side-eye" or glancing away isn't being triggered by schizophrenia.
What causes schizophrenia? I honestly don't know. Would it be easy to uncover? Probably not. Maybe through some deep dive into psychoanalysis, who knows?
That tendency to look away is a side effect of the medication.
Taking Lexapro in combination with other drugs can lead to incredibly unpredictable adverse reactions.
The root cause could potentially be blood sugar levels, a tumor, or a whole host of minor, rare medical issues.
But in your case, it's the medication.

Alright, thanks for the input.😉

Kevin Nguyen3 said:The issue here is that according to the DSM classification for acute and transient psychotic disorders, the symptoms aren't supposed to last longer than a month; that's why it's labeled that way in the first place.
If it persists beyond that timeframe, the diagnosis shifts from that category to schizophrenia (which falls under different diagnostic codes), and there are several different types of that as well.

And regarding that dyskinesia—is that actually a symptom of schizophrenia, or what?

Kevin Nguyen3 said:That isn't quite right.
You’re dealing with dyskinesia, which is exactly what the Sinemet is trying to manage.
Dyskinesia causes various issues, including that tendency to look off to the side.

That 23.2 code... it always brings complications, doesn't it?
A disorder similar to schizophrenia.
How long have you been dealing with this?

Here is your previous post from another thread:

''I don't even know how to title this post because both sides seem somewhat true.
Every single time panic sets in, my gaze drifts upward and I just can't control it—which is incredibly awkward when I'm out in public.
It's as if I can't see the full picture when I look at things; it feels like my eyes aren't capturing everything at once, leaving me feeling lost and insecure. I saw an ophthalmologist who told me I'm just nearsighted.''

That's enough evidence right there. I hadn't really focused on that detail before, even though I noticed it happening.

Wow, okay, you definitely follow the forums... But seriously, how did my doctor miss mentioning the dyskinesia? I go to all my appointments and I described the symptoms to her in total detail.
As for my DG, I've had it since March of this year. Before that, I was struggling with depersonalization and derealization, and I was taking Seroquel for it. That started back in late June 2011.

Kevin Nguyen3 said:Man, oh man... that is a heavy load.🤣
There is certainly a lot going on here... Stelazine can be incredibly unpredictable when it comes to side effects; problems just seem to manifest out of thin air—like phobias appearing suddenly—only to vanish just as quickly after a short while.
Isn't that just bizarre?
And Cogentin... it feels like Cogentin doesn't get mentioned nearly enough in these discussions.
Are you dealing with some sort of Parkinson's syndrome or something similar?
Tremors, dyskinesia, akathisia... all these rather exotic-sounding terms, right?
As for the Lorazepam, it shouldn't really be the culprit for side effects unless the dosage is being pushed too far.

The real issue might be the Stelazine because it interacts with so many different medications, whereas Lamictal doesn't really play into that specific mix.
While I don't know your specific diagnosis, it's important to remember that the side effects from all these drugs can sometimes overlap perfectly with the symptoms of the underlying condition itself.
That is why it is absolutely vital to see your psychiatrist regularly and discuss everything—including every single side effect. You have to prevent those warning signs from being overlooked, because if they aren't addressed, they can disrupt your daily life so much that the entire treatment plan loses its purpose.

I don't have any of that. My diagnosis is F-22.

Kevin Nguyen3 said:Even at higher doses, Lamictal shows very few side effects, and at the specific dose we're both on? There's practically zero chance of issues there.
But, mind you—if you happen to be allergic to one of the actual ingredients in the pill, well, that’s an entirely different story altogether, isn't it?
So, tell me, are you experiencing any side effects?
Are you taking anything else alongside it?

Weight gain and weird vision issues.
I'm on Haldol, Stelazine, Cogentin, and Lorazepam. I mean, I know this list is a bit of a mixed bag, so honestly, I have no clue which one is causing what.

Kevin Nguyen3 said:That is the absolute minimum dose.
I am right there with you on that.😉

Have you noticed any side effects yet?

Kevin Nguyen3 said:No.
Lamictal is typically prescribed as a preventative measure against seizures.

Since there's such a significant risk that certain medications might trigger an episode, doctors prescribe it to cover all bases—both to manage the condition and to ensure you don't experience some kind of total disaster.

What dose are you on?

25 mg in the morning and at night.

I haven't taken my Lamictal for a few days now, which I usually take regularly. The thing is, my doctor won't write me a prescription for it under my current diagnosis because I was way too swollen when I went in to get the script... I guess I'm just wondering if anything serious could happen because of this?

So, what’s the deal with everyone on Lorraine? I’m curious to hear how it actually works for you guys when you're dealing with panic attacks or that constant sense of dread. I’ve been taking it for my own anxiety, and honestly, it’s hit or miss—sometimes it helps, and other times... well, not so much.

Kevin Nguyen3 said:Yes.
Basically, the recommendation is to stick with it for four weeks, plus whatever extra time you need to taper down the dosage and actually stop the treatment.

Those are just the official guidelines, though... it's a completely different story when people start playing doctor with themselves and deciding their own dosage based on what they "think" feels right.

So what you're saying is I can't really use Lorraine on a long-term basis? The key word there is "occasionally," right?

Kevin Nguyen3 said:It can be combined.
But now, the real question is: why?
Because it is generally understood that anxiolytics—you know, things like sedatives or hypnotics—shouldn't be taken long-term, but rather for a strictly defined period.
Four weeks. After that, they can trigger dependency. And once that happens, you can no longer say with any certainty how a benzodiazepine (any kind... like Praxiten) will react when mixed with an antipsychotic.
As for all those other tests, it really just depends on your medical history, previous treatments, allergies, and so on.
If you aren't in one of those high-risk groups, then the main thing is just getting blood work done to monitor your white blood cell count.

Does this bolded part apply to Lorraine too?

Kevin Nguyen3

Kevin Nguyen3 said:Actually, we are looking at three distinct types here. They all rely on Quetiapine as the foundation.
Loquen and Qpin share quite a few characteristics, don't they? They act almost identically (aside from some minor differences in coloring that barely touch the actual properties).
However, Seroquel stands somewhat apart.
It actually carries a HIGHER concentration of what we call Quetiapine fumarate—that is, the primary active ingredient.
Take 100 mg of Seroquel; it actually delivers 115.13 mg of the fumarate.
The math isn't exactly difficult to work out, is it?
But with Loquen and Qpin, you get exactly what is printed on the label in milligrams. (100 equals 100).

When you add it all up, what this tells us is that if you take two 100 mg tablets of Seroquel, you are actually ingesting 31 mg more of the core active substance than if you took the exact same dose of Loquen or Qpin.
And believe me, that is not the same thing at all!

Anyway, both of them made me feel absolutely wiped out, but Seroquel was the one that actually made me put on weight.

Loquen and Seroquel both mess with the Qpin, don't they?
I've been on both myself—started out on Loquen before eventually switching over to Seroquel.