Psychotropic medication discussion thread

Jason Vaughn482 said:Well, for me, the distinction is clear: Valium doesn't touch my anxiety or panic attacks, whereas Xanax kicks in after just twenty minutes... though, of course, everyone reacts differently. If I had found myself needing to escalate my dosage, I certainly would have looked into switching to something else entirely; for now, I stay within a range of 1.5 mg at most, or as low as two 0.25 mg doses...
I also take Melatonin because my insomnia is quite severe, along with an antidepressant in the evening—it used to be Lexapro, but for the last few days, I've been on something else...

So, I called my neuropsychiatrist today, and they prescribed me Eglonyl. They mentioned that while it's typically administered in much higher doses for psychosis, in smaller amounts, it's used for exactly what I'm dealing with, and they wanted to try that first before moving on to an antidepressant. Right now, I am struggling with "just" panic attacks and somatic symptoms that persist through nearly the entire day, which brings up this constant fear of being left alone with my children and such...
I actually took it with me today and carried it around the house, but once again, I just couldn't bring myself to swallow it. 🙄

James Fowler3 said:Well, look, first of all, they prescribed me Ativan during my pregnancy to manage contractions, so I don't have any fear regarding that specific medication, you see... everything else... I've done far too much reading, which I realize now was probably a mistake. You know exactly what those warnings say about weaning yourself off Xanax...
Are you only taking that one, or...? I was reading up on the side effects of certain antidepressants, and it seems to me there are even more listed there than there are for Eglonyl. I'm not sure. Even today, I didn't quite have the nerve to take anything.
And please, tell me, since you've tried both Ativan and Xanax, what is the actual difference?

Don't let Effexor intimidate you; during my worst episodes, I've taken two weeks' worth at that dosage. It mostly just takes the edge off without making you feel totally sedated—though maybe that's just my first experience with it. My main gripe is that it kills your libido, but it isn't something you're stuck on indefinitely.

Lorazepam and Xanax are prescribed for entirely different reasons. While they both help calm your nerves, Xanax doesn't typically cause drowsiness. On the flip side, Lorazepam isn't particularly effective for panic attacks.

Talk soon,

It’s been a nightmare; insomnia has me completely wiped out. I even tried taking some Calixta, but it didn't touch it. I know exactly what's causing this, though—they administered a higher dose of corticosteroids via spinal injection, and those things will keep just about anyone awake, regardless of how much sleep medication they take.

Skickas fr

Finally feeling my libido getting back to baseline. I’ve been on Zoloft for about 30 days now, and man, the beginning was just a total coma... but things are finally returning to normal. It’s not quite what it was before I started the meds, but it's fine enough.🙂
Yesterday, instead of taking my prescribed normabel before bed, I tried some Schizandra (that adaptogen herb) and I was out like a light in seconds.😍
I wasn't too worried about potential interactions... and unlike normabel, you actually wake up feeling rested and refreshed in the morning.

redpilot37 said:Finally feeling my libido getting back to baseline. I’ve been on Zoloft for about 30 days now, and man, the beginning was just a total coma... but things are finally returning to normal. It’s not quite what it was before I started the meds, but it's fine enough.🙂
Yesterday, instead of taking my prescribed normabel before bed, I tried some Schizandra (that adaptogen herb) and I was out like a light in seconds.😍
I wasn't too worried about potential interactions... and unlike normabel, you actually wake up feeling rested and refreshed in the morning.

It’s great news that the Zoloft is working for you. Enjoy it!

Feeling just a little bit better today
...

I took a year-long break from my medications, but I recently decided to restart my regimen of Sonalia, Rivotril, and Cerson. Insomnia has been a constant shadow in my life for years now, and honestly, coming back to these isn't making things any easier; if anything, it feels even more taxing than when I first started this journey two years ago. Even when I find myself taking a double dose, there’s no real relief—I just end up feeling like a walking zombie while my mind remains a swirling vortex of total chaos.
The real struggle, however, is this nagging sensation that what I'm taking simply isn't enough. I feel like I need something stronger to actually function, yet my psychiatrist refuses to increase my dosage. Dealing with anxiety disorder on top of everything else is exhausting. Has anyone else here gone through something similar? :/

Michelle Kelly4 said:Feeling just a little bit better today
...

And honestly, I'll take that over nothing any day.😉

Ethan Cruz4 said:Wow. 😲

That's really interesting, thanks for the insight, fadedbear92.
I'm on what I’d consider a "small" dose—37.5mg—and honestly, I feel like I just downed several Red Bulls mixed with vodka. My head feels completely cluttered. I've noticed my need for sleep has dropped significantly lately, though I originally assumed it was caused by something else entirely. This information is actually incredibly helpful; I think I'll bring this up with my psychiatrist.
I had been considering restarting melatonin to help with my sleep issues, but I'm feeling pretty hesitant because of how it might affect my serotonin levels. 😢 If it isn't going to be effective when combined with this, then there's really no point in trying.
edit: Michelle Kelly4, Sanval doesn't seem to have any effect on me anymore.
It might become effective again after a sufficiently long break, but as of right now, it's doing absolutely nothing for me.

watch how this unfolds; just try your best to avoid ending up where I am
Quinn:

I was thinking about starting melatonin again to help with sleep, but I'm honestly a bit paranoid about the serotonin levels... 😢 If it doesn't work alongside this, then what's even the point? edit: little bluebird, Ambien just doesn't do anything for me anymore. Maybe it'll start working again after a long enough break, but right now, it's useless.

That could be because of the Wellbutrin—I'm crossing my fingers you don't end up dealing with the same crap I did; I've seriously cursed Wellbutrin.

fadedbear92 said:watch how this unfolds; just try your best to avoid ending up where I am
Quinn:

I was thinking about starting melatonin again to help with sleep, but I'm honestly a bit paranoid about the serotonin levels... 😢 If it doesn't work alongside this, then what's even the point? edit: little bluebird, Ambien just doesn't do anything for me anymore. Maybe it'll start working again after a long enough break, but right now, it's useless.

That could be because of the Wellbutrin—I'm crossing my fingers you don't end up dealing with the same crap I did; I've seriously cursed Wellbutrin.

Why is that?

I've been on it for ages—75 mg—and I haven't run into any major issues. In fact, if I'm being honest, I actually feel better while taking it... I mean, I don't feel like a brand-new person, but... well, you know how it is.

Kevin Nguyen3 said:Why is that?

I've been on it for ages—75 mg—and I haven't run into any major issues. In fact, if I'm being honest, I actually feel better while taking it... I mean, I don't feel like a brand-new person, but... well, you know how it is.

Well, look, you know every antidepressant hits differently—I'm not sure why this one seems weird to you now, since it worked great for you, but it just hasn't done much for me.
It's the exact same deal with any other AD; it works for some people and doesn't work for others.
When I read stuff about how people react badly to Prozac, it's the same story—for me, the only thing was feeling sleepy, which went away once I reached the same conclusion mentioned above.

And now I’m feeling pretty terrible...

restlesstrucker15 said:Don't let Effexor intimidate you; during my worst episodes, I've taken two weeks' worth at that dosage. It mostly just takes the edge off without making you feel totally sedated—though maybe that's just my first experience with it. My main gripe is that it kills your libido, but it isn't something you're stuck on indefinitely.

Lorazepam and Xanax are prescribed for entirely different reasons. While they both help calm your nerves, Xanax doesn't typically cause drowsiness. On the flip side, Lorazepam isn't particularly effective for panic attacks.

Talk soon,

So, what kind of issues are you dealing with—is it the same panic stuff? My doctor actually told me to take it for two weeks and then head back for a follow-up, though I haven't even started yet... It might sound like a bit of a foolish question, but how quickly can someone develop a dependency on Xanax 2 x0? And is weaning yourself off of it more difficult than, say, coming down from Ativan?

restlesstiger49 said:Hey everyone, is it actually possible for anxiety to kick in after being on Paxil for a few weeks? It feels like it's starting to mess with my head again lately... 😢 Or could this just be because of all the emotional stress I've been dealing with recently?

It's definitely the second one. An antidepressant isn't going to magically strip away your anxiety or any other emotion—they don't numb you out like benzos do. Think of an AD as more of a "tailwind" that gives you the actual WILL and STRENGTH to function better. If you need to take the edge off the anxiety quickly, you could always try some Xanax.

redpilot37 said:Finally feeling my libido getting back to baseline. I’ve been on Zoloft for about 30 days now, and man, the beginning was just a total coma... but things are finally returning to normal. It’s not quite what it was before I started the meds, but it's fine enough.🙂
Yesterday, instead of taking my prescribed normabel before bed, I tried some Schizandra (that adaptogen herb) and I was out like a light in seconds.😍
I wasn't too worried about potential interactions... and unlike normabel, you actually wake up feeling rested and refreshed in the morning.

What exactly is Schizandra? Where can one purchase it, and what is the typical cost?

fadedbear92 said:It's definitely the second one. An antidepressant isn't going to magically strip away your anxiety or any other emotion—they don't numb you out like benzos do. Think of an AD as more of a "tailwind" that gives you the actual WILL and STRENGTH to function better. If you need to take the edge off the anxiety quickly, you could always try some Xanax.

Man, I took some Xanax XR today and ended up sleeping through the entire damn day. On top of that, a fellow member mentioned in the previous post:

But that’s exactly why you take an antidepressant—so you aren't constantly relying on Xanax just to function.

Yeah, I’m a little confused here. I really don't want to be popping anxiolytics every single day. For crying out loud, after four weeks, you'd think the antidepressant would actually start kicking in by now. Either that, or we just keep on experimenting. 🤷 Honestly, I’d rather just be dead. I am completely at my wit's end with everything right now. 🙂

restlesstiger49 said:Man, I took some Xanax XR today and ended up sleeping through the entire damn day. On top of that, a fellow member mentioned in the previous post:

But that’s exactly why you take an antidepressant—so you aren't constantly relying on Xanax just to function.

Yeah, I’m a little confused here. I really don't want to be popping anxiolytics every single day. For crying out loud, after four weeks, you'd think the antidepressant would actually start kicking in by now. Either that, or we just keep on experimenting. 🤷 Honestly, I’d rather just be dead. I am completely at my wit's end with everything right now. 🙂

When I was on Zoloft last time, it felt like I was waiting forever for it to actually kick in; you really have to have an incredible amount of patience because it isn't always like what the literature says—it’s much more individual than that.

James Fowler3 said:So, what kind of issues are you dealing with—is it the same panic stuff? My doctor actually told me to take it for two weeks and then head back for a follow-up, though I haven't even started yet... It might sound like a bit of a foolish question, but how quickly can someone develop a dependency on Xanax 2 x0? And is weaning yourself off of it more difficult than, say, coming down from Ativan?

Yes, panic. When those intense waves of anxiety and panic hit, I rely on my antidepressants and Eglonyl; otherwise, it’s just the AD and Xanax as needed.

I wouldn't say I'm addicted to either Xanax or Ativan, but then again, you take the antidepressants specifically so you don't have to be on Xanax constantly. Unless you only experience a panic attack once a month, in which case it basically functions like a painkiller.

The dosage isn't high, but it's still not something you should be taking every single day for, say, three months straight. It is much better to rely on your antidepressants or Eglonyl instead.

Skickas fr

Hey everyone, is it actually possible for anxiety to kick in after being on Paxil for a few weeks? It feels like it's starting to mess with my head again lately... 😢 Or could this just be because of all the emotional stress I've been dealing with recently?

restlesstiger49 said:Hey everyone, is it actually possible for anxiety to kick in after being on Paxil for a few weeks? It feels like it's starting to mess with my head again lately... 😢 Or could this just be because of all the emotional stress I've been dealing with recently?

I honestly think it’s totally possible because everyone’s body reacts so differently to medication... personally, I dealt with those kinds of side effects for maybe two months straight at one point...