Posts by Jason Vaughn482

granitepilot13 said:Please, for the love of God, don't do Paxil. That stuff is pure evil.

Look, I’ve spent countless hours lately scouring various online forums, reading endless threads about medications, and it seems like every single one of them gets branded as the ultimate evil... which, if we are being honest, might actually be the case. Personally, I used to take Paxil, and honestly, it worked wonders for me—I’d just take a single dose before bed and call it a night. But then, I transitioned over to Sanval, and now? Now it feels like a much more sinister beast. I find myself binge-eating in the middle of the night, half the time I can’t even remember what happened, and I get this lingering, unsettling sensation that it’s nothing short of a hard drug. Yet, despite that feeling, I’ve been relying on it for four years now, and I’m finally at the point where I desperately want to break free from it.

I think I’ll run it by my doctor—maybe swap out the valium for Praxiten, perhaps even to help with sleep...

Listen, has anyone here actually experimented with this new Circadin medication to help with sleep? I am more than ready to finally ditch the Ambien once and for all.

George Allen71 said:You really shouldn't be deciding how to adjust your dosage or quitting on your own without talking to your doctor first... you shouldn't just increase things by yourself, either. For instance, the Zoloft instructions mention starting at 25 mg for anxiety and then increasing it as needed... but in my opinion, that’s something you have to coordinate with your physician, not decide solo. Give her a call and ask her about it if you aren't feeling right. From what I understand, the first three weeks with any antidepressant are basically just your body trying to adapt... so it makes sense that you might feel like things are getting worse... it's all listed under side effects. In my own experience, no matter which antidepressant I started on, I dealt with everything from headaches and nausea to suicidal thoughts... just about everything... and you can see it here on the forum... I vent about everything... anyone who has followed my posts knows I have sudden mood swings and complain about every little thing... but I know it's just the medication. Once the drug stabilizes in your system... usually after two or three weeks... that's when you can actually tell if it's working for you or if you're feeling any relief. I think 20 days is still within that adjustment window. Hang in there just a little longer. Believe in yourself and stay persistent.

Thank you; I am acutely aware of all that, but I suppose those of us dealing with anxiety—or at least me—tend to lean toward hypochondria, constantly fearing the next ailment, including potential side effects. I spent a good portion of today spiraling through various forums reading about Zoloft and Valium... one user described experiencing serotonin syndrome from Zoloft, and honestly, how are you even supposed to recognize that? This morning, I woke up completely sleep-deprived and feeling absolutely wretched—intense anxiety coupled with nauseating sensations. Even searching for information on Valium left me shivering with dread, yet I have no idea how to actually fall asleep. I find myself circling back to Mirzaten once again; truthfully, it didn't present many unpleasant side effects—just some grogginess and a bit of weight gain, though only about six pounds. It worked wonders for sleep, but it felt foolish to continue using it while I was also taking Valium. And let me tell you, I could NEVER stomach a higher dose; I stuck strictly to the minimum of 15mg. Perhaps I should have increased it, or maybe I’ll return to it and try a larger dose... when I decided to stop taking it previously, there wasn't any drama, I simply stopped and that was that. Perhaps it isn't such a villain after all. By the way, how is it working for you? Are you also just starting out on Zoloft?

Frank Campbell said:You should probably bump up the dose; 25 mg is just a tiny drop in the bucket!

Whether it’s "peanuts" or not is beside the point—why on earth do I feel worse now than I did before I started this? I am honestly terrified of swallowing a 50 mg pill. Looking at my bottle, there are only 10 tablets left, which means I’ve been splitting them in half for twenty days straight, and yet I haven't felt any actual relief—only this bizarre, unsettling sensation that everything is just... off. It feels worse. I skipped my dose yesterday, and now I'm sitting here completely lost. I mean, after twenty days of this, shouldn't I have noticed some sort of improvement by now?😕

Jason Vaughn482 said:Oh, give me a break; if that's the case, I might just have to start hunting for some Zayn Malik myself... what's the dosage on that one?

But honestly, looking at the literature now, the profile seems identical to Prozac; it’s effectively the same thing, so it hardly matters.

Justin Rogers5 said:Seems weird to me. Zonadin doesn't mess with me at all, but Sanval does.😕Then again, taking four Sanval pills is a different story than one Zonadin (I learned the hard way to leave my meds in my desk at work so I don't accidentally swallow the whole pack.☕

Oh, give me a break; if that's the case, I might just have to start hunting for some Zayn Malik myself... what's the dosage on that one?

George Allen71 said:I used to struggle with nausea, but that’s passed now... the problem is I simply can't bring myself to eat. The anxiety is still very much there, too... but what’s truly overwhelming is this constant urge to just disappear, these intrusive thoughts... I just want everything to stop... I can handle the headaches and the nausea if I have to; if things get bad, I'll just take some Advil and lie down for a few hours... but there is nothing I can do about the other part... it's terrifying... I'm going through all of this entirely on my own, struggling just to get by... and honestly, I am so scared.

In my estimation, we are all essentially solitary figures in this struggle, regardless of who might be standing by our side in the family; it is a profound truth that no one can truly grasp the depth of another's experience unless they have walked that same dark path themselves. Even when we attempt to support one another, there is a disconnect—you may be grappling with the desire to vanish while I am desperately clinging to existence, my greatest fears being illness and mortality. For instance, I rarely find myself moved to tears, yet I am far from okay. I find it difficult to even step foot outside my house, not out of fear, per se, but because of a crushing sense of helplessness; I am perpetually exhausted, drained of all vitality, often setting ambitious plans for the next day only to watch them crumble before they even begin. To make matters worse, since I started taking Zoloft, everything seems to have taken a turn for the worse. I think I'll skip my dose today and see how I feel tomorrow... truthfully, the only moments of reprieve come when I manage to catch up on sleep and wake up feeling somewhat rested, but solving this chronic insomnia feels like trying to catch smoke with my bare hands.

George Allen71 said:I'm currently on 50mg... though my doctor mentioned I'll likely need to bump that up eventually since this is just the starting dose.
Everything felt pretty awful for me at first... specifically during those initial two or three weeks. Compared to that, taking something like Wellbutrin felt almost side-effect free... whereas I was dealing with headaches... nausea... it was honestly a nightmare. Now that I'm in my fifth week on Lexapro, the only things I deal with are some sleepiness and these intense intrusive thoughts about self-harm... but nothing else. You really just have to push through that initial adjustment period to let the medication actually kick in before you can decide if it’s right for you.

Are you dealing with nausea as well? And tell me, has your sleep quality improved since starting the regimen? Personally, I’ve never struggled with suicidal ideation—never once—but I do find myself spiraling into heightened anxiety and a general sense of profound malaise. It’s exhausting. As for tonight, I ended up taking Zoloft and then added Mirataz because I couldn't catch a wink of sleep, and now I feel like I've been run over by a freight train.🙂

George Allen71 said:Well, okay, so it can hold out for another week... though it really should be stopped.
I switched from Valdoxan. It's my fourth day on Lexapro now... it's basically just like Zoloft, but manufactured by Pfizer...

What kind of dosage are you running? Personally, I find the way this makes me feel absolutely intolerable, and I’m seriously considering tapering off altogether; I woke up this morning feeling like a total shell of a human being.

George Allen71 said:What day of treatment are you on?

If my internal clock hasn't completely failed me, I believe it's day ten; I was actually supposed to bump up to the 50 mg dose by now, but I haven't made that jump yet. How has the adjustment been treating you?

I am honestly just fed up with this Zoloft; I’m still sitting at a mere 25 mg, yet I can’t feel a single positive effect—no reduction in appetite, no lift in my mood, nothing. All I’m left with is constant nausea and this heightened, jittery nervousness... frankly, I felt much better before I ever started this stuff.

Justin Rogers5 said:Quick question. Yesterday I took 10 mg of unknown around 3 AM. Nothing happened after two hours, so I was thinking about adding 5 mg of Xanax. Would mixing those be a bad move? (I felt wired, like I’d downed a Red Bull.) Or should I just take two 10 mg doses of unknown and call it a night?

Well, that unknown is essentially the same thing as Ambien produced by a major US pharmaceutical firm, and you mentioned previously that it affects you terribly... generally speaking, you can take 10 mg along with Xanax; I do it quite frequently myself because even 10 mg of Ambien fails to knock me out most nights.

Anthony Lopez8 said:That sounds fine, I suppose, but one really ought to be cautious about overshooting the mark. It is well-documented that Prozac is among the most likely SSRIs to trigger hypomania, and that isn't strictly limited to those with bipolar disorder; it happens to others as well. 😬

Honestly, a bit of that hypomania sounds like heaven to me. I’ve spent years feeling completely stalled out—just sluggish, heavy, and perpetually exhausted. I’d give anything to actually feel like a lion for once, to finally have that presence where I feel like I can take on the world.🙂🎉

Frank Campbell said:Back when I was on it about four years ago—taking it for seven or eight months total, finishing up with 75mg for the last three—I felt absolutely incredible. Honestly, I felt *too* good, which led me to make the mistake of quitting cold turkey. I was still riding that serotonin high for about a month after stopping, so naturally, I made a totally reckless, impulsive decision to quit my job. Well, that turned into quite the saga! ;-)

Fast forward to a year ago. After taking it for five or six months (hitting the 100mg mark for five of those), I ended up falling for a coworker, which nearly blew up my marriage. Following my psychiatrist's advice, I tapered off, and just a month later, I jumped headfirst into a new business venture. I didn't quit my day job this time, but I definitely took a massive financial leap.

Today, I tried explaining to my psychiatrist that I’m not some kind of manic person; rather, my issues tend to flare up specifically when I STOP taking my antidepressants. She just isn't hearing me. She’s really against me getting back on them. But I truly believe that a steady 50mg dose of Zoloft over the next two years would give me the stability and energy I need. I'll just be careful not to fly too close to the sun this time.

When I'm on an antidepressant, I feel like a lion—powerful, happy, and totally energized. Those silly, impulsive ideas just don't cross my mind (that whole thing with the coworker was likely just a symptom of marital stress, which we're working through). The real trouble starts once I stop. It's happened twice now, so it seems to be a pattern for me. It feels like the meds might still be working in my system for a few months after I quit, even if the intensity fades?

Good grief, reading about feeling "lion-like," amazing, satisfied, and full of energy immediately makes me want to get back on Zoloft—even though I've only just started. I honestly can't remember the last time I felt anything remotely like that. God, I hope it lasts that long for me. 🙏

George Allen71 said:I honestly don't get it... I have BPD, and she just told me straight up that no antidepressant is ever going to work because my core issue is depression. But it’s not just that—it's the emotional volatility, those intense affective states, that no antidepressant can touch. She keeps pushing antipsychotics on me, but I'm just not doing it. I've been through the ringer with them already... I've tried Saphris, Zyprexa, and Zeldox, and I felt like I was literally dying from those combinations. As for antidepressants, though... she wouldn't budge. She kept me stuck on Lexapro for a year and a half while I spent hours every single day crying my eyes out. Then, during an ER visit, they switched me over to Valdoxan, but it was like taking nothing at all. Now, she's prescribed Luxet...
I honestly don't see the point anymore if these medications aren't going to work the way she says they will... if it's just physical therapy instead. What's the point of forcing all these pills on me then?
She even went as far as to threaten me, telling me straight up that this was my very last chance... no more adjustments, no more changes!
I ended up getting into a massive argument with her... she claims I’m acting like I own the place and that I’m trying to run her clinic, and she’s absolutely livid because I went to the ER instead of waiting for her. Apparently, she’s furious that they prescribed me something different than what she had on file. She hasn't even seen me for a follow-up in two months... she won't let me book an appointment unless it's on her terms. I am just completely at my wit's end here... I honestly don't know what else I was supposed to do. I finally looked her in the eye and told her that I have to fight for myself. I told her straight up that neither she nor anyone else is going to step up for me, so I'm going to do whatever it takes to get better. She just went dead silent after that...
Honestly, she really rubbed me the wrong way... if everyone else in the waiting room is bowing down to her just because she holds a medical degree, then I’m certainly not going to join in. It’s just a profession, after all. I’m a director with a Master’s in Economics, but that doesn't mean anything special. I don't walk around acting like I'm God or like my word is the absolute, final truth on everything...

I have heard that antipsychotics can actually be quite helpful in many instances involving both depression and anxiety, typically when administered in low doses. I am not an expert on your specific diagnosis, of course, but for example, a close friend of mine takes Zoloft in the morning and 150 mg of Seroquel—an antipsychotic—in the evening, and after years of being housebound, she finally feels wonderful and is functioning beautifully again. Perhaps it might be worth trying that alongside your antidepressant just to see; it is certainly better to try than to continue suffering like this, and small doses of an antipsychotic shouldn't do you any harm.

George Allen71 said:My prescription was changed today... they switched me over to Lexapro... does anyone know if it’s basically the same thing as Zoloft? Has anyone here actually used Lexapro before?
(I was on Wellbutrin until now... and unfortunately... it just wasn't doing anything for me...)

I’ve only been on Zoloft for about ten days now, so I can't say much; frankly, I'm not feeling it yet, but I suppose it's still far too early to tell.🤷

fadedbear92 said:I think you're fine as long as you keep that dosage strictly under control—but if you start chasing a higher high, then you're looking at a massive problem.

Exactly—I came across that exact sentiment during my own research, which is precisely why I remain so hyper-vigilant. Even on those grueling days when my nerves are frayed or my anxiety starts to spiral, I refuse to cross that line; I never exceed three doses of my 0.5 mg, though deep down, I know that isn't a sustainable fix. I truly believe sticking to an antidepressant is the better path, yet here I am, ten days into a 25mg Zoloft regimen, feeling more depressed than I ever have in my life. It’s a strange, unsettling sensation, unlike anything I usually experience. Perhaps it's merely the initial adjustment period, so I'm planning to push through for at least another ten days to see if the fog clears... but then again, there's this nagging suspicion that antidepressants are far more effective at treating depression than they are at tackling anxiety. It almost feels as though a perfect solution simply doesn't exist. When I was on Calixta for nearly a year, I didn't even feel its effects, though it did provide the solace of decent sleep without any side effects, aside from some minor weight gain that didn't really impact my overall mood.

Kenneth Scott41 said:I wouldn't recommend xanax. I know it feels great once it kicks in, but honestly, getting off it was an absolute nightmare for me. It took me six whole months to finally get free.

I have been on it for three years now, maintaining a strictly disciplined regimen of 0.5 mg taken two or three times a day—I never deviate from that dose, and so far, I haven't found any reason to increase it.

Arthur Vaughn2 said:Don't just quit on your own. Talk to your psychiatrist first; it’s probably smarter than that... 😉

Honestly, I am the absolute worst kind of patient; I tend to treat my medical regimen like a series of suggestions rather than instructions, mostly because I harbor a deep-seated skepticism toward these pharmaceutical interventions. As it stands, I just took half of my 25 mg dose, and if I wake up tomorrow feeling like garbage, I’m simply done with it... personally, I find that Xanax is the only thing that actually provides me with any semblance of relief.