Psychotropic medication discussion thread

Peter Wilson2 said:Is there actually anyone out there who feels like Velafax actually did them a favor?

I’ve been on 150mg a day for about a year and five months now. Those first four months while I was ramping up the dosage were absolute hell—nausea, constant drowsiness, and this persistent ringing in my ears. The one silver lining was losing 7 pounds (though I eventually gained it back, so no big deal 🙂). Things are alright now. Am I thriving? No. But compared to how I felt before starting Effexor, it's a massive difference; I can actually function about 80% of the time. Since I haven't tried any other antidepressants, I can't really say if something else would have "settled" better, but this is where I am.

Timothy Wood38 said:Back at it again with yet another medication shuffle. My psychiatrist decided to pull the plug on my Prozac and swap it out for Wellbutrin instead. So, here is the current lineup:
Paxil 60mg
Wellbutrin 300mg
Zyprexa 10mg
Ambien 20mg
Xanax 0.75 mg

I’m curious—does anyone here actually have experience using Wellbutrin? I’ve been trying to convince myself that this specific cocktail of Paxil, Zyprexa, and Wellbutrin is going to be the magic fix. Honestly, the power of suggestion is a funny thing... I already feel a bit better, 🙂 even though, realistically, it's far too early for the Wellbutrin to actually kick in. But, well, there it is. If you've dealt with Wellbutrin before, please, let me know what your experience was like.

How has your experience been with Wellbutrin? I'm curious if the initial side effects tend to be particularly rough when you first start taking it.

Kenneth Scott41 said:How has your experience been with Wellbutrin? I'm curious if the initial side effects tend to be particularly rough when you first start taking it.

Where on earth did you even dig up this post 🙄 For me, honestly, I didn't really feel any side effects, but then again, I didn't feel any improvement either. I stayed on the Wellbutrin for a little over a month before finally calling it quits because it just wasn't doing anything for me. But hey, maybe luck is on your side and it actually works for you.

Peter Wilson2 said:Is there actually anyone out there who feels like Velafax actually did them a favor?

It was a total disaster for me. And I say that from personal experience—mostly because of a "famous" little mistake where I combined it with just one single Advil, and I nearly ended up in a psychiatric ward for it.

I’ve had a box sitting in my cabinet for months, but there's exactly one pill missing from it... I wouldn't dare put this stuff in my mouth again, even in an absolute emergency. Now, is Effexor truly to blame, or is this just my own skewed perception or some sudden allergy to Advil? I have no clue. All I know is that during the entire time I was on Effexor, I dealt with nothing but bizarre side effects. Not a single one of them actually helped my anxiety, depression, or panic disorder. To me, this drug is temperamental, toxic, and completely unpredictable.

While we're on the subject:

For the last three months, I've been on Oxazepam at 30 mg, three times a day. When I first started, I was thrilled! It knocked me out and relaxed me instantly. That’s a feat even heavy narcotics struggle to achieve, let alone a tiny 10 or 30 mg dose of Oxazepam. I’m still a huge advocate for Oxazepam, but the speed at which tolerance builds is terrifying! In just one week, I went from needing 10 mg to needing 180 mg just to fall asleep! Has anyone else gone through this? And how does Oxazepam stack up against Helix 0.25?

ambermason16 said:It was a total disaster for me. And I say that from personal experience—mostly because of a "famous" little mistake where I combined it with just one single Advil, and I nearly ended up in a psychiatric ward for it.

I’ve had a box sitting in my cabinet for months, but there's exactly one pill missing from it... I wouldn't dare put this stuff in my mouth again, even in an absolute emergency. Now, is Effexor truly to blame, or is this just my own skewed perception or some sudden allergy to Advil? I have no clue. All I know is that during the entire time I was on Effexor, I dealt with nothing but bizarre side effects. Not a single one of them actually helped my anxiety, depression, or panic disorder. To me, this drug is temperamental, toxic, and completely unpredictable.

While we're on the subject:

For the last three months, I've been on Oxazepam at 30 mg, three times a day. When I first started, I was thrilled! It knocked me out and relaxed me instantly. That’s a feat even heavy narcotics struggle to achieve, let alone a tiny 10 or 30 mg dose of Oxazepam. I’m still a huge advocate for Oxazepam, but the speed at which tolerance builds is terrifying! In just one week, I went from needing 10 mg to needing 180 mg just to fall asleep! Has anyone else gone through this? And how does Oxazepam stack up against Helix 0.25?

I end up taking various sleep aids... after Effexor completely wrecked me and left me unable to sleep properly for a month. I tried every hypnotic under the sun, but nothing worked. That's when my doctor prescribed Tegretol—it's an anti-epileptic they use in psychiatry as a mood stabilizer and for sleep...

fadedbear92 said:I end up taking various sleep aids... after Effexor completely wrecked me and left me unable to sleep properly for a month. I tried every hypnotic under the sun, but nothing worked. That's when my doctor prescribed Tegretol—it's an anti-epileptic they use in psychiatry as a mood stabilizer and for sleep...

Oh, I remember it. It feels like it happened just this morning. 😁

Look, I associate those sedatives and Tegretol with some pretty dark times I'd rather forget. I’m really hoping that with the help of Heparin, I won't have to rely on those two anymore... though that doesn't mean I'm not sitting there at 5, 6, or 7 AM cursing the fact that I don't have any heavy-duty "knockout" pills like sedatives or Clozaril on hand. You know that feeling? When you can't sleep, but you can't stay awake either? Your head is buzzing, your body is tense, you're shivering one second and sweating the next, and your head is just pulsing. Then the anxiety and panic set in because you *can't* drift off, and all you have left is pure adrenaline keeping you wired... which, by the way, is a VERY, VERY unpleasant sensation. When that darkness hits you all at once... man, it's chilling.

For the last three months, I've been on Oxazepam at 3*30 mg daily. I was thrilled when I started! It relaxed me and knocked me out instantly—something even a handful of narcotics couldn't manage, let alone a tiny 10 or 30 mg Oxy. I’m still a supporter of Oxazepam, but the rapid rise in tolerance is terrifying. Within a week, I jumped from 10 mg to 180 mg just to get some sleep. Has anyone else dealt with this? Also, how does Oxazepam compare to Helix 0.25?

Unfortunately, those are all just decoys. For sleep, Seroquel or Quetiapine is often prescribed. That is an AP, light, and clean option with excellent hypnotic effects.

First off, Bristol-Myers Squibb stopped making Anafranil, so now I have to order it from Germany and pay full price out of pocket. On top of that, Fevarin isn't even available on the market here anymore.
Now I’m stuck paying for that one too. Honestly, why am I even paying for supplemental health insurance if this is how it works?!🙂

The only thing left is for Seroquel to disappear too.
I am seriously going to lose my freaking mind...🙂

And the worst part is, this specific combo of meds was actually working for me.
But now? Now I'm terrified of switching things up. I just really hope I don't end up feeling worse.
Because of how expensive everything has gotten, I've already had to cut back on my Anafranil dose.
I've just been feeling pretty down lately.
I can't tell if it's just the season changing or if something is actually wrong with me.🙂
I feel like absolute crap.😛

driftinggull21 said:

For the last three months, I've been on Oxazepam at 3*30 mg daily. I was thrilled when I started! It relaxed me and knocked me out instantly—something even a handful of narcotics couldn't manage, let alone a tiny 10 or 30 mg Oxy. I’m still a supporter of Oxazepam, but the rapid rise in tolerance is terrifying. Within a week, I jumped from 10 mg to 180 mg just to get some sleep. Has anyone else dealt with this? Also, how does Oxazepam compare to Helix 0.25?

Unfortunately, those are all just decoys. For sleep, Seroquel or Quetiapine is often prescribed. That is an AP, light, and clean option with excellent hypnotic effects.

Oh! Thanks! 🙂

To be honest, I haven't even heard of that Quetiapine type before (and god help my friends and family, because I have this obsession with learning about every new pill out there 😬 ), but it sounds interesting..

I actually like Oxazepam too, but there is absolutely no point in me stuffing 180-210 mg into my system just to get four measly hours of sleep. A normal person would probably walk it off without a second thought, but me? I’m over here face-planting into the carpet and hallucinating lasagna.. 🙄

ambermason16 said:Oh! Thanks! 🙂

To be honest, I haven't even heard of that Quetiapine type before (and god help my friends and family, because I have this obsession with learning about every new pill out there 😬 ), but it sounds interesting..

I actually like Oxazepam too, but there is absolutely no point in me stuffing 180-210 mg into my system just to get four measly hours of sleep. A normal person would probably walk it off without a second thought, but me? I’m over here face-planting into the carpet and hallucinating lasagna.. 🙄

See, for me, Seroquel or Loquen work quite well too, though I wouldn't exactly go so far as to call them "light" 😁
As for Oxazepam, it's actually very effective; I've spent a lot of time on the more well-known ones—you know, things like Xanax, Normabest, Helix, Misar, or Diazepam—especially Alprazolam, which I find to be incredibly addictive. So, Oxazepam fits my needs quite nicely, and it doesn't seem to have that same heavy pull that Xanax or Helix does

There was an explosion over at Bristol-Myers Squiss! I really hope my pills weren't caught up in the blast!😁
Just the thought of running out of my benzos is enough to make me feel incredibly on edge.

I don't know what to tell you. It’s like watching a slow-motion train wreck where everyone is arguing about the color of the conductor's hat instead of jumping off the tracks. You see it all the time in these discussions—people getting bogged down in useless minutiae while the actual problem is staring them right in the face. It's frustrating, honestly. It's like trying to explain basic math to someone who refuses to believe numbers exist. At some point, you just have to step back and realize that some people simply aren't interested in the truth; they're just interested in being right.

Kenneth Scott41 said:See, for me, Seroquel or Loquen work quite well too, though I wouldn't exactly go so far as to call them "light" 😁
As for Oxazepam, it's actually very effective; I've spent a lot of time on the more well-known ones—you know, things like Xanax, Normabest, Helix, Misar, or Diazepam—especially Alprazolam, which I find to be incredibly addictive. So, Oxazepam fits my needs quite nicely, and it doesn't seem to have that same heavy pull that Xanax or Helix does

You’re the only one I can actually relate to when it comes to these drug reactions and emotional rollercoasters. It’s like we’ve been through the exact same meat grinder. 🙂

So, thanks for that comment. Really. 🙂 Looking at that list you provided, I’ve cycled through almost all of them at one point or another. Sometimes in small doses, sometimes heavy, sometimes solo, and sometimes mixed together—switching between different manufacturers along the way. Based on that roller coaster, I can say with total confidence that Oxazepam is currently the only thing that actually works for me. It’s the only thing that settles my nerves and puts me to sleep. But honestly? The way my tolerance for it is skyrocketing is terrifying. Over nearly twenty years, I’ve built up resistance to just about every psych med and pharmaceutical out there, but I have rarely seen it happen this fast. With Oxazepam, it's like a vertical climb. My required dose is jumping by 60 to 90 mg a day! I’m already sitting at 90 mg as my prescription, and then I still have to add another three or four pills on top of that just to feel anything. And even then, the effect only lasts a few hours. It's a losing battle.

I am absolutely not feeling this. I get that tolerance builds up, sure, but this? This level of escalation is happening way too fast. It’s just... too much, too soon.

ambermason16 said:I don't know what to tell you. It’s like watching a slow-motion train wreck where everyone is arguing about the color of the conductor's hat instead of jumping off the tracks. You see it all the time in these discussions—people getting bogged down in useless minutiae while the actual problem is staring them right in the face. It's frustrating, honestly. It's like trying to explain basic math to someone who refuses to believe numbers exist. At some point, you just have to step back and realize that some people simply aren't interested in the truth; they're just interested in being right.

You’re the only one I can actually relate to when it comes to these drug reactions and emotional rollercoasters. It’s like we’ve been through the exact same meat grinder. 🙂

So, thanks for that comment. Really. 🙂 Looking at that list you provided, I’ve cycled through almost all of them at one point or another. Sometimes in small doses, sometimes heavy, sometimes solo, and sometimes mixed together—switching between different manufacturers along the way. Based on that roller coaster, I can say with total confidence that Oxazepam is currently the only thing that actually works for me. It’s the only thing that settles my nerves and puts me to sleep. But honestly? The way my tolerance for it is skyrocketing is terrifying. Over nearly twenty years, I’ve built up resistance to just about every psych med and pharmaceutical out there, but I have rarely seen it happen this fast. With Oxazepam, it's like a vertical climb. My required dose is jumping by 60 to 90 mg a day! I’m already sitting at 90 mg as my prescription, and then I still have to add another three or four pills on top of that just to feel anything. And even then, the effect only lasts a few hours. It's a losing battle.

I am absolutely not feeling this. I get that tolerance builds up, sure, but this? This level of escalation is happening way too fast. It’s just... too much, too soon.

Yeah... since we've been through the same things, I feel like I understand you best, too. I get why you feel this way or that way regarding everything. 😉
Man... that tolerance! I'm doing the exact same thing you are. (Who would've thought? 😉)
I'm prescribed 30mg three times a day, but it doesn't quite do the trick, so I'll take 60mg at once or maybe add some Xanax SR to the Oxazepam so it lingers a little longer. 😁
I read a lot about these pills, and I came across something saying Oxazepam is basically just a weaker version of Valium, and that getting off it is just as easy as it was to ramp up the dose. So, I guess it isn't such a disaster if you do end up relying on it, which is why I'm not particularly worried. It's a shame they don't make an Oxazepam SR; that would be perfect in my opinion.

Kenneth Scott41 said:Yeah... since we've been through the same things, I feel like I understand you best, too. I get why you feel this way or that way regarding everything. 😉
Man... that tolerance! I'm doing the exact same thing you are. (Who would've thought? 😉)
I'm prescribed 30mg three times a day, but it doesn't quite do the trick, so I'll take 60mg at once or maybe add some Xanax SR to the Oxazepam so it lingers a little longer. 😁
I read a lot about these pills, and I came across something saying Oxazepam is basically just a weaker version of Valium, and that getting off it is just as easy as it was to ramp up the dose. So, I guess it isn't such a disaster if you do end up relying on it, which is why I'm not particularly worried. It's a shame they don't make an Oxazepam SR; that would be perfect in my opinion.

Look, I'm not afraid of getting addicted to anything. Nothing man-made is going to be worse, more long-lasting, or more agonizing than detoxing from heroin... and that's something I can't avoid anyway. Am I going to end up with a runny nose because I'm craving Oxazepam? In the grand scheme of things, that is such a minor detail that I have absolutely zero reason to worry.

The info I have (though who knows how accurate it actually is 🙄) is that Valium, Apaurin, and Normabul are all essentially the same thing... and I'd go as far as to say that's true, based on my own experience.

Oxazepam actually caught me off guard after a long, long time. That doesn't usually happen with pills... but I can see this heading in a direction I definitely don't want to go.

ambermason16 said:Look, I'm not afraid of getting addicted to anything. Nothing man-made is going to be worse, more long-lasting, or more agonizing than detoxing from heroin... and that's something I can't avoid anyway. Am I going to end up with a runny nose because I'm craving Oxazepam? In the grand scheme of things, that is such a minor detail that I have absolutely zero reason to worry.

The info I have (though who knows how accurate it actually is 🙄) is that Valium, Apaurin, and Normabul are all essentially the same thing... and I'd go as far as to say that's true, based on my own experience.

Oxazepam actually caught me off guard after a long, long time. That doesn't usually happen with pills... but I can see this heading in a direction I definitely don't want to go.

I can't avoid it either, though I’m not losing sleep over it. When the time is right and I truly feel ready, then I’ll deal with coming off the Hepaviron.
And look... this whole situation with the Oxazepam is happening because... well, you know why.
For people like us, it’s almost standard... I mean, it was somewhat expected, wasn't it? 😉
But maybe try looking at it this way: You’ve realized that Oxazepam actually works for you, which is a new and positive realization. So, I guess you might as well enjoy that and try not to ruin it. Maybe intentionally take just one, or perhaps skip a day here and there just to let your tolerance dip a little. That way, at least I might 🙂

Kenneth Scott41 said:See, for me, Seroquel or Loquen work quite well too, though I wouldn't exactly go so far as to call them "light" 😁
As for Oxazepam, it's actually very effective; I've spent a lot of time on the more well-known ones—you know, things like Xanax, Normabest, Helix, Misar, or Diazepam—especially Alprazolam, which I find to be incredibly addictive. So, Oxazepam fits my needs quite nicely, and it doesn't seem to have that same heavy pull that Xanax or Helix does

"Light" antipsychotics in the context of Clozaril, Haldol, or Moditen.😁
I also use Oxazepam for sleep. Since I only take it occasionally, 15 mg is more than enough to knock me out. In comparison, 20 mg of Diazepam does absolutely nothing for me.

driftinggull21 said:"Light" antipsychotics in the context of Clozaril, Haldol, or Moditen.😁
I also use Oxazepam for sleep. Since I only take it occasionally, 15 mg is more than enough to knock me out. In comparison, 20 mg of Diazepam does absolutely nothing for me.

When I take 20mg of diazepam, it’s usually just because I’m feeling a bit on edge—it helps dial down the nerves slightly, but honestly, it barely moves the needle.🙂

Have you considered experimenting with high doses of EPA and DHA fatty acids? Specifically, I am referring to consuming approximately 5 grams daily—not just 5 grams of standard fish oil, but 5 grams of pure, concentrated EPA and DHA.

Furthermore, one might consider adding 300 to 600 mg of magnesium, alongside several daily doses of a B-complex supplement containing 100 mg of each individual B vitamin.

It is suggested that EPA and DHA can actually reduce the necessity for antipsychotics and antidepressants, while the B vitamins and magnesium serve to facilitate more efficient transport of those essential fatty acids.

Additionally, it is vital to avoid excessive grain consumption, particularly if one is managing any form of schizophrenia.

Could it be true that a daily intake of roughly 5 grams of EPA/DHA can enhance one's mood and overall physiological state in as little as a few hours?

Might you also explore hydrocolon therapy? I was actually just preparing to undergo a course of such treatment myself, having recently received my insurance card coverage, so I am finally able to move forward with it.

For healthy individuals, an optimal maintenance dose is typically 2.5 grams of EPA/DHA, whereas a basic daily requirement would be closer to 1 gram.

Nicole Barrett76 said:Have you considered experimenting with high doses of EPA and DHA fatty acids? Specifically, I am referring to consuming approximately 5 grams daily—not just 5 grams of standard fish oil, but 5 grams of pure, concentrated EPA and DHA.

Furthermore, one might consider adding 300 to 600 mg of magnesium, alongside several daily doses of a B-complex supplement containing 100 mg of each individual B vitamin.

It is suggested that EPA and DHA can actually reduce the necessity for antipsychotics and antidepressants, while the B vitamins and magnesium serve to facilitate more efficient transport of those essential fatty acids.

Additionally, it is vital to avoid excessive grain consumption, particularly if one is managing any form of schizophrenia.

Could it be true that a daily intake of roughly 5 grams of EPA/DHA can enhance one's mood and overall physiological state in as little as a few hours?

Might you also explore hydrocolon therapy? I was actually just preparing to undergo a course of such treatment myself, having recently received my insurance card coverage, so I am finally able to move forward with it.

For healthy individuals, an optimal maintenance dose is typically 2.5 grams of EPA/DHA, whereas a basic daily requirement would be closer to 1 gram.

Even Lavender Mia pharmacies carry those molecularly distilled fish oil bottles packed with high concentrations of EPA/DHA, but let me tell you—they are expensive as hell! We're talking a massive amount of cash. Then again, antipsychotics can cost even more, right? So, if you happen to be ordering these supplements from wherever on God's green earth you find them, perhaps it might actually be worth a shot to try something like this.

just for context

http://depression.about.com/od/gad/f/gadmeds.htm