I have a cousin and a niece too, but honestly, they just don't exist to me. And maybe it’s better that way. We live in completely different worlds; they’re out in California, while I’m here on the mainland. When we were kids, we used to hang out during the summer trips my dad would take us on to California, but those gatherings weren't exactly pleasant. I remember when I lost my mom and was grieving... my cousin actually called me up and basically said, "Your mom died, so what?" It was just so incredibly sad to see how she viewed her own mother, who had passed away even before mine did.
I guess Lorsilan was actually really effective for my sleep—the stronger version, too. I’d finally get some decent rest and wake up feeling actually refreshed. But I don't have any left, and I haven't been back to see my doctor lately. As for the 15 mg Fluoxetine, it helped at first, but I think it lost its punch pretty quickly. Honestly, my sleep is just terrible most nights. I've tried antidepressants before; the longest I stayed on Cipralex was about three weeks at 10 mg. It felt like it was helping, maybe... I definitely felt better, but I had to stop taking it abruptly because the side effects got way too intense. While I was on Cipralex, I felt calmer, which was nice. I also struggle a lot with these sudden mood swings. Sometimes everything just feels completely pointless, but then, eventually, it passes.
I was wondering, do mood stabilizers cause the same kind of side effects as antidepressants? I might be a bit of an outlier here, since what I experienced is pretty rare and quite severe... and because of those side effects, I can't really take antidepressants anymore, even though I feel like they actually help.
I feel like I’m constantly being mocked by people older than me. For instance, one of my mom's former colleagues... It’s been hard, because I lost my mom, and now my dad has fallen ill. He’s slowly recovering, but I’m navigating all of this entirely on my own. There isn't anyone to help me. There isn't even anyone to watch over him if I need to run an errand in town. Since I don't have an income right now, I have to pay someone for everything. And honestly, I don't know how I'll manage to work once Dad comes home from rehab, especially since his mobility is so limited. Right now, he’s staying at a local skilled nursing facility where people go to recover after being discharged from the hospital. I really don't think staying there long-term is what's best for him. He belongs at home, and that’s what he wants too. His old coworkers try to offer help, but I guess it feels like fake support—like they just want to look like good people. Personally, I trust the dedicated nurses at Home more than any of the help they're offering. I just don't understand how people can find it okay to mock someone who has been without a mother since they were 35. Meanwhile, their kids—people my own age—still have their mothers. I actually thought about canceling my phone service because this whole situation feels like harassment. But Dad said we should keep the phone for now. I suppose there are good people out there, but they seem to be in the minority.
Can someone please help me out here? If she doesn't pay off this debt from $100, who actually ends up on the hook for it? She’s currently somewhere abroad—honestly, who knows where, since she’s constantly moving between different countries—so she’s basically impossible to track down. Will they really go looking for her birth certificate just to identify her parents? I mean, surely I shouldn't be stuck paying her debts out of my own checking account at $100. She’s my half-sister on my father's side. The debt started out around $17, but now it's ballooned to $100. I can't tell if that jump is just legal fees from the law firm or maybe some kind of penalty from the bank. This notice is from a law firm regarding a potential garnishment. My dad just isn't taking any of this seriously. He thinks sending a letter to the lawyers is enough to make it all go away. The thing is, I have an active account at the exact same bank where they sent this notice, and because we share the same last name, I'm worried. Who are they actually going to come after? Her mother? She doesn't even have the same last name anymore since she remarried. Her mother lives in Miami, and while she travels internationally quite a bit too, her official residence is listed in Miami.
I forgot to mention in my previous post, but we actually received a formal notice of intent to garnish wages from a law firm. I asked my dad about it, and he has absolutely no intention of paying off that debt from $100. Honestly, I have even less interest in helping out—it isn't my responsibility, and since I've been unemployed for quite a while now, I just don't have the means.
An official notice regarding a potential levy arrived at our house, addressed to my half-sister. It looks like it's about $100 some debt she owes to one of our local banks, probably from an old checking account she never closed. Obviously, there isn't enough money in that account for them to actually collect anything. Honestly, I have no idea how to even get a hold of her; she's somewhere abroad and keeps moving around constantly. She was registered at this address for a while, though. I'm really worried that they might try to come after my own bank account because of her debt, which I am definitely not responsible for. She's my father's half-sister. We share the same last name. She used to be listed at our address here, even though she never actually lived with us. That was way back when she was in school in the mid-90s, and she was living somewhere else in this city at the time. How is this legal notice supposed to be resolved now? Who are they going to target next? Her mother lives in Miami. I don't know her exact address, and I've never actually been in touch with her. My half-sister uses a different last name because she’s been married before. She was actually removed from our address by the authorities because she failed to check in with the police regarding her residency. I even have the paperwork from the police to prove it.
I just take 15 mg of Valium to help me sleep. That's enough for me, I guess. It isn't really an every night thing, but it definitely makes drifting off a bit easier when I do take it.
I’ve officially given up on antidepressants. For me, they definitely mess with my urination—specifically that antidiuretic hormone (ADH) released by the pituitary gland. It actually caused a mild case of hyponatremia in my blood; my sodium levels dropped, and my potassium was right on the edge of being too low, too. I honestly think it's pretty rare for someone to deal with this many side effects from an antidepressant. I had been taking the Zoloft syrup recently. If it hadn't caused all this, maybe I would have stayed on it a bit longer. I don't know... I actually felt somewhat calmer when I was on Lexapro for three weeks. That was my first medication, and I felt better then. But then, after those three weeks, that issue with frequent urination started for the first time. I thought about getting my ADH levels checked, but I can't find any private labs around here that actually run that specific test. I just don't know. I feel like I probably need an antidepressant, but clearly, I can't take them. I've read some articles online saying that certain side effects don't just go away over time. That obviously isn't common, but it seems to be happening to me.
It’s probably better not to take all those medications at once. When my mom was bedridden, I never gave her everything at the exact same time.
I’m actually handling the Pace syrup pretty well, so I think I'll just stick with Prozac for as long as my doctor recommends. I'm guessing that might be for about a year? In my opinion, antidepressants really can help, you just have to find the right one with the fewest side effects. For me, Prozac works fine and isn't hard on my heart. Lexapro was just awful—I had such bad side effects, like having to pee constantly. I don't know, maybe it works for some people.
So, I've been taking my Prozac in the morning—starting with half a teaspoon during the first week, then moving up to a full teaspoon in the second. Honestly? I’m already feeling better. I don't feel nearly as depressed as I did before, which is a relief because things were getting pretty dark for a while. At night, I take 2.5 mg of Lorazepam to help me sleep. I guess I'm just a little worried about becoming dependent on the Lorazepam, though I haven't been taking it every single night yet. Overall, I feel much more rested and steady. The only issue is this toothache that started up; I think I'm actually going to have to go in and get it pulled.
I'm so sorry I didn't catch this sooner. I just stumbled upon this thread now. Honestly, I would have loved to join in. Especially because of restlesstiger49, of course. He’s always been so incredibly kind to me. And I'm sure everyone else is just as wonderful too.
I think I’m with Katherine on this one. Honestly, I feel pretty lonely myself. I have some friends, sure, but we rarely actually get together. Having more friends in my life would be really nice right now. But a boyfriend? I don't think I need that at the moment. I haven't really sorted out my career or found a steady job yet, so planning for a kid feels impossible. Even though I love kids and truly believe being a mother is a beautiful thing... I just don't know if I'll ever be able to make that happen. Still, I wouldn't want to rely on a husband for everything. I don't want to be dependent. My mom always worked her whole life, and I admire that.
I was wondering... could anti-epileptic drugs be used as mood stabilizers for PMDD instead of antidepressants? I know, I know, this is really more of a question for a pharmacologist. It’s just that I’m honestly terrified of those side effects—specifically the frequent urination you get from antidepressants. I actually asked my doctor about it today, and she advised against it, saying those side effects can be pretty significant. Apparently, that pituitary hormone, ADH, which causes the increased urination, isn't even something they test for at any of the private labs here in Washington, D.C.
Could someone tell me how you all started taking Prozac capsules? Since they're capsules, I assume you can't really split them in half. I'd honestly rather just switch to the capsules right away because this liquid version is just awful—it burns my throat so badly. Also, has anyone experienced side effects from the Prozac capsules? Specifically, frequent urination? I know it’s all very individual, I guess.
So, I finally got my hands on the liquid Prozac today. Honestly? The taste is just awful... I can barely even get it down. My doctor mentioned I should take it in the evening, though the prescription itself doesn't actually specify a time. I noticed the packaging says it expires in September of this year. For this first week, I'm sticking to half the dose, but after that, I'll move up to the full 5 ml at night. I really hope I can switch over to capsules soon—it’s the exact same 20 mg dose, but much easier to handle. This syrup has such a bitter, harsh aftertaste. I wonder if it’s always supposed to be this bad? I haven't received any other info yet. My doctor did say it's okay to take half a Lorsilan if I have trouble sleeping, that they can be combined.
Thanks for getting back to me. I’ll definitely make sure to mention taking antidepressants before any dental work next time. I guess I put myself at risk by not speaking up last time, even though the surgeon was honestly wonderful and I could have easily just told him.
As for Dr. J., I felt like she was being really guarded with me... maybe we just didn't click? I'm planning to ask this other doctor about Prozac tomorrow. I definitely need some kind of antidepressant for two main reasons. My only real worry is those side effects, specifically the frequent urination. I'm just not sure how much time I'll actually get with the doctor tomorrow. Sometimes I feel like I need extra support just to get through the summer holidays. I had a massive crisis back in August, right when everyone else was away on vacation. Someone recommended a male physician to me, but I really wanted to wait and see this doctor since I trust her more. I'm actually glad I'm seeing her tomorrow. I really hope she can help me, and I plan on sticking with her. Maybe, eventually, I'll be able to stop the ADs altogether.
Does Dr. J actually get back to you when you ask her something? I mean, does she ever reply via text? I can handle the idea that maybe I offended her somehow or that she just doesn't care about my case. But honestly, she just told me "you know" because she’s returning from vacation in September. That felt... dismissive. Anyway, I went ahead and scheduled an appointment with another doctor I've known for a while for tomorrow. She squeezed me in right away, which I'm so relieved about—it’s just nice to feel like someone actually cares. I really don't get why Dr. J is acting this way toward me. On top of that, she’s incredibly expensive and just so cold. Maybe it's better if I stop seeing her altogether. I still think she's knowledgeable, though, since I've read her articles on WebMD.
Has anyone here dealt with getting a tooth pulled while being on antidepressants? It looks like I’m going to have to have another one extracted because of some pain and a granuloma. I’m honestly not sure if I can get this sorted out before I start my antidepressant medication. It hasn't been hurting much until now. Last time, I didn't actually mention to my dentist that I was taking Lexapro. I didn't just skip my dose that morning; I actually ended up taking it later that evening instead. I know I really should have told him, but I guess I just felt awkward about it. He made a special trip just to see me, and he did such a great job with the extraction. But, from what I've read, I'm wondering if antidepressants can interfere with certain local dental anesthetics.
I’d love to make it, assuming I don't end up heading out to the coast for a trip. I would really enjoy catching up with Microsoft. He actually managed to make me laugh when he joked that I was coming from some tiny, insignificant town. For a split second, I genuinely thought he meant I had just been at the beach, and he was asking if I'd made it back yet.
You should definitely reach out to a professional for some support. It’s just so important to find someone you actually feel comfortable trusting. I think once you do, everything will start to feel a little lighter. I’m actually heading to see someone tomorrow—someone who’s known me for years. I really trust them. I’m just hoping they can help me navigate this grief over my mom. I honestly regret not seeking help sooner. And, you know, if you just go through a standard referral, I’m worried they might not be able to give you the time you truly need.