Posts by Gerald Torres2

Jessica Fowler4 said:I didn't have those issues, but I definitely noticed I was way more irritable and quick to snap during the first two days.. I didn't notice any positive effects right away, so I stopped taking it because of the negative stuff.

I just don't do pills that require waiting two or three weeks to hit a plateau or reach receptor density levels. If a pill doesn't show positive results immediately, I'm out, especially if it shows negative side effects. Like, it would be just great to spend three weeks taking something that makes me feel "wired up" from the jump... maybe after three weeks I'll end up murdering someone over a parking spot.

Maybe read some stories about people for whom Wellbutrin didn't work.. they're a little concerning.. I'm not saying that's going to happen to you, it's a small percentage of cases. If it works for you, it works, it won't change... but I'm just saying, you should be careful.

Wellbutrin is actually prescribed for all sorts of things. It doesn't have to be major depression. They use it for ADHD and other stuff too.

Wellbutrin, under the name Zyban, is sold as a prescription drug to help people quit smoking. So—you don't really need a specific diagnosis to get it. You just tell your doctor you want to stop smoking. That's pretty much it.🙂

btw. regarding that combo of meds you mentioned, I'll give my totally uneducated opinion

Wellbutrin (bupropion) is a "norepinephrine-dopamine reuptake inhibition."
Zoloft is an SSRI, which is "serotonin reuptake inhibition."

A combo like that would make anyone happy, I guess? You're boosting all three. It's sort of like being on MDMA/ecstasy. Not exactly the same, since MDMA is a releaser and not a reuptake inhibitor... but similar... boosting all three definitely causes that intense euphoria, depending on the dose... it's a no brainer... but I don't really see the therapeutic value... maybe as a short-term patch or something... but hey, I'm no psychiatrist...

I remember feeling like I was on speed once; MDMA is a completely different beast. I've tried both pure stuff and pills....😍(That was a long time ago, though. I'm a good kid now; these days I just engage in legal recreational activities!)
Regarding your aversion to meds that take a few weeks to kick in... here is my two cents. I spent three months on Paxil, and those were easily the worst three months of my life. The side effects were unbearable. I was constantly nervous, foggy, dealing with more AP per day, and constant heavy anxiety. I quit. A year later, I had to go back for medication because I deal with severe postpartum depression. I started Wellbutrin with a lot of fear, obviously, given my history. For about five days, I felt even more anxious and jittery than usual (which is standard when adjusting to an AD for the first two weeks), so I managed that with anxiolytics—Xanax, in my case. Eventually, that agitation faded, and so did the depression. I finally felt alive again and actually had the willpower to get out of bed.
The reality is that no antidepressant works the second you swallow it. The instructions explicitly state it takes about two weeks to settle, and that you might experience initial side effects. If they don't subside within that two-week window, that's when you switch.
I don't know your specific situation or diagnosis, but I'm willing to bet you've had five or six depressive episodes lasting two or three months each over the last two years, just like me. When you're in that hole, you'll take anything just to get out.🤷

Eric Mitchell55 said:Hey everyone, is anyone here taking birth control while also being on psych meds?
My OB-GYN told me there shouldn't be any major issues or contraindications, but I'd love to hear some real-world perspectives from you all. It doesn't feel official until I've checked in with the community. 🥳

😍 I actually stopped taking them. I quit a few months before I started on the ADOv, though they aren't directly related (I was only on them because my cycles were irregular and incredibly painful).... Interestingly, since starting the ADOv, my condition has stabilized, and my periods have become regular and much less painful. 😍😍
(Who would have thought an ADOv could impact that, right?)

Jessica Fowler4 said:and those sudden outbursts of rage🙂

Hahaha, are you actually kidding me right now? 😕
For me, it’s been great. I was on it by itself for a while, but my doctor eventually added Zoloft into the mix because of my AP and anxiety—apparently, Wellbutrin alone is really meant for major depression. So, currently, I'm taking 100 mg of Zoloft and 150 mg of Wellbutrin XR, and honestly, I feel fantastic. My mood swings have even stabilized over the last two weeks 😛, and I’ve actually started sleeping again in the last few days 😍. My boyfriend just gave me this blank stare yesterday; since things settled down two weeks ago, I feel like a completely different person after being stuck in such a deep depressive funk 🤷!!

Kevin Nguyen3 said:The thing is, medication is never a one-size-fits-all solution, is it? Every individual reacts differently. I have frequently observed—and continue to see even now—that Fever rarely acts in total isolation. When it is combined with other medications, the effects shift entirely! How can anyone truly predict how a specific cocktail will impact a specific person? It is incredibly difficult to assess.
As for the issue of decreased libido... yes, there is a very real possibility that this medication is a contributing factor.
Does the effect change over long-term use? I cannot say for certain. However, doctors often prescribe supplementary medications based on their own clinical experience to help boost libido (think things like Q-pin, Seroquel, or similar drugs). This is common when treating neuroses. But when you are dealing with psychosis, hysteria, or schizophrenia... well, that is an entirely different story altogether.

I was put on low-dose Seroquel (50 mg) as a stabilizer, and let me tell you, sex was the absolute last thing on my mind. It was just endless hours in bed feeling totally brain-fogged. Naturally, I stopped taking it... because I'm dealing with BPD, not schizophrenia.

Look, I’ve gotta say, ever since I started this specific combo of Zoloft and Wellbutrin, my libido has been through the roof—and honestly, the orgasms have never felt more intense. It’s pretty wild. When I was on Paxil, sex wasn't even on the radar; even if I managed to talk myself into it, reaching a climax was basically impossible, even after an hour or two of trying. So, clearly, everyone reacts differently to these things.

I’ve heard the common consensus is that Zoloft can lead to weight gain and a total shutdown of your sex drive, but my experience has been the exact opposite. If anything, I’m convinced my beloved Wellbutrin is the real MVP here keeping everything working.🙂

Kevin Bailey2 said:Well, I found myself, and even Jesus Christ couldn't force me to accept who I am.
I'm terrified of everything. From ants to the dark.

All that fear eventually turned into a defense mechanism where I became an aggressive person. Not physically, just my whole vibe... loud, pushy... always fighting windmills. Anything to mask the fear.

Medication cleared all that away.
It wasn't instant, and the start was rough. It took me a year of cycling through a billion different phases before I finally learned how to actually manage myself while on meds.
Bottom line... the pills didn't do the work by themselves.
But did they help me tackle things? Oh yeah... absolutely.
Meds plus self-work... that’s the winning combo.
Just letting the drugs manipulate you and do whatever they want? That's not a solution, and it's definitely not high-quality therapy.
I know plenty of people who take handfuls of pills every single day for years... for nothing.
They choke them down, and then what? I don't get it. They still have their own issues. They expect the meds to solve their problems automatically?
Funny.
Not really funny.
It's tragic.
If you're going to poison your body anyway, you might as well do it for a purpose. Don't just spin your wheels. Move forward.

Just because you're on medication doesn't mean you can stop working on yourself every day or stop questioning your own actions.

It's just... being self-critical is easier when you're medicated than when you aren't. Makes you more productive in every aspect of life.

Unfortunately, I have to pray for some... I take meds... and I feel better than I did. Fewer intrusive thoughts, more livable. (I'm in a bit of a low phase right now, but it's not like my usual depression where I can't even function; I can still get up and head to work)... so they really do help. Without them, I would have gone off the rails a long time ago... but I struggle with this whole "self-work" thing. I can't seem to find any awareness because I can't get into regular therapy—seeing someone once a month is basically nothing. Honestly, my friend keeps me more grounded than any therapist could, but she has her own massive problems and is really struggling herself... I don't want to dump all my baggage on her since she's already in deep. I end up spending more time listening to her.
I honestly don't know what "working on yourself" actually means. When I'm unhappy, I lose all will and motivation to think positively... if you could explain it to me... please. You can even DM me. Thanks.

Kenneth Scott41 said:Haha, so now you're trying to pass the buck to me. I've always been a pretty direct person—I tend to say what's on my mind, I guess... regardless, I don't see myself opening a whole new topic here because there really isn't a solution to be found. Maybe if you just quit drinking, you wouldn't act like a high-strung engine running at full throttle all the time—you can't even walk through a grocery store without everyone noticing the jittery energy. Just an observation!😉

I'm on a combination of Zoloft and Wellbutrin, and honestly, I feel more irritable more often than I did before I started taking anything at all.. 😍

Brandon Lopez6 said:I was wondering, could taking AP help with that feeling of unreality? 😠
Honestly, I’ve been stuck in this weird headspace for days now—just constant, mild depersonalization. It’s driving me nuts. It just ends up fueling my phobias, too. It basically keeps me housebound because, even though I feel just as out of it at home, being in a familiar space feels way more manageable than stepping out onto a busy street in Chicago.

Yeah... at lower doses, an anti-anxiety med acts similarly to an antidepressant; it can dial down the anxiety and help with intrusive thoughts and derealization. At least, that's what my doctor told me. Personally, I don't mind them because they make me drowsy and a bit foggy, but if you scroll back a few pages to the discussion about Seroquel, you'll see people here are actually pretty happy with it. That sleepiness usually wears off after a while. I actually took a few extra doses to help me sleep after I broke up with my boyfriend, and I noticed that after a couple of days, I wasn't nearly as tired or "out of it" anymore. You just have to give your body time to adjust. While I was on it, I didn't take any other anxiety meds... but I won't go back to that because it doesn't make sense for me to take them every day when I usually only need one every three days or so. So, I can only manage with those. For you, an anti-anxiety med might actually be able to replace Helex entirely. If I were in your shoes, I'd definitely consider giving it a shot. Good luck!

Justin Rogers5 said:Does Mirzaten kill your sex drive? Mine's basically non-existent right now—about as much drive as a hungover fly.☕

That’s entirely down to the individual. It’s just like how certain medications make some people gain weight while others actually lose it. You should probably have a chat with your doctor; maybe they’ll throw some Wellbutrin into the mix. It can boost your libido and help curb the urge to smoke at the same time—killing two birds with one stone. Personally, I didn't quit smoking outright, but I managed to cut back significantly without even trying. Besides, depression itself can be a massive libido killer.

Brandon Lopez6 said:Now they've slapped me with a personality disorder diagnosis (😕), but according to my psych tests, the only thing even remotely outside the norm is depression 😬
I won't get into the details because just thinking about it makes me sick to my stomach, but let's just say the woman wrote my birth year as 1995 when I was actually born in 1990. 😁! Man, if she hadn't asked my age, she probably would've guessed something else entirely. It just shows she wasn't listening to a single word I said. 🤣

The diagnosis itself isn't everything, but it's hard to ignore. The worst part is that in the main stage—which is the medication—they treat the label, not the actual problem. If someone told me I had Schizoaffective, I'd be getting prescribed AP, but what I actually need is just something to take the edge off. That's why treating a personality disorder scares me—because I don't even have one. 🙂

Don't sweat it... about a week ago, I was also diagnosed with borderline personality disorder... it's not exactly a charming diagnosis, I'll give you that...
And she prescribed Seroquel as a mood stabilizer, but my moods don't actually swing the way they typically do for people with BPD... so I told her I wasn't taking it. There's nothing anyone can do to force me, and she actually admitted she couldn't make me take something I didn't want to, but suggested if I wanted to try, I should. Well, I tried, and it was terrible... I won't touch it again. Taking an antipsychotic felt like getting hit in the head with a shovel. But hey, you have to deal with those numbers and keep working on yourself regardless of whatever those famous F-s say... besides, Seroquel is actually a great substitute for anxiolytics; it knocks you out perfectly, and plenty of people on this forum are really happy with it... I initially turned it down because it made me feel stupid, but now that I'm going through a bit of a crisis due to a breakup, I started taking it again and I'm sleeping like a baby. I'm hitting the sack around 10 PM, and I don't even need anxiolytics anymore... imagine that!

Hey everyone... for those of you on Zoloft, what kind of maintenance dose are you currently running?
I've been steady at 50mg since day one... I've been on this for over a month now.

Larry Campbell said:Way to go, Anna; I'm right there with you. Provided it's actually doable, of course, but having that mindset is already a massive first step.😉

😍 For now, I think it's a realistic path. As long as I can manage it, my goal is to stay on as few medications as possible. 🙂

Donna Torres5 said:Honestly, I don't think antipsychotics are all bad if you're on a lower dose. I take 5 mg of Zyprexa, and while I definitely notice I'm moving a bit slower, it’s not like I’ve become a total zombie 😁
Plus, I don't get worked up over things nearly as much as I used to. I used to be such a bundle of nerves—just ready to snap at anything—but now? Everything is just... chill. All that irritability has just vanished. It's pure Zen; it's like living in a constant state of Nirvana. Riders on the storm, la la la

😂😂😂😂
You're a good person for saying that!
But honestly, I want to actually feel alive, not just exist in this state where nothing matters. My goal is to manage my condition with as few medications as possible, if you catch my drift...

David Vaughn75 said:Yeah, sure, just tell that to your therapist when you're sitting on their couch.

I have an appointment on April 8th, so I'll just lay it all out for her then. Honestly, she told me straight up that while we can try things, she isn't going to force anything on me that I'm not ready for. So, I don't expect much of an issue there.😍

David Vaughn75 said:Maybe you aren't mood swinging because you're already on AP.

I don't drink. I had one glass, once...

David Vaughn75 said:Look, you can train your way out of most of that.
I remember when I first got out of the hospital—man, it was rough—I couldn't even keep up with the subtitles on TV because my brain just wasn't processing the words fast enough. But now? I'm reading them just fine. It's all about practice.

Honestly, I don't really care about that side of things. I already told you, I have no interest in taking AP because I don't need it. I’ve stopped being self-destructive, I’m not screaming at everyone in sight anymore, and my moods aren't swinging wildly every thirty minutes... so why would I bother with a stabilizer? (Is AP even considered a stabilizer?)🤷

David Vaughn75 said:Are you actually losing your mind, or is your brain just stuck in second gear? Seriously, I can't tell if you're genuinely forgetful or if your processing speed has just hit rock bottom.

Honestly, it’s both. Plus, there are things I just can't wrap my head around because of this... it's like my IQ takes a massive 30% hit whenever we talk.🤣

David Vaughn75 said:Does anyone know if Zyprexa messes with your memory? Ever since I bumped my dose up to 20, I’ve been feeling super forgetful—like, total brain fog territory

Of course it can. I was acting like a complete space cadet just a few days ago because of Seroquel—another antipsychotic. I’m done with it, even if it means I have to deal with insomnia.🙂

Brandon Lopez6 said:Ahaaa. I see where you're coming from now. 🙂
Just be straight with your doctor. Tell her exactly what's up and that you aren't interested in taking them. 🙂

Yeah, that's exactly what I plan to do. 😍

Brandon Lopez6 said:Give me a break. I struggle to remember names or basic things at least three times a day, every single day.😬

Jokes aside, if it’s actually hitting you that hard (and it sounds like it is), why not just stop taking it? Or maybe give the meds more time to settle in? I don't know about your AP, but my doctor told me that AP usually kicks in way faster than AD, so you should be able to tell if it's working within a week or two.🙂

Look, I only took one... I didn't have any last night (and honestly, I knocked out immediately for seven hours straight), so I'm wide awake and feeling fine today. The thing is, I don't actually need a mood stabilizer. My moods don't swing that wildly... I'm not like those people who post here constantly about being aggressive or whatever. I'm not like that. I get angry maybe once a month when I really lose it, which I think is pretty normal for anyone on this planet—and yeah, I might snap occasionally, but generally, I don't. My doctor prescribed it because she gave me a BPD diagnosis... but I don't need it. So now I'm looking at it and thinking... just another pill I don't even need... 🤷 it feels stupid. Brandon Lopez6, I used to deal with that too, but with anxiolytics, and it was nowhere near as intense.