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Psychotropic medication discussion thread

Started by Robin Myers91 · · 👁 631 views · 10K replies

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Participants Robin Myers91Eric Wood7Maria Gomez6crimsonhound80Tyler Ortiz6dustyscout41Andrew Stewart2George Ramos64Morgan Long49Jason Sanchez3briskgull27Charles Edwards8Brenda Allen2hollowtinker8bluecyclist28electricorca13David Kern14Ashley Morganwanderingscout13Sam Hall15coppergardenerCarl Thompson4Mark Stewartanalognomad762 …
Kevin Nguyen3 Kevin Nguyen3 Regular
425 messages
joined May 2013
#6521 ·
urbanskipper4 said: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?

Ugh, I honestly don't know. Diet culture has become such a total nightmare for women in this country, hasn't it? People are constantly hunting for the next "miracle" pill or supplement just to shed a few ounces.
It really comes down to how we define obesity and when a diet is actually necessary. If someone is carrying significant extra weight, the only way is to go slow over a long period. You need those little breaks to let your body adjust to its new baseline before starting again.
That's the only sustainable way; anything else is just a roller coaster of crashing and rebounding.
Man, you listed quite a laundry list of medications there.
But remember, you always have a choice. You shouldn't just blindly swallow whatever a psychiatrist prescribes if it doesn't sit right with you—don't just let them dictate your life.
Surely we still have enough freedom in America to make our own decisions, right?
As for the hunger, I personally think it’s more of a habit than actual physical starvation. In my book, there's no excuse for eating after 6 or 7 PM; snacking around midnight is practically a crime!
If things get intense and the anxiety kicks in, try reaching for some fruit or vegetables instead. It doesn't have to be a massive sandwich loaded with pounds of deli meat and heaps of cheese.
Just by cutting out late dinners, you'll eventually start seeing results.
You can always explain all these side effects to your doctor; it's just that in the heat of the moment, it rarely occurs to us to bring up those specific details.
urbanskipper4 urbanskipper4 Active Member
144 messages
joined Apr 2011
#6522 ·
Kevin Nguyen3 said:Ugh, I honestly don't know. Diet culture has become such a total nightmare for women in this country, hasn't it? People are constantly hunting for the next "miracle" pill or supplement just to shed a few ounces.
It really comes down to how we define obesity and when a diet is actually necessary. If someone is carrying significant extra weight, the only way is to go slow over a long period. You need those little breaks to let your body adjust to its new baseline before starting again.
That's the only sustainable way; anything else is just a roller coaster of crashing and rebounding.
Man, you listed quite a laundry list of medications there.
But remember, you always have a choice. You shouldn't just blindly swallow whatever a psychiatrist prescribes if it doesn't sit right with you—don't just let them dictate your life.
Surely we still have enough freedom in America to make our own decisions, right?
As for the hunger, I personally think it’s more of a habit than actual physical starvation. In my book, there's no excuse for eating after 6 or 7 PM; snacking around midnight is practically a crime!
If things get intense and the anxiety kicks in, try reaching for some fruit or vegetables instead. It doesn't have to be a massive sandwich loaded with pounds of deli meat and heaps of cheese.
Just by cutting out late dinners, you'll eventually start seeing results.
You can always explain all these side effects to your doctor; it's just that in the heat of the moment, it rarely occurs to us to bring up those specific details.

Hmm, yeah, I'm 45 pounds overweight. "Corpulant" is such a nice way for you to put it; I'd just say I'm fat.
I love bread, pastries, cookies... That's what really does me in.

Oh, and there are still more meds I've been on:

Paxil, Zoloft, Eglonyl, Dogmatil, all mixed in with the ones mentioned earlier.
Now that I think about it, I could probably make a career out of testing drug side effects, since pretty much everything sticks to me.
Kevin Nguyen3 Kevin Nguyen3 Regular
425 messages
joined May 2013
#6523 ·
urbanskipper4 said:Hmm, yeah, I'm 45 pounds overweight. "Corpulant" is such a nice way for you to put it; I'd just say I'm fat.
I love bread, pastries, cookies... That's what really does me in.

Oh, and there are still more meds I've been on:

Paxil, Zoloft, Eglonyl, Dogmatil, all mixed in with the ones mentioned earlier.
Now that I think about it, I could probably make a career out of testing drug side effects, since pretty much everything sticks to me.

Your liver isn't going to be happy about that, unfortunately. In any case, one really ought to aim to lower the dosage of these meds as much as possible while still maintaining the same effect. Is that always easy to achieve? No, certainly not. But when people are experimenting this much, shouldn't they at least try to taper down where they can?
When a person is healthy, obsessing over weight feels like a perfectly normal thing to do, but once you fall ill, priorities shift, don't they?
Being overweight isn't some abnormal or ugly thing; it's just a matter of accepting that for some people, other problems simply take precedence.
fadedbear92 fadedbear92 Veteran
1.1K messages
joined Dec 2008
#6524 ·
urbanskipper4 said: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?

Q-pin didn't make me gain any weight, but honestly, it's all so subjective—you can't really say, "this specific drug won't trigger hunger or cravings for high-calorie junk."

Who knows what kind of side effects these medications have on other organs? I highly doubt there aren't any—maybe just fewer of them?
ne kadar idk
fadedbear92 fadedbear92 Veteran
1.1K messages
joined Dec 2008
#6525 ·
Bluzara stari;46543530 said:
Unfortunately, your liver just won't let you off the hook for that one. It's a real issue.

That’s why I take Crestor—to keep my cholesterol in check—but honestly, figuring out what actually causes it is such a toss-up. I've got some extra weight to lose, nothing crazy, but I read this one article claiming stress can be a major trigger... and at that point, I was just like, "Well, there's my answer, we're done here."🙂
George Allen71 George Allen71 Active Member
94 messages
joined Apr 2015
#6526 ·
Kevin Nguyen3 said:Your liver isn't going to be happy about that, unfortunately. In any case, one really ought to aim to lower the dosage of these meds as much as possible while still maintaining the same effect. Is that always easy to achieve? No, certainly not. But when people are experimenting this much, shouldn't they at least try to taper down where they can?
When a person is healthy, obsessing over weight feels like a perfectly normal thing to do, but once you fall ill, priorities shift, don't they?
Being overweight isn't some abnormal or ugly thing; it's just a matter of accepting that for some people, other problems simply take precedence.

Exactly. And then, right when they finally take you off the antipsychotics and scale back the antidepressants—the very meds that caused you to gain 30 pounds because mental stability was the priority—you suddenly realize how much of a mess you are physically. It’s such a vicious cycle; you start spiraling into depression because of your weight... God, I know that feeling all too well.
As most of you know, Zyprexa absolutely wrecked me with weight gain... For the last nine months, I've been on Prozac instead, mostly because they say it won't make you gain weight—apparently, some people even lose weight on it, and it doesn't spike your appetite, which makes it better for bulimia or other eating disorders. But for me? Nothing. Not even a single pound lost.
And then those moments hit... where I feel so alone and unloved... and I just turn to food. Food is the only thing that won't let me down. Emotional eating... I am just so exhausted by this endless loop.
I'm going to break out of it drastically... but I really need to find a way to stop myself from falling right back into the same trap.
Jason Vaughn482 Jason Vaughn482 Regular
488 messages
joined Jul 2012
#6527 ·
Kevin Nguyen3 said:Ugh, I honestly don't know. Diet culture has become such a total nightmare for women in this country, hasn't it? People are constantly hunting for the next "miracle" pill or supplement just to shed a few ounces.
It really comes down to how we define obesity and when a diet is actually necessary. If someone is carrying significant extra weight, the only way is to go slow over a long period. You need those little breaks to let your body adjust to its new baseline before starting again.
That's the only sustainable way; anything else is just a roller coaster of crashing and rebounding.
Man, you listed quite a laundry list of medications there.
But remember, you always have a choice. You shouldn't just blindly swallow whatever a psychiatrist prescribes if it doesn't sit right with you—don't just let them dictate your life.
Surely we still have enough freedom in America to make our own decisions, right?
As for the hunger, I personally think it’s more of a habit than actual physical starvation. In my book, there's no excuse for eating after 6 or 7 PM; snacking around midnight is practically a crime!
If things get intense and the anxiety kicks in, try reaching for some fruit or vegetables instead. It doesn't have to be a massive sandwich loaded with pounds of deli meat and heaps of cheese.
Just by cutting out late dinners, you'll eventually start seeing results.
You can always explain all these side effects to your doctor; it's just that in the heat of the moment, it rarely occurs to us to bring up those specific details.

Eating in the middle of the night is a sin, I agree, but I find myself doing it every single night because I’m convinced it helps me sleep... every single night... thank God I haven't become obese, but I have definitely gained weight; I'm at about 136 pounds now when I used to be 130... Calixta certainly had her part to play in that too.
redranger2 redranger2 Active Member
248 messages
joined Aug 2008
#6528 ·
urbanskipper4 said: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?

There is. Apparently, Zoloft doesn't cause weight gain.
George Allen71 George Allen71 Active Member
94 messages
joined Apr 2015
#6529 ·
redranger2 said:There is. Apparently, Zoloft doesn't cause weight gain.


It’s true that Zoloft won't make you gain weight, but it makes you so incredibly drowsy... when I was on it, I felt forced to sleep for 18 hours a day.... it just completely drains the life out of you... at least, that was my experience...
restlesstrucker15 restlesstrucker15 Regular
374 messages
joined Sep 2011
#6530 ·
Hi there!

Has anyone here dealt with this before? Menon, who is a doctor, was the one who suggested it. She mentioned she’d give it some more thought once she sees what the situation looks like regarding insurance coverage and out-of-pocket costs for the medication.
Kevin Bailey2 Kevin Bailey2 Regular
265 messages
joined Jul 2012
#6531 ·
Jason Vaughn482 said:Eating in the middle of the night is a sin, I agree, but I find myself doing it every single night because I’m convinced it helps me sleep... every single night... thank God I haven't become obese, but I have definitely gained weight; I'm at about 136 pounds now when I used to be 130... Calixta certainly had her part to play in that too.

I eat most of my calories at night. I skip breakfast entirely, which is why I'm 128 lbs at 5'11". Now I've even dropped down to 127.

Personally, I wouldn't touch a medication that causes a 65-pound weight gain. Why wreck your organs and your entire cardiovascular system just to drop dead by 40? What's the point of treating depression if you don't survive the cure? It makes zero sense.
George Allen71 George Allen71 Active Member
94 messages
joined Apr 2015
#6532 ·
Kevin Bailey2 said:I eat most of my calories at night. I skip breakfast entirely, which is why I'm 128 lbs at 5'11". Now I've even dropped down to 127.

Personally, I wouldn't touch a medication that causes a 65-pound weight gain. Why wreck your organs and your entire cardiovascular system just to drop dead by 40? What's the point of treating depression if you don't survive the cure? It makes zero sense.

Exactly. It’s not like when a doctor hands you an antipsychotic and you think, "Oh, I know exactly what this is and I know I'm going to pack on weight"... hello? This isn't an aspirin. You're dealing with mental states where you don't even know who you are or where you are anymore... and everyone, just like George Allen71 mentioned, talks about priorities...
In my experience, I lost a lot of weight right before my crisis... I felt wonderful and really happy with myself... then after a few years of total mental collapse, I was put on Zyprexa. When I first got it, I was terrified and asked my psychiatrist if it would make me gain weight, and she told me these things... "No medication causes weight gain, it can only slightly increase your appetite." Well, after six months on it, my appetite increased so much that I gained nearly 80 pounds. At that moment, though, I was more worried about the fact that my arms and legs were shaking so violently from the meds that I had to start taking Aketon just to function. It's only after your mental state finally stabilizes that you realize what happened to you. And I wasn't prescribed an antipsychotic because I was having psychoses, but rather as support while treating BPD...
So what am I supposed to do now? I have BPD... severe depression... excess weight... I'm on six different medications... and I can't even fall asleep without Dormicum... So what am I supposed to do, blame the doctors? I won't find anyone to complain to; I have to find my own ways to tackle this one thing at a time... I have to, because I don't have any other choice.
Jason Vaughn482 Jason Vaughn482 Regular
488 messages
joined Jul 2012
#6533 ·
restlesstrucker15 said:Hi there!

Has anyone here dealt with this before? Menon, who is a doctor, was the one who suggested it. She mentioned she’d give it some more thought once she sees what the situation looks like regarding insurance coverage and out-of-pocket costs for the medication.

One provider tried to suggest it to me once, but I turned it down immediately. I mean, it’s an anti-epileptic, and let's face it, those things aren't exactly cheap when you're footing the bill...
Larry Lewis Larry Lewis Regular
819 messages
joined Dec 2010
#6534 ·
Does anyone else here take Seroquel in the morning—and I mean regardless of the dosage? My doctor put me on 100mg during the AM hours, but even just a measly 50mg sends me into this... well, I can't quite put my finger on it, but it's an inexplicable state that lingers for hours. It’s like this overwhelming wave of intense anxiety paired with a sort of mild psychosis—not that I'm losing it entirely, mind you—but more of a total inability to think straight or just this profound, heavy mental fog.
Kevin Nguyen3 Kevin Nguyen3 Regular
425 messages
joined May 2013
#6535 ·
Larry Lewis said:Does anyone else here take Seroquel in the morning—and I mean regardless of the dosage? My doctor put me on 100mg during the AM hours, but even just a measly 50mg sends me into this... well, I can't quite put my finger on it, but it's an inexplicable state that lingers for hours. It’s like this overwhelming wave of intense anxiety paired with a sort of mild psychosis—not that I'm losing it entirely, mind you—but more of a total inability to think straight or just this profound, heavy mental fog.

I really wouldn't recommend taking it that way. Taking Abilify in the morning is something you only do under strict medical supervision, like if you were staying at a hospital.
Why?
Because you could end up feeling like a total vegetable all day long.
Outside of a clinical setting, you’re going to be a zombie, and you simply can't afford to let that happen.
100 mg is no joke... go ahead, try it. Nothing bad will happen, and then you'll see exactly what I mean.
Since you'll be sleeping through most of the day anyway... well, you won't have anything left to write about.😁
fadedbear92 fadedbear92 Veteran
1.1K messages
joined Dec 2008
#6536 ·
Larry Lewis said:Does anyone else here take Seroquel in the morning—and I mean regardless of the dosage? My doctor put me on 100mg during the AM hours, but even just a measly 50mg sends me into this... well, I can't quite put my finger on it, but it's an inexplicable state that lingers for hours. It’s like this overwhelming wave of intense anxiety paired with a sort of mild psychosis—not that I'm losing it entirely, mind you—but more of a total inability to think straight or just this profound, heavy mental fog.

I'm currently on an increased dose—three 50mg shots in the morning. Between the Effexor and Klonopin, I’m doing okay, though I am dealing with some pretty heavy anxiety right now.
Then at night, I take four 25mg doses to sleep; my doctor said I could even bump it up to five if I really need to crash, but that’s usually reserved for those rare nights when I’m feeling super worked up.

Man, sorry—Seroquel is the name-brand stuff, while Q-pin is just a generic version made here. As for whether there's a real difference between them... honestly, I have no clue.
Larry Lewis Larry Lewis Regular
819 messages
joined Dec 2010
#6537 ·
fadedbear92 said:I'm currently on an increased dose—three 50mg shots in the morning. Between the Effexor and Klonopin, I’m doing okay, though I am dealing with some pretty heavy anxiety right now.
Then at night, I take four 25mg doses to sleep; my doctor said I could even bump it up to five if I really need to crash, but that’s usually reserved for those rare nights when I’m feeling super worked up.

Man, sorry—Seroquel is the name-brand stuff, while Q-pin is just a generic version made here. As for whether there's a real difference between them... honestly, I have no clue.

I don't quite follow the logic here. Ever since I switched to the XR version of Seroquel, I've felt much better. My doctor bumped me up by another 100mg at night and everything was fine. Then, during a bit of a crisis, she added another 100mg in the morning—which completely wiped me out—so I dropped back down to 50mg, but even that is triggering these absolutely horrific episodes.
I think I'll try 25mg in the morning next; if I still feel totally unsettled, I might just stop taking the morning dose altogether.

It truly just drains the very will to live right out of you.

EDIT: Those two medications are essentially the exact same thing.
Gerald Torres2 Gerald Torres2 Active Member
192 messages
joined Feb 2013
#6538 ·
Larry Lewis said:I don't quite follow the logic here. Ever since I switched to the XR version of Seroquel, I've felt much better. My doctor bumped me up by another 100mg at night and everything was fine. Then, during a bit of a crisis, she added another 100mg in the morning—which completely wiped me out—so I dropped back down to 50mg, but even that is triggering these absolutely horrific episodes.
I think I'll try 25mg in the morning next; if I still feel totally unsettled, I might just stop taking the morning dose altogether.

It truly just drains the very will to live right out of you.

EDIT: Those two medications are essentially the exact same thing.

Maybe give Loquin or Q-pin a shot... they seem a bit easier on the system. When I was on Seroquel, I felt like a literal statue—I couldn't remember anything, let alone get out of bed. It was a nightmare. Now I take Loquin when my anxiety spikes, and instead of wiping me out, it just settles me down. And yeah, okay, they're basically the same med... we're talking about the same dosage... except Loquin isn't the xr version. Maybe that's part of why I handle it better.🤷
Kevin Nguyen3 Kevin Nguyen3 Regular
425 messages
joined May 2013
#6539 ·
Larry Lewis said:I don't quite follow the logic here. Ever since I switched to the XR version of Seroquel, I've felt much better. My doctor bumped me up by another 100mg at night and everything was fine. Then, during a bit of a crisis, she added another 100mg in the morning—which completely wiped me out—so I dropped back down to 50mg, but even that is triggering these absolutely horrific episodes.
I think I'll try 25mg in the morning next; if I still feel totally unsettled, I might just stop taking the morning dose altogether.

It truly just drains the very will to live right out of you.

EDIT: Those two medications are essentially the exact same thing.

No, actually... based on what I've seen from others, Q-pin is much easier to tolerate. In my own experience, Q-pin is like chamomile tea compared to Seroquel.
So many people have switched from Ser to some other AP and finally found relief.
Does Seroquel even make sense unless you're dealing with schizophrenia? That's the only time. Otherwise, it doesn't knock you out quite as hard, so you can actually function during the day.
Gary Diaz3 Gary Diaz3 Member
22 messages
joined Sep 2013
#6540 ·
I've been taking Rivotril for a little while now. From what I understand, it’s categorized as an anti-epileptic, but in my case, my doctor prescribed it specifically to help with anxiety and calming down. I'm currently on a 0.5 mg dose. Does anyone know if that's considered a low dose? I see people mentioning they take 2 mg of other types of anti-anxiety meds, so I'm wondering if that's roughly equivalent to four times my dose, or does it just depend entirely on the specific medication? Pharmacology was never really my thing, so I'm a bit lost here.

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