Psychotropic medication discussion thread

Took some Melatonin tonight and finally got some decent sleep. I might actually need to stay disciplined and keep doing this; I slept like a baby, just total deep sleep. Honestly, feeling pretty good about it.

Brandon Lopez6 said:I'm more of a vodka guy, honestly. 😒
Man, I could really go for a drink right about now. Something strong. 😬

Might be time to ditch the Zoloft... honestly feels like it isn't even doing anything for me anymore. ☕

I had some vodka yesterday and again today, and I realize that probably isn't the best move. Personally, I don't feel any immediate side effects from mixing pills and alcohol, but I know it can't be good for my system in the long run. For what it's worth, my psychiatrist knows that I sometimes have three or four beers a week and doesn't make an issue of it—at least, that's what I asked him. He told me one or two is fine when you're out, but no more than that. Since I take Elicea, I suppose it depends on what specifically you're drinking. This situation with the brandy was an exception, and truth be told, I haven't been drinking much otherwise.
Don't take this as an invitation to go drinking, but if you're thinking about having a beer, definitely check with your psych first. If you're on Adverity, definitely stay away from the hard stuff.

Skicka

restlesstrucker15 said:

I had some vodka yesterday and again today, and I realize that probably isn't the best move. Personally, I don't feel any immediate side effects from mixing pills and alcohol, but I know it can't be good for my system in the long run. For what it's worth, my psychiatrist knows that I sometimes have three or four beers a week and doesn't make an issue of it—at least, that's what I asked him. He told me one or two is fine when you're out, but no more than that. Since I take Elicea, I suppose it depends on what specifically you're drinking. This situation with the brandy was an exception, and truth be told, I haven't been drinking much otherwise.
Don't take this as an invitation to go drinking, but if you're thinking about having a beer, definitely check with your psych first. If you're on Adverity, definitely stay away from the hard stuff.

Skicka

I had some vodka yesterday and again today, and I realize that probably isn't the best move. Personally, I don't feel any immediate side effects from mixing pills and alcohol, but I know it can't be good for my system in the long run. For what it's worth, my psychiatrist knows that I sometimes have three or four beers a week and doesn't make an issue of it—at least, that's what I asked him. He told me one or two is fine when you're out, but no more than that. Since I take Elicea, I suppose it depends on what specifically you're drinking. This situation with the brandy was an exception, and truth be told, I haven't been drinking much otherwise.
Don't take this as an invitation to go drinking, but if you're thinking about having a beer, definitely check with your psych first. If you're on Adverity, definitely stay away from the hard stuff.

Skicka
I'm on Xanax, Adverity, and an anti-epileptic. Plus some stomach meds... so I highly doubt it's a good idea for me to drink.😁

Brandon Lopez6 said:I had some vodka yesterday and again today, and I realize that probably isn't the best move. Personally, I don't feel any immediate side effects from mixing pills and alcohol, but I know it can't be good for my system in the long run. For what it's worth, my psychiatrist knows that I sometimes have three or four beers a week and doesn't make an issue of it—at least, that's what I asked him. He told me one or two is fine when you're out, but no more than that. Since I take Elicea, I suppose it depends on what specifically you're drinking. This situation with the brandy was an exception, and truth be told, I haven't been drinking much otherwise.
Don't take this as an invitation to go drinking, but if you're thinking about having a beer, definitely check with your psych first. If you're on Adverity, definitely stay away from the hard stuff.

Skicka

I'm on Xanax, Adverity, and an anti-epileptic. Plus some stomach meds... so I highly doubt it's a good idea for me to drink.😁

Don't do it, absolutely not 🙂 once you settle into the Adverity, you might 😉

Skicka

Jason Vaughn482 said:Reading this makes me reflect; you see, I’ve been on Xanax for years, yet I have never experienced that sense of bliss, that profound silence, or whatever blissful state you describe. For me, if I am agitated or panicking, taking Xanax simply makes me feel "normal" again... it doesn't actually help with sleep, so I also take a little Calix, along with some Melatonin, which means my insomnia is much more pronounced than yours, but the downside is that I find it impossible to wake up in the morning...

I have the exact same experience with Xanax. It simply "resets" you to baseline by stripping away that pathological tension. Honestly, though, that feeling of returning to normal is such a godsend when you're in the middle of a crisis and finally let go of that tightness.
I probably sound like an addict, but I personally try my hardest to save that specific anti-anxiety med for those absolute worst-case scenarios (which don't happen all that often).

restlesstiger49 said:I have the exact same experience with Xanax. It simply "resets" you to baseline by stripping away that pathological tension. Honestly, though, that feeling of returning to normal is such a godsend when you're in the middle of a crisis and finally let go of that tightness.
I probably sound like an addict, but I personally try my hardest to save that specific anti-anxiety med for those absolute worst-case scenarios (which don't happen all that often).

It’s nice to feel human again when your basic life functions are totally trashed. I wouldn't even say that if the context were different—I mean, we aren't talking about phobias, crippling anxiety, or panic attacks and all that other dark stuff.🤷

My primary care doctor is driving me absolutely insane. She’s refusing to let me stay on my sleep meds anymore, saying I can only take them for three weeks max. I’ve been on 10 mg doses for four years straight. Now, I’ve got just enough left to try tapering down to 5 mg so I can finally get off this stuff. To make matters worse, my psychiatrist told me to just switch over to 0.25 mg of Xanax because she claims there isn't anything else she can give me. Honestly? Xanax does nothing for me. I honestly can't even remember the last time I actually slept through the night. I struggle to drift off, then I’m wide awake again after three hours, and then I’m staring at the ceiling for another two or three. 😵There has to be something out there that actually works for sleeping. This whole situation is a total nightmare. 🙂

urbanskipper4 said:My primary care doctor is driving me absolutely insane. She’s refusing to let me stay on my sleep meds anymore, saying I can only take them for three weeks max. I’ve been on 10 mg doses for four years straight. Now, I’ve got just enough left to try tapering down to 5 mg so I can finally get off this stuff. To make matters worse, my psychiatrist told me to just switch over to 0.25 mg of Xanax because she claims there isn't anything else she can give me. Honestly? Xanax does nothing for me. I honestly can't even remember the last time I actually slept through the night. I struggle to drift off, then I’m wide awake again after three hours, and then I’m staring at the ceiling for another two or three. 😵There has to be something out there that actually works for sleeping. This whole situation is a total nightmare. 🙂

There are plenty of hypnotics and other types of sleep aids out there—Xanax isn't actually a sleep medication, it's meant for anxiety.

urbanskipper4 said:My primary care doctor is driving me absolutely insane. She’s refusing to let me stay on my sleep meds anymore, saying I can only take them for three weeks max. I’ve been on 10 mg doses for four years straight. Now, I’ve got just enough left to try tapering down to 5 mg so I can finally get off this stuff. To make matters worse, my psychiatrist told me to just switch over to 0.25 mg of Xanax because she claims there isn't anything else she can give me. Honestly? Xanax does nothing for me. I honestly can't even remember the last time I actually slept through the night. I struggle to drift off, then I’m wide awake again after three hours, and then I’m staring at the ceiling for another two or three. 😵There has to be something out there that actually works for sleeping. This whole situation is a total nightmare. 🙂

Of course there is, but it’s not really in the hands of your GP anymore—that’s a job for a psychiatrist.😉

Either way, insomnia isn't some isolated glitch in the system. It’s always a symptom of something else lurking underneath, whether it's anxiety, depression, or something else entirely.

When I first saw my shrink, he shut down the idea that it was "just" insomnia right away. He told me it almost always comes packaged with another disorder, so you have to fix the root cause if you want the sleep to actually come back.

Bottom line: you should probably see a specialist to figure out what's actually driving the sleeplessness. Once you know that, you'll have actual options—antidepressants, antipsychotics, whatever works.

Just popping Ambien or xanax without a plan doesn't make sense. In the long run, you're just doing damage to yourself without actually fixing the underlying issue.😉

Good luck.🙂

urbanskipper4 said:My primary care doctor is driving me absolutely insane. She’s refusing to let me stay on my sleep meds anymore, saying I can only take them for three weeks max. I’ve been on 10 mg doses for four years straight. Now, I’ve got just enough left to try tapering down to 5 mg so I can finally get off this stuff. To make matters worse, my psychiatrist told me to just switch over to 0.25 mg of Xanax because she claims there isn't anything else she can give me. Honestly? Xanax does nothing for me. I honestly can't even remember the last time I actually slept through the night. I struggle to drift off, then I’m wide awake again after three hours, and then I’m staring at the ceiling for another two or three. 😵There has to be something out there that actually works for sleeping. This whole situation is a total nightmare. 🙂

I'm navigating the exact same labyrinth. My doctor refuses to give me any more Ambien unless I pay out-of-pocket for a private prescription. I've been stuck on 10 mg for four years, yet now they're trying to hand me Cerson at 5 mg, which is useless—I need the full 10 mg just to shut my brain down. In a perfect world, I’d love to kick both the Ambien and the Cerson habit, but I'm staring at a void where the solution should be. I take xanax during the day, but it provides zero help when night falls. To make matters worse, the headaches have become relentless lately; I find myself reaching for Excedrin first thing in the morning just to function.

There is also something called Ambien Zoloft—wait, no, I mean something like Lunesta—that might knock you out initially, though the effectiveness seems to wane over time... and there's another hypnotic medication floating around somewhere, I can't recall the name right now, maybe someone else here knows.

urbanskipper4, you really need to sit down and have a serious talk with a psychiatrist. I know there are still some hypnotics available, but relying on them long-term just isn't a sustainable solution. I’ve been taking San Francisco for years now, and honestly, it doesn't even touch the problem anymore, which has left me in a real bind. I've gone through all the different hypnotics, and they simply don't work for me at this stage. There are other types of medication out there, but only a psychiatrist can evaluate your specific situation and decide if they are appropriate for you.
I suspect Jason Vaughn482 might be referring to Dormicum, which isn't even on the list, but taking that is a one-way street. Looking back, I truly don't understand why I was ever prescribed it or why I stayed on it for so long.

Best,

Thanks to fadedbear92, Michael Hill2, Jason Vaughn482, and restlesstrucker15 for all the help and replies.

Michael Hill2: says she's an OCD freak.😵She’s on Anafranil and Aurorix right now. Apparently, the insomnia started back when she was trying out Prozac, Fevarin, and Seroquel. Even though she isn't even taking those
meds anymore, she's developed this massive dependency on San Francisco and now she can't sleep a wink without it.

I know, I know—I really should get off the San Francisco.
But honestly, someone just needs to give me something else because without it, I don't sleep and I can't function at work. My job comes with a ton of responsibility.
I'll have to see my psychiatrist for a check-up anyway, so hopefully she can swap it for something else to help me sleep.

restlesstrucker15: I heard Dormicum is brutal? I have this sinking feeling I'm never going to get free from sleeping pills. Honestly, it would have been better if I'd never started them in the first place.

Jason Vaughn482, can you actually get San Francisco on a private prescription? Like, which one—the blue or the black kind?

What should I take instead of San Francisco? Anyone got any suggestions? Just curious, though I am definitely seeing my psychiatrist regardless. Peace to everyone.

urbanskipper4 said:Jason Vaughn482, can you actually get San Francisco on a private prescription? Like, which one—the blue or the black kind?

What should I take instead of San Francisco? Anyone got any suggestions? Just curious, though I am definitely seeing my psychiatrist regardless. Peace to everyone.

I know some antipsychotics help with insomnia—like taking a low dose of Seroquel.

Another option is a tiny dose of Calixta. It’s originally an antidepressant, but if you take half a pill or less, it just hits the histamine receptors and knocks you right out. Personally, I get a solid 8 hours of sleep from it.

For the first two or three weeks, Calixta (Mirzaten) makes you feel drowsy or slightly sedated during the day, but that wears off. After that, I don't feel sluggish anymore; I just sleep soundly without waking up.

My main issues are anxiety, mild OCD, and insomnia. I usually take Fevarin as my primary antidepressant and about 1/6 of a Mirzaten pill to sleep. So far, it works pretty well.😉

Michael Hill2 said:I know some antipsychotics help with insomnia—like taking a low dose of Seroquel.

Another option is a tiny dose of Calixta. It’s originally an antidepressant, but if you take half a pill or less, it just hits the histamine receptors and knocks you right out. Personally, I get a solid 8 hours of sleep from it.

For the first two or three weeks, Calixta (Mirzaten) makes you feel drowsy or slightly sedated during the day, but that wears off. After that, I don't feel sluggish anymore; I just sleep soundly without waking up.

My main issues are anxiety, mild OCD, and insomnia. I usually take Fevarin as my primary antidepressant and about 1/6 of a Mirzaten pill to sleep. So far, it works pretty well.😉

Aside from those, certain anticonvulsants like Tegretol can help too—I used to sleep like a baby on it, but then I developed an allergy, so my doctor immediately pulled it and switched me over to Q-pin.

urbanskipper4 said:Jason Vaughn482, can you actually get San Francisco on a private prescription? Like, which one—the blue or the black kind?

What should I take instead of San Francisco? Anyone got any suggestions? Just curious, though I am definitely seeing my psychiatrist regardless. Peace to everyone.

You can get it in 5mg or 10mg doses.
Otherwise, you can get Cerston on a standard prescription, which is covered by insurance.

Michael Hill2 said:I know some antipsychotics help with insomnia—like taking a low dose of Seroquel.

Another option is a tiny dose of Calixta. It’s originally an antidepressant, but if you take half a pill or less, it just hits the histamine receptors and knocks you right out. Personally, I get a solid 8 hours of sleep from it.

For the first two or three weeks, Calixta (Mirzaten) makes you feel drowsy or slightly sedated during the day, but that wears off. After that, I don't feel sluggish anymore; I just sleep soundly without waking up.

My main issues are anxiety, mild OCD, and insomnia. I usually take Fevarin as my primary antidepressant and about 1/6 of a Mirzaten pill to sleep. So far, it works pretty well.😉

That might work for you, but we aren't all cut from the same cloth; for me, Calixta only helped during the initial stages when I could drift off within thirty minutes, but now, after several years, I actually need 10 mg of San Francisco, which equates to roughly 7.5 mg of Calixta... anything less than that just doesn't touch the sides. And that's assuming I haven't had a grueling day—like yesterday, which was mentally exhausting—because last night, even with 15 mg of Calixta and 15 mg of Cersona, I couldn't catch a wink of sleep. I was tossing and turning from 10 PM until 3 AM, getting up at least five times to scavenge for sweets just to cope. Today, I am absolutely exhausted. It goes to show that every body reacts differently, and honestly, I'm no expert on whether it's wise to officially start relying on antipsychotics just to get some rest.

Jason Vaughn482 said:thanks, I haven't heard of that one yet, but I'll definitely ask my doctor about sleep options. Maybe that Carbamazepine... honestly, I'm just exhausted from dealing with Valium and Calixte👎

Honestly, if I were you, I'd stop suffering and look into Q-pin or something based on Quetiapine. Worst case scenario? It doesn't work for you and you just stop taking it. But if it actually hits the spot, you can finally say goodbye to the Valium and Calixte once and for all. 👏

fadedbear92 said:Aside from those, certain anticonvulsants like Tegretol can help too—I used to sleep like a baby on it, but then I developed an allergy, so my doctor immediately pulled it and switched me over to Q-pin.

I tried Carbamazepine once. Honestly? It made me feel sick to my stomach... like, total nausea, and my head felt all weird and foggy.

Jason Vaughn482 said:That might work for you, but we aren't all cut from the same cloth; for me, Calixta only helped during the initial stages when I could drift off within thirty minutes, but now, after several years, I actually need 10 mg of San Francisco, which equates to roughly 7.5 mg of Calixta... anything less than that just doesn't touch the sides. And that's assuming I haven't had a grueling day—like yesterday, which was mentally exhausting—because last night, even with 15 mg of Calixta and 15 mg of Cersona, I couldn't catch a wink of sleep. I was tossing and turning from 10 PM until 3 AM, getting up at least five times to scavenge for sweets just to cope. Today, I am absolutely exhausted. It goes to show that every body reacts differently, and honestly, I'm no expert on whether it's wise to officially start relying on antipsychotics just to get some rest.

Well, your doctor will have to make that call for you.
And anyway, Valium is really just meant to help you drift off, not to keep you asleep through the night—that's probably where the Calixte does more of the heavy lifting for you.🤔