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Mental Health Psychiatric Medication Guide

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Common psychiatric conditions & medications to treat them—​

This is a guide to common psychiatric conditions and the medications that are usually prescribed to treat them. This guide is not to be used to self-diagnose or as a replacement of doctor’s advice. If you have any questions about your medication, be sure to contact your prescribing physician. If you are experiencing an adverse reaction or an overdose, go to your local emergency department immediately. I included both the generic and common brand name(s).

Substance Dependency


Smoking Cessation

  • bupropion (Zyban)
    [*]cytisine (Tabex)
    [*]varenicline (Chantix)

Zyban usually comes in tablets of 25mg. Bupropion is also used, usually in higher doses of around 150mg-450mg, as an antidepressant, brand name Wellbutrin. It is said to be stimulating because it increases levels of norepinephrine and dopamine, two stimulating chemicals, in the brain. Bupropion may additionally be useful in ADHD. In terms of smoking cessation, bupropion binds to, and inhibits the function of, one of the receptors that nicotine activates.

Both Tabex and Chantix activate the nicotine receptor, but within a range. This means that the receptor is neither underactive nor overactive.

ADD/ADHD (stimulant medications)


Adderall tends to be a more stimulating ADHD medication. This is because it is a mixture two types of amphetamine, dextroamphetamine and levoamphetamine, the latter which usually elevates energy more.

Focalin is similar to Ritalin.

Dexedrine includes just one type of amphetamine: dextoramphetamine. Dextroamphetamine is more active than its cousin, levoamphetamine, at producing mental effects. Dexedrine is said to be more smooth and less stressful than Adderall.

Less than a decade ago, an old medication with a new twist, Vyvanse was patented. Vyvanse is dextroamphetamine that is released into the brain slowly, after being metabolized by the gastrointestinal tract, over the course of about 12 hours. It was partly designed to be a more smooth and reliable alternative to Dexedrine.

Dextromethamphetamine, branded Desoxyn, serves as another AHDH medication. Though administered at far lower doses than most stimulant drug abusers take, Desoxyn is a very powerful medication, much more hard on the body and brain, and should be avoided if at all possible.

Perhaps the most safe medication for ADHD, Concerta is methylphenidate released over time. It is preferred by doctors and cognizant patients for this reason

ADD/ADHD (non-stimulant medications)


The non-stimulant agents used to treat ADHD tend be less effective than their stimulant counterparts, but they don't pose the high abuse and addiction risk. As such, their isn't a big problem to get more medication if it's misplaced. Usually, though they take time to build up and become effective, up to four weeks.

Straterra is effective after a few weeks of treatment. It works to increase the chemical called norepinephrine, which is heavily involved in concentration, in various brain regions.

Also used for smoking cessation, depression, and even stimulant addiction, Wellbutrin works how Strattera works, but also has the same effect on dopamine, another chemical that aids concentraiton.

Kapvay also has use for high blood pressure, anxiety, insomnia, and drug withdrawal. It effectively increases the production of various stimulating chemicals within the brain, and also acts on one of the receptors that norepinephrine works on, an action it shares with Intuniv. It tends to decrease aggression.

Lastly, Effexor, also a powerful medicine for depression and many forms of anxiety, can improve focus by also working to increase norepinephrine. It may be hard to get off of, perhaps partially because of indirect effect on various opiate receptors, which no odubt adds to its efficacy in depression.

Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD & ADD) is the problem of not being able to focus; those who have ADHD can also exhibit symptoms of being overactive and unable to control their behavior. Both adults and children can be affected with this disorder.

Anxiety Disorders (benzodiazepines)

  • alprazolam (Xanax)
    [*]bromazepam (Lexotanil)
    [*]chlorodiazepoxide (Librium)
    [*]clobazum (Frisium)
    [*]clonazepam (Klonopin)
    [*]clorazepate
    [*]diazepam (Valium)
    [*]lorazepam (Ativan)
    [*]oxazepam (Serax)
    [*]tofisopam (Grandaxin)

Anxiety Disorders (non benzodiazepine)


Generalized anxiety disorder is a medical condition where a person often worries intensely about various things in their life and are unable to control this feeling.

Depression (Selective Serotonin Reuptake Inhibitors/Tricyclic Antidepressants)


Antidepressants are often prescribed for Major Depressive Disorder, Seasonal Affective Disorder, etc. Depression is characterized by having feelings of hopelessness, despair, and sadness for a prolonged period of time that does not resolve.

Bipolar Disorder


Bipolar mood disorder can be simply put as a disorder where a person has varying periods of elation and depression.

Psychosis, including Schizophrenia


  • Aripiprazole (Abilify)
  • Asenapine (Saphris)
  • Chlorpromazine (Thorazine)
  • Olanzapine (Zyprexa)
  • Paliperidone (Invega)
  • Quetiapine (Seroquel)
  • Risperidone (Risperdal)
  • ziprasidone (Geodon)
  • chlorprothixene (Truxal)
  • levomepromazine (Levium)
  • perazine (Perazin)
  • benperidol
  • bromperidol (Impromen)
  • haloperidol (Haldol)
  • fluphenazine
  • pimozide(orap)
  • perphenazine (Trilafon)
  • promethazine (Atosil)
  • prothipendyl (Dominal)
  • sulpiride (Dogmatil)
  • thioridazine (Thioridazin)
  • zuclopenthixol (Clopixol)

When a person is experiencing psychosis, they may lose touch with reality and experience delusions and/or hallucinations. Schizophrenia can sometimes cause psychosis.


Insomnia


Insomnia is a condition where a person experiences the inability to fall asleep and/or stay asleep. Sometimes benzodiazpines can be used for insomnia.


 
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Please share your experiences with psychiatric medication in this thread. If possible, try to include your dose, length of time on medication, and reason for being prescribed the medication so we get a clear picture :)
 
Venlafaxine (Effexor), 75mg

I was prescribed this for anxiety and depression. Had a really bad reaction from it. Sweaty, mydriasis, clenching jaw, flushed skin, and insomnia. I'm not sure if it was an allergy or a bad reaction with me.
 
I've been taking :
Sertraline 50mg/day for the last 8 months. Almost completely got rid of my depression. Didn't help with social anxiety though.
Doxepin 20-30mg at night for the last 9 months. Reduced my irritability, greatly improved my sleep, slightly helped with depression, and barely helped with SA.

I recently tried etifoxine(50-250mg), I experienced no sedation at all but it lowered my inhibitions, and reduced anxiety.
 
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Question, as you did not specify which version of Bipolar.

I have social anxiety, ocd and bi-polar type II (no hyper-mania unless xanthine stimulant induced such as caffeine).

Past prescription combinations included paxil and then risperdal, zoloft and depakote. Net result, gained 140 pounds and zombified, so stopped (lost all the weight, no change in habits).

Self-medicating with methamphetamine for depression, and have a prescription for quetiapine nightly to reverse effects of methamphetamine and it's neuroprotective effects, and valium for social anxiety. This has proven to be the best combination I've found.

I'm planning on discussing this combination with my psychiatrist to see if a prescription for desoxyn (prescription meth) is possible since adderall has worse side effects for me. Are there any resources available showing that this combination is an accepted treatment for bi-polar type II? Amphetamine + Anti-psychotic?

The alternative I was considering after researching depakote's method of action is Amphetamine + Depakote; but depakote alone will not treat my depression and SSRIs have proven ineffective in the past (they make me fall asleep).

Also, considering the treatment for Bi-polar Type I and Bi-polar Type II can be different, do you intend on separating them out into two different categories?
 
Aetherius Rimor said:
Are there any resources available showing that this combination is an accepted treatment for bi-polar type II? Amphetamine + Anti-psychotic?
Click to expand...

I haven't really looked into it. If you (or anyone else) finds info about that, feel free to post it here! It's an on going project :)

Aetherius Rimor said:
Also, considering the treatment for Bi-polar Type I and Bi-polar Type II can be different, do you intend on separating them out into two different categories?
Click to expand...

Thats a good idea :)
 
Are you trying to be as complete as possible? There are a few I can think of that are missing.
 
^ Feel free to add to it- and this goes for anyone! Lol rather than saying something is missing, add your own post :)
 
aq. said:
I haven't really looked into it. If you (or anyone else) finds info about that, feel free to post it here! It's an on going project :)



Thats a good idea :)
Click to expand...

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3181580/?report=classic

" Inhibited patients and depressed patients with bipolar disorder seemed to benefit, most, from adjuvant, treatment with psychostimulants.[15]"

The primary problem with amphetamines and bi-polar is it's potential to induce manic phases. However since most articles I read don't differentiate between type I and type II, I'm under the impression this concern is for type I. (Source: http://www.drugs.com/monograph/adderall.html "May precipitate mixed or manic episodes in ADHD patients with comorbid bipolar disorder; use with caution in these patients.")

Biggest problem I'm running into during my research is that I can never tell if discussions about bi-polar are referring to both types, or just one of the types. The same issue occurs with ADD/ADHD. ADD and ADHD are different disorders physiologically, but the majority of the symptoms are same and the treatments are generally the same. The primary difference being the H in ADHD. ADHD is "obvious" due to them being hyperactive, while ADD isn't obvious (and harder to diagnose).

Bi-polar type II has depression and hypomania with extremely rare hypermania; usually triggered by stress or xanthine stimulants. When I drink caffeine, I feel like I'm rolling without feeling fucked up (hypomania), but if I keep using caffeine, I start getting extremely irritable and angry (hypermania).

Amphetamines work for me like I assume caffeine works for normal people. I become alert, I gain energy, and I get no euphoria at therapeutic dosages (but depression does disappear). So while it doesn't trigger mania in all people with bi-polar type II, it very well might trigger mania in someone with bi-polar type I.

I have some issues with the way psychiatry and the DSM classifies mental illnesses, because it's diagnosing/treating symptoms instead of root causes; but cognitive science is still relatively primitive. If it weren't for the major-depressive episodes I encounter once in a blue mooon, I might have been diagnosed with ADD. Minor depression episodes could be interpreted as attention deficiency (inability to focus/concentrate), and hypomania could be interpreted as hyperfocus (an ADD/ADHD symptom).

Anyways, I very much appreciate the work you've done so far. I've spent a lot of time researching mental illness, physiological causes and treatments; but have never seen such a simple reference as this before :)
 
On an unrelated note, you might consider marking drugs used to treat off-label as such. For instance, if you add adderall as a treatment for depression; it's used off-label (not FDA approved to be advertised as treating the condition).
 
^ thanks for the post!

I may consider adding in some off-label treatments, I've just been a bit busy as of late. Perhaps I'll make a 2nd post with the same disorders I listed except it'll be for off label meds rather than "traditional" treatments. :)
 
Aetherius Rimor said:
I'm planning on discussing this combination with my psychiatrist to see if a prescription for desoxyn (prescription meth) is possible since adderall has worse side effects for me. Are there any resources available showing that this combination is an accepted treatment for bi-polar type II? Amphetamine + Anti-psychotic??
Click to expand...

I imagine quetiapine + amphetamine could be replaced by SNRI + antihistamine. TBH I think whether your chosen combination is a generally accepted treatment for bipolar or not, doesn't matter. If you're happy with this combination, stay on it.
 
flyhighk said:
I imagine quetiapine + amphetamine could be replaced by SNRI + antihistamine. TBH I think whether your chosen combination is a generally accepted treatment for bipolar or not, doesn't matter. If you're happy with this combination, stay on it.
Click to expand...

Ooooh, an SNRI, why has this thought not crossed my mind; good idea!
 
Zuclopenthixol Decanoate "depot" (Clopixol), an anti-psychotic/neuroleptic, 200mg/ml for 3.5years and counting, every 28days intramuscular injection in the hip.

Some very slight zombification (flattening of affect), but i've been able to make plenty of art on canvas and publish 7 poetry books while taking it, so it's not really all that prohibitive creatively, at current dose given my weight and height, 6ft, 85kg.

Original scenario it was prescribed for was hearing a disembodied Voice for a year and a half constantly, from prolonged acute malnutrition (completely drug-clean for 6 years at that stage, went down to 40kg), not ongoing pervasive disorder like schz., only symptom apart from feeling "dazed and confused" was a Voice from the distance, 50 - 100metres away just out of sight, realistic as hell. Since I've been on it, I find my intermittent pot habit (6 month heavy-usage stints, frequently landing me in hospital for a few weeks and used to take months to come down) doesn't lead to psychoses quite as serious or often as it used to - i still trip out for a few weeks, but then i ground again pretty quickly, so it acts like a "safety net". And oh yeah, the Voice disappeared within a month of first taking it, so i no longer had to run ragged and homeless round the country as i did that whole period in a freaked-out delirium chased and haunted by a projected personality fragment.

I'd love to get off it one day, since the odd doses I've been late for have showed me there's a deeper emotional freedom being concealed by the Zuclopenthixol(Clopixol), but far out it's good to have a stable home again and no Voice always distracting me and wearing me down.

I don't like anti-psychotics generally (can make it difficult to cry or laugh after a long time on them, and feels like a halflife in a way), and like many people here would use alternative health modes instead if they weren't expensive (wheras the psych treatment is govt subsidised, unfair) but this one helps prevent pot-related flipouts very well.
 
Once upon a time I was a Dr. shopper. Every Dr. Prescsribed me a different cocktail for the same exact sympoms and diagnosis. I spent years of my life examining 1st hand the true results of anti-deppressants, benzos, muscle relaxers, and pain releivers. Some months I would take one or the other. I found that antideppressants prevented my capability of feeling such drugs as MDMA and mephedrone. (serotonin inhibitors) they also curbed my appetite and helped me quit drinking. and smoking. also discouraging my urge to f_ck every thing that moved. But I soon found that the thing I loved most was my emotions. I missed having my emotions. I didnt need drugs to curb my emotions. I simply needed time to reflect and understand how my emotion affected me. Now I have control of my own life, WITHOUT addictive antidepressants. I"ve suffered withdrawals from opiates, alcohol and benzos. But I admit< the worst withdrawals I've ever suffered where caused from anti-depressants!!! I would rather suffer pain than the loss of my own mind! Any day. The longer you take antidepressants, the worse the withdrawal will be. take heed. your personallity and emotions can be controlled. You simply have to exercise both your mind and body. daily.
 
Abilify, What is it mainly used to treat? Bipolar or schizophrenia?
How long does it take for your body to get the full effects?
My bf is currently taking it in the hospital and I just wanted to know a little bit more about it coming from a person taking it and not a dr. I know the dr knows about it but not first handed
 
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