Psychotropic medication discussion thread

vividdrifter26 said:So, last year I tell my doctor I’m dealing with this massive amount of rage—just constant anger—and he basically shrugs and goes, "That's what Xanax is for." Look, the Xanax works—it's not like it does nothing—but it feels like the effects just don't last nearly as long as they used to(?).

Just posting this to see if anyone else is going through the same thing. What kind of Xanax doses have you guys been taking, how long has it been, and what kind of line is your doctor giving you?
I’ve seen some massive bottles of Zoloft and Xanax sitting on pharmacy shelves lately—just huge quantities of the stuff. I've also heard that these... I can't even begin to deal with these idiots. They’re handing out some extra heavy doses—who knows exactly what the deal is—plus another two or three different pills on top of that. Honestly, I don't even know the names, but whatever. It doesn't really matter right now.

Oh, honey... you've just built up a tolerance to the Xanax... you're becoming somewhat immune to its effects... that's a totally normal occurrence after long-term use.

vividdrifter26 said:Look, I’m no medical expert, but in plain English—it’s not even about overeating. It’s more like this deep, gut-wrenching "devouring" feeling you get when a problem haunts you so hard you can't even think about it without feeling pure dread.

It’s basically that sensation that the whole world is collapsing and there’s nothing you can do about it—you're just at the mercy of whatever comes your way. I’ve been on Zoloft for 10 years now (currently at 200mg a day since 2009), and I have Xanax prescribed up to 1.5mg, though I try to avoid it unless things get really bad. I do yoga and meditation, which helps ease the symptoms quite a bit, but for it to actually work, I have to commit two and a half to three hours of meditation every single day.

The reason I’m posting is because I feel like my Xanax just doesn't hit the same way it did ten years ago. Maybe it’s just me, but back then, 0.25mg once a day worked wonders. Now? I need closer to 1mg to get that same relief. First, my doctor told me those doses were too low for someone my size (100kg), but then later she said it was great that I hadn't needed an even higher dose after a decade. So... what gives?

Xanax is a facade, and tolerance builds just as you described. In the beginning, 0.25mg was enough to steady you, and now even 1.5mg fails. Consider why some people end up "devouring" a pill a day only to find it provides no relief. They eventually wind up in rehab, which is neither easy nor simple.
Go for a check-up and have them taper you off the Xanax; instead, have them switch you to Normabell as a regular three-times-daily regimen so you can actually live your life.

Justin Rogers5 said:My doctor cut me off my Seroquel for sleep and switched me to placebos. Haven't even taken one yet. What's the deal? How does that actually work? I’m also supposed to stop taking Zonadin (doc won't prescribe it anymore either). Anyone here on Zonadin or Sanval long-term?

Prazosin is an AP that possesses distinct sedative and sleep-inducing properties (depending on the dosage and intended goal, of course). It is most commonly used to aid sleep onset or to calm restless, uncooperative patients. You won't need a hypnotic alongside it.

vividdrifter26 said:So, last year I tell my doctor I’m dealing with this massive amount of rage—just constant anger—and he basically shrugs and goes, "That's what Xanax is for." Look, the Xanax works—it's not like it does nothing—but it feels like the effects just don't last nearly as long as they used to(?).

Just posting this to see if anyone else is going through the same thing. What kind of Xanax doses have you guys been taking, how long has it been, and what kind of line is your doctor giving you?
I’ve seen some massive bottles of Zoloft and Xanax sitting on pharmacy shelves lately—just huge quantities of the stuff. I've also heard that these... I can't even begin to deal with these idiots. They’re handing out some extra heavy doses—who knows exactly what the deal is—plus another two or three different pills on top of that. Honestly, I don't even know the names, but whatever. It doesn't really matter right now.

Oh, absolutely, because your body has clearly built up a tolerance to it. You've been on it far too long. Honestly, you need to go back and have a serious sit-down with your doctor, or better yet, seek out a second opinion entirely. Just cranking up the dosage isn't a solution; it's a band-aid on a bullet wound. The whole reason I even brought this up on the forum is because doctors vary wildly in their approaches. Just because one person here finds relief with a specific medication doesn't mean it's going to work for you. Bottom line: you have to talk to a medical professional about this.

Andrew Doyle said:Oh, absolutely, because your body has clearly built up a tolerance to it. You've been on it far too long. Honestly, you need to go back and have a serious sit-down with your doctor, or better yet, seek out a second opinion entirely. Just cranking up the dosage isn't a solution; it's a band-aid on a bullet wound. The whole reason I even brought this up on the forum is because doctors vary wildly in their approaches. Just because one person here finds relief with a specific medication doesn't mean it's going to work for you. Bottom line: you have to talk to a medical professional about this.

Look, here's an example: for me, Misar 0.25 knocks me out way faster than Xanax does—I sleep like a log. And I only touch the Misar when I actually need to crash.

Justin Rogers5 said:My doctor cut me off my Seroquel for sleep and switched me to placebos. Haven't even taken one yet. What's the deal? How does that actually work? I’m also supposed to stop taking Zonadin (doc won't prescribe it anymore either). Anyone here on Zonadin or Sanval long-term?

I experimented with Prazin for a brief window alongside Sanval, but honestly, the results were pretty underwhelming. I've been on Sanval for about four years now, starting at 5 mg and eventually bumping up to 10 mg, but I can't stand how it triggers those late-night binge eating episodes. Lately, I've been looking into Praxiten; when I take it with a 5 mg dose of Sanval, it actually manages to knock me out. My only real dilemma now is figuring out the best way to balance taking the Praxiten in the evening while managing my daytime Xanax intake.

vividdrifter26 said:So, last year I tell my doctor I’m dealing with this massive amount of rage—just constant anger—and he basically shrugs and goes, "That's what Xanax is for." Look, the Xanax works—it's not like it does nothing—but it feels like the effects just don't last nearly as long as they used to(?).

Just posting this to see if anyone else is going through the same thing. What kind of Xanax doses have you guys been taking, how long has it been, and what kind of line is your doctor giving you?
I’ve seen some massive bottles of Zoloft and Xanax sitting on pharmacy shelves lately—just huge quantities of the stuff. I've also heard that these... I can't even begin to deal with these idiots. They’re handing out some extra heavy doses—who knows exactly what the deal is—plus another two or three different pills on top of that. Honestly, I don't even know the names, but whatever. It doesn't really matter right now.

For me, Xanax has been a constant fixture in my life for four years now; I take about 0.5 mg two or three times a day, and I never push past that limit. Lately, I've been looking into switching over to Paxil, as it seems to provide much better sleep.

Jason Vaughn482 said:I experimented with Prazin for a brief window alongside Sanval, but honestly, the results were pretty underwhelming. I've been on Sanval for about four years now, starting at 5 mg and eventually bumping up to 10 mg, but I can't stand how it triggers those late-night binge eating episodes. Lately, I've been looking into Praxiten; when I take it with a 5 mg dose of Sanval, it actually manages to knock me out. My only real dilemma now is figuring out the best way to balance taking the Praxiten in the evening while managing my daytime Xanax intake.

Man, my doctor won't even prescribe it anymore because I wasn't consistent over the last three months. Sometimes I take it, sometimes I don't. Lately, I've been taking it more often because stress has been absolute hell, but neither my GP (who's actually pretty understanding) nor my psychiatrist wants to write it for me again. Honestly, I'm too embarrassed to even ask them.🙄

Justin Rogers5 said:Man, my doctor won't even prescribe it anymore because I wasn't consistent over the last three months. Sometimes I take it, sometimes I don't. Lately, I've been taking it more often because stress has been absolute hell, but neither my GP (who's actually pretty understanding) nor my psychiatrist wants to write it for me again. Honestly, I'm too embarrassed to even ask them.🙄

My psychiatrist told me it’s different for everyone—said I just have a low pain tolerance and that it might be genetically hardwired (?)

To be real, before I started seeing anyone back then (around 2001-2003), I didn't know squat about these meds. I'd heard of Prozac, maybe Prozac in some movie... anyway, after those first two boxes of Xanax, it took me almost two years to actually reach out again. I was also pretty ashamed to show up at my GP's office after finishing the first couple of boxes. Both times, the psychiatrist was the one who prescribed it—I didn't even ask. He just warned me that Zoloft is the main fix and Xanax is just putting out fires. He kept saying Zoloft is like a brace or a cast... meanwhile, my old GP used to say it's stupid not to take Xanax, like it's just an aspirin for a headache.

I need to get off Xanax. Funny enough, the day before yesterday I was down to just 25 mg in the morning and nothing else. Today hit me pretty hard, though, and it’s not even working anymore. Guess I’ll have to quit and switch over to Normabell.

Justin Rogers5 said:Man, my doctor won't even prescribe it anymore because I wasn't consistent over the last three months. Sometimes I take it, sometimes I don't. Lately, I've been taking it more often because stress has been absolute hell, but neither my GP (who's actually pretty understanding) nor my psychiatrist wants to write it for me again. Honestly, I'm too embarrassed to even ask them.🙄

Which one are they withholding from you? Is it Prozac, Xanax, or maybe Ambien?

George Allen71 said:It says right there on the label that it's an antipsychotic... but man, it really knocks me out... great for sleeping

What does that actually mean? Did you put on weight from them, get any intrusive thoughts, or notice any phobias getting worse?

Jason Vaughn482 said:Which one are they withholding from you? Is it Prozac, Xanax, or maybe Ambien?

Neither. I know all too well what happens when you try to quit cold turkey, but if you taper off slowly, it shouldn't be an issue. Right now, my priority is just getting enough sleep this winter instead of staring at the TV until 4 AM like I'm on Red Bull. Had a brutal summer, and this is honestly the only way I can actually unwind and pass out.

So, I was just sitting here thinking about this wild bit of trivia—has anyone else ever heard the theory that you actually can't overdose on Benadryl? Apparently, once it hits its maximum concentration in your plasma, it just levels off and won't go any higher no matter how much you take... at least, that's the rumor I've been floating around!

Hannah Foster6 said:So, I was just sitting here thinking about this wild bit of trivia—has anyone else ever heard the theory that you actually can't overdose on Benadryl? Apparently, once it hits its maximum concentration in your plasma, it just levels off and won't go any higher no matter how much you take... at least, that's the rumor I've been floating around!

...and I'm just wondering, who exactly does that information help, and why does it matter? 😕

It’s worth pointing out that benzodiazepines are actually incredibly safe compared to things like barbiturates. I mean, seriously, you aren't going to face a fatal overdose from just benzos the way you would with barbiturates. Of course, there is a massive "but" here—if someone mixes a bunch of benzos with a heavy amount of alcohol, then all bets are off. In that scenario, they become just as life-threatening as those old-school barbiturates!

Because they have such a strong safety profile, benzodiazepine anxiolytics have basically become the go-to prescription right after standard over-the-counter pain relievers. At the end of the day, we're living in this super fast-paced, high-stress American society where almost everyone deals with some level of neurotic symptoms or anxiety, so needing a little pharmacological help to get through the day is pretty common. It makes total sense why the demand for benzo-based anxiolytics is through the roof.

Hannah Foster6 said:It’s worth pointing out that benzodiazepines are actually incredibly safe compared to things like barbiturates. I mean, seriously, you aren't going to face a fatal overdose from just benzos the way you would with barbiturates. Of course, there is a massive "but" here—if someone mixes a bunch of benzos with a heavy amount of alcohol, then all bets are off. In that scenario, they become just as life-threatening as those old-school barbiturates!

Because they have such a strong safety profile, benzodiazepine anxiolytics have basically become the go-to prescription right after standard over-the-counter pain relievers. At the end of the day, we're living in this super fast-paced, high-stress American society where almost everyone deals with some level of neurotic symptoms or anxiety, so needing a little pharmacological help to get through the day is pretty common. It makes total sense why the demand for benzo-based anxiolytics is through the roof.

So, does that imply you can just pop them like a Tic Tac?

There is no such thing as a "safe" medication.

Justin Rogers5 said:Man, my doctor won't even prescribe it anymore because I wasn't consistent over the last three months. Sometimes I take it, sometimes I don't. Lately, I've been taking it more often because stress has been absolute hell, but neither my GP (who's actually pretty understanding) nor my psychiatrist wants to write it for me again. Honestly, I'm too embarrassed to even ask them.🙄

My doctor cut off my Diazepam even though I wasn't following the "four times a day" rule. I was mostly just using it to sleep, maybe one during the day every week or two when things got bad.
Now she won't even give me a referral to see a specialist. I'm just sipping some herbal tincture from a local wellness shop alongside my AD, but thank God I have a few Normabals and some Diazepam left at home to get me through the rough patches. If things get really bad, I'll just head to the ER and have them give me a Normabal injection. 🤣

urbanpilot said:My doctor cut off my Diazepam even though I wasn't following the "four times a day" rule. I was mostly just using it to sleep, maybe one during the day every week or two when things got bad.
Now she won't even give me a referral to see a specialist. I'm just sipping some herbal tincture from a local wellness shop alongside my AD, but thank God I have a few Normabals and some Diazepam left at home to get me through the rough patches. If things get really bad, I'll just head to the ER and have them give me a Normabal injection. 🤣

I started Apple on Saturday, just 25mg in the morning so far, but the restlessness is hitting hard. I told my doctor, but she just told me to take a Normabel. I was already dealing with some anxiety and depression before this, but honestly, it feels worse now. Is this normal when you first start? That feeling where your chest tightens, you can't focus on anything, and everyone just gets on your nerves. It's true I've been diagnosed with perimenopause and I'm supposed to start Novofem hormone therapy soon. My thyroid isn't doing great either. Anyone else dealt with this? I wasn't expecting a miracle in five days, but this constant restlessness is too much. Help.🙂

Paul Newman5 said:I started Apple on Saturday, just 25mg in the morning so far, but the restlessness is hitting hard. I told my doctor, but she just told me to take a Normabel. I was already dealing with some anxiety and depression before this, but honestly, it feels worse now. Is this normal when you first start? That feeling where your chest tightens, you can't focus on anything, and everyone just gets on your nerves. It's true I've been diagnosed with perimenopause and I'm supposed to start Novofem hormone therapy soon. My thyroid isn't doing great either. Anyone else dealt with this? I wasn't expecting a miracle in five days, but this constant restlessness is too much. Help.🙂

I've actually been on Luxury for a few months now. Is this your very first time taking an antidepressant?

The reason I ask is that it’s pretty standard with almost any antidepressant; you usually go through a three-week adjustment period while your body gets used to the medication before it actually starts working properly. That transition phase is most often accompanied by side effects... with Luxury, people typically report headaches, nausea, or restlessness....
I've personally gone through switching from one medication to another several times, and I've dealt with everything from debilitating headaches and nausea/vomiting to restlessness and even suicidal ideation.
The bottom line with antidepressants is that you really have to try to push through at least those first three weeks, despite all the nonsense your body puts you through... take something for the pain if the headache is unbearable, or maybe take some Xanax or another anxiolytic if the restlessness is too much... but you have to hang in there for those three weeks to see if it actually starts working. Only then can you truly judge if the medication is making progress.
Whatever you do, never start or stop psychiatric medication on your own, no matter how bad it feels. If it gets so overwhelming that you feel like you can't handle it, please reach out to your doctor for guidance.
Luxury is a solid option; it's essentially the same thing as Pfizer, just under a different brand name. At the end of the day, the only thing that matters is how it affects you personally, because we're all wired differently and every medication hits everyone uniquely.
So, wishing you the best of luck. 🙂

George Allen71 said:I've actually been on Luxury for a few months now. Is this your very first time taking an antidepressant?

The reason I ask is that it’s pretty standard with almost any antidepressant; you usually go through a three-week adjustment period while your body gets used to the medication before it actually starts working properly. That transition phase is most often accompanied by side effects... with Luxury, people typically report headaches, nausea, or restlessness....
I've personally gone through switching from one medication to another several times, and I've dealt with everything from debilitating headaches and nausea/vomiting to restlessness and even suicidal ideation.
The bottom line with antidepressants is that you really have to try to push through at least those first three weeks, despite all the nonsense your body puts you through... take something for the pain if the headache is unbearable, or maybe take some Xanax or another anxiolytic if the restlessness is too much... but you have to hang in there for those three weeks to see if it actually starts working. Only then can you truly judge if the medication is making progress.
Whatever you do, never start or stop psychiatric medication on your own, no matter how bad it feels. If it gets so overwhelming that you feel like you can't handle it, please reach out to your doctor for guidance.
Luxury is a solid option; it's essentially the same thing as Pfizer, just under a different brand name. At the end of the day, the only thing that matters is how it affects you personally, because we're all wired differently and every medication hits everyone uniquely.
So, wishing you the best of luck. 🙂

No headaches or nausea here, just this insane restlessness. It's driving me crazy. Sometimes even 6 mg of Xanax isn't enough to settle me down. My head is in the clouds, but my body won't sit still. Housework, work duties... I feel like a total wreck, excuse the language. My doctor said if I'm not calmer by the end of the week, we'll switch me to Fevarin. I'm already losing it, honestly thought about checking into a hospital just to get away from everything.