Psychotropic medication discussion thread

David Vaughn75 said:Does anyone know if Zyprexa messes with your memory? Ever since I bumped my dose up to 20, I’ve been feeling super forgetful—like, total brain fog territory

Of course it can. I was acting like a complete space cadet just a few days ago because of Seroquel—another antipsychotic. I’m done with it, even if it means I have to deal with insomnia.🙂

Gerald Torres2 said:Of course it can. I was acting like a complete space cadet just a few days ago because of Seroquel—another antipsychotic. I’m done with it, even if it means I have to deal with insomnia.🙂

Are you actually losing your mind, or is your brain just stuck in second gear? Seriously, I can't tell if you're genuinely forgetful or if your processing speed has just hit rock bottom.

David Vaughn75 said:Are you actually losing your mind, or is your brain just stuck in second gear? Seriously, I can't tell if you're genuinely forgetful or if your processing speed has just hit rock bottom.

Honestly, it’s both. Plus, there are things I just can't wrap my head around because of this... it's like my IQ takes a massive 30% hit whenever we talk.🤣

Gerald Torres2 said:Honestly, it’s both. Plus, there are things I just can't wrap my head around because of this... it's like my IQ takes a massive 30% hit whenever we talk.🤣

Look, you can train your way out of most of that.
I remember when I first got out of the hospital—man, it was rough—I couldn't even keep up with the subtitles on TV because my brain just wasn't processing the words fast enough. But now? I'm reading them just fine. It's all about practice.

David Vaughn75 said:Look, you can train your way out of most of that.
I remember when I first got out of the hospital—man, it was rough—I couldn't even keep up with the subtitles on TV because my brain just wasn't processing the words fast enough. But now? I'm reading them just fine. It's all about practice.

Honestly, I don't really care about that side of things. I already told you, I have no interest in taking AP because I don't need it. I’ve stopped being self-destructive, I’m not screaming at everyone in sight anymore, and my moods aren't swinging wildly every thirty minutes... so why would I bother with a stabilizer? (Is AP even considered a stabilizer?)🤷

Gerald Torres2 said:Honestly, I don't really care about that side of things. I already told you, I have no interest in taking AP because I don't need it. I’ve stopped being self-destructive, I’m not screaming at everyone in sight anymore, and my moods aren't swinging wildly every thirty minutes... so why would I bother with a stabilizer? (Is AP even considered a stabilizer?)🤷

Maybe you aren't mood swinging because you're already on AP.

David Vaughn75 said:Maybe you aren't mood swinging because you're already on AP.

I don't drink. I had one glass, once...

Gerald Torres2 said:I don't drink. I had one glass, once...

Yeah, sure, just tell that to your therapist when you're sitting on their couch.

David Vaughn75 said:Yeah, sure, just tell that to your therapist when you're sitting on their couch.

I have an appointment on April 8th, so I'll just lay it all out for her then. Honestly, she told me straight up that while we can try things, she isn't going to force anything on me that I'm not ready for. So, I don't expect much of an issue there.😍

Honestly, I don't think antipsychotics are all bad if you're on a lower dose. I take 5 mg of Zyprexa, and while I definitely notice I'm moving a bit slower, it’s not like I’ve become a total zombie 😁
Plus, I don't get worked up over things nearly as much as I used to. I used to be such a bundle of nerves—just ready to snap at anything—but now? Everything is just... chill. All that irritability has just vanished. It's pure Zen; it's like living in a constant state of Nirvana. Riders on the storm, la la la

Donna Torres5 said:Honestly, I don't think antipsychotics are all bad if you're on a lower dose. I take 5 mg of Zyprexa, and while I definitely notice I'm moving a bit slower, it’s not like I’ve become a total zombie 😁
Plus, I don't get worked up over things nearly as much as I used to. I used to be such a bundle of nerves—just ready to snap at anything—but now? Everything is just... chill. All that irritability has just vanished. It's pure Zen; it's like living in a constant state of Nirvana. Riders on the storm, la la la

😂😂😂😂
You're a good person for saying that!
But honestly, I want to actually feel alive, not just exist in this state where nothing matters. My goal is to manage my condition with as few medications as possible, if you catch my drift...

Gerald Torres2 said:😂😂😂😂
You're a good person for saying that!
But honestly, I want to actually feel alive, not just exist in this state where nothing matters. My goal is to manage my condition with as few medications as possible, if you catch my drift...

Way to go, Anna; I'm right there with you. Provided it's actually doable, of course, but having that mindset is already a massive first step.😉

Larry Campbell said:Way to go, Anna; I'm right there with you. Provided it's actually doable, of course, but having that mindset is already a massive first step.😉

😍 For now, I think it's a realistic path. As long as I can manage it, my goal is to stay on as few medications as possible. 🙂

Personally, I just can't function without it... if I'm deprived, all the drama starts—the panic sets in, the anxiety spikes, and suddenly it feels like there are monsters lurking under my bed.😢

My primary care physician recently prescribed Lexaurin at 1.5 mg every morning—to help manage some mental tension, as she put it. I’ve actually been sipping on St. John’s Wort tea for about seven days now, which brings me to my question: is it safe to take both together? I happened to read somewhere that this specific herbal tea doesn't play well with certain medications.

granitegardener4 said:My primary care physician recently prescribed Lexaurin at 1.5 mg every morning—to help manage some mental tension, as she put it. I’ve actually been sipping on St. John’s Wort tea for about seven days now, which brings me to my question: is it safe to take both together? I happened to read somewhere that this specific herbal tea doesn't play well with certain medications.

I tried mixing Misar with Johnson & Johnson Advil, and occasionally I take Lexapro with the Misar too. The pharmacist told me it was fine, and I even emailed Johnson & Johnson directly to ask—they said there’s no issue. Apparently, St. John's Wort only clashes with SSRIs. Besides, I take herbal drops containing valerian and St. John's Wort along with my Misar and I feel fine. In fact, since starting the drops, I've actually been able to drop my midday Misar dose from 0.5 to 0.25. It works. I used to take 0.5 three times a day, but cutting back helps. That's just my experience based on what the pharmacy and the people at Johnson & Johnson told me, though. You should probably check with your doctor anyway. Maybe someone else here has dealt with this.

So, I’m starting to taper off my Zoloft—I’ve been dropping by 1/4 of a pill every week—but I can't help wondering, is that slow enough to be safe?

Also, is it okay if I take a tiny 0.25 dose of Elizabeth whenever I really need it?

I know people are going to ask why, but honestly, I'm quitting Zoloft because it just makes me feel... blunt. Plus, I’ve been incredibly jittery and irritable lately—it's like this weird, foggy sense of unreality is constantly hovering over me. It hasn't even helped with the actual symptoms, which makes me think I might just be resistant to it. To make matters worse, during those first two months of treatment, the anxiety it triggered was so intense that I realized things literally couldn't get any worse than that. Does anyone know how long it takes for the stuff to fully clear out of your system once you stop taking it?

Steven Martin13 said:So, I’m starting to taper off my Zoloft—I’ve been dropping by 1/4 of a pill every week—but I can't help wondering, is that slow enough to be safe?

Also, is it okay if I take a tiny 0.25 dose of Elizabeth whenever I really need it?

I know people are going to ask why, but honestly, I'm quitting Zoloft because it just makes me feel... blunt. Plus, I’ve been incredibly jittery and irritable lately—it's like this weird, foggy sense of unreality is constantly hovering over me. It hasn't even helped with the actual symptoms, which makes me think I might just be resistant to it. To make matters worse, during those first two months of treatment, the anxiety it triggered was so intense that I realized things literally couldn't get any worse than that. Does anyone know how long it takes for the stuff to fully clear out of your system once you stop taking it?

Not sure how long it takes to clear out. I was on Lexus (supposedly similar to Zoloft) and it gave me so much anxiety and restlessness that within a month I knew it was a lost cause. Thought I was going to lose my mind. My psychiatrist insisted it wasn't possible, so we just agreed to disagree. Now I'm just sitting here wondering if I'll need to find a new doctor. Had the exact same issues with Lexapro. I used to think I was just some outlier, but it seems like others go through the same thing.

Steven Martin13 said:So, I’m starting to taper off my Zoloft—I’ve been dropping by 1/4 of a pill every week—but I can't help wondering, is that slow enough to be safe?

Also, is it okay if I take a tiny 0.25 dose of Elizabeth whenever I really need it?

I know people are going to ask why, but honestly, I'm quitting Zoloft because it just makes me feel... blunt. Plus, I’ve been incredibly jittery and irritable lately—it's like this weird, foggy sense of unreality is constantly hovering over me. It hasn't even helped with the actual symptoms, which makes me think I might just be resistant to it. To make matters worse, during those first two months of treatment, the anxiety it triggered was so intense that I realized things literally couldn't get any worse than that. Does anyone know how long it takes for the stuff to fully clear out of your system once you stop taking it?

It’s definitely a good idea if you're trying to dull the edge of those side effects from coming off Zoloft.

Look, I know you're already aware of this, but since there are so many people lurking on this forum, I have to state it clearly: trying to taper off this medication without a doctor's supervision is a reckless move.

Steven Martin13 said:So, I’m starting to taper off my Zoloft—I’ve been dropping by 1/4 of a pill every week—but I can't help wondering, is that slow enough to be safe?

Also, is it okay if I take a tiny 0.25 dose of Elizabeth whenever I really need it?

I know people are going to ask why, but honestly, I'm quitting Zoloft because it just makes me feel... blunt. Plus, I’ve been incredibly jittery and irritable lately—it's like this weird, foggy sense of unreality is constantly hovering over me. It hasn't even helped with the actual symptoms, which makes me think I might just be resistant to it. To make matters worse, during those first two months of treatment, the anxiety it triggered was so intense that I realized things literally couldn't get any worse than that. Does anyone know how long it takes for the stuff to fully clear out of your system once you stop taking it?

I was on Lexapro for about a month and then just quit cold turkey. No taper, nothing. It took me maybe three weeks to feel like myself again. I went through pretty much the exact same stuff you're describing.