Psychotropic medication discussion thread

restlesstiger49 said:Week five on Zoloft. Current status:🤷 I honestly have no clue! I’m not even sure what the "right" feeling is supposed to be, so how am I meant to tell if it's actually working? Should I look into switching medications, or just hang in there a bit longer?

Haha, same here. Honestly, I have no idea if the meds are even doing anything. Maybe I feel a tiny shift once in a while, but nobody ever tells you what the actual goalpost looks like... how am I supposed to know if it's actually working?🙂

fadedbear92 said:Are you taking it for depression? If that's the case, it really should have "lifted" you by now—you ought to be feeling more energy and less lethargy. I'm not sure what your specific diagnosis is, but I was on 5 mg, and it helped me immensely... plus, it cut my anxiety down by at least 70%.

I’m actually taking it for anxiety rather than full-blown depression, though there's definitely a hint of dysthymia there. Honestly, I don't feel any relief from the symptoms yet. Maybe I need a higher dose? I'm currently at 50mg, but who knows.

restlesstiger49 said:I’m actually taking it for anxiety rather than full-blown depression, though there's definitely a hint of dysthymia there. Honestly, I don't feel any relief from the symptoms yet. Maybe I need a higher dose? I'm currently at 50mg, but who knows.

That's a pretty low dose—honestly, you probably should have felt some relief by now if you were up at 100mg.

Since switching from Zoloft, I haven't felt a thing
...

So, I just switched to a new antidepressant since the last one (Celexa) didn't do a single thing for me.
It's Venlafaxine XL. 75mg in the morning.
I've been on it for about a week now, and honestly, I think I might be feeling slightly better.
Now for the big question: is it actually starting to kick in already, or am I just experiencing a placebo effect because I'm desperately hoping it works?
Also, for those of you who have taken this, is it normal for it to kill your appetite? I haven't felt hungry at all—I just don't feel any urge to eat. Not that I'm complaining, I'm just wondering if it's the medication or something else...

Arthur Vaughn2 said:So, I just switched to a new antidepressant since the last one (Celexa) didn't do a single thing for me.
It's Venlafaxine XL. 75mg in the morning.
I've been on it for about a week now, and honestly, I think I might be feeling slightly better.
Now for the big question: is it actually starting to kick in already, or am I just experiencing a placebo effect because I'm desperately hoping it works?
Also, for those of you who have taken this, is it normal for it to kill your appetite? I haven't felt hungry at all—I just don't feel any urge to eat. Not that I'm complaining, I'm just wondering if it's the medication or something else...

I definitely think it's possible. 🙂
I'm on it too, though I'm actually hungry all the time, but you have to keep in mind that I'm also taking Lexapro. 😁

fadedbear92 said:That's a pretty low dose—honestly, you probably should have felt some relief by now if you were up at 100mg.

It’s definitely possible. My therapist actually had to cancel our session recently, so maybe they’ll suggest bumping up the dosage when we finally meet. Who knows, whatever...

As for the medication itself, I was on it a few years back. Those first two weeks were brutal—the nausea really messed with me—but once that passed, it actually started working. I was taking it for anxiety. It definitely made me hungrier, though. Eventually, I just quit cold turkey on my own accord, which was a mistake. I ended up dealing with a week of depersonalization and derealization. Seriously, take it slow when you're tapering off.

Brenda Lee9 said:Is anyone currently on Lexapro who can tell me something good about it? 😊😊😊😊

I was on Lexapro for about six weeks. Had to quit because it trashed my muscles, especially my legs. They felt like sausages—not even mine, barely able to walk. Other than that, nothing. No nausea, no dizziness, just a slight loss of appetite, which worked for me. But that muscle weakness was too much. Sorry I can't say anything better, but that's how it went for me.

restlesstiger49 said:It’s definitely possible. My therapist actually had to cancel our session recently, so maybe they’ll suggest bumping up the dosage when we finally meet. Who knows, whatever...

As for the medication itself, I was on it a few years back. Those first two weeks were brutal—the nausea really messed with me—but once that passed, it actually started working. I was taking it for anxiety. It definitely made me hungrier, though. Eventually, I just quit cold turkey on my own accord, which was a mistake. I ended up dealing with a week of depersonalization and derealization. Seriously, take it slow when you're tapering off.

And just so you know, when you're increasing or tapering, you should do it by a quarter tablet every 3 or 4 days.

I was wondering—is there any way to taper off meds without waiting for my psychiatrist's input? I’ve got about a month until my next check-up, but honestly, I just don't have the time to sit around and wait.

Zachary Stewart2 said:I was wondering—is there any way to taper off meds without waiting for my psychiatrist's input? I’ve got about a month until my next check-up, but honestly, I just don't have the time to sit around and wait.

So, what exactly are you taking—and what's the dosage?

fadedbear92 said:So, what exactly are you taking—and what's the dosage?

I'm on Lexapro and Citram. Honestly, I have no clue what "dg" means...

Zachary Stewart2 said:I'm on Lexapro and Citram. Honestly, I have no clue what "dg" means...

diagnosis 🙂

fadedbear92 said:So, what exactly are you taking—and what's the dosage?

EDIT: just to clarify, my diagnosis is BPD.

So, I’ve been off my meds for about three days now—just a little temporary break, nothing crazy. Honestly, I didn't feel much of anything... just a tiny headache that cleared up pretty quick, and that was basically it. Is that actually normal?

Zachary Stewart2 said:So, I’ve been off my meds for about three days now—just a little temporary break, nothing crazy. Honestly, I didn't feel much of anything... just a tiny headache that cleared up pretty quick, and that was basically it. Is that actually normal?

I highly doubt it’ll be that easy—and I'm honestly not sure why you'd even try that. Are the meds not working for you?

fadedbear92 said:I highly doubt it’ll be that easy—and I'm honestly not sure why you'd even try that. Are the meds not working for you?

They aren't doing much. Plus, I was traveling and ended up leaving my meds back home.

Zachary Stewart2 said:They aren't doing much. Plus, I was traveling and ended up leaving my meds back home.

Look, you're ultimately responsible for your own health here—I really hope things don't take a turn for the worse.

Hey everyone!

I’m sure there’s been a ton of chatter about St. John's Wort already, but honestly, I just don't have the bandwidth to scroll through every single thread...

So, here's the deal: lately, I haven't been able to catch any Z's without using Praxiteles. Since I’m super wary of pills and that whole addiction thing, I decided to try some St. John's Wort tea instead. But then... someone told me I shouldn't mix it with antidepressants! Now I'm spiraling because I'm not even sure which category Praxiteles falls into. Can I safely take Praxiteles if I'm sipping on this tea?

You guys would be absolute lifesavers if you could help me out. Thanks! 🙂

It’s primarily used as an anti-anxiety medication, falling under the benzodiazepine class.
More than that.

But if you're taking Praxiteles to help you sleep, what's the plan with the tea? Are you thinking of swapping it out for something else? You really should check in with your doctor about combining them, or if you're looking to switch or stop the Praxiteles altogether...