Psychotropic medication discussion thread

Jason Vaughn482 said:Fine, then what is actually the least harmful option for sleep? Is Prazosin somehow superior to Zolpidem? And why was I never even offered Eszopiclone; I wasn't even aware such an option existed in the first place.

Well, Zane isn't exactly a household name. It's probably just because there's only one single distributor authorized to put the drug on the market here in the US—General Mills—and also because it's arguably a bit less potent than Sanval, though that really varies from person to person. Even my doctor had no clue about Zane until I brought it up myself. I suppose it just doesn't get prescribed much; most doctors tend to stick with the more well-known Sanval. It comes in packs of either 5mg x 14 or 10mg x 14 capsules. Personally, I take 2x10 mg before bed on an empty stomach. In my book, Zane is the safest bet because you can be reasonably sure that after at least five hours of sleep, you won't have much medication left in your system—meaning you could, say, drive a car without any issues. Now, Prazin is generally considered a "heavier" drug than Sanval since it's an antipsychotic, but whether it's "better" for sleep is entirely subjective. For instance, 300 mg of Prazin didn't even touch me, whereas for someone else, 25 mg might knock them right out.

Timothy Wood38 said:Well, Zane isn't exactly a household name. It's probably just because there's only one single distributor authorized to put the drug on the market here in the US—General Mills—and also because it's arguably a bit less potent than Sanval, though that really varies from person to person. Even my doctor had no clue about Zane until I brought it up myself. I suppose it just doesn't get prescribed much; most doctors tend to stick with the more well-known Sanval. It comes in packs of either 5mg x 14 or 10mg x 14 capsules. Personally, I take 2x10 mg before bed on an empty stomach. In my book, Zane is the safest bet because you can be reasonably sure that after at least five hours of sleep, you won't have much medication left in your system—meaning you could, say, drive a car without any issues. Now, Prazin is generally considered a "heavier" drug than Sanval since it's an antipsychotic, but whether it's "better" for sleep is entirely subjective. For instance, 300 mg of Prazin didn't even touch me, whereas for someone else, 25 mg might knock them right out.

Thanks for the insight; that's precisely why I'm trying to steer clear of Prazin. Sanval does the trick for me at 10 mg—sometimes it hits easier, sometimes harder—but having used it for a few years now, the habit is starting to weigh on me. Still, what choice do I have when sleep remains elusive? Once I finally drift off, at least I can get some rest.

Hey unknown!
I seriously need to get off this Seroquel. I’m counting down the days until my next check-up, just praying my doctor finally agrees to taper me off. Fingers crossed.

Here’s the damage so far:-weight gain-I’ve been snacking constantly all day, and honestly, the anxiety gets so bad I find myself raiding the fridge at 4 AM.
-tardive dyskinesia-my muscles won't stop twitching; my arms and legs just jerk uncontrollably sometimes.
-congested nose-it never goes away.
-pins and needles-this weird sensation where it feels like someone is poking my skin with needles, usually just for a second at a time.
-insanely low blood pressure
-dry mouth and shortness of breath
-swollen joints and fingers

Look, I could probably deal with most of this crap, but the weight gain is where I draw the line. I put on 13 pounds in just a month, and I wasn't even overweight before this. My appetite is out of control—honestly, it’s even worse than when I was on Zyprexa. I don't get how my doctor could look me in the face and claim this stuff doesn't cause weight gain or sugar cravings when that is literally what's happening to me. I feel like she totally lied to me.

Do you happen to know if unknown causes weight gain? Because that was the first thing she tried to put me on.
Later,

urbanskipper4 said:Hey unknown!
I seriously need to get off this Seroquel. I’m counting down the days until my next check-up, just praying my doctor finally agrees to taper me off. Fingers crossed.

Here’s the damage so far:-weight gain-I’ve been snacking constantly all day, and honestly, the anxiety gets so bad I find myself raiding the fridge at 4 AM.
-tardive dyskinesia-my muscles won't stop twitching; my arms and legs just jerk uncontrollably sometimes.
-congested nose-it never goes away.
-pins and needles-this weird sensation where it feels like someone is poking my skin with needles, usually just for a second at a time.
-insanely low blood pressure
-dry mouth and shortness of breath
-swollen joints and fingers

Look, I could probably deal with most of this crap, but the weight gain is where I draw the line. I put on 13 pounds in just a month, and I wasn't even overweight before this. My appetite is out of control—honestly, it’s even worse than when I was on Zyprexa. I don't get how my doctor could look me in the face and claim this stuff doesn't cause weight gain or sugar cravings when that is literally what's happening to me. I feel like she totally lied to me.

Do you happen to know if unknown causes weight gain? Because that was the first thing she tried to put me on.
Later,

Even though you asked unknown, I'll answer for unknown. I was on it for 6 or 7 weeks early this summer and gained 13 pounds. My appetite was ravenous; I ate everything in sight. It definitely made me gain weight, and other people have said the same. My doctor insisted it wasn't the medication, but I demanded she take me off it. She eventually agreed, saying if I felt forced to take something that makes me gain weight, it wouldn't be effective anyway. I wasn't guessing—I saw the scale. Once I stopped taking it, I lost 6 pounds in a week. Now I'm on Citram and haven't gained an ounce.

urbanskipper4 said:Hey unknown!
I seriously need to get off this Seroquel. I’m counting down the days until my next check-up, just praying my doctor finally agrees to taper me off. Fingers crossed.

Here’s the damage so far:-weight gain-I’ve been snacking constantly all day, and honestly, the anxiety gets so bad I find myself raiding the fridge at 4 AM.
-tardive dyskinesia-my muscles won't stop twitching; my arms and legs just jerk uncontrollably sometimes.
-congested nose-it never goes away.
-pins and needles-this weird sensation where it feels like someone is poking my skin with needles, usually just for a second at a time.
-insanely low blood pressure
-dry mouth and shortness of breath
-swollen joints and fingers

Look, I could probably deal with most of this crap, but the weight gain is where I draw the line. I put on 13 pounds in just a month, and I wasn't even overweight before this. My appetite is out of control—honestly, it’s even worse than when I was on Zyprexa. I don't get how my doctor could look me in the face and claim this stuff doesn't cause weight gain or sugar cravings when that is literally what's happening to me. I feel like she totally lied to me.

Do you happen to know if unknown causes weight gain? Because that was the first thing she tried to put me on.
Later,

I experienced those exact same side effects from Seroquel, along with heart palpitations. My doctor pulled me off it immediately because he recognized them as neurological issues.
I was previously prescribed unknown, which is essentially Zyprexa, and I gained nearly 30 pounds. Eventually, I switched from that due to the weight gain and moved to Q-pin (Seroquel), which allowed me to lose 15 pounds in two weeks. The other 13 pounds stayed put. Essentially, Q-pin was easier on my weight than the unknown was. There is simply no consistent rule here.
As for Ludiomil, weight gain is a known possibility, and it is sometimes prescribed to certain patients specifically for insomnia. In my experience, it didn't help with sleep; it actually kept me awake.

I have heard that Zeldox (Abilify) does not cause weight gain, so you should probably discuss that specific option with your psychiatrist to see if it is appropriate for your situation.

urbanskipper4 said:Hey unknown!
I seriously need to get off this Seroquel. I’m counting down the days until my next check-up, just praying my doctor finally agrees to taper me off. Fingers crossed.

Here’s the damage so far:-weight gain-I’ve been snacking constantly all day, and honestly, the anxiety gets so bad I find myself raiding the fridge at 4 AM.
-tardive dyskinesia-my muscles won't stop twitching; my arms and legs just jerk uncontrollably sometimes.
-congested nose-it never goes away.
-pins and needles-this weird sensation where it feels like someone is poking my skin with needles, usually just for a second at a time.
-insanely low blood pressure
-dry mouth and shortness of breath
-swollen joints and fingers

Look, I could probably deal with most of this crap, but the weight gain is where I draw the line. I put on 13 pounds in just a month, and I wasn't even overweight before this. My appetite is out of control—honestly, it’s even worse than when I was on Zyprexa. I don't get how my doctor could look me in the face and claim this stuff doesn't cause weight gain or sugar cravings when that is literally what's happening to me. I feel like she totally lied to me.

Do you happen to know if unknown causes weight gain? Because that was the first thing she tried to put me on.
Later,

You certainly have quite the list of side effects.
Seroquel has a terrible reputation for exactly those reasons. It might be effective for schizophrenia, but for anything else? Not so much.
I am not sure what your physician will suggest, but I am currently taking an unknown and I am satisfied with it. I actually took Seroquel myself once and managed to drop 40 pounds in 60 days.🙂It seems everyone reacts differently, doesn't it?
Loquex is also a good option. That is just my subjective opinion, of course.☕
As for Ludiomil, I don't know for certain regarding the weight gain, but from what I have heard from others... yes, apparently it does.😢
I took that antidepressant for a very short period and it just didn't sit right with me.🤷

urbanskipper4 said:Hey unknown!
I seriously need to get off this Seroquel. I’m counting down the days until my next check-up, just praying my doctor finally agrees to taper me off. Fingers crossed.

Here’s the damage so far:-weight gain-I’ve been snacking constantly all day, and honestly, the anxiety gets so bad I find myself raiding the fridge at 4 AM.
-tardive dyskinesia-my muscles won't stop twitching; my arms and legs just jerk uncontrollably sometimes.
-congested nose-it never goes away.
-pins and needles-this weird sensation where it feels like someone is poking my skin with needles, usually just for a second at a time.
-insanely low blood pressure
-dry mouth and shortness of breath
-swollen joints and fingers

Look, I could probably deal with most of this crap, but the weight gain is where I draw the line. I put on 13 pounds in just a month, and I wasn't even overweight before this. My appetite is out of control—honestly, it’s even worse than when I was on Zyprexa. I don't get how my doctor could look me in the face and claim this stuff doesn't cause weight gain or sugar cravings when that is literally what's happening to me. I feel like she totally lied to me.

Do you happen to know if unknown causes weight gain? Because that was the first thing she tried to put me on.
Later,

I used it briefly—and honestly, I had some sort of auditory hallucinations, derealization, just strange states of being
and I've heard the weight gain rumors too

I’ll start by apologizing—I’m not entirely sure if I’ve landed in the right sub, but I could really use some perspective and advice here. For the last eight months, I’ve been on 10 mg of Citalopram, though for the past three months, I’ve actually been tapering myself down to 10 mg every other day. My psychiatrist gave me the green light to stop the medication entirely, but now I’m second-guessing everything: Is it actually safe to just quit cold turkey, or am I being reckless? I’m currently on my third day without any medication, and honestly? I feel incredibly strange. There’s this constant pressure in my head, a general sense of confusion... is this just what "weaning off" feels like, or should I have been more gradual—maybe stretching it out to every fourth or fifth day instead? Any insight would be appreciated.

Chris Howard3 said:I’ll start by apologizing—I’m not entirely sure if I’ve landed in the right sub, but I could really use some perspective and advice here. For the last eight months, I’ve been on 10 mg of Citalopram, though for the past three months, I’ve actually been tapering myself down to 10 mg every other day. My psychiatrist gave me the green light to stop the medication entirely, but now I’m second-guessing everything: Is it actually safe to just quit cold turkey, or am I being reckless? I’m currently on my third day without any medication, and honestly? I feel incredibly strange. There’s this constant pressure in my head, a general sense of confusion... is this just what "weaning off" feels like, or should I have been more gradual—maybe stretching it out to every fourth or fifth day instead? Any insight would be appreciated.

It is just like any other antidepressant—you have to taper off slowly. You absolutely cannot go cold turkey. In certain cases, stopping abruptly can actually be dangerous.
The side effects you're describing are quite common if someone stops suddenly; however, if you follow a gradual tapering process, those symptoms are either non-existent or very rare.
Do a little reading on discontinuation syndrome. It will make everything much clearer for you.

Thanks so much for the input. I think I’ll head off now and take my 10 mg dose—then I'll try spacing it out to every four days, then five, and see how that goes. I’ve heard you aren't supposed to just quit cold turkey, and while my gut is telling me to just stop since the dosage is technically low, even at this level, I’m dealing with this intense pressure in my head that makes me feel absolutely terrible.

@emma88

With any medication—and especially with an AP—there’s always this looming possibility that certain side effects will kick in, or maybe they just linger.
When we group everything under one big umbrella, we're basically just trying to figure out how to take a pill while minimizing the fallout, all while ensuring the drug actually does what it's supposed to do in the first place.
I’ve cycled through Vera, Alexander, and several others, and honestly? Every single one brought its own unique set of issues.
I’m still dealing with some side effects right now, but they aren't stopping me from living my life normally.
I think the best approach is to just make peace with it as long as you can maintain a semblance of a normal existence. Isn't constantly hunting for new medications or trying things we haven't touched before just making our future more complicated?
Of course, there is a valid reason to switch if the current medication is causing so many side effects that the damage outweighs the benefits. A drug shouldn't be doing more harm to the body than the actual illness itself!
As for the weight gain issue... I believe I've mentioned this somewhere before, but I'm not convinced that any specific medication is the sole culprit behind the scale going up. In my view, it’s more about lifestyle and mindset than the pills themselves. They might mess with your metabolism enough to trigger cravings or a sudden urge for sweets, but ultimately, the responsibility falls on us to try and exercise some self-control.

Chris Howard3 said:Thanks so much for the input. I think I’ll head off now and take my 10 mg dose—then I'll try spacing it out to every four days, then five, and see how that goes. I’ve heard you aren't supposed to just quit cold turkey, and while my gut is telling me to just stop since the dosage is technically low, even at this level, I’m dealing with this intense pressure in my head that makes me feel absolutely terrible.

Try cutting the dose in half. Just take half of what you've been taking for a while. Nothing catastrophic is going to happen; you're simply putting half the amount of active ingredients into your system.
Once your body adjusts to that lower amount after a bit, start spacing out the doses—maybe every other day... then every third day, and so on.
When those symptoms finally stop bothering you, you can just stop entirely.

The real issue here—and it’s a bit of a headache, honestly—is that these tablets aren't designed to be split into quarters. You can manage a half, which happens to be my standard dose, but trying to get down to a quarter? It’s nearly impossible without turning the thing into useless powder. So now I'm left wondering how on earth I'm supposed to execute this correctly.😢

Bluzara said:
I’ve touched on the subject of weight gain before, and I’m honestly not convinced that any medication is the primary culprit. In my view, it’s more about lifestyle choices and one's mental approach than the pills themselves. They might tweak your metabolism enough to trigger hunger pangs or sugar cravings, but ultimately, the responsibility lies with the individual to exercise self-control.

I disagree completely.🙂
The Associated Press reports show there is a definitive link between these drugs and weight gain. Personally, as someone who has been naturally thin my entire life, I gained 26 pounds in just one month while taking Virginia. No amount of dieting could budge the scale until the very moment I stopped taking Virginia; once I did, the weight vanished almost instantly.

I ended up packing on 25 pounds in just two or three months thanks to Ladiomil.
Every single thing I tried to do to drop weight or even just stop the scale from climbing,
was a total waste of time. I spent weeks living on nothing but raw veggies—just some carrots and bell peppers here and there...
I honestly thought it was the Sulpirid, but when I finally bit the bullet and told my nutritionist, she told me it was definitely the Ladiomil.
A few days after I switched over to a different med, the weight just fell right off and I lost all 25 pounds incredibly fast.
As for AP, personally, Olanzapin made me gain 10 pounds in a single month.

Chris Howard3 said:The real issue here—and it’s a bit of a headache, honestly—is that these tablets aren't designed to be split into quarters. You can manage a half, which happens to be my standard dose, but trying to get down to a quarter? It’s nearly impossible without turning the thing into useless powder. So now I'm left wondering how on earth I'm supposed to execute this correctly.😢

That’s a total pain.
I know from experience that you can't just quarter up Feverin either without basically turning it into dust. 🙄

I guess I’ll just have to test it out with a knife and see what happens, won't I?

Chris Howard3 said:I guess I’ll just have to test it out with a knife and see what happens, won't I?

You can actually pick up a pill cutter at any local CVS or Walgreens.😉

Kevin Nguyen3 said:You certainly have quite the list of side effects.
Seroquel has a terrible reputation for exactly those reasons. It might be effective for schizophrenia, but for anything else? Not so much.
I am not sure what your physician will suggest, but I am currently taking an unknown and I am satisfied with it. I actually took Seroquel myself once and managed to drop 40 pounds in 60 days.🙂It seems everyone reacts differently, doesn't it?
Loquex is also a good option. That is just my subjective opinion, of course.☕
As for Ludiomil, I don't know for certain regarding the weight gain, but from what I have heard from others... yes, apparently it does.😢
I took that antidepressant for a very short period and it just didn't sit right with me.🤷

My bad, I totally messed that up. I’m such a klutz. I'm on Zelmid right now and honestly? It's making things even worse than the Seroquel did when it comes to my appetite and putting on weight. Just constant hunger.

I was on Risperdal once, and man, it turned me into a total zombie. But honestly? I dropped 10 pounds just like that. It’s weird because I know some people take it and just pack on the weight immediately.

Prozac just sent me straight into hypomania. Honestly, the only thing that one actually messed with was my appetite—I couldn't eat a damn thing.

Xanax, Seroquel, and Zelmid just turned me into a total tank. All that weight gain... seriously.

My aunt is on Lamictal and she’s put on weight. Like, seriously, she's just getting huge.

Is there any damn antipsychotic out there that doesn't make you gain weight?

Kevin Nguyen3 said:@emma88

With any medication—and especially with an AP—there’s always this looming possibility that certain side effects will kick in, or maybe they just linger.
When we group everything under one big umbrella, we're basically just trying to figure out how to take a pill while minimizing the fallout, all while ensuring the drug actually does what it's supposed to do in the first place.
I’ve cycled through Vera, Alexander, and several others, and honestly? Every single one brought its own unique set of issues.
I’m still dealing with some side effects right now, but they aren't stopping me from living my life normally.
I think the best approach is to just make peace with it as long as you can maintain a semblance of a normal existence. Isn't constantly hunting for new medications or trying things we haven't touched before just making our future more complicated?
Of course, there is a valid reason to switch if the current medication is causing so many side effects that the damage outweighs the benefits. A drug shouldn't be doing more harm to the body than the actual illness itself!
As for the weight gain issue... I believe I've mentioned this somewhere before, but I'm not convinced that any specific medication is the sole culprit behind the scale going up. In my view, it’s more about lifestyle and mindset than the pills themselves. They might mess with your metabolism enough to trigger cravings or a sudden urge for sweets, but ultimately, the responsibility falls on us to try and exercise some self-control.

Yeah, sure, maybe the pill isn't "fattening" per se, but it triggers those cravings. For me, it hits like crazy—I get this insane hunger and get so jittery that I absolutely *have* to eat, it's awful. How the hell are you supposed to stick to a diet like that?