Posts by fadedbear92

Brandon Lopez6 said:Roughly how long does it take for Lexapro to actually kick in and for the side effects to die down? I’m starting my first pill this Tuesday morning, but I have a trip planned for February 12th—heading out to Chicago, which is about a two and a half hour bus ride. Just wondering if I’ll be feeling okay by then or if I should probably push the trip back.

Generally speaking, most people find that any side effects from an antidepressant taper off within two weeks to a month.

Eric Jackson11 said:Just take the antidepressant whenever you actually wake up.
Try waking up about 15 minutes earlier every day to see if you can gradually stabilize your internal clock...

That’s solid advice—though honestly, doing it by the hour would be even better... but hey, taking it slow is probably the safer bet for long-term progress.😉

Brandon Lopez6 said:I was wondering, assuming my doctor even brings it up—one doc asked me once, but another didn't, so I have no clue what the vibe is with my current one—is xanax SR actually better for anxiety, or should I just stick with the Helex?

From what I gather, xanax SR releases slowly over a longer stretch, which would be huge for me since I hate feeling like I have to pop pills constantly. But then again, I’m worried it might not hit hard enough when the anxiety really kicks in. Like, if a panic attack starts hitting, how am I supposed to know if I need to take another dose or if I can hold out? 🤔

Has anyone here actually used xanax SR specifically for anxiety?

It was due to a GAP—I was on the highest dose of my antidepressant at the time—but I pulled through. Once we dove into psychotherapy and really dug deep to find the root causes of that GAP episode, it never happened again!🙄

Jason Vaughn482 said:As for my own experience, I suffer from insomnia, though if I’m being precise, the struggle isn't staying asleep, but rather the agonizing difficulty of actually drifting off in the first place. Once I finally succumb to sleep, I tend to sleep for a solid 8 to 10 hours, even when I've taken 10 mg of Ambien. The only exception is during those darker stretches when my mental state is deteriorating; in those instances, I find myself waking up multiple times throughout the night, though I do manage to drift back under. During those bouts, I take some Benadryl just to knock me out. It honestly feels like I end up oversleeping, yet the initial onset is so incredibly difficult... I suppose I call that "severe insomnia," though perhaps I am misinterpreting the term if I read accounts here of people who can only manage a few hours of rest.🤷

Look, everyone is different—some people need more sleep, others need less.

shadowbear9 said:Educate myself on what? I have read the instructions countless times and I have already discussed these medications with my doctor. It isn't just about falling asleep; it’s also for people who wake up constantly during the night or wake up way too early. In my specific case, this particular sedative is actually the most effective option... and sure, it works for three hours, but I don't just take one pill and hope for the best so I don't wake up after three hours. If I do wake up, I just take two more and get another round of sleep... I honestly thought the whole point of being here was to share actual personal experiences, not to have someone lecture me by quoting pharmaceutical pamphlets... ☕

Aside from reading the labels, I was actually briefed by my therapist—who, mind you, has ten years of experience working with tons of patients—so let's not get ahead of ourselves regarding your little jab at me.
The most effective pill is different for everyone; there is no such thing as a universal fix.

shadowbear9 said:If Ambien didn't do anything for you, I honestly doubt Paxil is going to be any better. And don't even get me started on Normabest—maybe some higher doses would work? But fundamentally, a hypnotic is way more potent than these basic anti-anxiety meds, I guess.

Guys, please do a little research first—Sanval is really just meant for helping you fall asleep faster quickly, and one pill usually only lasts about three hours. For more serious issues—you know, when we're talking about chronic insomnia—there are other medications available.
You really need to talk to a psychiatrist.

Steven Martin13 said:Hey there, I don't find myself popping into this thread very often.

I’ve been struggling with panic attacks and general anxiety.

My psychiatrist originally put me on Clonazepam, but after a while, it started causing memory gaps—not to mention making me feel incredibly sedated and just plain confused. I tried scaling back the dosage, but honestly, it was the same story, so I had to stop altogether. Then I gave Normabest a shot, but that just triggered intense restlessness—like, I couldn't even sit still—and after using it for a few days, the panic attacks actually started coming back.

It’s been about six months since I last took Ativan, and I’m considering trying it again. My doctor is still pushing the Clonazepam, but there is absolutely no way I am putting that stuff in my mouth ever again. 🙂
The logic they use is that it builds dependency more slowly, even though I was able to quit Ativan the first time around without any real issues.
It’s actually been seven years since I last touched any of those.

Look, I’m not looking for some pill that helps me escape reality or anything like that; I just need something occasionally to take the edge off those fears before they escalate into full-blown panic attacks after a few days.

I’ve been on Zoloft for two and a half months now. It’s helped quite a bit, really, but I still get these clusters of two or three terrible days every so often, and I just want to minimize that suffering.

So, my questions are:

- Has anyone else had bad experiences? Because when I read through the warning labels—mentioning things like hallucinations or psychotic reactions—it honestly chilled me to the bone.

- Is there any other decent anxiolytic out there besides Ativan (Xanax)?

Today, the group of anxiolytics includes:
benzodiazepines (Valium, oxazepam, medazepam, bromazepam, alprazolam, lorazepam)

carbamates (meprobamate)

azaspironediones (buspirone)

http://www.webmd.com/anxiety-medications-info

redranger2 said:It hasn't caused any issues for me; I’ve been on it for about two and a half months now, and I’ve only gained a single pound.
Before this, I was taking Vera, and that definitely caused me to put on 25 pounds. Once I
finally stopped taking it, the weight just fell right off—I lost about 13 pounds in a month, and while I'm still up 13 pounds from my original baseline, it doesn't really bother me.

I'm not gaining weight either—unless I'm overeating!😁

Frank Campbell said:joooooj Tegretol Tegretol
Ziiijeeeeeev

I took 200 mg about 12 hours ago and honestly, I'm still just sitting here praying for some sleep like everyone else does

I actually think it might be better to split it up—maybe 100 mg in the morning and 100 mg at night? That way you aren't feeling like a zombie all day. I was really hoping the grogginess from one big 200 mg dose would have worn off by now, but nope, still feeling it!

I actually take an ADHD med that's super stimulating; it hits those norepinephrine neurotransmitters so I'm wide awake in the morning. But lately, I've been using Ambien to sleep because after I started taking Tegretol again, I had this crazy itchy allergic reaction—so we cut it immediately. Honestly, Ambien is absolute magic for getting a solid night's rest.😉

In your case, Zoloft should probably help perk you up in the morning if you only took the Tegretol at night. If it doesn't, you should definitely chat with your doctor about maybe bumping up your Zoloft dosage a bit.

Frank Campbell said:I’ve been reading up on this being a next-gen mood stabilizer, and honestly, the way it works sounds fantastic. It targets depression—basically pulling you back from the brink—but unlike an AD, it doesn't send you spiraling into mania.
Older stabilizers, like carbamazepine or lithium, are great at tackling mania, but they don't really touch the depressive side, so people usually have to stack them with an AD anyway.
For me, the depressive phase of my beloved Bipolar II is a much bigger beast than any manic episode; the only time mania becomes an issue is when I'm actually on an AD. Because of that, this medication feels like it could be the perfect fit for my situation.

I tend to put a lot of faith in pharmaceutical science and the constant leaps forward in modern medicine, so I wouldn't mind playing the "guinea pig" a little bit to see how lamotrigine performs. 🙄

Does anyone here have hands-on experience with it? I know folks like Arvind are familiar with it, and I'm sure others are too... 🤷

If anyone has some insight—whether it's from your own journey or from working with patients—I would love to hear more about this drug. I want to walk into my next psych session sounding like an absolute expert so my doctor thinks I should just take her job! 😉

from Wikipedia

History

December 1994 — Lamotrigine was approved for The treatment of partial seizures.[4]

August 1998 — for use as adjunctive treatment of Lennox-Gastaut syndrome in pediatric and adult patients, new dosage form: chewable dispersible tablets.

December 1998 — for use as monotherapy for treatment of partial seizures in adult patients when converting from a single enzyme-inducing anti-epileptic drug (EIAED).

January 2003 — for Use as adjunctive therapy for partial seizures in pediatric patients as Young as 2 years of age.

June 2003 — Lamotrigine approved for maintenance treatment of Bipolar i disorder ; The First since lithium.[7]

January 2004 — for use as monotherapy for treatment of partial seizures in adult patients when converting from the anti-epileptic drug valproate (including valproic acid (Depakene); sodium valproate (Epilim) and divalproex sodium (Depakote)).

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lamotrigine

Psychiatric Uses of Lamotrigine
(Lamal).

http://www.psycom.net/depression.cen...motrigine.html

Frank Campbell said:Thanks! 🙂
I’m on a similar dose, but I split it up—100 mg in the morning and 100 mg at night.
It feels like it just dulls my senses and makes me feel totally groggy, so I'd much rather just take the full 200 mg right before bed and call it a day. Do you happen to remember if you ever took the full 200 mg all at once?
Gosh, I feel like I'm badgering you...🙄
But hey, when there are a million different ways to combine things... what can you do?☕

Yeah, I used to take it at night specifically to help me sleep—though only during those extreme bouts of anxiety. My doctor actually suggested I just stick to one pill a day.
It numbs you because it calms everything down—that's just how it works.

@ Frank Campbell

I was taking 200 mg of Tegretol—just found my old medical records from back in the day😉

Frank Campbell said:Wait, 5mg of Zoloft? (assuming that's what you mean by "Zoloft")
As far as I know, the smallest dose available is 50mg.
And how much Tegretol were you taking? Like 200mg? Or something else?

😂😂😂😂
years != yrs

I can't quite recall my Tegretol dosage—it should be in my old posts, but if I get the chance, I'll dig through my old medical records to be sure.😉

Frank Campbell said:I really need some advice here!
After about a month on Zoloft 100 mg, I started feeling totally manic. To help balance things out, I began taking Tegretol 200 split between morning and night. It worked like a charm—honestly, Tegretol feels like a total lifesaver!
Now, since I didn't want to go cold turkey on the Zoloft, I've tapered down to 50mg a day.

Is it actually common to take Tegretol and Zoloft at the same time? It feels like one handles the depression while the other manages the mania... 🙄

I know I should be checking in with my psychiatrist, but I just can't make it to an appointment right now....

you can
Tegretol acts as a stabilizer—maybe she could have eased up on the Zoloft a bit more.
I used to take Tegretol to help me sleep, while using Zoloft at a low dose as an add-on.

Chloe Thompson9 said:Does Ludiomil actually kill your appetite? (And by extension—is it a one-way ticket to weight gain?)

Thanks 🙂

It really varies from person to person—just like any other medication, honestly.

My experiences

http://www.depresija.org/forum/index...howtopic=10658

Jessica Brooks2 said:Zeldox, 80 mg total per day.

And I've got Xanax prescribed at 0.5 mg three times a day.

I can barely function right now. I skipped my afternoon dose, and this morning I only managed half of it. Now I still have to get myself and the kids ready for tomorrow and shove them into bed.🙂

I read the info on the medication here.
It’s definitely making you drowsy.
Usually, you feel a bit sleepy while your body adjusts to the Prozac, but if it doesn't let up, you should check in with your doctor.

There are people here who have experience taking this.

http://www.depresija.org/forum/index.php?showtopic=1080

Jessica Brooks2 said:Thanks for the reply, I’m seriously out of it 🙂 and I had no idea antipsychotics could knock you out like this. I'm still new to all of this, even if my symptoms make me feel like a veteran 😁

Last night I only took half a Xanax, and did the same thing this morning.

Which AP are you on, and what's your dosage?

Jessica Brooks2 said:I don't smoke, I don't drink, I don't spend money on anything... Just the antipsychotic and a 0.5 dose of Xanax. Took it at 8:30 AM and slept straight through until 4 PM. 😲
In my case, it actually worked because no matter how much sleep I get at night, I’m always wiped out and drowsy during the day. But is this sleeping thing just going to be my life now?!

You can't be that exhausted just from an antipsychotic alone; the Xanax is likely just cranking up that drowsiness even further.

wiredskipper45 said:New to this forum, but unfortunately a veteran when it comes to psych meds. :/
I’ve got BPD and generalized anxiety/depression. At least, right now.
The other day I had this massive, terrifying anxiety attack. It's pretty much my main struggle; the depression hits way less often and isn't quite as overwhelming.
Being a typical BPD sufferer, I don't really listen to anyone except that voice inside my head—which usually sounds like a damn siren. During my last check-up, I asked my psychiatrist for a new med because Effexor wasn't doing anything for me besides helping me sleep. Once I stopped taking it, I realized I was sleeping just fine without it anyway. Insomnia used to be my biggest hurdle. So, anyway, my doctor put me on Effexor. 75mg. XL. I took it yesterday, and I spent the whole day with such bad nausea that I couldn't even touch food. Then, once night rolled around, things went south. Aggressive jitters, muscle restlessness, I couldn't get comfortable for a single second all night. I actually started getting paranoid that I was heading toward serotonin syndrome. Around 2 AM, I decided to just take some Xanax—I hate mixing stuff, honestly—and finally crashed until 5. I felt better once that garbage Effexor wore off. I didn't take it today. 😢 I just can't. I'm home alone with a toddler; I need to sleep, I need to function. If only I knew how long this adjustment period lasts... Has anyone else dealt with side effects like this (by the way, I had the exact same thing happen with Lexapro)? How long does this misery usually go on for?

I was on standard Effexor for three weeks and it gave me such terrible insomnia—no sleeping pill worked at all until the Effexor finally cleared my system. I ended up having to take a month off work.🙄

Brandon Lopez6 said:I did risset three times a day—once in the morning, afternoon, and night.

I was taking Xanax at 2, 2, and 1 mg along with Paxil at 1, 0, and 0 mg.🙂

Anyway, Paxil is an antidepressant, but honestly, it works pretty well for sleep too.

That's news to me—it usually makes me feel wired—and most people deal with some pretty nasty side effects, but I've honestly never heard of anyone using it to sleep... aren't you thinking of Seroquel?🤷