Discussion Success possible with anti-psychotics?

[Sadwind]

Okay, so right now as it stands, my suicidal thoughts are slipping away. I've been on latuda for one week and it seems to be really helping. Are there other people who have had success with medications? I hesitate to trust the meds and I hate the thought of being medicated because it gives me the feeling that I'm "not myself". However, the thought that this could work for me and ease the pain of life is too irresistible. I fear I may be affected by that pesky "hope" everyone keeps talking about! :)

I hope this trend continues. I would love to go back to work and live for my son's sake if nothing else. I certainly also hope that it's not short-lived. I am so thankful to have some of the burden of pain off my shoulders, it's a relief I cannot even describe. I just feel better. Let me say I still struggle with thoughts of despair, just nothing like what I experienced before.

How many others from this site have gotten relief from anti-psychotics? I'd imagine once it started to work for them, they'd leave. I'm wondering if any of you know of any users that had success.

Thank you for reading. I wish I could share the relief with all of you. <3

 

[Squiddy]

Latuda worked for my suicidal thoughts for a bit, until it gave me anhedonia and I had to stop it

 

[k75]

I'm not on antipsychotics, but I did have success with lithium as far as getting relief from the suicidal urges and thoughts. My psychiatrist told me that's the one medication proven to do that. Unfortunately, the dose I was on that accomplished that was too high for me to tolerate long-term, so we had to decrease and it all came back.

 

[Sadwind]

Latuda worked for my suicidal thoughts for a bit, until it gave me anhedonia and I had to stop it

I'm sorry to hear that. Do you remember how long it worked for you? It must have been bad if it was worth it to stop taking it. Could you describe what the anhedonia was like? Did your life grind to a halt?

 

[Squiddy]

I'm sorry to hear that. Do you remember how long it worked for you? It must have been bad if it was worth it to stop taking it. Could you describe what the anhedonia was like? Did your life grind to a halt?

It worked for me for about a week and a half and the anhedonia is where I just lost interest in everything. It was hell not being able to enjoy things I once was interested in

 

[Tegan_sky]

I've been on Trifluoperazine (brand name Stelazine) since 1992. It has helped me very much for all that time since 1992, except now with the lack of estrogen from menopausing, I have had more depression. But Trifluoperazine helped me be out there in the world, working, functioning fine with society, all was good until the menopause. I still take the Trifluoperazine, I had to go for a couple of months without it because it was not available in the US for a while, and I didn't think to get it from Canada online pharmacies. So my shrink had me take a "second generation" antipsychotic, two actually, Risperidone and Quetiapine. Both were disasters. Trifluoperazine is a first generation med, those first gen. ones are the ones best for me. I won't go near a second gen. antipsychotic now with a ten foot pole.

For my experience, I haven't had to increase my dose much for the Trifluoperazine, in all this 27 years, only twice, by small amounts. Second generation antipsychotics are supposed to be good for depression and bipolar depression and the FDA has approved them for those disorders. The first gen ones are the ones more often FDA approved for anxiety.

Good luck with how this works out for you.

 

[Egddios]

I've been prescribed quite a few antipsychotics over the years, with varying results.

Abilify - meh

Thorazine - I remember feeling like a zombie

Haldol - ugh, first time I was injected with Haldol, they didn't give me Cogentin (I was inpatient). My father came to visit me and I couldn't sit in the chair, I was almost sliding off. Awful.

Seroquel - was on this one the longest and I felt blank, also gained approx 40lbs

Risperdal - blah

What works for me are benzodiazepines which, as most of us know, are increasingly more difficult to be prescribed. There's an antipsychotic called Zyprexa which is a thienobenzodiazapine; curious if any of you have tried it. Anyhow, that's good to hear you're experiencing a positive result from the Latuda. Success is possible with antipsychotics, it just may take some trial and error. Advocate for yourself as much as can when seeing your prescriber, and be sure to keep track of any negative symptoms.

I wish all of us relief.

 

[BlackDragonof1989]

Risperdal helped in some ways but gave me a stuffy nose and apathy so I didn't like it but taking a bit above the prescribed dose of diphenhydramine and niacin flush and dxm and vitamin c helps a bit but it's dependent on what I ate and my set and setting I think how I slept it's just hard to regulate plus I like my coffee and sugar and eat what I want >>

 

[Squiddy]

I've been prescribed quite a few antipsychotics over the years, with varying results.

Abilify - meh

Thorazine - I remember feeling like a zombie

Haldol - ugh, first time I was injected with Haldol, they didn't give me Cogentin (I was inpatient). My father came to visit me and I couldn't sit in the chair, I was almost sliding off. Awful.

Seroquel - was on this one the longest and I felt blank, also gained approx 40lbs

Risperdal - blah

What works for me are benzodiazepines which, as most of us know, are increasingly more difficult to be prescribed. There's an antipsychotic called Zyprexa which is a thienobenzodiazapine; curious if any of you have tried it. Anyhow, that's good to hear you're experiencing a positive result from the Latuda. Success is possible with antipsychotics, it just may take some trial and error. Advocate for yourself as much as can when seeing your prescriber, and be sure to keep track of any negative symptoms.

I wish all of us relief.

I tried Zyprexa and it was pretty good. No side effects for me

 

[Ruffian]

What a great thread, if for no reason than you heard a little bit from a lot of different people. My current psychiatrist always wants me on 200 mg of Seroquel daily in addition to my current 6 daily meds. I am willing to do it, but not after about 2 weeks when I've gained 5 lbs. My blood sugar is already pre- diabetic, and I'm 51. Does stroke and heart attack ring any bells? I'm seeing my primary care this week, and he knows my whole situation and is well versed in pharmacology. I tend to listen to him more. He won't prescribe me any psych meds, but he can give me suggestions to take to my psychiatrist. I've been seeing him for 14 years so he knows me way better than my psychiatrist.

If you are young, and if any anti-psychotic works for you without serious side effects, I would say yes, absolutely take it. But everyone here touched on the side effects. A huge turnoff for me with the SSRIs was not being able to enjoy sex at all period. Anti-psychotics never had that effect on me, but I can't speak for everyone. And anhedonia is real on the antipsychotics, all of them most likely. It happens to me with Seroquel, and its otherwise my best fit.

Plus, I have to say psychiatrists are the most annoying doctors on the planet. I've only had one I actually liked, but I have to put up with them because I need my psych meds. If you are comfortable with your doc, that in itself is a blessing. He/she will be more than willing to work something out for you.

 

[mathieu]

I tried Zyprexa and it was pretty good. No side effects for me

Zyprexa didn't work for me. I just gained heaps of weight.

 

[falconeyes]

Okay, so right now as it stands, my suicidal thoughts are slipping away. I've been on latuda for one week and it seems to be really helping. Are there other people who have had success with medications? I hesitate to trust the meds and I hate the thought of being medicated because it gives me the feeling that I'm "not myself". However, the thought that this could work for me and ease the pain of life is too irresistible. I fear I may be affected by that pesky "hope" everyone keeps talking about! :)

I hope this trend continues. I would love to go back to work and live for my son's sake if nothing else. I certainly also hope that it's not short-lived. I am so thankful to have some of the burden of pain off my shoulders, it's a relief I cannot even describe. I just feel better. Let me say I still struggle with thoughts of despair, just nothing like what I experienced before.

How many others from this site have gotten relief from anti-psychotics? I'd imagine once it started to work for them, they'd leave. I'm wondering if any of you know of any users that had success.

Thank you for reading. I wish I could share the relief with all of you. <3

Anti-psychotics varies in effect from person to another because we simply have different minds with different thoughts and triggers, so do not wait for finite answer.
The most important issue here is to use your optimistic positive condition now to get yourself out of the suicidal mood by changing your habits, and think about what did lead you into your messy condition in the 1st place.

Beside i highly recommend you participate in a group therapy, and if you have close friend, family members, lover or so, share them into your positive condition, in order to give you a hand and keep you in this comfy feeling till you completely pass your hard time and recover completely.

One last thing, do NOT be afraid of losing this good feeling, it wont fade as long as you work hard and get the strong will to recover.

Wish you get much better and better so soon and forever

 

[Ruffian]

Anti-psychotics varies in effect from person to another because we simply have different minds with different thoughts and triggers, so do not wait for finite answer.
The most important issue here is to use your optimistic positive condition now to get yourself out of the suicidal mood by changing your habits, and think about what did lead you into your messy condition in the 1st place.

Beside i highly recommend you participate in a group therapy, and if you have close friend, family members, lover or so, share them into your positive condition, in order to give you a hand and keep you in this comfy feeling till you completely pass your hard time and recover completely.

One last thing, do NOT be afraid of losing this good feeling, it wont fade as long as you work hard and get the strong will to recover.

Wish you get much better and better so soon and forever

I forgot about group therapy. I can rarely afford it, but yes, if you can, give it a try!

 

[falconeyes]

I forgot about group therapy. I can rarely afford it, but yes, if you can, give it a try!

I don't know the reason(s) why you can't afford group therapy -and i don't want to intrude- but if it's for financial reasons or lacking of time, why don't you make a friendly group from people you know they already are in the same boat, and you can manage your group away of the silly shrinks. I guess the friendly atmosphere knowing your gathering because you're caring about each other, will be a great enhancing point with good outcome.

 

[Ruffian]

I don't know the reason(s) why you can't afford group therapy -and i don't want to intrude- but if it's for financial reasons or lacking of time, why don't you make a friendly group from people you know they already are in the same boat, and you can manage your group away of the silly shrinks. I guess the friendly atmosphere knowing your gathering because you're caring about each other, will be a great enhancing point with good outcome.

What a nice idea. Its not something you put on Meetups, but there has to be a way to carry this out.

 

[Boochky]

I've been on 3 antipsychotics. I can have psychotic breaks when manic so that's the official reason, but what I need most is sleep. I run very high, especially when I have to work, so I was on all these at once after a while.

Seroquel is the best. I had a genius doctor and I could email her with issues and she could tweak my Seroquel. Eventually, like everything else, I got maxed out on the dose but in a pinch, I take a little extra.

Risperidone is great for the psychosis. Helps me not think magic will happen if I drink Windex. (It's blue!)

Zyprexa. What to say. It performs, but holy shit. It brings down an elevation, but it's scary. I put up with gaining 150 in a year because there was one doctor where I was living and it was the only way I could work. Then they raised my dose.and I kept waking up moving and conscious but unable to talk. Roommate called the cops. When I woke up on the floor and kept blacking out unable to get up, I stopped taking it. I'm not working so I can sleep without it.

Not necessarily helpful for depression, but if others are interested, that's my experience.

What a nice idea. Its not something you put on Meetups, but there has to be a way to carry this out.

In the US, there is a group called the Depression Bipolar Support Alliance and they have free meetings. Also online. I attended for a while and it was very helpful. Unfortunately the woman who led it had an episode and it fell apart.

 

[Ruffian]

I've been on 3 antipsychotics. I can have psychotic breaks when manic so that's the official reason, but what I need most is sleep. I run very high, especially when I have to work, so I was on all these at once after a while.

Seroquel is the best. I had a genius doctor and I could email her with issues and she could tweak my Seroquel. Eventually, like everything else, I got maxed out on the dose but in a pinch, I take a little extra.

Risperidone is great for the psychosis. Helps me not think magic will happen if I drink Windex. (It's blue!)

Zyprexa. What to say. It performs, but holy shit. It brings down an elevation, but it's scary. I put up with gaining 150 in a year because there was one doctor where I was living and it was the only way I could work. Then they raised my dose.and I kept waking up moving and conscious but unable to talk. Roommate called the cops. When I woke up on the floor and kept blacking out unable to get up, I stopped taking it. I'm not working so I can sleep without it.

Not necessarily helpful for depression, but if others are interested, that's my experience.

In the US, there is a group called the Depression Bipolar Support Alliance and they have free meetings. Also online. I attended for a while and it was very helpful. Unfortunately the woman who led it had an episode and it fell apart.

Wow. I love Seroquel as well, but only to bring down a mania. It actually depresses me when I'm not in one. If I take it early on I can usually bypass a mania. That's funny you mentioned Zyprexa. I absolutely loved that when it first came out. I was on klonipin and even with an addictive history I still preferred Zyprexa. But the weight gain is awful, same with Seroquel.

I've never thought of drinking Windex though, and I haven't gone days without sleep since my first mania. I was psychotic during my first one, and I had it during this last one. Plus the delusions of grandeur, I fucking hate coming off one of those manias. It doesn't matter how long I've been clean, my own family insists I took something. Their denial is huge. Yeah, if I don't abort early the mania is horrible. I had to leave treatment because they were arguing with me over getting another 100 mg of Seroquel. Which if I had gotten, my most recent mania probably wouldn't have happened. And there isn't anything I can do about it except complain to the very health system that did it to me. My state is uniquely difficult to get any kind of legal compensation unless your limb is hanging off. I tried getting a lawyer from another state where people are able to report emotional abuse and negligence, but not my goddamn state. I've posted before, the basic message to people with mental illness: Eat Shit and Die. The first I've been doing for 51 years, the 2nd, I'm only staying alive because killing myself wouldn't be my own decision right now. I'm not killing myself because it's what the entire system sets people like me to do.

 

[sleepy dog]

Okay, so right now as it stands, my suicidal thoughts are slipping away. I've been on latuda for one week and it seems to be really helping. Are there other people who have had success with medications? I hesitate to trust the meds and I hate the thought of being medicated because it gives me the feeling that I'm "not myself". However, the thought that this could work for me and ease the pain of life is too irresistible. I fear I may be affected by that pesky "hope" everyone keeps talking about! :)

I hope this trend continues. I would love to go back to work and live for my son's sake if nothing else. I certainly also hope that it's not short-lived. I am so thankful to have some of the burden of pain off my shoulders, it's a relief I cannot even describe. I just feel better. Let me say I still struggle with thoughts of despair, just nothing like what I experienced before.

How many others from this site have gotten relief from anti-psychotics? I'd imagine once it started to work for them, they'd leave. I'm wondering if any of you know of any users that had success.

Thank you for reading. I wish I could share the relief with all of you. <3

One week using any mental health drug is not enough. The bad effects could be multiplied a lot in just one more week of use. I recommend waiting to evaluate it properly.

 

[Sweet emotion]

I was on Celexa for OCD when I was 15-24 maybe. But I had to work with a good therapist to get my obsessive thoughts hbder control. That lasted from age 15-17. Then I stayed on it because I was making a lot of progress so why get off of it? Now that I became physically sick Zim onnzpacil for depression. I honestly don't know if it's helping at all since I'm planning my death. But the thing is is that the cause of my depression is my physical illness so until someone can find a cure I'm going to be depressed forever. But don't be afraid to be on pills for your mental health and that goes for everyone. Whatever helps you live a better life you should welcome.

 

[Rachel74]

Carbmazapine was the one that got me stable for many years. It saved my life but sadly no more. I'm now on that with lithium x