Psychotropic medication discussion thread

Why on earth would you assume she possesses even a shred of mental stability?

I find myself pondering a singular, perplexing question regarding antidepressants: if these medications function by preventing the reuptake of serotonin, does that not imply that our bodies are constantly depleting their supply? If such a rapid depletion occurs, how on earth can we possibly replenish those levels given the abysmal quality of the food we consume in America today?

Rebecca Bennett41 said:Why on earth would you assume she possesses even a shred of mental stability?

Well, you see, the evil you're feeling is actually coming from the Effexor, and now she's planning to increase your dosage even further.

Look, at the end of the day, it’s the psychiatrist who calls the shots—she claims she knows best. She told me my current dosage is far too low and promised that ramping it up would finally make things better.
Honestly, I couldn't care less about her medical theories when it comes to the fact that my liver is going to take a massive hit because of it.

Alex Patel96 said:Give me a break. We’re talking about massive quantities of medication here, not to mention mixing them with alcohol.
Calm down.🙂

And if you want to calm down, why don't you just take one of your pills?

Nicole Barrett76 said:Is this a normal reaction?

From what I can see in the prescribing info, that dosage is standard...🤷

You typically start low and titrate up gradually. You don't just jump straight to a high dose, otherwise, it would be a total shock to your system.

Nicole Barrett76 said:Well, you see, the evil you're feeling is actually coming from the Effexor, and now she's planning to increase your dosage even further.

Honestly, the math just isn't mathing for me either.

Matthew Castillo5 said:Honestly, the math just isn't mathing for me either.

How is that not logical? It’s just basic cause and effect!😂🤣

Matthew Castillo5 said:Honestly, the math just isn't mathing for me either.

Frankly, I couldn't care less about whether a dose stays within the "approved" limits. If your body simply refuses to tolerate a medication, why on earth would anyone suggest increasing the dosage? One should simply stop.

Furthermore, there is the matter of her potential assessment that you are in such a state of crisis that you require this many pills; however, looking at your posts, you don't seem to be in such dire straits that you'd need such massive psychiatric intervention. Because if you truly were in that condition, wouldn't it be far more practical for you to be admitted to a psychiatric ward instead?

My personal take on the matter is that these pills aren't going to be the silver bullet I need; the issue isn't merely a biological deficit in serotonin production, but rather my fundamental perception of the world itself. I am increasingly convinced that nothing short of intensive psychotherapy will actually move the needle for me.

Ashley Morgan said:First off, just so we're clear, Zyprexa isn't even an antidepressant; it's an antipsychotic. And if I had to guess—don't call me out on this if I'm wrong—I'd say it definitely packs more of a punch than Zoloft.

Exactly. Zyprexa is an antipsychotic, and in my view, it performs significantly better than Risperdal, even though I personally consider Haldol to be the heaviest hitter of them all. As for Zoloft? I can't say for sure.🤷

Rebecca Bennett41 said:So, I was wondering if anyone here has any actual experience dealing with Anafranil?
I’ve been on it for about a month and a half now, but all I seem to be getting is this overwhelming urge to sleep; I can't even fall asleep easily, but once I finally drift off, I stay under for ages, only to wake up feeling absolutely exhausted. On top of that, my hands have started shaking, and I’m dealing with this general sense of tremors throughout my body. My psychiatrist just bumped up my dosage, so now I'm taking two in the morning, two in the afternoon, and one in the evening.<>

If I were taking Anafranil, I’d say it’s decent enough, but Celexa is a much more advanced, modern-generation antidepressant.
It is frankly idiotic to assume everything being discussed here is just some placebo effect that you all believe in when it clearly isn't. You don't need to go out and prove it to yourselves; I am perfectly capable of telling you the reality of the situation.👍☕

So, I was wondering if anyone could weigh in on which might be more effective, Valium or Celexa? Does anyone actually take them? I’m asking because my sleep schedule is a total mess lately—I keep waking up at 5:00 AM regardless of whether I turn in at 9:00 PM or 1:00 AM, and the Zoloft seems to be causing these middle-of-the-night awakenings too.
A few friends mentioned they deal with the exact same sleep issues, so I'm curious... I tried Valium twice, but it didn't seem to do much besides give me a headache; I felt like I hadn't even taken anything, so I’d just end up surfing the web or finding something else to do.😕

Valium and Celexa are more for when you’re having trouble actually falling asleep, rather than staying asleep through the night. For that particular issue, Paxil is usually a better bet.

Nicole Barrett76 said:I find myself pondering a singular, perplexing question regarding antidepressants: if these medications function by preventing the reuptake of serotonin, does that not imply that our bodies are constantly depleting their supply? If such a rapid depletion occurs, how on earth can we possibly replenish those levels given the abysmal quality of the food we consume in America today?

They aren't actually stopping the production; they just prevent the serotonin from being sucked back up (after it’s released into the synaptic cleft and does its job, it usually gets reabsorbed). By blocking that reabsorption, you're essentially making sure it stays active on the receptors longer. It isn't some uncontrolled, one-way drain on your system.
I'm oversimplifying here, but hopefully that makes sense.

They’re legally required to list those side effects, even the ones with a 1:1000 chance of happening. It’s just how they cover their bases. It doesn't mean every single thing on that list is lurking around the corner waiting for you.

I know, but at the end of the day... it feels like a bit of a lottery, especially when you're dealing with combination therapy involving two or three different meds... who knows.

What kind of trouble am I looking at if I decide to drink alcohol while I'm on Prozac?

Rebecca Bennett41 said:What kind of trouble am I looking at if I decide to drink alcohol while I'm on Prozac?

Nothing good. You’re probably just making the side effects from the antidepressant way worse, and since alcohol is a central nervous system depressant, you're essentially neutralizing the medication's effectiveness at the same time.

Does your psychiatrist actually know you're drinking while on Prozac, or are you too nervous to tell them?

I know things are incredibly heavy for you right now with everything going on with your family, but please don't make life even harder on yourself with this kind of self-destructive behavior. Seriously.

Yes, I told her exactly what was on my mind. Even though it left me feeling incredibly awkward and exposed, I didn't back down.
The uncomfortable truth is that I find myself wanting to cause some harm... :-(