Psychotropic medication discussion thread

Timothy Wood38 said:It’s such a shame you don't have a therapist nearby, because it really feels like that's what you need most right now. Look, I'm no doctor—I work in the pharmaceutical industry, so it would be totally out of line for me to start tossing around diagnoses or suggesting specific meds—but I can share what worked for me. When they first added an antipsychotic to my regimen, a low dose of sulpiride helped immensely with the nerves. In smaller doses, it has this antidepressant effect that just... settles you down. Some people even say it works better than standard anxiolytics. Usually, they prescribe somewhere between 150 and 300 mg daily, and personally, I didn't hit any side effects at all. Plus, it’s actually quite gentle on the stomach. It is technically an antipsychotic, sure, but once you get up to 800 mg or higher, that's when the side effects really start to kick in.

Honestly, I thought a lower dose of AP might suit me better, too. We'll see how things go with the Nexium in a few days, then maybe find a new psychiatrist who actually listens. Interesting that you're in pharma as well. I'm not a pharmacist, but I work in pharmacy-related fields. This is a forum, though, so I won't go on. Thanks for the input.

The pharmacy wouldn't even let me get my St. John's Wort, so now I'm pretty sure I'm about to lose my mind 🙂
I was really counting on that stuff to help me turn a corner, but nope...

Brandon Lopez6 said:The pharmacy wouldn't even let me get my St. John's Wort, so now I'm pretty sure I'm about to lose my mind 🙂
I was really counting on that stuff to help me turn a corner, but nope...

Why wouldn't they sell it to you? Seems weird. It’s in their interest to move product. A few months ago, they handed me Aktivin h and some St. John's Wort without a second thought, though I never actually took them. Not sure why. Just strange they'd refuse.

Paul Newman5 said:Why wouldn't they sell it to you? Seems weird. It’s in their interest to move product. A few months ago, they handed me Aktivin h and some St. John's Wort without a second thought, though I never actually took them. Not sure why. Just strange they'd refuse.

Because I asked her first if it was okay to take alongside my anxiety meds, and she said no. So I told her I was gonna take it anyway, and then she started making this big deal about how she couldn't sell it to me. People behind me in line were starting to get restless, just tapping their feet and looking at me, so I just went, "Thanks, bye," and walked out.

Brandon Lopez6 said:Because I asked her first if it was okay to take alongside my anxiety meds, and she said no. So I told her I was gonna take it anyway, and then she started making this big deal about how she couldn't sell it to me. People behind me in line were starting to get restless, just tapping their feet and looking at me, so I just went, "Thanks, bye," and walked out.

I honestly don't get the logic there at all. I’ve picked stuff up without any issues before. I mean, herbal remedies are basically nature's antidepressants, right? It makes zero sense that they wouldn't mix with calming pills but "chemical" antidepressants are totally fine. Maybe try a different CVS or Walgreens somewhere else.

frozenorca63 said:I honestly don't get the logic there at all. I’ve picked stuff up without any issues before. I mean, herbal remedies are basically nature's antidepressants, right? It makes zero sense that they wouldn't mix with calming pills but "chemical" antidepressants are totally fine. Maybe try a different CVS or Walgreens somewhere else.

Makes no sense to me either. Even at the drugstore, they told me I could take Misar with Aktivin h (even though I didn't). As far as I know, you can't take St. John's Wort with antidepressants, but apparently, these others are okay... whatever. You probably just caught them on a bad day or something. Total nonsense.

I think I’ll just hit up a different pharmacy. Honestly, I don't even want to ask questions, I just want to grab what I need and get out. Or maybe I'll just send my mom to this one since I really can't face that lady again—it feels like they only have two people working there and both were out at once today, probably some shift change thing.

By any logic, if an antidepressant works alongside something like Xanax, then a natural supplement should theoretically work too. I'm willing to just wing it and try it on my own; if I mess up, I'm the one who deals with the fallout, not anyone else.😬

Brandon Lopez6 said:I think I’ll just hit up a different pharmacy. Honestly, I don't even want to ask questions, I just want to grab what I need and get out. Or maybe I'll just send my mom to this one since I really can't face that lady again—it feels like they only have two people working there and both were out at once today, probably some shift change thing.

By any logic, if an antidepressant works alongside something like Xanax, then a natural supplement should theoretically work too. I'm willing to just wing it and try it on my own; if I mess up, I'm the one who deals with the fallout, not anyone else.😬

And look, I spent six months taking St. John's Wort along with some Lexapro whenever I needed it. It didn't do anything bad to me—if anything, my anxiety actually felt a lot more manageable.

Jason Vaughn482, I'm trying to reply to your DM, but it won't let me. Your inbox is probably full or something else is just broken.

Paul Newman5, I was on Fevarin for a few years—it’s an anti-anxiety antidepressant, so it really helps you chill out—and I wonder if it would have the same effect on you? For me, it worked wonders until my next depressive episode hit and we had to switch up my AD

frozenorca63 said:And look, I spent six months taking St. John's Wort along with some Lexapro whenever I needed it. It didn't do anything bad to me—if anything, my anxiety actually felt a lot more manageable.

I’m definitely thinking about giving that a shot. I feel pretty terrible right now, and honestly, I'm in no position to deal with the side effects of switching to a new AT&T.

Brandon Lopez6 said:I’m definitely thinking about giving that a shot. I feel pretty terrible right now, and honestly, I'm in no position to deal with the side effects of switching to a new AT&T.

I've got my fingers crossed for you, hope it helps soon. Just a heads up, it usually takes a week or two before you really start feeling the difference, so I'd suggest sticking to three cups a day at first and then dropping down to two once you settle in. I used to pair mine with a couple of cups of lemon balm tea too—it's amazing for chilling out, especially right before you hit the hay.

frozenorca63 said:I've got my fingers crossed for you, hope it helps soon. Just a heads up, it usually takes a week or two before you really start feeling the difference, so I'd suggest sticking to three cups a day at first and then dropping down to two once you settle in. I used to pair mine with a couple of cups of lemon balm tea too—it's amazing for chilling out, especially right before you hit the hay.

Maybe if I stick with this stuff, I'll finally kick my coffee habit. 😁

I'm gonna skip the lemon balm for now since I've already got Lexapro for the anxiety. Plus, sleep is actually my issue—I oversleep way too much. Like, I slept straight through until 4 PM today. 🙂

Anyway, getting off track here. 😁

fadedbear92 said:Paul Newman5, I was on Fevarin for a few years—it’s an anti-anxiety antidepressant, so it really helps you chill out—and I wonder if it would have the same effect on you? For me, it worked wonders until my next depressive episode hit and we had to switch up my AD

Giving Coaxial one more week. Then I'm finding a new psychiatrist... there has to be something out there that works. Maybe Coaxial will pull through after all.

Paul Newman5 said:Jason Vaughn482, I'm trying to reply to your DM, but it won't let me. Your inbox is probably full or something else is just broken.

My inbox isn't full, so I haven't the slightest clue what the issue might be; perhaps the system will decide to behave itself by tomorrow.🤷

I’ve got some lemon verbena tea on hand, and honestly, it’s not bad—it helps me chill out a bit.

But I think I'll give that motherwort a shot too.

You mentioned Aktivin H? Alright, I'm adding that to my list.😬

Anything else you guys recommend?

By the way, Brandon Lopez6... is that sleepiness from Helex or something else? I just want to be able to sleep normally.😢

Dennis Turner6 said:I’ve got some lemon verbena tea on hand, and honestly, it’s not bad—it helps me chill out a bit.

But I think I'll give that motherwort a shot too.

You mentioned Aktivin H? Alright, I'm adding that to my list.😬

Anything else you guys recommend?

By the way, Brandon Lopez6... is that sleepiness from Helex or something else? I just want to be able to sleep normally.😢

Nah. Usually, I take my last dose of Xanax at least 3 or 4 hours before hitting the sack. I've noticed if I take it right before bed, I wake up feeling totally detached from reality... it's intense, almost like I was wasted the night before.🙄

People claim sleeping this much is just "depression sleeping," but honestly, I’ve always been a heavy sleeper. I've loved catching Z's for as long as I can remember.

Ugh, I used to love sleeping so much, but ever since my anxiety kicked in... I can barely even remember what a good night's rest feels like anymore.

I’m usually out for about 12 hours straight. Some days it’s 11, other times I’m hitting 14. Honestly, I can’t even remember the last time I myself actually woke up after just a solid 8 hours.

Paul Newman5 said:How long exactly have you been on Coax and what were your starting doses? I didn't catch if you've been on the full dose for 7 days total, or if that's just when you reached the full amount? And how much were you taking before that? I don't feel great on it either, but I'll give it a few more days. I'm dealing with headaches and muscle weakness. Yesterday was brutal, but today feels better—honestly, I can't tell if it's the med or just my own mood shifting regarding the side effects.

So, today marks day 8 of being on the full dose of Coaxial—basically three times a day, one pill at a time. I mentioned earlier that I've been tapering up slowly because I think my body is just super sensitive to antidepressants... I don't really know what else to say, except that this mental fuzziness and the loss of libido are driving me crazy. Apparently, just like with most stuff, it takes two or three weeks to actually kick in. I just wanted to hear from anyone else who’s on Coaxial or has used it before. Does it actually get better? That's the big question for me. Depression absolutely leveled me, and I just want to feel like my old self again. That's why I'm looking for anyone who's been through this specific med.