Psychotropic medication discussion thread

Chris Robinson25 said:Zyprexa just stopped working for me. 😢 During that first week on it, my brain went from running at 150% capacity straight down to 20%. It was like being in a total trance. Honestly, felt like someone just flipped a switch and shut off 80% of my head. A real blast, that. 🙂 Too bad I’ve built up a tolerance now, so it doesn't do anything anymore. 😢

When are you planning to see your psychiatrist to get a new prescription?😒

I’ve been feeling absolutely terrible for the last two or three days now; this depression is just hitting me like a freight train. I even went as far as taking a double dose of Cymbalta today, but honestly, it didn't seem to do a thing. I suppose I can only hope that this is just a temporary phase. 😢

George Sullivan7 said:There isn't any logic, honestly. A GP can easily prescribe both SSRIs and benzos without sending you to a specialist at all, and Oxazepam falls right into that category. Plus, once they do refer you out, they might decide to stick strictly to the psychiatrist's orders because you're already on other meds, though I don't see why he wouldn't just give you some Paxil or Oxazepam. Usually, the GP stays out of the mental health treatment plan once the specialist takes over, but those rules are pretty "flexible" depending on the doctor.

Maybe try actually talking to him. Just tell him straight up that you need something for sleep and let him decide what to give you since you can't get to your psychiatrist. If that doesn't work, you could always head to the ER. Tell them you haven't slept in days and your doctor won't help you with anything for insomnia. That should light a fire under them. No point in suffering through this for nothing.

Sure, they can, but only for a month or two. After that, they have to send you to a specialist. They can't just keep handing out prescriptions for years without clearance from a psychiatric facility.

shadowbear9 said:I’ve been feeling absolutely terrible for the last two or three days now; this depression is just hitting me like a freight train. I even went as far as taking a double dose of Cymbalta today, but honestly, it didn't seem to do a thing. I suppose I can only hope that this is just a temporary phase. 😢

Haven't caught up on the last few pages, but did you just start the Cymbalta or have you been on it a while?
For me, those first two months were a depressive nightmare, but things finally leveled out after that.

Tyler Wood6 said:Haven't caught up on the last few pages, but did you just start the Cymbalta or have you been on it a while?
For me, those first two months were a depressive nightmare, but things finally leveled out after that.

I’ve been taking it for a month and everything was going perfectly fine, but now, suddenly, everything has gone completely sideways...

Jessica Chavez4 said:Sure, they can, but only for a month or two. After that, they have to send you to a specialist. They can't just keep handing out prescriptions for years without clearance from a psychiatric facility.

Oh, they absolutely can. It all comes down to the Primary Care Physician, especially when it comes to benzos. You’ve got your Schedule II and III lists, and it spells out exactly what a specialist can prescribe versus what an MD can handle. GPs regularly prescribe antidepressants. It’s really about whether the doctor actually gives a damn. If a decent GP sees you're genuinely struggling, they’ll write you a referral to a psychiatrist. But honestly, that has nothing to do with the Microsoft situation. He could have easily handed over some Oxazepam to tide him over until his next psych appointment—especially since those doctors are totally checked out and can easily check the local waiting lists or see the last exam note which clearly states when the next follow-up is. So, either his new GP is terrified, incompetent, or just a complete coward.

My own GP, for instance, saw during my last psych visit that the meds the specialist gave me were wrecking me, so she switched my antidepressant herself and booked me an online appointment with a new psychiatrist who then confirmed the change. Basically, you can do whatever you want within the law if you actually put in the effort.

And don't even get me started on how some GPs will just look at an elderly patient who's clearly falling apart, rewrite their antidepressant prescription, and not report a thing if the meds seem to be working and they're showing signs of improvement.

Bottom line: a GP can definitely prescribe benzos without any issues. The real question is how long they’ll keep you on them without a psychiatrist's sign-off to make sure you don't get hooked. Same goes for antidepressants.

It’s exactly like sick leave. Nowadays, a psychiatrist can recommend you stay off work for ages, but the GP can just tell you to get back to work if that's how they judge the situation. They implemented that because psychiatrists used to write massive medical leave notes, and then the GPs would get chewed out by the insurance auditors. And if you try to complain to the board? Forget it. The commission is always going to side with the GP's assessment over the psychiatrist's, unless you've completely lost it and gone psychotic—which shouldn't happen if you're actually taking your meds.

So, I'm telling you: either find a psychiatrist with an open slot ASAP, hit up an urgent care psych clinic, or just find a new GP. There is no third option.

shadowbear9 said:I’ve been taking it for a month and everything was going perfectly fine, but now, suddenly, everything has gone completely sideways...

Look, just hang in there. It might be temporary. For the first month or two, those ups and downs are totally normal. And for the love of God, do NOT start tweaking your own dosage. This isn't like hitting up a gas station for more caffeine or trying to take some sleeping pills because you can't drift off. You can't just decide, "Hey, if 10mg of Normabel doesn't knock me out, I'll just grab 15." Don't do it.

Also, I don't know about you guys, but when I'm feeling like garbage, I just show up whenever my clinic has office hours—which is twice a week for me. I tell the medical technician I'm not doing well and that I've come in, then I just wait. Depending on how bad it is, they either squeeze me in between scheduled appointments, or I just go grab a coffee nearby while I wait for my turn. Honestly, in my city, the folks at the psych ward are actually pretty decent about that kind of thing.

shadowbear9 said:I’ve been taking it for a month and everything was going perfectly fine, but now, suddenly, everything has gone completely sideways...

Maybe hang in there a bit longer? (Or if things get really dark, talk to a therapist). I had the same thing happen with Cymbalta, but I've been on it for over a year now and those depressive lows just aren't as bad anymore.

As far as I can tell, the acronym isn't even LOM, it's actually SOM 🤣

A few years back, all those family practitioners were required to specialize in general or family medicine just to run their own private practices... so, who really knows if that old medical association even matters anymore? 🤣

fadedbear92 said:When are you planning to see your psychiatrist to get a new prescription?😒

She gave me another two weeks on this higher dose just in case it kicks in. I've been up on it for about a week now, and honestly? Still nothing.

Chris Robinson25 said:She gave me another two weeks on this higher dose just in case it kicks in. I've been up on it for about a week now, and honestly? Still nothing.

Think you can hang in there for one more week?

Over the last month, I’ve noticed a real decline in my cognitive sharpness. My memory is slipping, I'm becoming increasingly forgetful, and I even find myself blanking on basic names and terms more often than not.. 😵 Honestly, I have a nagging suspicion that Velax might be the culprit here. Is it possible that AD-ov could be playing a role in this? Does anyone have any insight?

I’ve been sitting on 75mg capsules of Velax for a little over a year now. I suppose I should thank God that things are slightly better than they were, but it still feels off. It’s like I’m a pale imitation of my former self. I can't quite put my finger on it. Maybe the dosage is just too low; my therapist suggested bumping me up to 1.1.0, but I decided to stick with 1.0.0. My days are a mixed bag—some are fine, others aren't, and sometimes I don't even remember that I'm struggling at all. Sleep is the biggest headache, though. Falling asleep is an uphill battle, and if I actually manage to drift off, I’ll wake up three or four times throughout the night. I take Xanax 0.5mg just to deal with that. Some nights I’ll sleep for ten or eleven hours, other nights it's barely six. As for the memory issues, I wouldn't rule out Velax being the culprit 😁 there are moments where the thought just evaporates right as I'm about to say it. Or I'll be mid-sentence and completely lose the ability to express myself. I used to be quite eloquent, you know. Sometimes I worry the pills are just making me duller...

restlesstiger49 said:Over the last month, I’ve noticed a real decline in my cognitive sharpness. My memory is slipping, I'm becoming increasingly forgetful, and I even find myself blanking on basic names and terms more often than not.. 😵 Honestly, I have a nagging suspicion that Velax might be the culprit here. Is it possible that AD-ov could be playing a role in this? Does anyone have any insight?

I was watching this documentary the other day about the pills we take, and man, there are pros and cons everywhere. They mentioned that one side effect of long-term AD use—not just Velax, but ADs in general—is exactly what you described. But then other experts argue it’s not the case at all. Looking at it objectively, my take is that Americans go absolutely overboard with this stuff. In the States, they basically prescribe ADs, APs, or benzos for every little thing. It’s like people here are a bit... well, let's say "uninformed." They don't read the fine print where it clearly states that some side effects or symptoms can hit harder when you first start an AD, which is why doctors often have to throw benzos at you just to stabilize things. Basically, there's a huge uproar over ADs because apparently, there’s been a massive spike in homicide and suicide rates among people on these meds.

You also have to realize that in America, ADs, APs, and benzos are advertised on TV like they're candy, making them incredibly easy to get. So, if you ask me, these drugs cause these reactions in people who probably don't even need them—they should probably be in therapy instead. Instead, they just wreck the chemical balance in brains that were perfectly fine to begin with.

Anyway, that's what I was thinking after that documentary. When I weigh the possible side effects of medication against the absolute nightmare of being unable to function without it, I’ll choose the side effects every single time. Because if we start going down that road, we could debate anything: antibiotics, growth hormones in factory-farmed meat, GMO plants, or processed food loaded with additives.

Look, if your symptoms are actually so bad that they're changing your personality, tell your psychiatrist and see if they'll switch your prescription. But personally, I can give you an example. A few weeks ago, I was complaining here about how I couldn't sleep for the life of me. First, my doctor upped my benzo dosage—zero help. Then she tried Ambien—nothing. Finally, she prescribed Depakote Chrono combined with Fluzepam. I took them last night while being super suspicious, thinking, "Great, more chemicals," especially since Depakote is a teratogen, meaning if I got pregnant, I'd have to abort because it affects fetal development. After countless days of zero sleep, I took the combo last night, and this morning? I woke up like a bird! I slept eight hours straight without waking up once. I'm not tired, I'm not hungover—holy crap, it felt like how I used to feel years ago. I haven't felt this fresh in forever. Compare that to when they used to prescribe me 20 mg of Norvasc for sleep; I’d wake up feeling like I’d been beaten with a stick all night. And Ambien? Forget it, I couldn't get more than four hours of solid sleep.

So honestly, I don't care what the side effects are as long as I can function decently. And as for forgetting names or concepts? That happens to me even when I'm not taking anything—it's always right on the tip of my tongue, but I just can't grab it.😁.

Again, if it's really drastic, talk to your shrink. If not, just relax.

fadedbear92 said:Think you can hang in there for one more week?

I sure hope so. Honestly, I'm pretty used to nothing working anyway.

restlesstiger49 said:Over the last month, I’ve noticed a real decline in my cognitive sharpness. My memory is slipping, I'm becoming increasingly forgetful, and I even find myself blanking on basic names and terms more often than not.. 😵 Honestly, I have a nagging suspicion that Velax might be the culprit here. Is it possible that AD-ov could be playing a role in this? Does anyone have any insight?

It’s probably the drug. I’m on it too, and during those first few months, my cognitive function was a total wreck... exactly what you're describing. I eventually cut my dose down to the bare minimum and I can actually see some progress. I have a big exam at university coming up in two months, and since I started taking Omega Neuro from Natural Wealth, it's been much easier to cram all this info into my head.☕

I really hope this isn't a permanent issue, because if it is, I think I'm going to have to jump ship from Velax. I can't even manage to write a single post without making mistakes; I'm constantly hitting the wrong keys. It's actually getting a bit scary... 😲

restlesstiger49 said:I really hope this isn't a permanent issue, because if it is, I think I'm going to have to jump ship from Velax. I can't even manage to write a single post without making mistakes; I'm constantly hitting the wrong keys. It's actually getting a bit scary... 😲

Look, I take Velax, and honestly, I'm on a way higher dose than most people in here, yet I'm not dealing with any side effects right now—even though I definitely had some when I first started this AD. Since I deal with bipolar disorder, I've been on antidepressants for years. What I can tell you for sure is that these ADs have helped me, and they continue to help, rather than causing some massive side effects that would force me to quit.
To cut to the chase, I've got plenty of long-term experience with ADs, and I really don't think what's happening to you is from the Velax. And even if it is—which, honestly, I highly doubt—the damage probably isn't permanent. Are you taking anything else along with the Velax? If not, did you recently stop taking something else, and how long have you actually been on the Velax?
Anyway, people tend to automatically blame their meds for every little thing that happens to them, even when that's usually not the case, but I totally get why you're freaked out and unsure. You just have to weigh the potential downsides against the benefits the medication provides. My own experiences have been mostly positive, even though I've obviously had to go through my own rough patch trying to find the right therapy every time a new depressive episode hits. If the med is working for you, trust it and trust that it's helping you get better; don't go hunting for negatives, because you're just hurting yourself at that point.
I'll say it again: I don't believe those symptoms you described are being caused by Velax, but hey, that's for your doctor to decide. I don't know your specific diagnosis, so those symptoms could easily be part of the underlying condition you're treating. Honestly, I'd say those symptoms are more likely to be caused by long-term use of an anti-anxiety med (if you're on one) than by the Velax.

David Jackson22 said:Look, I take Velax, and honestly, I'm on a way higher dose than most people in here, yet I'm not dealing with any side effects right now—even though I definitely had some when I first started this AD. Since I deal with bipolar disorder, I've been on antidepressants for years. What I can tell you for sure is that these ADs have helped me, and they continue to help, rather than causing some massive side effects that would force me to quit.
To cut to the chase, I've got plenty of long-term experience with ADs, and I really don't think what's happening to you is from the Velax. And even if it is—which, honestly, I highly doubt—the damage probably isn't permanent. Are you taking anything else along with the Velax? If not, did you recently stop taking something else, and how long have you actually been on the Velax?
Anyway, people tend to automatically blame their meds for every little thing that happens to them, even when that's usually not the case, but I totally get why you're freaked out and unsure. You just have to weigh the potential downsides against the benefits the medication provides. My own experiences have been mostly positive, even though I've obviously had to go through my own rough patch trying to find the right therapy every time a new depressive episode hits. If the med is working for you, trust it and trust that it's helping you get better; don't go hunting for negatives, because you're just hurting yourself at that point.
I'll say it again: I don't believe those symptoms you described are being caused by Velax, but hey, that's for your doctor to decide. I don't know your specific diagnosis, so those symptoms could easily be part of the underlying condition you're treating. Honestly, I'd say those symptoms are more likely to be caused by long-term use of an anti-anxiety med (if you're on one) than by the Velax.

Hey. I've been on 150mg of Velax for 3 weeks. Before that, I was on 37.5mg for 2 weeks, then 75mg for 2 weeks. The worst part is the constant stomach pain, nausea, and this gross taste in my mouth I never had before. Did you deal with that? And how long did it take before you felt it actually working?? Thanks.

copperpuma62 said:Hey. I've been on 150mg of Velax for 3 weeks. Before that, I was on 37.5mg for 2 weeks, then 75mg for 2 weeks. The worst part is the constant stomach pain, nausea, and this gross taste in my mouth I never had before. Did you deal with that? And how long did it take before you felt it actually working?? Thanks.

I didn't get the stomach pains, but man, that nausea was brutal. It takes some serious time for all those side effects to settle down; it’s definitely not an overnight fix, but from what I've seen, it's worth sticking it out because it really does help in the end.
It took me forever for the Effexor to actually kick in, though honestly, saying it "starts working" is kind of a stretch because the drug triggers these biological processes that need a ton of time just to stabilize. Like, technically it's working the second you swallow it, but you won't feel the actual impact right away. I went through hell for a few months before I could finally say things were leveling out. In the beginning, the progress is tiny—almost invisible—and you might not even notice a positive shift yourself because you still feel like absolute crap subjectively. For me, everything moved incredibly slowly, but that’s not a rule for everyone. You might feel the effects way sooner; usually, you should start seeing real movement after about a month. Just saying, it took much longer for me, and I don't regret being patient and not tossing the meds out the window, because the effect did eventually show up. Those side effects should pass relatively quickly, so just hang in there for another week or two...