Posts by fadedbear92

restlesstiger49 said:Week five on Zoloft. Current status:🤷 I honestly have no clue! I’m not even sure what the "right" feeling is supposed to be, so how am I meant to tell if it's actually working? Should I look into switching medications, or just hang in there a bit longer?

Are you taking it for depression? If that's the case, it really should have "lifted" you by now—you ought to be feeling more energy and less lethargy. I'm not sure what your specific diagnosis is, but I was on 5 mg, and it helped me immensely... plus, it cut my anxiety down by at least 70%.

wearycyclist17 said:Quick question: Can you take an anxiolytic (Vistaril) at the same time as an antidepressant (Zoloft), or should there be a gap between doses?

You can—just don't use the Xanax for more than three weeks straight, otherwise you run the risk of getting hooked.

restlesstrucker15 said:To be honest, taking Cymbalta feels a bit like being on a mild high, or perhaps a sort of half-ecstasy. During those first few days, I felt incredibly drowsy. I think I will have to reach out to my psychiatrist to see if we should adjust the dosage; even though things are a bit chaotic for me right now—dealing with some health issues here in the States—it isn't necessarily a bad thing to feel this "up."
In fact, I am so wired that I stay up all night like an owl. I ended up giving up on Sanval because, given these side effects, it simply doesn't seem to work at all; I suppose the state of excitement is just overpowering the hypnotic effect.

Best regards,

I totally get why you're chasing that high, but you can see you aren't sleeping at all—you won't be able to sustain this long-term, no matter what.😉

Brian Young5 said:Have you been on that medication since the insomnia first hit, or did you start with something lighter? Also, how long have you been taking Q-pin, and have you had to increase the dose? Sorry if you already covered this earlier; I don't hang out in this thread every day and things are getting a bit intense right now.

I've been through plenty of different meds—honestly, this one is the best. It doesn't feel addictive, even if you increase the dose (at least until you hit that sweet spot where you can finally sleep 7 or 8 hours straight).

Brian Young5 said:I’ve noticed I’m struggling to rediscover my intrinsic motivation. When I first started therapy, things felt lighter—I was finally shaking off the darkness, and those old symptoms just seemed to peel away. Being out of the trenches of illness and actually feeling in control of my thoughts and emotions made me feel incredibly grateful and genuinely bright. But now? It feels like I’ve hit a plateau. I’m starting to get bogged down by existential dread and the whole "what's the point" question. I'm trying to learn how to view life as a process—maybe even a game—rather than this rigid, linear, pathologically ambitious grind toward goals that might not even be real. I’m fully aware of all this, too, which makes it worse. Maybe I’ve finally hit the core of the issue. Is it possible that because my medication dosage has tapered off, my brain and subconscious are essentially telling me it's time to rely on my own strength since I've grown more resilient? If that's the case, how am I supposed to continue this healing mission when my most basic biological function is shot? Sleep is everything; without deep, restorative sleep, I can't function. It's what resets me and clears out the previous day's anxiety. How do I stabilize my sleep using nothing but willpower? I’ve been drinking chamomile tea to calm down, but it’s doing absolutely nothing to stop this sudden, unwelcome insomnia.

Why don't you just bring this up with your therapist during your next session?
Sleep is everything to me too, but man, my insomnia is brutal—I actually take a little Qpin to get through it. That Seroquel you're on is the real deal, though; maybe you should talk to your doctor about bumping up the dose if you're specifically using it to sleep. Definitely check in with your physician.

Larry Barnes10 said:This is easily the most intense group when it comes to preaching about how "dangerous" pills are. Like, sure, let's all just sit here and suffer in agony instead...

Exactly🙄

Michelle Kelly4 said:fadedbear92, you dealing with anxiety or depression too?

Yeah—it runs in the family.
Let's just call it GAD (generalized anxiety disorder)😛

restlesstrucker15 said:It is true that all medications carry some level of risk, but that doesn't mean they aren't beneficial when needed. 🙂
I would love to see someone try to walk through a severe case of pneumonia without any antibiotics.
Jason Vaughn482, please don't be alarmed by the side effects listed everywhere; they are standard. I could suggest you read the warning label on a simple bottle of Tylenol, though perhaps that isn't necessary either. 😁
In my estimation, things like fast food are actually far more detrimental to one's health than a single dose of a benzodiazepine.

Sent from my

Exactly—(by the way, what's that "sketching the forum" bit in your signature supposed to mean?)

Jason Vaughn482

Seriously, please try to stop reading through all those side effects—I learned that the hard way during my own early struggles with depression and anxiety.😉

Michelle Kelly4 said:I'm dealing with anxiety and depression, but the intense obsessions are what really get me...

As for the obsessions... I'm really not sure.
Oh, I see there's some mention here about OCD in children.🤷

Michelle Kelly4 said:Anyone here have experience with Zoloft?

It worked wonders for me—really helped dial back the panic attacks and gave me a much needed energy boost—I was taking 5 mg.🙂

neonotter20 said:You're taking Carbamazepine, which is technically an anti-epileptic, but it's actually used quite effectively for psychosis, depression, anxiety, and a bunch of other things. Its uses are pretty broad. That said, the side effects can be brutal; I've seen it firsthand with people in the hospital who were on it. They basically look like zombies. Honestly, you might be better off leaving the hospital with your current prescription, then finding a private psychiatrist once you're home and asking them to adjust your meds. That's exactly what I did when they put me on Klonopin; I couldn't even pull myself out of bed. As soon as I was discharged, I went straight to my doctor and asked for a change.

Don't generalize.
I didn't experience any side effects at all when I first took Carbamazepine for insomnia. After a few years, we reintroduced it, and *that's* when the side effect itching over my whole body showed up—so my doctor shut it down immediately. When you're on this medication, it's vital to get your liver checked (CBC) every three months.

I don't know what dosages those people were on if they looked like zombies, and it's also a big question mark what else they were taking alongside the Carbamazepine.

@ladymoonlight: Carbamazepine is used in psychiatry as a mood stabilizer—meaning it prevents those massive swings where you feel high one minute and then totally down just a few hours later. It's also used for sleep (my case) and sometimes for anxiety.
If you're dealing with the kind of side effects you described, tell the doctor who prescribed them right away so they can adjust your treatment. Dragging it out just prolongs the misery.

Zachary Stewart2 said:Just got back from my check-up this week. My psychiatrist was talking to me about this whole "emotional numbness" thing—basically feeling totally flat—and she’s claiming it’s all down to my lifestyle. She says I don't feel happy or fulfilled because of how I'm living, and that the numbness will eventually lift if something positive actually happens in my life, like landing a new job or something. Honestly? I’m not sure if I buy it. From everything I’ve read up on regarding emotional blunting, this is pretty much the first time I've even heard that explanation.
My doctor swapped out my Xanax for Arvind to help with sleep and added Diazepam to the mix to help with my mood. I haven't actually tried either one yet. I'm a bit skeptical about whether I'll even feel anything, though, especially since I've built up such a massive tolerance to meds over time.

She'll either bump up your dose or switch things up again—you just have to be patient, which is honestly the hardest part of this whole process.

Paul Newman5 said:Effexor works fine for me. It doesn't give me those crazy energy spikes and hasn't caused major issues, though it didn't fully kill off my anxiety either. At least it wasn't as brutal as Lexapro or Luxeta were for me.

Lexapro was the same for me—I could only stomach it for three weeks.

Paul Newman5 said:Glad for you. Just wondering if you felt sleepy at first? And do you take it morning and night, or just once? My issue is always drowsiness because of work—when I was on Calixt, getting up at 6 AM was rough. I'm looking into Paxil because the Effexor I'm on now hasn't quite done the trick. I'm doing better than last year, sure, but the anxiety persists and I still need Xanax—though maybe half as much as before, but I'm still on it daily.

Paxil is definitely a downer—it made me drowsy during those first two weeks, but after that, I felt great. Like I mentioned before, it works wonders for anxiety.

Effexor is more of a stimulant; it wakes you right up, and it actually gave me insomnia.

more

brighthawk0 said:Two months on Paxil 2 x100mg, and things are looking up, I guess. The obsessions have dialed back significantly, which helps me make much more rational decisions. I still deal with bits of anxiety every now and then, but the main thing is that I’m functioning way better in social settings—and honestly, fixing my social anxiety was the whole point of this treatment. 🎉

Anyway, maybe this helps someone out.

That's great! It worked well for me back in the day too; it really is a solid option when you need that anti-anxiety effect.😉

restlesstrucker15 said:Haha, you're absolutely crazy 😁

Skickas FR

I am—still am—and honestly, probably for life.🤣

restlesstrucker15 said:Quote:>

Chloe Hughes6 says: Tolerance means the medication isn't working effectively anymore, or perhaps a dependency has developed—it could even be both. If that sense of emotional numbness is caused by tolerance, it won't just go away on its own. That’s my first point, but I also have a general question. It seems to me that only here in America and throughout the North America do people say they "drink" their pills. In other languages and cultures, at least as far as I know, you "take" them.😂😂

I think you might be overstating things a bit; I have to agree with Rachel. Of course, life is best lived without any medication at all, but it feels like people have become hyper-focused on psychopharmaceuticals lately.

By the way, if we're considered savages for "drinking" our medicine based on your linguistic observation, then Scandinavians are even worse because they say they "eat" their medication. Haha. And honestly, I end up devouring them when I'm over there, because the depression and anxiety can be unbearable—just given the local vibe and mentality. Brrrr.

Skickas FR

😂🤣😍

There's plenty more of us out here

God, I totally overdid it with my meds today—and right after lunch, too🤣

Chloe Hughes6 said:I honestly have no idea how to address your daily 300mg regimen. You aren't even the individual being discussed here! Furthermore, I cannot speak to specific dosages or the medications patients take while they act as a defensive shield for Big Pharma. That is where the real issue lies. Those superficial two-minute check-ups have become all too common lately. The real problem is simply sedating someone with medication just to ensure they stay quiet.

I think you're really overreacting here. For a lot of people, these medications are a total lifesaver—many wouldn't even be able to function without them. And look, obviously psychotherapy is the most critical part of the process. I realize getting coverage through Blue Cross Blue Shield can be a massive headache, but it isn't impossible or out of reach.

restlesstrucker15 said:Yes, they absolutely dull the senses, which is why people turn to them when the anxiety hits hard.
In my view, someone who doesn't rely on pills might just reach for a shot of bourbon when things get heavy, and that provides a similar kind of numbness.
Antidepressants don't typically cause that specific type of emotional flattening, at least not initially, unless they have sedative properties. It takes some time to distinguish whether the fog you're feeling is a symptom of the illness itself or a side effect of the medication. However, psychiatrists are well aware of this distinction, and the real solution lies in psychotherapy—provided one has the means to pursue it.

I remember sitting in the clinic once, practically begging for a lobotomy or even electroconvulsive therapy😁, but the doctor just laughed it off, telling me she would treat me with standard therapy because there is no "easy way out"🙂

FedEx

🙂

No—absolutely not—it all comes down to the relentless grind of self-improvement.
btw, hit the gym for some PT yesterday

Zachary Stewart2 said:I've been taking three pills—Prosper, Citram, and Xanax—for over five months now. I can't say for sure, but I think the emotional numbness started creeping in after about two months... basically just as most of the initial side effects were finally dying down.

Xanax definitely numbs you—honestly, all benzos tend to dull your actual emotions.