Psychotropic medication discussion thread

Grace Ross62 said:Has anyone else dealt with intense drowsiness right when they first started on Zoloft? If someone is reacting this way, would it be a smart move to take Xanax to counteract the sleepiness, or is it better to just push through and let those initial side effects settle down?

It’s pretty common to feel a bit wiped out at the start—just constant exhaustion and stuff like that. Don't take Xanax during the day; it'll just knock you out even harder. Only use it if your sleep is totally messed up.

Hello everyone. I started taking Luxe on Saturday. I've been on 25 mg for about three weeks now. I am experiencing terrible nausea—it feels like I’m constantly on the verge of vomiting. Some people have mentioned having issues with reflux as well, but one doctor I spoke with noted that if these symptoms persist beyond five or six days, it might be time to consider an alternative treatment. What has your experience been? I need to know how long I should wait for this to pass; it feels awful and I still have to work. I have absolutely no appetite, and whatever little I do manage to eat takes hours to digest. 🙂

shadowfox75 said:Hello everyone. I started taking Luxe on Saturday. I've been on 25 mg for about three weeks now. I am experiencing terrible nausea—it feels like I’m constantly on the verge of vomiting. Some people have mentioned having issues with reflux as well, but one doctor I spoke with noted that if these symptoms persist beyond five or six days, it might be time to consider an alternative treatment. What has your experience been? I need to know how long I should wait for this to pass; it feels awful and I still have to work. I have absolutely no appetite, and whatever little I do manage to eat takes hours to digest. 🙂

Nausea and losing your appetite are pretty standard early side effects for any SSRI antidepressant, including your Zoloft.

When I first started Paxil, the nausea was brutal for the first week, and I definitely had zero appetite for at least 2 or 3 weeks. No vomiting for me, though.

It does pass. Now, my appetite is actually way better than it was before. I honestly wish the nausea hadn't lasted quite so long. 😁

Don't overthink it too much. Just try to eat something you actually like whenever you feel up to it. This nausea won't last forever. 😉

Quincy:

Michael Hill2 As specified by: Nausea and a loss of appetite are standard initial side effects for any SSRI antidepressant, including your Zoloft. When I first started taking Paxil, the nausea was intense during that first week. For about two or three weeks after that, I had absolutely no appetite, though I didn't experience any vomiting. It will pass. My appetite has actually increased significantly compared to before, though I do wish the nausea hadn't lasted quite so long. 😁 Don't overthink it. Just eat whatever sounds good to you when you feel ready; the nausea won't last forever. 😉

Thank you so much for your response. It truly means a lot to me, as the nausea is becoming quite overwhelming, and I just want to avoid getting sick. I am going to try my best to push through this, because I don't want these side effects to drive me to quit my medication. Tomorrow will be day five—the halfway point of this week. If the nausea persists, we will just take things one step at a time.

shadowfox75 said:Quincy:

Michael Hill2 As specified by: Nausea and a loss of appetite are standard initial side effects for any SSRI antidepressant, including your Zoloft. When I first started taking Paxil, the nausea was intense during that first week. For about two or three weeks after that, I had absolutely no appetite, though I didn't experience any vomiting. It will pass. My appetite has actually increased significantly compared to before, though I do wish the nausea hadn't lasted quite so long. 😁 Don't overthink it. Just eat whatever sounds good to you when you feel ready; the nausea won't last forever. 😉

Thank you so much for your response. It truly means a lot to me, as the nausea is becoming quite overwhelming, and I just want to avoid getting sick. I am going to try my best to push through this, because I don't want these side effects to drive me to quit my medication. Tomorrow will be day five—the halfway point of this week. If the nausea persists, we will just take things one step at a time.

Don't mention it. 🙂

The nausea should pass. I read somewhere that a few sips of Coca-Cola can actually help quite a bit. I don't usually suggest it since I try to avoid caffeine whenever possible, but it might be worth a shot. 🙂

Well, I suppose it’s time for me to chime in again. I can't even remember the last time I posted here, but here is the short version of my situation. Previously, I was taking one dose of Zoloft in the morning, some sedatives on an as-needed basis, and 100mg of Lunesta at night to try and get some sleep. However, everything just seemed to be getting worse. I kept going back for checkups, but I guess they wouldn't change anything for the longest time. That changed recently; for about a week now, I've been on two doses of Trintellix—one in the morning and one in the afternoon—plus 300mg of Seroquel XR at night. And honestly, I am finally sleeping normally... I am curious, though—has anyone else ever taken Trintellix? What is your experience with it? I have to admit, I had never even heard of this specific AD before.

My psychiatrist recommended I try Trintellix. It’s taken at night and works by targeting melatonin receptors... it’s covered $35 under my insurance plan, which is great. Everything sounds perfect except for one thing: elevated liver enzymes are a pretty common side effect 😲 so I'll have to do constant blood work to monitor my liver levels—at three, six, twelve, twenty-four months, and then just whenever they feel like it. It's making me a little nervous. Anyone have any experience with this?

redpilot37 said:My psychiatrist recommended I try Trintellix. It’s taken at night and works by targeting melatonin receptors... it’s covered $35 under my insurance plan, which is great. Everything sounds perfect except for one thing: elevated liver enzymes are a pretty common side effect 😲 so I'll have to do constant blood work to monitor my liver levels—at three, six, twelve, twenty-four months, and then just whenever they feel like it. It's making me a little nervous. Anyone have any experience with this?

I suppose there isn't really anything to be afraid of... we actually had a psychiatrist give a presentation during one of our meetings regarding these specific side effects mentioned in the paperwork. She argued that you should never even read them before starting a medication because you'll likely just end up autosuggesting that you're experiencing them. Instead, you should probably just take the medication for about ten days first. In my case, I think it mentions needing blood work monitoring for Coaxil too, but my doctor didn't seem particularly concerned about it...

Grace Ross62 said:Has anyone else dealt with intense drowsiness right when they first started on Zoloft? If someone is reacting this way, would it be a smart move to take Xanax to counteract the sleepiness, or is it better to just push through and let those initial side effects settle down?

How on earth can you feel sleepy from Zoloft?? Serious drowsiness? There is absolutely no way that's coming from the Zoloft itself. That drug belongs to a class of medications that is supposed to boost your mood and "up" your energy; saying Zoloft makes you sleepy is like saying you took speed and immediately fell asleep... honestly, just go ask a psychiatrist. It might be some other medication entirely, because it definitely isn't Zoloft—you aren't even supposed to take it within five or six hours of bedtime because it usually causes insomnia.

shadowbear9 said:How on earth can you feel sleepy from Zoloft?? Serious drowsiness? There is absolutely no way that's coming from the Zoloft itself. That drug belongs to a class of medications that is supposed to boost your mood and "up" your energy; saying Zoloft makes you sleepy is like saying you took speed and immediately fell asleep... honestly, just go ask a psychiatrist. It might be some other medication entirely, because it definitely isn't Zoloft—you aren't even supposed to take it within five or six hours of bedtime because it usually causes insomnia.

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restlesstiger49 said:Quick question here...
Has anyone else using Velafax dealt with those sudden, random muscle spasms popping up in different parts of the body?

Hold on just a second, because I am actually going through this too. :| It first started when my entire system just completely gave out. I actually fainted during a final exam—I hadn't eaten or slept in three days because I had three finals lined up in one day, which was typical for my college years. I ended up having some sort of episode that they initially thought might be epilepsy, but it wasn't; I guess my body just buckled under the sheer amount of pressure. I dealt with those uncontrolled spasms for quite a while, maybe once every few days, but lately, whenever I lie down in bed and try to relax, the twitching gets much worse. Now, as I'm trying to wind down and fall asleep, I get these intense jerks almost every ninety seconds. What on earth is happening?

And as for the dreams, I’ve been having these incredibly vivid, cinematic dreams over the last week since I started taking 300 mg of Zyprexa. I could practically film an entire movie episode from just one dream because the detail is so intense. Not that it bothers me, though—on the contrary. 🙂I mean, I've dreamed every single day for as long as I can remember, but this is truly surreal. It's wild.

shadowbear9 said:I suppose there isn't really anything to be afraid of... we actually had a psychiatrist give a presentation during one of our meetings regarding these specific side effects mentioned in the paperwork. She argued that you should never even read them before starting a medication because you'll likely just end up autosuggesting that you're experiencing them. Instead, you should probably just take the medication for about ten days first. In my case, I think it mentions needing blood work monitoring for Coaxil too, but my doctor didn't seem particularly concerned about it...

I think I'll stick with the Zoloft Ad. It showed some serious Toxic effects on the liver, which is the only one, but it's a big deal...☕

Hey there.

I've been on Zoloft Ad for about a year and a half now, and in that time, I've packed on about 45 pounds. I'm pretty sure it's the medication, though I did quit smoking for a while during that stretch, and I don't get much exercise—not that I was particularly active before starting the meds either, so I wasn't exactly thin back then. I brought this up with my psychiatrist, and instead of switching me over to Zeldox like I actually requested, he put me on Risperdal. I wanted Zeldox because I've read on various forums that it’s basically the only antipsychotic that doesn't cause massive weight gain, and that some people even managed to drop the weight they gained from other drugs by switching to it. I've been on this Risperdal for ten days now, and honestly, I haven't noticed any difference in my appetite at all. I'm still eating constantly and feeling perpetually hungry. So, next time I see my doctor, I'm going to insist on Zeldox. I'm hoping it might actually help curb the hunger, though I am a bit wary of the side effects; I tried Zeldox once before and it left me feeling completely stiff and rigid, which was a nightmare since I was out in the middle of downtown when

...back when I was completely paralyzed and the paramedics had to rush out to get me—who knows who saw me looking like that, honestly—and then my psychiatrist ended up pulling me off their list. That was six years ago. I have no idea how all of this is going to weigh on me now. But I really need to find a way to drop some weight, because being called fat is doing a number on my mental health...

shadowbear9 said:I suppose there isn't really anything to be afraid of... we actually had a psychiatrist give a presentation during one of our meetings regarding these specific side effects mentioned in the paperwork. She argued that you should never even read them before starting a medication because you'll likely just end up autosuggesting that you're experiencing them. Instead, you should probably just take the medication for about ten days first. In my case, I think it mentions needing blood work monitoring for Coaxil too, but my doctor didn't seem particularly concerned about it...

Wellbutrin is widely considered the mildest antidepressant out there, typically presenting the fewest side effects.

redpilot37 said:My psychiatrist recommended I try Trintellix. It’s taken at night and works by targeting melatonin receptors... it’s covered $35 under my insurance plan, which is great. Everything sounds perfect except for one thing: elevated liver enzymes are a pretty common side effect 😲 so I'll have to do constant blood work to monitor my liver levels—at three, six, twelve, twenty-four months, and then just whenever they feel like it. It's making me a little nervous. Anyone have any experience with this?

My doctor pitched the exact same thing to me, but the moment she mentioned the requirement for perpetual liver function monitoring, I shut the whole idea down immediately. There was just no way. Even though I already keep an eye on my levels regularly, I couldn't bring myself to take that extra risk; I have my own specific reasons for passing on it. For me, the typical side effects usually manifest as anxiety and tremors, but when you start talking about potential liver complications, it becomes a much heavier weight to carry.

My liver...

Milk Thistle... yeah, right. Total waste of time when it comes to liver support.
I've been popping them every single day since I started taking psych meds.

Back when I attempted suicide by overdosing on a massive amount of Zyprexa (don't go there... I've already posted about that in another thread), my liver enzymes were actually perfect two days later... everything in my bloodwork was spotless. Even the doctors were tripping out over how normal it looked.

I'm convinced it’s the Milk Thistle doing the heavy lifting.

Smith! I think I’ve finally decided to get back on an antidepressant. The last one I was on was Paxil—and man, I put on nearly 20 pounds in just two months...
I really want something that won't cause weight gain this time. So, I'm looking for your experiences: what caused weight gain for you, and what didn't? Also, if an antidepressant *does* make you gain weight, how do you fight it—diet, exercise... what actually works? Thanks in advance! 🙂

shadowbear9 said:Hold on just a second, because I am actually going through this too. :| It first started when my entire system just completely gave out. I actually fainted during a final exam—I hadn't eaten or slept in three days because I had three finals lined up in one day, which was typical for my college years. I ended up having some sort of episode that they initially thought might be epilepsy, but it wasn't; I guess my body just buckled under the sheer amount of pressure. I dealt with those uncontrolled spasms for quite a while, maybe once every few days, but lately, whenever I lie down in bed and try to relax, the twitching gets much worse. Now, as I'm trying to wind down and fall asleep, I get these intense jerks almost every ninety seconds. What on earth is happening?

And as for the dreams, I’ve been having these incredibly vivid, cinematic dreams over the last week since I started taking 300 mg of Zyprexa. I could practically film an entire movie episode from just one dream because the detail is so intense. Not that it bothers me, though—on the contrary. 🙂I mean, I've dreamed every single day for as long as I can remember, but this is truly surreal. It's wild.

I’ve been getting those sudden jerks myself, right at the moment I'm finally starting to drift off during an afternoon nap. 😁It was happening for about a week straight. Now, it’s finally let up. As for those dreams, it seems like they're a direct side effect of the Velafax. I've been doing well on it for the last three weeks, but strangely enough, that's exactly when I started remembering my dreams more often. The problem is, they aren't exactly pleasant—they feel more like night terrors, and I've been waking up constantly throughout the night because of them.
Lately, I’ve been waking up feeling pretty exhausted, even if I manage to get eight hours of sleep or more. To make matters worse, my muscles have been aching like crazy. Have you dealt with anything similar? I'm thinking it might be time to head to the doctor for some blood work. 🤷

Back when I went through my suicide attempt and overdosed on a massive amount of medication... I’ve been thinking a lot about Seroquel lately. It's one of those medications that really stays on your mind once you start using it.

I’ve decided to call one of our fellow forum members "Dragon Lady" because of how she managed to survive that ordeal with her medication. And honestly? I think I'll start calling you that too. 😁 Man, even 12.5 mg of this stuff—you know, the generic Quetiapine—absolutely wrecks me.

I think I might have taken a wrong turn somewhere with that last one. My brain feels like it’s running on a low battery today—kind of like that feeling you get when you’ve had way too much coffee and then suddenly hit a wall around 3 PM. I was trying to find the right words, but I think I just ended up typing nonsense instead. Anyway, let's try this again. Sometimes you just have to laugh at yourself and start over. What was I actually trying to say? Give me a second to pull it together. kaže:
You’re overthinking everything, man. Honestly, it sounds like you're just letting those paranoid thoughts run circles around you.

I’m just sharing what I know about neuroleptics and psychotropic meds based on my own lived experience. Here’s a slightly longer piece from someone else who writes in a very similar style to mine:
I stumbled upon this guide on psychotropic drugs recently, and honestly, it’s a pretty heavy read if you aren't expecting it. It covers everything from how these medications actually interact with your brain chemistry to the long-term stuff people often overlook. It reminded me of a conversation I had a few years back with a buddy of mine—he was going through a rough patch and was prescribed a cocktail of meds that left him feeling like he was walking through waist-deep mud most days. We spent hours just talking about the balance between finding stability and losing that sense of "self" that makes you, you. It’s a delicate tightrope walk, isn't it? The document dives deep into the mechanics of things like Xanax or Seroquel, explaining why they work and, more importantly, what the trade-offs are. It's not just clinical jargon, either; it tries to bridge that gap between medical science and the actual lived experience of someone trying to navigate mental health challenges in America. If you've ever felt overwhelmed by a prescription pad or just want to understand the "why" behind the pills, this is worth a look. It's structured well, though it definitely requires some focus to get through the denser parts. Just stay mindful—it's a lot to process all at once.

Honestly, I have to say, the meds really do make a massive difference. It’s hard to put into words sometimes, but they truly help get things back on track.

Sleep aids definitely help when you're staring at the ceiling at 3 AM, making it easier to drift off, but everyone knows the catch—they’re highly addictive. I’ve struggled with that myself. What I don't quite get, though, is how antipsychotics or antidepressants are supposed to work for sleep. In my experience, they didn't do a thing for me. To be honest, I still feel like we're missing the mark entirely. I keep coming back to this alternative approach they use over in Scandinavia—it's incredibly effective there, helping about 85% of people dealing with mental health issues. If we actually had access to that kind of care here in the States, things would be a whole lot different. 🙂
I watched that video, and man, it really got me thinking about how much our perspective changes depending on what we’re going through at the moment. It’s one of those things where you think you have a handle on everything, and then a clip like this just hits you right in the gut. It reminded me of a few years back when I was working a pretty high-stress gig over in Chicago. I remember sitting in my apartment, feeling completely burnt out, just staring at the wall and wondering if I was actually making any progress in life. Back then, I felt like I was running on a treadmill that was set just a little too fast—you know that feeling? You're putting in all this effort, but the scenery never actually changes. There's a certain kind of weight to these discussions that you don't always get in everyday conversation. We spend so much time talking about the surface-level stuff—work, weather, what we had for dinner—that we rarely stop to dive into the deeper, more existential questions. But honestly, I think those moments are where the real growth happens. It's uncomfortable, sure, but staying in that comfort zone is how you end up feeling stuck. Anyway, I'm curious what everyone else thought. Did it resonate with you, or am I just getting deep in my old age? Let me know.

Look, if we’re being honest, there isn't even much point in debating this one—psychotherapy is absolutely central to the whole healing process. It's the foundation. Without that work, everything else just feels like you're putting a band-aid on a deep wound.

Look, I’ll say it again—we aren't seeing the full picture here. There are people out there who recover 85% of the time without even touching psych meds, or maybe just using a tiny amount to take the edge off. But then you look at this forum, and it feels like everyone is constantly tethered to a prescription. It’s like people have started treating these pills like they're some kind of divine savior. They just keep swallowing handfuls of them, yet you rarely see any actual improvement.