552 posts shown.
Today was an absolute disaster, quite frankly. I ended up trekking down to the psychiatric ER because my next scheduled appointment isn't for another month, and I’m feeling utterly drained—completely exhausted, especially since I'm currently fighting off a nasty virus. I went in hoping they might adjust my meds or offer some relief, but instead, I was met with a complete stranger. This doctor, someone I've never even seen before, started grilling me with these intense questions. I tried to be honest about everything—the anxiety, the crushing fatigue—and when she asked if I would be open to an antipsychotic, I figured, why not? Let's give it a shot. And that is exactly where I stepped into a trap. She scribbled down a prescription for Olanzapine, and I walked out of the office without even glancing at the official report. I was only in there for maybe ten minutes total. It wasn't until I was outside that I actually read the summary, and let me tell you, it hit me like a physical blow. She had documented "severe depressive episode with psychotic features." I marched right back in. I demanded an explanation of how on earth she could reach such a heavy diagnosis after a mere ten-minute conversation—something that was never communicated to me. It reminded me of what we were discussing the other day regarding how doctors often feel compelled to note "psychosis" just to justify prescribing certain medications. I looked her straight in the eye and told her, "If you only wrote that to facilitate the medication, I won't accept it under those terms. I am returning this paperwork to you, and I expect you to delete that from the system immediately." And what do you think happened? She refused. She stood her ground, claiming that because she had already seen me and made her assessment, she wouldn't budge. I handed the papers back and retreated home, absolutely livid. The reality is that not every specialist you see—whether it's a cardiologist, a GI doctor, or anyone else—is going to pore over your entire history, but all of this is sitting right there in the digital record for them to see. It’s not a secret anymore. I lost my temper completely. My regular doctor has known me for years and has never once labeled me with anything like that; she knows my history is strictly Gap Inc., and that's it. No depression, no psychosis. So now, what am I supposed to do? This label feels like a permanent stain, a stigma that will follow me forever. She clearly wasn't comfortable when I confronted her, but she stubbornly refused to yield. What would you all have done in my shoes?
restlesstrucker15 said:Yes, those are the standard rates you see in New York City; nobody finds it easy to swallow, but I find myself in a similar position.
When a plumber charges you a premium just to look at a leaky faucet or a washing machine, we don't typically complain—perhaps because we don't have many "charity" contractors out there anymore. I do not believe they should be working for $17, but in my opinion, they have priced themselves far beyond what is reasonable.
Sent from my iPhone
But look, when a contractor actually shows up, you pay them and move on, which is a rare luxury. With a psychiatrist, however, you’re expected to trek in several times a month, and since I don't have a steady paycheck coming in, that kind of recurring expense is simply out of the question for me.
magdalena1967 said:Back when I first mentioned that my psychiatrist diagnosed me with bipolar disorder specifically because of the Lamictal, I was absolutely torn apart by people here. They branded our doctors as charlatans and labeled me a fraud trying to mislead the rest of the community.
Even my own doctor insists there are clinical boundaries—for instance, she can't just prescribe an AP without also noting psychosis in the records.
But since there are folks here who simply refuse to believe that reality, I’ve learned it’s futile to try and explain myself. Besides, we aren't all lucky enough to have psychiatrists we can be on a first-name basis with, or people we can just shoot a quick text to or visit whenever the mood strikes.
To be perfectly honest, I've been prescribed Seroquel—which is an AP—several times, yet my official charts always list nothing more than an anxiety disorder without any mention of psychosis... though I can't speak for everyone else since they haven't used it on me.
I suppose I should count myself fortunate to have a cell phone provided by my family and access to email, which allows us to stay in constant contact. Most of our conversations involve me venting, but even then, it feels somewhat hollow when I still haven't found the right medication—or perhaps I just haven't wanted to find it, who can truly say?
fadedbear92 said:Prazin worked for a bit, but then I hit a wall—tolerance, or saturation, I can't quite recall the term—but honestly, I’d say the Q-pin is better.
I take it three times a day:
75 mg in the morning 25 mg
75 mg at noon 25 mg
100 mg at night 100 mg
In exceptional cases—meaning when I'm under intense stress—I'll take one or two extra 25 mg doses at night to help me sleep. So, my max dose for sleep would be 150 mg, though again, that's only during high-stress or anxious periods.
It's interesting, though—my doctor mentioned there isn't an addictive quality to Q-pin, or rather, that tolerance doesn't develop; I'll have to ask her why, because I'm genuinely curious about that.
Well, thank you so much. She offered it to me once and I turned it down, but now that I’m heading in, I think I might actually agree to it. Between the lack of quality sleep and this lingering anxiety, I am desperate to finally move past the Sanval. So, just to clarify, you aren't taking anything else alongside it, like an antidepressant or perhaps some Rivotril? And tell me, don't those 25 mg doses in the morning leave you feeling drowsy or sluggish? I feel perpetually exhausted, and I suspect it could be the Sanval and Calixte, or perhaps the Xanax—it's hard to tell which is the culprit at this point.
fadedbear92 said:Man, seriously, under the new guidelines, Q-PIN is prescribed for tension or anxiety!!!
Tell your doctor to get up to speed on the latest info. 🙄
In your experience, did you find more relief from taking Prozac or this Seroquel when it comes to tackling both insomnia and that constant knot of anxiety in your chest?
And what kind of dosage actually does the trick for both?
Paul Newman5 said:I took 50 mg of sulpiride—which is pretty much the same as Eglonyl—every morning for three weeks and didn't feel anything spectacular. I ended up quitting because it made me feel totally hungover and gave me bad chest pains (pretty sure it was my breasts). Maybe I should have stayed on it longer since people rave about it, but for me, it wasn't anything special. Still, worth a shot. We all know everyone reacts differently here.
Quick question. I've been on Calixta for about two months now. For the first month and a half, I was alternating between 7.5 and 15 mg. Since I'm gaining weight like crazy, my doctor suggested jumping to the 30 mg dose for just two weeks. She claims she’s seen cases where the 15 mg makes people gain weight while the 30 mg doesn't. Honestly, it sounds a bit ridiculous to me, but she insists her experience shows 30 mg works better for weight management. If I keep gaining weight, I plan to ditch Calixta entirely after a week and just stick to Effexor at 75 mg in the morning, maybe bumping it to 150. My doctor told me to just stop Calixta cold turkey since nothing bad will happen. Has anyone actually quit Calixta abruptly, or should I taper off? Should I drop back down to 7.5 first, or is it really safe to just stop after taking it for such a short time? I don't plan on staying on the 30 mg for more than a week. If the weight keeps coming on and I feel too groggy in the mornings, I'm not going to suffer through it for weeks. That's what the doctor said, anyway. Any advice?
I am writing this here in case anyone else finds it useful. My doctor makes the exact same argument to me—that the 30 mg dose would result in less nausea—though I haven't tested that theory myself yet. As for the weight gain, when I first started about two years ago, I gained maybe six pounds, but after that, it had no impact on my appetite whatsoever, much like my current situation. I eventually settled back down to my usual 130 pounds. Regarding the tapering process, I haven't encountered any issues at all; I have stopped taking it several times by simply quitting, and everything was fine. It was much like when I first started—one of those rare instances where there were virtually no side effects during initiation or discontinuation. I once just stopped one day, and that was that. That is why I actually like the medication, even if it failed to touch my anxiety. My doctor thinks the 30 mg dose will help with the anxiety and mitigate the nausea. But as I mentioned, the weight gain isn't an issue for me anymore, nor is my appetite.
Has anyone here actually found success using an AP to manage anxiety? I’m starting to weigh my options and consider it... I’m well aware they can be a godsend for sleep, but when it comes to tackling the constant, gnawing dread of anxiety, I’m still largely in the dark.
restlesstrucker15 said:I understand; I don't anticipate any issues there. They didn't actually need to put me under last time, but I have heard it isn't ideal if you have developed a tolerance to Dormicum, as they might administer that prior to the general anesthesia. My only concern is that we really ought to avoid relying on it long-term; it simply wouldn't be wise.
Skickas FR
Aha, so you were strictly talking about Dormicum. Personally, I won't touch that; I have no desire to graduate to the heavy hitters. Instead, I tend to mix Sanval with Calixta, which eventually knocks me out, though once I finally drift off, I sleep for ages. I find it nearly impossible to shake the fog in the morning. For me, the struggle isn't staying asleep—it's actually getting the engine started in the first place.
restlesstrucker15 said:As for me, I struggle with the Sanval, so things are just hit or miss.
I have no desire to touch Dormicum because it doesn't even seem to work anymore—well, maybe slightly better than before, but my psychiatrist told me a few months ago, after I had already stopped taking Dormicum, that I would need to have a serious discussion with an anesthesiologist regarding my upcoming surgery (we ended up just using local anesthesia and morphine, which worked wonders).
Essentially, you have to be careful what you ask for; you never know how it will play out...
Skickas FR
I don't quite follow your logic. Personally, the moment they administer anesthesia, I am out like a light. For instance, during my last colonoscopy, even though the sedation was brief, I drifted off into a deep sleep in a heartbeat.
shadowbear9 said:I used to take half in the morning and the full dose at night just to get some sleep, but man, I gained a ton of weight... It works great, but eventually, it just stopped doing anything for me, so I had to stop taking it. Anyway, if you take more than one dose during the day, expect to be knocked out cold, so I wouldn't recommend it. Maybe you could take some in the afternoon if you're feeling particularly anxious, or so my doctors told me...
When I first started, I definitely saw about five pounds creep up on me, though I eventually managed to sweat those off. These days, it doesn't trigger an appetite or cause any more weight issues, but unfortunately, it’s stopped being effective too. What are you currently using instead?
Justin Rogers5 said:Yeah, but my issue isn't even sleep. It doesn't really touch my insomnia, but it helps with other stuff. I slowly cut my Xanax down to just 25mcg—the lowest dose possible. Sometimes if someone's getting on my nerves or I'm stressed out, I'll take more, but that's becoming less common. That's the main thing. Plus, it actually helps my stomach. If I take it at night, I can finally eat something without my stomach cramping up from anxiety. The label says you can take it in the morning, but I figured I'd check with people who've actually been through it first.😉
I honestly envy you. For me, this stuff doesn't even touch my anxiety anymore. It’s become a complete farce; I can take the exact same dose of Xanax that used to be my lifeline, and now it won't even help me drift off to sleep, let alone settle my nerves. It’s lost its edge entirely. It doesn't even touch my appetite anymore—which, if I’m being honest, is the one silver lining in this mess—but effectively, it does absolutely nothing. I find myself wondering if I should try stepping up to 30 mg, because even at a measly 15 mg, I feel like I'm walking around in a total fog, completely intoxicated.
How long have you been on this regimen? I find myself constantly weighing the duration of these chemical interventions against the fleeting stability they supposedly provide.
restlesstrucker15 said:Ask away. 🙂
Theoretically, a primary care physician could write those prescriptions for you, but there’s a catch. If they get audited and find they've been prescribing certain medications without a formal diagnosis on file to back it up, they're going to be in hot water.
To be fair, my doctor was quite organized when prescribing my sleep aids. I only had one instance where a particular medication didn't sit right with me, but overall, things have been manageable. I haven't experienced any issues with psychosis or anything of that nature, so I really can't say for certain how others might feel.
Skickas FR
So, what is your actual routine for finally drifting off? What truly does the trick for you? Right now, I've been taking something at 10:00 PM and then Calixta at either 7.5 or 15 mg... I manage to fall asleep, sure, but I spend half the night tossing and turning. Even though I can drift back off quickly, I wake up feeling like I've spent the entire night digging ditches rather than resting, despite getting up at 9:00 AM.
restlesstrucker15 said:I agree that it might be time for her to try Quincy.
In my case, I experimented with 25 mg and then eventually cut that in half; while I slept soundly, I felt like a total zombie until the evening rolled around. We ended up stopping altogether. However, I am probably not the best example to follow—my psychiatrist mentioned that most people tolerate those doses well for insomnia. If you can handle coming back to yourself after being in California, you can likely handle this. Personally, I can't even recover from being in California.😢
Hopefully Rachel will chime in soon, as she takes smaller doses and, from what I understand, is quite satisfied with the results.
Skickas fr
Honestly, I’m not so sure; even on Calixta, I feel pretty wiped out during the day. If that fatigue is coming from the medication, or if it's just the weight of the anxiety itself, who can truly say? All I know is that I wake up feeling terrible, still dealing with those butterflies in my stomach despite the Calixta, which suggests it isn't doing much to help at all.
Bluzara said:
There’s really no reason to be terrified of Q-pin; it isn't the monster people make it out to be.😁
I’m not entirely sure if your doctor actually put this on your prescription or if you're just taking matters into your own hands—but honestly, it doesn't much matter now. If you’ve already set your mind on it, my advice is to start with the absolute lowest dose possible.
I wonder where @fadedbear92 has wandered off to; she has far more experience navigating those micro-doses than I do.
They actually make 25 mg versions, though I’ve personally never touched them.
How on earth are you even managing to get your hands on these kinds of medications?😕
Oh, I haven't "acquired" anything, dear; you clearly aren't reading my posts closely enough. Once, she suggested that Q-pin to me and I flatly refused, but I have been taking Calixta for a very long time, and now she’s added something else to the mix... typically, I can't get anything—not even Xanax or Ambien—without a direct order from my psychiatrist. The only thing she tried to push was bumping me up to 30 mg of Calixta, but I’m staying at 15... I already feel like I'm walking through a fog with just 15 mg; I can't even imagine what 30 would do to my head.
Paul Newman5 said:Unknown hasn't really helped my sleep either, but it did kill that horrible morning anxiety. Maybe it was the Effexor too, since once my doctor bumped me up to 75mg, things started looking better—though even that took nearly two months. And yeah, I feel drained if I lie in bed or sleep too much. The earlier I get up, the better. For the last ten days or so, the anxiety has finally hit a manageable level; I've even tapered off some Xanax, though I'm still taking it. Hoping it stays this way. Maybe it will.
And what about at night—do you still take that Lexapro, or have you moved past it?
As for me, falling asleep is an absolute uphill battle. I can lie there until 1:00 AM even if I hit the sack at 11:00... and once I finally do drift off, five or six hours of rest simply won't cut it; I absolutely require a full eight hours to function. Even then, I wake up feeling completely drained, which I suspect is just the cumulative weight of all these pills.
Kevin Nguyen3 said:I've been taking Unknown at 45 mg and Valtrex at 75 mg for literally years now. For sleep, I also take Q-pin at 300 mg.
With a combination like that, I really don't have any issues with sleeping, provided 5 or 6 hours feels like enough.
Honestly, increasing your antidepressant? I highly doubt that’s going to do anything for your sleep.
In fact, doctors shouldn't even be mixing Unknown and Valtrex because, apparently, those two antidepressants aren't recommended to be taken together.
Any antipsychotic, even in tiny doses, might help you out with the sleep situation. You really ought to discuss that with your doctor.
Of course, you wouldn't even need the anxiolytics anymore.
I’m not actually taking Valtrex, just the Unknown, but I've been wanting to add Prozac to the mix too. I'll be starting it in the next few days; I was waiting until my appetite finally returned because I had completely lost interest in food (even with the Unknown), but now I feel ready to start the Prozac. I might take the Unknown in a smaller dose at night, or perhaps just take that Q-pin in the evening, though the thought of that medication honestly scares me.
Paul Newman5 said:Time keeps passing, and I'm looking at it this way. I've been on Valtrex for six months—two months at 75 mg after starting on 37.5 mg—and for about two months, I've been taking 15 mg of Unknown at night (though lately I've been taking a half dose). Finally, about two weeks ago, my anxiety dropped to a tolerable level, and I've significantly cut back on the Xanax, though I'm still using it. Honestly, my anxiety fluctuates based on how I handle the day or just how things go. I don't think any antidepressant can fully wipe out anxiety without us doing the work or going through psychotherapy.
You see, my experience with Unknown is quite different; it seems to be losing its efficacy even for sleep. In the beginning, I’d drift off instantly, but after ten days, I find myself needing Ambien just to get any rest. As for the anxiety? It hasn't budged an inch. It’s truly disheartening to have been on this for so long, but if the Ambien isn't cutting it, I feel backed into a corner where I have to increase the Unknown again... honestly, I'm just deeply disappointed.😢
I'll eventually have to pivot to a different medication, but then we run right back into the sleep issue... and on top of everything else, 😢 I wake up feeling utterly drained, exhausted, and riddled with tension. Those butterflies in the stomach—it's just wretched.
briskwolf16 said:Quick question regarding antidepressants. For years now, I’ve been cycling through various options—everything from Lexapro and Celexa to Prozac, and most recently Zoloft and Seroquel. The pattern is always the same: they knock me out and make me feel incredibly sedated, yet they barely touch the anxiety itself. It’s frustrating because my primary struggle isn't even the depression; it's the anxiety that triggers the depressive episodes. Plus, the physical symptoms are brutal—constant stomach issues and this persistent, restless tension. Has anyone else dealt with this specific loop where the meds just act as heavy sedatives without actually calming the nerves? Is there perhaps a different class of medication that might work better for someone with high levels of somatization?
Look, I have zero issues with medication in principle. Honestly, I’d take ten different kinds if it meant finally finding the right fit. I’m just completely burnt out on psychotherapy at this point. I feel like I'm constantly hearing the exact same advice over and over again, and frankly, I’d rather just see if we can solve this through chemistry instead.
I'm in the exact same boat. Nothing seems to effectively curb my anxiety. To be fair, I haven't experimented with a vast array of options yet, but it feels like most of what's available is heavily skewed toward treating depression rather than the panic side of things. I'm looking for answers too.
Kevin Nguyen3 said:I am aware that they do prescribe dual AD regimens, but generally speaking, doctors try to avoid doing that, and most psychiatrists aren't exactly thrilled when they "have" to admit that such a combination actually works.
The real issue lies in how the drugs interact. Doctors often say, in a sort of metaphorical way... "if side effects start popping up, just wash your hands of the whole thing..."
In fact, I am currently taking two ADs myself.
Now, if you'll excuse me, I’m off to go kneel in a cornfield in the corner of town.🙈
And the reason? It's the same old story—it's the only way they work the way I envisioned them working.
I don't know anyone else who was recommended a dual AD regimen at the start of treatment (and I am referring here to a "good friend" of mine)
This guy, who is 44 years old, deals with the usual, politically correct EF-oeves.. recurring anxiety (based on our conversations...) and a severe depressive episode.
That is what is listed for him regarding his medications.
I don't even know of a single sleeping pill that you... chew.
I know of some things used for asthma prevention, or for stomach issues, or certain vitamins, like a B-complex or similar, or maybe something effervescent that dissolves in water.🤷
I didn't quite follow your logic; which one are you chewing? I'm not using the portal because I really can't stomach taking two ADs at once, but I do take Calixte since sleep is my absolute priority, though I suspect I could manage both since I only take a 7.5 mg dose of Calixte along with some Sanval...
Kevin Nguyen3 said:"Someone close," huh?☕
It is quite fascinating, isn't it? How you claim not to know how a specific AD works, yet somehow you know nearly every granular detail regarding the side effects your friend is experiencing.🙂
How does that even work?🤷
I have no idea which psychiatrist would prescribe those two particular ADs together...?🙄
Neither of those ADs is intended to help someone sleep better or longer, which is why the Valium is there.
When an organism isn't accustomed to medications of this nature, it often struggles significantly during the initial phase, but eventually, some side effects subside, while others may emerge as the old ones fade.
Or perhaps they won't.
Those are merely prognostic guesses that are mostly accurate, though things can always go differently.
Something about this whole story feels off to me—the therapy, the dosages... you haven't even mentioned what the diagnosis is, which hospital they went to, how old they are, or anything else of substance.
Many psychiatrists do prescribe two different ADs; in my own case, I was prescribed Zoloft and Calista... though I haven't started the Zoloft yet because my priority right now is getting some actual sleep.