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Switching Antipsychotics: Quetiapine to Olanzapine #BipolarDisorder #Quetiapine #Olanzapine #PsychiatricMedication

I’m currently on 750mg per day of Quetiapine (250mg morning and 500mg night). It’s not shifting my mania that I have been experiencing since before Christmas. On Monday I start the cross-titration to Olanzapine.

Has anyone got any experience with changing antipsychotics?

Has anyone got any experience with taking Olanzapine?

#MightyTogether

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I'm new here

Hi, I found this page from an article discussing loneliness after hospitalisation. I was hospitalised for 6 weeks early this year and have been struggling with reintegration to society ever since. I've lost a lot of friends who couldn't understand or deal with my mental health and it's been hard to discuss my wellbeing with others. I was diagnosed with BPD two years ago but the doctors changed the diagnosis to Bipolar. I believe I was misdiagnosed (family, friends and several doctors believe so too) so it doesn't help that I'm probably on the wrong medication. If anyone has been hospitalised or is sympathetic to my situation, I would love to connect and discuss :) #Hospitalization #BipolarDisorder #BorderlinePersonalityDisorder #PsychiatricMedication #MentalHealth

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Needing some support/advice #BipolarDisorder

#BipolarDisorder #Bipolar1Disorder #Medication #PsychiatricMedication #CopingTips #MentalHealth #MoodStabilizers

Let’s start with some background: as I’m sure many of y’all know or have experienced, figuring out medication with bipolar is no cake walk. I had terrible reactions to half a dozen SSRIs before anyone even thought “hey, maybe this person doesn’t have plain old depression. Let’s try something else.” And then I was allergic to the first two mood stabilizers they put me on (like deathly allergic). So when we finally found a medication I could take that worked and didn’t literally try to kill me, it was a huge relief. I have Bipolar I and, up till that point, I’d had no way of managing it, even aside from pharmaceuticals. Having a chemical mood stabilizer was amazing. My emotions were finally sorta “normal” — not alternating between “I am an immortal deity with ultimate power in this universe and beyond” and “my existence is so hopeless I might as well fade away into ghost-hood” with no in between. But there was one problem: now I felt disconnected. The medication dulled things so much I felt like I was experiencing the world through tinted glass — something I could see and hear, but couldn’t really feel, even physically, a connection to. Despite this problem, I knew that going off my medication would be far worse for my quality of life, so I kept on it.

Enter new information: I’ve been getting long, profuse, borderline dangerously frequent bloody noses consistently for months. Come to learn my mood stabilizer — the one that took over half a dozen tries to find — has been causing them. Now, excessive blood loss is not a good, so, three days ago, my meds dosage was reduced to start tapering off. And now my symptoms are reading their inconvenient heads. On the one hand, I’m finally feeling my creative spirit and connection to the energy of life again; on the other, I’ve never learned how to manage my Bipolar without medication and I’m having a lot of doubts about whether it’s even possible. So I need some help.

How have y’all managed or seen people manage Bipolar unmedicated? For those who’ve experienced withdrawal from tapering or going off medication, what are some ways you’ve managed the withdrawals and recurring symptoms? What are some ways to build support systems or some options for support systems that you’ve learned? I’d really appreciate any help y’all can give.

Much love ❤️

~Charlie

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Benzo Withdrawal - Support Wanted

Day 1. And honestly looking for some advice or support as a do this.

I've was taking Xanax (Azor here in South Africa) for a good 3 years or so, then was switched to clobazam (Urbanol) earlier this year. It's been about 4 years since I was put on benzos and while I know it's only recommended for short term use, I've remained on a low dose and my doctor only prescribed 2 months at a time.

Now, with the brain fog of Fibro getting worse and my memory giving me issues, I decided it's time to get off. I'm tapering and doc said 1/2 my usual dose every night for 2 weeks then same dose but every second day for another 2 weeks.

I took my first half dose last night and what a night it was! The nightmares and vivid dreams, waking up a lot and feeling a bit nauseous. This morning I feel super weird. Very dizzy, nauseous, tired. It also feels like someone is holding ice against my forehead and arms. And I have a strange feeling running up the back of my neck into my head, it changes from an icy feeling to a slight pins and needles feeling.

I'm not freaking out... Yet, haha... Because I know I'll experience withdrawal (I tried to do this before and failed) and right now I'm just uncomfortable and feel a little weird. However, I know it's going to get a little harder before it gets easier.

Anyone else go through benzo withdrawal after being on them for a few years? How did you manage? Any tips?

#benzo #withdrawal #detox #Xanax #Anxiety #BorderlinePersonalityDisorder #Fibromyalgia #AnxietyMedication #PsychiatricMedication #Advice

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Funny! But Also How Apathy Feels

This meme made me laugh! Laughing is such good medicine. But then I realized it sort of expresses how impossibly hard it is trying to break free of the cycle of depression, anxiety and apathy. I have so much to do, and lots of it is extremely important, like filing our taxes and preparing for our move. And yet many days even the pressure of deadlines and the threat of financial penalty does more to convince me to go hide in My Nest than it does to help me focus on the tasks I need to do. It all feels so heavy and impossible all of the time.

I found powerful help with my peace of mind through meditation (link below), and my morning light therapy sessions have been amazing for lifting my depression. I actually feel ok a lot of the time, but my terrible apathy problem remains and keeps me stuck in avoidance-mode. So frustrating!

I suspect the solution involves exercise but I am the 24/7 care-giver for my husband, who has no short-term memory and cannot be left unsupervised (and whose presence on a walk negates all of the exercise benefits of it.) So you see? The meme’s absurd math problem is exactly how my life feels. Cheers!

Mooji’s Invitation to Freedom: youtu.be/ptcINj_7tcI.
(If the link has expired, just go to YouTube and run a search for “Mooji invitation to freedom”.

#apathy #Depression #BipolarDepression #Anxiety #MajorDepressiveDisorder #SocialAnxiety #Fibromyalgia #ChronicFatigue #PsychiatricMedication

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To Those Who Are Misunderstood, You Are Not Alone

I lost interest in almost everything, that I lost myself too.

In junior high school, I, tagged as rebellious, reckless, tactless, extremely “lazy,” and undisciplined, was misunderstood and scorched. None, including the guidance counselors, sought symptoms of my condition. The faculty came up with ridiculous assumptions regarding the causes of my onerous behavior and attitude, which made my reputation even worse. Little did I notice that the treatment I received from my fellow students and the faculty made my mental illnesses worse—shunned from the school community. Yet, during those years, no one knew how hard I was dealing with my personal issues, but I couldn’t utter nor scream for help because even I couldn’t understand my mental state; mental illness wasn’t an acceptable condition. In my senior year, I was in a new academic environment. People around me were fantastic and loving. However, despite their love and support, the chaos inside my head persisted, and my behavior deteriorated. There came to a point wherein my illnesses got severe, wherein I attempted multiple suicides and self-harm, but I survived them. Despite the inner turmoil, suicide attempts, and self-harm, a part of me never gave up.

After a psychologist conducted a psychological assessment in my new school, my results indicated that I may be mentally ill. There, I realized that I should seek professional help. It took me 5 years to accept the fact that I am mentally ill and took me 6 years to get professional help. After all, I've realized that I was not a bad person, only misunderstood and untreated. The medication and awareness that I received uplifted my mental health. Although there's no assurance that lapses can be completely eradicated, at least, there is progress.

I am very fortunate and grateful to be surrounded by supportive friends and family who accept and help me with my personal predicaments. Together, they and I saved me.

#BipolarDisorder #Bipolar2Disorder #HighSchool #Therapy #PsychiatricMedication #MentalHealth #MentalHealthAwareness #untreated #misunderstood #Awareness #Positivity

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Aging on medications #MentalHealth #PsychiatricMedication #Bipolar #SideEffects

Hi, mighty friends! I was recently looking up info on psychoactive drugs that I use or may be prescribed. It seems like all atypical antipsychotics and related meds were stated to not be used for geriatric/elderly patient treatment. That led me to wonder what options I will have in the coming years and if my current drugs may be too detrimental to my physical health over time. Have you wondered the same thing? Have your medications been changed due to longterm side effects? Have you been prescribed something simply because you are aging?
For instance, I am on olanzapine now which can lead to metabolic disorder, diabetes and other conditions. It works for my mental health but the long term effects concern me. Thoughts? Experiences? Thanks for reading! #MentalHealth #SideEffects #psychiatricmedications

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Blurry vision side effect? #MentalHealth #PsychiatricMedication #Bipolar #Sideeffect

Has anyone experienced blurry vision from a psychiatric medication and specifically lamotrigine/Lamictal or olanzapine/Zyprexa? I am experiencing several side effects and am noticing blurry vision now. #Bipolar #SideEffects #MentalHealth #PsychiatricMedication

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