Psychotropic medication discussion thread

Justin Rogers5 said:You think that's normal? Sanval is supposed to knock you out, not leave you running around like a manic squirrel.🤷That drug is basically designed for someone to slip it to you and walk away. If you're flipping pancakes, you could probably burn the whole house down for all you know. Better to stick with Normabell or Xanax. Even then, it's hit or miss. Personally, I'd rather stay up half the night watching Edward Westwick in every movie possible than have my neighbor asking me why I look like a total wreck the next morning.🤣And the dog is inside.🤣

Why would anyone "give" it to me? I just take 10 mg and call it a day; it's done. But no, it isn't "normal"... it's just that it's incredibly rare for me to actually cook anything. Most nights, I just end up getting up and eating absolutely everything in sight, provided it's sweet. Some days it's a massive haul of chocolate... it's certainly not healthy, but I simply refuse to suffer through insomnia. Ever since I realized how much it affects me, sleep has become my absolute priority. To manage it, I try to keep nothing sugary in the house, which means I have to face the struggle of trying to drift off without a midnight snack.

Jason Vaughn482 said:Why would anyone "give" it to me? I just take 10 mg and call it a day; it's done. But no, it isn't "normal"... it's just that it's incredibly rare for me to actually cook anything. Most nights, I just end up getting up and eating absolutely everything in sight, provided it's sweet. Some days it's a massive haul of chocolate... it's certainly not healthy, but I simply refuse to suffer through insomnia. Ever since I realized how much it affects me, sleep has become my absolute priority. To manage it, I try to keep nothing sugary in the house, which means I have to face the struggle of trying to drift off without a midnight snack.

I usually stick to 5 mg because if I touch 10, I start seeing hallucinations immediately, so I don't even dare try it anymore. People always ask how I can pass out on half a dose, but honestly, right now, half of 5 mg does the trick. Of course, there are those nights where I'm just convinced even 5 mg won't work, and then I'm tossing and turning all night... it's totally psychological.🙂 How old are you?

Larry Lewis said:What on earth are you talking about? Since I started on Seroquel, I've actually dropped over 15 pounds—though, admittedly, I've been running quite a bit. For me, it was Zeldox that absolutely wrecked my stomach.

I guess I had a similar experience with Zeldox; it absolutely destroyed me, to the point where I could barely even walk.
But then again, I don't exactly go out for runs while on it, which I suppose is the main difference. If you really want to shed some weight, nothing beats running, I suppose.

I was on Zeldox for about two weeks... I was prescribed it to replace Zyprexa because the side effects from that were just devastating... But Zeldox? It completely drained my life force... I’d show up to work at eight, and by nine, I was heading straight back home to sleep... I couldn't even keep my eyes open; I spent the entire time sleeping, and whenever I actually was awake... I felt like a walking corpse.

I was also prescribed Lamictal as a stabilizer, but I find the whole thing a bit strange. The very first time I received it, they started me right away on the 200 mg dose. From talking to other people, I've heard they start much lower, like at 50 mg... so I don't quite understand why my psychiatrist jumped straight to such a high dose of 200 mg for me? It feels a little odd.

I'm also curious about what everyone thinks regarding AT&T. I've been taking Elise for over a year now, at 2 AM. I've noticed that I am still feeling incredibly depressed, especially lately. I just cry so, so much. I underwent psychological testing last week, and they didn't even indicate a depressive shift. It feels to me like that AT&T should be working a bit better to suppress the crying and this general state. Is it necessary to switch the AT&T?

George Allen71 said:I was on Zeldox for about two weeks... I was prescribed it to replace Zyprexa because the side effects from that were just devastating... But Zeldox? It completely drained my life force... I’d show up to work at eight, and by nine, I was heading straight back home to sleep... I couldn't even keep my eyes open; I spent the entire time sleeping, and whenever I actually was awake... I felt like a walking corpse.

I was also prescribed Lamictal as a stabilizer, but I find the whole thing a bit strange. The very first time I received it, they started me right away on the 200 mg dose. From talking to other people, I've heard they start much lower, like at 50 mg... so I don't quite understand why my psychiatrist jumped straight to such a high dose of 200 mg for me? It feels a little odd.

I'm also curious about what everyone thinks regarding AT&T. I've been taking Elise for over a year now, at 2 AM. I've noticed that I am still feeling incredibly depressed, especially lately. I just cry so, so much. I underwent psychological testing last week, and they didn't even indicate a depressive shift. It feels to me like that AT&T should be working a bit better to suppress the crying and this general state. Is it necessary to switch the AT&T?

Everything you described regarding the Zeldox... I think I experienced the exact same thing.
Way back when I first started, I was on Elise and it seemed fine, but eventually, it just stopped helping because Elise is one of those weaker antidepressants. So, my therapist recommended a more potent option—one of the heavy hitters, 150mg XL, Valtrex! They suggested it to me. I've been on it for over six months now, and life doesn't feel nearly as depressing anymore.🙂

If I were you, I might suggest trying a stronger antidepressant.

I really don't want to walk into my psychiatrist's office and start listing out every little thing I'm feeling... it’s not like I’m just picking up groceries. I honestly thought she would pick up on things herself... but fine, I guess I'll have to be the one to bring it up.
Can you actually expect side effects from an antidepressant, like extreme drowsiness or maybe an increased appetite? I already know what to look for with antipsychotics—I've experienced those firsthand—but I'm curious about antidepressants. Which one is more potent than Elsie, and how do they typically affect you in terms of side effects? I realize everyone reacts differently, but I can't afford to take something that completely wipes me out; I have a job to maintain and I need to function normally. Because of the delay with Seroquel and waiting a whole month for my doctor to send over the prescription, I almost lost my job. I feel like psychiatrists should show a bit more care when switching a patient to a stronger medication—especially when the side effects are well-documented—by perhaps ordering the refill earlier so we can monitor how the body adjusts. My doctor didn't do that; she scheduled my next script for a month out. I actually stopped taking them on my own because I genuinely thought I was dying, and then she just snapped at me for stopping them without permission! I can't even call her to ask questions because she shuts me down immediately... she brings up my BPD diagnosis and starts setting "boundaries"... even though I've only called her twice in the last year, and both times were serious issues regarding my medication.

George Allen71 said:I really don't want to walk into my psychiatrist's office and start listing out every little thing I'm feeling... it’s not like I’m just picking up groceries. I honestly thought she would pick up on things herself... but fine, I guess I'll have to be the one to bring it up.
Can you actually expect side effects from an antidepressant, like extreme drowsiness or maybe an increased appetite? I already know what to look for with antipsychotics—I've experienced those firsthand—but I'm curious about antidepressants. Which one is more potent than Elsie, and how do they typically affect you in terms of side effects? I realize everyone reacts differently, but I can't afford to take something that completely wipes me out; I have a job to maintain and I need to function normally. Because of the delay with Seroquel and waiting a whole month for my doctor to send over the prescription, I almost lost my job. I feel like psychiatrists should show a bit more care when switching a patient to a stronger medication—especially when the side effects are well-documented—by perhaps ordering the refill earlier so we can monitor how the body adjusts. My doctor didn't do that; she scheduled my next script for a month out. I actually stopped taking them on my own because I genuinely thought I was dying, and then she just snapped at me for stopping them without permission! I can't even call her to ask questions because she shuts me down immediately... she brings up my BPD diagnosis and starts setting "boundaries"... even though I've only called her twice in the last year, and both times were serious issues regarding my medication.

Just switch doctors and ask the professional for advice on antidepressants instead of asking people on a forum.🙄

I honestly don't trust doctors anymore
My psychiatrist kept trying to convince me that Zyprexa wouldn't cause weight gain... yeah, right. No chance.
Back then, I wasn't even in any state to be digging around online or checking in on the forums; I was doing incredibly poorly. Now that I can finally manage it, I'm asking.
To be honest, I just don't believe anyone anymore, especially not medical professionals.

George Allen71 said:I honestly don't trust doctors anymore
My psychiatrist kept trying to convince me that Zyprexa wouldn't cause weight gain... yeah, right. No chance.
Back then, I wasn't even in any state to be digging around online or checking in on the forums; I was doing incredibly poorly. Now that I can finally manage it, I'm asking.
To be honest, I just don't believe anyone anymore, especially not medical professionals.

Don't even get me started. Just listen to your body. My psych wrecked me—literally destroyed me—and then had the nerve to claim antipsychotics don't cause weight gain. Some might not, but after mine, I was eating like there was no tomorrow. Breakfast, snacks, lunch, more snacks, then dinner. It was all pancakes, eggs with mayo, corndogs, burgers, fries... usually washed down with two liters of Coke or beer. And I was just sleeping constantly. I'd drive to work, come home, hit the gym, walk the dog, ride my bike through 12 miles every day... I was eating high-calorie stuff, sure, but in reasonable amounts, and I worked out like crazy. But after that treatment, I was just dead inside. Not that I cared at the time. I was having suicidal thoughts. And she thought that was fine, still charging me $100 for the sessions. If it makes you gain weight, stop taking it and find a second opinion. For me, AT&T didn't cause weight gain. But after a while, it stopped working and flipped the switch toward suicide. That never happened to me, though. I was just nervous, crying, hopeless, lost my job, got arrested for a self-defense fight... basically, I was in a coma.

As I mentioned earlier in this thread, Zyprexa caused some major weight gain for me. They switched me over to Zeldox... which just made me sleep all day... so now my doctor has put me on a break from antipsychotics altogether.

Since starting my antidepressants, I've been strictly on Elsie. I haven't had any side effects and I'm tolerating it well, but I can't help feeling like the antidepressant should be doing more to lift my mood. My test results confirm that I'm still struggling with pretty heavy depression. I've just been reading through other people's experiences with different medications so I can be proactive when I talk to my psychiatrist. I want to be able to speak up immediately if she suggests something else, rather than having to suffer through another month of trial and error.

I'm definitely not an expert on pharmacology—that's not my field at all. I just try my best to stay consistent and take everything exactly as prescribed. Honestly, though, I've become a bit fearful because my past experiences with antipsychotics were so rough.

I have to wonder, though... if someone is prescribed an antidepressant that is perfectly suited for their specific condition, does the depression actually just vanish? What is it supposed to feel like when an antidepressant is actually working effectively???? I've lived with being in a dark place for so long—feeling depressed, dealing with suicidal thoughts, feeling frustrated and angry at everything—that I don't even know what "normal" is supposed to feel like anymore. Am I supposed to feel happy once the meds kick in? I honestly have no clue.

I honestly didn't believe the warnings about how much weight Zyprexa can cause you to put on. Then my doctor put me on it, and sure enough, I’m up 65 pounds in just a few months. The weird part is, the medication itself actually works... So, does it even make sense to ask my doctor to switch things up just because of the weight gain?

Arthur Vaughn2 said:I honestly didn't believe the warnings about how much weight Zyprexa can cause you to put on. Then my doctor put me on it, and sure enough, I’m up 65 pounds in just a few months. The weird part is, the medication itself actually works... So, does it even make sense to ask my doctor to switch things up just because of the weight gain?

What is your BMI?

driftinggull21 said:What is your BMI?

It's 34, if my math isn't totally off. I was already on the heavier side before starting the Zyprexa, but honestly, this is just getting ridiculous. And the worst part? I'm still gaining weight...

Arthur Vaughn2 said:It's 34, if my math isn't totally off. I was already on the heavier side before starting the Zyprexa, but honestly, this is just getting ridiculous. And the worst part? I'm still gaining weight...

It isn't the Zyprexa making you gain weight—it’s the fact that you're overeating. You need to exercise some actual self-control.

I’m on Zyprexa myself, and honestly, I managed to drop quite a bit of weight just by hitting the gym regularly; you should give that a shot.😉

Larry Lewis said:It isn't the Zyprexa making you gain weight—it’s the fact that you're overeating. You need to exercise some actual self-control.

I’m on Zyprexa myself, and honestly, I managed to drop quite a bit of weight just by hitting the gym regularly; you should give that a shot.😉

I suppose we're all a little too old to be picking up some intense new sport now, aren't we?

Honestly, you’re just gonna keep packing on the pounds if you stay on that pill. You should seriously look into asking your doctor for a different prescription. I actually went through that exact same thing myself...

Arthur Vaughn2 said:It's 34, if my math isn't totally off. I was already on the heavier side before starting the Zyprexa, but honestly, this is just getting ridiculous. And the worst part? I'm still gaining weight...

A BMI of 34 is significant. You need to find an alternative medication, adjust your diet, and increase physical activity.

Anyone got any sleep recs? Zonadin isn't doing squat, and neither is Zan. No clue why. Haven't touched sleeping pills in two years, so I'm definitely not hooked or anything.🤷The GP won't even write a script without a referral from a psychiatrist. Tried seeing a social worker, but there were 20 people ahead of me and I didn't even get a turn before he had to bail because his ferry was leaving.🙂

Justin Rogers5 said:Anyone got any sleep recs? Zonadin isn't doing squat, and neither is Zan. No clue why. Haven't touched sleeping pills in two years, so I'm definitely not hooked or anything.🤷The GP won't even write a script without a referral from a psychiatrist. Tried seeing a social worker, but there were 20 people ahead of me and I didn't even get a turn before he had to bail because his ferry was leaving.🙂

What kind of medication do you currently have on hand? You might try taking two Zonadin, but please, do not exceed that amount under any circumstances. Since you don't have a physician overseeing your care right now, you won't be able to access anything more potent, though I believe Dormicum is no longer covered by insurance in the US. I am just uncertain whether a general practitioner would actually write you a prescription for it.

It seems like everyone was drifting in and out of consciousness on Zeldox, barely staying awake—honestly, I think I was in the exact same boat.
But I've finally stopped taking that garbage.