Psychotropic medication discussion thread

bluerider512 said:I have a question: I’ve been on a new medication, Alvent—it's an antidepressant and anxiolytic combo—for about two months now. I’m also taking Xanax once a day along with it, as prescribed by my psychologist. For a while, I actually felt pretty good and had plenty of energy. But for the last two weeks, I’ve felt completely drained. It doesn't matter if I'm relaxing at home or busy working; the fatigue is constant, though I notice it a bit less when I'm occupied. Even my motivation to exercise has vanished—I used to hit my stationary bike every single day. I’ve brought this up with my psychologist several times, but she hasn't offered any real solutions or changes.😢I really don't want to turn into a "zombie." I'm worried these pills are doing that to me, even though I'm on the lowest possible doses just once a day. I've considered seeing a different doctor, but I'm not sure if that would actually solve anything. Has anyone else dealt with something similar? Even though I go to psychotherapy regularly, I feel awkward telling her that I feel like she's just "pushing pills" on me. I feel like I need more support from the therapy side rather than just more medication. Does anyone have any advice?😢

Look, I’m on Effexor and Xanax too, and I can tell you that I actually feel quite alright. I did have some issues at the start—I barely needed any sleep and would wake up at three in the morning feeling totally refreshed—but that passed after a few days. Before I started this regimen, I was incredibly hyperactive; I suppose you know how stress causes the pituitary gland to pump out extra adrenaline, which probably explains it. I couldn't sit still, I had to find ways to burn off all that excess energy, and my fuse was extremely short; everything irritated me and I was in a constant bad mood. Now, things are completely different. External stressors don't hit me the way they used to, the hyperactivity is gone, and I feel much calmer. Maybe I'm a little slower, I guess, but it doesn't bother me because it isn't stopping me from getting my work done. I don't know how long you've been on this treatment, but I noticed an improvement after just a couple of weeks, and even the people around me picked up on it...

Anyone heard of that antidepressant people call "psychiatric Viagra"? It’s been out since last year. Supposedly great for sexual dysfunction, even though it's an antidepressant. My doctor keeps pushing it because Prozac clearly isn't cutting it for me.👎

Edward Fisher38 said:Like I said, just relax.
Everything you're describing is actually pretty standard.
I've been on Zoloft for two years, and it’s great.
When I first started, I didn't really consider the side effects. During that first week, I was driving with a friend to a third friend's house—someone who was already getting on my nerves—and halfway there, a massive panic attack hit me. It was such a side effect. I told my friend, "Hey, you drive," and she was like, "No way." q q)))))))
I honestly thought I was dying. Heart racing, head spinning... I ended up rushing straight to the ER, and once I got into the exam room, things settled down.🙂
My condition has slipped a bit lately... probably because I missed two days, who knows. Plus, I had a momentary breakdown and started imagining attacks out of nowhere.

Because of that, they bumped my dose to 75mg.
Today is actually my second day back on the 75mg after two years... nothing crazy, except my jaw is locked up in the morning since I take it at night.
And of course, insomnia... I slept the first night, but the second night was a bust.
Oh well, it'll pass.
Progress to everyone "sick" enough to actually get treatment. Those who ignore their issues and refuse to deal with them...
By the time they finally see a doctor, there won't be much left to fix. I don't want it to be that way, but that's how it usually goes. Not my fault.🙂

Don't take Zoloft at night because it's super stimulating—I took it at 5 PM once.

I've been on Paxil for about six months now, and ever since the second month kicked in, I’ve been dealing with this crazy night sweating. I read somewhere that it's just one of those common side effects from antidepressants, but honestly, I'm starting to freak out a little. I'm thinking about heading to the doctor to get some blood work done because, you know, who knows if it's actually something else going on under the hood? I'm pretty worried about it. 😢

Anyone else here taking ADs and dealing with the whole night sweats thing? 😢

Jessica Rivera said:I've been on Paxil for about six months now, and ever since the second month kicked in, I’ve been dealing with this crazy night sweating. I read somewhere that it's just one of those common side effects from antidepressants, but honestly, I'm starting to freak out a little. I'm thinking about heading to the doctor to get some blood work done because, you know, who knows if it's actually something else going on under the hood? I'm pretty worried about it. 😢

Anyone else here taking ADs and dealing with the whole night sweats thing? 😢

I was on Paxil and didn't get any night sweats. Maybe go see your doctor just to be safe.

Can anyone shed some light on how much Xanax actually impacts driving ability? I’ve been taking it for quite a while now, though strictly for exceptional circumstances. The thing is, I have my driver's exam coming up soon, and there is absolutely no way I’m going to pass if I show up as my "natural self." As far as the actual mechanics of driving go, I have no issues at all; this is purely about an irrational, overwhelming fear regarding the exam situation itself.
Is it safe to take a dose normally, or do you think it will leave me overly drowsy, dull my reflexes, or slow down my reaction time too much?

Anthony Lopez8 said:Can anyone shed some light on how much Xanax actually impacts driving ability? I’ve been taking it for quite a while now, though strictly for exceptional circumstances. The thing is, I have my driver's exam coming up soon, and there is absolutely no way I’m going to pass if I show up as my "natural self." As far as the actual mechanics of driving go, I have no issues at all; this is purely about an irrational, overwhelming fear regarding the exam situation itself.
Is it safe to take a dose normally, or do you think it will leave me overly drowsy, dull my reflexes, or slow down my reaction time too much?

Don't take it before the test. It'll just numb you out. 😲

Anthony Lopez8 said:Can anyone shed some light on how much Xanax actually impacts driving ability? I’ve been taking it for quite a while now, though strictly for exceptional circumstances. The thing is, I have my driver's exam coming up soon, and there is absolutely no way I’m going to pass if I show up as my "natural self." As far as the actual mechanics of driving go, I have no issues at all; this is purely about an irrational, overwhelming fear regarding the exam situation itself.
Is it safe to take a dose normally, or do you think it will leave me overly drowsy, dull my reflexes, or slow down my reaction time too much?

It’ll absolutely wreck you. Don't even think about taking it!!!

Nathan Kim10 said:Don't take it before the test. It'll just numb you out. 😲

Look, don't be such a jerk; it's not going to kill her 🙂

If she just takes 0.25 or maybe even halves one of those 0.5 mg pills, she won't be "wiped out."

crimsonhound80 said:Look, don't be such a jerk; it's not going to kill her 🙂

If she just takes 0.25 or maybe even halves one of those 0.5 mg pills, she won't be "wiped out."

If she hasn't taken anything before and she's got a smaller build, though... yeah, it might hit her harder.🙄

Nathan Kim10 said:If she hasn't taken anything before and she's got a smaller build, though... yeah, it might hit her harder.🙄

I have a friend who felt pretty terrible after just 0.25—she’s quite petite, only about 105 pounds and on the shorter side.

Nathan Kim10 said:If she hasn't taken anything before and she's got a smaller build, though... yeah, it might hit her harder.🙄

I’ve taken them before, quite a while back, but I wasn't behind the wheel at the time, which is why I’m asking these questions. As I mentioned earlier, I only reach for them when things truly spiral out of control. Given the reactions I’m seeing here, I’m leaning toward skipping the dose entirely, though I can't help but wonder what that leaves me with instead. Isn't it possible that the palpitations, the tremors, and the sheer panic would actually make me a far more dangerous driver than a single pill ever could? 😢
Let me clarify one thing for those wondering: yes, I am weighing in at about 130 pounds. 😬

Anthony Lopez8 said:I’ve taken them before, quite a while back, but I wasn't behind the wheel at the time, which is why I’m asking these questions. As I mentioned earlier, I only reach for them when things truly spiral out of control. Given the reactions I’m seeing here, I’m leaning toward skipping the dose entirely, though I can't help but wonder what that leaves me with instead. Isn't it possible that the palpitations, the tremors, and the sheer panic would actually make me a far more dangerous driver than a single pill ever could? 😢
Let me clarify one thing for those wondering: yes, I am weighing in at about 130 pounds. 😬

Just take it two hours before you head out so you're feeling steady—the medication usually hits its peak concentration about an hour after you swallow it.

I’ve been known to take as little as 0.5 mg myself, so I can still handle driving just fine

Anthony Lopez8 said:I’ve taken them before, quite a while back, but I wasn't behind the wheel at the time, which is why I’m asking these questions. As I mentioned earlier, I only reach for them when things truly spiral out of control. Given the reactions I’m seeing here, I’m leaning toward skipping the dose entirely, though I can't help but wonder what that leaves me with instead. Isn't it possible that the palpitations, the tremors, and the sheer panic would actually make me a far more dangerous driver than a single pill ever could? 😢
Let me clarify one thing for those wondering: yes, I am weighing in at about 130 pounds. 😬

What, you planning on cutting yourself before your finals? That'll definitely help you relax.😉😍

Nathan Kim10 said:What, you planning on cutting yourself before your finals? That'll definitely help you relax.😉😍

Do you honestly believe that sex is some kind of universal panacea for all of life's problems? It’s a rather naive assumption to make, isn't it? I have personally heard accounts where people claim it can even help mitigate something as severe as a brain tumor, which just goes to show how much misinformation is floating around out there. 😍
Furthermore, even if I actually wanted to, who exactly would I have to turn to? 😳 😂

Nathan Kim10 said:If she hasn't taken anything before and she's got a smaller build, though... yeah, it might hit her harder.🙄

It just won't—it simply refuses to work. I don't know if it's the hardware, the software, or just some cosmic joke being played on me at this exact moment, but it’s just... no. It's not happening.

crimsonhound80 said:It just won't—it simply refuses to work. I don't know if it's the hardware, the software, or just some cosmic joke being played on me at this exact moment, but it’s just... no. It's not happening.

We aren't in kindergarten.🙂

velvetsailor26 said:I’ve been known to take as little as 0.5 mg myself, so I can still handle driving just fine

I definitely wouldn't want to be sharing the road with you! 😉

Jessica Rivera said:I've been on Paxil for about six months now, and ever since the second month kicked in, I’ve been dealing with this crazy night sweating. I read somewhere that it's just one of those common side effects from antidepressants, but honestly, I'm starting to freak out a little. I'm thinking about heading to the doctor to get some blood work done because, you know, who knows if it's actually something else going on under the hood? I'm pretty worried about it. 😢

Anyone else here taking ADs and dealing with the whole night sweats thing? 😢

I'm on Prozac too, and the night sweats are real—honestly, I sweat like crazy during the day as well.😬
But at night, it gets so much more intense; I literally feel soaked when I wake up.
Since this is a known side effect of Prozac, there's probably no reason to worry, but why not check in with your doctor if it would give you some peace of mind?