Psychotropic medication discussion thread

Jason Vaughn482 said:if you took it all day, you'd be sleeping through everything. that's why people usually take it at night, mostly for insomnia issues.

Yeah, but my issue isn't even sleep. It doesn't really touch my insomnia, but it helps with other stuff. I slowly cut my Xanax down to just 25mcg—the lowest dose possible. Sometimes if someone's getting on my nerves or I'm stressed out, I'll take more, but that's becoming less common. That's the main thing. Plus, it actually helps my stomach. If I take it at night, I can finally eat something without my stomach cramping up from anxiety. The label says you can take it in the morning, but I figured I'd check with people who've actually been through it first.😉

Justin Rogers5 said:Does anyone know if Remeron is just for nighttime, or can you take it in the morning too? I'm on the lowest dose at night and it's fine, but by the afternoon, I can already feel it wearing off.

I used to take half in the morning and the full dose at night just to get some sleep, but man, I gained a ton of weight... It works great, but eventually, it just stopped doing anything for me, so I had to stop taking it. Anyway, if you take more than one dose during the day, expect to be knocked out cold, so I wouldn't recommend it. Maybe you could take some in the afternoon if you're feeling particularly anxious, or so my doctors told me...

Justin Rogers5 said:Yeah, but my issue isn't even sleep. It doesn't really touch my insomnia, but it helps with other stuff. I slowly cut my Xanax down to just 25mcg—the lowest dose possible. Sometimes if someone's getting on my nerves or I'm stressed out, I'll take more, but that's becoming less common. That's the main thing. Plus, it actually helps my stomach. If I take it at night, I can finally eat something without my stomach cramping up from anxiety. The label says you can take it in the morning, but I figured I'd check with people who've actually been through it first.😉

I honestly envy you. For me, this stuff doesn't even touch my anxiety anymore. It’s become a complete farce; I can take the exact same dose of Xanax that used to be my lifeline, and now it won't even help me drift off to sleep, let alone settle my nerves. It’s lost its edge entirely. It doesn't even touch my appetite anymore—which, if I’m being honest, is the one silver lining in this mess—but effectively, it does absolutely nothing. I find myself wondering if I should try stepping up to 30 mg, because even at a measly 15 mg, I feel like I'm walking around in a total fog, completely intoxicated.
How long have you been on this regimen? I find myself constantly weighing the duration of these chemical interventions against the fleeting stability they supposedly provide.

shadowbear9 said:I used to take half in the morning and the full dose at night just to get some sleep, but man, I gained a ton of weight... It works great, but eventually, it just stopped doing anything for me, so I had to stop taking it. Anyway, if you take more than one dose during the day, expect to be knocked out cold, so I wouldn't recommend it. Maybe you could take some in the afternoon if you're feeling particularly anxious, or so my doctors told me...

When I first started, I definitely saw about five pounds creep up on me, though I eventually managed to sweat those off. These days, it doesn't trigger an appetite or cause any more weight issues, but unfortunately, it’s stopped being effective too. What are you currently using instead?

Justin Rogers5 said:Yeah, but my issue isn't even sleep. It doesn't really touch my insomnia, but it helps with other stuff. I slowly cut my Xanax down to just 25mcg—the lowest dose possible. Sometimes if someone's getting on my nerves or I'm stressed out, I'll take more, but that's becoming less common. That's the main thing. Plus, it actually helps my stomach. If I take it at night, I can finally eat something without my stomach cramping up from anxiety. The label says you can take it in the morning, but I figured I'd check with people who've actually been through it first.😉

My psychiatrist explicitly demanded that I shouldn't take all my medications at once in the evening, insisting I split them between morning and night—something that never even crossed my mind!
Years ago, I was on a regimen where I had to take everything in the morning, and let me tell you, I was about as lively as a potted ficus.
Since then, the moment we start talking, I make it very clear: I am not taking anything in the morning. In fact, I don't even want to discuss the option.
Effexor is a good medication, and Calixta is as well.
If they are going to do their job and pull me out of this depression, then they can certainly do it overnight.☕

Jason Vaughn482 said:I honestly envy you. For me, this stuff doesn't even touch my anxiety anymore. It’s become a complete farce; I can take the exact same dose of Xanax that used to be my lifeline, and now it won't even help me drift off to sleep, let alone settle my nerves. It’s lost its edge entirely. It doesn't even touch my appetite anymore—which, if I’m being honest, is the one silver lining in this mess—but effectively, it does absolutely nothing. I find myself wondering if I should try stepping up to 30 mg, because even at a measly 15 mg, I feel like I'm walking around in a total fog, completely intoxicated.
How long have you been on this regimen? I find myself constantly weighing the duration of these chemical interventions against the fleeting stability they supposedly provide.

A little over a year now. Haven't put on much weight since I'm out cycling and chopping wood every single day.🤣For the first six months, I dealt with some dizziness and blood pressure issues. If I stood up too fast, everything would just go black.

Jason Vaughn482 said:When I first started, I definitely saw about five pounds creep up on me, though I eventually managed to sweat those off. These days, it doesn't trigger an appetite or cause any more weight issues, but unfortunately, it’s stopped being effective too. What are you currently using instead?

In just two months, I packed on about 13 pounds, and it was a total nightmare trying to lose it after I stopped the medication. On the bright side, I used to sleep like a baby, at least until the effects wore off—then I just decided to quit entirely because I refused to keep gaining weight. I recently decided to get back on an antidepressant, specifically Zoloft and Eglonyl. My doctor actually tried to push Lexapro on me, but honestly, that stuff completely wrecks me, so I stood my ground and they backed off. I’m thinking about switching back to Faverin soon to help with the sleep issues, and as we’ve touched on before, I might look into Quetiapine too, just to deal with this insomnia...

Jason Vaughn482 said:So, what is your actual routine for finally drifting off? What truly does the trick for you? Right now, I've been taking something at 10:00 PM and then Calixta at either 7.5 or 15 mg... I manage to fall asleep, sure, but I spend half the night tossing and turning. Even though I can drift back off quickly, I wake up feeling like I've spent the entire night digging ditches rather than resting, despite getting up at 9:00 AM.

As for me, I struggle with the Sanval, so things are just hit or miss.
I have no desire to touch Dormicum because it doesn't even seem to work anymore—well, maybe slightly better than before, but my psychiatrist told me a few months ago, after I had already stopped taking Dormicum, that I would need to have a serious discussion with an anesthesiologist regarding my upcoming surgery (we ended up just using local anesthesia and morphine, which worked wonders).
Essentially, you have to be careful what you ask for; you never know how it will play out...

Skickas FR

Jason Vaughn482 said:So, what is your actual routine for finally drifting off? What truly does the trick for you? Right now, I've been taking something at 10:00 PM and then Calixta at either 7.5 or 15 mg... I manage to fall asleep, sure, but I spend half the night tossing and turning. Even though I can drift back off quickly, I wake up feeling like I've spent the entire night digging ditches rather than resting, despite getting up at 9:00 AM.

I guess I’ve had my own struggles with the 10mg Sanval; it keeps me tossing and turning all night long. And honestly, Fluzepam is even worse—it does the exact same thing, except there is absolutely no chance of falling back asleep once you wake up. I think I developed a tolerance after going through four boxes, so now everything else just feels way too weak. I am trying to strike it from my list as soon as humanly possible🙂 and besides, it’s ridiculously expensive—$10 BILLION!

shadowbear9 said:I'll just ask my psychiatrist and then let you know. 😉

Well, I went ahead and asked at the local pharmacy. If you have insurance coverage, there shouldn't be a cost, but if not, you'll just have to pay the copay $3.25 😉 for both the QPin and the Seroquel. I suppose the price depends on the dosage, though I doubt it's going to be anything too crazy...

restlesstrucker15 said:As for me, I struggle with the Sanval, so things are just hit or miss.
I have no desire to touch Dormicum because it doesn't even seem to work anymore—well, maybe slightly better than before, but my psychiatrist told me a few months ago, after I had already stopped taking Dormicum, that I would need to have a serious discussion with an anesthesiologist regarding my upcoming surgery (we ended up just using local anesthesia and morphine, which worked wonders).
Essentially, you have to be careful what you ask for; you never know how it will play out...

Skickas FR

I don't quite follow your logic. Personally, the moment they administer anesthesia, I am out like a light. For instance, during my last colonoscopy, even though the sedation was brief, I drifted off into a deep sleep in a heartbeat.

Jason Vaughn482 said:I don't quite follow your logic. Personally, the moment they administer anesthesia, I am out like a light. For instance, during my last colonoscopy, even though the sedation was brief, I drifted off into a deep sleep in a heartbeat.

I understand; I don't anticipate any issues there. They didn't actually need to put me under last time, but I have heard it isn't ideal if you have developed a tolerance to Dormicum, as they might administer that prior to the general anesthesia. My only concern is that we really ought to avoid relying on it long-term; it simply wouldn't be wise.

Skickas FR

Excellent 🙂

Sent via Skickas FR

Great, just my luck—it skipped out on me right when I needed it 😁

Skickas FR

restlesstrucker15 said:I understand; I don't anticipate any issues there. They didn't actually need to put me under last time, but I have heard it isn't ideal if you have developed a tolerance to Dormicum, as they might administer that prior to the general anesthesia. My only concern is that we really ought to avoid relying on it long-term; it simply wouldn't be wise.

Skickas FR

Aha, so you were strictly talking about Dormicum. Personally, I won't touch that; I have no desire to graduate to the heavy hitters. Instead, I tend to mix Sanval with Calixta, which eventually knocks me out, though once I finally drift off, I sleep for ages. I find it nearly impossible to shake the fog in the morning. For me, the struggle isn't staying asleep—it's actually getting the engine started in the first place.

shadowbear9 said:Well, I went ahead and asked at the local pharmacy. If you have insurance coverage, there shouldn't be a cost, but if not, you'll just have to pay the copay $3.25 😉 for both the QPin and the Seroquel. I suppose the price depends on the dosage, though I doubt it's going to be anything too crazy...

I've got American supplemental insurance, so I don't pay anything for the Q-pin (either the 25 mg or 100 mg doses)—but apparently, under this new prescription I'm using, it isn't covered.🙂

fadedbear92 said:I've got American supplemental insurance, so I don't pay anything for the Q-pin (either the 25 mg or 100 mg doses)—but apparently, under this new prescription I'm using, it isn't covered.🙂

What exactly do you mean by that? In the US, insurance typically covers all the supplemental charges from the standard formulary, unless you're looking at something that isn't on the covered lists—for instance, medications like Dormicum or Fluzepam.
I have to ask, how is it that you seem to have an answer for everything? Regarding Coaxil, would you say it is generally ineffective? A friend of mine mentioned she isn't feeling any impact from it at all. She has never had a history of alcohol use, but she was prescribed this specifically to manage her primary condition, which, quite frankly, is incredibly depressing to deal with.

Skickas FR

First time posting here, so I’m kind of flying blind on how to even start this... I've been living on antidepressants since back in 2006. Started out on Paxil, Helex, and Sanval. Over the years, I pretty much stuck with just the Paxil. I tried tapering off a few times with my doctor, but honestly, the second we started dropping the dose, I felt like absolute trash. Plus, I put on a lot of weight. But hey, whatever, I’d basically made peace with the idea that I’d just be popping these pills for the rest of my life. Then, everything hit the fan this year. Back in February, my son—he's in elementary school—got diagnosed with Type 1 diabetes. Even with the Paxil, I just crumbled. Between that, a rough marriage, money troubles, and all those other everyday stressors most people deal with, I just couldn't take it. "I barely made it through" that whole hospital stretch with him. Once we finally got home, I saw my psychiatrist, and he switched me over to Effexor 35.5 plus some Helex as needed. I started the Effexor about a month ago. For the first week, I was taking one Effexor in the evening while still doing one Paxil in the morning. Now, it’s been 24 days of taking one Effexor in the morning and one at night. And look, I can't say it's going great. I’m constantly trying to force myself to get moving, but I just can't. My stomach is in knots—it feels like it's been through a blender—and my head just feels heavy. I’m spiraling a bit wondering what to do. I have to stay functional for my kids, but I feel like there's this invisible brake being pulled on me. Are these just side effects? Will it pass? Should I switch meds, or should I just grit my teeth and wait for things to get better? Maybe it’s a mistake on my part, but I try to avoid the Helex whenever I can, though I don't even know why. The only thing is, I do sleep, though I wake up twice a night to check my son's blood sugar levels. I fall back asleep, but then the mornings and the days just absolutely wreck me. I have so many responsibilities I’d love to just skip, but I have zero motivation. During the day, I can't even lie down to rest because I feel this constant restlessness. I feel so alone in this and I don't know how to help myself after all this time. The daily stress from a thousand different things just makes everything ten times harder, regardless of the meds. Sorry, I know this is a massive wall of text... please, if anyone has experience with Effexor, I really need some advice.

Noah Watson32 said:First time posting here, so I’m kind of flying blind on how to even start this... I've been living on antidepressants since back in 2006. Started out on Paxil, Helex, and Sanval. Over the years, I pretty much stuck with just the Paxil. I tried tapering off a few times with my doctor, but honestly, the second we started dropping the dose, I felt like absolute trash. Plus, I put on a lot of weight. But hey, whatever, I’d basically made peace with the idea that I’d just be popping these pills for the rest of my life. Then, everything hit the fan this year. Back in February, my son—he's in elementary school—got diagnosed with Type 1 diabetes. Even with the Paxil, I just crumbled. Between that, a rough marriage, money troubles, and all those other everyday stressors most people deal with, I just couldn't take it. "I barely made it through" that whole hospital stretch with him. Once we finally got home, I saw my psychiatrist, and he switched me over to Effexor 35.5 plus some Helex as needed. I started the Effexor about a month ago. For the first week, I was taking one Effexor in the evening while still doing one Paxil in the morning. Now, it’s been 24 days of taking one Effexor in the morning and one at night. And look, I can't say it's going great. I’m constantly trying to force myself to get moving, but I just can't. My stomach is in knots—it feels like it's been through a blender—and my head just feels heavy. I’m spiraling a bit wondering what to do. I have to stay functional for my kids, but I feel like there's this invisible brake being pulled on me. Are these just side effects? Will it pass? Should I switch meds, or should I just grit my teeth and wait for things to get better? Maybe it’s a mistake on my part, but I try to avoid the Helex whenever I can, though I don't even know why. The only thing is, I do sleep, though I wake up twice a night to check my son's blood sugar levels. I fall back asleep, but then the mornings and the days just absolutely wreck me. I have so many responsibilities I’d love to just skip, but I have zero motivation. During the day, I can't even lie down to rest because I feel this constant restlessness. I feel so alone in this and I don't know how to help myself after all this time. The daily stress from a thousand different things just makes everything ten times harder, regardless of the meds. Sorry, I know this is a massive wall of text... please, if anyone has experience with Effexor, I really need some advice.

I would strongly advise you to consult with your doctor.
My experience with Effexor—it completely wrecked my sleep, so after three weeks, I talked to my shrink and we discontinued it.
What you're feeling is likely side effects.
Wait for someone else to chime in, but definitely check in with your doctor.

helpful links

http://www.drsandic.net/archives/284

fadedbear92 said:I've got American supplemental insurance, so I don't pay anything for the Q-pin (either the 25 mg or 100 mg doses)—but apparently, under this new prescription I'm using, it isn't covered.🙂

I usually just have standard student health insurance🤷 does that even cover these things? I honestly have no idea...
...?