Psychotropic medication discussion thread

Kate Kern said: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.

I was also told to take Calista at night... honestly, I usually just take it around 8:00 or 8:30 PM, and I can already feel myself getting sleepy and ready for bed 😁

Kate Ramos93 said:@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...

Hey. 😉

Oh man, yes. The hunger hits me hard. You can definitely tell by the scale.
I feel hungry all the time—honestly, it wasn't even this bad back when I was on John Doe... But once I started the new meds, I put on about 45 pounds, and don't even get me started on how it's going now... I'm already up about 65 pounds over my goal weight. My doctor told me today that I really need to drop some weight, and my therapist said I should aim to lose at least 25 or 30 pounds first...
I know I have to... it's just so hard to find the strength to do it. 🤷

I was on Seroquel for a relatively short stint—maybe about a month and a half—and at a fairly low dose (25/25/50), totaling 100mg. I still managed to put on about 18 pounds during that time. Then they switched me over to Risperdal, which added another four or five pounds, and after that came Zyprexa. I’ve been on Zyprexa the longest, about two and a half years now, and I’ve gained roughly 33 pounds since I started... so when you add it all up, I ended up right where you are.
My Psychiatric doctor introduced this new med, Abilify, during my last hospitalization. He told me it wouldn't cause nearly as much weight gain and wouldn't be as sedating, and so far, he seems to be right 😁 though I am still taking 15mg of Zyprexa alongside the 10mg of Abilify xD

But what choice do I have... because without the Zyprexa, I'm just a walking schizoid maniac 😁

Quick question: Can you take an anxiolytic (Vistaril) at the same time as an antidepressant (Zoloft), or should there be a gap between doses?

wearycyclist17 said:Quick question: Can you take an anxiolytic (Vistaril) at the same time as an antidepressant (Zoloft), or should there be a gap between doses?

You can—just don't use the Xanax for more than three weeks straight, otherwise you run the risk of getting hooked.

So, I was recently prescribed this medication that’s actually working wonders for me. But now I'm freaking out. I'm terrified that I'm going to hit that wall where my body just builds up a tolerance and the whole thing becomes useless.

Is it even an option to go back to my psychiatrist and ask for a different med for the same issue? Like, could I rotate them—take a bit of one, then switch to the other—just to try and stay ahead of the tolerance buildup?

Has anyone else dealt with this? Is that even something you can pull off?

I’ve been on Fluoxetine for about six months now, taking one pill a day. Well, due to some weird timing this week, I didn't get my refill on schedule, so I’m currently out of them... it got me wondering, does skipping a few doses actually trigger any side effects, or is it no big deal?

I'm planning to jump right back on as soon as I can grab the prescription from my doctor, but I just want to know if these little gaps are doing any actual damage to my progress.

Also, quick question for anyone else on this kind of regimen: how long were you guys on the starting dose? When I first kicked things off, I definitely felt a positive shift, but after a while, it’s like that feeling faded and now I'm not even sure if they're still doing anything at all...

Michelle Kelly4 said: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

If you don't mind me asking, how did the first bout compare to the second? And how was the taper process?

First time around, I was diagnosed with avoidant personality disorder and anxious depression. Things actually stabilized after that, so I managed to get off therapy for a while. But recently, I hit another rough patch—mostly obsessive thoughts, though it all basically boils down to me feeling like my eyes are broken or something... anyway, the diagnosis stayed the same. Coming off Paxil at first was a total nightmare; it took about a month just to feel like I wasn't losing my mind. Once I got past that, though, things started looking up and eventually, all the symptoms just faded away

rowdyhawk152 said:So, I was recently prescribed this medication that’s actually working wonders for me. But now I'm freaking out. I'm terrified that I'm going to hit that wall where my body just builds up a tolerance and the whole thing becomes useless.

Is it even an option to go back to my psychiatrist and ask for a different med for the same issue? Like, could I rotate them—take a bit of one, then switch to the other—just to try and stay ahead of the tolerance buildup?

Has anyone else dealt with this? Is that even something you can pull off?

Bumping this so it doesn't get buried... Surely someone here knows the deal. I can't be the only one who's thought about this, right?

rowdyhawk152 said:Bumping this so it doesn't get buried... Surely someone here knows the deal. I can't be the only one who's thought about this, right?

Of course you can go to your psychiatrist and ask 🙂
We can only offer some general perspective here.
It is certainly possible to develop a tolerance to anxiolytics, sedatives, or hypnotics. However, if you are taking them under strict medical supervision, that shouldn't be an issue, so just stick to the dosage prescribed until your next appointment.
As for switching medications, that is also an option. You might use one for a period and then move to another, but it all depends on your individual reaction and the underlying reason for the prescription. If you are only using them as needed—much like how one takes an Advil—then there isn't much to worry about.
The bottom line is that you should talk to your doctor. There is no need to stress; if they prescribed it, they know what they are doing. 🙂

Skickas fr

rowdyhawk152 said:Bumping this so it doesn't get buried... Surely someone here knows the deal. I can't be the only one who's thought about this, right?

Ah, my apologies, I neglected to mention that. Based on my own experience, it isn't something you can just swap out overnight—you don't simply take one today and the other tomorrow. It really seems to be a process that takes weeks. I've had similar experiences over the long term with sleep aids like Xanax or Norvasc, where I truly only use them during a crisis. Perhaps someone else in the community could offer some more specific guidance.🙂

Skickas fr

Thanks for the input. I got prescribed 0.5 mg of Klonopin—doctor wrote down 1, 1, 1, but said I can take it as needed. Right now, I’m just doing one a day, maybe two if things get rough. My follow-up appointment isn't until this fall.

You're totally right, I'll stick to this plan for now. If I feel like my tolerance is creeping up, I'll give him a call early and suggest combining it with something else. My doctor is pretty chill; I trust he won't give me any unnecessary grief.

I’ve been taking this new Lexapro and Ativan lately, but honestly, I’m just not feeling any effect from them. It feels like I’ve built up a tolerance to pretty much everything else too—so now I’m just popping pills for nothing. What should I do? I really don't want to bump up the dosage if I can help it. Also, I recently quit Xanax... does anyone know how long it actually takes for all those chemicals to clear out of your system?

Kate Ramos93 said:@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 gained 8 lbs while on Calixta. At first, I was eating constantly, but it’s gotten a bit better now—I can actually control myself.

fadedbear92 said:You can—just don't use the Xanax for more than three weeks straight, otherwise you run the risk of getting hooked.

Too true. I got hooked on them; I was shaking them like crazy and ended up deciding to just overdose on them instead.

So, it’s possible that Lexapro is causing these hunger spikes 🙂
I'm not sure... I've been on Lexapro for four months now and it's really helped with my insomnia, anxiety, and depression. But now I'm torn between switching back to Zoloft because of these cravings or just sticking with the Lexapro 🤷

I’ve been on Calista for about four years now. It did wonders for my insomnia, honestly—fixed that right up—but now my thyroid hormones are basically in a coma. Specifically my T3. I can't help but think this medication might be the culprit. I’m just exhausted, lethargic, barely dragging myself through the day, and the weight gain is real. I originally figured it was just a side effect of Calista, but who knows at this point... anyone else dealing with something similar?

wiredskipper45 said:I’ve been on Calista for about four years now. It did wonders for my insomnia, honestly—fixed that right up—but now my thyroid hormones are basically in a coma. Specifically my T3. I can't help but think this medication might be the culprit. I’m just exhausted, lethargic, barely dragging myself through the day, and the weight gain is real. I originally figured it was just a side effect of Calista, but who knows at this point... anyone else dealing with something similar?

What dosage are you currently on? Because at 15 mg, I find it’s no longer enough to actually get me to sleep; I end up having to supplement with half a dose of Ambien just to function. Honestly, though, I’m terrified of increasing the dosage because I don't want to deal with the weight gain... for now, my thyroid levels are holding steady, even though they're only testing one marker instead of the three they used to check before.

Michelle Kelly4 said:First time around, I was diagnosed with avoidant personality disorder and anxious depression. Things actually stabilized after that, so I managed to get off therapy for a while. But recently, I hit another rough patch—mostly obsessive thoughts, though it all basically boils down to me feeling like my eyes are broken or something... anyway, the diagnosis stayed the same. Coming off Paxil at first was a total nightmare; it took about a month just to feel like I wasn't losing my mind. Once I got past that, though, things started looking up and eventually, all the symptoms just faded away

Well, I’m rooting for you. Fingers crossed. Was it easier the second time around when this hit? I mean, knowing what it is and having a prescription ready... or did it actually feel worse this time?

Man, it’s tough because I can’t stop obsessing over this one thing. It’s totally wrecking my head... I don't even know how to fix it, but I just can't seem to shut my brain off...