Psychotropic medication discussion thread

shadowfox75 said:I’m looking for some insight from those who have been following this thread for a while. I’ve been on Lexapro for five weeks now—specifically, four weeks at the full dose after tapering down for a few days. Around week three, things actually started looking up. The dizziness subsided, my energy returned, and I finally managed to stop using Xanax. However, since Saturday, I’ve been struggling with intense nausea and a complete loss of appetite to the point where I feel like I’m going to vomit. Now, I’m trapped in this cycle of anxiety because I’m terrified of getting sick again. I spent all weekend spiraling into hypochondriac thoughts and deep anxiety over the urge to vomit after eating. I had an ultrasound and a gastroscopy ten months ago, and everything was fine except for some mild GERD. I never had these issues before. What is happening? Should I see my gastroenterologist again? My primary care doctor might lose patience if I keep coming back for the same thing when they can't find a physical cause. On a positive note, my sister and my doctor both mentioned that I look much better lately, which suggests the Lexapro is working. But this nausea is paralyzing. I'm terrified that if I can't eat, I'll end up in the hospital. I have a psychiatry appointment on March 10th and psychotherapy tomorrow. What should I do? Has anyone else dealt with this?

Why don't they just prescribe you something for the nausea, like they do for chemo patients?

For me, taking my meds in the evening before bed helps with the nausea and that heavy, foggy feeling. Then, by the next day, my appetite starts to come back a little bit.

silentpuma3 said:Why don't they just prescribe you something for the nausea, like they do for chemo patients?

For me, taking my meds in the evening before bed helps with the nausea and that heavy, foggy feeling. Then, by the next day, my appetite starts to come back a little bit.

My doctor at the Mayo Clinic suggested I take a high-quality B vitamin and drink leek tea. Since my mucnina stems from how much I worry, I assume they are treating the underlying cause (my mental state) rather than just the symptom. It really comes down to whether the psychological aspect is indeed the root cause.👎

Charles Wright said:Like I mentioned here once before, I never really knew much about antidepressants. I just took whatever was prescribed, and they mostly helped me get by. Reading through this thread, I get the impression that some people using these meds have put in a lot of work to learn the ins and outs—maybe even knowing more than the doctors who prescribe them. I've always wondered how an SSRI or an SNRI might affect someone who isn't actually dealing with depression. Could they act as a sort of stimulant to boost mental or physical performance in certain areas? Also, I was wondering how advisable it is to engage in intense physical exercise while on these medications, and if there are higher risks for things like collapsing or similar issues. For instance—just speaking hypothetically—I might have gone through a bit of a test a few months back. I had to deal with some urgent manual labor, and without pausing my 30mg daily Prozac regimen, I was lifting fairly heavy loads every day for over a month. Not to mention how much fluid I lost, since I tend to sweat more than usual because of the medication... So, maybe someone here knows more about this and could share their thoughts. It would be helpful.

Antidepressants, especially the Zoloft you mentioned, can give you a sense of "fake" energy. You don't realize how much you've overextended yourself until much later.

Can I just cut the 0.25 oz Muhammad Ali in half? Like, the standard one, not the heavy-duty version.
The instructions say you can split the 0.5 oz pack in two, but they suggest using the full 0.25 oz as is.
Since I'm testing this out for the first time, I’d rather start small and just go with the minimum amount possible.

neontiger4 said:Can I just cut the 0.25 oz Muhammad Ali in half? Like, the standard one, not the heavy-duty version.
The instructions say you can split the 0.5 oz pack in two, but they suggest using the full 0.25 oz as is.
Since I'm testing this out for the first time, I’d rather start small and just go with the minimum amount possible.

Sure you can—just grab a pill cutter from the pharmacy, or honestly, a regular kitchen knife works just fine if you're careful.

fadedbear92 said:Sure you can—just grab a pill cutter from the pharmacy, or honestly, a regular kitchen knife works just fine if you're careful.

Thanks. Yeah, I was actually thinking about just slicing it in half with a knife.
Does splitting it down the middle change how it works, though? Like, if the cutting process ends up nicking the protective coating?

I don't think it matters. In America, it’s a whole different story—if they've got that line crossing the halfway mark, they're just breaking everything. 🙂 🤔

Could someone please help me make sense of something? I’ve been doing some reading, and I’m wondering why Effexor isn't typically the first thing doctors reach for when dealing with social anxiety, whereas something like Paxil seems to be more common. I’ve been scrolling through these various health forums, and there seems to be this general consensus that Effexor acts as a bit of a stimulant for the system—it kind of picks you up—while Paxil tends to have a much more sedating effect, with plenty of people mentioning how sleepy it makes them feel. So, if that's the case, wouldn't it actually make more sense for someone struggling with social phobia to take Effexor, just to give their system that little nudge or "wake-up call" to shake off the lethargy? I suppose I'm just overthinking it, but I'd love some clarity. Also, on a related note, does anyone have recommendations for a reliable medication that effectively tackles both social anxiety and depression at the same time?

Nicole Collins said:Could someone please help me make sense of something? I’ve been doing some reading, and I’m wondering why Effexor isn't typically the first thing doctors reach for when dealing with social anxiety, whereas something like Paxil seems to be more common. I’ve been scrolling through these various health forums, and there seems to be this general consensus that Effexor acts as a bit of a stimulant for the system—it kind of picks you up—while Paxil tends to have a much more sedating effect, with plenty of people mentioning how sleepy it makes them feel. So, if that's the case, wouldn't it actually make more sense for someone struggling with social phobia to take Effexor, just to give their system that little nudge or "wake-up call" to shake off the lethargy? I suppose I'm just overthinking it, but I'd love some clarity. Also, on a related note, does anyone have recommendations for a reliable medication that effectively tackles both social anxiety and depression at the same time?

I've had a really great experience with Seroxat.

Has anyone actually managed to detox from all these tablets? 😢

silentpuma3 said:Has anyone actually managed to detox from all these tablets? 😢

I made it three months. I swapped the Advil for some St. John's Wort tincture. Unfortunately, it wasn't quite enough to keep me going...

silentpuma3 said:Has anyone actually managed to detox from all these tablets? 😢

I know a girl on here who successfully made the jump. 🙂

hiddenwalker30 said:I know a girl on here who successfully made the jump. 🙂

It’s definitely possible. Honestly, no irony intended, but I know people who quit heroin and haven't touched it again in ten years. It's just hard to fight through those withdrawals when you know there's something out there that can take the edge off. Personally, I wish I could live without Adderall, but I don't see a way to do that right now. It's pretty frustrating, I guess.

neontiger4 said:Thanks. Yeah, I was actually thinking about just slicing it in half with a knife.
Does splitting it down the middle change how it works, though? Like, if the cutting process ends up nicking the protective coating?

not at all

Anthony Foster17 said:I don't think it matters. In America, it’s a whole different story—if they've got that line crossing the halfway mark, they're just breaking everything. 🙂 🤔

you've got a point

Does anyone actually know anything about Meton or Appalachia? I'm wondering if they might make things worse for a patient who’s already dealing with psychosis triggered by a massive overdose of Café Coffee Bean.

fadedbear92 said:not at all

you've got a point

So, I split one in half just to see what would happen during the trial run.
There’s absolutely zero protective packaging on these things. They're basically like buying loose Advil from a vending machine without any blister pack or anything. Honestly, I realized this via the "lick the pill" method—I can't believe I didn't check first before asking 🤦
. The only weird thing is I feel this slight, random itchiness popping up here and there all over my body.

They’ve gone and forced me onto Lexapro. 🤔

silentpuma3 said:They’ve gone and forced me onto Lexapro. 🤔

It works pretty well for me; I'm on 200mg a day. How about you?

I suspect the Lexapro isn't doing much for me.
It helped settle my dizziness, but I've been dealing with this restless feeling for five days now; some days feel fine, but then they don't...
On top of that, my appetite is just as inconsistent, swinging wildly every few days. Any time a negative thought crosses my mind, everything just takes a turn for the worse.
I think I'll tell my doctor on Tuesday that I'm done with the Lexapro. I just need to know what the next steps are. Zoloft didn't work, and it feels like Lexapro is no different...
Honestly, I just can't catch a break. I’ll give it a little more thought, but I’m leaning toward giving up on antidepressant therapy altogether.
Psychotherapy is helpful, but I doubt I can manage without medication. Then again, I don't see the point in all this suffering—constantly waiting to see if things will finally click or if I'll just be stuck in this cycle. It's been six weeks of this mess...
What the hell is happening to me? 🤦

It feels like at least half the country is on antidepressants these days. Honestly, I can see why. For me, mixing Effexor with Prozac isn't doing much either, so I’m thinking about just giving up on it altogether.
Is anyone here taking Anafranil? It seems like doctors rarely prescribe it lately, probably because it's cheap and doesn't line the pockets of the big pharma giants, but I've read it's actually incredibly effective.