Psychotropic medication discussion thread

Paul Newman5 said:Thanks for the info, but when you can text your doctor at 9 PM and actually get a reply, that’s a privilege. Just stating a fact—not everyone has that kind of access, and they can't. That was just my take, or maybe a clumsy comment, but calling me stupid for it is unnecessary. It feels like you're calling me an idiot, which isn't nice, especially since I wasn't even attacking you directly.

Yeah, after 11 years of therapy, I know a privilege when I see one.
Look, I really don't want to get into a back-and-forth argument here—it's just not worth it. In the context of what I was asking, that comment felt unnecessary, but hey, we all process things differently, right? We're all a little sensitive sometimes—I certainly am!—and I have no desire to be
Long story short, the info is what matters.

restlesstiger49 said:I have a question for anyone who has used Lexapro. I'm curious if you experienced anything beyond just nausea—which seems to be a pretty common side effect—such as heightened anxiety, intense psychomotor agitation (like being unable to sit still), trouble concentrating, or dizziness. Based on your experience, how long does this usually last? Everything hit me all at once, and honestly, it's becoming unbearable. I'd love to stop taking this medication as soon as possible.

I was on Lexapro for about a month, just one pack. For the first week, the side effects were somewhat manageable since I was taking at least half a dose, but once I bumped up to the full pill every day, everything changed. New symptoms popped up and the old ones just got way worse.
By the end, I was anxious 24/7. My phobias flared up, and I started feeling anxiety symptoms I'd never even dealt with before.
I ended up stopping the meds after talking it over with my doctor, and even though I wasn't taking the Lexapro anymore, it took about three weeks for the side effects to finally die down.

I also found myself leaning on Xanax way more during that time, since that was basically the only thing that could actually calm me down at any given hour.

restlesstiger49 said:I have a question for anyone who has used Lexapro. I'm curious if you experienced anything beyond just nausea—which seems to be a pretty common side effect—such as heightened anxiety, intense psychomotor agitation (like being unable to sit still), trouble concentrating, or dizziness. Based on your experience, how long does this usually last? Everything hit me all at once, and honestly, it's becoming unbearable. I'd love to stop taking this medication as soon as possible.

I barely made it through three weeks on that stuff—it was brutal. I felt constantly drugged or lightheaded, so I finally told my doctor I couldn't deal with it anymore, and that was that; she switched me over to a different med immediately.😍

Today was an absolute disaster, quite frankly. I ended up trekking down to the psychiatric ER because my next scheduled appointment isn't for another month, and I’m feeling utterly drained—completely exhausted, especially since I'm currently fighting off a nasty virus. I went in hoping they might adjust my meds or offer some relief, but instead, I was met with a complete stranger. This doctor, someone I've never even seen before, started grilling me with these intense questions. I tried to be honest about everything—the anxiety, the crushing fatigue—and when she asked if I would be open to an antipsychotic, I figured, why not? Let's give it a shot. And that is exactly where I stepped into a trap. She scribbled down a prescription for Olanzapine, and I walked out of the office without even glancing at the official report. I was only in there for maybe ten minutes total. It wasn't until I was outside that I actually read the summary, and let me tell you, it hit me like a physical blow. She had documented "severe depressive episode with psychotic features." I marched right back in. I demanded an explanation of how on earth she could reach such a heavy diagnosis after a mere ten-minute conversation—something that was never communicated to me. It reminded me of what we were discussing the other day regarding how doctors often feel compelled to note "psychosis" just to justify prescribing certain medications. I looked her straight in the eye and told her, "If you only wrote that to facilitate the medication, I won't accept it under those terms. I am returning this paperwork to you, and I expect you to delete that from the system immediately." And what do you think happened? She refused. She stood her ground, claiming that because she had already seen me and made her assessment, she wouldn't budge. I handed the papers back and retreated home, absolutely livid. The reality is that not every specialist you see—whether it's a cardiologist, a GI doctor, or anyone else—is going to pore over your entire history, but all of this is sitting right there in the digital record for them to see. It’s not a secret anymore. I lost my temper completely. My regular doctor has known me for years and has never once labeled me with anything like that; she knows my history is strictly Gap Inc., and that's it. No depression, no psychosis. So now, what am I supposed to do? This label feels like a permanent stain, a stigma that will follow me forever. She clearly wasn't comfortable when I confronted her, but she stubbornly refused to yield. What would you all have done in my shoes?

Jason Vaughn482 said:Today was an absolute disaster, quite frankly. I ended up trekking down to the psychiatric ER because my next scheduled appointment isn't for another month, and I’m feeling utterly drained—completely exhausted, especially since I'm currently fighting off a nasty virus. I went in hoping they might adjust my meds or offer some relief, but instead, I was met with a complete stranger. This doctor, someone I've never even seen before, started grilling me with these intense questions. I tried to be honest about everything—the anxiety, the crushing fatigue—and when she asked if I would be open to an antipsychotic, I figured, why not? Let's give it a shot. And that is exactly where I stepped into a trap. She scribbled down a prescription for Olanzapine, and I walked out of the office without even glancing at the official report. I was only in there for maybe ten minutes total. It wasn't until I was outside that I actually read the summary, and let me tell you, it hit me like a physical blow. She had documented "severe depressive episode with psychotic features." I marched right back in. I demanded an explanation of how on earth she could reach such a heavy diagnosis after a mere ten-minute conversation—something that was never communicated to me. It reminded me of what we were discussing the other day regarding how doctors often feel compelled to note "psychosis" just to justify prescribing certain medications. I looked her straight in the eye and told her, "If you only wrote that to facilitate the medication, I won't accept it under those terms. I am returning this paperwork to you, and I expect you to delete that from the system immediately." And what do you think happened? She refused. She stood her ground, claiming that because she had already seen me and made her assessment, she wouldn't budge. I handed the papers back and retreated home, absolutely livid. The reality is that not every specialist you see—whether it's a cardiologist, a GI doctor, or anyone else—is going to pore over your entire history, but all of this is sitting right there in the digital record for them to see. It’s not a secret anymore. I lost my temper completely. My regular doctor has known me for years and has never once labeled me with anything like that; she knows my history is strictly Gap Inc., and that's it. No depression, no psychosis. So now, what am I supposed to do? This label feels like a permanent stain, a stigma that will follow me forever. She clearly wasn't comfortable when I confronted her, but she stubbornly refused to yield. What would you all have done in my shoes?

You can always just choose not to hand the report over to your primary care physician.

My doctor misdiagnosed me the exact same way, so I've got that heavy diagnosis stuck in my medical records too, and it bugs me just as much as it bugs you. Even two years later, I still get pissed off just thinking about it.

Brandon Lopez6 said:You can always just choose not to hand the report over to your primary care physician.

My doctor misdiagnosed me the exact same way, so I've got that heavy diagnosis stuck in my medical records too, and it bugs me just as much as it bugs you. Even two years later, I still get pissed off just thinking about it.

Oh, believe me, I didn't even want to take it. I handed the paperwork right back to her and demanded she wipe it from the system, but she refused. It’s truly staggering how they try to convince us we're more unstable than we actually are... honestly, when I confronted her, I found myself wondering: what exactly do they think makes my fears psychotic? If I have an elevated tumor marker and am required to undergo blood work and abdominal ultrasounds every six months, that isn't some irrational delusion—that's medical reality. I am absolutely livid right now. I even went looking for my regular physician, but she wasn't on duty, so I tracked down this other woman to fix the error, only to be told she "can't delete someone else's findings" and that it’s now permanently etched into the computer. My records used to show a 41.1, but today she entered this heavy-duty depressive disorder with psychotic features... you could tell she felt awkward about it, yet she stubbornly refused to clear it.
And what exactly is an F33.3 classification?

It feels like I’m just spinning my wheels, repeating the exact same grievances here as I do with my doctor—this constant, gnawing fear regarding my health, coupled with an exhaustion so profound it feels bone-deep. It’s particularly brutal lately because of this Calixte medication; it leaves me in such a fog in the morning that I can barely find my footing. As for the antidepressants, I’ve cycled through nothing but this one, plus a brief stint on Zoloft and Coaxil, and you wouldn't believe how quickly they all pivot straight toward the Associated Press recommendations. Honestly, looking at the way things work, it’s hard not to feel like they’re all just chasing a commission check rather than actually helping us.

Jason Vaughn482 said:Oh, believe me, I didn't even want to take it. I handed the paperwork right back to her and demanded she wipe it from the system, but she refused. It’s truly staggering how they try to convince us we're more unstable than we actually are... honestly, when I confronted her, I found myself wondering: what exactly do they think makes my fears psychotic? If I have an elevated tumor marker and am required to undergo blood work and abdominal ultrasounds every six months, that isn't some irrational delusion—that's medical reality. I am absolutely livid right now. I even went looking for my regular physician, but she wasn't on duty, so I tracked down this other woman to fix the error, only to be told she "can't delete someone else's findings" and that it’s now permanently etched into the computer. My records used to show a 41.1, but today she entered this heavy-duty depressive disorder with psychotic features... you could tell she felt awkward about it, yet she stubbornly refused to clear it.
And what exactly is an F33.3 classification?

Back then, I was dealing with intrusive thoughts—OCD triggered by months of being harassed by a landlord, which ended with me getting evicted and developing a massive phobia of being alone. Because of that, I got tagged with F33.3. Of course, I had no clue what that meant at the time, so I Googled it. What comes up? "F33.3 Recurrent depressive disorder, current episode severe with psychotic symptoms." Like, what the hell? I’ve never been depressed in my life (aside from those temporary winter blues), and I’ve definitely never been psychotic. I just had intrusive thoughts.

I don't even know what to say to you. It drives me absolutely insane when my referral still says F33.3, even though my actual diagnosis is F41 now (I’ve had OCD episodes before too). It’s so embarrassing to carry around referrals like that because not everyone needs to know I'm "crazy." Especially since I'm not that crazy, and honestly, I'm not even that far gone.

I don't think there's any way to get it deleted. And the worst part? I'm terrified it's going to haunt me later on, like when applying for jobs. Even though an employer technically shouldn't have access to that data, if they really wanted to dig, they could. Even the lady at the CVS pharmacy can see what meds I'm taking just by typing in my name and birthday, and I bet somewhere in that system, the diagnosis is listed too.

Brandon Lopez6 said:Back then, I was dealing with intrusive thoughts—OCD triggered by months of being harassed by a landlord, which ended with me getting evicted and developing a massive phobia of being alone. Because of that, I got tagged with F33.3. Of course, I had no clue what that meant at the time, so I Googled it. What comes up? "F33.3 Recurrent depressive disorder, current episode severe with psychotic symptoms." Like, what the hell? I’ve never been depressed in my life (aside from those temporary winter blues), and I’ve definitely never been psychotic. I just had intrusive thoughts.

I don't even know what to say to you. It drives me absolutely insane when my referral still says F33.3, even though my actual diagnosis is F41 now (I’ve had OCD episodes before too). It’s so embarrassing to carry around referrals like that because not everyone needs to know I'm "crazy." Especially since I'm not that crazy, and honestly, I'm not even that far gone.

I don't think there's any way to get it deleted. And the worst part? I'm terrified it's going to haunt me later on, like when applying for jobs. Even though an employer technically shouldn't have access to that data, if they really wanted to dig, they could. Even the lady at the CVS pharmacy can see what meds I'm taking just by typing in my name and birthday, and I bet somewhere in that system, the diagnosis is listed too.

Exactly, she gave me the same thing! Can you believe it? She saw me for the first time and was already ten steps ahead of me. But listen, it doesn't have to stay that way indefinitely. Once you visit your primary care physician, they should update your records with the correct diagnosis. Why would they keep labeling you as 33.3 when you're clearly 41 now?

Jason Vaughn482 said:Exactly, she gave me the same thing! Can you believe it? She saw me for the first time and was already ten steps ahead of me. But listen, it doesn't have to stay that way indefinitely. Once you visit your primary care physician, they should update your records with the correct diagnosis. Why would they keep labeling you as 33.3 when you're clearly 41 now?

It's because my doctor is a bit... well, scatterbrained 😁.
He hasn't even factored in my two new diagnoses (the main one is anxiety, but I also have a personality disorder on the chart), yet he keeps logging the old one. I always mean to bring it up, but then I totally blank on it.

magdalena1967 said:Back when I first brought up how my psychiatrist diagnosed me with bipolar disorder solely based on my reaction to Lamictal, I was absolutely torn apart by certain people here. They went after me relentlessly, labeling our doctors as nothing more than charlatans and painting me as some kind of deceiver trying to mislead the rest of the community.
Even my own psychiatrist insists that she can't just prescribe an AP without also noting a psychotic episode.
But there are folks in this group who simply refuse to believe that, so I’ve learned it’s a losing battle to even try to explain myself. Besides, we aren't all lucky enough to have that kind of rapport with our doctors—where you can speak casually, send a quick text, or just drop in whenever things get heavy.

Exactly, you were within your rights... I didn't realize that at the time. The real headache is that the very same doctor who wrote that diagnosis during my ER visit refused to back down from it. She knew perfectly well why she documented it that way, but I'm stubborn enough to be considering seeing a different specialist just to challenge that finding, especially since she wouldn't budge on removing it, even though I never intended to accept the diagnosis in the first place.

Brandon Lopez6 said:It's because my doctor is a bit... well, scatterbrained 😁.
He hasn't even factored in my two new diagnoses (the main one is anxiety, but I also have a personality disorder on the chart), yet he keeps logging the old one. I always mean to bring it up, but then I totally blank on it.

Hold on a second—are we talking about your psychiatrist or your primary care physician? That distinction has always been a blurry line to me... honestly, I’m increasingly convinced that half these doctors don't even know how to properly assign a diagnosis; they just pick whatever fits their current mood or schedule. Personally, I know exactly what I'm dealing with because I live it every single day. For instance, I don't feel like I'm spiraling into true depression, even though that was on my chart previously. My provider always insisted there was no psychosis involved, and eventually, she realized on her own that my core issue is actually anxiety, so she updated my code to generalized anxiety, even while noting "depression in remission" underneath. If you ask me, the depression was never really the driver; perhaps it was just a byproduct of the anxiety—that heavy, draining sensation you get when you can't do everything you want to do, but it's hardly the clinical depression people imagine.

@magdalena1967, @Brandon Lopez6, and @fadedbear92, thanks for the replies! It really helps to know I’m not the only one dealing with such brutal side effects. To be honest, after going through this, I don't even have the energy to think about trying other medications, but we'll see what the doctors have to say.

Now I just have to power through this nausea...🙂 damn it!!!

Hey everyone. Did anyone else deal with a massive dip in mood during those first two weeks of starting Zoloft? Like, my depression actually felt way worse before the meds finally kicked in. Is that actually a thing?

mellowtinker7 said:Hey everyone. Did anyone else deal with a massive dip in mood during those first two weeks of starting Zoloft? Like, my depression actually felt way worse before the meds finally kicked in. Is that actually a thing?

I'm not entirely sure if that's a common physiological reaction, but personally, I didn't experience that kind of dip.

mellowtinker7 said:Hey everyone. Did anyone else deal with a massive dip in mood during those first two weeks of starting Zoloft? Like, my depression actually felt way worse before the meds finally kicked in. Is that actually a thing?

I didn't experience that personally—but it could definitely happen. You should probably check the patient information leaflet and definitely run it by your therapist.

mellowtinker7 said:Hey everyone. Did anyone else deal with a massive dip in mood during those first two weeks of starting Zoloft? Like, my depression actually felt way worse before the meds finally kicked in. Is that actually a thing?

Yeah, it happens. It’s pretty common and it does pass, so just hang in there—the side effects should let up soon. Things really start looking up after that initial hump.
For me, the jitters, insomnia, and just feeling totally "weird" in my head lasted exactly two weeks. Just try to push through; your body is just adjusting to those new serotonin levels, and once it settles, you won't even notice you're taking it. My libido took a hit, but even that seems to be getting back to normal.

Jason Vaughn482 said:Hold on a second—are we talking about your psychiatrist or your primary care physician? That distinction has always been a blurry line to me... honestly, I’m increasingly convinced that half these doctors don't even know how to properly assign a diagnosis; they just pick whatever fits their current mood or schedule. Personally, I know exactly what I'm dealing with because I live it every single day. For instance, I don't feel like I'm spiraling into true depression, even though that was on my chart previously. My provider always insisted there was no psychosis involved, and eventually, she realized on her own that my core issue is actually anxiety, so she updated my code to generalized anxiety, even while noting "depression in remission" underneath. If you ask me, the depression was never really the driver; perhaps it was just a byproduct of the anxiety—that heavy, draining sensation you get when you can't do everything you want to do, but it's hardly the clinical depression people imagine.

primary care

restlesstiger49 said:@magdalena1967, @Brandon Lopez6, and @fadedbear92, thanks for the replies! It really helps to know I’m not the only one dealing with such brutal side effects. To be honest, after going through this, I don't even have the energy to think about trying other medications, but we'll see what the doctors have to say.

Now I just have to power through this nausea...🙂 damn it!!!

That's exactly why I'm terrified to start anything else.

Brandon Lopez6 said:primary care

That's exactly why I'm terrified to start anything else.

You know, I'm right there with you in that fear. But honestly, I can't bring myself to give up the search for the right medication. It feels like Lexapro is finally starting to kick in during the afternoons; for the first time in ages, I actually felt like a human being again—you know, like I actually wanted to live and all that. My only issue is that the cost for that feeling is just way too high. It's becoming impossible to sustain. 😢

Jason Vaughn482 said:Hold on a second—are we talking about your psychiatrist or your primary care physician? That distinction has always been a blurry line to me... honestly, I’m increasingly convinced that half these doctors don't even know how to properly assign a diagnosis; they just pick whatever fits their current mood or schedule. Personally, I know exactly what I'm dealing with because I live it every single day. For instance, I don't feel like I'm spiraling into true depression, even though that was on my chart previously. My provider always insisted there was no psychosis involved, and eventually, she realized on her own that my core issue is actually anxiety, so she updated my code to generalized anxiety, even while noting "depression in remission" underneath. If you ask me, the depression was never really the driver; perhaps it was just a byproduct of the anxiety—that heavy, draining sensation you get when you can't do everything you want to do, but it's hardly the clinical depression people imagine.

Look, a diagnosis can be changed; what really matters is what your GP puts in your file. You don't have to hand over those specific results to her if you don't want to.
Under U.S. law, no one can access your medical records without a court order, and even a nurse isn't permitted to go snooping through them.

However, if you happen to find yourself at the same hospital system, once any doctor types in your ID number, all your previous findings will pop up on their screen. But please, don't worry; everyone there is focused on treating the reason you walked through the door—the physical symptoms—and almost everyone will ask what medications you're taking. In my experience, nobody even bats an eye when I mention I'm on an antidepressant; all these professionals are trained to recognize if someone is experiencing psychosis.

Also, let's try not to label people as "crazy." This is something that could happen to any one of us.

On the bright side, it’s actually great that your psychologist works in the same hospital system, so she can advise you on how to handle things if you decide to seek counseling again. I'm sure there's a department head there who could arrange for a third specialist to examine you if needed.

And maybe try a different antidepressant. You just have to grit your teeth through two or three weeks of side effects. It isn't easy, but that's just how the process goes.

Sending love, fr