Psychotropic medication discussion thread

Jason Vaughn482 said:No, it isn't some grand act of betrayal; I actually started on day one, but I had to pause because I resumed taking Mirzaten last night—which, as we know, acts like a heavy curtain dropping over my consciousness—and I was paralyzed by the uncertainty of whether mixing the two was safe. However, after a consultation with my doctor today, she assured me that combining them is perfectly fine, provided I don't rely on the Mirzaten as an emergency fix but rather take it daily, though I ultimately decided to stick to just Prozac during the day and save the Valium for the evening... and well, here I am, having wandered through the door a moment ago and already swallowed a third of my Prozac dose even though it’s been three hours since my scheduled time... so, I'm continuing this dialogue with you... tell me, how is your sleep holding up? And which combination seems to offer you the most reliable rest?

It’s my eighth day on Zoloft, and the first day I actually took the full pill. Am I fully recovered? Far from it. But so far, the symptoms have been somewhat bearable... restlessness, depression, a bit of insomnia... along with the Zoloft, I'm taking 0.5mg of Lexapro three times throughout the day, plus an extra one before bed if necessary. Just a constant struggle.

Valdoxan... I think it's day 17 now

Okay, how am I actually supposed to know if this stuff is working? How can you even tell if an antidepressant is doing its job?
As most of you know, I’ve been dealing with BPD... and right now, I'm in the middle of a really heavy depressive episode... So, honestly, how many hours of crying per day are "allowed" before I can say the medication is actually kicking in? Or am I technically not allowed to cry at all?

I'm just confused. The literature says this specific AD starts working within two weeks, which is supposedly faster than the others that take three...

Either my depression is just so incredibly severe that even this isn't enough to pull me out... or I don't know what else to call it... maybe I have one day where things feel slightly better... but even then, not even for a full day... just a few hours... and the rest of the time... it feels like I'm at my own funeral...

How do you know when an AD is functioning properly? How am I supposed to feel? Good...? Okay...? Not crying...? What exactly am I looking for????

Justin Rogers5 said:Does Seroquel kick in right away the first time you take it?

Oh, absolutely. It hits you pretty much immediately. 😁

wiredmason56 said:I’m sitting here reading this and honestly, I can’t quite wrap my head around it. Someone is out there claiming that Xanax is actually more dangerous than morphine or methadone... I mean, I’m reading it, but I just can't bring myself to believe it. It feels a bit much, doesn't it?😂I mean, if you're mixing that stuff with a whole liter of vodka... I don't even know what the end result would be at that point. It's just hard to wrap my head around.🙄

The withdrawal is just as brutal, though. I've been through it myself, and I can tell you one thing for certain: I am never touching Xanax ever again.

fadedbear92 said:My son took two 25mg tablets of Quetiapine from Pfizer last night—he managed to get about six hours of sleep, though he did wake up once in the middle of the night. I'm planning on having him take three tonight instead.

Haha, good luck with that. ;D

Justin Rogers5 said:What kind of med is it? Asking because my psychiatrist recommended it, but honestly, I don't trust anything any doctor hands me anymore.☕Does it tank your mood? Make you ravenous? Leave you sleeping all day?

I definitely put on some weight while I was taking Seroquel. So, maybe this version from Pfizer doesn't trigger weight gain quite as much; I suppose it’s possible, though I can't say for sure. It’s funny, too—the woman at the pharmacy told me they don't even stock such expensive medications locally and have to order them in. But then again, I know Seroquel is incredibly pricey, yet somehow every pharmacy seems to have it on hand...🤷

George Allen71 said:Valdoxan... I think it's day 17 now

Okay, how am I actually supposed to know if this stuff is working? How can you even tell if an antidepressant is doing its job?
As most of you know, I’ve been dealing with BPD... and right now, I'm in the middle of a really heavy depressive episode... So, honestly, how many hours of crying per day are "allowed" before I can say the medication is actually kicking in? Or am I technically not allowed to cry at all?

I'm just confused. The literature says this specific AD starts working within two weeks, which is supposedly faster than the others that take three...

Either my depression is just so incredibly severe that even this isn't enough to pull me out... or I don't know what else to call it... maybe I have one day where things feel slightly better... but even then, not even for a full day... just a few hours... and the rest of the time... it feels like I'm at my own funeral...

How do you know when an AD is functioning properly? How am I supposed to feel? Good...? Okay...? Not crying...? What exactly am I looking for????

Me? Well, back when I brought up Valdoxan to my doctor about a year ago—before it was even widely available here—she basically told me it was more of a marketing gimmick. She thought this whole "first melatonin-ergic antidepressant" thing was mostly fiction, just selling smoke, especially since we spent all this time linking depression to serotonin imbalances and suddenly melatonin is the star of the show. And honestly, all that talk about Valdoxan causing liver toxicity in some people seems a bit suspicious too. Personally, I tend to trust the tried-and-true stuff, like Prozac or Paxil, which have been on the market forever.

Timothy Wood38 said:Me? Well, back when I brought up Valdoxan to my doctor about a year ago—before it was even widely available here—she basically told me it was more of a marketing gimmick. She thought this whole "first melatonin-ergic antidepressant" thing was mostly fiction, just selling smoke, especially since we spent all this time linking depression to serotonin imbalances and suddenly melatonin is the star of the show. And honestly, all that talk about Valdoxan causing liver toxicity in some people seems a bit suspicious too. Personally, I tend to trust the tried-and-true stuff, like Prozac or Paxil, which have been on the market forever.

I’ve been posting here for a month now, weighing the pros and cons of Valdoxan... trying to decide if it's worth it... and yet, I haven't encountered a single person who actually makes sense...🙂
And besides, I don't get to pick which meds get prescribed to me... I'm not out there shopping at the pharmacy... if I were the psychiatrist, I'd know what to do...
I'll just hold out until the 25th, then I'm heading to my psych appointment. If I don't feel any real shift by then... I'm switching.

For those of you currently on Prozac... how heavy-duty is it really? How much does it actually help? I know everyone reacts differently, but I'm genuinely curious about people's real-world experiences...

I honestly don't know why, but the mere thought of taking Prozac gives me the creeps... it's just like... wow...

Waiting for a text back from my doctor—I took 3 Quetiapine pills last night and only managed about 4 or 5 hours of sleep. That’s definitely not cutting it, so I'm wondering... do I need massive doses now, or is the Effexor just keeping me too wired?🙂🙂🙂

Just got a reply. They want me to take 4 pills—and if that doesn't work, then move up to Seroquel at 100 mg. Ugh, seriously?

fadedbear92 said:Waiting for a text back from my doctor—I took 3 Quetiapine pills last night and only managed about 4 or 5 hours of sleep. That’s definitely not cutting it, so I'm wondering... do I need massive doses now, or is the Effexor just keeping me too wired?🙂🙂🙂

Just got a reply. They want me to take 4 pills—and if that doesn't work, then move up to Seroquel at 100 mg. Ugh, seriously?

So how much have you been taking lately?
And how are you actually feeling physically?

edit: Just realized you're on
25 mg😁. Honestly, what even is that?
You might be better off staying far away from that junk.

George Allen71 said:I’ve been posting here for a month now, weighing the pros and cons of Valdoxan... trying to decide if it's worth it... and yet, I haven't encountered a single person who actually makes sense...🙂
And besides, I don't get to pick which meds get prescribed to me... I'm not out there shopping at the pharmacy... if I were the psychiatrist, I'd know what to do...
I'll just hold out until the 25th, then I'm heading to my psych appointment. If I don't feel any real shift by then... I'm switching.

For those of you currently on Prozac... how heavy-duty is it really? How much does it actually help? I know everyone reacts differently, but I'm genuinely curious about people's real-world experiences...

I honestly don't know why, but the mere thought of taking Prozac gives me the creeps... it's just like... wow...

Well, you can't exactly expect someone on a forum to tell you which medication you should be taking and which you shouldn't. That's what your psychiatrist is for. We're just here to swap stories and opinions. As for Prozac, personally, it was the best antidepressant I had alongside Paxil, and I'm still on it. I tried Effexor, Lexapro, and Wellbutrin at max doses for at least a month, and they did absolutely nothing for me. That's just how individual it all is. Besides, I don't know what your relationship is like with your doctor. With my doctor, I can actually influence my treatment plan using real, logical arguments.

Timothy Wood38 said:Well, you can't exactly expect someone on a forum to tell you which medication you should be taking and which you shouldn't. That's what your psychiatrist is for. We're just here to swap stories and opinions. As for Prozac, personally, it was the best antidepressant I had alongside Paxil, and I'm still on it. I tried Effexor, Lexapro, and Wellbutrin at max doses for at least a month, and they did absolutely nothing for me. That's just how individual it all is. Besides, I don't know what your relationship is like with your doctor. With my doctor, I can actually influence my treatment plan using real, logical arguments.

I'm starting to seriously think that my psych either doesn't know what they're doing or just doesn't get me... they kept me on Lexapro for a whole year and it did absolutely nothing... and they wouldn't switch it... so how am I supposed to know if I need something else or not? I come in and explain exactly how I'm feeling and what's going on... but if I say I'm in a bad way and that I'm crying constantly... hello? In the end, I ended up in the ER... and on top of my original diagnosis, I got slapped with a major depressive disorder diagnosis too... after a year of taking an antidepressant?! I know I sound terrible, but I'm just losing faith in the whole system and in my doctor... like, let's try something, but then it's like I'm at a farmers market... do you want this or do you want that??? I'm not the doctor, am I?! That's just my subjective take on things.

Can anyone please shed some light on what the deal is with Effexor?

I’m standing right there with you in solidarity 🙂 I’ve been trying to convince my wife to let me switch medications. I'm currently on Fevarin, but the obsessions just won't quit, and she refuses to even listen to my side of things. Since the FDA has approved Fevarin specifically as a treatment for OCD, I feel like this is the one thing we should be focusing on to get these thoughts under control.

fadedbear92 said:Waiting for a text back from my doctor—I took 3 Quetiapine pills last night and only managed about 4 or 5 hours of sleep. That’s definitely not cutting it, so I'm wondering... do I need massive doses now, or is the Effexor just keeping me too wired?🙂🙂🙂

Just got a reply. They want me to take 4 pills—and if that doesn't work, then move up to Seroquel at 100 mg. Ugh, seriously?

Good grief, that sounds like an incredible amount! I was actually seeing my physician yesterday, and even my 25 mg dose feels like it knocks me out completely, so I don't think I could handle much more. But what you're describing—that dosage—seems quite high just to treat insomnia. I recall you mentioning you had some significant struggles while you were on Effexor. Aren't you taking Fevarin now? If I remember correctly, Effexor acts on those noradrenergic pathways, and I believe Effexor does the same thing. Personally, I've always found those noradrenergic effects a bit difficult to deal with; perhaps that is what is causing your restlessness? Your doctor should be aware of that connection, though I suppose it's hard to say for certain... Have you ever considered trying Dormicum?

fadedbear92 said:Waiting for a text back from my doctor—I took 3 Quetiapine pills last night and only managed about 4 or 5 hours of sleep. That’s definitely not cutting it, so I'm wondering... do I need massive doses now, or is the Effexor just keeping me too wired?🙂🙂🙂

Just got a reply. They want me to take 4 pills—and if that doesn't work, then move up to Seroquel at 100 mg. Ugh, seriously?

Mind if I ask what your diagnosis is?🙂

restlesstrucker15 said:Good grief, that sounds like an incredible amount! I was actually seeing my physician yesterday, and even my 25 mg dose feels like it knocks me out completely, so I don't think I could handle much more. But what you're describing—that dosage—seems quite high just to treat insomnia. I recall you mentioning you had some significant struggles while you were on Effexor. Aren't you taking Fevarin now? If I remember correctly, Effexor acts on those noradrenergic pathways, and I believe Effexor does the same thing. Personally, I've always found those noradrenergic effects a bit difficult to deal with; perhaps that is what is causing your restlessness? Your doctor should be aware of that connection, though I suppose it's hard to say for certain... Have you ever considered trying Dormicum?

you're PMing

Justin Rogers5 said:Mind if I ask what your diagnosis is?🙂

33.2 and 60.8.
It’s hereditary—well, more like depression, anyway.

My doctor reached out this morning—he suggested we bump my dose up to 100 mg, or maybe switch me over to either Abilify or Seroquel. He was debating which one would be more budget-friendly, though he mentioned that regardless of the choice, it should help dial down my anxiety during the day—unless, of course, I need to make sure I'm getting solid sleep since I'll be taking it at night.

redcrane22 said:So how much have you been taking lately?
And how are you actually feeling physically?

edit: Just realized you're on
25 mg😁. Honestly, what even is that?
You might be better off staying far away from that junk.

well, I suppose she’s got enough seniority to know better... maybe that’s why the pills aren't doing anything for her😁