Psychotropic medication discussion thread

Justin Rogers5 said:Just read the warning on the Dulcolax bottle—stuff about abdominal bleeding or sudden pain after long-term use. Whatever, you know your own body better than I do. Anyway, I just made myself a weak cup of Turkish coffee with plenty of sugar and milk, then heading to the bathroom.😍

Look, I understand exactly what my body is asking for, but it simply isn't happening. That said, as I was saying before, every single one of these medications is incredibly dangerous—especially the ones we rely on daily, particularly AP.

Donna Torres5 said:Well, I managed to handle things naturally today—and by that, I mean we’re talking about digestion, which is truly a universal topic, isn't it?😂
I think I finally cracked the code: drink a full liter of water all at once—not just sipping, obviously. And suddenly, everything is moving perfectly!

Give me some advice, please—how on earth did you manage to down an entire liter without feeling faint? I want to try this, but I need to know how many days it had been since your last movement before this worked.

Donna Torres5 said:Well, I managed to handle things naturally today—and by that, I mean we’re talking about digestion, which is truly a universal topic, isn't it?😂
I think I finally cracked the code: drink a full liter of water all at once—not just sipping, obviously. And suddenly, everything is moving perfectly!

Look, I told you before: fiber won't do a thing if you aren't drinking enough water. In fact, without hydration, it'll just make you more backed up.

Regarding the water intake, just don't go overboard in short bursts because -> it isn't healthy
I’m not trying to sound paranoid or anything, I just want to warn you so you don't end up thinking one liter isn't enough and suddenly chugging two, three, or five 🤷

In the past, I used to drink a ton of water all at once and I never actually felt nauseous from it, I just felt super bloated and was running to the bathroom every five minutes for the next few hours. It didn't really have anything to do with my digestion either.

Kevin Bailey2 said:You’re all going to end up miserable... honestly, I don't get why people fight so hard for a medication that clearly does more harm than good.

In my book, chronic constipation is absolute torture for the body and overall health, so I’d switch my treatment in a heartbeat. Thank God we actually have a whole pharmacy's worth of options to choose from these days, almost like picking candy at a convenience store.

My current regimen is Prozac, Xanax, and Seroquel.

I tried Effexor... it just shut me down. I wasn't touching it again.
I've also tried Prozac, Zyprexa, Seroquel, and Zoloft... they all left me feeling emotionally numb, so I called it quits.
With Xanax, I felt totally depersonalized—like I wasn't even there—and my head just felt "off." I didn't want it.
Then there was Ampyra... besides making me feel like a zombie, I slept through basically everything, and when I was awake, I was eating like there was no tomorrow. Just a bottomless pit. I refused to take it because I wasn't about to gain 150 pounds and spend my life asleep.
Why? Because being constipated, feeling detached, gaining massive weight, and being an emotional shell felt way worse than the actual condition I'm treating without pills. There's no point in taking meds if there's a better alternative out there. And I found mine.

Eventually, I landed on this specific combo (the ones I mentioned earlier) that actually works for me. I mostly feel great, and the side effects are negligible—sure, it takes me a bit longer to finish, or my appetite is lower... but that’s not a huge deal since you can always force yourself to eat.

It honestly terrifies me to read about someone gaining 20 or 30 pounds from antipsychotics. Forgive me, but I wouldn't touch a drug like that.
The antipsychotic I'm on doesn't make me gain any weight at all. It doesn't trigger crazy cravings or turn me into a zombie. It’s solid, and it keeps me stable.

As soon as I told my psychiatrist that Zoloft made me feel numb and lifeless, he told me to toss it immediately. He said the damage outweighed the benefits—there's no sense in treating anxiety by turning someone into a walking vegetable.

What dosages are you on? Prozac worked well for me too, almost to the point where I felt like myself again, but how much Seroquel are you taking?

Dg: Bipolar disorder, currently in remission
F 25.2, in remission

Th: Seroquel XR 400mg 0,0,3
Risperdal 4mg 1,0,1
Haldol 10mg 0,0,1
Lexapro 10mg 2,0,0
Celexa 45mg 0,0,1
Lamictal 100mg 1,1,1
Concerta 36mg 1,0,0

Jason Vaughn482 said:What dosages are you on? Prozac worked well for me too, almost to the point where I felt like myself again, but how much Seroquel are you taking?

Not long ago, I was maxing out on Prozac. I mean 60mg, three pills a day.
Now I've dropped down to just one.

As for Xanax, I'm taking three 2mg tablets daily.

And I'm on a tiny dose of Seroquel. Just 50mg.

Jason Vaughn482 said:Give me some advice, please—how on earth did you manage to down an entire liter without feeling faint? I want to try this, but I need to know how many days it had been since your last movement before this worked.

Well, here’s the trick: I mixed some Gatorade into a small half-liter bottle and sipped through two of those. Honestly, I couldn't have handled plain water alone. Afterward, I felt a little bit off, almost like I was moving in slow motion, but it worked wonders for my digestion pretty quickly. It only took one day of being backed up before it kicked in; usually, if I go a full day without success, I'll grab something to help by the second day. Now, I'm going to see if this hydration strategy works for everyone.

😬

Man, these psych meds actually work!

😁

Didn't get a reply a little while back, so I figured I’d give this another shot...
My doctor wrote me a prescription for Valium to help me taper off the Helix.
But honestly, I’m still sticking with the Helix because I’m pretty hooked—even though my doses aren't massive, maybe 1 mg at most, and sometimes just half a milligram keeps me asleep at night, which is what I've been doing for about a year now. I'm just terrified that Valium won't provide that same sense of "support" that Helix does, and since there’s never a perfect time when life isn't hitting me with stress or work craziness, I really don't want to risk going without my Helix.

So, how does Valium actually work? I've heard some people say you can't even feel it and that it's way weaker than Helix.

redtiger35 said:Didn't get a reply a little while back, so I figured I’d give this another shot...
My doctor wrote me a prescription for Valium to help me taper off the Helix.
But honestly, I’m still sticking with the Helix because I’m pretty hooked—even though my doses aren't massive, maybe 1 mg at most, and sometimes just half a milligram keeps me asleep at night, which is what I've been doing for about a year now. I'm just terrified that Valium won't provide that same sense of "support" that Helix does, and since there’s never a perfect time when life isn't hitting me with stress or work craziness, I really don't want to risk going without my Helix.

So, how does Valium actually work? I've heard some people say you can't even feel it and that it's way weaker than Helix.

Personally, I think Valium works way better than Helix, Paxil, or Norvasc...
It doesn't leave me feeling drugged or groggy, but it somehow helps everything click into place in my head. Hard to put into words. For OCD, social anxiety, or general panic, it’s absolute magic.

redtiger35 said:Didn't get a reply a little while back, so I figured I’d give this another shot...
My doctor wrote me a prescription for Valium to help me taper off the Helix.
But honestly, I’m still sticking with the Helix because I’m pretty hooked—even though my doses aren't massive, maybe 1 mg at most, and sometimes just half a milligram keeps me asleep at night, which is what I've been doing for about a year now. I'm just terrified that Valium won't provide that same sense of "support" that Helix does, and since there’s never a perfect time when life isn't hitting me with stress or work craziness, I really don't want to risk going without my Helix.

So, how does Valium actually work? I've heard some people say you can't even feel it and that it's way weaker than Helix.

I've mentioned Valium before, and for me, it’s great... I'd honestly rather take it than Xanax (same goes for Helix). In my experience, 1 mg of Valium is roughly equivalent to 0.5 mg of Xanax. It doesn't hit you instantly; it takes about half an hour, and you don't necessarily "feel" the onset—you just suddenly feel normal, like it clears your head, calms you down, and relaxes you. At least, that's how it works for me. With Xanax, I end up yawning constantly and feeling sort of stupid, like my memory isn't working quite right. You don't get that with Valium. Don't be afraid; I would choose Valium over Xanax or Ativan any day (those are the two I used to take). Just keep in mind that Valium lasts longer than Xanax, and supposedly, it's not as easy to get hooked on.

Kevin Bailey2 said:Personally, I think Valium works way better than Helix, Paxil, or Norvasc...
It doesn't leave me feeling drugged or groggy, but it somehow helps everything click into place in my head. Hard to put into words. For OCD, social anxiety, or general panic, it’s absolute magic.

Same here.

It doesn't kick in immediately—it usually takes about half an hour to really settle in. You don't necessarily "feel" it hitting you like a wave; instead, you just suddenly feel... normal. It’s more like a mental clearing—you feel steady, calm, and totally relaxed. At least, that's how it works for me.

I'm with you on that.

When the anxiety starts hitting me hard lately—it’s honestly been pretty overwhelming—I've found that Quetiapine really helps. It's an antipsychotic that was actually added to the approved medication list for anxiety disorders just about two months ago.

fadedbear92 said:Same here.

It doesn't kick in immediately—it usually takes about half an hour to really settle in. You don't necessarily "feel" it hitting you like a wave; instead, you just suddenly feel... normal. It’s more like a mental clearing—you feel steady, calm, and totally relaxed. At least, that's how it works for me.

I'm with you on that.

When the anxiety starts hitting me hard lately—it’s honestly been pretty overwhelming—I've found that Quetiapine really helps. It's an antipsychotic that was actually added to the approved medication list for anxiety disorders just about two months ago.

Never heard of Q-Pin. But Seroquel works wonders for my anxiety too, especially since it acts as a sedative. 🙂

Usually, I can't stand antipsychotics. I’ve mentioned before how much they—and other sedatives—tend to numb me out... but Seroquel is different. I don't know what it is, but it doesn't leave me feeling like a zombie; it just relaxes me perfectly. I only take it at night. At first, I had some side effects where I was getting nightmares. Really vivid ones. Like my subconscious was dragging up all the crap I'd suppressed. Thankfully, that's settled down now.
The best part is taking it at night so it protects me from anxiety during the day. And as for those intrusive thoughts? It kills them completely.
I might talk to my doctor about maybe taking it during the day, too. Though honestly, I probably don't need to since the intrusive thoughts don't hit that often. And even when they do, they're much easier to manage now.

Kevin Bailey2 said:Never heard of Q-Pin. But Seroquel works wonders for my anxiety too, especially since it acts as a sedative. 🙂

Usually, I can't stand antipsychotics. I’ve mentioned before how much they—and other sedatives—tend to numb me out... but Seroquel is different. I don't know what it is, but it doesn't leave me feeling like a zombie; it just relaxes me perfectly. I only take it at night. At first, I had some side effects where I was getting nightmares. Really vivid ones. Like my subconscious was dragging up all the crap I'd suppressed. Thankfully, that's settled down now.
The best part is taking it at night so it protects me from anxiety during the day. And as for those intrusive thoughts? It kills them completely.
I might talk to my doctor about maybe taking it during the day, too. Though honestly, I probably don't need to since the intrusive thoughts don't hit that often. And even when they do, they're much easier to manage now.

Seroquel is the name brand, whereas Q-Pin is just a local generic version—it was mainly prescribed to me for severe insomnia, though I take it for anxiety when things get intense.

How many mg of Seroquel are you taking?

fadedbear92 said:Seroquel is the name brand, whereas Q-Pin is just a local generic version—it was mainly prescribed to me for severe insomnia, though I take it for anxiety when things get intense.

How many mg of Seroquel are you taking?

I just started recently. Began at 25 mg, now I'm at 50.
My doctor will probably bump me up to 100 at my next checkup.

What dosage are you taking?

Kevin Bailey2 said:I just started recently. Began at 25 mg, now I'm at 50.
My doctor will probably bump me up to 100 at my next checkup.

What dosage are you taking?

I take 25 mg three times a night for sleep.

As for anxiety, I usually stick to one 25 mg dose—maybe two if I really need to nap in the afternoon.

Thanks!

I'm gonna start on the Valium next week, so I'll definitely check back in once I've got some actual experience to share...

So, I was just prescribed Seoquel XR at 50 mg to take at bedtime. I see that some of you seem to be doing fine on it, but you’re all taking the standard version while I’ve been put on the XR formulation. Could someone please explain the actual difference between the two? Also, I’m curious if anyone has dealt with weight gain from this specific version. The instructions mention it’s a common side effect, and frankly, that’s the last thing I want to deal with right now.
thanks for the input.

Gerald Torres2 said:So, I was just prescribed Seoquel XR at 50 mg to take at bedtime. I see that some of you seem to be doing fine on it, but you’re all taking the standard version while I’ve been put on the XR formulation. Could someone please explain the actual difference between the two? Also, I’m curious if anyone has dealt with weight gain from this specific version. The instructions mention it’s a common side effect, and frankly, that’s the last thing I want to deal with right now.
thanks for the input.

The "XR" just means it's extended-release, so it kicks in slower and lasts longer.

For me, it spiked my appetite for the first three days.
After that, nothing.