Psychotropic medication discussion thread

I felt compelled to leave this little note because, quite frankly, life is a whirlwind—I’m out here flying solo raising four kids and playing grandma to my own little Barack Obama, and I just can't... I simply cannot keep dwelling on you anymore, it’s over 🙂 My connection to this great nation and the vast, infinite reaches of the cosmos matters so much more than any old flame, and that is where my heart resides; please, just remember that there was a time when I actually cared for you
Ughhhhhhh... *sob*... I can barely breathe, I'm practically drowning in a sea of tissues and endless tears, oh god, it's too much ☕ HANG IN THERE, EVERYONE!!!!!!!!!!

Hey everyone. First time posting here, just looking for some help from good people. I feel like I'm losing my mind. There’s this constant inner restlessness that I used to manage with 3mg of Lexapro. It works, but before that hits, I get this heavy feeling in my chest—like I can't catch my breath. It feels like I can't breathe from my stomach, which panics me, sends me straight to the local clinic, and it's always the same cycle until I finally saw a psychiatrist who put me on Paxil. Now I'm taking 20mg every single day, but the scale is showing less weight, and that really worries me. I get this nausea, almost like I need to burp constantly, and when I sit down to eat, I have zero appetite. I'm forcing myself to eat just because I have to. Has anyone else dealt with this? Thanks a lot.

Is it actually possible to lose weight while taking Paxil?

Yeah,
it’s right there in black and white on the paper... side effects...

Robert Scott11 said:I mean, first off, how on earth do you even go about defining what a "mentally healthy" person looks like in this day and age?😕

A healthy person is essentially someone who does not exhibit symptoms of psychosis or neuroticism. While it is true that we all experience bouts of neuroticism from time to time, a truly healthy individual is one who does not manifest these traits to any significant degree.

Nicole Barrett76 said:Oh, I certainly have my own coverage. However, isn't it truly heartbreaking to think of all those people struggling through gig work and freelance contracts, where nobody is contributing even a single cent toward their medical coverage? Surely, there must be so many left behind in such a precarious position.

Actually, for independent contractor work, they still have to pay into Social Security and Medicare unless the laws just changed or something.

Eminem said:man, why are you all obsessing over these meds for no reason? 🙄 ☕

If you actually realized how many people are struggling, you wouldn't be making fun of them—you'd be helping. But clearly, you don't get it. Plus, let's face it, trying to find a therapist or a psychiatrist is still such a huge stigma here in the States for a lot of people.
Shoutout to the ones who actually get it, though.

ironotter65 said:Hey everyone. First time posting here, just looking for some help from good people. I feel like I'm losing my mind. There’s this constant inner restlessness that I used to manage with 3mg of Lexapro. It works, but before that hits, I get this heavy feeling in my chest—like I can't catch my breath. It feels like I can't breathe from my stomach, which panics me, sends me straight to the local clinic, and it's always the same cycle until I finally saw a psychiatrist who put me on Paxil. Now I'm taking 20mg every single day, but the scale is showing less weight, and that really worries me. I get this nausea, almost like I need to burp constantly, and when I sit down to eat, I have zero appetite. I'm forcing myself to eat just because I have to. Has anyone else dealt with this? Thanks a lot.

Ever thought about tackling that restlessness with actual therapy instead of just masking the symptoms with meds?

Beyoncé said:Nah, they wouldn't give it to me; said it's prescription-only.

Hang in there. Monday will be here before you know it, and you can just get everything sorted out with your doctor then.👍

ironotter65 said:Hey everyone. First time posting here, just looking for some help from good people. I feel like I'm losing my mind. There’s this constant inner restlessness that I used to manage with 3mg of Lexapro. It works, but before that hits, I get this heavy feeling in my chest—like I can't catch my breath. It feels like I can't breathe from my stomach, which panics me, sends me straight to the local clinic, and it's always the same cycle until I finally saw a psychiatrist who put me on Paxil. Now I'm taking 20mg every single day, but the scale is showing less weight, and that really worries me. I get this nausea, almost like I need to burp constantly, and when I sit down to eat, I have zero appetite. I'm forcing myself to eat just because I have to. Has anyone else dealt with this? Thanks a lot.

No need to spiral; side effects like these are pretty common. Just check in with your doctor. These symptoms often clear up within a few days, and if they don't, your physician might switch your prescription. Everyone reacts to medication differently.

Since there are plenty of experts in pharmacotherapy here, I’m looking for anyone with firsthand experience using Depakote.

A friend of mine was prescribed Depakote Chrono following an epileptic seizure caused by a brain bleed from an enlarged vein (venous angioma), which was all confirmed via CT and MRI scans.

The list of side effects has him worried, especially since he’s heard it’s also used to treat mania.

If this isn't the right subforum for this discussion, please move it to the appropriate section. Thanks.

Yes, Depakote Chrono is an anticonvulsant, and it’s actually quite common to see it paired with antipsychotics during certain stages of acute psychosis. If I recall correctly, the packaging comes in that cylindrical tube shape, right?

I can't say for certain regarding the side effects, though I wouldn't go so far as to say they are more severe than the ones you get from taking antipsychotics😢

In other words, those are the primary side effects that tend to manifest visibly.

I haven't seen the box. He was taking his medication one pill at a time while in the hospital, but once he picked up the prescription at CVS and actually read the side effects, he flagged this to me.

Look, antipsychotics have brutal side effects, so he was understandably shaken when he saw the list for this anti-epileptic; they're practically identical.

The doctors told him to head back for follow-ups with both the neurosurgeon and the neurologist in two months.

Is there a risk the medication will cause harm during that waiting period?

And is this something he'll be stuck on for the rest of his life?

I’m not sure if this has been asked before, but I’ve been wondering about the actual effects of mixing antidepressants with alcohol.
I take Paxil 20mg for panic disorder, and while the official instructions say to avoid alcohol entirely, I constantly hear people telling me that a single glass of wine with lunch won't hurt anything. But when you haven't touched a drop in three years, does one glass of wine not feel more like a whole liter?
Specifically, I want to know: can this actually be fatal? I know there's a risk of depressive episodes, but has anyone ever received a clear answer on whether things like heart failure are even possible? To be clear, I'm talking about larger amounts—for me, that would mean something like three glasses of wine...😂

Drew Morgan said:I haven't seen the box. He was taking his medication one pill at a time while in the hospital, but once he picked up the prescription at CVS and actually read the side effects, he flagged this to me.

Look, antipsychotics have brutal side effects, so he was understandably shaken when he saw the list for this anti-epileptic; they're practically identical.

The doctors told him to head back for follow-ups with both the neurosurgeon and the neurologist in two months.

Is there a risk the medication will cause harm during that waiting period?

And is this something he'll be stuck on for the rest of his life?

Look, honestly, an epileptic seizure would do him way more damage regardless.🤷

Roger Rodriguez said:I’m not sure if this has been asked before, but I’ve been wondering about the actual effects of mixing antidepressants with alcohol.
I take Paxil 20mg for panic disorder, and while the official instructions say to avoid alcohol entirely, I constantly hear people telling me that a single glass of wine with lunch won't hurt anything. But when you haven't touched a drop in three years, does one glass of wine not feel more like a whole liter?
Specifically, I want to know: can this actually be fatal? I know there's a risk of depressive episodes, but has anyone ever received a clear answer on whether things like heart failure are even possible? To be clear, I'm talking about larger amounts—for me, that would mean something like three glasses of wine...😂

So, I'm on Lexapro myself, and I rarely drink at all—maybe like one small beer every couple of months—and from what I know, you aren't going to die from one little beer or a single glass of wine. Like, seriously, you won't drop dead. 😁
The thing is, I just started back on Lexapro again, been taking it for almost two months now, and I had a beer the other day and man, my head was absolutely killing me all night long. 😢

Roger Rodriguez said:I’m not sure if this has been asked before, but I’ve been wondering about the actual effects of mixing antidepressants with alcohol.
I take Paxil 20mg for panic disorder, and while the official instructions say to avoid alcohol entirely, I constantly hear people telling me that a single glass of wine with lunch won't hurt anything. But when you haven't touched a drop in three years, does one glass of wine not feel more like a whole liter?
Specifically, I want to know: can this actually be fatal? I know there's a risk of depressive episodes, but has anyone ever received a clear answer on whether things like heart failure are even possible? To be clear, I'm talking about larger amounts—for me, that would mean something like three glasses of wine...😂

You aren't exactly going to drop dead. You might just run into some unpleasant side effects. It's probably better to give your time-out nervous system a break rather than playing chemist. You wouldn't try to play volleyball with a broken arm, even if it were in a cast. That's just basic logic.

Linda Taylor11 said:So, I'm on Lexapro myself, and I rarely drink at all—maybe like one small beer every couple of months—and from what I know, you aren't going to die from one little beer or a single glass of wine. Like, seriously, you won't drop dead. 😁
The thing is, I just started back on Lexapro again, been taking it for almost two months now, and I had a beer the other day and man, my head was absolutely killing me all night long. 😢

Linda, you're still breathing. 😲

Keith Jones76 said:You aren't exactly going to drop dead. You might just run into some unpleasant side effects. It's probably better to give your time-out nervous system a break rather than playing chemist. You wouldn't try to play volleyball with a broken arm, even if it were in a cast. That's just basic logic.

I hear you, but I honestly feel like my nervous system is struggling more while I'm staying completely sober. 🙂
I don't mean I want to get wasted, but after three years of not drinking, I feel like if I had just one beer, I'd end up drinking way too much. Then I'd be terrified that I was actually dying or something...
I just want to know if I can catch a break when someone offers me a shot before lunch, because I've been turning them down so often lately that I'm starting to seem rude. What kind of lame excuses 😁 am I supposed to come up with?

I’ve been on 20 mg of Paxil myself. And listen—don't let anyone talk you into drinking alcohol. I'm telling you this as a friend because I'm right there in the same boat as you.