Psychotropic medication discussion thread

shadowbear9 said:Well, fine then. Last night, after going two whole days without any sleep, I figured, okay, let's just try to crash. My dad even gave me some 5 mg Normabel—about ten pills left—so I thought, great, finally. I take one, wash it down with some cooked wine, then another, then a third... I managed to sleep from 1:00 until maybe 2:30, and then I took a fourth. After that? I didn't sleep a wink until morning. Honestly, I don't know anymore. Please, tell me—is it just me, or is insomnia actually incurable? I really don't want to think about it, even though I suspect I already know the answer... Is there truly no cure for this other than these pills? Are we ever going to sleep normally again?

I was referred to a Sleep Disorders Center. My only concern is how they intend to monitor my sleep patterns when I am physically unable to fall asleep without a mountain of hypnotics. They mentioned starting with an initial consultation, after which they should provide a specific plan or protocol prior to the actual recording. Has anyone here actually gone through this process?

shadowbear9 said:Well, fine then. Last night, after going two whole days without any sleep, I figured, okay, let's just try to crash. My dad even gave me some 5 mg Normabel—about ten pills left—so I thought, great, finally. I take one, wash it down with some cooked wine, then another, then a third... I managed to sleep from 1:00 until maybe 2:30, and then I took a fourth. After that? I didn't sleep a wink until morning. Honestly, I don't know anymore. Please, tell me—is it just me, or is insomnia actually incurable? I really don't want to think about it, even though I suspect I already know the answer... Is there truly no cure for this other than these pills? Are we ever going to sleep normally again?

You will likely need to experiment with a low-dose antipsychotic; more than likely, your psychiatrist will be the one to prescribe it. From what I understand, the standard approach is treating insomnia with hypnotics for short durations or using sedating antidepressants. Benzodiazepines aren't typically recommended because they aren't primarily designed for insomnia. If 5 mg of Oxazepam puts someone to sleep, then good for them, but that person probably isn't dealing with chronic insomnia—they're likely just going through a temporary crisis.

Justin Rogers5 said:What even is Misar SR? My doctor put my grandpa on it to help him sleep, and now my mom's asking if she can start taking it too.🤷

That is a 0.5 mg extended-release Xanax. It is primarily indicated for panic attacks and severe anxiety. I find it somewhat surprising that he was prescribed this specifically for insomnia; if he has never taken psychiatric medication before, it will likely make him quite drowsy. I am under the impression that his primary care physician wrote the prescription rather than a psychiatrist. Honestly, I am not entirely sure why they would prescribe Misar for sleep issues—I suppose the medical professionals handling that should have the answers.

restlesstrucker15 said:That is a 0.5 mg extended-release Xanax. It is primarily indicated for panic attacks and severe anxiety. I find it somewhat surprising that he was prescribed this specifically for insomnia; if he has never taken psychiatric medication before, it will likely make him quite drowsy. I am under the impression that his primary care physician wrote the prescription rather than a psychiatrist. Honestly, I am not entirely sure why they would prescribe Misar for sleep issues—I suppose the medical professionals handling that should have the answers.

Nah, never taken anything. Hopefully it does the trick.🤷

restlesstrucker15 said:You will likely need to experiment with a low-dose antipsychotic; more than likely, your psychiatrist will be the one to prescribe it. From what I understand, the standard approach is treating insomnia with hypnotics for short durations or using sedating antidepressants. Benzodiazepines aren't typically recommended because they aren't primarily designed for insomnia. If 5 mg of Oxazepam puts someone to sleep, then good for them, but that person probably isn't dealing with chronic insomnia—they're likely just going through a temporary crisis.

Hold on, hold on—are you heading to El Paso or Miami? Did you actually request this, or were you sent there? I would probably do the same thing, but today my dad gave me that pale, worried look again when I mentioned that 7x5mg Normabel isn't doing anything for me, and that 2 mg of Misar actually puts me out (though in reality, I take more, but I won't tell him). He takes 1 mg of Ativan because of his PTSD, and he got rejected for Sanval because I'm already taking it... but ugh, I just can't help it. Can someone please explain antipsychotics to me? I guess I don't really know how to use the term properly; I just associate it with schizophrenia. I know I am taking an antidepressant and an anxiolytic/sedative and a hypnotic, but I'm not taking an antipsychotic—unless Misar or Sanval fall into that category? And which one is a sedating antidepressant? They barely managed to switch my Fevarin; it was for bedtime, but I really can't afford that anymore $12 so she gave me Elicee for the morning. It doesn't calm me down because it's taken in the AM... I suspect the doctor won't give me anything else, because I think they are prescribing these strictly for my serotonin levels... one doctor wanted to put me on Zoloft, but now this other one is saying, "No, no..." I just don't know.🤷

shadowbear9 said:Hold on, hold on—are you heading to El Paso or Miami? Did you actually request this, or were you sent there? I would probably do the same thing, but today my dad gave me that pale, worried look again when I mentioned that 7x5mg Normabel isn't doing anything for me, and that 2 mg of Misar actually puts me out (though in reality, I take more, but I won't tell him). He takes 1 mg of Ativan because of his PTSD, and he got rejected for Sanval because I'm already taking it... but ugh, I just can't help it. Can someone please explain antipsychotics to me? I guess I don't really know how to use the term properly; I just associate it with schizophrenia. I know I am taking an antidepressant and an anxiolytic/sedative and a hypnotic, but I'm not taking an antipsychotic—unless Misar or Sanval fall into that category? And which one is a sedating antidepressant? They barely managed to switch my Fevarin; it was for bedtime, but I really can't afford that anymore $12 so she gave me Elicee for the morning. It doesn't calm me down because it's taken in the AM... I suspect the doctor won't give me anything else, because I think they are prescribing these strictly for my serotonin levels... one doctor wanted to put me on Zoloft, but now this other one is saying, "No, no..." I just don't know.🤷

It would be best to disclose all of this to your psychiatrist. You might find that a Calixt antidepressant taken in the evening could actually help you sleep. Misar acts as an anxiolytic—intended for calming nerves, for instance—whereas Sanval is specifically for insomnia. Generally speaking, you could take Elicee during the day and perhaps Calixt at night; that is how I managed for a period of time. However, you must be completely transparent with your doctor regarding exactly what you are taking and in what dosages so they can adjust your prescription appropriately. It is also possible that your sleep patterns will stabilize after a few months on Elicee.

I am going to the clinic in El Paso based on my doctor's recommendation for an initial evaluation. They asked about my symptoms and the nature of my insomnia so they can assign me to the most appropriate specialist. 🙂

shadowbear9 said:Hold on, hold on—are you heading to El Paso or Miami? Did you actually request this, or were you sent there? I would probably do the same thing, but today my dad gave me that pale, worried look again when I mentioned that 7x5mg Normabel isn't doing anything for me, and that 2 mg of Misar actually puts me out (though in reality, I take more, but I won't tell him). He takes 1 mg of Ativan because of his PTSD, and he got rejected for Sanval because I'm already taking it... but ugh, I just can't help it. Can someone please explain antipsychotics to me? I guess I don't really know how to use the term properly; I just associate it with schizophrenia. I know I am taking an antidepressant and an anxiolytic/sedative and a hypnotic, but I'm not taking an antipsychotic—unless Misar or Sanval fall into that category? And which one is a sedating antidepressant? They barely managed to switch my Fevarin; it was for bedtime, but I really can't afford that anymore $12 so she gave me Elicee for the morning. It doesn't calm me down because it's taken in the AM... I suspect the doctor won't give me anything else, because I think they are prescribing these strictly for my serotonin levels... one doctor wanted to put me on Zoloft, but now this other one is saying, "No, no..." I just don't know.🤷

Well, yes. Take a moment to read through some of the previous posts. An antipsychotic can be prescribed in smaller doses to either provide steady calming effects during the day or to ensure you sleep soundly at night. At standard dosages, these medications are used to treat various forms of psychosis. However, if they are prescribing them for insomnia because you've become heavily reliant on hypnotics like Sanval, no one is going to hand those over to you immediately. 🙂 If you were prescribed Sanval specifically for your insomnia, then take it at night and stop messing around with the Normabel. If the Sanval isn't working, you really need to be direct with your psychiatrist; they are the experts and will know the best course of action. We are all just sharing our personal experiences here regarding what works for us and what doesn't work for others.

I totally agree with that, you really have to lay it all out for the doctor.
I honestly should have done the same.
Even three Sanval and Helex aren't doing squat for me; I just can't sleep for anything.
Yesterday, I decided to play chemist and tried 3 Xanax SR 1 mg, 2 Sanval 0.5, and 100 mg of Tramadol. And here I am at 4:30 AM, wide awake as a hawk...
Hypnotics are basically just sleeping pills—things like Sanval, Dormicum, or Zolpidem.
Antipsychotics include Eglonyl or Sulpiride 200 (which, in a tiny 50 mg dose, actually acts as a mild antidepressant).
Sedatives are your benzodiazepines, Normabel, and stuff like that.
Then you've got antidepressants, which are all these different meds that mess with your brain chemistry—Zoloft, Elicee, Coaxil, Seroxat, Calixt, Effexor, Ladiomil, Anafranil, Wellbutrin, Effexor XR 150 mg, and about a billion others.
As for Calixt, I couldn't even function for days; I had to ditch it within a week, total coma mode. But hey, that doesn't mean it'll work for you.
Anxiolytics are the anxiety fighters, like Helex, Misar, or Xanax.
And don't freak out—antipsychotics don't necessarily mean you have schizophrenia. I’m personally on Effexor XR 150 mg, which is an antidepressant, plus Sulpiride 200 mg, which is an antipsychotic, and I'm functioning perfectly fine.
The only thing killing me is the sleep situation, because nothing seems to hit hard enough, and all I have left is Xanax SR.

Every single antidepressant hits differently and causes different side effects for everyone, so you might end up cycling through 10 or 15 different combinations—just like I did—before you finally find the one that works.

The general consensus is that once you’ve been on antidepressants for a while, your sleep patterns should finally stabilize, but clearly, my body didn't get the memo...
I've been relying on Sanval for about six years now.
If things at home are chill—like, if I'm just hanging out by myself—two Sanval pills and two 0.5mg Xanax doses usually do the trick.
But lately, being stuck under the same roof as my parents? Yeah, I need massive doses just to pass out.
I'm going to try to get an appointment with this one psychiatrist in town; she's the only one around and only works weekends. Lucky me, right?

And seriously, you should definitely go talk to a psychiatrist too, because trying to DIY this stuff isn't going to get you anywhere.

Hang in there, shadowbear9, and good luck!

What on earth am I reading here? Are you people actually considering checking into a facility in El Paso?!🙂
Honestly, don't go destroying your life like that. If you do, they’ll likely just treat you like nothing more than another number in their system.

I find it hard to believe; I mean, why would anyone ever choose to go to El Paso?!

Over my dead body!

Kenneth Scott41 said:What on earth am I reading here? Are you people actually considering checking into a facility in El Paso?!🙂
Honestly, don't go destroying your life like that. If you do, they’ll likely just treat you like nothing more than another number in their system.

I find it hard to believe; I mean, why would anyone ever choose to go to El Paso?!

Over my dead body!

Because I’ve been dealing with debilitating insomnia since I was fifteen years old, and quite frankly, my entire life has turned into a goddamn living hell because of it.
And I never actually said I was going to El Paso. There's a Sleep Disorders Center located in El Paso, but there's also one in Miami, which is where I would actually go. I mean, for six years now, people have been looking at me like I'm just asking for an aspirin whenever I mention that I still can't sleep normally. They act like it's just a matter of popping a pill and calling it a day—as if that's the solution for the rest of my life. Quite the medical breakthrough, wouldn't you say? I guess some people really believe that.

Matthew White4 said:I totally agree with that, you really have to lay it all out for the doctor.
I honestly should have done the same.
Even three Sanval and Helex aren't doing squat for me; I just can't sleep for anything.
Yesterday, I decided to play chemist and tried 3 Xanax SR 1 mg, 2 Sanval 0.5, and 100 mg of Tramadol. And here I am at 4:30 AM, wide awake as a hawk...
Hypnotics are basically just sleeping pills—things like Sanval, Dormicum, or Zolpidem.
Antipsychotics include Eglonyl or Sulpiride 200 (which, in a tiny 50 mg dose, actually acts as a mild antidepressant).
Sedatives are your benzodiazepines, Normabel, and stuff like that.
Then you've got antidepressants, which are all these different meds that mess with your brain chemistry—Zoloft, Elicee, Coaxil, Seroxat, Calixt, Effexor, Ladiomil, Anafranil, Wellbutrin, Effexor XR 150 mg, and about a billion others.
As for Calixt, I couldn't even function for days; I had to ditch it within a week, total coma mode. But hey, that doesn't mean it'll work for you.
Anxiolytics are the anxiety fighters, like Helex, Misar, or Xanax.
And don't freak out—antipsychotics don't necessarily mean you have schizophrenia. I’m personally on Effexor XR 150 mg, which is an antidepressant, plus Sulpiride 200 mg, which is an antipsychotic, and I'm functioning perfectly fine.
The only thing killing me is the sleep situation, because nothing seems to hit hard enough, and all I have left is Xanax SR.

Every single antidepressant hits differently and causes different side effects for everyone, so you might end up cycling through 10 or 15 different combinations—just like I did—before you finally find the one that works.

I told her everything. Unfortunately, after a few years, I went back to see them after nine months. In the meantime, I’d been picking up Sanval and Misar here and there. Anyway, I went to see if they had anything new, and they put me back on Fevarin. I took it for a couple of days, but then I asked for a medication that I don't have to pay extra for if I have to take it. I'm not looking for something new; Sanval works perfectly for me, and Misar does too, but my dosages are too low. It’s prescribed that I take one before bed as needed, but I end up taking two, three, or four tablets every single night—it doesn't matter how many. As for the other drugs, I’m familiar with them; I'm actually very interested in all of this and have studied it, but I just didn't realize what connection antipsychotics had to us.
Antidepressants don't help me either, at least not when it comes to sleeping... I don't even know why I'm taking them. So, in the end, I just take things on my own when I run out of my prescriptions. I have no idea how they'll react if I admit that I'm taking 30 mg of Sanval and 4 mg of Misar every night... if my dad gives me a weird look—and he takes all sorts of stuff himself—what is the doctor going to say? I wouldn't want them to switch my meds or anything... I wonder why there isn't a 20 mg version of Sanval.😢 I see they've restricted how much they can dispense, so when I show up, the doctor only gives me two boxes of Misar and just one of Sanval, meaning I have to go back next month just for that. Also, my sister won't let me come in earlier than once a month, and the doctor even asks if I need more after only 15 days...🤷 I wish they would just write me for more units, or give me two boxes at a time so I could have some peace of mind, rather than having to count down the days until the 1st and so on....

So, I’ve been taking Tylenol since last Friday—it's been about seven days now, taken in the evening—but today I actually took 100mg after having already had 50mg earlier. My doctor mentioned that it was supposed to have a bit of a sedative effect on me, but honestly, it seems to be doing the exact opposite by keeping me wide awake. I don't typically struggle with sleep issues, yet here I am, staying up incredibly late and just tossing and turning because I can't seem to drift off. Has anyone else experienced this kind of restlessness with it?
And there's one more thing; I'm not entirely sure if it's actually starting to kick in already or if I'm just experiencing a placebo effect, but I definitely feel this surge of energy. My mood has shifted so much that I can't even begin to describe how high my spirits are; I feel almost constantly euphoric. Even more strange is that I find myself unable to cry, which is a huge change since I used to tear up quite frequently. I'm really hoping that these intense shifts eventually settle down into something more stable. 🤷

shadowbear9 said:I told her everything. Unfortunately, after a few years, I went back to see them after nine months. In the meantime, I’d been picking up Sanval and Misar here and there. Anyway, I went to see if they had anything new, and they put me back on Fevarin. I took it for a couple of days, but then I asked for a medication that I don't have to pay extra for if I have to take it. I'm not looking for something new; Sanval works perfectly for me, and Misar does too, but my dosages are too low. It’s prescribed that I take one before bed as needed, but I end up taking two, three, or four tablets every single night—it doesn't matter how many. As for the other drugs, I’m familiar with them; I'm actually very interested in all of this and have studied it, but I just didn't realize what connection antipsychotics had to us.
Antidepressants don't help me either, at least not when it comes to sleeping... I don't even know why I'm taking them. So, in the end, I just take things on my own when I run out of my prescriptions. I have no idea how they'll react if I admit that I'm taking 30 mg of Sanval and 4 mg of Misar every night... if my dad gives me a weird look—and he takes all sorts of stuff himself—what is the doctor going to say? I wouldn't want them to switch my meds or anything... I wonder why there isn't a 20 mg version of Sanval.😢 I see they've restricted how much they can dispense, so when I show up, the doctor only gives me two boxes of Misar and just one of Sanval, meaning I have to go back next month just for that. Also, my sister won't let me come in earlier than once a month, and the doctor even asks if I need more after only 15 days...🤷 I wish they would just write me for more units, or give me two boxes at a time so I could have some peace of mind, rather than having to count down the days until the 1st and so on....

Doctors aren't allowed to hand out more than what's strictly on the prescription. They do the same thing with way more basic stuff—like Pepcid for stomach issues or something for nausea after eating—so don't be surprised that they're being super strict when it comes to psych meds..

Also, I don't quite get how you're getting pills directly from the doctor and nurse instead of picking them up at a CVS or Walgreens? 🤔

Benjamin Martin65 said:So, I’ve been taking Tylenol since last Friday—it's been about seven days now, taken in the evening—but today I actually took 100mg after having already had 50mg earlier. My doctor mentioned that it was supposed to have a bit of a sedative effect on me, but honestly, it seems to be doing the exact opposite by keeping me wide awake. I don't typically struggle with sleep issues, yet here I am, staying up incredibly late and just tossing and turning because I can't seem to drift off. Has anyone else experienced this kind of restlessness with it?
And there's one more thing; I'm not entirely sure if it's actually starting to kick in already or if I'm just experiencing a placebo effect, but I definitely feel this surge of energy. My mood has shifted so much that I can't even begin to describe how high my spirits are; I feel almost constantly euphoric. Even more strange is that I find myself unable to cry, which is a huge change since I used to tear up quite frequently. I'm really hoping that these intense shifts eventually settle down into something more stable. 🤷

Look, I consider myself something of an expert when it comes to Paxil. You really, really have to be careful with it. I stopped taking it about two or three years ago because, frankly, I wasn't taking it properly—I was throwing up and dealing with terrible insomnia because of it. The point is, it’s an excellent medication, but you shouldn't jump straight into a full dose. For the first ten days, maybe just take a third of the dose, then for the next ten days, try half, and only then move to the full amount. If you do that, it won't keep you awake... I've been on it correctly for two months now and I don't have any side effects anymore. As far as the effects go, I also think it works quite quickly on your mood.🤷 At least, I know I've noticed some changes myself...

Brandon Lopez6 said:Doctors aren't allowed to hand out more than what's strictly on the prescription. They do the same thing with way more basic stuff—like Pepcid for stomach issues or something for nausea after eating—so don't be surprised that they're being super strict when it comes to psych meds..

Also, I don't quite get how you're getting pills directly from the doctor and nurse instead of picking them up at a CVS or Walgreens? 🤔

Well, my psychiatrist can actually increase my dosage; my mother used to receive two boxes of Sanval a month, but once, she just handed her ten boxes because she honestly didn't even need them... So, I go through the nurse to request the medication, and she passes that along to the doctor who then sends the authorization to the pharmacy. However, the nurse is quite strict about it, but when I go directly to the doctor's office, she hands them over without any complaints, even if it's only been 26 days since the last refill. I just take them, and then I head to the pharmacy...

shadowbear9 said:Look, I consider myself something of an expert when it comes to Paxil. You really, really have to be careful with it. I stopped taking it about two or three years ago because, frankly, I wasn't taking it properly—I was throwing up and dealing with terrible insomnia because of it. The point is, it’s an excellent medication, but you shouldn't jump straight into a full dose. For the first ten days, maybe just take a third of the dose, then for the next ten days, try half, and only then move to the full amount. If you do that, it won't keep you awake... I've been on it correctly for two months now and I don't have any side effects anymore. As far as the effects go, I also think it works quite quickly on your mood.🤷 At least, I know I've noticed some changes myself...

Thanks for the reply, 😉
but since I've never taken an antidepressant before, I'm mostly just trying to follow exactly what my doctor prescribed. He told me that after five or six days of taking a half-dose, I could move up to the full dose, but I'm honestly not sure if I'm allowed to make that kind of adjustment on my own without checking with him first. 🤷
I have been dealing with some nausea, though it only seems to happen early in the morning, and on that very first day, I had such a strange night filled with these really bizarre dreams. I was also wondering, does this medication have any impact on weight? I'm not entirely certain if it's the medicine or something else, but I've lost a little weight lately, even though I've been indulging quite a bit during the Christmas holidays. 😁

shadowbear9 said:Well, my psychiatrist can actually increase my dosage; my mother used to receive two boxes of Sanval a month, but once, she just handed her ten boxes because she honestly didn't even need them... So, I go through the nurse to request the medication, and she passes that along to the doctor who then sends the authorization to the pharmacy. However, the nurse is quite strict about it, but when I go directly to the doctor's office, she hands them over without any complaints, even if it's only been 26 days since the last refill. I just take them, and then I head to the pharmacy...

A psychiatrist can, sure. But honestly? I get the feeling you're kind of blaming your GP for not upping your dosage. My bad, sorry.🙂

Benjamin Martin65 said:Thanks for the reply, 😉
but since I've never taken an antidepressant before, I'm mostly just trying to follow exactly what my doctor prescribed. He told me that after five or six days of taking a half-dose, I could move up to the full dose, but I'm honestly not sure if I'm allowed to make that kind of adjustment on my own without checking with him first. 🤷
I have been dealing with some nausea, though it only seems to happen early in the morning, and on that very first day, I had such a strange night filled with these really bizarre dreams. I was also wondering, does this medication have any impact on weight? I'm not entirely certain if it's the medicine or something else, but I've lost a little weight lately, even though I've been indulging quite a bit during the Christmas holidays. 😁

It doesn't affect weight. At least, it didn't for me. I suspect your nausea is just because you're taking too much right out of the gate. I made the mistake of trying to get better overnight by swallowing full pills way too soon, and I ended up shaking like I'd been drinking coffee all night and was vomiting by morning. You can't go wrong by lowering the dose... just take it easy with this stuff. Seriously, I'm telling you, I felt terrible whenever I took too much. That’s why when I was switching things up, I was so worried and asked my doctor if the dosage causes nausea. She just told me it was a small dose and not to worry about it...

It's nothing, shadowbear9.

I happened upon this news item today:

A landmark settlement

Back in July, the pharmaceutical giant Pfizer pleaded guilty to charges involving the off-label promotion of various medications, ultimately agreeing to pay a massive $3 billion settlement to resolve allegations of fraud.

The United States Department of Justice charged the company with marketing the antidepressant Paxil for pediatric use without authorization, as well as promoting Wellbutrin specifically for weight loss purposes. Additionally, they faced litigation for failing to disclose critical safety data regarding Avandia, a highly popular diabetes medication that has since been pulled from the market.