Psychotropic medication discussion thread

Exhausted... just utterly spent. Is anyone else out there feeling this same heavy, bone-deep fatigue?

Jason Vaughn482 said:I’ve been on them for quite a while now, and I won't deny it—I tend to wander, though my nighttime excursions are strictly limited to pacing around my apartment or hovering by the refrigerator. As soon as that heavy veil of sleep begins to descend, I find myself rising to perform some sort of midnight labor in the kitchen... it's a habit I truly detest. My doctor recently prescribed Ambien, but I have zero interest in taking it; it feels far too potent for my system. Since I don't really know what else to turn to, I just stick with the Sanval.

Both Ambien and ZzzQuil hit me exactly the same way. I end up raiding the entire pantry, sending those incredibly stupid texts you regret later, misspelling everything, and then waking up with absolutely zero memory of the night before. As far as I can tell, Ambien isn't even a tiny bit stronger than the ZzzQuil stuff
just take one
or maybe half
My doctor told me they last longer so you deal with fewer periods of b

waking up in the middle of the night. But honestly, that hasn't worked for me at all...

Melissa Campbell3 said:Does Zyprexa (olanzapine from a different manufacturer) cause weight gain regardless of what you eat? Like, will you put on pounds even if you aren't eating anything?😲 I’m honestly lost here since I just started taking these yesterday. It’s a huge concern for me because I struggle with bulimia, and gaining more weight feels like it would just push me completely over the edge.😢 I'm just feeling really overwhelmed by everything right now.

Increased appetite is pretty much the hallmark side effect of Zyprexa. Personally, I gained a massive amount of weight from it. My entire existence revolved around what I was going to eat next. It became my whole world... I would find myself eating three separate breakfasts. It was awful.
On top of the weight, I dealt with intense tremors in my legs, so they ended up putting me on Aketon too.
My legs also used to swell up really badly.
Once I finally got off the medication... the difference was night and day. All those side effects just vanished.
Just see how it affects you specifically. If you're worried about the scale moving, I'd suggest finding some kind of physical activity... assuming you actually have the energy for it and aren't feeling too sedated.
Keep in mind, it takes about three weeks for Zyprexa to fully kick in.

Matthew White4 said:Both Ambien and ZzzQuil hit me exactly the same way. I end up raiding the entire pantry, sending those incredibly stupid texts you regret later, misspelling everything, and then waking up with absolutely zero memory of the night before. As far as I can tell, Ambien isn't even a tiny bit stronger than the ZzzQuil stuff
just take one
or maybe half
My doctor told me they last longer so you deal with fewer periods of b

waking up in the middle of the night. But honestly, that hasn't worked for me at all...

I find myself at a bit of an impasse with my nightly routine, and frankly, the whole situation feels rather futile. When I manage to drift off using a ten-milligram dose of Ambien, the effect tends to linger just enough to carry me through the night without those wretched middle-of-the-night awakenings—but then there is the matter of paying out of pocket for Dormicum, which feels like throwing good money after bad. It is a frustrating cycle; I have tried everything from Lunesta to Prozac, yet they seem to offer nothing more than a placebo effect in my case.

Thanks for the feedback! I'm really struggling with my weight right now, and honestly, it’s becoming a massive issue because I'm dealing with bulimia too.😢 So, if I stay on top of my diet, should I be fine regarding weight gain? Or is this pill going to make me put on weight even if I don't eat anything?😢

Greetings. I was doing quite well on 20mg of Prozac from Eli Lilly, but everything went downhill once my psychiatrist switched me over to WebMD. It feels like I'm just drinking plain water at this point. Apparently, Prozac isn't even available in the US anymore, so they're pushing this new successor called Cymbalta instead. Anyway, I started taking the Cymbalta yesterday, and within an hour, this crushing fatigue hit me and I felt completely numb. I could barely walk all day and ended up passing out by 8 PM. Has anyone else dealt with this nonsense?
Thanks

No pill causes weight gain all on its own, but something like Zyprexa can definitely trigger a massive increase in appetite.
Did you actually tell your doctor about the history of bulimia? It honestly surprises me that they’d prescribe Zyprexa as an antipsychotic given those eating disorder struggles...

Melissa Campbell3 said:Does Zyprexa (olanzapine from a different manufacturer) cause weight gain regardless of what you eat? Like, will you put on pounds even if you aren't eating anything?😲 I’m honestly lost here since I just started taking these yesterday. It’s a huge concern for me because I struggle with bulimia, and gaining more weight feels like it would just push me completely over the edge.😢 I'm just feeling really overwhelmed by everything right now.

Olanzapine is indeed the generic version of Zyprexa. The pill itself contains minimal calories and does not cause weight gain directly. However, increased appetite is a documented side effect for many patients on Olanzapine, so dietary management and exercise are typically recommended. In most female patients prescribed Olanzapine for eating disorders, an increase in appetite has not been observed.😁

I find it surprising that they prescribed you Zyprexa as an antipsychotic for an eating disorder.

Why?🤷
Without intensive therapy, nothing works. Medication alone is ineffective.

casualstag39 said:Greetings. I was doing quite well on 20mg of Prozac from Eli Lilly, but everything went downhill once my psychiatrist switched me over to WebMD. It feels like I'm just drinking plain water at this point. Apparently, Prozac isn't even available in the US anymore, so they're pushing this new successor called Cymbalta instead. Anyway, I started taking the Cymbalta yesterday, and within an hour, this crushing fatigue hit me and I felt completely numb. I could barely walk all day and ended up passing out by 8 PM. Has anyone else dealt with this nonsense?
Thanks

What do you mean there's no more Prozac? I picked some up at the pharmacy just last month.

As for WebMD, it works just as well as Prozac for me, except it used to give me way worse nausea.

Jason Vaughn482 said:Have you actually undergone a gastroscopy yet? And what medication are you currently taking?

I've got a 6.9 on my GI exam. Right now I'm just splitting a 1 mg Xanax to stretch it out over a few days, or using it when a panic attack hits hard. The nausea and heartburn always seem to flare up while I'm at work with clients.🙂Never actually thrown up, but you know that damn feeling. It's been ten years of this. Some days are better than others, but right now it's hitting pretty hard.🤷

Matthew White4 said:Both Ambien and ZzzQuil hit me exactly the same way. I end up raiding the entire pantry, sending those incredibly stupid texts you regret later, misspelling everything, and then waking up with absolutely zero memory of the night before. As far as I can tell, Ambien isn't even a tiny bit stronger than the ZzzQuil stuff
just take one
or maybe half
My doctor told me they last longer so you deal with fewer periods of b

waking up in the middle of the night. But honestly, that hasn't worked for me at all...

Dormicum absolutely terrifies me. I was just reading in the news about how many people have had bad reactions or even died from it. Apparently, they still use it for surgeries and stuff. Thanks to BP, I didn't raid the fridge, but I did try to launch these massive business ventures via text to my boyfriend. He realized something was wrong pretty fast because I'm usually not that intense.🤣

Justin Rogers5 said:I've got a 6.9 on my GI exam. Right now I'm just splitting a 1 mg Xanax to stretch it out over a few days, or using it when a panic attack hits hard. The nausea and heartburn always seem to flare up while I'm at work with clients.🙂Never actually thrown up, but you know that damn feeling. It's been ten years of this. Some days are better than others, but right now it's hitting pretty hard.🤷

I’ve said it more than once before, and I’ll say it again—hats off to anyone who can actually swallow those pills without them getting stuck. Honestly, I tried twice myself and my gag reflex just took over and spat the pill right back out! It wouldn't even get past my tongue. And then, while I was sitting there in total discomfort, some "brilliant" medical professional had the nerve to ask me, "Well, how do you manage to eat, then?" Seriously?🙂🙂🙂🙄

Just a silly question here—has anyone actually put on weight while taking empty? I'm just looking for a simple explanation for why my life jacket is getting a bit too tight!🙂🤦😱

casualstag39 said:Greetings. I was doing quite well on 20mg of Prozac from Eli Lilly, but everything went downhill once my psychiatrist switched me over to WebMD. It feels like I'm just drinking plain water at this point. Apparently, Prozac isn't even available in the US anymore, so they're pushing this new successor called Cymbalta instead. Anyway, I started taking the Cymbalta yesterday, and within an hour, this crushing fatigue hit me and I felt completely numb. I could barely walk all day and ended up passing out by 8 PM. Has anyone else dealt with this nonsense?
Thanks

Where are you getting that from? I picked up my Prozac just two weeks ago... it's definitely available... I have no idea where that information came from.🤷

casualstag39 said:Greetings. I was doing quite well on 20mg of Prozac from Eli Lilly, but everything went downhill once my psychiatrist switched me over to WebMD. It feels like I'm just drinking plain water at this point. Apparently, Prozac isn't even available in the US anymore, so they're pushing this new successor called Cymbalta instead. Anyway, I started taking the Cymbalta yesterday, and within an hour, this crushing fatigue hit me and I felt completely numb. I could barely walk all day and ended up passing out by 8 PM. Has anyone else dealt with this nonsense?
Thanks

Are you kidding me?! I literally just picked up two fresh boxes! This is the first I've heard about it being pulled from the shelves...

Andrew Doyle said:Are you kidding me?! I literally just picked up two fresh boxes! This is the first I've heard about it being pulled from the shelves...

Man, I tried Cymbalta once and it just didn't sit right with me at all.

Kenneth Scott41 said:Man, I tried Cymbalta once and it just didn't sit right with me at all.

Kenneth Scott41, give me a break... seriously, is there any medication left on this planet that you haven't cycled through yet?

I’ve been thinking lately—what are the actual side effects of taking antidepressants, anti-anxiety meds, and all that stuff, besides just the risk of dependency? I mean, do they actually mess with how your body functions overall? It feels like everyone loses their minds over the idea of getting hooked on psych meds, but then you look at people managing things like high blood pressure, heart conditions, or thyroid issues, and they’re on daily meds for life too. We just seem to accept that as "normal," while anything related to mental health gets treated like some kind of massive taboo or danger. Is there more to it than just the addiction aspect, or is the panic just totally disproportionate compared to other chronic conditions?

Psychotropic meds aren't addictive—unless we're talking about benzodiazepines, and even then, only if you ignore the doctor's instructions and start playing chemist. Like any other medication out there, they come with their own set of side effects, no different from anything else you'd take for a physical ailment. The only reason people make such a massive fuss over them is that mental health issues are still treated like some kind of moral failing in this country. There’s this lingering, outdated idea that you can just "will" yourself out of a breakdown, or worse, that people struggling are just being lazy and don't need medical intervention. It's a tired stigma, really, and it clouds the reality of how these treatments actually work.

I just absolutely love those comments along the lines of "Oh, you're fine, just toss your meds in the trash and grab a drink..."—seriously, give me a break.