Psychotropic medication discussion thread

Old-school antipsychotics like Modiodol are usually thrown at people who are just totally all over the place emotionally—you know, those folks who are constantly spiraling or just super agitated

Timothy Wood38 said:I don't owe you an explanation. Your subjective experience is practically irrelevant when you factor in your own unique pharmacogenetics. And "bioequivalence"? It's hardly some exotic concept in generic drug manufacturing. What you're calling "SIMILAR" is actually strictly defined by science. Claiming that 100 mg of Seroquel is stronger than 200 mg of Qpin is, to put it mildly, completely nebulous. Honestly, I won't even dignify your claims about which medication is "good" for what.

I am asking for actual arguments.
When I was on Seroquel, I would sleep for 20 hours straight on just 100 mg; during those two months of use, I practically turned into a houseplant!
Now, I’m taking 200 mg of Qpin and I only sleep 5 to 6 hours.
How is that possible?
Please, give me a coherent explanation, because saying... "I don't have to" tells me everything I need to know about how serious you're being about this.

Thanks for all the input on Prozac... he ended up on it because even a higher dose of Seroquel wasn't doing the trick for a while. The delusions and aggression were just getting worse. Fingers crossed that Prozac finally helps him settle down!

Timothy Wood38 said:I don't owe you an explanation. Your subjective experience is practically irrelevant when you factor in your own unique pharmacogenetics. And "bioequivalence"? It's hardly some exotic concept in generic drug manufacturing. What you're calling "SIMILAR" is actually strictly defined by science. Claiming that 100 mg of Seroquel is stronger than 200 mg of Qpin is, to put it mildly, completely nebulous. Honestly, I won't even dignify your claims about which medication is "good" for what.

Well, let’s get into some theory for a moment.
The science of pharmacogenetics—in any practical sense here in America (I can't speak for everyone else)—is still mostly just a collection of assumptions.
We aren't actually using anything that hasn't been officially validated yet. It's all speculation at this stage.
The whole idea is trying to apply knowledge about a patient's specific DNA sequence to improve therapy by boosting drug efficacy? Or perhaps avoiding adverse reactions entirely? The goal is to target medications specifically to patients who will actually respond positively to them.
So, essentially, pharmacogenetics has been gaining traction lately as one potential way we COULD improve hospital patient care.
I don't even need to mention that it's all still stuck in the lab testing phase... when it will actually walk through the doors of mainstream medicine? Ask God.

On another note, isn't a subjective opinion or personal experience just as valid in psychology? Especially when you look at neuroanatomy or neurobiology.

Kevin Nguyen3 said:I am asking for actual arguments.
When I was on Seroquel, I would sleep for 20 hours straight on just 100 mg; during those two months of use, I practically turned into a houseplant!
Now, I’m taking 200 mg of Qpin and I only sleep 5 to 6 hours.
How is that possible?
Please, give me a coherent explanation, because saying... "I don't have to" tells me everything I need to know about how serious you're being about this.

Look, I genuinely hope you realize that this is the exact same medication, just made by a different manufacturer.
Your body got used to the Seroquel, so those side effects—like the heavy sleeping—eventually tapered off. Once you switched to Q-pin, there were no new side effects since it's the same active ingredient.

I used to take 150 mg of Seroquel XR and slept like a baby all day long. But at 100 mg of Seroquel, it did absolutely nothing for me.
Nowadays, I just take one and a half tablets of Paxil.

Kevin Nguyen3 said:I didn't realize he was taking anything without guidance.😕
Where on earth did you see that?🤷
I assume we are dealing with schizophrenia here (maybe some paranoia too), but since the improper treatment caused a bad episode to resurface, he needs Modiodol.
Azolar is an antipsychotic, and he takes it because of the hallucinations, the voices, and those kinds of things.
Lamictal is primarily an antiepileptic, which is why he takes such a relatively high dose. He can go up to 400 mg...
He will be getting Modiodol until the doctor decides otherwise.
There are some side effects, sure, but nothing catastrophic.
As for Azolar—I don't know, I've never actually heard of anyone taking it, even though I am aware of it.
Lamictal is an excellent medication. It has minimal side effects and is easy to tolerate.
It's taken to prevent seizures, because combining certain medications can lead to that kind of state.

So you think you know everything, huh? Well, join the club. I'm right there with you. 😁 Haha, who do you think you are, some kind of medical expert? At this rate, you might as well just write out my entire prescription for me while you're at it. 😉

Kevin Nguyen3 said:No. Please, just don't go suggesting pills that might actually make her feel even worse than she does right now.
Seroquel is a heavy hitter; I mean, is it even possible for someone to sleep for 20 hours straight without ever waking up? Because it happens... it really does.
Seroquel is intended for schizophrenia.
For anything else? It isn't the right tool for the job.
Qpin is a much milder option and generally easier to tolerate, though you have to remember the dosages aren't comparable.
A 200 mg dose of Qpin is significantly lighter than taking 100 mg of Seroquel.
She has a doctor, doesn't she? So let them decide what they think is best.

I'm not sure what you mean by "trick"... maybe I'm just slow, but out of all the antipsychotics I've tried, 25mg of Seroquel worked best for me. It's true that in the beginning, even 25mg would knock me out for 24 hours... but after about a week, things leveled out. Eventually, I didn't even feel that initial wave hitting me before bed; I'd just close my eyes and drift off immediately.

Regarding Loquen and Seroquel... I personally felt Loquen was much milder, even though I took it before switching to Seroquel. And they're technically the same med.
Doesn't matter.

Seroquel XR is a different beast entirely. At 500mg, I didn't even recognize myself. 300mg... I could manage that somehow. For me, 150mg seems to be the sweet spot—just enough.
And, yeah... obviously... any changes to therapy absolutely have to happen in consultation with a psychiatrist.

Look, Seroquel was honestly the only thing that kept me from acting on suicidal thoughts. But the XR version is the real game changer. The regular stuff wasn't bad, but since I only took it at night, it would wear off by morning. Sometimes I'd take it during the day when things got really dark just to stay level. I’m pretty much immune to standard anti-anxiety meds—I could drink rain from Jesus's hands and feel nothing. Even with Xanax, I'm basically untouchable.

I remember being in the psych ward... First, they slapped me with Haldol, and the next day my jaw started cramping like crazy and my tongue actually swelled up. A medic gave me an Akineton injection and man, it felt like stepping into paradise. After that, I was constantly begging them for more injections... Haha... It was a total tragicomedy. I even found it funny when they'd check to see if we swallowed our pills. After a few days, they stopped bothering to check me because I was always being a smartass, asking for "refills"... Lol... Or I'd just snark at them, like, "Seriously? This is it? You guys are cheap..."... 🙂
The facility I was at in the city was absolute madness 😛
All those assholes just dropped my Rivotril from 6 mg down to 1 mg. Whatever. It's actually better this way. At least I don't feel totally drugged out like I used to.

mistyskipper90 said:So you think you know everything, huh? Well, join the club. I'm right there with you. 😁 Haha, who do you think you are, some kind of medical expert? At this rate, you might as well just write out my entire prescription for me while you're at it. 😉

I don't know anything.
People spend lifetimes studying medicine... only to make mistakes all over again.
I've said this a million times already. I've been dealing with this illness for twenty years, taking all sorts of meds... most of them aren't even on the market anymore.
And I've been reading up and researching these drugs for just as long... back when finding information wasn't as easy as it is today.
The medications used to be completely different than they are now, and the side effects were much, much worse.
I can speak from personal experience.
Your doctor is the one who prescribes your treatment; we're just here to swap stories and share what we've been through.

Kevin Nguyen3 said:Well, let’s get into some theory for a moment.
The science of pharmacogenetics—in any practical sense here in America (I can't speak for everyone else)—is still mostly just a collection of assumptions.
We aren't actually using anything that hasn't been officially validated yet. It's all speculation at this stage.
The whole idea is trying to apply knowledge about a patient's specific DNA sequence to improve therapy by boosting drug efficacy? Or perhaps avoiding adverse reactions entirely? The goal is to target medications specifically to patients who will actually respond positively to them.
So, essentially, pharmacogenetics has been gaining traction lately as one potential way we COULD improve hospital patient care.
I don't even need to mention that it's all still stuck in the lab testing phase... when it will actually walk through the doors of mainstream medicine? Ask God.

On another note, isn't a subjective opinion or personal experience just as valid in psychology? Especially when you look at neuroanatomy or neurobiology.

I honestly have no idea where you're pulling this information from, but you're talking nonsense. Look, your subjective opinion doesn't bother me, but sometimes you go overboard spreading misinformation, and I feel compelled to step in. Pharmacogenetics is a recognized scientific discipline. Anyone with actual expertise knows exactly what I'm talking about, and frankly, anyone can just look it up on Google. Personalized pharmacotherapy (which seems to be what you're actually rambling about) is a completely different thing. I don't want to get dragged into a long debate with you because there's just no point, but I'm going to keep calling out the misinformation when I see it.

Timothy Wood38 said:I honestly have no idea where you're pulling this information from, but you're talking nonsense. Look, your subjective opinion doesn't bother me, but sometimes you go overboard spreading misinformation, and I feel compelled to step in. Pharmacogenetics is a recognized scientific discipline. Anyone with actual expertise knows exactly what I'm talking about, and frankly, anyone can just look it up on Google. Personalized pharmacotherapy (which seems to be what you're actually rambling about) is a completely different thing. I don't want to get dragged into a long debate with you because there's just no point, but I'm going to keep calling out the misinformation when I see it.

Thank God, our goal here is simply to minimize mistakes.
Anyone who possesses more knowledge or deeper experience is always welcome here.
I am certainly not claiming that you are writing "nonsense" or "stupidity" or any other variation of those insults.
Fine, then why not jump in and help when you see someone crying out for assistance?
Or do you just not know how?
I am absolutely not against being corrected or having my errors pointed out, but there is a civilized way to handle it—using arguments, data, hard facts, and things of that nature.
Instead, you act out offensively, almost like a little girl whose Barbie was stolen from her.
That isn't the way to behave, but it doesn't matter.
Theory is one side of the coin, while actual practice is something else entirely.
Which side of the coin are you standing on?

Kevin Nguyen3 said:It can be combined.
But now, the real question is: why?
Because it is generally understood that anxiolytics—you know, things like sedatives or hypnotics—shouldn't be taken long-term, but rather for a strictly defined period.
Four weeks. After that, they can trigger dependency. And once that happens, you can no longer say with any certainty how a benzodiazepine (any kind... like Praxiten) will react when mixed with an antipsychotic.
As for all those other tests, it really just depends on your medical history, previous treatments, allergies, and so on.
If you aren't in one of those high-risk groups, then the main thing is just getting blood work done to monitor your white blood cell count.

Does this bolded part apply to Lorraine too?

Mark Nelson said:Does this bolded part apply to Lorraine too?

It doesn't—not even if you’re talking about Xanax, or Normabel, or just any damn anxiolytic for that matter.

I'm speaking from my own lived experience—and honestly, from observing just about everyone I know who's stuck on those meds, too.

Mark Nelson said:Does this bolded part apply to Lorraine too?

Yes.
Basically, the recommendation is to stick with it for four weeks, plus whatever extra time you need to taper down the dosage and actually stop the treatment.

Those are just the official guidelines, though... it's a completely different story when people start playing doctor with themselves and deciding their own dosage based on what they "think" feels right.

Kevin Nguyen3 said:Yes.
Basically, the recommendation is to stick with it for four weeks, plus whatever extra time you need to taper down the dosage and actually stop the treatment.

Those are just the official guidelines, though... it's a completely different story when people start playing doctor with themselves and deciding their own dosage based on what they "think" feels right.

So what you're saying is I can't really use Lorraine on a long-term basis? The key word there is "occasionally," right?

Mark Nelson said:So what you're saying is I can't really use Lorraine on a long-term basis? The key word there is "occasionally," right?

You can.

Kevin Nguyen3 said:Yes.
Basically, the recommendation is to stick with it for four weeks, plus whatever extra time you need to taper down the dosage and actually stop the treatment.

Those are just the official guidelines, though... it's a completely different story when people start playing doctor with themselves and deciding their own dosage based on what they "think" feels right.

Well, I'm not exactly "self-medicating" here—my psychiatrist is the one keeping me on Xanax, and she's been doing it for over six months now. And look, she isn't some random clinician off the street; she’s a highly regarded specialist.
Of course, she told me not to take it unless it’s absolutely necessary, yet she keeps prescribing it to me regardless. To make matters worse, I have five whole boxes sitting in my cabinet—even though she explicitly said I should be taking a maximum of two 0.5mg doses a day.

Kevin Nguyen3 said:Yes.
Basically, the recommendation is to stick with it for four weeks, plus whatever extra time you need to taper down the dosage and actually stop the treatment.

Those are just the official guidelines, though... it's a completely different story when people start playing doctor with themselves and deciding their own dosage based on what they "think" feels right.

I have been relying on both Xanax and Ambien for five years now... I am acutely aware of the implications, but I once heard a psychiatrist mention that one can stay on Xanax long-term, provided the dosage remains strictly controlled and doesn't escalate.
By the way, I find that Prazines actually prevent me from falling asleep, so I won't be touching them; I have no desire to exceed a 25mg dose. Perhaps there is another anxiolytic out there that might actually induce sleep, because honestly, I am at a total loss as to how to wean myself off the Ambien... the Xanax doesn't help me sleep, it’s simply my lifeline when panic or anxiety strikes. My only saving grace is that I refuse to push past 1.5 mg; while I take less on certain days, I still take it daily.

It is quite a struggle, frankly; my mental state dictates this entire cycle because my doctor recognizes that I am resistant to antipsychotics, yet every time I attempt to start an antidepressant, the initial side effects are so overwhelming that I simply cannot endure them.

Jason Vaughn482 said:I have been relying on both Xanax and Ambien for five years now... I am acutely aware of the implications, but I once heard a psychiatrist mention that one can stay on Xanax long-term, provided the dosage remains strictly controlled and doesn't escalate.
By the way, I find that Prazines actually prevent me from falling asleep, so I won't be touching them; I have no desire to exceed a 25mg dose. Perhaps there is another anxiolytic out there that might actually induce sleep, because honestly, I am at a total loss as to how to wean myself off the Ambien... the Xanax doesn't help me sleep, it’s simply my lifeline when panic or anxiety strikes. My only saving grace is that I refuse to push past 1.5 mg; while I take less on certain days, I still take it daily.

It is quite a struggle, frankly; my mental state dictates this entire cycle because my doctor recognizes that I am resistant to antipsychotics, yet every time I attempt to start an antidepressant, the initial side effects are so overwhelming that I simply cannot endure them.

Jason Vaughn482, I honestly don't know what wise advice I could possibly offer you that you haven't already realized.
Every single anxiolytic triggers some level of dependency, whether you feel it or not.
The real trouble starts when you reach a certain dosage and realize you aren't getting the result you expected—whether that's sleep or just feeling calm.
What do you do then?
Naturally, everyone just bumps up the dose because they want the effect. But in doing so, they are also ramping up the addiction.
Everything seems fine until the moment you have to stop the treatment; then, everything goes completely sideways.
It is classic withdrawal, much like coming off drugs.
I support taking medication as needed, but taking it every single day for months on end? Not so much.
I know, because I have been there myself.
For you, the only real solution is finding the right antipsychotic, specifically the one you were prescribed.
If I recall correctly, your doctor recommended somewhere between 25 and 50 mg.
That shouldn't cause dependency, and your body shouldn't develop a tolerance to it. If you follow the recommendation, there shouldn't be any issues.
And it might actually help.
Try tapering off the Ambien slowly and gradually. And maybe increase your Prazines dose to 50 mg.
If nothing changes after that, then it's best to sit down with your psychiatrist.

Kevin Nguyen3 said:Jason Vaughn482, I honestly don't know what wise advice I could possibly offer you that you haven't already realized.
Every single anxiolytic triggers some level of dependency, whether you feel it or not.
The real trouble starts when you reach a certain dosage and realize you aren't getting the result you expected—whether that's sleep or just feeling calm.
What do you do then?
Naturally, everyone just bumps up the dose because they want the effect. But in doing so, they are also ramping up the addiction.
Everything seems fine until the moment you have to stop the treatment; then, everything goes completely sideways.
It is classic withdrawal, much like coming off drugs.
I support taking medication as needed, but taking it every single day for months on end? Not so much.
I know, because I have been there myself.
For you, the only real solution is finding the right antipsychotic, specifically the one you were prescribed.
If I recall correctly, your doctor recommended somewhere between 25 and 50 mg.
That shouldn't cause dependency, and your body shouldn't develop a tolerance to it. If you follow the recommendation, there shouldn't be any issues.
And it might actually help.
Try tapering off the Ambien slowly and gradually. And maybe increase your Prazines dose to 50 mg.
If nothing changes after that, then it's best to sit down with your psychiatrist.

Thanks, I hear what you're saying and it all makes sense. I mean, I can fall asleep with the Sanval, but I really don't care for it... I definitely prefer Xanax a bit more😁 because that's how I feel my absolute best... and the relief hits me in just ten minutes.