Psychotropic medication discussion thread

Justin Rogers5 said: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.

How does one even define what a good female doctor looks like? I know a few. There are actually some great ones over at the Mayo Clinic... personally, I've come across two who are truly wonderful. One is my own physician... and I run into the other during my shifts in the ER... if anyone needs a recommendation... just ask.

Larry Lewis

To felt a bit weaker than Xanax to me—plus, it seems to process through the liver much faster.

Does Zoloft have any impact on testosterone levels in men—does it actually decrease or increase them? Or does it simply have no effect at all?

Anthony Lopez8 said: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.

Man, that sounds like an absolutely miserable thing to go through.🙂

Valdoxan

Seventh day.

It’s awful. I honestly can't tell if this is coming from tapering off my previous antidepressant or if it's the Valdoxan. I just don't know.

Physically... I'm dealing with dizziness... it feels like I have an internal fever... like I'm burning up on the inside but nothing will break through to the surface... it feels as though my brain is spinning on its own axis... if I move my head even slightly too fast, it feels like everything inside is going to turn into mush.

Psychically... well, that's harder to pin down... is it the medication or just life hitting me all at once? To be honest, external factors have been hitting me hard. A massive shock recently has made it impossible to be objective about what's causing what. Mostly, I'm experiencing bouts of hysterical crying, deep depression, and daily suicidal ideation... plus constant outbursts and threats toward everyone around me. I have absolutely no control over my emotions right now... I suppose it might not be the Valdoxan, but how am I ever supposed to know for sure???

George Allen71 said:Valdoxan

Seventh day.

It’s awful. I honestly can't tell if this is coming from tapering off my previous antidepressant or if it's the Valdoxan. I just don't know.

Physically... I'm dealing with dizziness... it feels like I have an internal fever... like I'm burning up on the inside but nothing will break through to the surface... it feels as though my brain is spinning on its own axis... if I move my head even slightly too fast, it feels like everything inside is going to turn into mush.

Psychically... well, that's harder to pin down... is it the medication or just life hitting me all at once? To be honest, external factors have been hitting me hard. A massive shock recently has made it impossible to be objective about what's causing what. Mostly, I'm experiencing bouts of hysterical crying, deep depression, and daily suicidal ideation... plus constant outbursts and threats toward everyone around me. I have absolutely no control over my emotions right now... I suppose it might not be the Valdoxan, but how am I ever supposed to know for sure???

I am so incredibly sorry you're going through this. Are you seeing a therapist alongside your doctor to help process everything happening?

Which specific antidepressant were you tapering off of—that old, outdated stuff?

If the side effects are really this intense, they should hopefully taper off within two weeks at most.

fadedbear92 said:I am so incredibly sorry you're going through this. Are you seeing a therapist alongside your doctor to help process everything happening?

Which specific antidepressant were you tapering off of—that old, outdated stuff?

If the side effects are really this intense, they should hopefully taper off within two weeks at most.

I’m starting psychotherapy... finally moving to individual sessions, but now that I'm switching my AD... with everything hitting me at once... my therapist is basically telling me to hang in there... honestly, after nine months of nothing, it's just great...
That’s why I went to see the specialist... because I am completely falling apart at the seams.

I was tapering off Lexapro... I was at a max of 20 mg... spent a few days at 10 mg then dropped to 5 mg... and only after that did I start Valdoxan.

As far as I know, it took three weeks total, but I'm really hoping what is written about Valdoxan is true—that you can see some progress in just one week...

I have nowhere to go after work today... I'm just sitting here in my office crying. I don't even have anyone to call... I have nowhere to turn... I can't go home because I'm in such a terrible state that I can't be alone at the house... I'm heading back to the ER. I'll just lie down there for a bit, talk to someone, and hopefully they'll give me something to help me calm down.

George Allen71 said:I’m starting psychotherapy... finally moving to individual sessions, but now that I'm switching my AD... with everything hitting me at once... my therapist is basically telling me to hang in there... honestly, after nine months of nothing, it's just great...
That’s why I went to see the specialist... because I am completely falling apart at the seams.

I was tapering off Lexapro... I was at a max of 20 mg... spent a few days at 10 mg then dropped to 5 mg... and only after that did I start Valdoxan.

As far as I know, it took three weeks total, but I'm really hoping what is written about Valdoxan is true—that you can see some progress in just one week...

I have nowhere to go after work today... I'm just sitting here in my office crying. I don't even have anyone to call... I have nowhere to turn... I can't go home because I'm in such a terrible state that I can't be alone at the house... I'm heading back to the ER. I'll just lie down there for a bit, talk to someone, and hopefully they'll give me something to help me calm down.

I'm so sorry you can't just reach out to your psychiatrist by phone. My doctor usually prefers tapering by a quarter tablet every 3 or 4 days—who knows if things moved too fast for you? It's also possible that whatever happened in your personal life just completely shook your foundation; I felt something very similar after my divorce... I truly hope these heavy moments pass for you quickly. Please write back—don't bottle it up, just talk...

fadedbear92 said:I'm so sorry you can't just reach out to your psychiatrist by phone. My doctor usually prefers tapering by a quarter tablet every 3 or 4 days—who knows if things moved too fast for you? It's also possible that whatever happened in your personal life just completely shook your foundation; I felt something very similar after my divorce... I truly hope these heavy moments pass for you quickly. Please write back—don't bottle it up, just talk...

I'm trying... but dealing with BPD makes it so hard... it's exhausting to endure. Sooner or later, everyone just ends up running away from me

I can't stay on here anymore... I have to go... I'm at the office right now and my employees can see me crying... and I'm supposed to be the one in charge... yet here I am, breaking down... okay, I'm going to pull myself together and head to the ER psychiatric ward, at least for today....

I'll let you know how it goes... if I'm still around🙂

George Allen71 said:I'm trying... but dealing with BPD makes it so hard... it's exhausting to endure. Sooner or later, everyone just ends up running away from me

I can't stay on here anymore... I have to go... I'm at the office right now and my employees can see me crying... and I'm supposed to be the one in charge... yet here I am, breaking down... okay, I'm going to pull myself together and head to the ER psychiatric ward, at least for today....

I'll let you know how it goes... if I'm still around🙂

I don't know much about living with BPD personally, but reading through these threads, it's clear how brutal it is for both the person struggling and those who care about them—please, whatever you do, don't give up.😉

Does Prozac have any impact on testosterone levels in men? Does it drive them down, boost them, or does it just not affect things at all?
Good grief, am I really being ignored by everyone here?

Roger Peterson4 said:Does Prozac have any impact on testosterone levels in men? Does it drive them down, boost them, or does it just not affect things at all?
Good grief, am I really being ignored by everyone here?

Nobody is ignoring you, but if you keep using that tone, I’m not sure people will want to start helping you soon.
If the members who saw your post actually knew the answer, they would have told you by now.
It hasn't even been 11 hours since you posted, so please just be patient... someone might know. Otherwise, you should really check with the doctor who prescribed the Prozac. It’s always best to discuss any concerns about psychiatric medication directly with your physician.

Roger Peterson4 said:Does Prozac have any impact on testosterone levels in men? Does it drive them down, boost them, or does it just not affect things at all?
Good grief, am I really being ignored by everyone here?

We aren't ignoring you.
As far as current knowledge goes, it doesn't impact testosterone. It primarily affects estrogen and prolactin, though even that is rare.
More common side effects include sexual dysfunction, specifically delayed or difficult ejaculation.
A certain number of patients report a drop in libido, but that isn't necessarily caused by Prozac; it's often a result of their mental state or general life stressors.

So, it doesn't have a direct impact, but there is definitely an indirect connection here.
Because when estrogen levels are running high, the body tends to produce less testosterone.
But tell me, does this hormonal shift necessarily have to happen to every single person??

Anyone else feeling like they’re gonna throw up after mixing Paxil and Eglonyl? Seriously, my stomach is doing absolute backflips right now.

fadedbear92 said:Larry Lewis

To felt a bit weaker than Xanax to me—plus, it seems to process through the liver much faster.

Honestly, this whole ordeal was just exhausting. I tell her straight up—I’m dealing with intense, crushing anxiety—so I ask about xanax since I know it actually works, but she just looks at me like I'm losing my mind. She starts suggesting we ramp up the antipsychotics, as if I’m out here having full-blown psychotic breaks or something, which I am absolutely not. I spent twenty agonizing minutes in that exam room arguing my case, trying to convince her that I don't need a higher dose of an antipsychotic; I just need something to take the edge off.
In the end, though, I walked away with Lorazepam... comes in clutch, as they say.🙂

I'm wondering if anyone here has actually managed to get off Zoloft?🤷

I've been on it for years now. Every time life hits me with a major setback, I bump up the dose, then taper down, then ten months later, I'm increasing it again.
Just going in circles...🙄

I'm starting to worry I've become dependent on it, even though I shouldn't have needed it in the first place.
I was the one who asked my doctor to prescribe it...🤷

If I had ever messed with hard drugs, I probably would've died from an overdose.
It feels easier to just take a pill than to try and find the willpower to push through on my own...🙂

God...how long does it actually take when you're switching from one antidepressant to another....how much longer do I have to wait??????

It’s day nine on trintellix...and I just can't do this anymore. Okay, I'm taking Lamal along with it to help stabilize my mood...On top of BPD, now I've got F33.2, severe recurrent depression without psychosis...it's all just such a heavy state and I don't know how to get out
but the headaches...it feels like my brain is being squeezed inside my skull...like something is sloshing around in there...emotionally...swinging from rage and irritation...into terrible sadness...then back to anger again...if I turn my head too fast, I have to grab my head with my hands because it feels so nauseous immediately
The anxiety is so intense that even though I'm hungry, if I eat, I vomit everything right back up...and it starts happening while I'm still eating...My shoulders and upper arms ache constantly...like I've been working out all night...but it's just pure tension and cramping

Okay, how much longer....hopefully there will come a day where I wake up and things will be...well...today is a little bit better

The instructions say that you should see improvement from trintellix after just the first week...unlike three weeks with other antidepressants....okay, great...but I just need these adjustment side effects to vanish....I feel like I'm losing my mind completely...
I've been thinking about checking into a hospital until things improve...the people around me are acting crazy...and those few people who at least partially understand what I'm going through...everyone is running away because they can't handle me like this
Oh God...when will that cheerful, happy person come back...the person everyone used to run toward and call for everything because they loved my company...that strong person everyone always turned to for help and support....
Oh God...where did I go???????????

I suppose if you're looking for the heavy hitters, vicodin and methadone are probably the most effective options out there 😁

George Allen71 said:God...how long does it actually take when you're switching from one antidepressant to another....how much longer do I have to wait??????

It’s day nine on trintellix...and I just can't do this anymore. Okay, I'm taking Lamal along with it to help stabilize my mood...On top of BPD, now I've got F33.2, severe recurrent depression without psychosis...it's all just such a heavy state and I don't know how to get out
but the headaches...it feels like my brain is being squeezed inside my skull...like something is sloshing around in there...emotionally...swinging from rage and irritation...into terrible sadness...then back to anger again...if I turn my head too fast, I have to grab my head with my hands because it feels so nauseous immediately
The anxiety is so intense that even though I'm hungry, if I eat, I vomit everything right back up...and it starts happening while I'm still eating...My shoulders and upper arms ache constantly...like I've been working out all night...but it's just pure tension and cramping

Okay, how much longer....hopefully there will come a day where I wake up and things will be...well...today is a little bit better

The instructions say that you should see improvement from trintellix after just the first week...unlike three weeks with other antidepressants....okay, great...but I just need these adjustment side effects to vanish....I feel like I'm losing my mind completely...
I've been thinking about checking into a hospital until things improve...the people around me are acting crazy...and those few people who at least partially understand what I'm going through...everyone is running away because they can't handle me like this
Oh God...when will that cheerful, happy person come back...the person everyone used to run toward and call for everything because they loved my company...that strong person everyone always turned to for help and support....
Oh God...where did I go???????????

For me, the whole transition took about three weeks. I was taking Wellbutrin and Effexor together, and the second doctor I saw told me the Effexor was basically redundant anyway... so we cut the Effexor. The first week was manageable, but the following two were absolute hell. Regarding what you mentioned about moving your head and feeling like the image is lagging behind—yeah, I get it. Don't make any sudden movements.