[DowdyTheFifth]

Hello,

I just wanted to make a post showing my current medications, and the plans for the future if these don't work.

Celexa 40 mg. If this dosage doesn't start to help me out, my Psychiatrist wants to take me off of it and likely try and SNRI or a TCA which is fine with me.

Risperdal 1 or 2 mg. I was put on Risperdal to combat the psychotic symptoms from psychotic depression, auditory and visual hallucinations. I take 2 mg if my symptoms were especially bad that day.

Remeron 7.5 or 15 mg. I was put on Remeron to try and help my insomnia as well as depression. I will be taking 7.5 mg for 5 more days and if it doesn't help me fall asleep, I am to take 15 mg instead.

[TicTacGo]

Been on Risperdal before. Cannot say the same about Celexa or Remeron. Was almost put on Celexa though. (by a GP who believed that he had more knowledge about psych medications than he does.)

Thanks for the detailed post. The medications I take are listed below.

[DowdyTheFifth]

Originally Posted by TicTacGo

Been on Risperdal before. Cannot say the same about Celexa or Remeron. Was almost put on Celexa though. (by a GP who believed that he had more knowledge about psych medications than he does.)

Thanks for the detailed post. The medications I take are listed below.

During my previous episode of psychotic depression, they had me on Lamictal and Risperdal, so I was put back on the Risperdal this time because it had helped me before. Definitely can't underestimate how strong antipsychotics are!

[Seqoya]

I took Risperdal but I got a facial tick from it. The doctor said it would go through my whole body if I didn't stop taking it. So I got switched to Abilify later to the generic of Abilify Apiprizole.

Now I'm taking:

Lithium
Generic for Abilify
Quetiapine (Seroquel)
Fluxotine (Prozac)
Prazosin which is actually a high blood pressure med but they use it off label sometimes for nightmares.

If the Quetiapine works well enough after the dose gets increased high enough. I can wean off of the Abilify.
Then I'll only be taking four meds for mental health. Right now I'm taking five I was taking six then seven.

I have Schizoaffective Disorder Bipolar Type, PTSD, and a Not Other Wise Specified Dissociative Disorder as well as OCD.

[CobolCapsule]

My meds are listed in my sig.

[DowdyTheFifth]

Just a quick update: The Celexa finally started to negatively affect me so I am no longer on it. It made me extremely irritable just like Prozac and Lexapro did, I assume it just needed to get to the right dose to start to impact me since it didn't affect me at all over the last two months until now. Yesterday both my depression and anxiety were at a maximum and I believe it was a direct result of the Celexa settling into my body at the dose. Looking forward to life without Celexa, and figuring out which medications will work best for me with my Psychiatrist. Thank you everyone, will keep this thread updated with medication changes.

[Americano]

Prozac 80mg

Celexa 20mg

Lamictal 300mg

[DowdyTheFifth]

Originally Posted by Americano

Prozac 80mg

Celexa 20mg

Lamictal 300mg

During my last depressive episode I was on Lamictal 400 mg and Risperidone 3 mg. I eventually got better while on this combination but I believe it was just a coincidence. Prozac made me irritable and same with the Celexa now. Prozac also almost gave me a psychotic break so that sucked. I believe SSRIs in general just do not work for me.

[Guiness187055]

They are in my signature.

[DowdyTheFifth]

Originally Posted by Guiness187055

They are in my signature.

Would you be able to reply talking about what the Lithium has done for you? It seems like an intriguing option and I do see your signature often throughout the Forums. I wonder if I should ask my Psychiatrist about it during my next appointment, so I was wondering how it has affected you? Thanks

[Guiness187055]

Lithium has been great for controlling mania. I really don't have any side effects except for a small tremor. It can make me a little naseaus on an empty stomach. Blood work is a pain but all and all I like it. YMMV

[Laurenbean]

Anyone tried Modafinil? I ask because I've never heard of the med until my psych. suggested it due to my extreme fatigue. It doesn't seem to really help though. Any suggestions> I'm on: Lexapro (30mg) Ability (5mg) Modafinil (200mg) Ambien (as needed at night. I've tried pretty much all the SSRIs except Celexa.

[DowdyTheFifth]

Originally Posted by Laurenbean

Anyone tried Modafinil? I ask because I've never heard of the med until my psych. suggested it due to my extreme fatigue. It doesn't seem to really help though. Any suggestions> I'm on: Lexapro (30mg) Ability (5mg) Modafinil (200mg) Ambien (as needed at night. I've tried pretty much all the SSRIs except Celexa.

I know now that SSRIs do not work for me, I've tried 5 throughout my life, and they just make me irritable, and Prozac almost gave me a psychotic break. I believe my Psychiatrist is going to switch me onto a different type of antidepressant.

The side effects from Celexa sucked for me. I would have cold sweats profusely for the first month, then each subsequent dosage increase would be accompanied by a week of cold sweats. It also affected my sex drive, as well as has made my depression and anxiety worse as of recent so I am glad to finally be off it.

[DowdyTheFifth]

Originally Posted by Guiness187055

Lithium has been great for controlling mania. I really don't have any side effects except for a small tremor. It can make me a little naseaus on an empty stomach. Blood work is a pain but all and all I like it. YMMV

So overall you would recommend it? I was reading online that it isn't particularly used to combat anxiety, because it is better at treating the depression, but it may be worth a shot because I have no responded to any medications so far besides Risperidone, but that only combats my hallucinations that I experience.

[Guiness187055]

Yes I recommend trying it. It is the gold standard for treating bipolar. A lot of people are on mono therapy with just lithium. Lamictal is better for depression lithium is better for mania.

[DowdyTheFifth]

Originally Posted by Guiness187055

Yes I recommend trying it. It is the gold standard for treating bipolar. A lot of people are on mono therapy with just lithium. Lamictal is better for depression lithium is better for mania.

Alright thank you. I was on Lamictal before but it was just to be a mood stabilizer, not because of bipolar. I do not have mania, so it might be the best for me to try it, but I think I will still bring it up to my Psychiatrist, and maybe see if Anxiety has something that helps similarly.

[DowdyTheFifth]

Current medications:

Risperidone 2 mg for psychotic symptoms
Remeron 15 mg for insomnia and depression
Seroquel 100 mg for anxiety and psychotic symptoms

No longer on Celexa, and the Seroquel is the new medication since my anxiety is currently worse than my depression, but I am still very depressed.

[Seqoya]

The generic for the Seroquel is being increased now and I'm starting to wean off of the generic of the Abilify.

Diagnoses

Schizoaffective Disorder
Post Traumatic Stress Disorder with Dissociative Features
Generalized Anxiety Disorder
Obsessive Compulsive Disorder

[DowdyTheFifth]

New change to medicine: 1 mg Risperidone instead of 2 mg to hopefully stop the restless caused by Seroquel/Seroquel +Risperidone.

[Grath]

I'm on 20 mg of Prozac at the moment. I was on 20 mg of Escitalopram/Lexapro for a year before, but it didn't do anything except for making me sleepy all the time.
My current problems began at roughly the same time as I started taking Prozac four weeks ago. I'm not sure if it's connected as there were a lot of other things changing in my environment back then. Really uncertain what to do about my medication at the moment. And my psychiatrist is no help.

[rjdb]

Fluoextine (Prozac) 10 mg. I'm on day 3. On day 7 I double to 20 mg.

Try 150 mg of Wellbutrin but my anxiety went through the roof with skipped heart beats and such. Anyone know why they prescribe that much?

[DowdyTheFifth]

Originally Posted by rjdb

Fluoextine (Prozac) 10 mg. I'm on day 3. On day 7 I double to 20 mg.

Try 150 mg of Wellbutrin but my anxiety went through the roof with skipped heart beats and such. Anyone know why they prescribe that much?

My Psychiatrist does not want to prescribe me Wellbutrin because she feels it will make my anxiety worse. I started out on 100 mg on Seroquel, so I guess that would be similar to your 150 mg Wellbutrin. Maybe these medications do not need to be increased over time, and can just be introduced to the body in high amounts.

[DowdyTheFifth]

Originally Posted by Grath

I'm on 20 mg of Prozac at the moment. I was on 20 mg of Escitalopram/Lexapro for a year before, but it didn't do anything except for making me sleepy all the time.
My current problems began at roughly the same time as I started taking Prozac four weeks ago. I'm not sure if it's connected as there were a lot of other things changing in my environment back then. Really uncertain what to do about my medication at the moment. And my psychiatrist is no help.

SSRIs just do not work for me at all. Every one that I have tried has made me irritable and/or made my symptoms worse. Lexapro almost gave me a psychotic break when I was hospitalized inpatient. My Psychiatrist finally agreed that SSRIs will never help me.

[Grath]

Originally Posted by DowdyTheFifth

SSRIs just do not work for me at all. Every one that I have tried has made me irritable and/or made my symptoms worse. Lexapro almost gave me a psychotic break when I was hospitalized inpatient. My Psychiatrist finally agreed that SSRIs will never help me.

It would be so much easier if I didn't have to wait four weeks at any dosage change so I could evaluate with my psychiatrist if that's the wrong medication with certainty. I'm just continuously losing time, because ultimately too little is known about how certain medication affects specific individuals' brain chemistry. It's really frustrating.
Sometimes it feels as if you're someone with a bacterial infection before penicillin was invented.

[DowdyTheFifth]

Originally Posted by Grath

It would be so much easier if I didn't have to wait four weeks at any dosage change so I could evaluate with my psychiatrist if that's the wrong medication with certainty. I'm just continuously losing time, because ultimately too little is known about how certain medication affects specific individuals' brain chemistry. It's really frustrating.
Sometimes it feels as if you're someone with a bacterial infection before penicillin was invented.

I completely understand how you feel. I was on Celexa for 2 months before they finally increased my dose to a level where it started to negatively affect me. I feel like I had wasted two months of my life while they were trying to find the proper medicine for me. Luckily they decided it would be a better idea to let a psychiatrist treat me and I am no longer on Celexa and I feel like I am finally heading towards being back to where I was before. The last two months, though, I feel have been a waste.