Psychotropic medication discussion thread

Look, redcrane22, just because I had a rough time doesn't mean you're headed for the same disaster. Honestly, I went through about 10 to 15 different antidepressants before I finally found "the one" that actually worked for me.
For me, the combo of Effexor XR 150 mg and Dogmatil 200 is absolute perfection.
I personally know people who swear by Calixta, too.
At the end of the day, you just have to hunt until you find the right fit.
Don't sweat it...

Matthew White4 said:Look, redcrane22, just because I had a rough time doesn't mean you're headed for the same disaster. Honestly, I went through about 10 to 15 different antidepressants before I finally found "the one" that actually worked for me.
For me, the combo of Effexor XR 150 mg and Dogmatil 200 is absolute perfection.
I personally know people who swear by Calixta, too.
At the end of the day, you just have to hunt until you find the right fit.
Don't sweat it...

You explained that really well, actually.
Like I mentioned before, Effexor was the standout for me.
But I suppose I went through maybe eight other options before I landed there.

redcrane22 said:Got both Sanval and Calixta

I was wondering if anyone here has experience using this combo
Do I actually need to take the Sanval to sleep if I’m already taking Calixta right before bed?

Also, how do you feel when you wake up in the morning? That’s a huge factor for me.

And is the whole thing about weight gain actually true, or just a myth?

I was on the 15 mg dose for nearly a year, strictly to fix my sleep issues, and while it certainly delivers a heavy slumber, things shifted after I started pairing it with Sanval. Honestly, I would wake up feeling absolutely hammered—like a complete walking zombie—and it didn't do a damn thing for my anxiety. I still keep one box tucked away for those rare, desperate nights when sleep feels impossible, but that's about it. And regarding the weight? Yes, the weight gain is real. I personally put on about 5 or 6 pounds and haven't been able to shake it off, and from everything I’ve read in various online circles, people end up gaining upwards of 40 or 50 pounds. At the end of the day, you have to decide if the relief is worth the trade-off, because for me, it simply wasn't.

Does anyone know what kind of Praxiten dose would be roughly equivalent to 0.25 Xanax? Just looking for a ballpark figure—say, if someone happened to be taking both.

I’m curious if there’s any psychotropic medication out there that actually causes weight loss 🤣? I’m being serious here—is there anything that genuinely suppresses appetite? I read somewhere that Zoloft works that way initially, but then the effect reverses... so, does such a thing exist? If that's the case, what do doctors prescribe for patients who are already struggling with weight issues? It seems counterproductive to give someone medication when we know it might just make them gain more weight 🤔

I actually dropped some weight while I was on Lexapro, and then again once I switched over to Effexor

We’re talking about a solid 55 pounds that I lost after those damn doctors put me on Anafranil and Ladiomil... honestly, they can take them straight to hell

Edward Murphy4 said:Does anyone know what kind of Praxiten dose would be roughly equivalent to 0.25 Xanax? Just looking for a ballpark figure—say, if someone happened to be taking both.

A 0.25 mg dose of Alprazolam (Xanax) would typically be considered equivalent to about 10 mg of Oxazepam (Praxiten).

Anthony Lopez8 said:A 0.25 mg dose of Alprazolam (Xanax) would typically be considered equivalent to about 10 mg of Oxazepam (Praxiten).

Thanks.🙂

Is there actually an antidepressant out there that won't turn you into a total zombie with zero emotions? Paxil just didn't work for me at all, and I wouldn't touch Blonidine again if my life depended on it.
With the Paxil, I was crashing by 9 PM every night and waking up around 8 AM, which is honestly useless for my schedule now. But the worst part was the numbness—no happiness, no sadness, no joy. I wasn't even feeling down or up; I was just... nothing. Just totally blank. Once I finally got off it, I felt like myself again. But now that winter is rolling in, those old demons are resurfacing along with some new bullshit (honestly, there isn't a better way to put it), and I’m starting to think I might need to try therapy or meds again. So, I'd love to hear what you guys have dealt with.

Thanks in advance 🙏

Alright, I need to jump in here regarding the whole medication and weight gain issue....

When I was on Zyprexa, I put on an incredible amount of weight—and honestly, I still haven't forgiven my psychiatrist for it. Even though I asked her multiple times and tried to convince her otherwise, Zyprexa is notorious for causing weight gain, yet she insisted I’d be fine.

At the same time, I was taking Lexapro... hm, it seems like some people stay thin while others pack on the pounds on that one... personally, I don't think it had much of an impact on me.

Now, I'm taking Lamar. Looking at the side effects listed for this mood stabilizer, there isn't a single mention of weight fluctuations or changes in appetite, up or down. I would really appreciate hearing about anyone else's experiences, and perhaps some expert insight (mods, if you please)—has anyone else dealt with weight gain while on Lamar? Is this stuff actually going to make me gain weight???

To be completely honest, a few years before these mental health struggles hit, I had reached my ideal weight and felt so happy and confident in my own skin. Then came one illness after another, then the mental health issues, and now my life feels like it's been ruined by these medications and their side effects.

Seriously, you must have been seeing my therapist every single day back when you were mixing Effexor and Paxil🤣.
Personally, I felt totally fine mentally on the Effexor, but man, those side effects🙄... And with the Paxil, I was basically a zombie at first, just completely wiped out, but things are finally leveling out. For me, it actually worked the opposite way people say—since I started taking it, my emotions actually feel alive again rather than numb😍. The only thing is, I’m putting on weight like crazy, and now I'm sitting here wondering if it's the meds or if I'm just eating too much🤷.
Has anyone else been on this stuff for the long haul? I've been taking it for about four and a half months now.

Susan Edwards8 said:Seriously, you must have been seeing my therapist every single day back when you were mixing Effexor and Paxil🤣.
Personally, I felt totally fine mentally on the Effexor, but man, those side effects🙄... And with the Paxil, I was basically a zombie at first, just completely wiped out, but things are finally leveling out. For me, it actually worked the opposite way people say—since I started taking it, my emotions actually feel alive again rather than numb😍. The only thing is, I’m putting on weight like crazy, and now I'm sitting here wondering if it's the meds or if I'm just eating too much🤷.
Has anyone else been on this stuff for the long haul? I've been taking it for about four and a half months now.

Yeah, Paxil definitely causes weight gain. Honestly, you might want to look into something else. Personally, I find stuff based on diazepam works better for me, unless you specifically need that heavy-duty stuff for schizo-type symptoms😛

Susan Edwards8 said:Seriously, you must have been seeing my therapist every single day back when you were mixing Effexor and Paxil🤣.
Personally, I felt totally fine mentally on the Effexor, but man, those side effects🙄... And with the Paxil, I was basically a zombie at first, just completely wiped out, but things are finally leveling out. For me, it actually worked the opposite way people say—since I started taking it, my emotions actually feel alive again rather than numb😍. The only thing is, I’m putting on weight like crazy, and now I'm sitting here wondering if it's the meds or if I'm just eating too much🤷.
Has anyone else been on this stuff for the long haul? I've been taking it for about four and a half months now.

I was on Paxil for about 9 months and let me tell you, all 9 of those months were absolute hell🙄

Lisa Myers said:I’m curious if there’s any psychotropic medication out there that actually causes weight loss 🤣? I’m being serious here—is there anything that genuinely suppresses appetite? I read somewhere that Zoloft works that way initially, but then the effect reverses... so, does such a thing exist? If that's the case, what do doctors prescribe for patients who are already struggling with weight issues? It seems counterproductive to give someone medication when we know it might just make them gain more weight 🤔

What you're looking for might be Cymbalta. If you look at the prescribing information, it actually mentions weight loss and the potential for anorexia as possible effects.

Kenneth Scott41 said:What you're looking for might be Cymbalta. If you look at the prescribing information, it actually mentions weight loss and the potential for anorexia as possible effects.

I looked into 🤣. Honestly, this feels like it's meant for "extreme cases." I might be going through a lot, but I wouldn't call myself an extreme case, so...🤷

Ever since I started taking Effexor, my appetite just totally vanished. Honestly, I could barely eat anything unless I took some Ativan or another anti-anxiety med first. Especially at the very beginning of the treatment, I used to feel so nauseous; most food just sounded revolting to me. Everyone around me kept pointing out how much weight I’d lost. Most days, I was basically living on coffee and cigarettes. Right now, I've switched over to Wellbutrin, which is fine—I haven't had any major side effects—but I feel way more sensitive than usual. Everything gets under my skin, and I find myself getting pretty aggressive... maybe they'll switch me to Cymbalta next. That might be the sweet spot for me if I don't end up going back to Effexor.😍

Hmm... increased appetite from anti-anxiety meds? Is that actually common or what?

Lisa Myers said:Hmm... increased appetite from anti-anxiety meds? Is that actually common or what?

Personally, I never noticed that happening with Xanax or Ativan 🙂

Brandon Lopez6 said:Personally, I never noticed that happening with Xanax or Ativan 🙂

Paul, if you aren't okay with one, you won't be okay with the other either—it's exactly the same thing. 🤣.

Lisa Myers said:Paul, if you aren't okay with one, you won't be okay with the other either—it's exactly the same thing. 🤣.

Sorry for being blunt about my answer to 🤣
looks like everyone else got a little spooked 🤣🤣