Psychotropic medication discussion thread

Frank Campbell said:I really need some advice here!
After about a month on Zoloft 100 mg, I started feeling totally manic. To help balance things out, I began taking Tegretol 200 split between morning and night. It worked like a charm—honestly, Tegretol feels like a total lifesaver!
Now, since I didn't want to go cold turkey on the Zoloft, I've tapered down to 50mg a day.

Is it actually common to take Tegretol and Zoloft at the same time? It feels like one handles the depression while the other manages the mania... 🙄

I know I should be checking in with my psychiatrist, but I just can't make it to an appointment right now....

I went completely out of control while I was on Prozac, and obviously, they took me off it. I even snapped verbally at two patients who hadn't even done anything wrong when I showed up for a checkup.
God knows what was going on with me back then. I would never do that today. So, I totally get where you're coming from. At least the Tegretol is keeping you steady for now.

fadedbear92 said:you can
Tegretol acts as a stabilizer—maybe she could have eased up on the Zoloft a bit more.
I used to take Tegretol to help me sleep, while using Zoloft at a low dose as an add-on.

Wait, 5mg of Zoloft? (assuming that's what you mean by "Zoloft")
As far as I know, the smallest dose available is 50mg.
And how much Tegretol were you taking? Like 200mg? Or something else?

urbanskipper4 said:I went completely out of control while I was on Prozac, and obviously, they took me off it. I even snapped verbally at two patients who hadn't even done anything wrong when I showed up for a checkup.
God knows what was going on with me back then. I would never do that today. So, I totally get where you're coming from. At least the Tegretol is keeping you steady for now.

That’s pure mania right there. There was a time when I almost started biting my coworkers and picking fights with my wife, which made me realize—thankfully in time—that I wasn't turning into a werewolf, but a manic person. Honestly, that feels even worse because people can actually spot a werewolf coming!🙂 It's this intense sensation like you're about to explode; it's physical pain, like you want to jump out of your own skin, dance around the office, scream, sing...😲

YES, the stabilizer definitely helps calm things down.
But I've been reading that the best and most modern option is lamotrigine (like the one from Pfizer's Arvind) because it helps prevent the depressive crashes. I'm going to look into it. Does anyone here have experience with it?

Frank Campbell said:Wait, 5mg of Zoloft? (assuming that's what you mean by "Zoloft")
As far as I know, the smallest dose available is 50mg.
And how much Tegretol were you taking? Like 200mg? Or something else?

😂😂😂😂
years != yrs

I can't quite recall my Tegretol dosage—it should be in my old posts, but if I get the chance, I'll dig through my old medical records to be sure.😉

I have a question... I’m currently switching from Luxeta over to Prozac... today is day five... I’m still taking Lamal and Ativan as well... today I had this incredibly intense headache... obviously just side effects... maybe it's even the weather... so I ended up taking some Excedrin... I know codeine shouldn't be mixed with anxiolytics, and probably not with SSRIs either, but not only did my head stop hurting... I feel high... like a completely different person... almost like I'm on speed...
is it actually possible that some combination of the ingredients in Excedrin reacted with my current therapy and boosted me like this? I have no intention of taking Excedrin again... I only took it because I didn't have any other pain reliever on hand... but I'm really curious about what happened to make me feel this sudden rush???

George Allen71 said:I have a question... I’m currently switching from Luxeta over to Prozac... today is day five... I’m still taking Lamal and Ativan as well... today I had this incredibly intense headache... obviously just side effects... maybe it's even the weather... so I ended up taking some Excedrin... I know codeine shouldn't be mixed with anxiolytics, and probably not with SSRIs either, but not only did my head stop hurting... I feel high... like a completely different person... almost like I'm on speed...
is it actually possible that some combination of the ingredients in Excedrin reacted with my current therapy and boosted me like this? I have no intention of taking Excedrin again... I only took it because I didn't have any other pain reliever on hand... but I'm really curious about what happened to make me feel this sudden rush???

It is entirely possible, given that Excedrin contains caffeine, which acts as a central nervous system stimulant, and that is likely what provided the surge. Back when I wasn't dealing with the mental chaos I am facing now, I used to take a bit of Excedrin just to wake myself up and get moving so that I could
function more effectively. I wouldn't recommend it to anyone, though, as it can easily lead to a dependency on painkillers.

Try Advil; it won't give you that same rush, and it is fine to take alongside antidepressants or AP.

One should generally avoid any analgesics containing acetylsalicylic acid, such as aspirin, Tylenol, and things of that nature.

brighttrucker10 said:So, I just got diagnosed with mild anxiety and depression, along with a tendency toward physical symptoms. My doctor put me on Prozac, and I’m five days in. My biggest issue by far is insomnia. Honestly, I feel a bit better already—though I doubt it's the medication since it's still so early—but the sleep issues are still hitting me hard. I tried taking Lunesta at 10 mg, but it doesn't really do much for me. Xanax helps more, but I know I can't rely on that long-term because of the addiction risk. I haven't had any other side effects, so I'm wondering: is it possible the insomnia is being caused by the Prozac, or does the antidepressant just need more time to settle in? Last night, for instance, my heart started racing out of nowhere in the middle of the night, and I couldn't get back to sleep for ages. Has anyone else dealt with this? During the day, I'm doing okay, but this damn insomnia is the main struggle. 🙂I'm honestly terrified I'll never get back to a normal sleep schedule. 😲

I dealt with chronic insomnia (and God knows how much of a nightmare that was 😁) so I certainly know the feeling
of lying awake until 5 or 6 in the morning. Sleeping pills like Ambien, Cersoni, or Lunesta aren't
the best route for people dealing with depression, as they tend to numb the brain and can actually exacerbate depressive symptoms in certain individuals.

Antipsychotics often provide a superior solution. I currently use Q-pin, which helps me drift off easily without causing weight gain, whereas when I was on Vaira, I gained 25 pounds, ended up with a pregnant-looking belly, and a face so swollen it looked like I'd been stung by a swarm of angry bees.😁

@ Frank Campbell

I was taking 200 mg of Tegretol—just found my old medical records from back in the day😉

Anyone else here messed around with Serdolect?
Been off my AP for about 6 days now and I’m actually holding up alright.
My doctor mentioned that if things start going south, she might try switching me over to Serdolect.

fadedbear92 said:@ Frank Campbell

I was taking 200 mg of Tegretol—just found my old medical records from back in the day😉

Thanks! 🙂
I’m on a similar dose, but I split it up—100 mg in the morning and 100 mg at night.
It feels like it just dulls my senses and makes me feel totally groggy, so I'd much rather just take the full 200 mg right before bed and call it a day. Do you happen to remember if you ever took the full 200 mg all at once?
Gosh, I feel like I'm badgering you...🙄
But hey, when there are a million different ways to combine things... what can you do?☕

Frank Campbell said:Thanks! 🙂
I’m on a similar dose, but I split it up—100 mg in the morning and 100 mg at night.
It feels like it just dulls my senses and makes me feel totally groggy, so I'd much rather just take the full 200 mg right before bed and call it a day. Do you happen to remember if you ever took the full 200 mg all at once?
Gosh, I feel like I'm badgering you...🙄
But hey, when there are a million different ways to combine things... what can you do?☕

Yeah, I used to take it at night specifically to help me sleep—though only during those extreme bouts of anxiety. My doctor actually suggested I just stick to one pill a day.
It numbs you because it calms everything down—that's just how it works.

I’ve been reading up on this being a next-gen mood stabilizer, and honestly, the way it works sounds fantastic. It targets depression—basically pulling you back from the brink—but unlike an AD, it doesn't send you spiraling into mania.
Older stabilizers, like carbamazepine or lithium, are great at tackling mania, but they don't really touch the depressive side, so people usually have to stack them with an AD anyway.
For me, the depressive phase of my beloved Bipolar II is a much bigger beast than any manic episode; the only time mania becomes an issue is when I'm actually on an AD. Because of that, this medication feels like it could be the perfect fit for my situation.

I tend to put a lot of faith in pharmaceutical science and the constant leaps forward in modern medicine, so I wouldn't mind playing the "guinea pig" a little bit to see how lamotrigine performs. 🙄

Does anyone here have hands-on experience with it? I know folks like Arvind are familiar with it, and I'm sure others are too... 🤷

If anyone has some insight—whether it's from your own journey or from working with patients—I would love to hear more about this drug. I want to walk into my next psych session sounding like an absolute expert so my doctor thinks I should just take her job! 😉

Frank Campbell said:I’ve been reading up on this being a next-gen mood stabilizer, and honestly, the way it works sounds fantastic. It targets depression—basically pulling you back from the brink—but unlike an AD, it doesn't send you spiraling into mania.
Older stabilizers, like carbamazepine or lithium, are great at tackling mania, but they don't really touch the depressive side, so people usually have to stack them with an AD anyway.
For me, the depressive phase of my beloved Bipolar II is a much bigger beast than any manic episode; the only time mania becomes an issue is when I'm actually on an AD. Because of that, this medication feels like it could be the perfect fit for my situation.

I tend to put a lot of faith in pharmaceutical science and the constant leaps forward in modern medicine, so I wouldn't mind playing the "guinea pig" a little bit to see how lamotrigine performs. 🙄

Does anyone here have hands-on experience with it? I know folks like Arvind are familiar with it, and I'm sure others are too... 🤷

If anyone has some insight—whether it's from your own journey or from working with patients—I would love to hear more about this drug. I want to walk into my next psych session sounding like an absolute expert so my doctor thinks I should just take her job! 😉

It’s originally an anti-epileptic, but it doubles as a mood stabilizer. Doctors tried putting me on it twice for epilepsy. Both times, it was over before it even started—ended up in the ER because the side effects were anything but minor. They say most people tolerate it just fine, but my body reacts weirdly to almost everything, so take that with a grain of salt. Just sharing my own experience. 🤷

Frank Campbell said:I’ve been reading up on this being a next-gen mood stabilizer, and honestly, the way it works sounds fantastic. It targets depression—basically pulling you back from the brink—but unlike an AD, it doesn't send you spiraling into mania.
Older stabilizers, like carbamazepine or lithium, are great at tackling mania, but they don't really touch the depressive side, so people usually have to stack them with an AD anyway.
For me, the depressive phase of my beloved Bipolar II is a much bigger beast than any manic episode; the only time mania becomes an issue is when I'm actually on an AD. Because of that, this medication feels like it could be the perfect fit for my situation.

I tend to put a lot of faith in pharmaceutical science and the constant leaps forward in modern medicine, so I wouldn't mind playing the "guinea pig" a little bit to see how lamotrigine performs. 🙄

Does anyone here have hands-on experience with it? I know folks like Arvind are familiar with it, and I'm sure others are too... 🤷

If anyone has some insight—whether it's from your own journey or from working with patients—I would love to hear more about this drug. I want to walk into my next psych session sounding like an absolute expert so my doctor thinks I should just take her job! 😉

from Wikipedia

History

December 1994 — Lamotrigine was approved for The treatment of partial seizures.[4]

August 1998 — for use as adjunctive treatment of Lennox-Gastaut syndrome in pediatric and adult patients, new dosage form: chewable dispersible tablets.

December 1998 — for use as monotherapy for treatment of partial seizures in adult patients when converting from a single enzyme-inducing anti-epileptic drug (EIAED).

January 2003 — for Use as adjunctive therapy for partial seizures in pediatric patients as Young as 2 years of age.

June 2003 — Lamotrigine approved for maintenance treatment of Bipolar i disorder ; The First since lithium.[7]

January 2004 — for use as monotherapy for treatment of partial seizures in adult patients when converting from the anti-epileptic drug valproate (including valproic acid (Depakene); sodium valproate (Epilim) and divalproex sodium (Depakote)).

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lamotrigine

Psychiatric Uses of Lamotrigine
(Lamal).

http://www.psycom.net/depression.cen...motrigine.html

I'm currently on Lamal. I think it’s pretty similar to what you're describing—it acts as both an anticonvulsant and a mood stabilizer. Personally, I really like it. It helps me manage my BPD, even though the official label on the prescription says it's for bipolar disorder. My psychiatrist explained to me that there are all sorts of different stabilizers out there, and the choice depends on whether they tend to lift your mood or bring it down. Basically, depending on whether someone struggles more with depression or mania, they prescribe the one that fits that specific profile. Since I deal with heavy depression—including those intense depressive crashes—I was put on Lamal. So far, it’s been great for me... I can actually feel things shifting for the better... at least when it comes to the mood swings and those episodes where I just end up crying uncontrollably for hours.

Since my doctor carelessly prescribed me 5mg of Sanval instead of the 10mg I actually need, it seems Sanval has found a new rival—either my physician is incompetent, or the medication itself just refuses to work at all. I’ve taken it for three days now, and honestly, what else can I even say? It's been an absolute disaster... I suppose all I can do is pray for some sleep...

I've been on Danaptin for impulse control issues. Been at it for about a month and a half now, currently on 75 mg. Honestly, I can't tell if it's actually helping with my impulses or if I'm just feeling less stressed lately, which makes things easier...

Has any of you ladies ever taken Eglonyl, or maybe you're on it right now? Did it mess with your period or cause any other issues down there?

Justin Rogers5 said:Has any of you ladies ever taken Eglonyl, or maybe you're on it right now? Did it mess with your period or cause any other issues down there?

I’ve been on Eglonyl before, but it didn't touch my cycle. Then again, my periods have always been a mess anyway, so I don't really have a baseline to go off of.😁
Here's this thread all about it 🙂, so check out what people are saying.

Personally, I'm wondering if a low dose of an antipsychotic would actually help with derealization and depersonalization?

Brandon Lopez6 said:I’ve been on Eglonyl before, but it didn't touch my cycle. Then again, my periods have always been a mess anyway, so I don't really have a baseline to go off of.😁
Here's this thread all about it 🙂, so check out what people are saying.

Personally, I'm wondering if a low dose of an antipsychotic would actually help with derealization and depersonalization?

As for me, it didn't do much, and honestly, there isn't any solid scientific evidence suggesting that antipsychotics are effective for those specific symptoms either; though, of course, that doesn't mean it won't work for you specifically, does it?😉