Psychotropic medication discussion thread

Joseph Jones70 said:You mentioned how you can't find the right word quickly enough, and how much that scares you. What if I told you I went through similar issues—actually, maybe even worse? Ever since I hit puberty, these really strange symptoms started showing up. First, my field of vision would narrow, almost like looking at a bright light and having those spots linger. Except for me, those spots would get wider and wider until I literally couldn't see anything. Then came the headaches and that constant struggle to remember names, terms, or just basic words. I remember one particularly rough situation when I first started a new job; they sent me to grab something, and I got to the spot where it was supposed to be, but I couldn't remember what it was called to save my life. I just kept saying, 😳"the thing, you know, that thing you put on..." You can imagine how ridiculous that felt. And that was just one instance.
To make a long story short, all of those problems vanished once I discovered the joys of sex. How old are you? It didn't always have to be full-on sex for me; even masturbation helped, which was where my issue actually lay. I used to have this intense pressure in my temples and at the top of my head, so bad I thought my skull might actually crack. No painkiller could touch it.
Let me know how old you are, how often you're active (if you are), and what your libido is actually like. Mine was non-existent (and still is😁).
If you have everything you need, I'd suggest getting a CT scan of your head immediately. I had one done after talking to a neurologist once my symptoms finally cleared up. The results were totally normal. I should mention that all my tests—including blood pressure—were always perfectly fine, so it wasn't something like that.
If your CT comes back clear, then you know what you'll have to do. Unfortunately.
Nowadays, I only get headaches when I need "that" release, though they aren't nearly as bad as they used to be—even if the blurred vision has been acting up again lately. I often get scared that the whole thing is coming back. Guess I might need to be more active too.

Jonathan Edwards69 said:It's quite interesting, really... I have a high libido myself, and I had no idea it could trigger such deviations😁. About ten days ago, I had some blood work done along with a general checkup from my primary doctor, and everything looks fine on that front. But I do feel that pressure in my temples quite often, and the headaches are frequent enough.
I have sex whenever the opportunity arises,😉
And yeah, truth be told, I have a bit of a history with alcohol. It’s more of a binge-style thing for me; I don't feel the need to drink constantly, but if I have just one beer, that's it—I'm hooked until I'm completely drunk.😢.
If I don't drink at all, it isn't an issue.😛

Timothy Wood38 said:So, I finally called it quits on the Sanofi last night. Honestly? I never want to touch that garbage ever again. I tried playing it safe to get some sleep—just a 10 mg Norma and 1.5 mg Xanax—but obviously, that did absolutely nothing. Not a wink. It wasn't until I bumped it up to 50 mg of Norma and 3.5 mg of Xanax that things actually shifted. Tomorrow I’m starting on Dormicum, so we'll see how that goes. Hopefully, it actually knocks me out, because if not, I'll probably just end up back at those massive doses of Norma and Xanax tonight. Look, I’m fully aware that I'm hooked on benzos, and frankly, I couldn't care less. If I have to pop them for the rest of my life, or if they eventually kill me... well, whatever. I suppose I'm just wired that way—pretty self-destructive, really. My health isn't exactly my top priority right now; if anything, the worse it gets, the better.

Kenneth Scott41 said:That’s the way to do it; toss that Sanofi in the trash because it's useless! Believe me, Dormicum should put you right under immediately, though you really need to head straight to bed once you take it, or it won't even work.
Good luck with everything. 5 Normabel?🤣 Please, don't do that... maybe just one or two Dormicum and you'll be set.👍

Timothy Wood38 said:So, I finally called it quits on the Sanofi last night. Honestly? I never want to touch that garbage ever again. I tried playing it safe to get some sleep—just a 10 mg Norma and 1.5 mg Xanax—but obviously, that did absolutely nothing. Not a wink. It wasn't until I bumped it up to 50 mg of Norma and 3.5 mg of Xanax that things actually shifted. Tomorrow I’m starting on Dormicum, so we'll see how that goes. Hopefully, it actually knocks me out, because if not, I'll probably just end up back at those massive doses of Norma and Xanax tonight. Look, I’m fully aware that I'm hooked on benzos, and frankly, I couldn't care less. If I have to pop them for the rest of my life, or if they eventually kill me... well, whatever. I suppose I'm just wired that way—pretty self-destructive, really. My health isn't exactly my top priority right now; if anything, the worse it gets, the better.

Timothy Wood38 said:Thanks for the encouragement. Anyway, how are things with you? How's your cocktail of meds treating you? I'm still a total skeptic about this Lexapro, even though I've only been on it for two weeks. Honestly, I haven't found a single antidepressant that actually works for me yet... I've cycled through Prozac, Paxil, Effexor, and Wellbutrin. Maybe, just maybe, Lexapro will actually pull off some kind of miracle.🤷

fadedbear92 said:Are you only on one antidepressant? Sorry, I totally forgot...

Timothy Wood38 said:Thanks for the encouragement. Anyway, how are things with you? How's your cocktail of meds treating you? I'm still a total skeptic about this Lexapro, even though I've only been on it for two weeks. Honestly, I haven't found a single antidepressant that actually works for me yet... I've cycled through Prozac, Paxil, Effexor, and Wellbutrin. Maybe, just maybe, Lexapro will actually pull off some kind of miracle.🤷

Timothy Wood38 said:Right now, it’s just Lexapro. Though, looking back, I’ve cycled through just about everything—trying combinations of Prozac, Effexor, and Wellbutrin... nothing really stuck, even after giving each combo at least a month. Currently, my cocktail includes Lexapro, Eglonyl, Zyprexa, Xanax, and Normabell, plus I'm starting Dormicum tomorrow. My psychiatrist actually gave me the same warning you did—that given how much my system seems to require, Dormicum might not even touch the sides, but hey, it’s worth a shot, right? I deal with classic Borderline Personality Disorder, so self-destruction is basically baked into my DNA at this point. Honestly, no terminal diagnosis would shock me; if anything, I’d probably be relieved to finally wrap up this absolute wreck of a life.

Kenneth Scott41 said:I’m currently on a regimen of Zoloft, Lexapro, and Effexor XR—which I suppose is essentially just Effexor, though this specific version is a much more affordable brand manufactured by Pfizer rather than some overpriced name-brand option.

I can't help but wonder if 150mg of Effexor daily is perhaps pushing things a bit too far? I suppose I should ask those of you who have been through this—has anyone else ever had to manage such a high dosage?

fadedbear92 Quote: Look, 75 mg is just the starting dose, so don't go treating 150 mg like some kind of absolute catastrophe.🙂

Actually, I believe there's also a 37.5 mg option available, which serves as the starting dose.🙂

Wait, what exactly are we even talking about here? Is there a specific context I'm missing, or are we just throwing words out into the void? It feels like we're starting mid-sentence! Any clarification would be great. Quote: I had to double-check if I was actually the one typing that, haha. No, seriously though—there are some people out there who really shouldn't be touching even a single drop, you know? Because once they start, they just don't have an off switch. It would be so much easier if everything could just... stop after one day, right? But no. It’s this endless cycle, day after day, repeating itself over and over. It keeps going until something finally hits you—something that sparks that genuine, deep-down desire to actually sober up, which eventually leads us toward abstinence (whether we're more or less successful at it or not). As for me? Well, I'm planning on rolling up my sleeves and getting serious about this in the next few days.😁 Regarding what you were asking... you know, Freud actually had this incredibly fascinating theory about... It feels like we're staring right at the root of almost every single problem... isn't that just how it goes? You spend all this time trying to fix the symptoms, chasing tails, moving pieces around on a board, only to realize you haven't even touched the actual source. It’s exhausting, really. Why is it always so complicated? We look for answers in all the wrong places, don't we? Honestly, wouldn't it be worth it if you actually took some time to look into him? I mean, really dig deep? You have this guy who spent half his life being dismissed as a complete fool, then the other half being treated like some sort of halfway decent scientist who managed to stumble onto something... and yet, here we are, decades after he passed, finally accepting his theories as absolute truth. It’s wild, isn't it? If he were still around today, he could probably be the ultimate therapist for all of us. Seriously, why hasn't someone figured out how to clone him yet? Wouldn't that just solve everything? So, what kind of internal medicine checkups have you been running through lately? Just curious. Honestly, if I were in your shoes, my advice would be to dig deep into all the organic stuff first—get those physical bases covered. Once you know the body is sound, then you can dive headfirst into the proven medication. You really have to go all in, right? Give it everything you've got, both soul and body. Trying to split the two during treatment... well, it just doesn't work nearly as well, does it?

Unfortunately, I haven't had a chance to dive into that Freud reading yet. My schedule has been absolutely slammed... honestly, I feel like I've been doing nothing but running full lab panels, palpating abdomens and necks, running EKGs, listening to heart and lung sounds with the stethoscope, checking blood pressure—you name it. Everything came back within normal limits, thankfully! But regarding what you said about sex? You might actually be onto something there. Honestly, a little bit of that might be exactly what I need to finally pass out.🤣

Kenneth Scott41 said:Actually, there's also a 37.5mg option—that's usually how you start🙂

Kenneth Scott41 said:It seems to be working quite well for me, particularly the combination of Lexapro and Zeldox. That Effexor XR at 75mg is actually one of the more potent options out there, and my doctor is actually increasing my dose to 150mg tomorrow morning.
I just hope the adjustment doesn't hit me too hard. 🙄
As for me, I guess the Lexapro didn't really start kicking in until about a month and a half in. You might just need to hang in there and give it some time.

fadedbear92 Quote: You’re putting in the work. You're hitting the gym, you're sticking to the PT, you're keeping up with the meds... I know it's a grind. It's heavy. It's exhausting. But please, just don't give up.👍

I mean, I really am trying... I truly am. But sometimes? Sometimes I just get this heavy, nagging feeling that some battles are already lost before they even begin. It’s like showing up to the fight with no armor, just standing there waiting for the inevitable. 😢 I guess we’ll just have to wait and see. After talking things through with my psychiatrist, I've decided to stick with the Lexapro for at least another three months. Who knows? Maybe this Lexapro thing will actually turn out to be my miracle drug.

Timothy Wood38 said:Well, I hate to be the bearer of bad news, but 🙂 There’s no such thing as the "strongest" antidepressant out there. Period. I was on Effexor XR 150 mg myself and honestly? It did absolutely nothing for me. I couldn't even feel it working.

Kenneth Scott41 said:But the manual specifically states that Effexor is classified among the more potent options for treating major depressive disorder...
I mean, how is it even possible that you didn't feel anything at all while taking 150 mg??

So, what are you on now? Paxil?

And is anyone actually taking Seroquel?