Posts by Angela Reyes4

If you’ve always been close and shared so many laughs, his sudden withdrawal feels incredibly jarring, especially now when you need him most.
Besides, if you’ve explicitly told him what you need—whether it's physical affection or just closeness—and he still pulls away, there’s no point in using that tired excuse of "he's just doing what he thinks he'd want in your shoes."

The way your husband is acting is completely wrong; I know from my own life how vital a partner's support is immediately following a medical diagnosis.

No

Alex Walker5 said:What is your relationship with your father like?
What are you grateful to him for?
Is there anything you resent?
Do you struggle with an Electra complex? Do you have any sexual fantasies involving your father?
As men, do you deal with an Oedipus complex?
Have you ever felt the urge to kill your father?
Would you describe him as an authority figure, a friend, a stranger, someone worthy of contempt or pity, or a loving father whom you love in return?

None at all.
unknown:

What are you grateful to him for?

Absolutely nothing.
unknown:

What do you resent about him?

He ignored me for years, and once he divorced my mother, he basically "divorced" me too.
unknown:

Do you have an unknown complex regarding women? Do you have sexual fantasies involving your father?

No.
unknown:

Have you ever wanted to kill your father?

No.
Though sometimes I think about how I definitely won't be crying at his funeral—unless I end up screaming before he does 🙄.

unknown:

Is your father an authority figure, a friend, a stranger, someone worthy of contempt and pity, or a loving father to you and a beloved son to him?

A complete stranger and someone deserving of contempt (though personally, I don't despise him anymore).

Paul Newman5 said:The first one was private, but this current one is through the clinic. Still, she gave me her cell number to call in two weeks if side effects don't settle down (right now I'm off everything, waiting for my doctor to get back from vacation tomorrow so she can write a new prescription). I was given Ludiomil, but if I start gaining weight like crazy, I have no intention of staying on it for months. Same thing happened to me with Coaxil... nerves were fine, tapering off the anxiety meds went okay, sleep and appetite seemed normal, but my legs were giving out from muscle weakness. My doctor told me to stop after the fourth week. They explained that depression doesn't resolve in just 2-3 weeks, but the side effects shouldn't persist. I'm not a doctor though, so I'm just repeating what my doctors and some people on here have said.

She didn't give me any specific number.
She just scheduled my next checkup and told me to stop taking the medication if I start breaking out in a rash.

[User Name] said: [Text]

My legs just gave out on me due to muscle weakness, and my doctor actually told me to stop taking it after only four weeks. The explanation I got was that you shouldn't need to extend an AD for two or three weeks, provided the side effects subside. But then again, I'm no medical expert, so I’m really just repeating what my doctors and some folks here on the forum have told me.

My "side effects" aren't even remotely this specific.
They’re more like an aggravation of an already existing condition than anything else.
I was reading through the instructions, and it says that it takes about four weeks for Prozac to actually start working.
It is perfectly normal to experience side effects during that timeframe.

I haven't even come close to hitting that four-week mark yet, since I only recently transitioned onto the full dosage.

I am still waiting for someone to provide some actual clarity on this situation. It’s incredibly frustrating when you’re looking for straightforward answers and all you get is vague nonsense. kaže:
Exactly.

How long have you been on Prozac and what’s your dosage? For me, I was basically a zombie for the first two weeks because of the drowsiness, but once that passed, my body finally adjusted and things leveled out.
: top:

I've been on them for 19 days now.
I reached my full dosage five days ago.
My full dose is 2x100 mg.

copperheron18 said:Good grief, you wouldn't believe the day I've had. I was on a bit of a trek today—about a two-hour drive—and decided to take some Dramamine beforehand because, frankly, long trips always make me feel physically wretched. It never even crossed my mind to consider how that might interact with my current medication. The result? I was essentially a zombie. It felt as though I hadn't slept in three days straight; I couldn't even stay upright, let alone focus on anything, despite having actually slept quite well the night before.
It was incredibly awkward, too, being around the people we were visiting. Luckily, since I have a little one, I could just play it off by saying we all had a rough night of sleep. Even so, once the afternoon rolled around, I managed to catch a quick 90-minute nap with the kid, which finally helped me feel a bit more human.
Honestly, if I had known, there was no way I would have taken it. It only hit me after the fact, but then I checked the fine print on the Dramamine packaging, and sure enough, it explicitly mentions that it can cause these kinds of effects when combined with certain other drugs.

You're out here drugging yourself with Dramamine.😲🤣

copperheron18, don't go drugging yourself.🙂

[Username] said: "[Original Text]"

It only just dawned on me that this was caused by that medication. I actually checked the Dramamine insert, and it explicitly states that such an effect can occur when combined with certain other drugs.

This is exactly how Americans try to justify themselves when they get caught behind the wheel misusing their prescription drugs.
"I had no idea he was such a criminal, honest to God."

You really gave me a good laugh there.😬

Paul Newman5 said:How do you handle that numbness or brain fog at work, or even at home when you actually have stuff to do? For me, Coaxil was great for calming down, but I could barely walk through the office or even cook a meal at home. I just felt completely checked out from work.
And I wouldn't agree that you have to stick with an antidepressant for months if it's not working for you. Both my first and second psychiatrists told me you can tolerate side effects for maybe 2-3 weeks, but if they don't pass, you should switch to something else—unless Prozac isn't doing anything at all, which I doubt. I personally know someone who had nausea and extreme fatigue or sleepiness for only about ten days on Prozac, and after that, they were fine—getting up, studying, exercising. It helped them immensely with anxiety and those irrational fears we deal with. This idea that you shouldn't suffer for two months is something I've heard from others here on the forum whose doctors said the same. Just my own layman's observations, though. Who knows if I'm right.

Are you seeing a psychiatrist privately or through your insurance?

I’m using my insurance.
I received my diagnosis at the end of April and started the medication shortly after.
My next appointment isn't until July.
I guess I just have to be patient until then.🤷

The only time you'd switch is if Prozac isn't helping at all, though I doubt that's the case. I personally know someone who dealt with nausea and extreme fatigue or sleepiness for about 10 days after starting Prozac, but after that, they were back to normal—getting up, going to college, playing sports—and it helped them immensely with anxiety and those irrational fears we deal with. Regarding what I wrote earlier about not needing to suffer for two months, I've heard similar things from other people on this forum whose doctors said the same thing. This is just my layman's understanding, though, so I don't know if I'm right.

My doctor told me it takes time for the full effect to kick in and for the body to actually show how the meds are impacting it.
On top of that, I haven't even reached half of my target dose for Lamictal yet.

I didn't ask her exactly how much time it would take.

Since I have finals coming up, I specifically asked her not to put me on anything that causes brain fog.
She assured me that the pills I was given wouldn't make me feel numb; if anything, she said I might feel more "alive" and have more energy.

Right now, I still feel exhausted, but that's most likely due to poor sleep.🤷
As for why I'm sleeping so badly, I have no idea.
Regarding my OCD, I feel like it's helping somewhat.
I have fewer compulsions, which is great.

But man, this fatigue is killing me.

Paul Newman5 said:That constant anger is killing me too. I feel like a rubber band stretched to the breaking point, always terrified I'm about to have a total breakdown. For me, Paxil was perfect—took it for five weeks, nerves were gone, but man, it just deadened me. It caused these muscle spasms so bad I sometimes couldn't even feel my legs. Not like a normal cramp, more like they didn't belong to me. Had to quit. On the plus side, sleep was great and no nausea or appetite changes, but those muscle issues were brutal. Do you take anything like Ativan or Xanax when the nerves hit?

I don't take any of those.

I don't really get "nervous."
At least, not in the kind of situational way that makes you reach for a sedative.
I am just perpetually filled with rage—sometimes bordering on pure hatred.
My psychiatrist mentioned that a minority of people react to depression this way.
Even my OCD meds aren't doing much to help.

So, for now, I'm just on Prozac and Lamictal, and I still have about two or three years of psychotherapy ahead of me.

Honestly, I try to avoid psychiatric drugs whenever possible.
I barely even started taking what I was prescribed.
My mother was on Xanax for years, and a friend of mine used Ativan... I've witnessed people trying to quit those, and it is never a pretty sight.

Now, my doctor tells me that the medications I'm currently taking aren't addictive.
But at this point, who can really say for sure?🤷

copperheron18, thanks for the heads up.

I’ve just hit my third week on this medication regimen.
I was prescribed Prozac for OCD, along with Lamictal to deal with the constant rage that comes with my depressive episodes.

As far as the Prozac goes, it isn't doing much for the OCD specifically, though it does leave me feeling so numb and lethargic that I lack the energy to even act on my compulsions (so, I suppose that counts as "help" in a way)😁.
The Lamictal hasn't done a thing for me; I am still perpetually filled with anger.

Perhaps it is simply too early to tell.🤷

copperheron18 said:Yes, I'm doing fine now.
The only issue is that I am incredibly drowsy; however, once I catch up on sleep, I'm an absolute powerhouse 😁
—cheerful, focused, articulate, relaxed, and calm—but only if I manage at least 10 hours of rest beforehand (like today, for instance 😛)
Otherwise, I’m just yawning incessantly and counting the minutes until I can hit the sack. But then again, you're clearly at university, so your situation is different; you have the luxury of sleeping whenever. I'm working, so it becomes a bit of a struggle when I'm yawning every two seconds; my coworkers are starting to give me strange looks because of it.🙄

Well, thanks for the comfort. 🙂

I have a baby at home, so between the housework and this upcoming exam hanging over my head, I don't really get much downtime.
But before I started taking Fever, I used to at least get some solid sleep between the baby's feedings and felt refreshed during the day.
Now, I'm tired all the time, I wake up constantly during the night, and I feel completely "wooden" during the day.

How long did it take for you to start feeling like yourself again?

copperheron18 said:I suspect you're still in that adjustment phase with the Paxil, which explains why you're feeling this way. I went through a similar stretch at the start where the side effects were intense; I actually posted about it on this forum once—everything from a restless, internal jitteriness to suicidal ideation. For me, the nausea lasted the longest, and even now, it hits me out of nowhere; it really doesn't sit well with my stomach. But all those other issues eventually cleared up, and looking back, the worst of it was actually quite brief.
Then again, we're all built differently, so side effects and adjustment periods vary from person to person—hopefully, there's some comfort in knowing I made it through.
To be honest, I don't know how you'll manage studying for an exam in this state; my first two weeks were pure mental chaos and brain fog. It was nearly impossible to focus on anything, even the simplest tasks, but perhaps you'll pull through—fingers crossed for you!
Lamictal and Lamictal contain the active ingredient lamotrigine, so they are chemically identical; it's simply a matter of different manufacturers.

Man.😢
This is my final exam and I'm up against a hard deadline.

Did your head finally clear up and did your concentration get any better?
If so, when did that happen?

fadedbear92 said:Lamictal is coming out
"THERAPEUTIC INDICATIONS
Lamictal (lamotrigine) belongs to a class of medications known as anticonvulsants—drugs used to manage epilepsy (seizures). It’s also utilized for treating bipolar disorder.

Lamictal is indicated for:
- monotherapy for treating and preventing various types of epilepsy in adults and children over 12 years old
- combination therapy alongside other anticonvulsants for treating and preventing various seizure types in adults and children over 2 years old
- preventing significant mood shifts—specifically preventing depressive episodes—in adults over 18 who live with bipolar disorder.

http://healthline.com/medications/lamotrigine

http://www.fda.gov/drugs/labeling/...-11-02-613.pdf

So, yeah—it's pretty clear this is one of those mood stabilizers too.😉

I guess that’s why they prescribed it to me.

I don't have epilepsy or bipolar disorder, but I deal with this inexplicable rage that leads to frequent outbursts.

It doesn't feel like it's doing anything yet, but I haven't even reached half my prescribed dose.

The exhaustion I’m dealing with is absolutely brutal.
Basically, ever since I started taking Paxil, my sleep schedule has been a total wreck.
I keep waking up multiple times throughout the night, and once I'm up, I can't get back to sleep, which leaves me completely drained during the day.
It’s hard to even describe: I feel exhausted, yet I can't manage to sleep for more than two hours at a time without waking up.
And of course, I have an exam I actually need to study for.

Both copperheron18 and I are naturally thin, but lately, it’s been a nightmare.
Whenever I try to eat, it feels like I’m just chewing on cardboard.

I guess I’m trying to stay positive by telling myself things will improve soon, since I only started these meds two weeks ago.

The other medication I’m on is Lamictal.
I noticed nobody seems to be mentioning it here.
Every time I search online, all I see is Lamictal.
Is it the exact same thing?

Is anyone here currently taking Paxil and/or Lamictal?

I am feeling completely drained.
My sleep quality at night is poor, and during the day, I feel like I could just lie down and sleep constantly (if I were able to).
My appetite is non-existent.