1297 posts shown.
Olivia Cox77 said:I’m currently on Zoloft and a bit of Xanax, though I suppose I don't really touch the Xanax much anymore since it doesn't feel necessary.
To be honest, Zoloft has been a total game-changer for me, almost like it completely turned my life around.😍
Timothy Wood38 said:Well, the symptoms feel pretty textbook BPD to me. I'm dealing with the depression, suicidal ideation, self-destructive streaks, being paranoid... I have a hard time attaching to people, too. On top of all that, there's the anxiety and social phobia. It’s a lot. Honestly, if things don't look up regarding the depression within a month, I'm going to ask my doctor about swapping out the Prozac for Lexapro. I'll definitely stick with the Paxil and Zyprexa, though; those two really help settle the anxiety and let me actually get some sleep.
Timothy Wood38 said:Well, I suppose it’s my turn to chime in with my own little saga regarding psychotropic meds. Back at the start, I was diagnosed with an anxiety-depressive disorder and prescribed Paxil 20 mg, Dogmatil 200 mg, and Xanax 0.25 mgx3. Regarding the Paxil... well, I didn't feel any side effects whatsoever—absolutely nothing—but because of that, I didn't get much benefit out of it either, aside from it dampening my anxiety and social phobia. The depression, however, just sat there. Stubbornly. As for the Dogmatil, I didn't feel a thing from that either, though the Xanax helped me catch some sleep initially. In the meantime, they switched things up and gave me Valium 10 mgx2 for sleeping. It worked fine at first, but then I started experiencing these bizarre side effects—total amnesia, essentially. I wouldn't remember the moments leading up to falling asleep or what I had been doing right before; I’d wake up in the morning completely blindsided to find I'd spent an hour chatting with friends on my phone without a single memory of the conversation. But anyway, moving on. Since the Paxil wasn't quite cutting it for the depression, they bumped my dose up to 40 mg daily and added Effexor 150 mg to the mix. Much like the Paxil, I felt zero impact from the Effexor, and sadly, I can't offer a single positive word about it. Eventually, my diagnosis was updated to F60.3 (borderline), so I stopped the Dogmatil and Effexor and was put on Prozac 40 mg and Zyprexa 10 mg daily, all while continuing the Paxil. I took every one of these for at least a month, so I really should have felt even a slight improvement by now. Honestly? I still have this nagging suspicion that these antidepressants are little more than placebos, regardless of how much my psychiatrist insists otherwise. Currently, my regimen consists of Paxil 20 mgx2, Prozac 20 mgx2, Zyprexa 10 mg, Xanax and Normabel as needed, plus Valium if sleep decides not to come. I've been on this specific cocktail for about a month and a half now and still haven't felt any real shift, though I am sincerely hoping that with some solid psychotherapy, I might actually start feeling better soon.
Jonathan Watson2 said:I've been on Faverin for a few days now. It was prescribed for anxiety, depression, identity crises, panic attacks, and impulse control issues. Sometimes I just start crying out of nowhere, or I get aggressive and end up breaking things. Crying is fine, but slapping someone for no reason isn't. I spent all of last year on Zoloft. It took about three months to actually kick in. I dealt with some nausea and other side effects, but I stuck with it. By month seven, my doctor said I was doing well, told me to taper down, and planned to stop the meds a month later. But now that the weather's turned gray, here we go again. Since starting the Faverin, I’m sleeping way less than I did before, even though it's supposed to do the opposite. I pass out around 11:00 PM, but by 2:00 or 3:00 AM, I'm wide awake and can't drift back off. I just lie there waiting for dawn. This has been happening since the very first pill. I look like a total zombie. My eyes are bloodshot, and my vision is usually great, but now I can barely see what I'm typing. I'm shaking like I'm stuck in a blizzard, and I have this constant nausea—even water tastes disgusting. I didn't have the energy to read through the thread because my eyes hurt too much.
Kenneth Scott41 said:Effexor is garbage! I've been there!
Michael Reed45;31793020 said:Could you give me a breakdown of Effexor too, if you know it?
I personally couldn't sleep a wink on it—though most people seem to handle it just fine. It’s all so incredibly individual, isn't it?Nobody fucking asks how you're doing. It's been a year and a half. Absolutely nothing.
This is just insane. Medication is meant to help you function enough to get by—but psychotherapy is where the real work happens.And I can't even afford private sessions anymore; I really want to go.
It's such a shame that this terrible experience has pushed you toward such a negative outlook—honestly, you're only hurting yourself at this point.I haven't dared to get liver tests done for months now.
Don't be scared—I'm on much more intense therapy than you are, and I've been at it way longer, and I still get checked out.
When the rage becomes too much, just use your insurance referral and 🙂 get some bloodwork done.
Michael Williams29;31601782 said:Yeah, thanks for all the advice...
The thing is—I’ve done my homework on these meds and read through plenty of posts here about them, but honestly, the more I read, the less likely I am to actually take them. 😁
Right now, I'm right in the middle of finals week, and I just don't think it's the best time to start—especially since the "adjustment period" can be such a rollercoaster, even if everyone reacts differently.
But seriously, I really don't think I'll go through with it... I suspect the issue might stem from when I was being treated before, back when I wason morphine because of intense pain
Was that due to an underlying medical condition?
Kenneth Scott41 said:Xanax is a decent medication, but it’s a massive trap, and I know that firsthand because I was addicted to it once. Getting off of it took six months, and those six months were pure hell. So, you have to decide for yourself... there are other options for anxiety—I'd suggest things like Valium or Ativan. Those types of benzodiazepines are often considered better, and patients don't seem to face the same level of addiction as they do with Xanax.
I've been on Cipralex for nearly half a year, along with 10mg of Ativan, and I feel perfectly fine.
And you hit the nail on the head... that's exactly how you'll feel on Xanax—happy, but in a way where you just won't give a damn about the bullshit that usually weighs you down.
Kenneth Scott41 said:Just wanted to drop in and say goodbye for a little while. I’ll be away for a couple of weeks, though I suspect I’ll come back feeling significantly better than I do now.🙂
The doctors have told me that visitors aren't allowed right now.😉
Take care!
velvetsailor26 said:Look, I get what you're saying, but I think I already know exactly where my fear comes from. It was my father. Honestly, it’s hard to even put into words—it was that same kind of bone-deep, paralyzing terror you'd imagine someone feeling during the darkest days of World War II. But knowing the cause doesn't change the reality; just because I know why I'm terrified doesn't mean the fear has suddenly decided to leave me alone.
velvetsailor26 said:How am I supposed to try harder? Believe me, I’ve been grinding and fighting this uphill battle for four years now, and if I’m being honest, it feels like things are only getting worse.
I honestly don't know what I should do to stop being so afraid of people.
Roger Rodriguez said:Regarding those beta-blockers—my cardiologist actually suggested them to me for simple tachycardia, which was obviously just triggered by a panic attack. Are they really prescribed for stuff like that? I always assumed they were strictly for managing arrhythmias. 🤷
Alex Barnes8 said:I have to address this: "why don't you just ask your doctors?".
I honestly don't know where people find these approachable physicians who actually want to talk and answer questions. Everywhere I go in the States, doctors act like you're killing them just by asking a question. I really can't get anything out of anyone. I've tried communicating normally so many times, but it just doesn't work.
It's not like I'll stop seeing doctors altogether... But I've just gotten used to leaving appointments feeling confused. They seem superficial, arrogant, and frankly, pretty rude. Most lack basic manners. And even the ones who claim they are "constantly training" or whatever—they're always away at some symposium or seminar, traveling constantly. You couldn't get a moment of their time if you were a billionaire.👎
Larry Lewis said:Do you remember that whole Mr. Bean fiasco? Honestly—I haven't received a compliment quite like this one in ages.🙂
Larry Lewis said:Oh, please—as if she’s actually taking that stuff... honestly, I should probably be the one to tell her to stop playing games with it. It’s exhausting, really—you feel like you have to teach everyone everything these days.🙂
p.s. I misquoted you there, fadedbear92—my mistake, I'll take the blame for that one.🙂
Larry Lewis said:Oh, please—as if she’s actually taking that stuff... honestly, I should probably be the one to tell her to stop playing games with it. It’s exhausting, really—you feel like you have to teach everyone everything these days.🙂
p.s. I misquoted you there, fadedbear92—my mistake, I'll take the blame for that one.🙂
Matthew Lee65 said:It’s like this... I was prescribed three specific things: Helix, Fevarin, and Samuel... I feel like I've typed this out five hundred times on this forum already, everyone knows my list.😁 ...but I only take Samuel and Helix as needed. I stay consistent with the Fevarin. I haven't touched the Samuel and I don't plan to since my sleep is fine right now. As for the Helix, I stopped taking it because the crises aren't happening anymore. So, it's just the beta blockers and the antidepressant for me.
Alex Barnes8 said:I'm on Lamictal, an antiepileptic, and I've been told the same thing. It's tough, though, because I love my coffee and soda.😢
Anyway, I wanted to ask about a different combination.
I'm dealing with terrible insomnia. Based on what you all have experienced, what are the best sleep aids? I mean, looking for effectiveness with minimal side effects. And most importantly, which ones are safest to mix with other medications?
In case it helps, the main ingredient in my Lamictal is lamotrigine. Aside from epilepsy, it's used as a mood stabilizer for bipolar disorder...
Please don't tell me to just ask my doctor, because I already tried, and she pushed Samuel on me. I've read such bad things about Samuel that I'm hesitant to try it. Though, maybe it isn't actually that bad.🤷
This matters to me because my therapist insisted that getting enough sleep is my top priority right now.
If anyone could share their own experiences, I'd appreciate it.🙂
Matthew Lee65 said:I've actually heard the opposite... nowhere does it say you can't take caffeine with benzos, but the instructions for Adderall definitely mention it.😉