Psychotropic medication discussion thread

fadedbear92 said:To put it simply—just switch doctors.

It’s not that easy. I'm nowhere near Washington, D.C., and if she's brushing me off now, I can only imagine how they'll treat me at the public hospital. Maybe she was just having a bad day. Besides, she's the only private practitioner in my area. But thanks for the advice. Tell me though—would you keep taking the meds or just stop?

Paul Newman5 said:It’s not that easy. I'm nowhere near Washington, D.C., and if she's brushing me off now, I can only imagine how they'll treat me at the public hospital. Maybe she was just having a bad day. Besides, she's the only private practitioner in my area. But thanks for the advice. Tell me though—would you keep taking the meds or just stop?

My advice: just switch doctors. Or better yet, tell her you're paying her so she actually does her job and explains exactly what you should be expecting from an antidepressant. Look, everyone gets a bad day, but when you're dealing with a doctor-patient relationship, you need that level of professional distance. Plus, you need to know all the side effects—there are a ton of them.
Antidepressants usually take about two to four weeks to kick in. Taking Zoloft along with something like Ativan can cause major restlessness because Ativan is basically the same thing as Xanax. Mixing Xanax and Zoloft makes you walk around like a drunk. If I had been more persistent back then, I'd probably be feeling much better by now. Besides antidepressants, there are also mood stabilizers for people who don't respond to the standard stuff.
Give it a few more days, but if it doesn't work, go to the psychiatric ER in your city—you have the right to choose.

Hey guys. I'm 26 and been fighting all sorts of demons since I can remember.

Started out with anxiety, depression, OCD stuff...
Lots of testing, seeing different Psychiatric doctors, a messy home life, blah blah...

Anyway, after doing a couple of MMPI tests and some psych evaluations, it turns out it’s Borderline Personality Disorder.
Not exactly easy to swallow, but yeah, it's what it is.

In the past, I tried tons of SSRIs—didn't do much—and things like Prazin too.

Until recently, my meds were 25mg Lamictal three times a day, 3mg Ativan three times a day, plus Prazin 25mg whenever needed (literally anywhere from 0 to 6 or 7 pills a day).

Now my Psychiatric doc switched me over to 0.5mg Klonopin three times a day to see if it works better than the Ativan. Supposedly this anti-epileptic should help chill me out and stabilize my mood.

Anyone know if there's an issue taking Ativan and Klonopin together?

Probably fine, but honestly I might not even catch her to ask since I'm leaving the country soon for work and won't be back until next year...

Once I'm back, the plan is to start tackling my issues with Zyprexa.

Thanks for any help

Paul Newman5 said:It’s not that easy. I'm nowhere near Washington, D.C., and if she's brushing me off now, I can only imagine how they'll treat me at the public hospital. Maybe she was just having a bad day. Besides, she's the only private practitioner in my area. But thanks for the advice. Tell me though—would you keep taking the meds or just stop?

I have to agree with what azure said—she gave you some solid advice.
As for me, last time I checked, I was still definitely female😍

Does anyone actually know anything about Pfizer? The box says 2x1, but I can't tell if that means I'm supposed to take two tablets a day or what exactly.🙈

hollowsailor48 said:Does anyone actually know anything about Pfizer? The box says 2x1, but I can't tell if that means I'm supposed to take two tablets a day or what exactly.🙈

That’s exactly right. It means twice a day, one tablet at a time. 😁

Are you guys feeling any calmer since starting those pills? Like, do they actually work? And does anyone here just take them on their own without a script?

Honestly, I’m still such a wreck... some days are just brutal. It's the anxiety, the constant dread—mostly the fears, though. And the panic attacks? They hit me out of nowhere, whether I'm flying solo or hanging out with people... sometimes it feels impossible to handle. I try to just push it all away and refocus, you know? But I haven't started any meds yet. To everyone else I talk to, I seem totally fine—like I don't even need help. But inside? I’m constantly dreaming about just packing up and moving far away from everything and everyone... just a complete fresh start. Maybe then I'd finally feel okay. Right now, I'm going through a breakup, and it honestly feels as heavy as a divorce. My ex and I were so similar... and sometimes I can't tell if we just weren't a good match or if I'm just, you know, a little bit mentally unwell. I'm trying my best to stand on my own two feet. By the way, has anyone ever tried one of those family constellation workshops? I just signed up for one..

Hey everyone—if anyone happens to have any extra Valafax lying around, I’m looking for some for a friend of mine who’s paying an absolute fortune for it overseas. Shoot me a DM if you can help out. Thanks!😉

Patrick James5 said:Are you guys feeling any calmer since starting those pills? Like, do they actually work? And does anyone here just take them on their own without a script?

Honestly, I’m still such a wreck... some days are just brutal. It's the anxiety, the constant dread—mostly the fears, though. And the panic attacks? They hit me out of nowhere, whether I'm flying solo or hanging out with people... sometimes it feels impossible to handle. I try to just push it all away and refocus, you know? But I haven't started any meds yet. To everyone else I talk to, I seem totally fine—like I don't even need help. But inside? I’m constantly dreaming about just packing up and moving far away from everything and everyone... just a complete fresh start. Maybe then I'd finally feel okay. Right now, I'm going through a breakup, and it honestly feels as heavy as a divorce. My ex and I were so similar... and sometimes I can't tell if we just weren't a good match or if I'm just, you know, a little bit mentally unwell. I'm trying my best to stand on my own two feet. By the way, has anyone ever tried one of those family constellation workshops? I just signed up for one..

Yeah.
But don't go playing doctor with yourself. Just go see a private Psychiatric specialist.

redtiger35 said:Yeah.
But don't go playing doctor with yourself. Just go see a private Psychiatric specialist.

any side effects I should know about?

Hey guys, can anyone share their experiences with Seroxat? I’m about to start taking it and I really want to know what it's actually like before I dive in. Thanks in advance.

silentcanyon15 said:Hey guys, can anyone share their experiences with Seroxat? I’m about to start taking it and I really want to know what it's actually like before I dive in. Thanks in advance.

You can find some info right here: http://www.depresija.org/forum/index...pic=1095&st=20

I actually take the generic version—it's great for helping me sleep—but what was it prescribed for you? For me, it works wonders at night.

Hey there... does anyone know if there's a pharmacy in Seattle where I could pick up Normabel without a prescription?

darkorca45 said:Hey there... does anyone know if there's a pharmacy in Seattle where I could pick up Normabel without a prescription?

Just so we're clear—Normabel is strictly prescription-only.

darkorca45 said:Hey there... does anyone know if there's a pharmacy in Seattle where I could pick up Normabel without a prescription?

Honestly, wouldn't it be better if people used a bit of common sense before posting questions like this? Up until recently, you might have been able to get Normabel over the counter depending on how a pharmacist evaluated your situation—but in those cases, the pharmacist takes full legal responsibility if things go sideways. This forum shouldn't be used as a platform for DIY psychopharmacology or to facilitate the misuse of medication through these kinds of inquiries.☕

Chloe Hughes6 said:Honestly, wouldn't it be better if people used a bit of common sense before posting questions like this? Up until recently, you might have been able to get Normabel over the counter depending on how a pharmacist evaluated your situation—but in those cases, the pharmacist takes full legal responsibility if things go sideways. This forum shouldn't be used as a platform for DIY psychopharmacology or to facilitate the misuse of medication through these kinds of inquiries.☕

That is completely false. Normabel—diazepam—can only be obtained via a valid prescription or a doctor's order. If a pharmacist was handing it out without one on their own accord (and I am not saying that doesn't happen), they were breaking the law.

driftinggull21 said:That is completely false. Normabel—diazepam—can only be obtained via a valid prescription or a doctor's order. If a pharmacist was handing it out without one on their own accord (and I am not saying that doesn't happen), they were breaking the law.

Dear driftinggull21, you might be a moderator or whatever your role is here, but look, I personally know someone who is—without any exaggeration—one of the most highly trained experts regarding this specific issue. In cities like Chicago or even wider across the States, a pharmacist could provide Valium at their own discretion until quite recently (I'm not sure if that's still the case today). Essentially, a pharmacist at a drugstore could sell it based on their own professional judgment; however, the pharmacist then carries full responsibility for that decision, which means they were operating within the legal framework. If you insist on being difficult and claiming I'm wrong, I’ll happily propose a bet—but be warned, the stakes will be very high! Besides, if it weren't perfectly legal, they wouldn't be able to issue a receipt, right? What would they tell the FDA if an inspector showed up? Valium cost $5.00. Generally speaking, you are correct—it has always been the rule that prescription drugs should only be dispensed upon presentation of a prescription. But I repeat: legally, a pharmacist could bypass that if they determined the situation was an emergency or something similar, provided they were willing to shoulder all the liability.

Just wanted to share a quick win: I’m back on Effexor and honestly, I feel amazing!🙂
After Prozac basically stopped working for me, my doctor immediately suggested switching over to Zoloft at 50 mg. I went back to see her about ten days later, and I felt absolutely terrible. I was so exhausted I could barely stay on my feet; all I wanted to do was sleep all day. She told me, "Fine, let's try 100 mg of Zoloft, you'll be feeling great in a week." So, I tried the 100 mg dose for the next ten days, but there was zero improvement. In fact, during those three weeks, I actually gained about 15 pounds!😲And just when I finally worked my ass off to get my body in shape! 🙂
Once my doctor realized how deep in the hole I really was, she decided to put me back on Effexor. We started at 75 mg, bumped it up to 150 mg after two weeks, and I've been on it for about a month now—everything is perfect.
I also feel like that awful Zoloft is finally out of my system, because I can actually fit into my new jeans again. They're a tight squeeze, but they fit!👍

Chloe Hughes6 said:Dear driftinggull21, you might be a moderator or whatever your role is here, but look, I personally know someone who is—without any exaggeration—one of the most highly trained experts regarding this specific issue. In cities like Chicago or even wider across the States, a pharmacist could provide Valium at their own discretion until quite recently (I'm not sure if that's still the case today). Essentially, a pharmacist at a drugstore could sell it based on their own professional judgment; however, the pharmacist then carries full responsibility for that decision, which means they were operating within the legal framework. If you insist on being difficult and claiming I'm wrong, I’ll happily propose a bet—but be warned, the stakes will be very high! Besides, if it weren't perfectly legal, they wouldn't be able to issue a receipt, right? What would they tell the FDA if an inspector showed up? Valium cost $5.00. Generally speaking, you are correct—it has always been the rule that prescription drugs should only be dispensed upon presentation of a prescription. But I repeat: legally, a pharmacist could bypass that if they determined the situation was an emergency or something similar, provided they were willing to shoulder all the liability.

🙂🙂Good grief, what a way to end December! I don't have the energy for this right now, and I certainly don't have the stomach for a bet. driftinggull21 is actually right on this one: nothing is handed out without a prescription, and if there were exceptions made in the past, they weren't following standard procedure. And please, let's not argue about it, because that is simply the reality of the situation.

Maybe five years ago, you could actually pick up something like Ativan or Normabal without a prescription, provided you were lucky enough to stumble into a pharmacy where the pharmacist wasn't being particularly strict.
Personally, I used to be able to get my hands on Xanax or Ativan just like that. But nowadays? There isn't a prayer of it.🙂
The other day, I realized I was running low on my Normabal, so I gave my doctor's office a call to see if they could call in a refill. Out of nowhere, the nurse tells me she can't do it because there should still be some left in my bottle—which, to be fair, is true since I might have taken an extra one the other day, a slip-up that happens to anyone I suppose—and then she adds this little kicker: "From now on, we’re counting every single pill."

And there you have it... the cold reality of strict Western capitalism. I guess all that's missing is for Medicare to start acting like it does in the States, where if you're actually sick, you just better be ready to pay up in cash!🙂