Psychotropic medication discussion thread

Kenneth Scott41 said:After cycling through all those lighter antidepressants and even some of the heavier hitters like Effexor or Wellbutrin, I feel like I’ve somehow looped right back to square one. I honestly tried a mountain of different ADs, but none of them ever hit the mark quite like Effexor did. I suppose some people might think I'm just talking nonsense, but I really did give Cymbalta a fair shot, and it didn't do anything for me—I didn't feel a single thing 🤷
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If there's one thing I'm certain of, it's that after testing almost every option out there, I finally found my match, and that's Effexor! 🙂

Hey, redpilot37, if you're lurking here, just know that this Effexor is as vital to me as a steady supply of Hep C meds 😁 yeah, sure... as if anyone would believe that.
Because without it, life is just one long, exhausting stretch of misery.

wiredmason56 said:So, my doctor wrote me a script for Effexor instead of Wellbutrin, claiming they were basically the same thing, just made by different companies. 😕 I mean, she clearly doesn't get it at all, because Effexor works on serotonin and norepinephrine, while the other one hits norepinephrine and dopamine. They are two completely different beasts; she's totally lost it. 😂 Anyway, I finally took a dose after a long break and now my jaw is twitching a bit, my pupils are dilated, and I feel all restless... kind of like how Kenneth Scott41 felt on Cymbalta. 🤷

wiredmason56 said:So, my doctor wrote me a script for Effexor instead of Wellbutrin, claiming they were basically the same thing, just made by different companies. 😕 I mean, she clearly doesn't get it at all, because Effexor works on serotonin and norepinephrine, while the other one hits norepinephrine and dopamine. They are two completely different beasts; she's totally lost it. 😂 Anyway, I finally took a dose after a long break and now my jaw is twitching a bit, my pupils are dilated, and I feel all restless... kind of like how Kenneth Scott41 felt on Cymbalta. 🤷

Timothy Wood38 said:Haha, what kind of psychiatrist is that? Seriously, find yourself a new one. 😁

fadedbear92 said:Don't mess around here—Effexor is nothing like Wellbutrin!!!

Wellbutrin is bupropion and works on the norepinephrine and dopamine neurotransmitters...

Effexor is http://medicine-info.com/venlafaxine.html and acts on the serotonin neurotransmitter...

wiredmason56 said:So, my doctor wrote me a script for Effexor instead of Wellbutrin, claiming they were basically the same thing, just made by different companies. 😕 I mean, she clearly doesn't get it at all, because Effexor works on serotonin and norepinephrine, while the other one hits norepinephrine and dopamine. They are two completely different beasts; she's totally lost it. 😂 Anyway, I finally took a dose after a long break and now my jaw is twitching a bit, my pupils are dilated, and I feel all restless... kind of like how Kenneth Scott41 felt on Cymbalta. 🤷

redpilot37 said:Hey, quick question about melatonin—specifically the 2 mg Circadin from Pfizer. I’ve been reading that it requires a prescription, but there isn't much info out there. Does anyone know who actually handles the prescribing? Like, can a regular GP write it, or does it have to be a psychiatrist? Also, any idea what the co-pay looks like with a prescription? Thanks.🙂

I honestly think even a general practitioner could prescribe it. As far as I'm concerned? It’s easily the most useless thing I've ever wasted my money on. $53As far as I know, it isn't on any of those insurance coverage lists, so you'll likely end up paying full price out of pocket. And if my memory serves me right, that specific medication is mostly intended for the geriatric population anyway. Honestly, you’re probably better off just picking up some 3 mg melatonin as a supplement. It makes much more sense.

Timothy Wood38 said:I honestly think even a general practitioner could prescribe it. As far as I'm concerned? It’s easily the most useless thing I've ever wasted my money on. $53As far as I know, it isn't on any of those insurance coverage lists, so you'll likely end up paying full price out of pocket. And if my memory serves me right, that specific medication is mostly intended for the geriatric population anyway. Honestly, you’re probably better off just picking up some 3 mg melatonin as a supplement. It makes much more sense.

Maria Long3 said:I couldn't agree more. What works perfectly for one person can be an absolute nightmare for someone else. The real struggle is that you won't actually know which one fits your chemistry until you try them—which is often an exhausting, uncomfortable process. I just started taking Alice today; I can't say much yet, other than I haven't had the intense reactions I dealt with on Paxil and Effexor. We'll see how things settle in about 20 days or so.

redpilot37 said:Stopped by my primary care doctor today. What really threw me off was when I asked about melatonin; she basically told me to just check with a neurologist instead of giving me her take😕. Not that I mind, but I’m heading to a specialist anyway since I dealt with epilepsy back when I was a kid.

Also, that Pfizer Circadin has to be bought with a private prescription out of pocket,$52...even though it's technically on the formulary, you end up paying full price regardless.
I honestly don't get it. Is melatonin really that sketchy? My doctor wouldn't even touch the subject—just gave me this look like, "You're too young for stuff like that..."
So yeah, I've given up on it for now.

Kenneth Scott41 said:I think I've finally found my 🙂 and honestly, I’m feeling pretty good about it. I guess there's no more need for all this endless trial and error.

fadedbear92 said:See? It just goes to show that even the worst days eventually pass...

Kenneth Scott41 said:Yeah, I suppose you're right about that. It’s just that on those particularly rough days, I occasionally find myself saying or doing things so incredibly foolish that I have to stop and wonder, "Wait, was that actually me? Did I really just say that?"

I seem to recall you mentioning that you've been on antidepressants for quite a while now, and I was wondering if that's something people just stay on for the rest of their lives? I ask because I've found an Effexor dose that works for me, but I get this nagging feeling that if I were to miss my pills for even two days, I might just completely fall apart...

Eric Jackson11 said:Is anyone else here taking Mirtazapine?
It’s actually working pretty WELL for me! I just hope the feeling lasts...