Medications 101

***This post outlines effects/side effects of the medications I’m currently on and have been on in the past. This does not necessarily mean that you will have similar experiences on these drugs. Consult with your doctor to find out what medications are right for you.***

When one gets diagnosed with schizophrenia, or many other mental health disorders, oftentimes, the patient will be prescribed medication. These medications are prescribed based on a variety of factors, including but not limited to: the diagnosis/diagnoses, body weight, other health issues or current medications, and insurance.

When I was diagnosed, I was put on buproprion (wellbutrin), abilify (aripiprazole), and zolpidem (ambien). Wellbutrin is an antidepressant, abilitfy is an antipsychotic, and ambien is a sleep aid. At the time of my diagnosis, not only was I severely depressed, sleeping only 2-4 hours per night (if that), and was experiencing auditory and visual hallucinations. Interestingly, nowadays, I am not taking any of these medications.

Currently, I am on olanzapine (zyprexa), quetiapine (seroquel), sertraline (zoloft), gabapentin (neurontin, PRN), haloperidol (haldol, PRN), and lorazepam (ativan, PRN). For those of you not in the know, “PRN” just means “as needed.” I generally use the PRN medications fairly rarely, but am not afraid to bust them out when needed.

I am currently switching my main antipsychotic from zyprexa to seroquel, tapering down the zyprexa every week, and tapering up on seroquel.

These drugs do have their downsides, however. The ones that I have experienced are mainly weight gain and dry mouth. Seriously, zyprexa munchies make weed munchies look like a small snack in comparison. But I’d much rather be chubby and stable rather than skinny and in full-blown psychosis. For many people, myself included, the good effects of these drugs far outweigh the bad. For me, these drugs I take on a daily basis keep me out of the mental hospital, and prevent me from harming myself.

If you are experiencing severe mental health issues, don’t be afraid of medication! Yes, there are side effects, but for many people, these drugs can literally save their lives. At least, that’s how it was for me.