Psychotropic medication discussion thread

So you definitely need to check with your doctor
I was on Seroxat for quite a while—it hits a bit harder than Zoloft. After that, I managed to stay off meds for about six months since things were looking up. But then everything flared up again, just in a different way, so she put me back on 50mg of Zoloft and 0.5mg of Helex

Jason Vaughn482 said:Are you truly wide awake at three-thirty in the morning? It feels as though the entire world has surrendered to sleep, leaving only the restless and the weary to wander through the silent, hollow hours.

Unfortunately, it's due to the new Apple medication.

Sent from my iPhone

restlesstiger49 said:I’ve been on it for about four weeks now. I haven't dealt with any side effects, but honestly, I don't feel like it's doing anything yet—though I suppose it should be helping with my anxiety... The only thing is, I feel pretty wired in the evenings (I take my 50mg dose around lunchtime), which makes falling asleep a real struggle.
A quick question for the group: Along with the Zoloft, I'm also prescribed Zyprexa at night. To be honest, I'm not even sure why. Sometimes it knocks me out, and other times it does nothing at all. But the next morning, I feel even more lethargic than usual—it feels like it just drains whatever dopamine I have left. My diagnosis is F60.3. Does anyone have an idea what that medication is for? I don't experience any psychotic episodes that would require that kind of sedation. I totally forgot to ask my therapist about this during our last session, so maybe someone here has some insight. I'll definitely make sure to bring it up at my next appointment.

Thanks!

F-150 refers to BPD, or Borderline Personality Disorder... we actually have a thread for that right here. Psychotropic meds used to stabilize that kind of condition usually include anxiolytics... and very often a combination of antidepressants and antipsychotics. With this specific disorder, you don't necessarily have psychotic breaks, but antipsychotics are prescribed to help manage those intense emotional outbursts.
Keep a close eye on how the Zyprexa affects you and watch out for side effects... if you notice them getting worse, make sure to contact your psychiatrist right away. Usually, Zyprexa can really spike your appetite... be careful that it doesn't end up pulling you down further instead of lifting you up. Also, watch out for tremors or twitching in your hands and legs; I dealt with that myself and had to use Akineton to manage it. It's generally a good medication, but there are plenty of side effects... the key is to react quickly.
Good luck.

Brian Young5 said:Have you been on that medication since the insomnia first hit, or did you start with something lighter? Also, how long have you been taking Q-pin, and have you had to increase the dose? Sorry if you already covered this earlier; I don't hang out in this thread every day and things are getting a bit intense right now.

I've been through plenty of different meds—honestly, this one is the best. It doesn't feel addictive, even if you increase the dose (at least until you hit that sweet spot where you can finally sleep 7 or 8 hours straight).

fadedbear92 said:I've been through plenty of different meds—honestly, this one is the best. It doesn't feel addictive, even if you increase the dose (at least until you hit that sweet spot where you can finally sleep 7 or 8 hours straight).

Thanks.
I’ve got a question for anyone who actually knows the answer—regardless of my previous posts. Is it possible to develop a tolerance to psychotropic drugs? Specifically Seroquel. I’m doing fine, there’s no crisis happening, but the medication suddenly isn't hitting like it used to. For example, it doesn't calm me down or knock me out anymore, and I find I need a higher dose just to get the same effect. Online sources (various international forums, official medical sites, Wikipedia) all claim it's possible (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Drug_tolerance, http://drugs.about.com/od/mdrugandme...erance_def.htm, http://www.healthline.com/health-blo...drug-tolerance etc.), yet every single psychiatrist I've talked to insists it can't happen. Who am I supposed to believe? (Forget my specific situation; I know my insomnia is tied to some underlying issue, I'm asking about drug tolerance in general). And if it *is* possible, why do psychiatrists (at least everyone I've dealt with, including the ones on duty at the 911 Emergency Center) always seem to say otherwise?

George Allen71 said:F-150 refers to BPD, or Borderline Personality Disorder... we actually have a thread for that right here. Psychotropic meds used to stabilize that kind of condition usually include anxiolytics... and very often a combination of antidepressants and antipsychotics. With this specific disorder, you don't necessarily have psychotic breaks, but antipsychotics are prescribed to help manage those intense emotional outbursts.
Keep a close eye on how the Zyprexa affects you and watch out for side effects... if you notice them getting worse, make sure to contact your psychiatrist right away. Usually, Zyprexa can really spike your appetite... be careful that it doesn't end up pulling you down further instead of lifting you up. Also, watch out for tremors or twitching in your hands and legs; I dealt with that myself and had to use Akineton to manage it. It's generally a good medication, but there are plenty of side effects... the key is to react quickly.
Good luck.

Heh, I feel pretty level right now. I don't really have much of an emotional reaction to anything at all.🤷

George Allen71 said:F-150 refers to BPD, or Borderline Personality Disorder... we actually have a thread for that right here. Psychotropic meds used to stabilize that kind of condition usually include anxiolytics... and very often a combination of antidepressants and antipsychotics. With this specific disorder, you don't necessarily have psychotic breaks, but antipsychotics are prescribed to help manage those intense emotional outbursts.
Keep a close eye on how the Zyprexa affects you and watch out for side effects... if you notice them getting worse, make sure to contact your psychiatrist right away. Usually, Zyprexa can really spike your appetite... be careful that it doesn't end up pulling you down further instead of lifting you up. Also, watch out for tremors or twitching in your hands and legs; I dealt with that myself and had to use Akineton to manage it. It's generally a good medication, but there are plenty of side effects... the key is to react quickly.
Good luck.

I haven't noticed any major side effects, just some drowsiness and a lack of motivation the next morning if I take it before bed.

It’s a weird phenomenon how certain sedatives can actually have the exact opposite effect on some people—instead of chilling them out, they end up wired or even hyperactive.

The brain is a hilarious thing.

Kevin Bailey2 said:It’s a weird phenomenon how certain sedatives can actually have the exact opposite effect on some people—instead of chilling them out, they end up wired or even hyperactive.

The brain is a hilarious thing.

To be honest, taking Cymbalta feels a bit like being on a mild high, or perhaps a sort of half-ecstasy. During those first few days, I felt incredibly drowsy. I think I will have to reach out to my psychiatrist to see if we should adjust the dosage; even though things are a bit chaotic for me right now—dealing with some health issues here in the States—it isn't necessarily a bad thing to feel this "up."
In fact, I am so wired that I stay up all night like an owl. I ended up giving up on Sanval because, given these side effects, it simply doesn't seem to work at all; I suppose the state of excitement is just overpowering the hypnotic effect.

Best regards,

restlesstrucker15 said:To be honest, taking Cymbalta feels a bit like being on a mild high, or perhaps a sort of half-ecstasy. During those first few days, I felt incredibly drowsy. I think I will have to reach out to my psychiatrist to see if we should adjust the dosage; even though things are a bit chaotic for me right now—dealing with some health issues here in the States—it isn't necessarily a bad thing to feel this "up."
In fact, I am so wired that I stay up all night like an owl. I ended up giving up on Sanval because, given these side effects, it simply doesn't seem to work at all; I suppose the state of excitement is just overpowering the hypnotic effect.

Best regards,

I totally get why you're chasing that high, but you can see you aren't sleeping at all—you won't be able to sustain this long-term, no matter what.😉

Quincy:

fadedbear92 As specified by: I understand why you feel the need to stay in that heightened state, but you can clearly see for yourself that you aren't sleeping. You won't be able to sustain this lifestyle indefinitely.😉

Yes, I’ve come to that realization myself. Thank you, Regina.

Skickas fr

I’ve already been prescribed Normabel and Xanax, but there’s this note on my latest psychiatrist's paperwork saying my primary care physician can prescribe a different drug from the same class with equal effectiveness and dosage.

The problem is, Normabel does absolutely nothing for me, and Xanax just turns my brain into mush. I really want to try a different anti-anxiety med, so I'm wondering—can I just head to my GP and ask for a switch, or am I stuck waiting for an appointment with the psychiatrist?

Based on what the paper says, I figure I should be able to, but honestly, I never know what to expect from these family doctors. Plus, since I'm dealing with a medication change right now, I just want to be sure.

Hello everyone! 🙂 I’ve been reading this thread for a long time now, so I finally decided to register and share my own journey with you all. I'm checking in from Boston and sending my best to everyone here who is dealing with similar struggles 🙂
I am 24, turning 25 soon 😁. My first mental health issues started at age 20 when I began taking Apple due to severe depression triggered by a long-term breakup and some rough experiences at college... My diagnosis back then was F31.0—classic depression—and I was put on 50mg of Zoloft and 1mg of Xanax SR in the evening... I'm not sure why, but the Apple really hit the mark for me on the first try; with the Zoloft, I felt like I truly "woke up" and became functional again within my community, friend group, and family...
After that period of stability, my depression worsened. After about eight months on Zoloft, I stopped my medication after discussing it with my psychiatrist... I went several months without any psychotropic drugs, not even sedatives, but I started feeling increasingly strange. I wouldn't recognize myself in the mirror in the morning, and I became incredibly suspicious of everyone, including my own family. It was all an introduction to what would later crystallize into a formal diagnosis...
Time passed, and things just kept getting worse... Following the paranoia came auditory hallucinations and two suicide attempts, after which I was transferred to a psychiatric hospital and started on 2mg of Haldol (three times a day) along with Akineton...
I reacted very poorly to the first-generation antipsychotics I tried (Haldol, Moditen, Prazina, and Nozinan), so they were discontinued in short intervals...
The summer before last, I was prescribed Risset at 2 mg (1/2, 1/2, 1), totaling 4mg daily, alongside 50mg of Zoloft. Once again, I went into remission (I felt amazing, so after three months, I stopped the meds again) and ended up back in the hospital. There, they prescribed Zyprexa (olanzapine)—which, personally, has been a miracle for me. I felt a slight improvement after the first two weeks, and after four weeks, the voices vanished completely. And so... this past January, I stopped my treatment again and ended up hospitalized once more. That was when I promised myself, my family, and my doctor that I would stick to my medication strictly...
My current regimen is as follows:

Aripiprazol tabs 10mg (1,0,0)
Zyprexa tabs 10mg (0,0,1 and 1/2)
Calixta tabs 15mg (0,0,1)
Depakine chrono tabs 300mg (1,0,1)
Xanax tabs 0.5mg (0,1,0)
Nexium tabs 20mg (0,0,1) (because my stomach has been a mess from all the heavy pills)

I'm interested in hearing from anyone else on a similar antipsychotic regimen. I'd love to exchange experiences and just support one another in staying compliant with our treatments...🙂 Sometimes it's hard for me when I look in the mirror and see the weight gain from the Zyprexa, but on the other hand, I thank God that such a medicine exists because I don't know what I'd do without it. It manages my psychosis incredibly well, the Calixta helps me sleep soundly at night, and during the day, it clears away the tension and nervousness I used to feel...

My final diagnosis was established last year... it was initially diagnosed as F23.0 (acute psychotic disorder) two years ago, but after two relapses, it was finalized as F20.0 (paranoid schizophrenia).

To those of you who are "lucky" enough to only deal with neurosis and depression: please consider antipsychotics a last resort. They carry a heavy side-effect profile, and they should only be an option if you truly cannot function without them. Playing around with different antipsychotics can be quite uncomfortable and dangerous...😢

Unfortunately, I have to take them, and every single day feels like a new struggle... 😢

I’ve started dealing with this sudden wave of anxiety during the mornings and afternoons. It’s been about a month since I started taking Zoloft, and now it’s hitting me out of nowhere. Has anyone else experienced something similar with antidepressants? Specifically, is it possible that the medication is actually starting to kick in, and this increased anxiety is just a side effect? It wasn't really an issue when I first started the treatment.

I dealt with similar anxiety from Apple during the first couple of weeks on therapy—but I was also taking 1mg of Xanax SR at the time, which helped me manage those feelings... I'm not sure, maybe just wait it out a bit longer (using a sedative while the Apple kicks in), and if you still feel bad, suggest to your doctor that they switch your AD

Anyone else here currently on Zeldox (Ziprasidone)?

Well, hey there!
What's on your mind? 😁

How many milligrams are you on daily, and does it actually sedate you? Like, what’s the actual effect on you?

It almost never knocks me out, maybe once in a blue moon if I'm lucky, but even then, I don't really feel it doing anything at all.

Just 180mg.

It doesn't make me feel sedated at all. But, honestly, I feel like when it comes to managing psychosis, Seroquel really does the job.🙂

@Alexiss 🙂 Hi there!

I was wondering if you deal with hunger spikes on Seroquel too? I managed to get things mostly under control while I was on Olanzapine, but I slipped up again tonight and ate late 🙂 sometimes it just feels stronger than I am. My therapist mentioned that Calista might also act as an appetite stimulant, too...

I take Wellbutrin in the evening. I suppose I am wondering whether it is best to take it right before hitting the sack, or if any time during the evening will suffice? I ask because the instructions specify a 100 mg dose to be taken at night.