Psychotropic medication discussion thread

shadowbear9 said:Can anyone tell me anything about Coaxil? I’ve been taking it for months now and things haven't improved at all—in fact, everything just keeps getting worse and worse and worse. Honestly, I feel like I might just intentionally mess things up this time because I have zero desire to live anymore. Screw these ads! Please, just give me some advice on the strongest alternative I can ask for, because this stuff feels like absolute garbage to me... I can't tolerate this any longer. Either someone changes my prescription or they send me straight to a psychiatric ward, because if I don't get help, I might actually lash out at someone from how incredibly nervous and agitated I am. 🙂

It's actually amitriptyline
It mentions being a tricyclic antidepressant—one of the older classes—so you should check out the other link regarding what they use instead of them now
1.http://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/
2.https://www.mayoclinic.org/

Is there any antidepressant listed here that you haven't tried yet?

Brandon Lopez6 said:I’m not on Lamictal myself, but I am taking a different antiepileptic.
I take mine at night before hitting the sack and honestly, haven't noticed much difference 🤷.
I'm on 2x25mg

It did clear up my dissociation and those crazy mood swings for me—not like full-on bipolar stuff, just more like constant, heavy PMS 😬. That was it. It didn't really touch my sleep either way, and I didn't deal with any side effects.

thanks

fadedbear92 said:It’s been a long time for me, but I only used it as a mood stabilizer—it didn't really have a sedative effect on me at all.

That's a small dose. I see others taking several hundred mg a day, so I figure it'll be fine as a stabilizer and for preventing those dysrhythmic headaches.

I guess Lorsilan was actually really effective for my sleep—the stronger version, too. I’d finally get some decent rest and wake up feeling actually refreshed. But I don't have any left, and I haven't been back to see my doctor lately. As for the 15 mg Fluoxetine, it helped at first, but I think it lost its punch pretty quickly. Honestly, my sleep is just terrible most nights. I've tried antidepressants before; the longest I stayed on Cipralex was about three weeks at 10 mg. It felt like it was helping, maybe... I definitely felt better, but I had to stop taking it abruptly because the side effects got way too intense. While I was on Cipralex, I felt calmer, which was nice. I also struggle a lot with these sudden mood swings. Sometimes everything just feels completely pointless, but then, eventually, it passes.

I was wondering, do mood stabilizers cause the same kind of side effects as antidepressants? I might be a bit of an outlier here, since what I experienced is pretty rare and quite severe... and because of those side effects, I can't really take antidepressants anymore, even though I feel like they actually help.

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mistyjackal842 said:I guess Lorsilan was actually really effective for my sleep—the stronger version, too. I’d finally get some decent rest and wake up feeling actually refreshed. But I don't have any left, and I haven't been back to see my doctor lately. As for the 15 mg Fluoxetine, it helped at first, but I think it lost its punch pretty quickly. Honestly, my sleep is just terrible most nights. I've tried antidepressants before; the longest I stayed on Cipralex was about three weeks at 10 mg. It felt like it was helping, maybe... I definitely felt better, but I had to stop taking it abruptly because the side effects got way too intense. While I was on Cipralex, I felt calmer, which was nice. I also struggle a lot with these sudden mood swings. Sometimes everything just feels completely pointless, but then, eventually, it passes.

I was wondering, do mood stabilizers cause the same kind of side effects as antidepressants? I might be a bit of an outlier here, since what I experienced is pretty rare and quite severe... and because of those side effects, I can't really take antidepressants anymore, even though I feel like they actually help.

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From what I've experienced (and what my psychiatrist told me)—no. I don't know about higher doses, but mine is pretty low.
My doc mentioned I might be a bit drowsy during the first week, but honestly, I didn't notice a thing.
To be real, I've only had positive effects from the anti-epileptic, zero side effects so far.🙂

OT
I need to go get some blood work done to check my liver. Fingers crossed everything comes back normal. I've been on anxiety meds for a long time now, plus stomach stuff, and now I'm adding an antidepressant and an anti-epileptic to the mix.
I have no clue what would happen if I had to stop everything. I'd probably have to lock myself in my house for a month and just tough it out. Trying to taper off slowly feels like just dragging out the misery, no matter how much healthier it might be.
I'll have to talk to my doctor about the Amyzol because I feel like it's stopped working. My anxiety is down, sure, but my OCD is ramping up and I've slipped into a depression. That shouldn't be happening on an AD—what's the point of taking it if I still feel like crap?

Could someone please be polite enough to actually answer my questions regarding Coaxil and Seroquel? I need to know how they work, what kind of side effects to expect, when they kick in, and just how potent they really are. I was prescribed them because of a MASSIVE depressive episode involving psychotic features—though, if I’m being honest, that label feels like a bit of an exaggeration since you can't exactly get Quetiapine just for dealing with insomnia and depression...

I feel absolutely terrible right now. I’ve started having those "dark thoughts," as the doctors call them, and I am honestly desperate enough to try anything. Which medication is the strongest? Which one is actually going to pull me out of this? I just can't keep going on like this...

shadowbear9 said:Could someone please be polite enough to actually answer my questions regarding Coaxil and Seroquel? I need to know how they work, what kind of side effects to expect, when they kick in, and just how potent they really are. I was prescribed them because of a MASSIVE depressive episode involving psychotic features—though, if I’m being honest, that label feels like a bit of an exaggeration since you can't exactly get Quetiapine just for dealing with insomnia and depression...

I feel absolutely terrible right now. I’ve started having those "dark thoughts," as the doctors call them, and I am honestly desperate enough to try anything. Which medication is the strongest? Which one is actually going to pull me out of this? I just can't keep going on like this...

I already sent you some links—that one is an older antidepressant, a tricyclic, which usually comes with a ton of side effects, so doctors rarely prescribe them nowadays.
I know Effexor is a heavy hitter, but the real question is whether it'll work for you—it completely wrecked my sleep, though I know plenty of people who swear by it.
Look, everything with antidepressants is so individual—why don't you reach out to your psychiatrist, head over to the ER, or call a crisis hotline? You have these numbers
right here.

shadowbear9 said:Could someone please be polite enough to actually answer my questions regarding Coaxil and Seroquel? I need to know how they work, what kind of side effects to expect, when they kick in, and just how potent they really are. I was prescribed them because of a MASSIVE depressive episode involving psychotic features—though, if I’m being honest, that label feels like a bit of an exaggeration since you can't exactly get Quetiapine just for dealing with insomnia and depression...

I feel absolutely terrible right now. I’ve started having those "dark thoughts," as the doctors call them, and I am honestly desperate enough to try anything. Which medication is the strongest? Which one is actually going to pull me out of this? I just can't keep going on like this...

Coaxil is a relatively mild antidepressant and doesn't typically carry heavy side effects; if it isn't cutting through the fog for you, you're going to have to look into something more aggressive. I don't know what specific dosage you've been assigned, but I know the standard routine is three times a day.

Mark Nelson said:I guess I should brag a little—over the last few months, I’ve actually managed to scale back my dose of Lorsilan. Now I’m just taking it occasionally, maybe two or three times a week, whereas before? I used to take way too many in a single day. Those panic attacks and that constant tension don't hit me nearly as often anymore. I know what I’m saying probably doesn't matter to anyone else, but I just wanted to remind people that sometimes, taking a little bit of a risk pays off. 🙂

It matters to me. 🙂

Bravooo, that is seriously huge. I'm rooting for you to keep this momentum going and eventually taper down even more. 🎉

Michael Hill2 said:It matters to me. 🙂

Bravooo, that is seriously huge. I'm rooting for you to keep this momentum going and eventually taper down even more. 🎉

🙂

Since things are moving in this direction, I really hope they stay that way. It's been a hell of a lot easier on my mind since you opened my eyes to actually doing something about it. 😍

Does anyone have any firsthand experience using Alice? If there’s a dedicated thread for this medication, please drop a link. I’m also curious about Messer. Thanks.

Mark Nelson said:🙂

Since things are moving in this direction, I really hope they stay that way. It's been a hell of a lot easier on my mind since you opened my eyes to actually doing something about it. 😍

Aww, you're too kind 😍

I just hope someone else struggling with gas prices can read about your success and realize it’s actually possible to cut down on them. 🙂

David Mitchell4 said:Does anyone have any firsthand experience using Alice? If there’s a dedicated thread for this medication, please drop a link. I’m also curious about Messer. Thanks.

on alice

messer experience

I'm really hoping some folks currently on these meds will chime in.

Thanks, fadedbear92.

Michael Hill2 said:Aww, you're too kind 😍

I just hope someone else struggling with gas prices can read about your success and realize it’s actually possible to cut down on them. 🙂

You're 🙂just the best
. To everyone out there still battling through those anxiety spikes—I wish you guys luck and a whole lot of patience. It really does get better. I mean, I still get hit with that sudden wave of panic every now and then, I guess, but I'm working on managing it myself. It happens way less often than it used to. Even my doctor doesn't feel the need to call me in for checkups nearly as much anymore.
Did you go through the same thing with the panic attacks?

Mark Nelson said:You're 🙂just the best
. To everyone out there still battling through those anxiety spikes—I wish you guys luck and a whole lot of patience. It really does get better. I mean, I still get hit with that sudden wave of panic every now and then, I guess, but I'm working on managing it myself. It happens way less often than it used to. Even my doctor doesn't feel the need to call me in for checkups nearly as much anymore.
Did you go through the same thing with the panic attacks?

Yeah, with Xanax 🙂

I was taking it for sleep for a little over two months. My whole saga with psych meds actually started because of insomnia about six months ago.

Turns out, the insomnia was the least of my problems—it was all being driven by anxiety. So, I got prescribed Paxil and started psychotherapy.

But during those first two months on Paxil, I was still dealing with intense fear about whether I’d actually be able to fall asleep. I’d take 0.5 Xanax before bed and then another 0.5 if I woke up in the middle of the night. It was a total mess; I was barely scraping together four hours of sleep a night during that first month.

After that, I could manage to fall asleep on my own, but I’d still wake up during the night, so I’d definitely take 0.25 Xanax, and that’s how the second month went.

My shrink was definitely not happy about me being on Xanax for sleep for such a long stretch. He scared the life out of me with horror stories about how bad benzos are—addiction, brain damage, and all that good stuff. So, he swapped my Xanax for a low dose of another antidepressant, Calixto, which I’m taking now to sleep, and I’m sleeping just fine.

I don't take Xanax anymore—well, maybe a 0.25 here and there, maybe once every two weeks if I figure I won't get at least seven hours of sleep (which is what Calixto requires), then I'll take half a pill and sleep like a baby.

I’m really glad my doctor basically banned me from using Xanax, because it would be so easy to get hooked on that amazing feeling it gives. For me, twenty minutes after taking it, all my worries and thoughts just vanish, leaving nothing but this beautiful, warm, relaxed silence before drifting off. Ah, I shouldn't even think about it. 🙂

Michael Hill2 said:Yeah, with Xanax 🙂

I was taking it for sleep for a little over two months. My whole saga with psych meds actually started because of insomnia about six months ago.

Turns out, the insomnia was the least of my problems—it was all being driven by anxiety. So, I got prescribed Paxil and started psychotherapy.

But during those first two months on Paxil, I was still dealing with intense fear about whether I’d actually be able to fall asleep. I’d take 0.5 Xanax before bed and then another 0.5 if I woke up in the middle of the night. It was a total mess; I was barely scraping together four hours of sleep a night during that first month.

After that, I could manage to fall asleep on my own, but I’d still wake up during the night, so I’d definitely take 0.25 Xanax, and that’s how the second month went.

My shrink was definitely not happy about me being on Xanax for sleep for such a long stretch. He scared the life out of me with horror stories about how bad benzos are—addiction, brain damage, and all that good stuff. So, he swapped my Xanax for a low dose of another antidepressant, Calixto, which I’m taking now to sleep, and I’m sleeping just fine.

I don't take Xanax anymore—well, maybe a 0.25 here and there, maybe once every two weeks if I figure I won't get at least seven hours of sleep (which is what Calixto requires), then I'll take half a pill and sleep like a baby.

I’m really glad my doctor basically banned me from using Xanax, because it would be so easy to get hooked on that amazing feeling it gives. For me, twenty minutes after taking it, all my worries and thoughts just vanish, leaving nothing but this beautiful, warm, relaxed silence before drifting off. Ah, I shouldn't even think about it. 🙂

What you said about that wonderful sense of relaxation? Yeah, I know it all too well. Lustral calms me down perfectly and chases away every bit of fear. But I guess we have to look at the long-term effects. If my brain really is deteriorating, then there isn't much of a dilemma about what to do.

My doctor never mentioned brain damage. When I told her I was tapering off the Lustral, she only brought up the possibility of addiction. She didn't prescribe any other SSRIs, she just increased my Seroquel. I don't really know what to say about it; I can only guess that there might be better solutions out there, but I'm just a layman.

I'm glad you're finally sleeping well. I guess it just took a few more tries to get there. And it sounds like you have a great doctor who explains everything clearly; I feel like I have to pull words out of my own doctor's mouth.

Mark Nelson said:What you said about that wonderful sense of relaxation? Yeah, I know it all too well. Lustral calms me down perfectly and chases away every bit of fear. But I guess we have to look at the long-term effects. If my brain really is deteriorating, then there isn't much of a dilemma about what to do.

My doctor never mentioned brain damage. When I told her I was tapering off the Lustral, she only brought up the possibility of addiction. She didn't prescribe any other SSRIs, she just increased my Seroquel. I don't really know what to say about it; I can only guess that there might be better solutions out there, but I'm just a layman.

I'm glad you're finally sleeping well. I guess it just took a few more tries to get there. And it sounds like you have a great doctor who explains everything clearly; I feel like I have to pull words out of my own doctor's mouth.

Since mine is a private specialist, they try harder to explain everything, though I do spend a massive amount of time reading up on things myself.

I think being proactive is good, and you definitely need to educate yourself about your condition and your meds, but let's be real—all this intense research is probably just another symptom of my OCD.😵

What are you taking Seroquel for? 🙂

Michael Hill2 said:Since mine is a private specialist, they try harder to explain everything, though I do spend a massive amount of time reading up on things myself.

I think being proactive is good, and you definitely need to educate yourself about your condition and your meds, but let's be real—all this intense research is probably just another symptom of my OCD.😵

What are you taking Seroquel for? 🙂

That might be it. I actually saw a private specialist back when I was in high school, and it didn't really do much for me. I wasn't even on medication back then. I remember she actually told my mom during our session that she didn't see any signs of illness at all. At the time, I was just struggling with school and adjusting to everything, so my parents sent me to her for that.

I don't have OCD, but I overanalyze absolutely everything. Every tiny little detail. It honestly drags me down into a depressive funk sometimes.
It's pretty obvious you know your stuff, and I guess your OCD just "helps" you stay informed—not literally, obviously. 👍
My diagnosis is F23.2, and I'm on Seroquel just to make sure I don't spiral out of control again.

So, just when it felt like the Effexor was finally kicking in at full strength, insomnia decided to show up. Even though I take it in the morning, I’m lying there at night feeling completely wired and restless. Could this be the medication? Or is it something else entirely? Maybe I should try the XR version. What about suicidal thoughts? Any ideation?

Edit: It looks like Effexor is definitely the culprit:

Nearly all selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors, mixed serotonin/norepinephrine reuptake inhibitors, and tricyclic antidepressants cause sleep abnormalities to some extent. These antidepressants have marked dose-dependent effects on rapid eye movement (REM) sleep, causing reductions in the overall amount of REM sleep over the night and delays the first entry into REM sleep (increased REM sleep onset latency (ROL)), both in healthy subjects and depressed patients. The antidepressants that increase serotonin function appear to have the greatest effect on REM sleep. The reduction in REM sleep is greatest early in treatment, but gradually returns towards baseline during long-term therapy; however, ROL remains long. Following discontinuation of therapy the amount of REM sleep tends to rebound. Some of these drugs (i.e., bupropion, mirtazapine, nefazodone, trazodone, trimipramine) appear to have a modest or minimal effect on REM sleep.

Source.

restlesstiger49 said:So, just when it felt like the Effexor was finally kicking in at full strength, insomnia decided to show up. Even though I take it in the morning, I’m lying there at night feeling completely wired and restless. Could this be the medication? Or is it something else entirely? Maybe I should try the XR version. What about suicidal thoughts? Any ideation?

Edit: It looks like Effexor is definitely the culprit:

Nearly all selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors, mixed serotonin/norepinephrine reuptake inhibitors, and tricyclic antidepressants cause sleep abnormalities to some extent. These antidepressants have marked dose-dependent effects on rapid eye movement (REM) sleep, causing reductions in the overall amount of REM sleep over the night and delays the first entry into REM sleep (increased REM sleep onset latency (ROL)), both in healthy subjects and depressed patients. The antidepressants that increase serotonin function appear to have the greatest effect on REM sleep. The reduction in REM sleep is greatest early in treatment, but gradually returns towards baseline during long-term therapy; however, ROL remains long. Following discontinuation of therapy the amount of REM sleep tends to rebound. Some of these drugs (i.e., bupropion, mirtazapine, nefazodone, trazodone, trimipramine) appear to have a modest or minimal effect on REM sleep.

Source.

That stuff absolutely wrecked my sleep—it was so bad I actually had to switch to a different SSRI. It took me about three weeks of a gradual taper just to get my system clear again.

I really hope you aren't dealing with the same thing, though I'm worried you might be.