My Experiences on Different Mental Health Medications
Bolded rows indicate that I'm still taking the medication.
| Medication |
Dosage |
How Often |
Time Taken |
| Buproprion XL |
150-300mg/SR 100mg |
1x/morning |
5 years (2019-2024) |
| Hydroxyzine |
15-25mg |
3x/day max, as-needed |
6 years (2019-present) |
| Mirtazipine |
15-30mg |
1x/night |
~2 years (2023-present) |
| Quetiapine |
50mg |
1x/night |
<1 year (don't rember) |
| Adderall IR |
5-10mg |
1x |
<1 year |
| Atomoxetine |
18-60mg |
1x/morning |
<1 year (2024-present) |
| Gabapentin |
100mg |
3x/day max, as-needed |
<1 year (2024-present) |
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Buproprion XL/SR: My first and longest medication. I took it for 5 years. It helped me focus on my digital art and pull my life back together during a very difficult time. This plus special interest allowed me to draw
for hours at a time. Reduced my appetite, which was dangerous for me at that time. However, eating became easier when I wasn't stressed from other factors. After a few years, the muscle spasms and jerkiness set in. I'm
sensitive to that sort of thing, so I stopped. Switching to a lower dose of SR gave me annoying blurry eyes, presumably because SR gives you more medication at one time than XL does. Increases anxiety, but makes it
easier to get up in the morning.
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Hydroxyzine: Eepy. Reduces anxiety, increases drowsiness, but not in a way that's immediately noticeable. Incompatible with other antihistamines like cetirizine, as combining antihistamines can lead to antihistamine
toxicity.
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Mirtazipine: My beloved! Helps me eat, helps me sleep, even at my larger dose of 30 mg. I noticed few antidepressant effects. Unique in that a smaller dose makes you sleepier, but a larger dose works better for eating
and antidepressant effects. First starting on it felt like there was lead in my legs.
- Quetiapine: Don't remember the exact dosage, but I suspect it was low, as I'd just started it. Lead-in-legs. It made me too sleepy, all the time, and for that I stopped it pretty quickly.
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Adderall IR: Named as such because the generic name is too long. Instant release made me feel blessedly normal and quiet in my brain for 20 minutes or so. Almost tired. My body stopped twitching, and I was able to listen
to a friend's story without staring around or shifting too much. Felt it less the second time I took it.
- Atomoxetine: Helps me focus, although it doesn't help with energy. Without fail I crash and need to nap five hours after taking it. Higher dose seems to have helped a little, but it still happens.
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Gabapentin 100mg: Prescribed since I can't take hydroxyzine anymore, and I find it about as effective. More euphoric. Easier to feel, and quicker to set in. A higher dose will send me to sleep and make me loopy when I
wake up, but this hasn't been true for smaller doses. At 300mg, I start getting drowsy and 'high.'
