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Psychotropic medication discussion thread

Started by Robin Myers91 · · 👁 616 views · 10K replies

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Participants Robin Myers91Eric Wood7Maria Gomez6crimsonhound80Tyler Ortiz6dustyscout41Andrew Stewart2George Ramos64Morgan Long49Jason Sanchez3briskgull27Charles Edwards8Brenda Allen2hollowtinker8bluecyclist28electricorca13David Kern14Ashley Morganwanderingscout13Sam Hall15coppergardenerCarl Thompson4Mark Stewartanalognomad762 …
Justin Rogers5 Justin Rogers5 Active Member
214 messages
joined Feb 2010
#3741 ·
~Scarlett~ said:
It’s an SNRI, so the mechanism is different. Just Google the differences. Honestly, a psychiatrist should be the one making these calls, not just guessing.🤣 😕

Yeah, I agree. A doctor should be deciding this, not me.😕I get the feeling he picked up on how much I don't trust doctors in his field, so now he's just testing me. Not exactly inspiring confidence.☕
Anthony Lopez8 Anthony Lopez8 Active Member
110 messages
joined Apr 2010
#3742 ·
I am still waiting to see if anyone actually has anything substantive to contribute to this discussion. Is it truly too much to ask for a coherent thought instead of more mindless repetition?
Justin Rogers5 said:Effexor? A psychiatrist over at the Mayo Clinic mentioned a few different options, so I guess I'll just pick one and see.🤷

Effexor is often labeled as a "heavy hitter," but honestly, I wouldn't recommend jumping straight into it unless you are in an absolutely dire situation or have already exhausted every other possible avenue.
Take that advice from someone who is currently in the final, grueling stages of cutting that substance out of my life—a process that is, quite frankly, physically agonizing. Let me be perfectly clear: once I am through this, I have no intention of ever touching it again during future crises, even if it feels like my last resort. 🙂
Kenneth Scott41 Kenneth Scott41 Regular
457 messages
joined May 2009
#3743 ·
Hey everyone, how are you all holding up with the AD? 😁

I’ve spent quite a long time struggling to find an antidepressant that actually feels right and provides some real relief 🙂

I really hope things turn around for all of you soon!
Michelle Evans Michelle Evans Regular
320 messages
joined Jan 2013
#3744 ·

Justin Rogers5 said:Yeah, I agree. A doctor should be deciding this, not me.😕I get the feeling he picked up on how much I don't trust doctors in his field, so now he's just testing me. Not exactly inspiring confidence.☕

It’s just not there...
Justin Rogers5 Justin Rogers5 Active Member
214 messages
joined Feb 2010
#3745 ·
Anthony Lopez8 said:I am still waiting to see if anyone actually has anything substantive to contribute to this discussion. Is it truly too much to ask for a coherent thought instead of more mindless repetition?

Effexor is often labeled as a "heavy hitter," but honestly, I wouldn't recommend jumping straight into it unless you are in an absolutely dire situation or have already exhausted every other possible avenue.
Take that advice from someone who is currently in the final, grueling stages of cutting that substance out of my life—a process that is, quite frankly, physically agonizing. Let me be perfectly clear: once I am through this, I have no intention of ever touching it again during future crises, even if it feels like my last resort. 🙂

Strong?? My boyfriend's dad is on it and he’s basically singing its praises. He used to be a total shut-in, but now he’s out there building his own scaffolding and repainting the whole house by himself. No joke. I don't know who to believe anymore.
Anthony Lopez8 Anthony Lopez8 Active Member
110 messages
joined Apr 2010
#3746 ·
Justin Rogers5 said:Strong?? My boyfriend's dad is on it and he’s basically singing its praises. He used to be a total shut-in, but now he’s out there building his own scaffolding and repainting the whole house by himself. No joke. I don't know who to believe anymore.

Well, yes—I suppose I meant "strong" in terms of its efficacy and how well it handles more severe cases of depression. I used quotation marks because, frankly, discussing antidepressants in terms of being "strong" or "weak" is a bit of a slippery slope; individual biological factors play such a massive role in how any of these work.
My only concern is ensuring you are fully aware of the intense physical dependency that Effexor can trigger in many people before you make a final decision—a detail that doctors frequently fail to mention to their patients.
fadedbear92 fadedbear92 Veteran
1.1K messages
joined Dec 2008
#3747 ·
Justin Rogers5 said:Strong?? My boyfriend's dad is on it and he’s basically singing its praises. He used to be a total shut-in, but now he’s out there building his own scaffolding and repainting the whole house by himself. No joke. I don't know who to believe anymore.

If it works for you, it'll be a total game changer—but if it doesn't? You're headed straight to hell. It completely wrecked my sleep schedule; it took me ten whole days just to get it out of my system. Ugh, gross!!!!!!!!
restlesstrucker15 restlesstrucker15 Regular
374 messages
joined Sep 2011
#3748 ·
redcrane22 said: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.

I am at a loss as to what else I can take for this insomnia. Half a dose of Q-Pina doesn't put me to sleep, and a full 25 mg leaves me unable to function until the afternoon. 🙂 I developed a tolerance to Halcion; before that, I was on Sanval, which eventually stopped working altogether. My therapist tried Cerson, Zane, and Valium, but none of them did anything at all. Prazine doesn't work, nor does Normabate (even up to 20 mg). They even ran an EKG and brain scans, but everything came back normal. We tried adding Calixta, but that actually made things worse than they already are with the Q-Pina. I started swimming and cycling, but my body has adjusted to the physical activity, so I don't feel tired anymore... I'll have to have another conversation with her. By the way, do any tricyclic ADs have an impact on sleep? I believe those would be Ladiomil, Anafril, and similar types. I just want to add that to my list of possibilities to ask about. My therapist claims that the new Sederm, which they boast helps regulate sleep, doesn't regulate it at all. For context, I am currently taking Elice (15 mg) in the morning. I wonder if this drowsiness caused by Q-Pina will eventually pass?🙂
restlesstrucker15 restlesstrucker15 Regular
374 messages
joined Sep 2011
#3749 ·
fadedbear92 said:If it works for you, it'll be a total game changer—but if it doesn't? You're headed straight to hell. It completely wrecked my sleep schedule; it took me ten whole days just to get it out of my system. Ugh, gross!!!!!!!!

It really comes down to the individual. For those who tolerate it well, they swear by it and praise it constantly. However, for those it doesn't suit—which usually means people who feel wired like they've taken speed or find their sleep totally destroyed—they tend to say nothing but the worst things about it. So, you'll just have to see. You essentially have to endure the side effects for two weeks; if they persist beyond that, then you aren't dealing with side effects anymore. At least regarding that feeling of being overly stimulated.
Kenneth Scott41 Kenneth Scott41 Regular
457 messages
joined May 2009
#3750 ·
Justin Rogers5 said:Strong?? My boyfriend's dad is on it and he’s basically singing its praises. He used to be a total shut-in, but now he’s out there building his own scaffolding and repainting the whole house by himself. No joke. I don't know who to believe anymore.

I have a cousin who went through something similar after starting Effexor; he's suddenly out and about all the time, and he barely sleeps anymore. It’s like he’s become a completely different person, though maybe in a positive way.
Kenneth Scott41 Kenneth Scott41 Regular
457 messages
joined May 2009
#3751 ·
Anthony Lopez8 said:I am still waiting to see if anyone actually has anything substantive to contribute to this discussion. Is it truly too much to ask for a coherent thought instead of more mindless repetition?

Effexor is often labeled as a "heavy hitter," but honestly, I wouldn't recommend jumping straight into it unless you are in an absolutely dire situation or have already exhausted every other possible avenue.
Take that advice from someone who is currently in the final, grueling stages of cutting that substance out of my life—a process that is, quite frankly, physically agonizing. Let me be perfectly clear: once I am through this, I have no intention of ever touching it again during future crises, even if it feels like my last resort. 🙂


@Anthony Lopez8 could you tell me why you feel Effexor is so terrible? Why would you never take it again even if things were at their absolute worst? How long were you actually on it? And what kind of crisis are we talking about when it comes to coming off of it?
I'm currently on 150mg XL, and honestly, I plan to stay on it for the rest of my life if necessary because it practically brought me back from the dead.

If you don't mind, could you please elaborate on those points?
Anthony Lopez8 Anthony Lopez8 Active Member
110 messages
joined Apr 2010
#3752 ·
Kenneth Scott41 said:@Anthony Lopez8 could you tell me why you feel Effexor is so terrible? Why would you never take it again even if things were at their absolute worst? How long were you actually on it? And what kind of crisis are we talking about when it comes to coming off of it?
I'm currently on 150mg XL, and honestly, I plan to stay on it for the rest of my life if necessary because it practically brought me back from the dead.

If you don't mind, could you please elaborate on those points?

Look, Effexor isn't inherently bad. For many people, it’s been a significant lifeline. Even I felt a certain level of improvement—moving from feeling "suicidal" to merely feeling "average"—and during those first few weeks, I didn't suffer any major side effects, which is certainly a positive thing.

However, I was on 300mg for a year and a half, and no revolutionary miracle occurred for me. For instance, everyone claims that Effexor is stimulating, yet even while on it, I could sleep through a hurricane for 16 hours straight without a second thought. To be perfectly honest, I have cycled through various medications and therapies, and several doctors (both implicitly and explicitly) have concluded that I am nearly treatment-resistant, so this isn't solely an issue with Effexor itself. 😬

What is definitively BAD about Effexor, though, is the tapering process. I attempted to step down gradually from 300mg, reducing the dose slightly every single week, but even that did nothing to protect me from withdrawal symptoms. Throughout the entire period, I dealt with headaches, nausea (to the point of vomiting), vertigo, and of course, those ubiquitous "brain zaps." It was all somewhat manageable until this week, when I dropped from a mere 18.75mg (yes, eighteen!) down to zero. The intensity of these symptoms has spiked significantly; occasionally, I feel as though I am losing control over my own body, or I'm broken out in cold sweats. Interestingly, my mental state remains relatively stable, despite having discontinued all medication—in my case, those horrific suicidal periods tend to alternate quite randomly with more tolerable phases...

Another issue is that for a specific subset of people, Effexor leaves lasting consequences. Some develop serious chronic issues, while others can't shake those "brain zaps" even a full year after stopping. If you bother to search online, you'll find a massive number of such accounts. In this current withdrawal phase, for example, I've developed something that resembles exercise-induced asthma (which I discovered is indeed possible as an extremely rare withdrawal symptom). This was quite shocking to me, considering I've been an athlete most of my life and have never had breathing issues before. 🤷

P.S. I am still a woman. 😛
Kenneth Scott41 Kenneth Scott41 Regular
457 messages
joined May 2009
#3753 ·
Anthony Lopez8 said:Look, Effexor isn't inherently bad. For many people, it’s been a significant lifeline. Even I felt a certain level of improvement—moving from feeling "suicidal" to merely feeling "average"—and during those first few weeks, I didn't suffer any major side effects, which is certainly a positive thing.

However, I was on 300mg for a year and a half, and no revolutionary miracle occurred for me. For instance, everyone claims that Effexor is stimulating, yet even while on it, I could sleep through a hurricane for 16 hours straight without a second thought. To be perfectly honest, I have cycled through various medications and therapies, and several doctors (both implicitly and explicitly) have concluded that I am nearly treatment-resistant, so this isn't solely an issue with Effexor itself. 😬

What is definitively BAD about Effexor, though, is the tapering process. I attempted to step down gradually from 300mg, reducing the dose slightly every single week, but even that did nothing to protect me from withdrawal symptoms. Throughout the entire period, I dealt with headaches, nausea (to the point of vomiting), vertigo, and of course, those ubiquitous "brain zaps." It was all somewhat manageable until this week, when I dropped from a mere 18.75mg (yes, eighteen!) down to zero. The intensity of these symptoms has spiked significantly; occasionally, I feel as though I am losing control over my own body, or I'm broken out in cold sweats. Interestingly, my mental state remains relatively stable, despite having discontinued all medication—in my case, those horrific suicidal periods tend to alternate quite randomly with more tolerable phases...

Another issue is that for a specific subset of people, Effexor leaves lasting consequences. Some develop serious chronic issues, while others can't shake those "brain zaps" even a full year after stopping. If you bother to search online, you'll find a massive number of such accounts. In this current withdrawal phase, for example, I've developed something that resembles exercise-induced asthma (which I discovered is indeed possible as an extremely rare withdrawal symptom). This was quite shocking to me, considering I've been an athlete most of my life and have never had breathing issues before. 🤷

P.S. I am still a woman. 😛


So, what exactly are these "brain zaps" you mentioned?
Anthony Lopez8 Anthony Lopez8 Active Member
110 messages
joined Apr 2010
#3754 ·
Kenneth Scott41 said:So, what exactly are these "brain zaps" you mentioned?

It’s essentially those sudden, spontaneous sensations of an electric shock jolting through your head. When they are mild, you might be able to brush them off, but once the intensity ramps up, they begin to radiate throughout your entire body, becoming incredibly unsettling. If you have never experienced this after missing a dose, then you are truly an outlier. 😁
By the way, there is speculation that these sensations result from shifts in neural activity within the central nervous system and/or disruptions in the function of the optic nerve.
fadedbear92 fadedbear92 Veteran
1.1K messages
joined Dec 2008
#3755 ·
Kenneth Scott41 said:So, what exactly are these "brain zaps" people keep talking about?

Neurological Symptoms described as...

Neurological Symptoms described as brain zaps, head shocks, or those weird little cranial zings—honestly, they're just unsettling. When people start tapering off their antidepressants—either by cutting back the dose or stopping altogether—they often run into withdrawal symptoms. It's a bit of a wildcard, honestly; everyone describes them differently, and even doctors aren't entirely sure why they happen. Most folks report feeling dizzy—it can be pretty disorienting, to say the least. I’ve been dealing with these weird electric shock-like sensations lately—it's honestly such a bizarre feeling! The side effects can be brutal—we're talking sweating, nausea, insomnia, tremors, confusion, nightmares, and vertigo. It’s a lot to handle. In medical terms, specifically when filing adverse drug reaction reports, the MedDRA "preferred term" is used to code these kinds of symptoms.

I was reading up on SSRI discontinuation syndrome earlier—it’s one of those things people rarely talk about until they’re actually dealing with it. It’s wild how much your brain chemistry can react when you try to step away from certain medications. If anyone here has gone through the ringer with this, I'd love to hear your experience.

Trying to put this into words is a challenge, but I'll give it my best shot. At first, it felt like this sudden, sinking sensation deep inside my head. It’s similar to that dizzying drop you get in your stomach when you stand on the edge of the Grand Canyon or look down from the top of a skyscraper—that weird "falling" sensation your brain triggers even though you're perfectly steady. These little jolts would hit me in quick, intense bursts of maybe two or three seconds, which was honestly enough to completely derail my focus, my job, and my headspace. I'd just find myself sitting there thinking, “Wait... what was that?”

People always say "brain zaps" are impossible to describe if you haven't felt them firsthand—but honestly, it's like this sudden, jarring jolt, almost like an electric shock firing right inside your skull—and it leaves you feeling totally disoriented for a few seconds. Most folks describe it as a quick, wave-like pulse of electricity racing through the brain; some even feel those waves ripple through their entire body, though the sensation usually vanishes just as fast. I've noticed they can be paired with a bit of ringing in the ears or a dizzy, vertigo-like sensation, followed by a bout of light-headedness that can linger for about ten seconds. It’s like a literal flashbulb going off inside your head! Also, a little heads-up: moving your eyes too quickly from side to side can actually trigger them, sometimes even causing them to hit you in rapid succession. It's widely thought to be a type of neuro-epileptiform activity.

The more time passes since my last dose, the less often those shocks hit—it's definitely a downward trend. When they were at their absolute worst, those brain zaps were practically inseparable from these brutal, pounding headaches. Usually, things settle down within a few weeks of stopping, and most people find they’re totally clear within a month or two. That said, I've heard plenty of stories about people dealing with these "zaps" during a long-term withdrawal that stretch out for a year or even longer.

To get through it, I actually started opening my capsules—yeah, I know, sounds crazy—to count out the individual beads. I’d manually create smaller doses, tapering down much more gradually over six weeks instead of sticking to that standard, rushed two or three-week window most doctors suggest. It worked wonders to kill that awful sensation, though—it really did. You could even try asking your doctor for a 37.5 mg immediate-release tablet and just breaking those into smaller bits to taper off at the very end. Either way you slice it, Effexor was a total nightmare; it taught me more about managing side effects than any FDA package insert ever could.

I can’t help but wonder if anyone else has dealt with those sudden "brain zaps" when trying to taper off a medication—it feels like a literal electric shock hitting your head out of nowhere! It’s such an unsettling sensation, almost like a momentary glitch in your nervous system that leaves you feeling totally disoriented for a second. I remember once, while I was adjusting my dosage, I was just sitting there having coffee and suddenly felt this sharp jolt—it was genuinely startling. Has anyone else navigated this, or am I just uniquely sensitive?

It feels like total fireworks!!!
The symptoms are described as brief but repeated electric shock-like sensations in the brain and head, or originating in the brain but extending to other parts of the body. Sometimes moving one's eyes quickly from side to side can trigger these brain zaps—it's wild. You might also deal with disorientation, tinnitus, vertigo, or feeling lightheaded at the same time.

http://www.psychologytoday.com/blog/...-or-brain-zaps
Kenneth Scott41 Kenneth Scott41 Regular
457 messages
joined May 2009
#3756 ·
I still can't quite wrap my head around what people mean when they talk about that "brain zap" sensation. If I had to guess, I'm wondering if it's that sudden, uncontrollable twitching you get in your head, arms, or legs... because that's certainly what I've been experiencing lately.
Is that what it actually is?
Anthony Lopez8 Anthony Lopez8 Active Member
110 messages
joined Apr 2010
#3757 ·
Kenneth Scott41 said:I still can't quite wrap my head around what people mean when they talk about that "brain zap" sensation. If I had to guess, I'm wondering if it's that sudden, uncontrollable twitching you get in your head, arms, or legs... because that's certainly what I've been experiencing lately.
Is that what it actually is?

I suspect we are dealing with several distinct phenomena here. Generally speaking, brain zaps are internal experiences that aren't visible to an observer, whereas physical twitching is quite apparent.
Have you ever reached for a car door handle and felt that sharp, sudden jolt of static electricity? Imagine a sensation much like that, only localized deep within your skull—and in more severe instances, radiating through your entire body—accompanied by a brief moment of disorientation or dizziness.
Jason Vaughn482 Jason Vaughn482 Regular
488 messages
joined Jul 2012
#3758 ·
Justin Rogers5 said:Yeah, I agree. A doctor should be deciding this, not me.😕I get the feeling he picked up on how much I don't trust doctors in his field, so now he's just testing me. Not exactly inspiring confidence.☕

Which doctor at the Mayo Clinic are we talking about here? Honestly, they all seem to follow the exact same script—just cranking the dosage up to sixteen like it’s some universal rule. I’ve lost all faith in the whole system, so I just end up cutting everything they prescribe in half, or sometimes I don't even bother taking them at all. I simply don't have that level of trust in these medications.
Larry Lewis Larry Lewis Regular
819 messages
joined Dec 2010
#3759 ·
Anthony Lopez8 said:It’s essentially those sudden, spontaneous sensations of an electric shock jolting through your head. When they are mild, you might be able to brush them off, but once the intensity ramps up, they begin to radiate throughout your entire body, becoming incredibly unsettling. If you have never experienced this after missing a dose, then you are truly an outlier. 😁
By the way, there is speculation that these sensations result from shifts in neural activity within the central nervous system and/or disruptions in the function of the optic nerve.

I went through something similarly horrific when I was tapering off my previous medication—it felt like my whole body was vibrating—but back then, I honestly thought I was just being dramatic or that it was happening only to me.

Has anyone else here dealt with Lorazepam?
Justin Rogers5 Justin Rogers5 Active Member
214 messages
joined Feb 2010
#3760 ·
Jason Vaughn482 said:Which doctor at the Mayo Clinic are we talking about here? Honestly, they all seem to follow the exact same script—just cranking the dosage up to sixteen like it’s some universal rule. I’ve lost all faith in the whole system, so I just end up cutting everything they prescribe in half, or sometimes I don't even bother taking them at all. I simply don't have that level of trust in these medications.

No clue. Went once and that was enough for me. Same here—my doctor prescribes four or five different meds😲 like I’m some kind of lost cause. I just shove them in a drawer.🤷Especially after reading the side effects.

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