Psychotropic medication discussion thread

I have an appointment scheduled with my dentist next week to have two particularly stubborn teeth extracted, and I am bracing myself for the inevitable discomfort.
Since we are planning on using local anesthesia via a direct nerve injection,
I was wondering if anyone could advise on how risky it might be to take some Normabel on that same day? :P

Gregory Jackson3 said:I have an appointment scheduled with my dentist next week to have two particularly stubborn teeth extracted, and I am bracing myself for the inevitable discomfort.
Since we are planning on using local anesthesia via a direct nerve injection,
I was wondering if anyone could advise on how risky it might be to take some Normabel on that same day? :P

It isn't dangerous; you should be perfectly fine taking Normabel.
I took Moses before my own anesthesia, and I didn't feel a thing.

Fantastic!
I must confess, I find sitting in that chair to be an utterly maddening experience.

Gregory Jackson3 said:Fantastic!
I must confess, I find sitting in that chair to be an utterly maddening experience.

I feel exactly the same way. Honestly, every single time I have to visit the dentist, I end up popping an anti-anxiety med just to get through it.
Plenty of people handle it that way; we're certainly far from being outliers.😁

shadowfox75 said:I honestly have no idea where I pull my strength from anymore. If anything, I've just realized how incredibly resilient the human body is and how much it can endure before things truly fall apart.
I wonder how long I can keep fighting this fight. I am genuinely in awe of my own perseverance.
There are days when I break down and cry like a child, wondering what I could have possibly done to deserve this struggle. The hardest part is knowing that I haven't done anything wrong; I'm not losing my mind because I am fully aware of my situation and I acknowledge my weaknesses. Since my parents passed away, I find myself thinking of them even more, wishing I could just hold them one more time. I really needed their support. I try not to lean too heavily on my sister, even though she is incredibly encouraging. Sometimes, I feel completely alone in this battle. It doesn't feel fair. I want—and I need—to get better.
I always think back to that line from Anne Hathaway: "I want to live..."
I believe that is all I truly want. Is that asking too much?
The medications, the dizziness, the blackouts, and this constant fear hanging over me... This damn anxiety is relentless. 🙂

You hit the nail on the head. I went through all of that the exact same way, questioning a thousand times why this was happening to me, what I had done wrong, just weeping uncontrollably...
It breaks my heart that you're feeling so alone and lacking real support. But if it helps at all, I don't think many of us actually have it; even when we have family or close friends who care, it's incredibly rare—very rare—to find someone who truly understands what we're going through and how it feels. People might sympathize to a point, but they can't fully grasp it, so they can't provide the level of support we actually need.
The only ones who really get it are those who have lived it or are living it right now.
I know you want to heal and be okay, and you will, I'm sure of it, but it takes time because it's a process. There was a point where I thought it would never get better, that this was it and I'd never make it out, but look—it's getting better. Even though there are still good days and bad days, overall, it's so much better than it used to be.
It'll happen for you too, just be patient. I know it's terrifying—actually, scratch that, it's more than terrifying, it's hellish! Hang in there; you have the drive and the grit to fight this, and that's what matters most. Keeping a positive mindset is what's going to pull you through, and you'll be alright again.

David Jackson22 said:You hit the nail on the head. I went through all of that the exact same way, questioning a thousand times why this was happening to me, what I had done wrong, just weeping uncontrollably...
It breaks my heart that you're feeling so alone and lacking real support. But if it helps at all, I don't think many of us actually have it; even when we have family or close friends who care, it's incredibly rare—very rare—to find someone who truly understands what we're going through and how it feels. People might sympathize to a point, but they can't fully grasp it, so they can't provide the level of support we actually need.
The only ones who really get it are those who have lived it or are living it right now.
I know you want to heal and be okay, and you will, I'm sure of it, but it takes time because it's a process. There was a point where I thought it would never get better, that this was it and I'd never make it out, but look—it's getting better. Even though there are still good days and bad days, overall, it's so much better than it used to be.
It'll happen for you too, just be patient. I know it's terrifying—actually, scratch that, it's more than terrifying, it's hellish! Hang in there; you have the drive and the grit to fight this, and that's what matters most. Keeping a positive mindset is what's going to pull you through, and you'll be alright again.

😘

I already posted about anxiety, but figured I’d drop a line here too just in case! 😀
So, I went to see a clinical pharmacologist to figure out which med is actually safe to take while pregnant, and they told me Calixta is the way to go. I’ve seen a few people mention it on here already, but honestly, I’m still just trying to gather as much intel as possible. 😀 Thanks in advance, guys.

What do I even do? I’ve never seen a therapist before—and honestly, I'm not even sure I want to—but this depression is absolutely eating me alive, not to mention the anxiety and panic attacks... I need help, but I have zero clue where to start.

David Ross3 said:What do I even do? I’ve never seen a therapist before—and honestly, I'm not even sure I want to—but this depression is absolutely eating me alive, not to mention the anxiety and panic attacks... I need help, but I have zero clue where to start.

It’s actually pretty straightforward. You basically have two choices: you can either just suck it up and live with it without complaining too much, or you can go out and actually find some help.

It doesn't cost a dime to head to your primary care doctor, ask for a referral to a psychiatrist, and talk to a pro who can evaluate what's going on and prescribe medication if they think it's necessary.

If you're trying to dodge the whole public healthcare system, you can always go private. Pay maybe $200$100 and you'll get a professional opinion and potential therapy just the same.

Look, when your body stays in a state of high anxiety or deep depression for a long time, your brain chemistry gets totally thrown off balance. In my experience, herbal supplements and "natural" remedies aren't going to cut it when things are this bad. You need meds to put out the fire first, then you can use psychotherapy to dig up the root cause and actually deal with it.

Been there, done that. I'm still standing, healthy, and functioning. 🙂

Good luck. 🙂

fadedbear92 said:Maybe these tips will help you.
Patients and their families

There is also a forum thread here.

thanks so much!

Here I am again, venting a little. I had my session with the psychiatrist today. The current regimen is Seroquel at 800mg, Helex 1mg as needed 😠, and Cymbalta in the morning... which, I suppose, is the only thing keeping me tethered to this life. It isn’t even that I feel deeply depressed; it’s more like this suffocating sense of isolation. To make matters worse, she completely forgot to give me the Xanax XR that I practically had to beg for. Anyway, after all of this, I ended up hospitalized again—in a different city this time. I have absolutely no memory of what happened. My dad says I looked like a different person, that I was sweating like I was dying. I honestly don't know what I'm doing 🤷 or why... It always starts with one pill that doesn't seem to work, then I take a second, then a third, and once the wave hits me, I just end up taking dozens of pills at once. I'm destroying myself. I just swallow them; it isn't a conscious choice, but I am certain it's linked to my mental state and the horrific things I've endured in my life. Now, I just wish I could disappear from this whole... world 🙄

At least there is one small consolation: I don't feel any pain. I simply lose consciousness. I don't remember being intubated or even being put on dialysis. It’s gruesome, really. And deep down, I know I'll do it again one day when I'm finally alone. I just can't bring myself to do it now. Living is just... tedious.

redranger2 said:I feel exactly the same way. Honestly, every single time I have to visit the dentist, I end up popping an anti-anxiety med just to get through it.
Plenty of people handle it that way; we're certainly far from being outliers.😁

You know, I’ve actually never taken that route myself. :P
I have always just gone in with the mindset that, well, it's a dentist (at least, the one I see in my suburb)
Whether they are part of a large network like Kaiser Permanente or just a high-end private practice, if they are thorough and attentive, I try to simply "place my trust in their hands."
But, I suppose I might be dreaming if I think I won't feel it. 😁

The nerves are always lurking there, regardless.

Michael Hill2 said:It’s actually pretty straightforward. You basically have two choices: you can either just suck it up and live with it without complaining too much, or you can go out and actually find some help.

It doesn't cost a dime to head to your primary care doctor, ask for a referral to a psychiatrist, and talk to a pro who can evaluate what's going on and prescribe medication if they think it's necessary.

If you're trying to dodge the whole public healthcare system, you can always go private. Pay maybe $200$100 and you'll get a professional opinion and potential therapy just the same.

Look, when your body stays in a state of high anxiety or deep depression for a long time, your brain chemistry gets totally thrown off balance. In my experience, herbal supplements and "natural" remedies aren't going to cut it when things are this bad. You need meds to put out the fire first, then you can use psychotherapy to dig up the root cause and actually deal with it.

Been there, done that. I'm still standing, healthy, and functioning. 🙂

Good luck. 🙂

This belongs in the introductory post. Well said.

shadowbear9 said:Here I am again, venting a little. I had my session with the psychiatrist today. The current regimen is Seroquel at 800mg, Helex 1mg as needed 😠, and Cymbalta in the morning... which, I suppose, is the only thing keeping me tethered to this life. It isn’t even that I feel deeply depressed; it’s more like this suffocating sense of isolation. To make matters worse, she completely forgot to give me the Xanax XR that I practically had to beg for. Anyway, after all of this, I ended up hospitalized again—in a different city this time. I have absolutely no memory of what happened. My dad says I looked like a different person, that I was sweating like I was dying. I honestly don't know what I'm doing 🤷 or why... It always starts with one pill that doesn't seem to work, then I take a second, then a third, and once the wave hits me, I just end up taking dozens of pills at once. I'm destroying myself. I just swallow them; it isn't a conscious choice, but I am certain it's linked to my mental state and the horrific things I've endured in my life. Now, I just wish I could disappear from this whole... world 🙄

At least there is one small consolation: I don't feel any pain. I simply lose consciousness. I don't remember being intubated or even being put on dialysis. It’s gruesome, really. And deep down, I know I'll do it again one day when I'm finally alone. I just can't bring myself to do it now. Living is just... tedious.

Oh no... Please, please take care of yourself. 🙂
If you ever feel the urge to take pills, just take some Tylenol instead.
The Cymbalta should eventually lift you up; if it doesn't, they need to increase your dosage at your next checkup.
What exactly is your diagnosis?

Sending love

restlesstrucker15 said:Oh no... Please, please take care of yourself. 🙂
If you ever feel the urge to take pills, just take some Tylenol instead.
The Cymbalta should eventually lift you up; if it doesn't, they need to increase your dosage at your next checkup.
What exactly is your diagnosis?

Sending love

*Sorry, my phone autocorrected that exclamation point into a question mark, I meant to ask. Hang in there. :hug;

Sent from my

I have to admit, I caved again. I ended up taking Lexapro two days in a row, just one 1 mg tablet each time. 😠
I’m really hoping I haven't done any lasting damage to my brain here. Maybe I should have been more disciplined and just tried to tough out the anxiety, but honestly? It’s just too much. It completely overwhelms me. I can usually manage to calm down once I'm back home, but when I'm out in the world? It's a different story entirely. 😢

Mark Nelson said:I have to admit, I caved again. I ended up taking Lexapro two days in a row, just one 1 mg tablet each time. 😠
I’m really hoping I haven't done any lasting damage to my brain here. Maybe I should have been more disciplined and just tried to tough out the anxiety, but honestly? It’s just too much. It completely overwhelms me. I can usually manage to calm down once I'm back home, but when I'm out in the world? It's a different story entirely. 😢

Seriously, why on earth would your brain be damaged from taking two 1 mg pills of unknown?
You didn't "cave," you just did what you had to do to get through it when things got rough. Honestly, suffering through it is way worse than just taking a pill. You think anxiety is doing your body any favors? You think your system isn't paying a price by making you suffer? That's a much bigger evil than taking a pill when you're feeling crappy.
If you had an unbearable headache or a toothache, you'd take something without even questioning if the medicine was wrecking your organs, right? So why is it that when your soul is hurting, you suddenly worry about damaging your brain? Your soul needs some relief too, even if it comes in pill form. It'll thank you for it.

David Jackson22 said:Seriously, why on earth would your brain be damaged from taking two 1 mg pills of unknown?
You didn't "cave," you just did what you had to do to get through it when things got rough. Honestly, suffering through it is way worse than just taking a pill. You think anxiety is doing your body any favors? You think your system isn't paying a price by making you suffer? That's a much bigger evil than taking a pill when you're feeling crappy.
If you had an unbearable headache or a toothache, you'd take something without even questioning if the medicine was wrecking your organs, right? So why is it that when your soul is hurting, you suddenly worry about damaging your brain? Your soul needs some relief too, even if it comes in pill form. It'll thank you for it.

👍

David Jackson22 said:Seriously, why on earth would your brain be damaged from taking two 1 mg pills of unknown?
You didn't "cave," you just did what you had to do to get through it when things got rough. Honestly, suffering through it is way worse than just taking a pill. You think anxiety is doing your body any favors? You think your system isn't paying a price by making you suffer? That's a much bigger evil than taking a pill when you're feeling crappy.
If you had an unbearable headache or a toothache, you'd take something without even questioning if the medicine was wrecking your organs, right? So why is it that when your soul is hurting, you suddenly worry about damaging your brain? Your soul needs some relief too, even if it comes in pill form. It'll thank you for it.

I heard that benzodiazepines mess with your brain and cognitive skills, and honestly, it terrified me. I don't even know about painkillers for teeth or headaches; maybe they do damage too, I guess.

I could feel the anxiety starting to creep in, so I took something preventatively before it really hit me. Maybe I shouldn't be so quick to reach for a pill, maybe I should wait it out, but then I’m just miserable, and if I wait until later, it doesn't even matter—it's the same result.

Everyone tells me to focus on other stuff—read more, play music, stay busy, just "do something" and it'll pass. But it's not that simple. When the anxiety hits, it just swallows me whole. I just end up playing the same loop in my head over and over, praying to God that it passes, just this one more time.
I just can't function when it happens.

I get everything you're saying—when it hurts, it hurts—but I'm still scared of those benzos. Is anxiety just as bad for the brain as the medication itself?
It's all a bit confusing, I guess.

Enduring misery is far worse than just taking a pill. You honestly think anxiety is doing your body any favors? Your system suffers when you just sit there and take it. That’s a much greater evil than simply using medication when things go south.

Using a pill to fix your life problems is the worst approach of all.

It's a fact that unknown damages the brain.
Suffering through anxiety doesn't damage the brain.