Jessica Brooks2 said:One of my main issues was being incredibly drowsy. After I slept all day the other day (woke up at 4 PM 😁), I skipped my morning dose of Xanax and felt fine. This current "Zeldox sleepiness" is nothing compared to how tired I used to feel.
I’m trying to follow the rules regarding meds, so I'll definitely tell my doctor today what I did with my Xanax dosage. Hopefully, this drowsiness doesn't get any worse.
It seems to me like I might have to go looking for her advice, especially if she thinks it's acceptable to take ☕ my dose later in the afternoon. Can anyone tell me if that actually helps calm nerves generally, or does it work on a completely different principle than Ativan? I don't want to go down a rabbit hole right now...
Kenneth Scott41 said:I somehow managed to run completely out of my AD, my antipsychotics, and my Normabale over the holiday break... basically everything.🙂 I suppose I was being a bit of an idiot by not accounting for how many days the clinics would actually be closed. When I finally see my nurse, she’s probably going to look at me and think, "Did you really run out of every single thing, or are you just trying to hawk Normabale on the street corner?"🤣
But honestly, guys, running out of an antidepressant is terrifying... you fall right back into that heavy depression I used to feel when I was stuck in those psych wards, which feels almost as gut-wrenching as running out of Heparin.
Ever since they switched me from Feverin to Eliquis, I've been in such a massive slump; nothing brings me joy anymore... not even sleep🙄 I am just so incredibly fed up with this nonsense
hmmm... I was told that I should take Feverin strictly before bed because it interacts quite strongly with things like Xanax or Mirapex, which supposedly intensifies the effect. Now, if you're still feeling terrible despite taking what you thought was the right dose, I suppose you might be able to take it in the morning... but honestly, you really need to run all of this by your doctor. Look, my doctor gave me an earful today just because I hadn't specifically asked if I could take Feverin and Elicea at the exact same time—which I did—and my blood pressure nearly bottomed out to 80/60 and I felt absolutely awful. She was furious, so please, just call them and ask. Seriously, let us breathe here; every single person's body reacts differently. Just make the call and ask... IT'S BEST TO DO THAT.
I finally managed to get some actual sleep last night after being awake for five straight days—I was out cold for sixteen hours. I decided to take my old 1mg Lexapro, and honestly, the second it hit my system, I just collapsed from sheer exhaustion. But now? Now I’m feeling incredibly agitated and on edge because I know this sleepless streak is just going to start all over again. I took my last pill, but I highly doubt it’s going to hold me over through the entire evening. So... I guess I'll be heading out tomorrow to look for more medication if I can find any, and if not, 🙂
Benjamin Martin65 said:Thanks for the reply, 😉 but since I've never taken an antidepressant before, I'm mostly just trying to follow exactly what my doctor prescribed. He told me that after five or six days of taking a half-dose, I could move up to the full dose, but I'm honestly not sure if I'm allowed to make that kind of adjustment on my own without checking with him first. 🤷 I have been dealing with some nausea, though it only seems to happen early in the morning, and on that very first day, I had such a strange night filled with these really bizarre dreams. I was also wondering, does this medication have any impact on weight? I'm not entirely certain if it's the medicine or something else, but I've lost a little weight lately, even though I've been indulging quite a bit during the Christmas holidays. 😁
It doesn't affect weight. At least, it didn't for me. I suspect your nausea is just because you're taking too much right out of the gate. I made the mistake of trying to get better overnight by swallowing full pills way too soon, and I ended up shaking like I'd been drinking coffee all night and was vomiting by morning. You can't go wrong by lowering the dose... just take it easy with this stuff. Seriously, I'm telling you, I felt terrible whenever I took too much. That’s why when I was switching things up, I was so worried and asked my doctor if the dosage causes nausea. She just told me it was a small dose and not to worry about it...
Brandon Lopez6 said:Doctors aren't allowed to hand out more than what's strictly on the prescription. They do the same thing with way more basic stuff—like Pepcid for stomach issues or something for nausea after eating—so don't be surprised that they're being super strict when it comes to psych meds..
Also, I don't quite get how you're getting pills directly from the doctor and nurse instead of picking them up at a CVS or Walgreens? 🤔
Well, my psychiatrist can actually increase my dosage; my mother used to receive two boxes of Sanval a month, but once, she just handed her ten boxes because she honestly didn't even need them... So, I go through the nurse to request the medication, and she passes that along to the doctor who then sends the authorization to the pharmacy. However, the nurse is quite strict about it, but when I go directly to the doctor's office, she hands them over without any complaints, even if it's only been 26 days since the last refill. I just take them, and then I head to the pharmacy...
Benjamin Martin65 said:So, I’ve been taking Tylenol since last Friday—it's been about seven days now, taken in the evening—but today I actually took 100mg after having already had 50mg earlier. My doctor mentioned that it was supposed to have a bit of a sedative effect on me, but honestly, it seems to be doing the exact opposite by keeping me wide awake. I don't typically struggle with sleep issues, yet here I am, staying up incredibly late and just tossing and turning because I can't seem to drift off. Has anyone else experienced this kind of restlessness with it? And there's one more thing; I'm not entirely sure if it's actually starting to kick in already or if I'm just experiencing a placebo effect, but I definitely feel this surge of energy. My mood has shifted so much that I can't even begin to describe how high my spirits are; I feel almost constantly euphoric. Even more strange is that I find myself unable to cry, which is a huge change since I used to tear up quite frequently. I'm really hoping that these intense shifts eventually settle down into something more stable. 🤷
Look, I consider myself something of an expert when it comes to Paxil. You really, really have to be careful with it. I stopped taking it about two or three years ago because, frankly, I wasn't taking it properly—I was throwing up and dealing with terrible insomnia because of it. The point is, it’s an excellent medication, but you shouldn't jump straight into a full dose. For the first ten days, maybe just take a third of the dose, then for the next ten days, try half, and only then move to the full amount. If you do that, it won't keep you awake... I've been on it correctly for two months now and I don't have any side effects anymore. As far as the effects go, I also think it works quite quickly on your mood.🤷 At least, I know I've noticed some changes myself...
Matthew White4 said:I totally agree with that, you really have to lay it all out for the doctor. I honestly should have done the same. Even three Sanval and Helex aren't doing squat for me; I just can't sleep for anything. Yesterday, I decided to play chemist and tried 3 Xanax SR 1 mg, 2 Sanval 0.5, and 100 mg of Tramadol. And here I am at 4:30 AM, wide awake as a hawk... Hypnotics are basically just sleeping pills—things like Sanval, Dormicum, or Zolpidem. Antipsychotics include Eglonyl or Sulpiride 200 (which, in a tiny 50 mg dose, actually acts as a mild antidepressant). Sedatives are your benzodiazepines, Normabel, and stuff like that. Then you've got antidepressants, which are all these different meds that mess with your brain chemistry—Zoloft, Elicee, Coaxil, Seroxat, Calixt, Effexor, Ladiomil, Anafranil, Wellbutrin, Effexor XR 150 mg, and about a billion others. As for Calixt, I couldn't even function for days; I had to ditch it within a week, total coma mode. But hey, that doesn't mean it'll work for you. Anxiolytics are the anxiety fighters, like Helex, Misar, or Xanax. And don't freak out—antipsychotics don't necessarily mean you have schizophrenia. I’m personally on Effexor XR 150 mg, which is an antidepressant, plus Sulpiride 200 mg, which is an antipsychotic, and I'm functioning perfectly fine. The only thing killing me is the sleep situation, because nothing seems to hit hard enough, and all I have left is Xanax SR.
Every single antidepressant hits differently and causes different side effects for everyone, so you might end up cycling through 10 or 15 different combinations—just like I did—before you finally find the one that works.
I told her everything. Unfortunately, after a few years, I went back to see them after nine months. In the meantime, I’d been picking up Sanval and Misar here and there. Anyway, I went to see if they had anything new, and they put me back on Fevarin. I took it for a couple of days, but then I asked for a medication that I don't have to pay extra for if I have to take it. I'm not looking for something new; Sanval works perfectly for me, and Misar does too, but my dosages are too low. It’s prescribed that I take one before bed as needed, but I end up taking two, three, or four tablets every single night—it doesn't matter how many. As for the other drugs, I’m familiar with them; I'm actually very interested in all of this and have studied it, but I just didn't realize what connection antipsychotics had to us. Antidepressants don't help me either, at least not when it comes to sleeping... I don't even know why I'm taking them. So, in the end, I just take things on my own when I run out of my prescriptions. I have no idea how they'll react if I admit that I'm taking 30 mg of Sanval and 4 mg of Misar every night... if my dad gives me a weird look—and he takes all sorts of stuff himself—what is the doctor going to say? I wouldn't want them to switch my meds or anything... I wonder why there isn't a 20 mg version of Sanval.😢 I see they've restricted how much they can dispense, so when I show up, the doctor only gives me two boxes of Misar and just one of Sanval, meaning I have to go back next month just for that. Also, my sister won't let me come in earlier than once a month, and the doctor even asks if I need more after only 15 days...🤷 I wish they would just write me for more units, or give me two boxes at a time so I could have some peace of mind, rather than having to count down the days until the 1st and so on....
Kenneth Scott41 said:What on earth am I reading here? Are you people actually considering checking into a facility in El Paso?!🙂 Honestly, don't go destroying your life like that. If you do, they’ll likely just treat you like nothing more than another number in their system.
I find it hard to believe; I mean, why would anyone ever choose to go to El Paso?!
Over my dead body!
Because I’ve been dealing with debilitating insomnia since I was fifteen years old, and quite frankly, my entire life has turned into a goddamn living hell because of it. And I never actually said I was going to El Paso. There's a Sleep Disorders Center located in El Paso, but there's also one in Miami, which is where I would actually go. I mean, for six years now, people have been looking at me like I'm just asking for an aspirin whenever I mention that I still can't sleep normally. They act like it's just a matter of popping a pill and calling it a day—as if that's the solution for the rest of my life. Quite the medical breakthrough, wouldn't you say? I guess some people really believe that.
restlesstrucker15 said:You will likely need to experiment with a low-dose antipsychotic; more than likely, your psychiatrist will be the one to prescribe it. From what I understand, the standard approach is treating insomnia with hypnotics for short durations or using sedating antidepressants. Benzodiazepines aren't typically recommended because they aren't primarily designed for insomnia. If 5 mg of Oxazepam puts someone to sleep, then good for them, but that person probably isn't dealing with chronic insomnia—they're likely just going through a temporary crisis.
Hold on, hold on—are you heading to El Paso or Miami? Did you actually request this, or were you sent there? I would probably do the same thing, but today my dad gave me that pale, worried look again when I mentioned that 7x5mg Normabel isn't doing anything for me, and that 2 mg of Misar actually puts me out (though in reality, I take more, but I won't tell him). He takes 1 mg of Ativan because of his PTSD, and he got rejected for Sanval because I'm already taking it... but ugh, I just can't help it. Can someone please explain antipsychotics to me? I guess I don't really know how to use the term properly; I just associate it with schizophrenia. I know I am taking an antidepressant and an anxiolytic/sedative and a hypnotic, but I'm not taking an antipsychotic—unless Misar or Sanval fall into that category? And which one is a sedating antidepressant? They barely managed to switch my Fevarin; it was for bedtime, but I really can't afford that anymore $12 so she gave me Elicee for the morning. It doesn't calm me down because it's taken in the AM... I suspect the doctor won't give me anything else, because I think they are prescribing these strictly for my serotonin levels... one doctor wanted to put me on Zoloft, but now this other one is saying, "No, no..." I just don't know.🤷
Alright, let's try this: does Rohypnol even exist here in the States?
It does not.
Well, fine then. Last night, after going two whole days without any sleep, I figured, okay, let's just try to crash. My dad even gave me some 5 mg Normabel—about ten pills left—so I thought, great, finally. I take one, wash it down with some cooked wine, then another, then a third... I managed to sleep from 1:00 until maybe 2:30, and then I took a fourth. After that? I didn't sleep a wink until morning. Honestly, I don't know anymore. Please, tell me—is it just me, or is insomnia actually incurable? I really don't want to think about it, even though I suspect I already know the answer... Is there truly no cure for this other than these pills? Are we ever going to sleep normally again?
Brandon Lopez6 said:Don't just go grabbing pills on your own without asking someone first.
I realize that, but I’m honestly at my wit's end right now. I was actually prescribed most of these medications by my doctor during one stretch, excluding the iron supplements and the Paxil... I ended up turning down the Lexapro because I told them it tasted too bitter, so they switched me over to Misar instead. I don't know how everyone else handles this social aspect, but I’m heading back to the clinic because I feel completely drained. I suppose we can figure out which other options might work later; I'll try to get those prescriptions sorted as soon as possible and then let you all know what they put me on...
Personally, I find the effect of Cerson to be incredibly unpleasant; it feels as though I’ve downed four liters of black coffee all at once, leaving me completely wired. I suppose I have tried just about everything by scavenging my dad's medication stash—he takes various pills. Xanax works okay for me, though it leaves a bitter aftertaste, which is annoying. Mirtazapine feels far too weak for my needs, generally speaking. My absolute favorite used to be Norvasc, but I haven't seen any of that in ages... and I occasionally take some Paxil I get from my grandmother; it's decent enough, but the effectiveness seems to fade away during the night.
Yes, I remember that girl mentioning those hallucinations caused by Seroquel, haha. It's funny how negative she was about it. For me, I once crawled under the covers, and with just a little bit of light peeking through, I totally convinced myself I was in Wonderland—or perhaps riding horses or something equally pleasant. There have also been a few times where I couldn't actually read what I had typed on my computer, haha; it felt as if I had been typing for an eternity... though I haven't had any issues with spiders or anything like that.
Matthew White4 said:Ever since I started taking Paxil, I haven’t been able to function at all, let alone sleep—I just exist in this constant state of brain fog.
And honestly, I don't get the whole "you're too young for this" attitude from doctors. Being sick isn't an age thing; we can't sleep, we're struggling, and we have every right to ask for actual insomnia medication that works.
I woke up five times last night. At this point, I'm not even going to bother trying. It’s worse than having a newborn...
Back when I was living on my own, I just took 10 mg of Ambien twice and a 0.5 Helex, and I was perfectly happy and actually rested every single day.
I swear, my environment is just draining the life out of me.
Yesterday, I was looking for work down in Miami (even though I'm currently stuck out in rural Ohio).
I'm guessing the lack of sunlight is triggering my anxiety and depression, especially on top of all the family drama...
Same here. I finally fell asleep at 2:00 AM only to be jolted awake again at 4:00 AM after taking 6 milligrams of Paxil. I feel like I could just pass out for three days straight since nobody is working right now. I don't even know how to describe it. My eyes hurt so much I feel like pulling them out, and don't even get me started on the dizziness—I'm probably going to stumble around and smash into everything. This is just inhumane.
I’ve never really understood that whole "you're too young" argument. Honestly, what does age have to do with anything? Mental health doesn't check your ID before it hits you. I remember being on Haldol when I was only 15, and it felt like every doctor I saw suddenly had something to say about it—things like, "Why would you need that? You're so young, it's not good for you," or "You're far too young for this." It was like all these doctors decided at once that my age should dictate my treatment. 🙄
I'm 21, and honestly, it seems to me like they always just take the path of least resistance. Whether it's because certain meds are too expensive or some other nonsense, I don't know. One doctor actually tried to push some herbal supplement on me, while another told me not to take pills because by the time I'm 50, I won't be able to sleep even if someone hit me over the head with a hammer—and I quote! As if things would somehow be better then. Seriously, who is the crazy one here?
fadedbear92 said:I was actually prescribed mine to help with my sleep and to dial down that daytime anxiety--it really made a difference for me.
I honestly have no idea how to handle this when asking for stronger medication. I’m terrified they might just refuse me outright. I mean, are they actually obligated to provide what I need, or should I perhaps try to exaggerate my symptoms just to get a prescription? When I talked to my doctor about Misar, I told them I struggle with anxiety throughout the day, even though I really only take it to get some sleep at night. It feels like they aren't exactly thrilled about prescribing things to me because I'm young, yet on the other hand, isn't it their literal job to help me? Any advice?😢
Thank you all for the input. Now, looking at everything we've discussed, which of these would be considered the most potent hypnotics that could actually be paired with a sedative? I find that the sedatives relax me naturally, and then if I hit a hypnotic on top of that, I might not even wake up... I am planning on asking for Normabex 10mg because, from what I understand, it’s the strongest sedative out there. As far as hypnotics go, I only know about Sanval. Also, I didn't quite grasp the part about antipsychotics—what's the deal with those? Do they also regulate sleep patterns? Furthermore, I don't understand why my doctor keeps pushing antidepressants on me when my primary struggle is insomnia. 🤷 I realize they are supposed to regulate neurohormones, but I've been taking them for quite some time now and I haven't seen any progress whatsoever... I wonder, would my primary care physician be allowed to prescribe that Normabex while I wait to see a specialist? The waiting lists are massive, and these damn holidays aren't helping the delay.
Please, suggest some combinations I should ask for (and don't worry, I can clearly hold my own against anyone). It feels like they are just experimenting on us, so if something isn't working, they just swap it out.🙄
In my experience with Sanval, I've had minor hallucinations—mostly fun stuff, nothing too serious.🤷 I really like that pill; I just wish I could get at least two boxes of the 10mg version...
I am reaching out specifically to those of you who deal with chronic insomnia, because frankly, I can’t take this anymore. Up until now, I’ve been scraping by using a combination of 0.25 mg Misar and 5 mg Sanval, but they just doubled the dosage for both, and it hasn't helped much. To try and regulate my sleep, I’m taking Faverin alongside Elicea, though I suppose that might be irrelevant. What I really want to know is: what are the strongest hypnotics and sedatives out there? I mean the kind of stuff that could practically knock out a horse. I’m looking for real experiences here, because my current regimen feels incredibly weak; I process these meds so fast that I end up needing three or four Sanval doses a day, plus about 5 mg of Misar. I once heard about Normabel at 10 mg, and apparently, if you take two of those, you sleep like a baby. Does anyone have a recommendation on what I should ask for? I realize my doctor probably won't approve it, but I honestly cannot endure this—it's 3:30 in the morning and even after 6 Misar, I still can't fall asleep. Please, tell me which heavy-duty sedatives you use—the kind so potent you almost have to fight them. I'm not very familiar with all the options. thanks
I requested that my doctor take me off Faverin because I honestly don't feel like it's doing anything for my insomnia. I figured if I have to stay on medication, they might as well prescribe something covered by my insurance. Well, they switched me over to Elicea, and now I'm stuck wondering if it's actually safe to take both at the same time. I still have about a week's worth of Faverin left, and I usually take that in the evening, while the Elicea is meant for the morning. I guess I'm debating whether I should just finish the old prescription first before starting the new one, or if there's a way to transition?