Psychiatrist giving med options, can you weigh in with your experience?

[IceQueencop]

Ugh! I hate needing these meds!

 

[blackemerald1]

Ugh! I hate needing these meds!

My thoughts exactly and I am sorry you are having to trial these drugs.

I have given up because I had to give up because my body said nope, no more. So I was forced to give up everything in reality. ugh..

 

[EveHarrington]

Ugh! I hate needing these meds!

If you get on the right combination and have no side effects (or only good/wanted side effects), and your quality of living increases dramatically, it will all be worth it.

Yes, it’s possible. I’m on a number of psych meds and one actually makes me lose weight while increasing my sexual drive. Kind of awesome I stumbled upon it, lol.

 

[blackemerald1]

makes me lose weight while increasing my sexual drive

If it made me feel better and had those side effects I'd definitely take that one eve! :)

 

[IceQueencop]

@EveHarrington - your experience makes me wonder if I could go off seroquel and just take the Wellbutrin. We’ll see.

 

[EveHarrington]

@EveHarrington - your experience makes me wonder if I could go off seroquel and just take the Wellbutrin. We’ll see.

They do very different things.

I’m on Wellbutrin SR, 50mg/day, and it works well for my depression. I’m super med sensitive, hence the small dose. (My doc says splitting a SR pill is fine, per the drug mfr.)

The Wellbutrin is definitely energizing. I still need meds to help me sleep at night. I know multiple docs have been concerned about it causing anxiety, but to be honest, I feel the least anxious that I’ve been in over a decade. (And I know it’s this med causing the change as it was the last med added.)

I’m thinking if you take away the seroquel that you may feel the full energizing force of the Wellbutrin?

I’m still on an antipsychotic, Geodon, 5mg/day. Again, a tiny dose as the smallest capsule size is 20mg. It helps calm me down at the end of the day.

 

[IceQueencop]

@EveHarrington - when I started the Wellbutrin I started having some issues with anxiety, but it’s lessened significantly in 4 months.
When I was just taking the seroquel it was super hard to get out of bed in the morning, after adding the Wellbutrin I started having dreams that I wasn’t depressed and I could get out of bed. Now, I can feel that way when I’m awake. But, I worry about going off the seroquel because when I don’t take it, it’s really hard to sleep.

 

[Sideways]

But, I worry about going off the seroquel because when I don’t take it, it’s really hard to sleep.

Seroquel is absolutely a medication that you should wean off, the rate at which will depend on a lot of factors.

 

[blackemerald1]

You may find that Seroquel has done nothing to resolve insomnia or anxiety or anything much at all. It just lays a big sedating shroud over it all and believe me, it's very good at helping to convince oneself that 'progress' has been made.

Unfortunately, I found once I weaned off it - that I had all of the conditions (still) that I had gone on it for. I was just older. Blah!! Eight years older.. ugh..!!

 

[EveHarrington]

You may find that Seroquel has done nothing to resolve insomnia or anxiety or anything much at all. It just lays a big sedating shroud over it all and believe me, it's very good at helping to convince oneself that 'progress' has been made.

Unfortunately, I found once I weaned off it - that I had all of the conditions (still) that I had gone on it for. I was just older. Blah!! Eight years older.. ugh..!!

You pretty much describe every psych medicine out there.

None of these pills fix anything to the point where we will be symptomless when we come off of them.

This isn’t an argument to not take them in the first place.

I think you’re a little misguided as to the purpose of medication.

 

[blackemerald1]

The indications for medication can be numerous.

I was placed on them.. mostly to alleviate acute symptoms to create a window of opportunity through therapy for the underlying causes and symptoms to be worked on with the end result being eventually I would discontinue the drugs and be in a better position to manage my illness without drugs.

They were never supposed to be a permanent solution for me. You may be different. We are all different. :)

 

[IceQueencop]

Seroquel is absolutely a medication that you should wean off, the

I’ve only ever been able to tolerate the smallest dose available, so I’m not quite sure what weaning off that would look like. Do the pills get cut in half? Do I take one just every other day?
For now, just researching. ?