Psychotropic medication discussion thread

Timothy Wood38 said:I have to disagree there. In my book, Paxil is easily the best SSRI out there, right up there with Prozac. Honestly, combining 60 mg of Paxil with 80 mg of Prozac lets me function perfectly fine—not a single side effect left, though I suppose I might be a bit of a statistical anomaly. If I ever needed to get off a medication, I’d just stop cold turkey. No drama, no tapering, nothing. I’ve never had any withdrawal symptoms at all. I seem to handle just about everything without any issues regarding dependency or those nasty withdrawal effects when I quit... my only real struggle is how incredibly fast I build up a tolerance.

Look, the whole "not having trouble getting off meds" thing really comes down to how you're wired mentally.
I was on small doses of Xanax for like five years because it helped kill the anxiety and fear. When my treatment plan changed, I just stopped taking it abruptly and tossed it aside.
Didn't feel a single withdrawal symptom.

I am reaching out for some help, advice, or even just to hear if anyone else has dealt with something similar.

For several months now, I’ve been taking Xanax 0.25 occasionally at night because I struggle with sleep—insomnia, waking up constantly throughout the night, the whole bit. It actually worked quite well initially; I could finally relax, drift off, and get decent rest. Having a young child makes everything harder, but even if I was woken up during the night, I could easily fall back asleep. That held true until recently, when it simply stopped working. Now, even after taking a pill, I might manage to nod off, but I find myself wide awake again after just three hours. Sometimes, despite having taken the medication, I can't sleep at all; it relaxes my body, sure, but my mind stays wired and sleep just won't come.

Is this just a case of building up a tolerance where I should increase the dosage or perhaps switch medications entirely? Has anyone else gone through this?😕

copperheron18 said:I am reaching out for some help, advice, or even just to hear if anyone else has dealt with something similar.

For several months now, I’ve been taking Xanax 0.25 occasionally at night because I struggle with sleep—insomnia, waking up constantly throughout the night, the whole bit. It actually worked quite well initially; I could finally relax, drift off, and get decent rest. Having a young child makes everything harder, but even if I was woken up during the night, I could easily fall back asleep. That held true until recently, when it simply stopped working. Now, even after taking a pill, I might manage to nod off, but I find myself wide awake again after just three hours. Sometimes, despite having taken the medication, I can't sleep at all; it relaxes my body, sure, but my mind stays wired and sleep just won't come.

Is this just a case of building up a tolerance where I should increase the dosage or perhaps switch medications entirely? Has anyone else gone through this?😕

That is definitely drug tolerance. Honestly, since I don't know if your insomnia has some underlying psychological or physical cause, I'm hesitant to give any specific advice. You really need to sit down and talk to your doctor about this. Just keep in mind that Xanax is primarily an anxiolytic, and it's only secondarily a hypnotic. Because of that, it can absolutely lead to both tolerance and dependency.

urbanskipper4 said:Look, the whole "not having trouble getting off meds" thing really comes down to how you're wired mentally.
I was on small doses of Xanax for like five years because it helped kill the anxiety and fear. When my treatment plan changed, I just stopped taking it abruptly and tossed it aside.
Didn't feel a single withdrawal symptom.

That has nothing to do with "getting your head right." Look, you can't just think your way out of a physical dependency—you might manage the psychological side of things through mindset, sure, but the physical part? That isn't up for debate. It’s more a matter of pharmacogenetics.

Kenneth Scott41 said:I honestly don't understand how doctors are still prescribing Paxil; I mean, in my opinion, it’s just absolute garbage.

It feels like we're just spinning our wheels on this thread, so I'm not sure if there's any point in rehashing this. But hey, maybe someone who was just prescribed Paxil will stumble upon this and feel a bit more reassured.
At the end of the day, I don't think we can call Paxil "garbage" when it actually works for some people—it certainly worked for me! Of course, dealing with side effects is just part of the reality of medication, right?

urbanskipper4 said:Look, the whole "not having trouble getting off meds" thing really comes down to how you're wired mentally.
I was on small doses of Xanax for like five years because it helped kill the anxiety and fear. When my treatment plan changed, I just stopped taking it abruptly and tossed it aside.
Didn't feel a single withdrawal symptom.

But you weren't just taking Xanax; you were on other medications too, weren't you?
If you tried to quit Xanax entirely on its own, wouldn't you likely run into withdrawal symptoms?
Withdrawal isn't about your mindset or "getting your head straight," is it?

I’m just observing that doctors seem to be prescribing more and more of these newer generation medications, things like Effexor... and so on.

Kenneth Scott41 said:I’m just observing that doctors seem to be prescribing more and more of these newer generation medications, things like Effexor... and so on.

True, but even those don't work for everyone, right? We wouldn't call them garbage just because they aren't a perfect fit for every single person, would we? 😉

Kenneth Scott41 said:I’m just observing that doctors seem to be prescribing more and more of these newer generation medications, things like Effexor... and so on.

Well, now you've got me curious... what else would you throw into that category alongside Effexor?

Take something like Paxil, for instance—it’s an older generation of medication. But honestly, does it even matter which one you're on if it actually works for you?

Timothy Wood38 said:That is definitely drug tolerance. Honestly, since I don't know if your insomnia has some underlying psychological or physical cause, I'm hesitant to give any specific advice. You really need to sit down and talk to your doctor about this. Just keep in mind that Xanax is primarily an anxiolytic, and it's only secondarily a hypnotic. Because of that, it can absolutely lead to both tolerance and dependency.

Honestly, my situation is "unique," and it truly feels like a dead end.😢
For the most part, I have a small baby, which naturally meant constant nighttime wakings at the start. It completely wrecked my sleep-wake cycle. During the first month, I could drift back to sleep easily from a semi-conscious state, but that stopped. It’s been six months now. There are brief windows—maybe a week or two—where I can sleep normally, wake up at night, and just drift right back off, but lately, these sleepless stretches are getting longer and much worse. Last night, I took 1.5 x Xanax 0.25; I slept maybe four hours, and after that, nothing. I wasn't even close to drifting off again. I finally crashed around 9 AM, but duty calls... These constant wakings and the sheer anticipation of when I'll be jolted awake again has driven me to the brink of madness. I simply cannot sleep because of the dread. Even though I only woke once last night—meaning I actually had the chance to sleep normally—it just wouldn't happen. On top of all this, there's a mountain of other stressors: finishing college, passing my final exams, trying to catch up... and perhaps some form of postpartum depression. Everything has piled up, and the worst part is feeling like there is no way out.

Ultimately, I have no idea what could restore a normal rhythm for me. If my Xanax is losing its efficacy, I can see where this leads: maybe another benzodiazepine, or perhaps a higher dose of Xanax (though I don't see how increasing doses can go on forever), or maybe an SSRI antidepressant. 😕😢

So, my doctor wrote me a prescription for Xanax 0.5 to take as needed, but I try to cap it at two doses a day max. Now, if I’m feeling absolutely terrible and I've already taken those two, am I actually allowed to pop a third one? Just talking about my daily limit here, obviously.

copperheron18 said:Honestly, my situation is "unique," and it truly feels like a dead end.😢
For the most part, I have a small baby, which naturally meant constant nighttime wakings at the start. It completely wrecked my sleep-wake cycle. During the first month, I could drift back to sleep easily from a semi-conscious state, but that stopped. It’s been six months now. There are brief windows—maybe a week or two—where I can sleep normally, wake up at night, and just drift right back off, but lately, these sleepless stretches are getting longer and much worse. Last night, I took 1.5 x Xanax 0.25; I slept maybe four hours, and after that, nothing. I wasn't even close to drifting off again. I finally crashed around 9 AM, but duty calls... These constant wakings and the sheer anticipation of when I'll be jolted awake again has driven me to the brink of madness. I simply cannot sleep because of the dread. Even though I only woke once last night—meaning I actually had the chance to sleep normally—it just wouldn't happen. On top of all this, there's a mountain of other stressors: finishing college, passing my final exams, trying to catch up... and perhaps some form of postpartum depression. Everything has piled up, and the worst part is feeling like there is no way out.

Ultimately, I have no idea what could restore a normal rhythm for me. If my Xanax is losing its efficacy, I can see where this leads: maybe another benzodiazepine, or perhaps a higher dose of Xanax (though I don't see how increasing doses can go on forever), or maybe an SSRI antidepressant. 😕😢

I don't know... it seems pretty obvious from everything you wrote that you need an anxiolytic. And look, you haven't even built up a massive tolerance yet, considering you can still drift off on less than half a milligram of Xanax. Believe me, people are taking much higher doses than that. Besides, it sounds like what you might actually need is Xanax with extended release; I suspect that might help stabilize things, though obviously, you'll have to talk to your doctor about dosages and all that. Personally, I don't think you necessarily need an AD, and some solid psychotherapy could really do wonders for you in this situation. But again, I have to stress: please talk to your physician. Don't go making any changes on your own. Good luck.

Hey everyone 😲

I can barely move my head without the vision blurring; I'm getting these intense jolts in my head, almost like electric shocks 🤣

Today marks day 10 of tapering off, and honestly, when is this madness going to end? 🙂

I was thinking, if things don't settle down by the weekend, maybe I could try taking half a pill (10mg) one day, then splitting that half again to just take 5mg 🤷 Just like that for a few days or even weeks...

I have a feeling my doctor will be absolutely thrilled when I pitch this idea to her 🤣

edit: does anyone know if an anxiolytic might help ease these sensations? I'm not even feeling anxious—mentally, I feel great—it's just these weird physical symptoms in my head. I have some Xanax 0.25, but it leaves me totally out of it for two days after I take it 🤷

Roger Rodriguez said:Hey everyone 😲

I can barely move my head without the vision blurring; I'm getting these intense jolts in my head, almost like electric shocks 🤣

Today marks day 10 of tapering off, and honestly, when is this madness going to end? 🙂

I was thinking, if things don't settle down by the weekend, maybe I could try taking half a pill (10mg) one day, then splitting that half again to just take 5mg 🤷 Just like that for a few days or even weeks...

I have a feeling my doctor will be absolutely thrilled when I pitch this idea to her 🤣

edit: does anyone know if an anxiolytic might help ease these sensations? I'm not even feeling anxious—mentally, I feel great—it's just these weird physical symptoms in my head. I have some Xanax 0.25, but it leaves me totally out of it for two days after I take it 🤷

Definitely talk to your doctor, but yeah, I think an anxiolytic might be the way to go. Ugh, I seriously admire you—I would be terrified!😲

fadedbear92 said:Definitely talk to your doctor, but yeah, I think an anxiolytic might be the way to go. Ugh, I seriously admire you—I would be terrified!😲

I don't really have anything to fear... It’s an uncomfortable sensation, certainly, but nothing I can't handle. I've made it through before, haven't I? 😬

My doctor actually suggested I take some Xanax if the feeling returns, and honestly, wouldn't it be smarter to just sleep through the worst of it? 🙂

Hey there! I'm currently taking Vaira and Citram. Has anyone here had much experience with Citram? It's pretty new to my routine, so I'm just curious—maybe if someone could share their thoughts.

Does anyone feel okay staying on a 10 mg dose of Paxil, assuming they aren't currently in the middle of adjusting their dosage or tapering off?
I've been taking it for about two weeks now to manage my GAD, and when I attempted to bump it up by 5 mg, the side effects were honestly pretty unbearable, so I ended up dropping back down to the 10 mg level.
I suppose I wonder if maybe this dose is actually just right for me?
Or is it possible that I simply tried to increase it a bit too soon?

James Young87 said:Does anyone feel okay staying on a 10 mg dose of Paxil, assuming they aren't currently in the middle of adjusting their dosage or tapering off?
I've been taking it for about two weeks now to manage my GAD, and when I attempted to bump it up by 5 mg, the side effects were honestly pretty unbearable, so I ended up dropping back down to the 10 mg level.
I suppose I wonder if maybe this dose is actually just right for me?
Or is it possible that I simply tried to increase it a bit too soon?

Of course it’s possible, provided that the dose is actually doing its job and providing therapeutic relief.

hollowfalcon2 said:Hey there! I'm currently taking Vaira and Citram. Has anyone here had much experience with Citram? It's pretty new to my routine, so I'm just curious—maybe if someone could share their thoughts.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Escitalopram

Escitalopram was developed in close cooperation between Lundbeck and Forest Laboratories. Its development was initiated in The Summer of 1997, and the resulting new drug application was submitted to the U.S. FDA in March 2001. The short time (3.5 years) it took to develop escitalopram can be attributed to the previous extensive experience of Lundbeck and Forest with citalopram, which has similar pharmacology. The FDA issued The approval of escitalopram for major depression in August 2002 and for generalized anxiety disorder in December 2003. Escitalopram can be considered an example of "evergreening" (also called "lifecycle management")—the long-term strategy pharmaceutical companies use in order to extend the lifetime of a drug, in this case of the citalopram franchise. Escitalopram is an enantiopure compound of the racemic mixture citalopram, used for the same indication, and for that reason it required less investment and less time to develop. Two years after escitalopram's launch, when the patent on citalopram expired, the escitalopram sales successfully made up for the loss. On May 23, the FDA approved a generic version of escitalopram by Teva. However, on July 14 of that year, the Court of Delaware decided in favor of Lundbeck regarding the patent infringement dispute and ruled the patent on escitalopram valid.
In 2006 Forest Laboratories was granted an 828 day (2 years and 3 months) extension on its US patent for escitalopram. This pushed the patent expiry from December 7, 2009 to September 14, 2011. Together with the 6-month pediatric exclusivity, the final expiration date is March 14, 2012.

James Young87 said:Does anyone feel okay staying on a 10 mg dose of Paxil, assuming they aren't currently in the middle of adjusting their dosage or tapering off?
I've been taking it for about two weeks now to manage my GAD, and when I attempted to bump it up by 5 mg, the side effects were honestly pretty unbearable, so I ended up dropping back down to the 10 mg level.
I suppose I wonder if maybe this dose is actually just right for me?
Or is it possible that I simply tried to increase it a bit too soon?

It’s entirely possible that 10 mg is perfectly fine for you; honestly, that was exactly my experience. Obviously, the real test is whether this dosage actually manages your symptoms effectively. For me, it worked, and now I’m actually on an even lower dose just to maintain a relatively stable state.