Posts by Melissa Sanchez59

Daniel Doyle7 said:Goddammit, how did you even last that long without catching some crazy infection from all those bacteria that couldn't get out?

Well, clearly I didn't! I guess things only started acting up after a little while—it was pretty hit or miss. But everything really went sideways once I stopped taking it.

Paul Newman5 said:I guess there's just no stopping them. I'll look for someone else eventually, but for now, I'm sticking with alternatives. Also, does anyone here know if taking Advil helps reduce the need for General Mills? Or has anyone tried that herbal Advil? (I know this is a psych med thread, but maybe someone has experience with that stuff). One more thing—for those of you dealing with anxiety while on antidepressants, how do you handle work? I'm working, so I'm terrified of starting new meds. The first time around was a nightmare, and my biggest fear is someone at the office finding out and firing me. Please, share your stories, I just need to feel a little better.

I'm a freelancer, so I have a bit more flexibility. I actually took about ten days off when I started a new antidepressant because, man, the side effects were so bad both times that I could barely walk, let alone work. I don't know, maybe it isn't that intense for everyone, but if I had a steady full-time gig, I'd probably just take a week of vacation and bridge it with a couple of weekends—just enough time for the worst of it to pass. After two weeks, I wasn't feeling those debilitating side effects anymore. As for the anxiety itself, I guess you can always lean on an anxiolytic if things get really overwhelming.

Daniel Doyle7 said:So how long were you even on that stuff?

For a few months, and then I switched over to a different antidepressant.

Daniel Doyle7 said:Anyone here dealt with urinary retention from meds? Like, you literally can't empty your bladder? If you have—how did you fix it?

Yeah, I definitely had that happen with Celexa. It didn't really clear up until I stopped taking it, though—not ideal, I guess.

Zachary Reed63 said:So, this is my first time posting here, but honestly, after scrolling through so many threads, I’m pretty terrified. About two months ago, I was diagnosed with severe depression... at first, my doctor put me on Celexa and Lexapro, but after about a month, everything just completely fell apart. I ended up overdosing on Lexapro and ended up cutting myself all over. The worst part is that I don't even remember doing it or why I did it. I guess the self-harm wasn't even meant to be a suicide attempt; maybe I just thought if I felt physical pain, I wouldn't have to deal with the emotional side of things. Anyway, that landed me in front of a psychiatrist who switched my meds to Effexor, Lexapro, and Valium, and then sent me off to group therapy. I started the Effexor yesterday, but I am absolutely terrified to touch the Valium because of everything I've read on here. Does it really make you feel like a zombie? I can't sleep to save my life. Lexapro used to help with the insomnia for a while, but not anymore. Is there anyone out there who hasn't had issues with Valium? Also, I'm curious about this group therapy thing. I can't even imagine sitting there talking about my deepest struggles in front of a bunch of strangers, or worse, having to sit there and listen to people with problems even heavier than mine. How is listening to everyone's sad stories actually supposed to help?
Thanks...

I personally never had any trouble with Sanofi—though I always stuck to 10 mg, since I don't really dare go higher than that. From what I can gather, it seems like the issues mostly happen at higher doses. But then again, everyone reacts differently, I guess...

wiredskipper45 said:Hopefully we'll have something worth celebrating soon! 😍

One more time, though... anyone have experience with Citalopram? Ideally if you've been getting it through CVS or something similar.

Citalopram actually helped lift my mood quite a bit, though I had to take about 2-3 mg of Lexapro along with it and occasionally Ambien to sleep. So, it didn't really touch my anxiety, but I guess it might be more calming if combined with Unknown.

wiredskipper45 said:That sounds almost too optimistic. 😉
You know that feeling... when everything is so heavy you're convinced it’s just permanent, like nothing is ever going to change again? My anxiety just spikes the second I start wondering if the AD won't actually kick in this time. :/

I think we all feel that way sometimes—but at least you aren't starting from zero this time. Maybe just try to remember that it worked before! 😉

wiredskipper45 said:I'm currently hunting down every single thing I can find about Mirzaten because I'm switching back to it tonight. :/
I have no idea how it's going to hit me this time. I'm dealing with desperate anxiety and I'm deep in a depressive hole right now, but I know that in the past, during similar stretches, Mirzaten always managed to get me to sleep. Well, with a few exceptions... My main priority right now is fixing this depression, which I didn't really have while on Mirzaten, even though my anxiety was pretty bad then. But ever since I stopped taking it, everything has just gone downhill fast...

If it worked well for you before, maybe it'll do the trick again this time 🙂

I honestly don't get all this talk about Mirzaten. I've been on Calixta for eight days now, and it actually knocked me out on the first day—period. But then Thursday afternoon hit, and this insane anxiety just took over. I took my 15 mg Calixta and 0.5 mg Seroxat in the evening, but an hour or two later, everything felt even worse. I knew I had to be up for work in the morning, and I was spiraling thinking about how tomorrow would be a total disaster if I couldn't sleep. Usually, I’ll just take another 0.5 mg of quick-acting Seroxat to calm down eventually, but this felt unbearable, so I figured I'd just take some Ambien to, I don't know, basically pass out quickly and be done with it. I took 10 mg of Ambien, laid down, and spent the next hour tossing and turning in bed until I realized I wasn't going to sleep at all. I ended up getting up to light... a candle, I guess? I felt a little woozy, but I was wide awake and still feeling anxious. Eventually, I just put on a movie and somehow, finally, managed to settle down and drift off... HOW? 🙂

wiredskipper45 said:Not at all! Not in the slightest.
The goal is to take the medication first so you can actually find some stability and start the recovery process.
Once that constant anxiety and restlessness finally subside thanks to the meds, that’s when the real work begins—gradually tapering off slowly and steadily. That’s the path out.

I'm speaking from my own lived experience here, so look at it this way:

After spending six years on Zoloft, I realized about two months ago that I had reached a plateau, even though I hadn't quite conquered my social phobia yet.
I started the taper, and within two months, I was off it entirely. I had already finished weaning myself off Xanax about six months prior, so I figured, "Hey, this should be a breeze," especially since getting off Xanax took me an entire year of very gentle adjustments.
For the first fifteen to twenty days, I felt like a brand-new person—full of life, warmth, and genuine enjoyment. But then, once the withdrawal symptoms really started hitting, everything sank like a lead weight in the middle of the ocean right before... well, you know how it goes.

The bottom line is you have to calm down first and accept that these drugs come with daily side effects. Once things stabilize, you begin a very slow, deliberate taper, and eventually, everything settles back into place.

Could you maybe go into more detail about what your experience was like with Mirtazapine and Effexor? I’m seriously considering making the switch.

Not at all! Not in the slightest.
The goal is to take the medication first so you can actually find some stability and start the recovery process.
Once that constant anxiety and restlessness finally subside thanks to the meds, that’s when the real work begins—gradually tapering off slowly and steadily. That’s the path out.

I'm speaking from my own lived experience here, so look at it this way:

After spending six years on Zoloft, I realized about two months ago that I had reached a plateau, even though I hadn't quite conquered my social phobia yet.
I started the taper, and within two months, I was off it entirely. I had already finished weaning myself off Xanax about six months prior, so I figured, "Hey, this should be a breeze," especially since getting off Xanax took me an entire year of very gentle adjustments.
For the first fifteen to twenty days, I felt like a brand-new person—full of life, warmth, and genuine enjoyment. But then, once the withdrawal symptoms really started hitting, everything sank like a lead weight in the middle of the ocean right before... well, you know how it goes.

The bottom line is you have to calm down first and accept that these drugs come with daily side effects. Once things stabilize, you begin a very slow, deliberate taper, and eventually, everything settles back into place.

Could you maybe go into more detail about what your experience was like with Mirtazapine and Effexor? I’m seriously considering making the switch.
I only took Effexor for exactly one day; nausea, tremors, jitters, insomnia... I honestly thought I was going crazy (which, let's face it, is a frequent thought of mine 😁). I told myself; screw this, if the side effects are this bad immediately, it's just not for me. :/

I was on Mirtazapine for three years. In the beginning, it basically brought me back from the dead because I finally started sleeping after nearly a year and a half of insomnia! 🙂
And then I started recovering. Everything felt a little brighter, a little easier, though I never quite reached that feeling of being "fully alive," if you know what I mean... 😉
But about a year ago, I was under a hellish amount of stress and started getting anxious again—just terribly tense and worried most of the time. Mirtazapine didn't do anything for that part; it just kept me sleeping, and it wasn't like everything was hopeless, like it at least kept the depression under control. Then I turned toward alternative stuff and quit Mirtazapine pretty abruptly... now I feel like I should probably start taking it again because of the insomnia, but somehow that feels like a defeat. :/ So I just push through and suffer. And believe me, I am suffering.

So, aren't you on anything right now? How are you holding up?
I only took Effexor for exactly one day; nausea, tremors, jitters, insomnia... I honestly thought I was going crazy (which, let's face it, is a frequent thought of mine 😁). I told myself; screw this, if the side effects are this bad immediately, it's just not for me. :/

I was on Mirtazapine for three years. In the beginning, it basically brought me back from the dead because I finally started sleeping after nearly a year and a half of insomnia! 🙂
And then I started recovering. Everything felt a little brighter, a little easier, though I never quite reached that feeling of being "fully alive," if you know what I mean... 😉
But about a year ago, I was under a hellish amount of stress and started getting anxious again—just terribly tense and worried most of the time. Mirtazapine didn't do anything for that part; it just kept me sleeping, and it wasn't like everything was hopeless, like it at least kept the depression under control. Then I turned toward alternative stuff and quit Mirtazapine pretty abruptly... now I feel like I should probably start taking it again because of the insomnia, but somehow that feels like a defeat. :/ So I just push through and suffer. And believe me, I am suffering.

So, aren't you on anything right now? How are you holding up?
Did you feel this right away, or was it actually the opposite at first? I switched over to Mirtazapine about a week ago—my psychiatrist mentioned it might knock me out a bit too hard initially—but it’s been the total reverse... just feeling anxious, edgy, and unable to sleep. Once I finally do drift off, I’m waking up like 17 times a night. My boyfriend says I’m constantly grinding my teeth, talking in my sleep, and just tossing and turning... 🤷

David Bishop4 said:Oh man... I've been fighting this same battle for six years now, heading into my seventh. I had a long stretch where I felt fine, but when things started spiraling again, I waited far too long to see a psychiatrist. All that stress eventually gave me chronic gastritis, which just adds another layer of irritability to everything. Today feels just like yesterday—that nervous tension and a lingering sense of nausea hitting at the exact same time. It makes me think our bodies might just be trying to adjust to these antidepressants. I'm really hoping we can all get back to functioning normally soon. 😍

It’s like reading my own diary. Just constantly putting off seeing the doctor and wasting months upon months of my life waiting for an episode to "just pass"... until everything finally hits the breaking point.

I'm crossing my fingers that things get better for you really soon! (My hands are shaking a little, but I'm hanging in there 😬)

David Bishop4 said:It feels like we're almost reading from the same script. 🙂 I'm also hoping that everything eventually settles into place. Does your mental state generally feel even worse when you first start a new antidepressant? Today is only my fourth day, and I'm feeling incredibly restless and anxious... If you don't mind me asking, how old are you? And by the way, I still can't wrap my head around why you aren't supposed to break those SR tablets... it seems so strange.🙂

I'm not sure why they can't be broken, but I assume there's a solid reason since they're made that way—it's actually kind of hard to snap them compared to those "normal" ones with the little score line down the middle... and honestly, my doctor was super explicit about it, like, she said I can always take two 0.5mg doses if needed, but I definitely shouldn't split a stronger one...

I'm 25, and I've been dealing with stuff this intense for maybe 5 years now, but I finally decided to actually do something about it about six months ago. I'm not counting the time a few years back when I was just taking Ambien because my doctor didn't even think to look for the actual cause of my long-term insomnia. 🙄

This is my second antidepressant. With the first one, I think I fell into the worst depression of my life during those first couple of weeks, but I kept steadying myself with Misar, so I didn't really deal with anxiety then. Now it's kind of the opposite—I'm not in total crisis, but my nerves are constantly on edge like they were before medication. I'm not sure how much of that is from switching meds or just drastically cutting back on the Misar... plus, I've had constant dizziness for 5 days now. And the depersonalization/derealization is just terrifying. Just waiting for 😢

David Bishop4 said:Bok to you too! 🙂 Thank you so much for the advice. I honestly had no idea that you weren't supposed to split them; it's the first I've heard of it, and I tend to avoid reading the fine print because I don't want to trigger any side effects through autosuggestion. 🙂 If you don't mind me asking, what was your diagnosis? And which Misar dose are you taking? Does it leave you feeling a bit groggy? Also, how does your combination of the regular dose and the fast-acting version work for you—does it actually help?

Yeah, I totally get that thing about autosuggestion. I HAVE to read everything, otherwise I end up panicking over a simple aspirin or something 😁 but when I weigh it up, I suppose it's probably better to know a few things. 🙂

Anyway, I deal with anxiety and depression—mostly the anxiety side, along with panic attacks. For the last few months, I've been taking Misar SR at 1 mg in the morning and evening, plus 0.25 if I really need it. Before that, I was on the IR version three times a day at 0.5 mg, and honestly, the extended release seems to work better. It's a bit tricky, though—on a bad day, it feels like it's not enough so you have to pop another IR, but then on a good day, you might get too sleepy... it's never quite perfect, I guess. Personally, the SR definitely works better for me.

Last week they switched my antidepressant from Citalopram to Lexic and dropped my SR down to 0.5, so I can't say I'm feeling great right now since I'm dealing with a bunch of side effects... but hopefully, things look up in the long run.🙂

David Bishop4 said:I honestly can't say for sure; I know someone else used to take the SR version along with short-acting doses as needed, but I don't know. This morning, I took just half of my 1 mg Misar SR and ended up heading straight to bed. It made me feel pretty nauseous. I can't even imagine what would have happened if I had taken the whole thing... 😉

You really shouldn't split Misar SR! The instructions say not to, and I guess your doctor should've mentioned that to you.

I also take the SR version in the morning and at night, plus the "fast-acting" kind whenever I get hit with intense panic or something...

Btw, I'm not a bot—I've been lurking on this sub for ages, just finally deciding to join the club now, so bok everyone 😁