[Mountaindewed]

You need a lot of them in order not to be anxious or moody but when they kick in you are too exhausted to do anything. So basically your either anxious or tired all the time. I have barely gotten anything done this week because of anxiety and then exhaustion from meds. I’m just going to throw out all my soda. Maybe that will help.

[unaluna]

Yeah i would love to have a second cup of coffee and sometimes i do, but then i pay for it in two or three different ways at least.

[*Beth*]

Yeah, that's about it. I will say that Wellbutrin has been one med that doesn't make me tired. The rest of them do. Something I have found out is that if I eat a lot of sugar at one time it causes me to feel sleepy and not good. Caffeine doesn't have any effect on me, at all. I think my meds cancel out the caffeine.

[Soupe du jour]

I agree that meds can suck, yet sometimes side effects do ease over time. Sometimes people blame medications for discomforts that are actually mental illness related. I mean, people with bipolar disorder get depressive and hypo/manic symptoms. Don't they? Depression can include fatigue and anxiety. Sometimes even without deep sadness. Of course I can't know the true causes for yours, but know messing around with other substances (i.e. caffeine) can bring opposite reactions than expected, even if they didn't initially. The article at
Does coffee make you tired? Here'''s why explains this. I know from personal experience that abusing an OTC cold medication (i.e. pseusophedrine) backfired. I've read similar about DXM, an ingredient in some OTC cough medications. Yea, those substances suck!

The theory I reference above (low energy without sadness) is described by Dr. Jim Phelps at Rapid Cycling And Mixed States As Waves – Psych This is a website that member BeyondtheRainbow frequently references.

I take 600 mg Seroquel XR at night, and am not tired during the day. I got past that side effect. I took 160 mg Geodon in the past, regularly and at the same times each day, I must say, and got past that medication's initial sedation. Yes, some time and patience was required, but also lifting of mood. It can be a darned hard balancing act to get everything at the right spot!

[FluffyDinosaur]

Partly, I think meds suck because in the grand scheme of things, mental illnesses are a pretty low research priority compared to some other illnesses.

[MickeyCheeky]

So Sorry for what you guys are going through. Have you perhaps tried to talk to your Pdoc about this and ask for some meds that may make you feel less tired? Sorry if that is a silly question. i Hope and Pray that you will be able to feel better about it. Please do not give up. Sending many safe, warm hugs to ALL of you, @Mountaindewed, your Family, your Friends and ALL of your Loved Ones! Keep fighting and keep rocking NO MATTER WHAT HAPPENS, OK?!

[MuddyBoots]

I agree. I think the problem is a lot of doctors tend to either overmedicate or undermedicate and never really find the sweet spot, or they find the sweet spot notice one tiny "symptom" and bump up the dose leading to the drowsiness and other side effects.

[buddha1too]

Originally Posted by FluffyDinosaur

Partly, I think meds suck because in the grand scheme of things, mental illnesses are a pretty low research priority compared to some other illnesses.

I'm not convinced that this is the case. I've seen vast improvements in treatments & medications in my lifetime (of course I'll be 60 in June). There have been entire classes of new meds developed over the decades...& the pharma companies rake in a ton of money developing new drugs.

As others have noted, however, the problem remains finding the right cocktail. Other than suffering from depression a few times a year, I've been quite stable on the manic side of things for quite some time. I guess I should be grateful that I've found a cocktail that is effective, but doesn't affect me too much in the realm of side-effects. I hope those of you who still struggle with your meds can find a solution soon.

[*Beth*]

Originally Posted by buddha1too

I'm not convinced that this is the case. I've seen vast improvements in treatments & medications in my lifetime (of course I'll be 60 in June). There have been entire classes of new meds developed over the decades...& the pharma companies rake in a ton of money developing new drugs.

As others have noted, however, the problem remains finding the right cocktail. Other than suffering from depression a few times a year, I've been quite stable on the manic side of things for quite some time. I guess I should be grateful that I've found a cocktail that is effective, but doesn't affect me too much in the realm of side-effects. I hope those of you who still struggle with your meds can find a solution soon.

I remember when a strange new antidepressant called "Prozac" came onto the scene...amazing stuff - only 33 years ago!

[Nammu]

Increase your tolerance for uncomfortable situations and feelings you can decrease your medication

[buddha1too]

Originally Posted by Nammu

Increase your tolerance for uncomfortable situations and feelings you can decrease your medication

In addition to the new meds, CBT, DBT & other coping methods have also been developed in the fairly recent past. For some people, these methods have proven effective in increasing tolerance for the feelings of discomfort Nammu references. The fields of psychology & psychiatry certainly aren't standing still. There's a lot of hope to be had for the furure, IMO. The days of warehousing folks in state hospitals for long stretches of time are long gone (although some might suggest -- perhaps rightly -- that prisons now fill that function for the "have nots").

[bpforever1]

I can't do without my medication. Medication is my savior.

[FluffyDinosaur]

Originally Posted by buddha1too

I'm not convinced that this is the case. I've seen vast improvements in treatments & medications in my lifetime (of course I'll be 60 in June). There have been entire classes of new meds developed over the decades...& the pharma companies rake in a ton of money developing new drugs.

As others have noted, however, the problem remains finding the right cocktail. Other than suffering from depression a few times a year, I've been quite stable on the manic side of things for quite some time. I guess I should be grateful that I've found a cocktail that is effective, but doesn't affect me too much in the realm of side-effects. I hope those of you who still struggle with your meds can find a solution soon.

I'm not saying there are no improvements. But as nice as it is that we have more medicinal options for mental illnesses today, most of those meds really aren't all that great. I think it's telling that the most effective treatment (by far) that we have for depression is still ECT, which, although improved over the years, has existed for nearly a hundred years by now.

Anyway, just my 2c.