Psychotropic medication discussion thread

wanderingscout13 said:Unknown... my former boss actually went through the exact same thing; she gained a massive amount of weight specifically because of those medications. A good friend of mine dealt with it too. It's honestly pretty awful.
There was this one single time when my doctor tried to prescribe me something for anxiety, and because I was so terrified of the weight gain, I actually ended up snapping at him! Honestly, the guy was being totally irresponsible!

You don't actually gain weight from those specific drugs (I'm assuming we're talking about diazepam)

Two points here: psychologists don't prescribe medication, so that's irrelevant to this discussion, and besides, it's a bit of a tangent... Is anyone else experiencing side effects beyond just increased appetite? Perhaps some more serious complications... like tardive dyskinesia...

Sam Hall15 said:Two points here: psychologists don't prescribe medication, so that's irrelevant to this discussion, and besides, it's a bit of a tangent... Is anyone else experiencing side effects beyond just increased appetite? Perhaps some more serious complications... like tardive dyskinesia...

I've definitely got my own complications
honestly, I can't even tell when I'm feeling crappy because of the meds versus when it's just the actual illness
plus, the whole stigma surrounding mental health issues really drags me into a depression

David Kern14 said:I’ve been feeling pretty frustrated lately.
Watching everyone rushing through the streets while I feel like I'm just dragging myself along is tough.
It doesn't matter how much I try, I usually don't start feeling like myself until late at night.
I’m honestly grateful that medical science has come so far and developed all these medications
but man, it's still a struggle.
Between the antipsychotics, sleep aids, antidepressants, and even grabbing some Xanax if things get hairy...
it’s just a daily grind, some days harder than others.
How are you guys holding up?

Yeah, well, you're pissed off now because you're on antipsychotics, whereas when you were taking those "uppers," everything felt amazing.
You probably started "flying too high," so they had to step in with some stabilization therapy, and now you're just feeling the crash. 😉

crimsonhound80 said:Yeah, well, you're pissed off now because you're on antipsychotics, whereas when you were taking those "uppers," everything felt amazing.
You probably started "flying too high," so they had to step in with some stabilization therapy, and now you're just feeling the crash. 😉

nah I actually meant lithium, but in the meantime I ended up getting an antidepressant instead
it's not bad 😉

And what about those shifts in personality? I mean—not necessarily toward being "better," per se, but just... different.

Look, I've cut my antidepressant dose in half two days in a row now. Tonight the dizziness is hitting me hard, though I felt a milder version of it yesterday too... I can't go back to the full dose, so now you're stuck with these thoughts.🤔
I don't have any other major issues, just the usual stuff... but I'm honestly terrified of the side effects. That's why I want to phase these meds out completely—it’s basically just a placebo for me anyway. I'll do it gradually, obviously... but man, getting off them is the real nightmare... fuck, excuse my language...

Every psychotropic medication comes with its own set of side effects. There seems to be a running theory that the more intense the side effects, the "better" the drug works.
We see this pattern clearly when comparing modern antipsychotics and antidepressants.
First-generation, or typical, antipsychotics were notorious for severe side effects like EPS or tardive dyskinesia. In contrast, atypical antipsychotics—prototyped by Celexa and including newer options like Zyprexa, Risperdal, Seroquel, Geodon, Abilify, and Invega—offer a much milder side effect profile. However, the trade-off is that they are often less potent than the typical ones. This is why clinicians frequently rely on those older, typical drugs during an acute psychotic episode; they suppress symptoms rapidly. Once the crisis passes, the goal is usually to transition to atypicals, which allow for a semblance of normal functioning without unbearable side effects like EPS, even if they lack raw potency. It turns out Risperdal is actually the most potent of the newer generation, though even it can trigger EPS if the dose exceeds 5mg.
The situation with antidepressants follows a similar logic.
My current regimen consists of:
Zyprexa 20mg
Celexa 200mg
Lamictal 200mg
Effexor 150mg
Xanax SR 3x1mg
Prazosin 100mg

Hey everyone, just wanted to chime in for a bit. I spent forever fighting against meds, trying to convince myself they were bad news and wouldn't actually help. Well, now that I’m finally on them, I’m honestly glad I started.
I'm taking Celexa—it's a newer gen antidepressant. Even though I tend to put on weight easily, I made sure to ask my doctor about that right off the bat. I haven't gained any weight yet, even though the side effects were pretty rough at first. Today I'm doing okay, but considering the massive drama I'm dealing with right now, I don't know where I'd be without them. I also take sleep aids and Messer as needed. My doctor recently tried swapping my Zoloft for a lower dose of another antidepressant, and within a week, I was basically a different person—appetite went through the roof. I didn't overeat or anything, but I still packed on three pounds. So yeah, I went back to my old routine.

Mark Stewart said:Every psychotropic medication comes with its own set of side effects. There seems to be a running theory that the more intense the side effects, the "better" the drug works.
We see this pattern clearly when comparing modern antipsychotics and antidepressants.
First-generation, or typical, antipsychotics were notorious for severe side effects like EPS or tardive dyskinesia. In contrast, atypical antipsychotics—prototyped by Celexa and including newer options like Zyprexa, Risperdal, Seroquel, Geodon, Abilify, and Invega—offer a much milder side effect profile. However, the trade-off is that they are often less potent than the typical ones. This is why clinicians frequently rely on those older, typical drugs during an acute psychotic episode; they suppress symptoms rapidly. Once the crisis passes, the goal is usually to transition to atypicals, which allow for a semblance of normal functioning without unbearable side effects like EPS, even if they lack raw potency. It turns out Risperdal is actually the most potent of the newer generation, though even it can trigger EPS if the dose exceeds 5mg.
The situation with antidepressants follows a similar logic.
My current regimen consists of:
Zyprexa 20mg
Celexa 200mg
Lamictal 200mg
Effexor 150mg
Xanax SR 3x1mg
Prazosin 100mg

Man, major props 🙏 to you for typing all that out while juggling all those meds and dosages. Honestly, I've never even heard of Lamictal or Effexor before. Nice work! 👍

coppergardener said:And what about those shifts in personality? I mean—not necessarily toward being "better," per se, but just... different.

When I'm manic, everyone can just go jump in a lake
but when the depression hits, I just grab my Zoloft and deal with it.

Mark Stewart said:Every psychotropic medication comes with its own set of side effects. There seems to be a running theory that the more intense the side effects, the "better" the drug works.
We see this pattern clearly when comparing modern antipsychotics and antidepressants.
First-generation, or typical, antipsychotics were notorious for severe side effects like EPS or tardive dyskinesia. In contrast, atypical antipsychotics—prototyped by Celexa and including newer options like Zyprexa, Risperdal, Seroquel, Geodon, Abilify, and Invega—offer a much milder side effect profile. However, the trade-off is that they are often less potent than the typical ones. This is why clinicians frequently rely on those older, typical drugs during an acute psychotic episode; they suppress symptoms rapidly. Once the crisis passes, the goal is usually to transition to atypicals, which allow for a semblance of normal functioning without unbearable side effects like EPS, even if they lack raw potency. It turns out Risperdal is actually the most potent of the newer generation, though even it can trigger EPS if the dose exceeds 5mg.
The situation with antidepressants follows a similar logic.
My current regimen consists of:
Zyprexa 20mg
Celexa 200mg
Lamictal 200mg
Effexor 150mg
Xanax SR 3x1mg
Prazosin 100mg

Is it Valafax or Velefax?😕

From what I can gather, the strongest dose of Velefax starts at 37mg...

Effexor comes in 37.5mg and 75mg tablets.
While the standard ceiling is usually 150mg, some people dealing with particularly stubborn, severe depression might need to go all the way up to 375mg a day.

What kind of side effects should I expect from Lexapro?

Luxeta is essentially sertraline—specifically Zoloft—just manufactured by Pfizer.
Common initial side effects tend to include nausea, dizziness, and headaches.
You might also notice some fluctuations in body weight.
Fortunately, these side effects usually taper off once you've settled into a consistent routine.

Side effects from Celexa??

Hey everyone!
Does anyone know if herbal calming tablets can actually cause nausea? I picked up some anti-stress supplements containing ginseng, valerian, and a whole bunch of other stuff along with some minerals, but a few hours after taking them, I start feeling really nauseous.

Valerian is typically found in herbal sleep aids due to its muscle-relaxing properties, whereas ginseng tends to boost alertness and energy (as it often contains caffeine).
For certain individuals dealing with anxiety or depression, however, it can actually have the opposite effect and trigger increased anxiety.
Additionally, using ginseng or other stimulants may cause nausea and vomiting in some people.

Hey everyone.
So, I’ve been on Xanax for about four years now—and honestly, my body has just gotten so used to it that I don't even feel it anymore, let alone get the same effect I used to.
Because of that, I’m working with my psychiatrist to switch things up and try a different anxiolytic instead.
Does anyone have any suggestions? I'm looking for something that doesn't come with a ton of nasty side effects, and right now I'm torn between trying Inderal or Paxil. 🤔
Thanks

Mark Stewart said:Valerian is typically found in herbal sleep aids due to its muscle-relaxing properties, whereas ginseng tends to boost alertness and energy (as it often contains caffeine).
For certain individuals dealing with anxiety or depression, however, it can actually have the opposite effect and trigger increased anxiety.
Additionally, using ginseng or other stimulants may cause nausea and vomiting in some people.

Thanks so much for clarifying, because I honestly couldn't wrap my head around why they'd pair valerian with ginseng in those herbal pills if what you're saying is true. Anyway, I’m done using them; I'm just going back to drinking Coca-Cola, which I've been sticking to for a few months now, though I guess I was just looking to switch things up for a bit—not even sure why.