Psychotropic medication discussion thread

Anthony Lopez8 said:That’s a question I’d love to have answered myself. Every time I read a news report about someone—usually by complete accident—dying from mixing benzos and booze, I find myself wondering how on earth they manage to pull that off.
During one particular suicidal episode, I washed down two entire bottles of Xanax with a bottle of vodka, and the only outcome was waking up two days later face-down in my own vomit. 😕 🤷 😂

Well, you could have just as easily choked while you were unconscious. There's your answer to the question right there.

Anthony Lopez8 said:That’s a question I’d love to have answered myself. Every time I read a news report about someone—usually by complete accident—dying from mixing benzos and booze, I find myself wondering how on earth they manage to pull that off.
During one particular suicidal episode, I washed down two entire bottles of Xanax with a bottle of vodka, and the only outcome was waking up two days later face-down in my own vomit. 😕 🤷 😂

That just means you were luckier than you were smart.

fadedbear92 said:That just means you were luckier than you were smart.

I suppose it all comes down to perspective. 😁 If I hadn't been intent on dying, I wouldn't have engaged in anything potentially lethal in the first place, so I struggle to see the stupidity in it...
I am well aware of the risk of choking, but looking back today, that feels like such an unreliable factor; it certainly doesn't justify all the intense rhetoric regarding how "reliable" or "practical" this method is—the very rhetoric that led me to attempt it in the first place.
Ultimately, listen to me: don't do this. It is simply not recommended.

Anthony Lopez8 said:I suppose it all comes down to perspective. 😁 If I hadn't been intent on dying, I wouldn't have engaged in anything potentially lethal in the first place, so I struggle to see the stupidity in it...
I am well aware of the risk of choking, but looking back today, that feels like such an unreliable factor; it certainly doesn't justify all the intense rhetoric regarding how "reliable" or "practical" this method is—the very rhetoric that led me to attempt it in the first place.
Ultimately, listen to me: don't do this. It is simply not recommended.

it's essentially about the fact that your liver processes things differently every single day; you truly never know which specific combination is going to hit that breaking point—and obviously, the odds of a fatal outcome skyrocket when you overdo it the way you did.

Hey, Rosie

Just one more thing for you

Technically speaking—and this goes for actual psychiatric standards too—an "attempted suicide" via pills isn't even classified as a true suicide attempt in the medical books.

Jason Vaughn482 said:As for me, taking the extended-release version of Sanval... getting to sleep is an uphill battle, a real struggle, but once I finally drift off, I find it nearly impossible to drag myself out of bed before 10 AM, and even then, I’m craving more sleep. I'll wake up around 6 AM, but I just immediately roll over onto my other side... unless I'm going through one of my crises, in which case I either wake up feeling absolutely miserable or I don't sleep at all... thank God that isn't a daily occurrence.

To return to the topic of insomnia: I had an appointment with my psychiatrist today to discuss everything, particularly since I've developed a bit of a dependency on Rohypnol, which seems to be losing its effectiveness. I inquired about adding Sedatival to my regimen, but she informed me that, in her experience, it hasn't actually helped any of her patients suffering from insomnia. I then asked if, given that I am currently on vacation, it would be acceptable to take 15 mg of Oxazepam if I have a particularly rough night. She advised against using benzodiazepines for sleep issues, noting they wouldn't be particularly effective in this context. Instead, she prescribed a single 25 mg tablet of Quetiapine and suggested I start with half a pill to see how I react, noting that I could increase the dose to a maximum of two tablets. She explained that while it is primarily a mood stabilizer used for other conditions at higher doses, it can be quite effective for chronic insomnia. She requested that I call her in a few days if I notice anything unusual so she can advise me on next steps. So, those are the latest updates. Regardless, please do not attempt to take double doses of Rohypnol or increase your hypnotic dosage on your own; it is a dangerous path that leads nowhere.

restlesstrucker15 said:To return to the topic of insomnia: I had an appointment with my psychiatrist today to discuss everything, particularly since I've developed a bit of a dependency on Rohypnol, which seems to be losing its effectiveness. I inquired about adding Sedatival to my regimen, but she informed me that, in her experience, it hasn't actually helped any of her patients suffering from insomnia. I then asked if, given that I am currently on vacation, it would be acceptable to take 15 mg of Oxazepam if I have a particularly rough night. She advised against using benzodiazepines for sleep issues, noting they wouldn't be particularly effective in this context. Instead, she prescribed a single 25 mg tablet of Quetiapine and suggested I start with half a pill to see how I react, noting that I could increase the dose to a maximum of two tablets. She explained that while it is primarily a mood stabilizer used for other conditions at higher doses, it can be quite effective for chronic insomnia. She requested that I call her in a few days if I notice anything unusual so she can advise me on next steps. So, those are the latest updates. Regardless, please do not attempt to take double doses of Rohypnol or increase your hypnotic dosage on your own; it is a dangerous path that leads nowhere.

I think she gave you some solid advice.

Quetiapine belongs to the antipsychotic class.
Quetiapine is used to alleviate symptoms of schizophrenia such as hallucinations (like hearing voices), intrusive or scary thoughts, behavioral changes, social withdrawal, and confusion.

It’s also used to treat manic episodes where someone feels overstimulated, loses the need for sleep, becomes excessively talkative, experiences racing thoughts, or suffers from extreme irritability.

That's likely why she categorized it under mood stabilizers.

http://medication-info-blog.com/quetiapine.html

fadedbear92 said:I think she gave you some solid advice.

Quetiapine belongs to the antipsychotic class.
Quetiapine is used to alleviate symptoms of schizophrenia such as hallucinations (like hearing voices), intrusive or scary thoughts, behavioral changes, social withdrawal, and confusion.

It’s also used to treat manic episodes where someone feels overstimulated, loses the need for sleep, becomes excessively talkative, experiences racing thoughts, or suffers from extreme irritability.

That's likely why she categorized it under mood stabilizers.

http://medication-info-blog.com/quetiapine.html

Well done, fadedbear92; you seem to have a firm grasp on all these complexities. Honestly, I felt completely sedated—I just couldn't seem to shake the drowsiness. Perhaps that was my own oversight, as I took the entire 25 mg dose instead of just half. I will attempt to stick to the smaller dose next time to see how I respond. As for my annual vacation, I might try going without any medication at all, though I harbor some doubts about that. Since you are clearly the expert here, I looked up the coverage for Quetiapine under Medicare, and it is quite expensive. There is even a note stating it is reserved specifically for patients who haven't responded to other treatments. I assume I won't need Medicare to provide special authorization for this, will I?😠

Kenneth Scott41 said:By the way, I guess you ever wonder what actually takes out those famous rock stars? Some succumb to pure stimulants, sure, and others to various combinations, but more often than not, it seems to be a cocktail of morphine-based painkillers mixed with far too much Xanax and alcohol.

What I mean is, most of them were likely cycling through antidepressants and benzodiazepines—things like Valium or Ativan—all at once.
It feels like everyone here is following a similar script, taking at least one anxiolytic alongside an antidepressant.🙂

The connection just kind of struck me.🙂

Oh, please... my grandma lived to be ninety on nothing but Valerian and herbal supplements.
What are you even talking about?

These people died because they lived messy lives. God knows what kind of hell they were dealing with internally.

Thinking someone’s just gonna drop dead suddenly from combining an antidepressant and an anxiolytic while under a psychiatrist's care is honestly a joke.

So I'm sitting here sipping on some coffee... but it got me thinking, does anyone know which antidepressants won't make you put on a bunch of weight?

Anthony Lopez8 said:That’s a question I’d love to have answered myself. Every time I read a news report about someone—usually by complete accident—dying from mixing benzos and booze, I find myself wondering how on earth they manage to pull that off.
During one particular suicidal episode, I washed down two entire bottles of Xanax with a bottle of vodka, and the only outcome was waking up two days later face-down in my own vomit. 😕 🤷 😂

Well, you certainly went overboard there, didn't you? Honestly, though, I suspect those people who actually succumb to it were taking something much more potent—likely some other heavy drug. Personally, I wouldn't dream of touching a drop of alcohol while on medication... I used to be able to knock back a few beers a day without a second thought, but that's out of the question now. For the last three years, I've been on 0.5mg of Xanax three times a day plus 10mg of Sominex, and if I'm being honest, I feel perpetually numb, as if I'm constantly being sedated, and it feels like far too much.

I’ve had a glass of wine while on Oxazepam before—it honestly never crossed my mind that it could be fatal 😕

Hannah Foster6 said:So I'm sitting here sipping on some coffee... but it got me thinking, does anyone know which antidepressants won't make you put on a bunch of weight?

Check out Prozac; in my experience, it actually helped me shed some weight.

Some people swear by Zoloft, too, but I won't be able to give you a definitive verdict on that one until I've been on it for about a month.

Hannah Foster6 said:So I'm sitting here sipping on some coffee... but it got me thinking, does anyone know which antidepressants won't make you put on a bunch of weight?

Honestly, it’s completely different for everyone.

Ugh, honestly... switching from Anafranil and Ladiomil caused me to pack on 25 pounds in just a few months, and
now that I'm on Cipralex and Effexor XR, I've lost it all and am basically skin and bones🙂

restlesstrucker15 said:Well done, fadedbear92; you seem to have a firm grasp on all these complexities. Honestly, I felt completely sedated—I just couldn't seem to shake the drowsiness. Perhaps that was my own oversight, as I took the entire 25 mg dose instead of just half. I will attempt to stick to the smaller dose next time to see how I respond. As for my annual vacation, I might try going without any medication at all, though I harbor some doubts about that. Since you are clearly the expert here, I looked up the coverage for Quetiapine under Medicare, and it is quite expensive. There is even a note stating it is reserved specifically for patients who haven't responded to other treatments. I assume I won't need Medicare to provide special authorization for this, will I?😠

Glad you posted here, otherwise you would've been a total zombie by morning.
I know plenty of people who get prescribed Q-pin or Serq, and they all say the same thing: "I've got a few boxes sitting in the cabinet, but there's no way I'm taking that anymore."
And these are people who are already dealing with all sorts of different pills.

Yeah, it's expensive, and doctors hand them out like they're candy.

Anyway, let us know how it goes once you've been on it for a bit; you'll probably see I'm right.
For me, it used to cause this intense dizziness and just leave me feeling totally weak.

redcrane22 said:That's exactly what I'm talking about.

I think you and I are pretty much on the same wavelength here.😁 😍

The funniest part, though, is the reason my doctor prescribed the Q-pin.

She knows I’m actually trying to put on some weight, even though my mental health is totally stable.😁

Wait, does the Q-pin actually cause weight gain? I'm a bit lost here.

My doctor just prescribed me Valdoxan... has anyone here dealt with this AD before? I'd love to hear your thoughts or any experiences you might have.

Dana Hayes3 said:Wait, does the Q-pin actually cause weight gain? I'm a bit lost here.

Yeah, that’s the consensus. You hear it from patients and doctors alike. For some reason, though, it hasn't happened to me.🤣