Psychotropic medication discussion thread

restlesstrucker15 said:Well, it's good news about the Amyzol; I'm glad to hear that. As for the Quetiapine, it really isn't possible to get that covered by insurance unless you have a psychotic diagnosis on file. If she gets audited, she'll face a fine. Even my psychiatrist told me straight up that I wouldn't be able to get it through my standard prescription. Back then, she just gave me a single box herself, but you know my history with those things. I would offer you mine, but it's expired. And I know it isn't cheap. Look at it this way: try purchasing it out-of-pocket through a private clinic. If it works for you, a good night's sleep is worth the cost. You could ask at a local pharmacy; I believe it goes for about $33.

Skickas fr

With older medications, sometimes doctors will prescribe things even for non-psychotic patients—like for anxiety or insomnia. For instance, a Q-pin might be available for that, whereas maybe this specific Quetiapine just isn't on the approved list.🤷

fadedbear92 said:With older medications, sometimes doctors will prescribe things even for non-psychotic patients—like for anxiety or insomnia. For instance, a Q-pin might be available for that, whereas maybe this specific Quetiapine just isn't on the approved list.🤷

You're right, they definitely do prescribe them. However, Medicare doesn't recognize that specific indication and refuses to cover it under those circumstances. You might have a great primary care physician who is willing to write the prescription regardless, but most doctors won't. If you look at the official Medicare formulary, it explicitly states the conditions under which each drug is covered.

Talk soon

shadowbear9 said:Who even do you go to for a private prescription? Because if it is $33, I'd rather do that than stay so sleep-deprived that I end up crashing my car into a pole or falling off a subway platform because I can barely keep my eyes open... I mean, I could seriously get hurt one day. My concentration just bottoms out and I lose all awareness of what's happening around me—I almost got hit by a car the other day because of it. I'm dying to know who would take the blame if I actually ended up in the hospital because of this... 🙄

If your current doctor won't provide one, you could ask your psychiatrist for a private prescription and explain that they aren't covering it through insurance. You might also ask if, in their experience, a primary care physician would prescribe it if psychotic symptoms aren't present. If so, find a GP who isn't afraid of dealing with insurance companies. However, I suggest first asking your specialist for a private script to see if the medication actually works for you before you start arguing with your GP or looking for a new provider.
In my own case, my doctor refused to prescribe Cymbalta because my diagnosis didn't explicitly state Major Depressive Disorder—which technically isn't the case, as I explained that my symptoms stem from neuropathic pain. She told me, "I understand, but we need to list it as MDD because insurance won't cover it for neuropathic pain." Eventually, my psychiatrist wouldn't change the official diagnosis, so she just gave me a couple of boxes herself since she had samples on hand. Honestly, you can just scour the insurance company's drug formulary spreadsheets online; they usually include guidelines for which conditions justify coverage.

Best regards,

restlesstrucker15 said:If your current doctor won't provide one, you could ask your psychiatrist for a private prescription and explain that they aren't covering it through insurance. You might also ask if, in their experience, a primary care physician would prescribe it if psychotic symptoms aren't present. If so, find a GP who isn't afraid of dealing with insurance companies. However, I suggest first asking your specialist for a private script to see if the medication actually works for you before you start arguing with your GP or looking for a new provider.
In my own case, my doctor refused to prescribe Cymbalta because my diagnosis didn't explicitly state Major Depressive Disorder—which technically isn't the case, as I explained that my symptoms stem from neuropathic pain. She told me, "I understand, but we need to list it as MDD because insurance won't cover it for neuropathic pain." Eventually, my psychiatrist wouldn't change the official diagnosis, so she just gave me a couple of boxes herself since she had samples on hand. Honestly, you can just scour the insurance company's drug formulary spreadsheets online; they usually include guidelines for which conditions justify coverage.

Best regards,

Thank you so much for the advice. I'll be seeing my psychiatrist this Monday with my results, and if she refuses, I'll see if she can contact the other doctor or take some kind of action. Last time, it was listed as severe depression without psychosis, though they somehow changed it to moderate-severe yesterday... but I suppose the main thing is that it specifies NO PSYCHOSIS.

shadowbear9 said:Thank you so much for the advice. I'll be seeing my psychiatrist this Monday with my results, and if she refuses, I'll see if she can contact the other doctor or take some kind of action. Last time, it was listed as severe depression without psychosis, though they somehow changed it to moderate-severe yesterday... but I suppose the main thing is that it specifies NO PSYCHOSIS.

Yes, go ahead and do that. There is absolutely no way your doctor would write an incorrect diagnosis just because of a medication; besides, the VA and the healthcare system aren't exactly known for being easy to deal with anyway.

Skickas fr

shadowbear9 said:Thank you so much for the advice. I'll be seeing my psychiatrist this Monday with my results, and if she refuses, I'll see if she can contact the other doctor or take some kind of action. Last time, it was listed as severe depression without psychosis, though they somehow changed it to moderate-severe yesterday... but I suppose the main thing is that it specifies NO PSYCHOSIS.

Oh, right. What did he suggest you take for the insomnia? How much Amy Adams are you using? Is it just that, or are you taking it alongside something else?

Skickas fr

Amy is a brutal drug. Seriously, it’s dangerous and pretty toxic. It left me completely out of commission—I did nothing but eat and sleep all day.

Luckily, my doctor didn't have me on it daily. He just prescribed it as needed to help dull the side effects from Valerie and Prosper. Mostly just for when I couldn't catch any sleep or something.

I suppose I should probably address this situation before things get any more out of hand. It seems like there’s been some unnecessary noise lately, and frankly, I find the whole thing quite aggravating. I don't want to sound like I'm overreacting—maybe I am—but it feels like certain people just can't seem to follow basic logic or maintain a shred of decorum. It’s honestly exhausting. I might be wrong, but I have a strong feeling that if we don't get a handle on this immediately, we're all going to end up dealing with even more chaos. It's just ridiculous. kaže:
Right. So, what exactly did they tell you to take for the insomnia? How much Amyzol are we talking about? Is it just the Amyzol on its own, or are you supposed to be taking it with something else?

Skickas fr

They switched me over to Amyzol instead of my usual Mirzaten, and I have quite literally gained weight like a pig. I mean, I put on nearly 20 pounds in just twenty days. My psychologist actually had the nerve to suggest that this was the goal—that it would stop me from gaining any more weight—and claimed he personally prefers prescribing Mirzaten for insomnia. Okay, fine, maybe he thinks he knows best, but I can't even fit into half of my wardrobe anymore. So, absolutely not.

To combat my insomnia, I’m currently taking a combination of Normabel (in doses of 5, 5, and 10), Sanval at 10, and amyzol. I did mention that I’ve been feeling pretty on edge lately—which isn't exactly an exaggeration—so I take the Normabel in the evening. My doctor gave me a stern warning regarding the amyzol; he insisted that I absolutely must not exceed one tablet. Apparently, it’s an older antidepressant that is incredibly effective, but he warned that if I were to take two or three at once like I have been doing, I would essentially be poisoning myself. I guess, truthfully, there is something quite tempting about taking more. When you're desperate to just knock yourself out and crash immediately rather than sitting there waiting for a single pill to kick in, the idea of a higher dose feels almost logical. I honestly don't know if anyone would even notice the difference, but if the risk is actual toxicity, I suppose I should listen to him. Though, I must admit, if I ever find myself spiraling into a truly suicidal headspace, I might just swallow all thirty at once and call it a day. It was certainly helpful of him to point out how easy that would be. 🤣

So, it’s Sanval plus amyzol for the insomnia, and now there's this whole messy situation regarding Quetiapine. I suppose he probably assumed I was taking it alongside both the Sanval and amyzol, too. I guess we'll just have to see what happens on Monday.

shadowbear9 said:

I suppose I should probably address this situation before things get any more out of hand. It seems like there’s been some unnecessary noise lately, and frankly, I find the whole thing quite aggravating. I don't want to sound like I'm overreacting—maybe I am—but it feels like certain people just can't seem to follow basic logic or maintain a shred of decorum. It’s honestly exhausting. I might be wrong, but I have a strong feeling that if we don't get a handle on this immediately, we're all going to end up dealing with even more chaos. It's just ridiculous. kaže:
Right. So, what exactly did they tell you to take for the insomnia? How much Amyzol are we talking about? Is it just the Amyzol on its own, or are you supposed to be taking it with something else?

Skickas fr

They switched me over to Amyzol instead of my usual Mirzaten, and I have quite literally gained weight like a pig. I mean, I put on nearly 20 pounds in just twenty days. My psychologist actually had the nerve to suggest that this was the goal—that it would stop me from gaining any more weight—and claimed he personally prefers prescribing Mirzaten for insomnia. Okay, fine, maybe he thinks he knows best, but I can't even fit into half of my wardrobe anymore. So, absolutely not.

To combat my insomnia, I’m currently taking a combination of Normabel (in doses of 5, 5, and 10), Sanval at 10, and amyzol. I did mention that I’ve been feeling pretty on edge lately—which isn't exactly an exaggeration—so I take the Normabel in the evening. My doctor gave me a stern warning regarding the amyzol; he insisted that I absolutely must not exceed one tablet. Apparently, it’s an older antidepressant that is incredibly effective, but he warned that if I were to take two or three at once like I have been doing, I would essentially be poisoning myself. I guess, truthfully, there is something quite tempting about taking more. When you're desperate to just knock yourself out and crash immediately rather than sitting there waiting for a single pill to kick in, the idea of a higher dose feels almost logical. I honestly don't know if anyone would even notice the difference, but if the risk is actual toxicity, I suppose I should listen to him. Though, I must admit, if I ever find myself spiraling into a truly suicidal headspace, I might just swallow all thirty at once and call it a day. It was certainly helpful of him to point out how easy that would be. 🤣

So, it’s Sanval plus amyzol for the insomnia, and now there's this whole messy situation regarding Quetiapine. I suppose he probably assumed I was taking it alongside both the Sanval and amyzol, too. I guess we'll just have to see what happens on Monday.

That’s how it stands. I'm glad you aren't poisoning yourself. To be honest, I highly doubt anyone would take Sanval, amozole, and Quetiapine all at once in the evening; even without being a medical expert, I've never heard of such a combination, and it sounds like something could go terribly wrong. Make sure to ask him directly on Monday.

Best regards,

I’ve officially given up on antidepressants. For me, they definitely mess with my urination—specifically that antidiuretic hormone (ADH) released by the pituitary gland. It actually caused a mild case of hyponatremia in my blood; my sodium levels dropped, and my potassium was right on the edge of being too low, too. I honestly think it's pretty rare for someone to deal with this many side effects from an antidepressant. I had been taking the Zoloft syrup recently. If it hadn't caused all this, maybe I would have stayed on it a bit longer. I don't know... I actually felt somewhat calmer when I was on Lexapro for three weeks. That was my first medication, and I felt better then. But then, after those three weeks, that issue with frequent urination started for the first time. I thought about getting my ADH levels checked, but I can't find any private labs around here that actually run that specific test. I just don't know. I feel like I probably need an antidepressant, but clearly, I can't take them. I've read some articles online saying that certain side effects don't just go away over time. That obviously isn't common, but it seems to be happening to me.

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I just take 15 mg of Valium to help me sleep. That's enough for me, I guess. It isn't really an every night thing, but it definitely makes drifting off a bit easier when I do take it.

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mistyjackal842 said:I’ve officially given up on antidepressants. For me, they definitely mess with my urination—specifically that antidiuretic hormone (ADH) released by the pituitary gland. It actually caused a mild case of hyponatremia in my blood; my sodium levels dropped, and my potassium was right on the edge of being too low, too. I honestly think it's pretty rare for someone to deal with this many side effects from an antidepressant. I had been taking the Zoloft syrup recently. If it hadn't caused all this, maybe I would have stayed on it a bit longer. I don't know... I actually felt somewhat calmer when I was on Lexapro for three weeks. That was my first medication, and I felt better then. But then, after those three weeks, that issue with frequent urination started for the first time. I thought about getting my ADH levels checked, but I can't find any private labs around here that actually run that specific test. I just don't know. I feel like I probably need an antidepressant, but clearly, I can't take them. I've read some articles online saying that certain side effects don't just go away over time. That obviously isn't common, but it seems to be happening to me.

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Have you tried Googling to see if any labs in neighboring states do it?

mistyjackal842 said:I just take 15 mg of Valium to help me sleep. That's enough for me, I guess. It isn't really an every night thing, but it definitely makes drifting off a bit easier when I do take it.

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hahahahahha, man, I wish I had it as easy as you. I could take ten 30 mg Valium pills and still not sleep for shit. Plus, I wake up the next day with this horrible bitter taste in my mouth. I've been taking those extra-strength Zana capsules—like, 14 of them at once—for God knows how long, and even then, it doesn't do a damn thing for me. I just lie there staring at the ceiling... hahaha, I swear, I have to laugh at my own misery....

Day 9 on 10 mg of Lexapro... so far, so good. It feels pretty manageable. I take it first thing in the morning along with 0.25 mg of Xanax, which helps keep the panic at bay and stops my brain from spiraling too much. haha.. I’m even actually heading out for coffee and some shopping, which is a huge win for me. Last night around 9:30 PM, though, I felt this wave of heat and started sweating a bit. Then I got this dizzy, lightheaded feeling that really spooked me. I took my Xanax about half an hour later and felt fine after that. Could that have been a panic attack, or just a side effect? Since I take the pill in the morning, I figured it would have worn off by then. Has anyone else dealt with this? Is it normal? In those moments, I feel like I just have to lie down, otherwise the fear takes over and makes everything worse. 🙂
Oh, and I'm bumping up to 20 mg tomorrow 😁

jadehawk8 said:Day 9 on 10 mg of Lexapro... so far, so good. It feels pretty manageable. I take it first thing in the morning along with 0.25 mg of Xanax, which helps keep the panic at bay and stops my brain from spiraling too much. haha.. I’m even actually heading out for coffee and some shopping, which is a huge win for me. Last night around 9:30 PM, though, I felt this wave of heat and started sweating a bit. Then I got this dizzy, lightheaded feeling that really spooked me. I took my Xanax about half an hour later and felt fine after that. Could that have been a panic attack, or just a side effect? Since I take the pill in the morning, I figured it would have worn off by then. Has anyone else dealt with this? Is it normal? In those moments, I feel like I just have to lie down, otherwise the fear takes over and makes everything worse. 🙂
Oh, and I'm bumping up to 20 mg tomorrow 😁

If the Xanax did the trick, you were likely dealing with a minor panic attack. Regardless, you're
still in the early stages of starting an antidepressant, and it's entirely possible to encounter a few more panic attacks before they start tapering off. But there is no denying you are making progress; being able to go shopping and grab coffee is a real step forward. It took me nearly two months before
my meds truly kicked in and I could confidently say the panic attacks were behind me. Just stay the course. When things get rough, lean on the Xanax. Your improvement is undeniable, so just stick
with the treatment plan. 🙂

mistyjackal842 said:I’ve officially given up on antidepressants. For me, they definitely mess with my urination—specifically that antidiuretic hormone (ADH) released by the pituitary gland. It actually caused a mild case of hyponatremia in my blood; my sodium levels dropped, and my potassium was right on the edge of being too low, too. I honestly think it's pretty rare for someone to deal with this many side effects from an antidepressant. I had been taking the Zoloft syrup recently. If it hadn't caused all this, maybe I would have stayed on it a bit longer. I don't know... I actually felt somewhat calmer when I was on Lexapro for three weeks. That was my first medication, and I felt better then. But then, after those three weeks, that issue with frequent urination started for the first time. I thought about getting my ADH levels checked, but I can't find any private labs around here that actually run that specific test. I just don't know. I feel like I probably need an antidepressant, but clearly, I can't take them. I've read some articles online saying that certain side effects don't just go away over time. That obviously isn't common, but it seems to be happening to me.

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Why are you stressing so much about the frequent urination? I've been dealing with the exact same thing since I started psych meds. I went through all sorts of testing, and it turns out it's a mix of the pills and my own anxiety—my whole system just runs too fast. I don't obsess over it anymore. I used to be exactly like you, hyper-analyzing every tiny change in my body, which obviously just fueled the panic. Eventually, I had to learn to live with it. If I let every side effect get to me, I’d never take anything, and my psychiatrist already confirmed that I react poorly to most meds. Just think carefully before you quit entirely; talk to your doctor. Sometimes we really do need help to get through the dark chapters of life. That's better than completely breaking down mentally.

redranger2 said:If the Xanax did the trick, you were likely dealing with a minor panic attack. Regardless, you're
still in the early stages of starting an antidepressant, and it's entirely possible to encounter a few more panic attacks before they start tapering off. But there is no denying you are making progress; being able to go shopping and grab coffee is a real step forward. It took me nearly two months before
my meds truly kicked in and I could confidently say the panic attacks were behind me. Just stay the course. When things get rough, lean on the Xanax. Your improvement is undeniable, so just stick
with the treatment plan. 🙂

.

Hmm, I wonder. I should mention that I'm taking one or two 0.25mg Valium tablets every day, depending on how bad the dizziness or lightheadedness gets. Is that okay? Does that even count as progress? At least the Valium helps dial down the fear and the spinning so I can actually leave the house, whereas before, I couldn't go out even with it. I tend to be way too hard on myself.😁Thanks, redranger2, and thanks to everyone else for the support. Truly, I hope everyone feels better and finds their way to healing soon.🙂 😍
And if it's just a little bit of dizziness, or if the meds cause it slightly, I shouldn't worry, right?

I feel like the Seroquel is making me retain water. I've been drinking sage and green tea just to try and flush out the extra fluid.

Quentin:

It appears we have reached a point of complete communicative breakdown, where even the most basic attempt at expression dissolves into a nonsensical fragment. To witness such a linguistic void is to stare directly into the abyss of modern discourse—a hollow, echoing nothingness that offers neither substance nor direction. One might compare it to a radio frequency tuned strictly to white noise, or perhaps a blank page staring back at you with an almost mocking indifference. It is a singular, isolated syllable drifting in a vacuum, devoid of context, purpose, or even the dignity of a coherent thought. Truly, we are witnessing the entropy of language in real-time. As if anyone actually expected anything different from this predictable cycle of disappointment. It’s almost poetic, isn't it? We sit here, waiting for some semblance of logic or progress, only to be met with the same old patterns that have been playing out since the dawn of time. It’s like watching a rerun of a show you already hated, except this time, the production budget is even lower and the acting is significantly more wooden. One would think that after all these iterations, we might have learned something, but clearly, we are destined to keep tripping over the same hurdles, over and over again, like a clumsy amateur in a high-stakes game where the rules change every time you start to get comfortable. Precisely. One must understand that Sanval is strictly an instrument for initiating the descent into slumber; it is quite ineffective at actually maintaining the continuity of sleep once you’ve arrived there. Honestly, what would we even do without our meds? Without them, we’d all just be stumbling around like extras from a zombie flick, completely sleep-deprived and totally out of it.😍

It’s quite the opposite in my experience; I take Melatonin, yet sleep remains an elusive ghost, sometimes leaving me tossing and turning for hours on end. But once I finally succumb to exhaustion, it’s like being pulled under by a heavy tide—I can't seem to claw my way back to consciousness, often drifting off for a solid eight or nine hours without any hope of waking up.

Aside from those moments when the seizures take hold—those stretches where sleep becomes an impossible luxury or I find myself jolted awake in the dead of night—it’s manageable. Thank God, those episodes don't strike with much frequency.

hollowcrane95 said:How can you say they aren't the same, when isn't Quetiapine actually just the active ingredient in Seroquel? I'm totally lost here.

Comparing Sanval to Seroquel, or any other antipsychotic, is a bit like comparing a paper airplane to a Kanader...

🤣

I don't think so. Quetiapine is actually the active ingredient in Q-pin. 🤷

hollowcrane95 said:Is anyone else completely free from those morning-after side effects from Quetiapine? I feel like I’m walking around in a total fog for half the day.

hollowcrane95 said:Well, I went ahead and asked, so here we are. 🤷 I take something for sleep too, but I still wake up feeling completely hungover and totally uncoordinated in the morning...

One time I took 25mg. Within thirty minutes, I was absolutely floored. And yeah, I dealt with those exact same side effects you mentioned. It took me half the day just to feel human again. For me, that dose works best for anxiety if I take it during the day, though thankfully I've never taken it then because I would've passed out at my desk.