ConfusedHurting2632

ConfusedHurting2632

Student
Dec 22, 2021
116
If I need to be specific, I've been on 6 medications so far. Lexapro, Abilify, Latuda, Invega, Prozac, and Effexor XR, in that exact order. The milligrams were if I recall correctly, 20, 10, 20, 6, 20, and 150. They are antidepressants and antipsychotics. None of them seemed to exactly help out my case, and they often made me feel or act weird.

When I was 18 through a period of a couple of months I went through Lexapro through Prozac. At first I was taking Lexapro and Abilify at the same time. It was unclear which one, but I had apparently turned pretty robotic/zombie-like, and had a very stiff neck, and walked with my arms weird as if I had injured them. Then I tried Lexapro and Latuda at the same time. I didn't notice much of an effect on Latuda, but it seemed I had terrible night terrors a couple of times where I woke up screaming when trying to get off it. Then I tried Invega, which just made everything so dull and boring and pleasureless. On Invega I pretty much just laid in bed, because everything was so boring anyway and I couldn't get pleasure from anything. I tried getting up and doing stuff, but everything was just so boring that it didn't matter. Then came Prozac, where I basically went manic while on it. I got naked in a public swimming pool 3 times while on it, and I began tossing stuff out the window...I was happy on it, but also very reckless and thoughtless, to the point where I put myself or others in danger. This whole process was over a couple of months. Like 6-8 months.

The reason I went on all these medications in the first place was because I was feeling really depressed and suicidal, and dealing with anxiety. I had been feeling that way for quite a while, and it was especially bad at age 17, but age 18 was when I finally reached out for help with a therapist and everything. The only thing I found weird was Google said some of these medications, namely Abilify, Latuda, and Invega (all antipsychotics) were for schizophrenia? Like depression and anxiety did cause a lot of bad, invasive thoughts, that were almost like hearing voices, but I'm not sure that's the same as actually hearing voices.

Then at age 19 I had no medications throughout the whole year. I was relatively okay, though my mood was kind of up and down I guess.

Then at age 20 (and aka my current age) however my depression and suicidal thoughts came back. So my parents and I decided to put me back on medications. The psychiatrist prescribed one for me known as Effexor XR for 150mg. At first it seemed to help quite a lot, but then the problems became clear. Like Prozac, I experienced mania while on it. But along with mania, I also had extremely bipolar mood swings, between happiness and extreme anger and rage. It made me feel really, really good, but also really, really angry. I had broken my parent's expensive TV while on it, punched a hole in the wall, and on the streets I was walking around flipping everybody off and wanting to pick fights with random people passing by in cars. I also became seemingly incapable of controlling my bodily functions, and would piss and shit myself at home. I had to be admitted to a psychiatric hospital 3 times while on this medication. I basically stayed at the hospital 1 week, then at home 1 week, then at the hospital 1 week...it was consecutive.

Overall, Effexor XR was by far the worst and most dangerous medication I've tried, with Prozac not far behind. Both of them being antidepressants. I don't like to self-diagnose, but the extreme reactions I had while on them seem extremely indicative of bipolar or aka manic depression.

Of course I had to stop taking Effexor XR...and just so I'm in already familiar territory, I went back to taking the first 4 medications: Lexapro, Abilify, Latuda, and Invega. I took them while in the psychiatric hospital. They weren't exactly good, but compared to Prozac and Effexor XR...the Abilify was included in a 400mg shot/injection, which made me feel a good relaxed after taking it. Though after leaving the hospital they told me to just take the Lexapro and Latuda, which is what I'm taking currently.

And currently...I feel okay I guess. Not amazing, but not bad either. But at the same time things kind of feel bland and boring, without much magic or excitement. While Effexor XR was overall a net negative for me, I kind of miss the happy mania emotions that came with it, which made me feel very alive, though obviously I could do without the extreme anger and recklessness/stupidity it caused. Not sure if the blandness I currently feel is due to Lexapro and Latuda being wrong medications for me, or if I'm just "adjusting" or whatever.

As you can see by the end of this, my "relationship" with medications has been quite the journey...lol. I'm aware this is the type of thing to bring up more to a psychiatrist than people online, but I also just kind of wanted my story out there, and see if people can relate and/or give insight to something obvious I might be missing.
 
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clown_17

clown_17

Almost gone, it almost worked
Oct 24, 2020
287
I'm not sure who your psychiatrist is but they don't seem that good? With a history of mania from antidepressants I find it weird that they'd continue to just give you antidepressants. In fact mania from antidepressants is a huge indicator for bipolar disorder. Perhaps that's why they aren't working for you.

I do see a gap in your meds. You've yet to try any mood stabilizers. Perhaps lamictal is worth a shot, it stabilizes mood (both mania and depression) by reducing depression. So even if you don't have bipolar, it can be used off label for depression.

Also it seems like abilify was a good choice for you. I think you should ask if you can go back on that.

Also your Latuda dose was 20 milligrams? A therapeutic range is more around the 60mg area. For future meds I think it's a good idea to try getting to a dose in the middle of the range before deciding whether it works or not. Also strange that your psychiatrist didn't tell you to raise doseages before quitting meds.

If no meds work at all there's always the option of TMS (trans cranial magnetic stimulation)
 
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indigomoon

Student
Mar 6, 2022
162
Sounds like you need a mood stabilizer not an antidepressant. You could try Lamictal or Wellbutrin.
 
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Hollowman

Empty
Dec 14, 2021
1,236
Psychiatrists don't know what the fuck they're doing. My dumbass used to believe in them but not anymore. FUCK THEM!
 
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onlyanimalsaregood

onlyanimalsaregood

Unlovable šŸ’” Rest in peace CommitSudoku šŸ¤
Mar 11, 2022
1,329
I'm sorry you've to deal with all of that. Unfortunately I'm not sure what advice to give you. Maybe you could try what @indigomoon suggested. But I think the best thing is to treat it with a psychiatrist.
 
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LittleJem

Visionary
Jul 3, 2019
2,512
I don't want to say it will help - it helped me for two weeks - but Lithium Orotate supplement helped me for two weeks. But the reviews on Amazon show that it helps some people for longer. It is microdose Lithium.

I'd say that there is not a perfect medication, so if you feel okay enough then stick with what you have. I wish there was a perfect medication! I think I need to raise my dose...
 
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ConfusedHurting2632

ConfusedHurting2632

Student
Dec 22, 2021
116
I'm not sure who your psychiatrist is but they don't seem that good? With a history of mania from antidepressants I find it weird that they'd continue to just give you antidepressants. In fact mania from antidepressants is a huge indicator for bipolar disorder. Perhaps that's why they aren't working for you.

I do see a gap in your meds. You've yet to try any mood stabilizers. Perhaps lamictal is worth a shot, it stabilizes mood (both mania and depression) by reducing depression. So even if you don't have bipolar, it can be used off label for depression.

Also it seems like abilify was a good choice for you. I think you should ask if you can go back on that.

Also your Latuda dose was 20 milligrams? A therapeutic range is more around the 60mg area. For future meds I think it's a good idea to try getting to a dose in the middle of the range before deciding whether it works or not. Also strange that your psychiatrist didn't tell you to raise doseages before quitting meds.

If no meds work at all there's always the option of TMS (trans cranial magnetic stimulation)
As for who my psychiatrist is...somewhat complicated. My healthcare provider is an organization called Aspire Health Partners that's supposed to provide free and/or affordable mental health services for people. I have no idea how it compares to a more expensive and/or paid one. I don't seem to have a set psychiatrist, but I have seen 3 of them so far. The one who assigned me Effexor XR 150mg seemed especially incompetent, and she had also tried to assign me Rexulti 1mg for $1,300 which is something me and my family can't afford. The other medications are all around $5. But overall I have been quite skeptical of the overall quality of these services. And yeah, I have suspected myself to have bipolar because of my reactions of mania while on Prozac and Effexor XR, though Lexapro didn't seem to trigger these feelings of all of them.

That's right, I haven't tried any mood stabilizers yet. Only antidepressants and antipsychotics. Lamictal huh. I shall keep that one in mind, though I'm not sure a psychiatrist allows you to just choose a specific med like that. From what you described lamictal sounds pretty good though.

As for abilify, I did get a 400mg shot of it which helped relax me, so I guess that was a good sign? After the shot when leaving the mental hospital they told me to just take 10 of the 10mg mouth tablets, and stop, and that's the amount they gave me, just 10, while giving me a full 30 days of lexapro and latuda. I wasn't sure why they wanted me to stop, though that's the directions they gave me. Maybe I should ask to go back on it.

And yeah, the latuda dose was 20 milligrams. I didn't know a therapeutic range was more around the 60mg area, huh, interesting. Yeah, it might be a good idea to get a dose in the middle of the range before deciding whether they work or not, for future meds. I really didn't know that, thanks. And yeah, I've always been quite skeptical of the services of Aspire Health Partners...I never thought of raising dosages, but if that's something psychiatrists regularly do before quitting meds, then my psychiatrists I've seen haven't been doing it.

TMS huh...that's the first time I've ever heard of such a thing. But I'm open to anything that might work. The only thing I'm worried about is the price. The first Google result for TMS price doesn't seem too reassuring. $300 per session...total cost of treatment course between $6,000 and $12,000...not sure if that's something me and my family can afford. So I'd just hope one of these meds eventually works, heh.
 
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LittleJem

Visionary
Jul 3, 2019
2,512
As for who my psychiatrist is...somewhat complicated. My healthcare provider is an organization called Aspire Health Partners that's supposed to provide free and/or affordable mental health services for people. I have no idea how it compares to a more expensive and/or paid one. I don't seem to have a set psychiatrist, but I have seen 3 of them so far. The one who assigned me Effexor XR 150mg seemed especially incompetent, and she had also tried to assign me Rexulti 1mg for $1,300 which is something me and my family can't afford. The other medications are all around $5. But overall I have been quite skeptical of the overall quality of these services. And yeah, I have suspected myself to have bipolar because of my reactions of mania while on Prozac and Effexor XR, though Lexapro didn't seem to trigger these feelings of all of them.

That's right, I haven't tried any mood stabilizers yet. Only antidepressants and antipsychotics. Lamictal huh. I shall keep that one in mind, though I'm not sure a psychiatrist allows you to just choose a specific med like that. From what you described lamictal sounds pretty good though.

As for abilify, I did get a 400mg shot of it which helped relax me, so I guess that was a good sign? After the shot when leaving the mental hospital they told me to just take 10 of the 10mg mouth tablets, and stop, and that's the amount they gave me, just 10, while giving me a full 30 days of lexapro and latuda. I wasn't sure why they wanted me to stop, though that's the directions they gave me. Maybe I should ask to go back on it.

And yeah, the latuda dose was 20 milligrams. I didn't know a therapeutic range was more around the 60mg area, huh, interesting. Yeah, it might be a good idea to get a dose in the middle of the range before deciding whether they work or not, for future meds. I really didn't know that, thanks. And yeah, I've always been quite skeptical of the services of Aspire Health Partners...I never thought of raising dosages, but if that's something psychiatrists regularly do before quitting meds, then my psychiatrists I've seen haven't been doing it.

TMS huh...that's the first time I've ever heard of such a thing. But I'm open to anything that might work. The only thing I'm worried about is the price. The first Google result for TMS price doesn't seem too reassuring. $300 per session...total cost of treatment course between $6,000 and $12,000...not sure if that's something me and my family can afford. So I'd just hope one of these meds eventually works, heh.
I had TMS and it worked for a few days. It cost me 7K in the UK. I would say it is worth trying, but I wouldn't make it a first choice. Also it doesn't last forever, if it works it needs topping up. They don't tell you that when you pay for it.

I wish psychiatrists would allow people to choose their meds - but have never met one that does...
 
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clown_17

clown_17

Almost gone, it almost worked
Oct 24, 2020
287
As for who my psychiatrist is...somewhat complicated. My healthcare provider is an organization called Aspire Health Partners that's supposed to provide free and/or affordable mental health services for people. I have no idea how it compares to a more expensive and/or paid one. I don't seem to have a set psychiatrist, but I have seen 3 of them so far. The one who assigned me Effexor XR 150mg seemed especially incompetent, and she had also tried to assign me Rexulti 1mg for $1,300 which is something me and my family can't afford. The other medications are all around $5. But overall I have been quite skeptical of the overall quality of these services. And yeah, I have suspected myself to have bipolar because of my reactions of mania while on Prozac and Effexor XR, though Lexapro didn't seem to trigger these feelings of all of them.

That's right, I haven't tried any mood stabilizers yet. Only antidepressants and antipsychotics. Lamictal huh. I shall keep that one in mind, though I'm not sure a psychiatrist allows you to just choose a specific med like that. From what you described lamictal sounds pretty good though.

As for abilify, I did get a 400mg shot of it which helped relax me, so I guess that was a good sign? After the shot when leaving the mental hospital they told me to just take 10 of the 10mg mouth tablets, and stop, and that's the amount they gave me, just 10, while giving me a full 30 days of lexapro and latuda. I wasn't sure why they wanted me to stop, though that's the directions they gave me. Maybe I should ask to go back on it.

And yeah, the latuda dose was 20 milligrams. I didn't know a therapeutic range was more around the 60mg area, huh, interesting. Yeah, it might be a good idea to get a dose in the middle of the range before deciding whether they work or not, for future meds. I really didn't know that, thanks. And yeah, I've always been quite skeptical of the services of Aspire Health Partners...I never thought of raising dosages, but if that's something psychiatrists regularly do before quitting meds, then my psychiatrists I've seen haven't been doing it.

TMS huh...that's the first time I've ever heard of such a thing. But I'm open to anything that might work. The only thing I'm worried about is the price. The first Google result for TMS price doesn't seem too reassuring. $300 per session...total cost of treatment course between $6,000 and $12,000...not sure if that's something me and my family can afford. So I'd just hope one of these meds eventually works, heh.
Apologies on the TMS one. I'm hoping I can get it covered by insurance but I forgot that not everyone is as lucky as me.
 
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hans0solo

hans0solo

Member
Dec 10, 2021
75
as someone from critical psychiatry, consider you are in your late teens. Your brain is going through major changes, moods, emotions, this is a time in your life when you are expected not to be really great at making wonderful decisions but its also where you are searching to 'find yourself'. that is a messy human process. I know someone who joined the Punk movement and was part of band at that age and was 'fuck everything'. Emotions are our body talking to us. Of course, all that has consequences. and you have to try to stay in school, find your friends and lovers, and all that traditional stuff. Or you could be finding out your are gay or goth or like manga or something out of the ordinary to your family. that's hella stressful. as for the meds, many of them 'blunt emotions' which is kind of the point, to reduce emotional range (reduce the highs and lows). so you have to be guided to a dose that 'works for you'. they can also reduce orgasm response which people complain about. and some meds lead to 'zoning out' and not feeling motivated. its all try and error. beyond that, you have to determine what in your life needs to change. are there assholes around you? I lived with mentally abusive parents and that made me depressed. when I hung out with nice people, my mood lifted (magic!).