Psychotropic medication discussion thread

Andrew Doyle said:It’s definitely a good idea if you're trying to dull the edge of those side effects from coming off Zoloft.

Look, I know you're already aware of this, but since there are so many people lurking on this forum, I have to state it clearly: trying to taper off this medication without a doctor's supervision is a reckless move.

Thanks for pointing that out, Aurora—I actually just realized I missed mentioning it in my previous post.
Just to be clear, I’m not doing this on my own whim; it’s actually a planned decision made by my private psychiatrist. If things get rough—which, let's face it, is always a possibility—I can always pivot to a different medication.

I really don't want to discourage anyone, but my anxiety is... well, it's unique. Its roots are pretty specific to my life, so I’d hate for someone to blindly follow my lead. Every single person is different, and everyone really ought to sit down with a professional to figure out their own path forward.

Steven Martin13 said:Thanks for pointing that out, Aurora—I actually just realized I missed mentioning it in my previous post.
Just to be clear, I’m not doing this on my own whim; it’s actually a planned decision made by my private psychiatrist. If things get rough—which, let's face it, is always a possibility—I can always pivot to a different medication.

I really don't want to discourage anyone, but my anxiety is... well, it's unique. Its roots are pretty specific to my life, so I’d hate for someone to blindly follow my lead. Every single person is different, and everyone really ought to sit down with a professional to figure out their own path forward.

Mine is the same way. According to the psych tests, I'm supposedly not even anxious 😕, yet I've got a mountain of phobias and feel on edge constantly. So far, nothing has touched the anxiety except for Elizabeth, when I space the doses out perfectly through the day.🤷

According to pharmacy data here in the States, the most common antidepressants on the market are sertraline—which has been around since 1991 under various brand names like Atlanta, Hale, Luxor, Sonora, Tulin, and Zoloft.
I’m looking for some actual feedback from anyone who has used them.

Brandon Lopez6 said:Mine is the same way. According to the psych tests, I'm supposedly not even anxious 😕, yet I've got a mountain of phobias and feel on edge constantly. So far, nothing has touched the anxiety except for Elizabeth, when I space the doses out perfectly through the day.🤷

How are you scheduling the Xanax? I'm so on edge today I don't even know what to take. Honestly, Lexapro calms me down best, but my doctor insists Ativan is better, so that's what I'm on. How much are you taking—is it the USA version or the standard one—and how do you schedule it throughout the day?

Larry Campbell said:According to pharmacy data here in the States, the most common antidepressants on the market are sertraline—which has been around since 1991 under various brand names like Atlanta, Hale, Luxor, Sonora, Tulin, and Zoloft.
I’m looking for some actual feedback from anyone who has used them.

Tried Luxet and Cipralex. Both were awful. I was incredibly jittery, couldn't stay still for a second. Already posted a lot about it here. Took both for about a month before my therapist pulled the plug because it was unbearable. Third option was Wellbutrin, but didn't bother—it isn't meant for anxiety anyway, so what's the point? Now I'm just on Lexapro and waiting... for what? Don't know. Just anxious, but this isn't much of a life either. Mornings are the worst.🙂

Paul Newman5 said:Tried Luxet and Cipralex. Both were awful. I was incredibly jittery, couldn't stay still for a second. Already posted a lot about it here. Took both for about a month before my therapist pulled the plug because it was unbearable. Third option was Wellbutrin, but didn't bother—it isn't meant for anxiety anyway, so what's the point? Now I'm just on Lexapro and waiting... for what? Don't know. Just anxious, but this isn't much of a life either. Mornings are the worst.🙂

I've been on Celexa for seven weeks now, and it's actually my first time ever taking an antidepressant. The side effects were brutal at first, but that only lasted the first five to seven days, and now I feel completely fine. Hopefully, this is the end of it.😲

Magdalena, listen, I’ve been through the absolute ringer since back in 2006—starting with Zoloft, then moving through Prozac, Wellbutrin, Prazosin, Lexapro, Celexa, Anafranil, Ludiomil... honestly, I can't even keep track of the whole laundry list anymore.
But after all that trial and error, I finally landed on Effexor XR 150 mg, starting with those tiny 37.5 mg doses in the morning, and now? It’s freaking perfect.
Don't let it get you down; you're going to find that one specific med that actually lets you function like a normal human being, you just can't give up on the process.

It’s just like when you have a killer headache and you cycle through Advil, Tylenol, Excedrin, Bayer Aspirin, Motrin, etc., etc., until you finally figure out which one actually knocks the pain out, right?

Brandon Lopez6 said:Mine is the same way. According to the psych tests, I'm supposedly not even anxious 😕, yet I've got a mountain of phobias and feel on edge constantly. So far, nothing has touched the anxiety except for Elizabeth, when I space the doses out perfectly through the day.🤷

You're reading my mind 😲

I think I might start splitting my Xanax doses on the bad days—that’s actually what my doctor suggested—because, besides that, nothing else seems to touch the needle at all (!!!)

As for Zoloft, it just left me feeling totally numb without actually fixing anything.

Matthew White4 said:Magdalena, listen, I’ve been through the absolute ringer since back in 2006—starting with Zoloft, then moving through Prozac, Wellbutrin, Prazosin, Lexapro, Celexa, Anafranil, Ludiomil... honestly, I can't even keep track of the whole laundry list anymore.
But after all that trial and error, I finally landed on Effexor XR 150 mg, starting with those tiny 37.5 mg doses in the morning, and now? It’s freaking perfect.
Don't let it get you down; you're going to find that one specific med that actually lets you function like a normal human being, you just can't give up on the process.

It’s just like when you have a killer headache and you cycle through Advil, Tylenol, Excedrin, Bayer Aspirin, Motrin, etc., etc., until you finally figure out which one actually knocks the pain out, right?

That was somewhat comforting. Today has been pretty miserable. Since we're part of the same generation—middle-aged women—😂I'm wondering, while you were cycling through all those antidepressants waiting for them to kick in, were you working? All those meds you listed, including the Effexor XR, take months to settle. It doesn't happen overnight. That's what worries me. Are you dealing with anxiety too, or something else? And how are you managing life now on the meds? Sorry, just curious.

Paul Newman5 said:How are you scheduling the Xanax? I'm so on edge today I don't even know what to take. Honestly, Lexapro calms me down best, but my doctor insists Ativan is better, so that's what I'm on. How much are you taking—is it the USA version or the standard one—and how do you schedule it throughout the day?

I take four 0.25mg doses:
one when I get up (maybe two)
one at 4 PM (if I took two when I woke up, I skip this one)
one at 7 PM
one at 11 PM

All assuming I’m up by 1 PM. If I sleep in later, I shift the whole schedule, but I've been sticking to this routine for almost a year now.😁

Steven Martin13 said:You're reading my mind 😲

I think I might start splitting my Xanax doses on the bad days—that’s actually what my doctor suggested—because, besides that, nothing else seems to touch the needle at all (!!!)

As for Zoloft, it just left me feeling totally numb without actually fixing anything.

Here's what I've tried:
Eglonyl — zero points for panic relief, though it helped with stomach issues (nausea).
Paxil — zero points for anything. It just made me sleep through the night without waking up too much, but the panic and phobias were still right there. It numbed me out painfully.
Lexapro — actually made my anxiety worse. I had to "detox" from it for three weeks just to get rid of all those stupid side effects that were making everything feel even more intense. Zero help.

It feels to me like there isn't an antidepressant out there that will stop the panic attacks; it just seems like Xanax is the only thing that can "kill" them once they start. 🤷

Brandon Lopez6 said:I take four 0.25mg doses:
one when I get up (maybe two)
one at 4 PM (if I took two when I woke up, I skip this one)
one at 7 PM
one at 11 PM

All assuming I’m up by 1 PM. If I sleep in later, I shift the whole schedule, but I've been sticking to this routine for almost a year now.😁

Here's what I've tried:
Eglonyl — zero points for panic relief, though it helped with stomach issues (nausea).
Paxil — zero points for anything. It just made me sleep through the night without waking up too much, but the panic and phobias were still right there. It numbed me out painfully.
Lexapro — actually made my anxiety worse. I had to "detox" from it for three weeks just to get rid of all those stupid side effects that were making everything feel even more intense. Zero help.

It feels to me like there isn't an antidepressant out there that will stop the panic attacks; it just seems like Xanax is the only thing that can "kill" them once they start. 🤷

Well, it's easy for you to say when you aren't crawling out of bed at 1 PM; then you have the luxury of spacing them out. Personally, I take a 0.25mg dose at 5 AM just to drift back to sleep, then a 0.5mg dose at 11 AM, followed by another 0.5mg around 5 PM, and then I finally pass out for the night.
I'm starting to feel the exact same way about these meds.

Paul Newman5 said:That was somewhat comforting. Today has been pretty miserable. Since we're part of the same generation—middle-aged women—😂I'm wondering, while you were cycling through all those antidepressants waiting for them to kick in, were you working? All those meds you listed, including the Effexor XR, take months to settle. It doesn't happen overnight. That's what worries me. Are you dealing with anxiety too, or something else? And how are you managing life now on the meds? Sorry, just curious.

f 33.2, f 41.2
For the most part, I managed to juggle everything alongside my job. It's totally doable. You shouldn't spiral just because of some nasty side effect; it's not like we're going to drop dead from it. I used to see my psychiatrist about every two weeks, though if a specific med was making me feel like garbage, I’d just show up unannounced. I mean, it's literally her job to monitor how I'm doing.
She could usually tell how I was feeling better than I could myself, and she'd adjust my meds accordingly based on that.
Nowadays, I'm functioning perfectly on my current meds. Honestly? I accept it—and I'd happily take them for the rest of my life. Every once in a while, anxiety tries to creep back in, but the second I feel it coming, I just pop 0.5 mg of Xanax... and there it is, the little lifesaver. I know it'll pass. Sometimes a depressive episode hits me out of nowhere, so I'll take a little extra Xanax or maybe some Ambien to sleep it off, but hey, it passes...
I don't have any trouble speaking my mind or disagreeing anymore. I joke around with everyone, I'll strike up a conversation with a complete stranger, and nobody feels "above" me anymore—we're all just people. If something bugs me, I say it. I don't stress or obsess over what other people think of me; I just do my thing. If I mess up, I own it. I’ve become genuinely happy at my core!
I'm not some mindless zombie; I still have emotions, and I still have choices. I refuse to stay angry. I don't waste a single second on negative people. At work, I'm polite, social, and I'll even listen to the idiots—you can learn something from anyone if you try. My patience is basically infinite now. And finally, I actually love myself, and I actually like the world...
I wish the same for you. Don't give up, keep fighting!

Matthew White4 said:f 33.2, f 41.2
For the most part, I managed to juggle everything alongside my job. It's totally doable. You shouldn't spiral just because of some nasty side effect; it's not like we're going to drop dead from it. I used to see my psychiatrist about every two weeks, though if a specific med was making me feel like garbage, I’d just show up unannounced. I mean, it's literally her job to monitor how I'm doing.
She could usually tell how I was feeling better than I could myself, and she'd adjust my meds accordingly based on that.
Nowadays, I'm functioning perfectly on my current meds. Honestly? I accept it—and I'd happily take them for the rest of my life. Every once in a while, anxiety tries to creep back in, but the second I feel it coming, I just pop 0.5 mg of Xanax... and there it is, the little lifesaver. I know it'll pass. Sometimes a depressive episode hits me out of nowhere, so I'll take a little extra Xanax or maybe some Ambien to sleep it off, but hey, it passes...
I don't have any trouble speaking my mind or disagreeing anymore. I joke around with everyone, I'll strike up a conversation with a complete stranger, and nobody feels "above" me anymore—we're all just people. If something bugs me, I say it. I don't stress or obsess over what other people think of me; I just do my thing. If I mess up, I own it. I’ve become genuinely happy at my core!
I'm not some mindless zombie; I still have emotions, and I still have choices. I refuse to stay angry. I don't waste a single second on negative people. At work, I'm polite, social, and I'll even listen to the idiots—you can learn something from anyone if you try. My patience is basically infinite now. And finally, I actually love myself, and I actually like the world...
I wish the same for you. Don't give up, keep fighting!

That sounds wonderful, truly, but I read somewhere that Velafax can spike your blood pressure, and mine is already high, especially when I'm feeling agitated. It's such a shame because I would have tried it, but I saw her yesterday and she didn't prescribe anything new. I'm still stuck on Xanax, and honestly... ugh... things have been incredibly difficult lately.

My blood pressure is naturally on the lower side, sitting right around 110/70, and honestly, it hasn't budged an inch... sometimes it even dips a little lower than that.

Zoloft dropped my blood pressure by about 70%

Matthew White4 said:f 33.2, f 41.2
For the most part, I managed to juggle everything alongside my job. It's totally doable. You shouldn't spiral just because of some nasty side effect; it's not like we're going to drop dead from it. I used to see my psychiatrist about every two weeks, though if a specific med was making me feel like garbage, I’d just show up unannounced. I mean, it's literally her job to monitor how I'm doing.
She could usually tell how I was feeling better than I could myself, and she'd adjust my meds accordingly based on that.
Nowadays, I'm functioning perfectly on my current meds. Honestly? I accept it—and I'd happily take them for the rest of my life. Every once in a while, anxiety tries to creep back in, but the second I feel it coming, I just pop 0.5 mg of Xanax... and there it is, the little lifesaver. I know it'll pass. Sometimes a depressive episode hits me out of nowhere, so I'll take a little extra Xanax or maybe some Ambien to sleep it off, but hey, it passes...
I don't have any trouble speaking my mind or disagreeing anymore. I joke around with everyone, I'll strike up a conversation with a complete stranger, and nobody feels "above" me anymore—we're all just people. If something bugs me, I say it. I don't stress or obsess over what other people think of me; I just do my thing. If I mess up, I own it. I’ve become genuinely happy at my core!
I'm not some mindless zombie; I still have emotions, and I still have choices. I refuse to stay angry. I don't waste a single second on negative people. At work, I'm polite, social, and I'll even listen to the idiots—you can learn something from anyone if you try. My patience is basically infinite now. And finally, I actually love myself, and I actually like the world...
I wish the same for you. Don't give up, keep fighting!

You really encouraged me, thanks for that. I'll figure out my next move after Easter. Clearly, I need to do something, because relying on Misoprostol isn't a long-term solution.

Brandon Lopez6 said:I take four 0.25mg doses:
one when I get up (maybe two)
one at 4 PM (if I took two when I woke up, I skip this one)
one at 7 PM
one at 11 PM

All assuming I’m up by 1 PM. If I sleep in later, I shift the whole schedule, but I've been sticking to this routine for almost a year now.😁

Here's what I've tried:
Eglonyl — zero points for panic relief, though it helped with stomach issues (nausea).
Paxil — zero points for anything. It just made me sleep through the night without waking up too much, but the panic and phobias were still right there. It numbed me out painfully.
Lexapro — actually made my anxiety worse. I had to "detox" from it for three weeks just to get rid of all those stupid side effects that were making everything feel even more intense. Zero help.

It feels to me like there isn't an antidepressant out there that will stop the panic attacks; it just seems like Xanax is the only thing that can "kill" them once they start. 🤷

Xanax at the start—zero points.
Paxil—completely useless; neither side effects nor any actual progress.
Zoloft—makes you feel numb, triggers some pretty unpleasant thoughts, and gives me this heavy, trapped sensation (for the second time now)—plus, I end up feeling irritable and aggressive.
Clonazepam—I have never experienced such intense derealization (which lingered after I stopped taking it), along with short-term memory loss, total cognitive fog, and increased agitation.
Ativan—my body feels totally deadened, yet my mind is racing at a hundred miles per hour.
Lexapro—mellows out most of the symptoms quite a bit. I take 0.25 as needed, but I suspect if I took 0.5, that would probably do the trick.

Someone did
recommend Luvox, but I haven't ever actually taken it.

I know I've mixed up antidepressants and anxiolytics in here, but I wanted to give an overview of everything I've dealt with so far—there's more, but I can't recall it all right now.

Paul Newman5 said:You really encouraged me, thanks for that. I'll figure out my next move after Easter. Clearly, I need to do something, because relying on Misoprostol isn't a long-term solution.

Exactly, just stay strong, girl! 😍

Jason Vaughn482 said:Well, it's easy for you to say when you aren't crawling out of bed at 1 PM; then you have the luxury of spacing them out. Personally, I take a 0.25mg dose at 5 AM just to drift back to sleep, then a 0.5mg dose at 11 AM, followed by another 0.5mg around 5 PM, and then I finally pass out for the night.
I'm starting to feel the exact same way about these meds.

No offense, but I agree. I’m up at 6 AM, so by 1 PM, half the day is already gone. I take a 0.5 as soon as I wake up because my nerves are shot in the morning, maybe a 0.25 around noon depending on the day, then another 0.5 at 5, and 4.5 mg of Lexapro at night. Honestly, I’m jealous you get to sleep until 1 PM. If only for one day...