It seems the "best" meds are also the "worst" meds.

Klonopin? Works wonders... but withdrawal? Hell

Seroquel? My all-in-one med. Withdrawal is hell and side effects suck

Adderall? Just "lol"

I've never tried Zyprexa, but supposedly it's amazing for mood regulation, yet lots of weight gain and blood/cholesterol issues.

Lithium, Clozapine, etc etc -- side effect hell

[Moose72]

Exactly. Depakote: works well, gain 60 pounds.

[lilypup]

Gabapentin...not even that effective against anxiety, but incredible nausea.

[Sunflower123]

My miracle drug which I'm not on -zyprexa- lots of weight gain and other problems. That sux! It's the only time I felt like the old me.

[Moose72]

Originally Posted by lilypup

Gabapentin...not even that effective against anxiety, but incredible nausea.

My Pdoc would never prescribe Klonopin. Just never. Even when I'm freaking out having a huge anxiety attack. I'm upset about that. Who wants to go through that? And to read that Gabapentin doesn't work? Why waste your time?

[Moose72]

Originally Posted by Jennifer 1967

My miracle drug which I'm not on -zyprexa- lots of weight gain and other problems. That sux! It's the only time I felt like the old me.

I read that Zyprexa changes your body's metabolism. How's that for nice?

Yes.....this is all so true. Klnopin is safer physically than many other meds. I've heard the withdrawal is terrible though and I'm glad I've never had to experience it. Paxil has so far been the worst med to withdrawal from that I've taken at least.

[bioChE]

Originally Posted by Moose72

My Pdoc would never prescribe Klonopin. Just never. Even when I'm freaking out having a huge anxiety attack. I'm upset about that. Who wants to go through that? And to read that Gabapentin doesn't work? Why waste your time?

Gabapentin has to be at a high enough dose to help with anxiety, and a lot of docs don't know that. It doesn't work like a benzo, it's hard to describe the difference. And it doesn't work for everyone, but it certainly works for me.

[Moose72]

Originally Posted by bioChE

Gabapentin has to be at a high enough dose to help with anxiety, and a lot of docs don't know that. It doesn't work like a benzo, it's hard to describe the difference. And it doesn't work for everyone, but it certainly works for me.

What's an example of "high enough"?

[still_crazy]

i think part of the problem is that psychiatric drugs are mostly borrowed from other parts of medicine (let's call those other specialties "real medicine," lol...).

thorazine was (and is) a sedating antihistamine. it was used in preoperative cocktails. the doctors noticed an affect on the patients. somebody told the shrinks. first, it was considered a tranquilizer, then a neuroleptic, then some genius decided to call it an "antipsychotic." Thorazine is still used for nausea, as a sleeping pill, etc. Vets use some of the older tranquilizers to make wayward animals tame for a while.

the mood stabilizers these days are mostly drugs used in seizure disorders. again, i guess somebody figured the shrinks could use these drugs, so they do, extensively. lithium is now heralded as some sort of "breakthrough," but really it was just some doctor who used a lot of it to sedate agitated rabbits.

antidepressants? please. tofranil was developed out of thorazine. they thought they were making a "me-too" antipsychotic, and then it made the "schizophrenic" patients worse and elevated the depressed patients' spirits. the first maoi was for TB. apparently, some people who were treated turned manic, so it was used for depression.

on and on it goes. opiates have long been used for mental anguish. now, there's $$$ in it, so using various opiates for "psychiatric indications" is becoming "cutting edge" or something. I read that some "experts" are even pushing to bring back use of LSD and other hallucinogens.

point is... no one can spot our problems on a brain scan. no blood work, either. go to 2 doctors, get 5 opinions. sometimes the drugs help, sometimes they don't, and they do create problems for a lot of people, too.

not to sound cynical, but i often think shrinks wouldn't actually "fix" or "cure" most of us, even if they could. power, control, profit, etc...there's actually more incentive to keep a lot of us "sick" and "in treatment" than to get us up and running and out of the system.

((end of rant))

[Unrigged64072835]

If it weren't for the restlessness Latuda would be great.

Geodon and Zyprexa were calming but messed up my heart's QT rhythm, along with the weight, blood sugar and cholesterol issues.

[bioChE]

Originally Posted by Moose72

What's an example of "high enough"?

For me, high enough is 600mg, 3x/day for a total of 1800mg. I've taken anywhere between 900-2700/day, and on the lower end it didn't do much. I've seen docs try to put people on 300-900/day, and I'm not surprised when some report not much effects with regards to anxiety.

For what it's worth, I'm on it for a neuropathic problem and the anxiolytic effect is just a bonus for me. I hardly ever use the Klonopin script I have. I'm diagnosed with GAD, along with the BP and took Klonopin for years for it. Not anymore.

[Moose72]

Originally Posted by bioChE

For me, high enough is 600mg, 3x/day for a total of 1800mg. I've taken anywhere between 900-2700/day, and on the lower end it didn't do much. I've seen docs try to put people on 300-900/day, and I'm not surprised when some report not much effects with regards to anxiety.

For what it's worth, I'm on it for a neuropathic problem and the anxiolytic effect is just a bonus for me. I hardly ever use the Klonopin script I have. I'm diagnosed with GAD, along with the BP and took Klonopin for years for it. Not anymore.

I just wish my pdoc would so something other than raise/lower my zyprexa/rexulti. I just don't want to go through another episode like I did a month ago. It was terrible.

[HALLIEBETH87]

I get SO many side effects from meds!
I hate it!

[Wild Coyote]

Originally Posted by bioChE

For me, high enough is 600mg, 3x/day for a total of 1800mg. I've taken anywhere between 900-2700/day, and on the lower end it didn't do much. I've seen docs try to put people on 300-900/day, and I'm not surprised when some report not much effects with regards to anxiety.

For what it's worth, I'm on it for a neuropathic problem and the anxiolytic effect is just a bonus for me. I hardly ever use the Klonopin script I have. I'm diagnosed with GAD, along with the BP and took Klonopin for years for it. Not anymore.

It's possible the dose is very individual.
1800 mg/day is pretty standard for neuropathy pain.

For anxiety, I'm guessing it varies.
I cannot tolerate 300 mg. It's too much. Out cold.


WC

[Guiness187055]

I am already diabetic thanks to seroquel, so Zyprexa isn't an issue as long as I try to stay active. I have only put on three lbs in three months.