Psychotropic medication discussion thread

Jason Vaughn482 said:Since you were only taking 1/6th of a 15 mg dose of Miller, which is practically nothing in my book, yet it was enough to send you to sleep, I say go ahead and return to it. Personally, I take half of a 15 mg pill, and my own mind tells me that isn't even a real dose... so there is no harm in continuing with it. Honestly, alongside that 7.5 mg, I sometimes find myself needing a glass of wine just to finally drift off.

Thanks for the tip, Jason Vaughn482 🙂

Michael Hill2 said:Thanks, redranger2. I really needed to hear that kind of support right now. 🙂

I know I can't function without sleep. Honestly, it feels like a win to have this career opportunity pop up, even if it happened during such a vulnerable time for me. But life happens; sometimes it deals you a hand before you've even had a chance to ask. 😉

If I end up going back to Quincy, I know mixing it with Xanax is just a losing game...

Thanks again for the kind words. 🙂

Jason Vaughn482 made a valid point, though I suspect her perspective is being heavily skewed by that meager dose of Miller you’re currently relying on.
Quality sleep is an absolute necessity, a fact I’ve learned through the hard way due to my own struggle with chronic insomnia. For me, nothing truly works unless I combine an antipsychotic with half a tablet of Misar; it is a regimen I decided to implement myself, and frankly, it is the only way I find any semblance of relief. 😁

Please, let us know how you are holding up—whether you’re actually getting any sleep or how everything else is progressing. Just remember that you aren't facing this alone; we are all right here with you. 😉

redranger2 said:Jason Vaughn482 made a valid point, though I suspect her perspective is being heavily skewed by that meager dose of Miller you’re currently relying on.
Quality sleep is an absolute necessity, a fact I’ve learned through the hard way due to my own struggle with chronic insomnia. For me, nothing truly works unless I combine an antipsychotic with half a tablet of Misar; it is a regimen I decided to implement myself, and frankly, it is the only way I find any semblance of relief. 😁

Please, let us know how you are holding up—whether you’re actually getting any sleep or how everything else is progressing. Just remember that you aren't facing this alone; we are all right here with you. 😉

Awww, well now you've gone and made me emotional. To make matters worse, I'm dealing with PMS too. 😉

Michael Hill2 said:Awww, well now you've gone and made me emotional. To make matters worse, I'm dealing with PMS too. 😉

It’s a predictable cycle: the hormonal fluctuations associated with PMS tend to exacerbate both anxiety and insomnia, driving those feelings to a fever pitch. It's during these periods that the panic attacks hit the hardest.
I dealt with the exact same thing during my PMS and throughout my entire period. It’s hardly any surprise that you’re feeling this sensitive right now, especially with the added pressure of work piling up on top of everything else. Just take it slow; you’ll find your old self again eventually.
We also have our own psychiatrist, who is nothing short of a genius.

Michael Hill2 said:Awww, well now you've gone and made me emotional. To make matters worse, I'm dealing with PMS too. 😉

Come on, just stay brave. It is perfectly normal that you’re struggling to sleep while navigating this new situation, and there is nothing wrong with using Miller to help you get some rest. Once you eventually settle into this new routine, you will find you can sleep just fine without it. 🙂

I have a hospital appointment scheduled for this Sunday, which includes anesthesia. 😢 The doctor told me I could take whatever I need, morning or afternoon—whether it’s Normabel or Xanax—and then they'll provide Dormicum tonight to help me sleep. Hopefully, I'll actually be able to drift off. 😢
Another morning, and half the dormitory is already awake before my surgery. Honestly, I’m starting to wonder how I’m going to handle all of this hitting me at once.

Skickas fr

restlesstrucker15 said:Come on, just stay brave. It is perfectly normal that you’re struggling to sleep while navigating this new situation, and there is nothing wrong with using Miller to help you get some rest. Once you eventually settle into this new routine, you will find you can sleep just fine without it. 🙂

I have a hospital appointment scheduled for this Sunday, which includes anesthesia. 😢 The doctor told me I could take whatever I need, morning or afternoon—whether it’s Normabel or Xanax—and then they'll provide Dormicum tonight to help me sleep. Hopefully, I'll actually be able to drift off. 😢
Another morning, and half the dormitory is already awake before my surgery. Honestly, I’m starting to wonder how I’m going to handle all of this hitting me at once.

Skickas fr

So many kind and sweet souls in one place.😍

Fingers crossed that everything goes smoothly at the hospital. I read somewhere that you're worried about whether they'll actually manage to put you under—of course they will. If they can knock out an elephant before surgery, surely they can handle Zvonxa.😉

Thank you 🙂 I am of the same opinion 🙂
I simply wish to avoid jinxing things by speaking too soon 🙂

Sent fr

restlesstrucker15 said:Thank you 🙂 I am of the same opinion 🙂
I simply wish to avoid jinxing things by speaking too soon 🙂

Sent fr

Nah, I'm good. Besides, they already told you that you could just overdose on Xanax and call it a day. 😁

Mark Fox96 said:So, I was prescribed some Xanax 0.25, but only as needed, plus half a tablet of Fevarin before bed.
How exactly is this Fevarin supposed to work?
Because honestly, I feel like it’s making everything worse, and I’ve never even taken medication before this. I only managed about four hours of sleep last night. I took it for the first time yesterday, and now my mouth is bone dry all day long. I can't eat a thing—just sipping on tea and calling it a day. The instructions say you shouldn't really be drinking coffee or tea while on Fevarin, either. Anyway, I woke up at 3:30 AM feeling like my heart was going to jump right out of my chest, and I just started sobbing. But it wasn't even normal crying; it was those heavy, painful tears... that feeling where you're literally struggling to pull air into your lungs.

Here, I’ll drop a link to my own post where I laid out all the side effects I dealt with and how things eventually improved. Maybe it'll give you a little boost.🙂

Just take it slow and be patient. 😉

Michael Hill2 said:Here, I’ll drop a link to my own post where I laid out all the side effects I dealt with and how things eventually improved. Maybe it'll give you a little boost.🙂

Just take it slow and be patient. 😉

Thanks for getting back to me.
I’m dealing with anxiety—just that constant, heavy tension—but honestly? I’m starting to think maybe I shouldn't even bother taking the meds. Might be better if I just skip it.
I’m honestly terrified that these side effects are going to sideline me completely. I finally bit the bullet and went back to school after all these years, you know? And now, just when things are getting real—with the semester winding down and finals staring me right in the face in a few weeks—this happens. I’m spiraling a bit. I’m scared I won't be able to pull through this.

Brandon Lopez6 said:Fevarin is an antidepressant, meant to stabilize things for you in the long run. I don't know what you're dealing with—anxiety, depression, OCD, whatever—but the goal is to get you back to baseline.
What you’re describing sounds like side effects, and yeah, they can stick around for a while. It might even feel worse at first, and sometimes the initial issue—like the anxiety or depression—can actually flare up.
Look, if the Fevarin ends up being right for you, the benefits should eventually outweigh the side effects, and the bad stuff usually tapers off over time. But if these side effects drag on past a month or two without any real progress, your doctor will probably switch you to a different antidepressant.

The Xanax was likely prescribed as "rescue" medication, which is super common when you're first starting an antidepressant. As the side effects die down, the usage of Xanax should decrease too, until you either stop it entirely or just keep it around as a safety net.
My advice? Try to push through without the Xanax as much as you can. It’s easy to get hooked—not just on the pill itself, but on that sense of security it gives you when you take it.

Thanks,
I'm not planning on leaning on the Xanax; it's really just there in case I completely lose it at work or somewhere where I can't exactly just sit down and have a meltdown. But I'm hoping I won't need it. Like you said, just knowing it's in my bag gives me a sense of security. I fought against seeing a doctor or taking meds for a long time, but ever since the holidays started, I've just been crying constantly. Coming home to an empty apartment is the absolute worst part.

Mark Fox96 said:Thanks for getting back to me.
I’m dealing with anxiety—just that constant, heavy tension—but honestly? I’m starting to think maybe I shouldn't even bother taking the meds. Might be better if I just skip it.
I’m honestly terrified that these side effects are going to sideline me completely. I finally bit the bullet and went back to school after all these years, you know? And now, just when things are getting real—with the semester winding down and finals staring me right in the face in a few weeks—this happens. I’m spiraling a bit. I’m scared I won't be able to pull through this.

It doesn't necessarily mean you're going to feel terrible for a long time, or even at all. You might just deal with a few days of it and then move on. If your doctor already prescribed Fever for your anxiety, give it a shot—Fever is actually a really solid SSRI for anxiety.

I'm guessing they gave you some sort of anti-anxiety med to bridge the gap while the antidepressant kicks in? That usually helps smooth things out.

Personally, even when the side effects were hitting me pretty hard, I still dragged myself to work. I kept my head down and stayed productive; I never once took a "mental health day," despite how much my mom loves to joke about my "nervous breakdown." 😁

Michael Hill2 said:It doesn't necessarily mean you're going to feel terrible for a long time, or even at all. You might just deal with a few days of it and then move on. If your doctor already prescribed Fever for your anxiety, give it a shot—Fever is actually a really solid SSRI for anxiety.

I'm guessing they gave you some sort of anti-anxiety med to bridge the gap while the antidepressant kicks in? That usually helps smooth things out.

Personally, even when the side effects were hitting me pretty hard, I still dragged myself to work. I kept my head down and stayed productive; I never once took a "mental health day," despite how much my mom loves to joke about my "nervous breakdown." 😁

I agree. I experienced several side effects from using Luxe. They eventually passed, but it seems like either this isn't the right ADHD medication for me, or my dosage is simply too low. I have an appointment with my doctor this Thursday. We will either need to increase the dose or try a different prescription entirely. This current approach just isn't working. 🕺

Thanks, everyone. I'm just going to stick to the plan today and take half a pill like my doctor prescribed, then we'll see how things shake out. Honestly, I've been feeling absolutely terrible lately.

shadowfox75 said:I agree. I experienced several side effects from using Luxe. They eventually passed, but it seems like either this isn't the right ADHD medication for me, or my dosage is simply too low. I have an appointment with my doctor this Thursday. We will either need to increase the dose or try a different prescription entirely. This current approach just isn't working. 🕺

Sorry to hear that specific med didn't work out for you, but let's be real, we all had to be prepared for that possibility. My doctor told me there's basically a 50-50 shot with any antidepressant whether it hits the mark on the first try or not. Looking back at what you've posted, I think you gave Luxottica enough of a fair shake. If your body isn't vibing with it, it's time to move on. 😉

Thank God there's still a whole pharmacy of options out there. No point in suffering through one that clearly isn't doing the job when you can just switch to another. 👍

Psychotherapy is going to be a huge help too. Good on you for starting that. 🙂

Michael Hill2 said:Sorry to hear that specific med didn't work out for you, but let's be real, we all had to be prepared for that possibility. My doctor told me there's basically a 50-50 shot with any antidepressant whether it hits the mark on the first try or not. Looking back at what you've posted, I think you gave Luxottica enough of a fair shake. If your body isn't vibing with it, it's time to move on. 😉

Thank God there's still a whole pharmacy of options out there. No point in suffering through one that clearly isn't doing the job when you can just switch to another. 👍

Psychotherapy is going to be a huge help too. Good on you for starting that. 🙂

I believe I will switch. I will discuss it with her. During my therapy session today, I mentioned to my therapist that I haven't felt much better after the initial improvement. It doesn't feel right that the anxiety and fear are washing over me again.
Since I am tapering off my Lexus, it is possible my body is reacting to that, as I have been taking it for nearly seven months, even at a minimal dose. I successfully tapered down to half a pill daily, then moved to three-quarters of that half, but the anxiety persists regardless.
Something is bothering me... I was on Paxil for almost ten years. Then, after six months, everything started returning. I tried to push through, but they put me on Lexus. Now, since I was on Paxil and am currently on Lexus, is this new choice just another SSRI or something else? I have heard that if a second option fails, one should consider an SNRI.
What are your thoughts?

shadowfox75 said:I believe I will switch. I will discuss it with her. During my therapy session today, I mentioned to my therapist that I haven't felt much better after the initial improvement. It doesn't feel right that the anxiety and fear are washing over me again.
Since I am tapering off my Lexus, it is possible my body is reacting to that, as I have been taking it for nearly seven months, even at a minimal dose. I successfully tapered down to half a pill daily, then moved to three-quarters of that half, but the anxiety persists regardless.
Something is bothering me... I was on Paxil for almost ten years. Then, after six months, everything started returning. I tried to push through, but they put me on Lexus. Now, since I was on Paxil and am currently on Lexus, is this new choice just another SSRI or something else? I have heard that if a second option fails, one should consider an SNRI.
What are your thoughts?

I was on Prozac for about ten years too and it worked wonders for me, but lately I had to switch things up because the Prozac stopped doing its job and I hit another depressive episode. Working closely with my psychiatrist, I cycled through a few different SSRIs, but none of them really hit the mark. Once we both realized there wasn't any real improvement, my doctor switched me over to Effexor, which I’d actually used alongside Prozac way back when. I wouldn't say this one is working as well as it did in the past, but there is some movement—it's slow, but it's heading in the right direction. Sometimes you just have to be patient and wait a while for things to kick in. I didn't see how long you've been on Luxet? Maybe you just need a dosage adjustment, and if that still doesn't move the needle, then yeah, changing the treatment plan is definitely worth considering. Honestly, I'm not 100% thrilled with how I'm responding to my current meds either, but after cycling through so many antidepressants that did absolutely nothing, I'm sticking with the one that actually shows some results. I truly believe that along with the medication, you need plenty of time and a lot of personal work to actually get stabilized.

David Jackson22 said:I was on Prozac for about ten years too and it worked wonders for me, but lately I had to switch things up because the Prozac stopped doing its job and I hit another depressive episode. Working closely with my psychiatrist, I cycled through a few different SSRIs, but none of them really hit the mark. Once we both realized there wasn't any real improvement, my doctor switched me over to Effexor, which I’d actually used alongside Prozac way back when. I wouldn't say this one is working as well as it did in the past, but there is some movement—it's slow, but it's heading in the right direction. Sometimes you just have to be patient and wait a while for things to kick in. I didn't see how long you've been on Luxet? Maybe you just need a dosage adjustment, and if that still doesn't move the needle, then yeah, changing the treatment plan is definitely worth considering. Honestly, I'm not 100% thrilled with how I'm responding to my current meds either, but after cycling through so many antidepressants that did absolutely nothing, I'm sticking with the one that actually shows some results. I truly believe that along with the medication, you need plenty of time and a lot of personal work to actually get stabilized.

I started taking Lexus on November 8th. For the first three weeks, I was on 25mg, or half a tablet. After three weeks—specifically toward the end of November—I moved up to one full 50mg tablet. My doctor said it was too early to tell and that I should be patient. My last check-up was at the end of December, and my next appointment is January 15th.
After dealing with quite intense side effects, things finally started looking up slightly. I gained some weight, and people noted that I looked better (likely because I put on about 6 or 7 pounds). But now, for the last 10 to 15 days, the symptoms have started returning...
I also started psychotherapy. Today was my fifth session. In addition to that, I am taking Lamictal 2 x75mg per my neurologist's recommendation, and Xanax 3mg at about half a tablet daily, though I have started crushing that half tablet to gradually taper myself off...
I will see what my therapist thinks. She describes Lexus as one of the milder antidepressants, so I wonder if it is strong enough for me. I am feeling quite exhausted from all the experimentation and waiting to see when I will actually feel better...🤔

How can I help myself?
I feel absolutely terrible. Like I’m not even really here. Just sitting here, staring off into space, lost in my own head. Honestly, I'm just done with fighting myself constantly. Part of me just wants to crawl back under the covers and cry, but then there's this mountain of stuff I actually need to get done.
Yesterday, I finished off the rest of my Prozac, and man, it was rough. I managed maybe two hours of solid sleep, and everything else after that was just these pathetic thirty-minute naps where I'd wake up every single hour.
I'm exhausted. My brain won't shut up—just running a million different scenarios on loop, overanalyzing every little thing from a million different angles.
How did things get this bad?
Why am I doing this to myself?

restlesstrucker15 said:Thank you 🙂 I am of the same opinion 🙂
I simply wish to avoid jinxing things by speaking too soon 🙂

Sent fr

Don't sweat it; everything is going to work out fine, and you'll sleep like a baby