Psychotropic medication discussion thread

Timothy Wood38 said:That's pretty much what the fine print says for most SSRIs, too. But see, Effexor is a bit of an outlier—it belongs to the SNRI class along with Cymbalta, which means it hits both serotonin and norepinephrine. You can't really rank antidepressants by "strength" in a straight line. What works for one person might do absolutely nothing for someone else. Right now, I'm just on Lexapro 20mg; they say it's the "cleanest" option because it's so selective, so it tends to kick in faster than others, but that doesn't necessarily make it the superior choice. It all comes down to individual chemistry. Honestly, Lexapro is probably the most prescribed antidepressant in the USA right now.

You phrased that quite well. Dr. Sakoman once mentioned to me that Lexapro 20mg and Zoloft 40mg are the most commonly prescribed options here in the States.
It’s clear you’ve got some experience and insight under your belt; honestly, that’s the kind of person I’d love to 😍

@rejo (rejo, don't make it look like I'm throwing myself at him right away😁) since he's kind of my crush🙂

I started a new medication regimen today... 35 mg of [redacted] per day (yeah, I know the drill), Faverin 200mg (haven't touched that in ages), Misar 3*2 mg (honestly, I have zero clue what that even is), Esperal 500mg—or maybe just half a tablet at 250mg, same old story—and Lexaurin 6mg PRN. Has anyone else ever dealt with this kind of cocktail? And specifically, what are your experiences with Misar? Also, how does everyone handle such a high dose of Faverin?

ambermason16 said:I started a new medication regimen today... 35 mg of [redacted] per day (yeah, I know the drill), Faverin 200mg (haven't touched that in ages), Misar 3*2 mg (honestly, I have zero clue what that even is), Esperal 500mg—or maybe just half a tablet at 250mg, same old story—and Lexaurin 6mg PRN. Has anyone else ever dealt with this kind of cocktail? And specifically, what are your experiences with Misar? Also, how does everyone handle such a high dose of Faverin?

I’m on 250mg of Faverin myself. I even bumped it up to 300mg during a really bad crisis. It definitely works for anxiety. It used to knock me out completely at first, but after a bit, it leveled off.

I really hope you're getting your liver checked—good grief, that is a lot of chemicals!😲

fadedbear92 said:I’m on 250mg of Faverin myself. I even bumped it up to 300mg during a really bad crisis. It definitely works for anxiety. It used to knock me out completely at first, but after a bit, it leveled off.

I really hope you're getting your liver checked—good grief, that is a lot of chemicals!😲

Faverin... all I remember about that stuff is how much it used to put me to sleep. 🙂

Yeah, I check my liver levels. Honestly, I just print out my lab results and then damn them—they use those scary warnings to spook kids when they're being difficult.😢

ambermason16 said:I started a new medication regimen today... 35 mg of [redacted] per day (yeah, I know the drill), Faverin 200mg (haven't touched that in ages), Misar 3*2 mg (honestly, I have zero clue what that even is), Esperal 500mg—or maybe just half a tablet at 250mg, same old story—and Lexaurin 6mg PRN. Has anyone else ever dealt with this kind of cocktail? And specifically, what are your experiences with Misar? Also, how does everyone handle such a high dose of Faverin?

Misar hits you hard within 20 minutes, but man, the drowsiness is unreal. If you usually hit the sack around 10 PM, expect to be out way earlier than that. 🙂

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Brandon Newman95 said:Misar hits you hard within 20 minutes, but man, the drowsiness is unreal. If you usually hit the sack around 10 PM, expect to be out way earlier than that. 🙂

The idea for Messer actually came to me when a friend handed me a box of her 0.5 mg pills. I was losing my absolute mind—just spiraling hard. I’d go from zero to sixty, slamming down five or six of them at once just to get the internal screaming to stop. Honestly? It was the only way to finally shut up the constant, frantic arguments I was having with the imaginary tenants living in my head. 😁Honestly, I’ve realized this pill is an absolute game-changer. I’m sleeping like royalty, and I actually wake up feeling refreshed and ready to take on the world. And you are spot on about the timing—I am strictly in bed by 9:00 PM at the latest.

The 2mg dose they prescribed is tailored specifically to my body chemistry, so I think it actually has a shot at working. My only real fear is how it might clash with the Fevarin. Last time Fevarin and I were hanging out, my boss had to practically shake me awake at 11 in the morning because I was face-down on my desk, basically drowning in a puddle of drool. 🙈

We'll just have to wait and see how things play out. 🤔

So far, Messer is killing it. It’s actually pretty interesting—and I’ve heard this from others before—that people claim it’s just another manufacturer's version of Xanax. To me? It feels like a completely different beast altogether. 🤔 I’ve popped both the white and pink xanax—somewhere between two and three milligrams, I'd guess. Honestly, I could pick them out with my eyes closed. 😁

Maria Gomez6 said:Hi everyone.
I was wondering if anyone here has experience using Celexa for depression. Does it actually tend to have fewer side effects compared to other antidepressants on the market?

Okay, this is honestly from way back, but I'm going to answer anyway—mostly because when I was looking into this myself, I couldn't find much helpful info online.
I've been on Celexa 20 mg for about a year and a half (though not all at once), and yeah, I can say there aren't any massive side effects—but at the same time (just speaking for myself), I haven't really felt much of a shift either.
In the beginning, it seemed to work, or maybe that's just my perception—perhaps it was a placebo effect, or maybe the dose just became too low over time... regardless, for a long while now, I've noticed that whether I'm taking it or not, I'm functioning more or less the same.
At one point, I stopped taking it for about 5 or 6 months and I felt totally fine. Due to a series of circumstances, I quit cold turkey without tapering off—and everything went okay, even without consulting my psychiatrist. Then, when things took a turn for the worse six months later, I started it up again—again, abruptly, without gradually increasing the dose. Both the starting and the stopping passed without any side effects.
The only consistent side effect I've noticed since starting is significantly reduced concentration (which is listed on the label as a side effect) and memory issues (which usually go hand-in-hand). And early on, I actually lost some weight from it 😬 But unfortunately, during that break, those few pounds came right back, and they brought along some extra weight that didn't leave when I restarted... ugh.

Along with the Celexa, they tried to put me on Eglonyl during my "evaluation" at the Mayo Clinic for outpatient treatment, but I never actually started it... apparently, that stuff makes you gain weight like crazy. And given my workload combined with depression, the last thing I need is a bloated body! I'll be at my wit's end 🤣

Enivay, since there hasn't been an effect, my doctor pulled me off Celexa and switched me to Zoloft (50mg), which I start in two weeks after I gradually taper off the Celexa.
So now I'm immediately curious—what are people's experiences with that? I know it's individual, but still... what's the consensus?
And apparently, you lose weight on 😁, so I'm really interested to hear...
So, yeah, did I already ask about experiences? hehe

🙂

silverharbor18 said:Okay, this is honestly from way back, but I'm going to answer anyway—mostly because when I was looking into this myself, I couldn't find much helpful info online.
I've been on Celexa 20 mg for about a year and a half (though not all at once), and yeah, I can say there aren't any massive side effects—but at the same time (just speaking for myself), I haven't really felt much of a shift either.
In the beginning, it seemed to work, or maybe that's just my perception—perhaps it was a placebo effect, or maybe the dose just became too low over time... regardless, for a long while now, I've noticed that whether I'm taking it or not, I'm functioning more or less the same.
At one point, I stopped taking it for about 5 or 6 months and I felt totally fine. Due to a series of circumstances, I quit cold turkey without tapering off—and everything went okay, even without consulting my psychiatrist. Then, when things took a turn for the worse six months later, I started it up again—again, abruptly, without gradually increasing the dose. Both the starting and the stopping passed without any side effects.
The only consistent side effect I've noticed since starting is significantly reduced concentration (which is listed on the label as a side effect) and memory issues (which usually go hand-in-hand). And early on, I actually lost some weight from it 😬 But unfortunately, during that break, those few pounds came right back, and they brought along some extra weight that didn't leave when I restarted... ugh.

Along with the Celexa, they tried to put me on Eglonyl during my "evaluation" at the Mayo Clinic for outpatient treatment, but I never actually started it... apparently, that stuff makes you gain weight like crazy. And given my workload combined with depression, the last thing I need is a bloated body! I'll be at my wit's end 🤣

Enivay, since there hasn't been an effect, my doctor pulled me off Celexa and switched me to Zoloft (50mg), which I start in two weeks after I gradually taper off the Celexa.
So now I'm immediately curious—what are people's experiences with that? I know it's individual, but still... what's the consensus?
And apparently, you lose weight on 😁, so I'm really interested to hear...
So, yeah, did I already ask about experiences? hehe

Don't just jump straight to 50 mg of Zoloft. For the first two days, take 1/4, then move to half a pill for the next two weeks before going to a full pill. Otherwise, you'll be stumbling around the house like a drunk. With Zoloft, it starts to wake you up after 2-3 weeks, so usually, people take an anxiolytic like xanax, Remeron, or something else alongside it.

ambermason16 said:[No content provided to rewrite.]

The idea for Messer actually came to me when a friend handed me a box of her 0.5 mg pills. I was losing my absolute mind—just spiraling hard. I’d go from zero to sixty, slamming down five or six of them at once just to get the internal screaming to stop. Honestly? It was the only way to finally shut up the constant, frantic arguments I was having with the imaginary tenants living in my head. 😁Honestly, I’ve realized this pill is an absolute game-changer. I’m sleeping like royalty, and I actually wake up feeling refreshed and ready to take on the world. And you are spot on about the timing—I am strictly in bed by 9:00 PM at the latest.

The 2mg dose they prescribed is tailored specifically to my body chemistry, so I think it actually has a shot at working. My only real fear is how it might clash with the Fevarin. Last time Fevarin and I were hanging out, my boss had to practically shake me awake at 11 in the morning because I was face-down on my desk, basically drowning in a puddle of drool. 🙈

We'll just have to wait and see how things play out. 🤔

So far, Messer is killing it. It’s actually pretty interesting—and I’ve heard this from others before—that people claim it’s just another manufacturer's version of Xanax. To me? It feels like a completely different beast altogether. 🤔 I’ve popped both the white and pink xanax—somewhere between two and three milligrams, I'd guess. Honestly, I could pick them out with my eyes closed. 😁

Messer is just another brand for xanax; xanax/helex/messer are all the same thing, just made by different manufacturers. As for Fevarin, I don't know, but people say it's great. Some people claim Lexapro is basically the same as xanax according to certain docs, though maybe there's just one ingredient missing from the mix. Also, if you mix it with Fevarin, expect your boss to be waking you up at 11 AM, if not even later. 😉😉

Brandon Newman95 said:🙂

Don't just jump straight to 50 mg of Zoloft. For the first two days, take 1/4, then move to half a pill for the next two weeks before going to a full pill. Otherwise, you'll be stumbling around the house like a drunk. With Zoloft, it starts to wake you up after 2-3 weeks, so usually, people take an anxiolytic like xanax, Remeron, or something else alongside it.

Exactly. Start with a quarter... and everything else Brandon Newman95 mentioned is spot on. It might even help if you take your second dose in the early afternoon so it doesn't keep you wide awake at night.

Yeah, I get it—I'm gradually starting on Zoloft (quarter pill, then half, then the whole thing), while simultaneously tapering off my Celexa (half, then a quarter). The final dose should be 50mg (hopefully)—that's why I mentioned the dosage in my last post.
My psychiatrist was a bit hesitant at first, basically mulling it over under his breath, but we ended up sticking to this plan (just, I'm certainly not craving more, haha), so for now, there aren't any other meds alongside the Zoloft.

My recent psychiatrist decided to put me on Seroquel XR 300, which I'm supposed to take right before heading to bed. The goal is to help manage some of the psychosis I've been dealing with lately.
I've actually taken regular Seroquel before, and even then, I always felt like it hit me pretty hard.
But now I’ve been given this XR version, which is designed to release gradually over a 24-hour period.

Has anyone else here tried this specific formulation? Because when the side effects kick in, I can barely stay upright—I honestly just have to crash and sleep.🤣

I’m not sure if this topic already exists on the forum—I did a quick search but didn't see anything (maybe I just missed it).
I wanted to know if anyone else here takes medication—for depression, anxiety, panic attacks, whatever—and if you deal with nightmares because of them.
This is coming from direct experience. For a few weeks now, I’ve been on three different types of meds for depression, calming down, and managing anxiety and panic attacks. I'm taking the mildest stuff possible—just half a pill in the morning for two kinds and half a pill at night for the third—but the nightmares are absolutely horrific. They are so disgusting, honestly, I can't even describe them properly.
For example, last night I dreamed an entire country was completely flooded and sharks were eating people... intestines were floating everywhere... some people who were still barely alive were pulling at me, begging for help... while I'm just swimming through this bloody water... it was unreal.🙄😢
These gruesome dreams follow me night after night. It's making me wonder if these pills are actually the cause. I'd love to hear what your experiences have been.

Jamie Adams3 said:I’m not sure if this topic already exists on the forum—I did a quick search but didn't see anything (maybe I just missed it).
I wanted to know if anyone else here takes medication—for depression, anxiety, panic attacks, whatever—and if you deal with nightmares because of them.
This is coming from direct experience. For a few weeks now, I’ve been on three different types of meds for depression, calming down, and managing anxiety and panic attacks. I'm taking the mildest stuff possible—just half a pill in the morning for two kinds and half a pill at night for the third—but the nightmares are absolutely horrific. They are so disgusting, honestly, I can't even describe them properly.
For example, last night I dreamed an entire country was completely flooded and sharks were eating people... intestines were floating everywhere... some people who were still barely alive were pulling at me, begging for help... while I'm just swimming through this bloody water... it was unreal.🙄😢
These gruesome dreams follow me night after night. It's making me wonder if these pills are actually the cause. I'd love to hear what your experiences have been.

I don't have personal experience with this, but I remember attending a lecture by a psychiatrist who specializes in sleep disorders and related phenomena. He mentioned that certain tricyclic antidepressants suppress the REM phase of sleep (the part where we dream), but only up to a point—eventualy, all that suppressed REM has to make up for lost time, so the person ends up spending a huge chunk of their sleep in that specific phase. (On the other hand, some antidepressants, like Remeron, actually extend the REM phase.) His explanation was that since we spend more time in REM, there's a much higher chance of waking up during it, which means you're more likely to remember your dreams—and since you're dreaming so much, those dreams often turn into nightmares.
I can't say for sure how much scientific weight his explanation carries, I'm just passing along what I learned.
But yeah, nightmares are a pretty common side effect of antidepressants.
Definitely talk it over with your doctor.

Here is a helpful link:

Thanks for the reply....I checked out the link....I'm definitely going to run this by my doctor to see what they think...but I can't help feeling like I might not be the only one dealing with this.

Your dreams aren't necessarily linked to your medication—or maybe they are, who knows—but honestly? You’d probably get more out of it if you just started keeping a dream journal and brought those notes to your therapist to pick apart. It’s really just your subconscious trying to process all those bottled-up emotions.

fadedbear92 said:Your dreams aren't necessarily linked to your medication—or maybe they are, who knows—but honestly? You’d probably get more out of it if you just started keeping a dream journal and brought those notes to your therapist to pick apart. It’s really just your subconscious trying to process all those bottled-up emotions.

I wouldn't exactly say they aren't connected.

Sometimes I'll grab an Elon Musk and end up having total nightmares!
Everything’s fine when I don't.

Eric Gray2 said:I wouldn't exactly say they aren't connected.

But honestly, you really ought to run it by your doctor first just to be safe.

When it comes to dreams, my therapist told me it’s not even about what happens in them—it's more about how you actually feel during the dream...