Psychotropic medication discussion thread

fadedbear92 said:If they little bit reduce it... you won't be able to function—it's just not right...

Dear urbanskipper4, I think fadedbear92 makes a fair point. I went through a similar stretch once where I was taking too much, and I found myself nodding off five times a day, which obviously isn't a healthy way to live.

Maybe it’s worth scheduling a check-up with your psychiatrist to let them know this specific medication isn't sitting right with you.

As fadedbear92 put it, "you can't really function like this." 🙂

I'm wondering if there are any pills out there that can help calm me down—you know, take the edge off the anxiety and the shakes—but without making me feel totally drowsy or messing with my focus?
Ideally something over-the-counter... but if it's prescription only, I'll just bring it up with my future psychiatrist when I see them.

Kenneth Scott41 said:I suppose fadedbear92 is just looking to get a little high on some poppy juice😁

Yeah, well—that's his call—but he shouldn't be too lazy to just do a quick Google search himself😍

hey
where'd you go?????😠

Steven Hill3 said:I'm wondering if there are any pills out there that can help calm me down—you know, take the edge off the anxiety and the shakes—but without making me feel totally drowsy or messing with my focus?
Ideally something over-the-counter... but if it's prescription only, I'll just bring it up with my future psychiatrist when I see them.

There isn't really anything like that besides antidepressants, and honestly, you should talk to a shrink about that, not an internet forum.☕

fadedbear92 said:Yeah, well—that's his call—but he shouldn't be too lazy to just do a quick Google search himself😍

hey
where'd you go?????😠

It hits harder when you see those late-night shots of the city, you know? Walking through downtown seeing all these couples strolling along hand-in-hand while I feel like some sort of useless primate just wandering aimlessly. You walk into any local bistro or coffee shop and it’s always the same pattern: groups of guys, groups of girls, or couples... but for the singles? There doesn't seem to be a seat at the table for us.😢
this depression is honestly starting to feel like it's clawing its way into my brain.

Yeah, it’s that lovely little road to inner peace where you spend every single day fighting off this constant, soul-crushing lethargy and exhaustion while somehow managing to pack on an extra 65 pounds in just three years.

Steven Hill3 said:I'm wondering if there are any pills out there that can help calm me down—you know, take the edge off the anxiety and the shakes—but without making me feel totally drowsy or messing with my focus?
Ideally something over-the-counter... but if it's prescription only, I'll just bring it up with my future psychiatrist when I see them.

Maybe give some herbal antidepressants a shot; you can usually pick those up right off the shelf at a drugstore.

William Chavez5 said:Maybe give some herbal antidepressants a shot; you can usually pick those up right off the shelf at a drugstore.

Look, I don't want to rain on anyone's parade, but honestly? For me, all that herbal stuff is basically just flavored water.
Even the actual meds felt like nothing at all—like I was taking nothing—with things like Prozac or Zyprexa.
But hey, what works for one person might not work for another. We aren't all built the same.
So maybe that herbal stuff will actually do something for you, but only if you haven't already tried the heavy-duty stuff.

Daniel Rogers50 said:Yeah, it’s that lovely little road to inner peace where you spend every single day fighting off this constant, soul-crushing lethargy and exhaustion while somehow managing to pack on an extra 65 pounds in just three years.

Are you talking about Adderall? It doesn't hit everyone the same way—some people stay at the same weight, some gain it, and others actually lose it.

I honestly wouldn't mess around with any kind of medication—even if it's over-the-counter—without checking in with my doctor first...

Does anyone have a thread for this on the forum?

fadedbear92 said:Are you talking about Adderall? It doesn't hit everyone the same way—some people stay at the same weight, some gain it, and others actually lose it.

Anyway, the main thing is watching if the med actually makes you hungry. If it does, you really have to watch what you’re putting in your mouth. For me, it's not even the ADs that make me gain weight—it's whenever they switch me over to an AP. That's when I absolutely lose it on sweets and bread. I always mess up. Then I have to go on this super strict diet just to drop everything back off, and after that, I try to be careful about how much and what I eat.
I can usually hold my weight for pretty long, like 2 or 3 years. At least until the next time things go sideways and they put me on a new AP.
You've just gotta avoid sugar and bread.
I've been doing acupuncture to help with the hunger pangs, and now that I'm on Seroquel along with a diet, I've actually lost a few pounds, though I still have a ways to go.
Bottom line is, you can lose the weight.
The one thing I could NEVER lose weight on was Zyprexa. It's a great med, seriously, but you end up eating like a dinosaur. You feel like you could eat all day long.
With Prozac, you can't even eat.

Does anyone have any personal experiences with taking Cipralex? I’d love to hear what you all think...
I was wondering, what kind of reaction should I expect if I have a little bit of alcohol while I'm out at a festival or just hanging out with friends?
I personally struggle with anxiety and panic disorder, and I'm currently taking one pill a day without any other anti-anxiety meds, though I've noticed quite a few of you seem to be combining it with other stuff...

Ashley Thomas5 said:Does anyone have any personal experiences with taking Cipralex? I’d love to hear what you all think...
I was wondering, what kind of reaction should I expect if I have a little bit of alcohol while I'm out at a festival or just hanging out with friends?
I personally struggle with anxiety and panic disorder, and I'm currently taking one pill a day without any other anti-anxiety meds, though I've noticed quite a few of you seem to be combining it with other stuff...

At your own risk...

fadedbear92 said:Are you talking about Adderall? It doesn't hit everyone the same way—some people stay at the same weight, some gain it, and others actually lose it.

Back in the day, it was Adderall and Apomorphine, but honestly, nowadays I'm just stuck on Zeldox 40mg combined with Akineton because the side effects are just relentless, and it's been going on for five years now.

Ashley Thomas5 said:Does anyone have any personal experiences with taking Cipralex? I’d love to hear what you all think...
I was wondering, what kind of reaction should I expect if I have a little bit of alcohol while I'm out at a festival or just hanging out with friends?
I personally struggle with anxiety and panic disorder, and I'm currently taking one pill a day without any other anti-anxiety meds, though I've noticed quite a few of you seem to be combining it with other stuff...

It probably won't do you any real harm, though I suppose you might just find yourself feeling significantly more lethargic than usual.

Daniel Rogers50 said:Back in the day, it was Adderall and Apomorphine, but honestly, nowadays I'm just stuck on Zeldox 40mg combined with Akineton because the side effects are just relentless, and it's been going on for five years now.

Am I reading that correctly? Zeldox?!? 😁
Well, finally, it seems someone actually takes that instead of everyone else constantly being pushed toward Zyprexa.
I started out on 40mg, but they eventually bumped me up to 60mg.
What kind of side effects are you dealing with on the Zeldox? For me, it’s mostly the physical stuff, obviously—just constant drowsiness and feeling completely drained.

I’m constantly exhausted and honestly, I’m just fighting an uphill battle every single day. Over the last two years, the side effects have been brutal—my hands started seizing up on me, so now I’m taking Aketon just to get some relief, because the stiffness was getting genuinely painful. I’m always sleepy, and I’ve packed on the weight; my doctor keeps trying to brush it off, claiming Zeldox won't cause weight gain since it's an atypical antipsychotic, but I'm up 66 pounds from when I started this treatment five years ago. And honestly, that’s a "win" compared to when I first got sick nine years ago and was stuck on some garbage Zyprexa that made me gain 66 pounds in just six months. Back then, I couldn't stop eating, especially sweets, and I was expanding right before my eyes. Thank God I didn't end up with diabetes. I was on meds for two years during that first episode, and after talking it over with my doctor back then, I stopped the treatment. After two years of feeling fine and getting back to my normal weight, the illness came roaring back (depressive-type psychosis). My new doctor didn't put me back on Zyprexa specifically to avoid those side effects, opting for Zeldox instead.
Look, if there is even a shred of a chance that this stuff makes me gain weight, it's going to hit me hard. I managed to slim down perfectly back in 2004 using a diet and acupuncture with Dr. Miller, but starting treatment all over again has just brought all those pounds right back. Dammit... I’m just so damn tired of being lethargic and gaining weight; I want to sit down with my doctor and negotiate a lower dose or maybe even tapering off entirely (though I have no clue if that's actually smart, and I really want to have kids, so I need to get off these meds sooner rather than later).
I’ll try to fight for it—if I can't get off them completely, then at least I want to get moved down to 20mg, assuming they even carry those specific doses on the US market; I know Zeldox comes in 20, 40, 60, and 80mg packs.
I'll see what we can work out by the end of the month. I would be the happiest person on earth if I could just stop taking these pills and stay healthy... I just know that carries the risk of a relapse, and that's what scares the hell out of me.

Ugh, yeah, the side effects—besides just feeling like a total zombie, my hands keep cramping up while driving, and I’ve completely lost any interest in sex. My libido is basically non-existent right now. Honestly, I'm freaking out about it because I just want my old self back! 😢

Daniel Rogers50 said:Ugh, yeah, the side effects—besides just feeling like a total zombie, my hands keep cramping up while driving, and I’ve completely lost any interest in sex. My libido is basically non-existent right now. Honestly, I'm freaking out about it because I just want my old self back! 😢

I suppose I'm in the same boat regarding that part—my desire is pretty much non-existent right now.😳

It seems like we're all running into the exact same issues. I personally put on about 20 pounds in just two months, which is strange because I feel like I barely eat anything. Then there's the drowsiness and that slight muscle stiffness. After weighing all this against the downsides, I decided to just stop taking Zoloft on my own, and I guess it worked for me; I dropped three pounds almost immediately.🤣

I don't even dare think about stopping this on my own because the risk is just way too high; I've already had this illness come roaring back once before, and it was a literal life-or-death situation. I have absolutely no desire to end up back in a hospital ward, facing two grueling years of trying to recover from a psychotic break.
I think I'll try to negotiate at least a dose reduction with my doctor. Because look, my personal wishes are one thing, but then there's the cold, hard reality of this disease and the massive risks I'd be taking on. You just don't mess around with stuff like this.