Psychotropic medication discussion thread

George Allen71 said:Three 200mg doses??????

I've been on therapy for a year at most, and I only take two 10mg doses.

Okay, it's not the exact same medication... but 200 mg?????

Yeah, I took the first one and waited about 20 minutes, but nothing happened. So I took a second, then about 10 minutes after that, I took a third. I hadn't touched any alcohol at all, either. This was Tuesday night and the effect is still lingering.😲

Dana Hayes3 said:Yeah, I took the first one and waited about 20 minutes, but nothing happened. So I took a second, then about 10 minutes after that, I took a third. I hadn't touched any alcohol at all, either. This was Tuesday night and the effect is still lingering.😲

Look, I’m not a doctor and I don't really know much about pharmacology, but that sounds like a massive amount to me.
I honestly don't think it's a good idea to start self-medicating like this, especially with this specific type of medication.
You mentioned waiting 20 minutes, but some of these drugs actually take up to three weeks to reach their full effect.
This isn't something you should play around with. Please, go talk to a medical professional. People on this forum can't give you actual medical advice; we can only share our own stories and personal experiences. A doctor needs to be the one prescribing your meds.

George Allen71 said:Look, I’m not a doctor and I don't really know much about pharmacology, but that sounds like a massive amount to me.
I honestly don't think it's a good idea to start self-medicating like this, especially with this specific type of medication.
You mentioned waiting 20 minutes, but some of these drugs actually take up to three weeks to reach their full effect.
This isn't something you should play around with. Please, go talk to a medical professional. People on this forum can't give you actual medical advice; we can only share our own stories and personal experiences. A doctor needs to be the one prescribing your meds.

Eglonyl kicks in within minutes, but what you're doing is straight-up drug abuse—it's extremely reckless behavior.

Honestly, I'm done. I still feel completely foggy and exhausted, like I'm walking through sludge. :S

Look, don't go playing doctor here. Seriously, stop messing around with this stuff on your own and just go find a professional...
Look, maybe you don't even need the meds in the first place. I'm just saying "maybe," obviously... but at the end of the day, only a psychiatrist can actually sit you down and figure out what kind of treatment plan makes sense for you...

Look, I’m well aware that I don't necessarily need medication because my head feels perfectly fine. The only real issue is that I’ve been feeling aggressive lately—though, obviously, there’s always a reason behind it. As far as drugs go, I’m completely done with them; that experience with Geodon was nothing short of a disaster. Every time I step out the door, it’s like I’m carrying this sort of conditional sentence in my pocket, just waiting for an awkward situation to arise so I can pull it out and face the consequences, haha.

Dana Hayes3 said:Look, I’m well aware that I don't necessarily need medication because my head feels perfectly fine. The only real issue is that I’ve been feeling aggressive lately—though, obviously, there’s always a reason behind it. As far as drugs go, I’m completely done with them; that experience with Geodon was nothing short of a disaster. Every time I step out the door, it’s like I’m carrying this sort of conditional sentence in my pocket, just waiting for an awkward situation to arise so I can pull it out and face the consequences, haha.

Well, even if the rest of us feel mentally sound, there is still this... lingering issue. For me, it’s a deep-seated fear of illness, though again, it isn't entirely irrational. I find myself recoiling from medication because I fear those too—not all of them, mind you, but enough. And then something happens, like today, where I finally show up for a CT scan I’ve been waiting four months for, only to be paralyzed by the sheer terror of what the results might show or the thought of being exposed to too much radiation. I ended up retreating home with my blood pressure skyrocketing to 170/110. Perhaps my anxiety and your aggression aren't "illnesses" in the traditional sense, but they are certainly classified as disorders in any clinical diagnosis... That is why I urge you to go see your doctor, even if it is just for a conversation; perhaps they won't insist on prescribing anything after all.

Took some Zonadin to try and catch some Z's before my night shift. It’s like drinking nothing at all... even with 10 mg, I can forget about getting 7 or 8 hours of sleep.🙂

Honestly, Sanval just isn't doing the trick for me anymore... I take 5 mg and it feels like I'm just eating a little candy, and even bumping it up to 10 mg barely keeps me under for maybe three or four hours before I'm wide awake again. It's pretty rough. Does anyone have a good recommendation for a replacement?

I’m currently on gaps... honestly, I don't even feel like I need them anymore, so I’ve scaled back from three down to just one... but I'm doing great on them. Okay, one antipsychotic... otherwise, things are steady; I always used to be able to fall asleep from an evening dose of Xanax... as for everything else... nothing much happened.

Sanval just isn't doing it for me anymore. Or rather, it’s working in all the wrong ways. I was actually sitting here thinking about my next check-up and wondering which reliable hypnotic I should even ask about. When I can't sleep, things get pretty dark—I feel like I'm losing my mind, and the day after is always a complete wash.😠I think I'll ask my doctor about Dormicum. I've heard it's actually effective, so the plan would be to take it and head straight to bed immediately. That way I can avoid that restless, jittery pacing around the house you get from those crappy doses of Sanval.🙄

also 🙂
I honestly don't even know... like, why can't I just sleep? It's not even like I'm dealing with some massive mental health crisis or constant anxiety or anything, yet here I am, wide awake. Some nights I'll go a few days without touching my Sanval, and then suddenly I'm back to taking much heavier doses just to function. It feels like I'm stuck in this loop where I'll probably always need to pop something just to see my bed, you know? It really makes me wonder what kind of long-term impact this is going to have on my body—and on all of you who are riding this same rollercoaster too 🤷

I find myself reflecting on the recent discussions regarding pharmacological interventions and their long-term implications for cognitive stability. It is my firm belief that we must approach these chemical adjustments with a heightened sense of caution, moving beyond mere symptom management toward a more holistic understanding of neurological health. While some may advocate for rapid shifts in medication, I have always favored a more measured, deliberate pace to ensure the mind remains unclouded by unnecessary fluctuations. kaže:
Sanval isn't working for me anymore; or rather, it’s working in ways it absolutely shouldn't. I'm sitting here wondering what kind of quality hypnotic I should ask my doctor about at my next check-up. When I can't sleep, I honestly feel like I'm losing my mind—the next day is always a complete write-off.😠I plan to consult my doctor regarding Dormicum. I have heard quite a bit about its efficacy, and my intention is to take it immediately before heading to bed. I want to avoid that restless, aimless pacing around the house that I used to experience after taking those ineffective doses of Sanval.🙄

Yes, Dormicum will certainly knock you out, though you should be careful because the dosage here in the States is often around 7.5 mg, whereas our local supply can go up to 15 mg. I would suggest starting with just half a dose first. If that doesn't do the trick, it's unlikely any other hypnotics available alongside Zolpidem—such as Zan, Cerson, or Fluzepam—will work for you either. I have heard that some people find relief from much lower doses of antipsychotics, perhaps between 25 and 50 mg of Quetiapine or Seroquel, but I don't have any personal experience with that, and frankly, I would prefer not to rely on antipsychotics just to fix my insomnia. You really need to sit down and have a serious conversation with your doctor about this, but definitely ask about the Dormicum and let me know how it goes. What does your current medication regimen look like? On Monday, I am planning to ask my physician if adding Elicei Valdoxan in the evening might help; it's an antidepressant, but apparently, it can also address sleep issues. I'll see what they have to say.

restlesstrucker15 said:

I find myself reflecting on the recent discussions regarding pharmacological interventions and their long-term implications for cognitive stability. It is my firm belief that we must approach these chemical adjustments with a heightened sense of caution, moving beyond mere symptom management toward a more holistic understanding of neurological health. While some may advocate for rapid shifts in medication, I have always favored a more measured, deliberate pace to ensure the mind remains unclouded by unnecessary fluctuations. kaže:
Sanval isn't working for me anymore; or rather, it’s working in ways it absolutely shouldn't. I'm sitting here wondering what kind of quality hypnotic I should ask my doctor about at my next check-up. When I can't sleep, I honestly feel like I'm losing my mind—the next day is always a complete write-off.😠I plan to consult my doctor regarding Dormicum. I have heard quite a bit about its efficacy, and my intention is to take it immediately before heading to bed. I want to avoid that restless, aimless pacing around the house that I used to experience after taking those ineffective doses of Sanval.🙄

Yes, Dormicum will certainly knock you out, though you should be careful because the dosage here in the States is often around 7.5 mg, whereas our local supply can go up to 15 mg. I would suggest starting with just half a dose first. If that doesn't do the trick, it's unlikely any other hypnotics available alongside Zolpidem—such as Zan, Cerson, or Fluzepam—will work for you either. I have heard that some people find relief from much lower doses of antipsychotics, perhaps between 25 and 50 mg of Quetiapine or Seroquel, but I don't have any personal experience with that, and frankly, I would prefer not to rely on antipsychotics just to fix my insomnia. You really need to sit down and have a serious conversation with your doctor about this, but definitely ask about the Dormicum and let me know how it goes. What does your current medication regimen look like? On Monday, I am planning to ask my physician if adding Elicei Valdoxan in the evening might help; it's an antidepressant, but apparently, it can also address sleep issues. I'll see what they have to say.

That is true. One should head straight to bed immediately after taking Dormicum because it can cause some grogginess or disorientation, though perhaps not quite as intensely as one might feel from Sanval.

I also have a question for everyone here: which is more difficult to recover from—an addiction to a hypnotic used for insomnia, or a dependency on higher doses of Diazepam used for the same purpose, such as 15-20 mg of Xanax or Valium?

wiredmason56 said:Sanval just isn't doing it for me anymore. Or rather, it’s working in all the wrong ways. I was actually sitting here thinking about my next check-up and wondering which reliable hypnotic I should even ask about. When I can't sleep, things get pretty dark—I feel like I'm losing my mind, and the day after is always a complete wash.😠I think I'll ask my doctor about Dormicum. I've heard it's actually effective, so the plan would be to take it and head straight to bed immediately. That way I can avoid that restless, jittery pacing around the house you get from those crappy doses of Sanval.🙄

I find myself in exactly the same predicament; if I don’t manage to get a decent night's sleep, I am essentially a walking ghost the following day. Usually, provided nothing particularly catastrophic has happened to stir my nerves, I can drift off quite easily on 10 mg of Sanval. However, I have a certain distaste for it because it leaves me wandering through a mental fog, much like you described. My doctor actually prescribed some Dormicum—only half a tablet, mind you—but I have absolutely no desire to touch it. It feels like the heavy artillery of sleep aids, and frankly, I have zero interest in developing a dependency on something that powerful. To be honest, I don't even fully grasp its mechanism of action, though I know it's sitting right there in my bedside drawer. As for my other options, I'm left with Fluzepam and Cerson, neither of which seem to do a lick of good for me. Everything else on the list seems to be either antipsychotics or antidepressants. There is one medication, Calixta, that knocks me out cold; I keep a single box tucked away specifically for those desperate nights when sleep feels impossible. I actually took it regularly for about six months, but I eventually had to pull the plug because the weight gain was simply too much to handle.

Jason Vaughn482 said:I find myself in exactly the same predicament; if I don’t manage to get a decent night's sleep, I am essentially a walking ghost the following day. Usually, provided nothing particularly catastrophic has happened to stir my nerves, I can drift off quite easily on 10 mg of Sanval. However, I have a certain distaste for it because it leaves me wandering through a mental fog, much like you described. My doctor actually prescribed some Dormicum—only half a tablet, mind you—but I have absolutely no desire to touch it. It feels like the heavy artillery of sleep aids, and frankly, I have zero interest in developing a dependency on something that powerful. To be honest, I don't even fully grasp its mechanism of action, though I know it's sitting right there in my bedside drawer. As for my other options, I'm left with Fluzepam and Cerson, neither of which seem to do a lick of good for me. Everything else on the list seems to be either antipsychotics or antidepressants. There is one medication, Calixta, that knocks me out cold; I keep a single box tucked away specifically for those desperate nights when sleep feels impossible. I actually took it regularly for about six months, but I eventually had to pull the plug because the weight gain was simply too much to handle.

So, what's actually causing your insomnia in the first place? And how long before you hit the hay do you usually take the Calixta?

Hannah Foster6 said:So, what's actually causing your insomnia in the first place? And how long before you hit the hay do you usually take the Calixta?

Calixta is actually an antidepressant.

"...1. WHAT IS CALIXTA AND WHAT IS IT USED FOR
The active ingredient in CALIXTA tablets is mirtazapine, which falls under the category of antidepressants.
CALIXTA tablets are intended for the treatment of major depression in adults."

http://www.mayoclinic.org/Default.aspx?sid=2162

Mirtazapine's primary use is the treatment of major depressive disorder and other mood disorders.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mirtazapine

restlesstrucker15 said:

I find myself reflecting on the recent discussions regarding pharmacological interventions and their long-term implications for cognitive stability. It is my firm belief that we must approach these chemical adjustments with a heightened sense of caution, moving beyond mere symptom management toward a more holistic understanding of neurological health. While some may advocate for rapid shifts in medication, I have always favored a more measured, deliberate pace to ensure the mind remains unclouded by unnecessary fluctuations. kaže:
Sanval isn't working for me anymore; or rather, it’s working in ways it absolutely shouldn't. I'm sitting here wondering what kind of quality hypnotic I should ask my doctor about at my next check-up. When I can't sleep, I honestly feel like I'm losing my mind—the next day is always a complete write-off.😠I plan to consult my doctor regarding Dormicum. I have heard quite a bit about its efficacy, and my intention is to take it immediately before heading to bed. I want to avoid that restless, aimless pacing around the house that I used to experience after taking those ineffective doses of Sanval.🙄

Yes, Dormicum will certainly knock you out, though you should be careful because the dosage here in the States is often around 7.5 mg, whereas our local supply can go up to 15 mg. I would suggest starting with just half a dose first. If that doesn't do the trick, it's unlikely any other hypnotics available alongside Zolpidem—such as Zan, Cerson, or Fluzepam—will work for you either. I have heard that some people find relief from much lower doses of antipsychotics, perhaps between 25 and 50 mg of Quetiapine or Seroquel, but I don't have any personal experience with that, and frankly, I would prefer not to rely on antipsychotics just to fix my insomnia. You really need to sit down and have a serious conversation with your doctor about this, but definitely ask about the Dormicum and let me know how it goes. What does your current medication regimen look like? On Monday, I am planning to ask my physician if adding Elicei Valdoxan in the evening might help; it's an antidepressant, but apparently, it can also address sleep issues. I'll see what they have to say.

So, right now I'm on 75mg of Effexor, and my psychiatrist suggested adding Wellbutrin XL 150 mg, so I'm still weighing my options. The Effexor feels okay most of the time, but the side effects are a bit much—mostly some mild nausea, dilated pupils... kind of feels like I'm on some sort of stimulant, plus this hyperactive feeling that gets on my nerves a little. I might switch over to Wellbutrin eventually. In the meantime, I take Helix or Lustral whenever the anxiety hits, even though I'm technically supposed to take them three times a day. My doctor also prescribed Tegretol as a stabilizer to take before bed, but I tried it a couple of times and had these absolute horror stories during the night, so no thanks to that. That's why I'm looking into a hypnotic for those specific nights when sleep just won't come, because I really want to stay away from anything in the antipsychotic category.

Hannah Foster6 said:So, what's actually causing your insomnia in the first place? And how long before you hit the hay do you usually take the Calixta?

Why? Honestly, it’s hard to pin down one single cause because everything is inextricably linked to my anxiety. It’s like my brain is running at a hundred miles per hour when I’m trying to settle down; I just can't find that mental off-switch, and my mind starts racing through every little thing imaginable. As for the medication, I usually take the Calixta or the Mirtazapine about half an hour before I plan to sleep. Since they're antidepressants, the exact timing isn't life-or-death, though I generally take them in the evening. Sometimes I drift off in fifteen minutes, and other times it takes a solid hour. The real issue is that when they do work, I end up sleeping far too long, which I absolutely detest—it feels like I’m being dragged out of a deep fog in the morning and can barely function. That’s why I don't rely on them much anymore; they're more of an occasional fix than a daily solution.

Oh yeah, I’ve been dealing with insomnia since I started the Effexor. A friend of mine gave me a couple of leftover pills, so I tried one. I definitely crashed, but man, the next morning was rough. It was like being in a total fog—I couldn't even hold a normal conversation or snap out of it. Not to mention that nasty, bitter-sweet taste lingering on my tongue. Just gross.🙂