Clint, man, you really did something huge by laying all this out. I see the grind you're putting in, and I respect the hell out of it. Look, this isn't on you. Life just dealt you a rough hand, and sometimes you get stuck with cards you didn't ask for. Now, it’s just about playing them smart. It’s obvious you’ve got your head on straight. You’ve looked yourself in the mirror, faced your past, owned your mess, and decided to actually fix things. It is never too late for that! You deserve some wins, honestly. You deserve a good life. It's entirely up to you to go out there and grab it.
First thing's first: education. Start with night school. And seriously, don't let anyone—including yourself—tell you otherwise: you're more than capable. Get that high school diploma squared away. Since you're already pretty sharp with computers, maybe lean into that... Grab any job you can find to get some cash flowing. Seriously, anything. Every single gig teaches you something new, and meeting different types of people actually makes you a better person. And hey, be brave enough to finally hit up the dentist. Yeah, it sucks for a minute, but it'll pass like a river under a bridge, and it'll make a world of difference. Get that smile back. You're young, and there's a great life waiting for you. Even when everything in this country feels like a total circus and nothing seems to be working right, just remember that real happiness comes from within.
I'm rooting for you. You deserve it. At the end of the day, it doesn't matter how many times we trip and fall; what matters is how many times we get back up. And you? You can definitely do this.
So, a good while back, I got diagnosed with paroxysmal supraventricular tachycardia. Basically, they told me I was born with it. I’ve been managing things with Isoptin 80 since 2007. About a week ago, my doctor switched me over to Rhythmol, but man, it’s just not working for me... it feels like this burning sensation right around my heart, plus my heart won't stop racing. I finally bit the bullet and told my doctor today, so she put me back on the Isoptin. The real kicker, though, is that I heard they’re planning to pull this specific drug from the market soon—and there isn't even a direct substitute available, since the active ingredient is verapamil... which leaves me in a bit of a bind. Has anyone else here dealing with the same diagnosis found a decent alternative? What are you all taking instead? They also mentioned that if the meds don't cut it, my next step might be an ablation. Has anyone actually gone through that process? Any insights would be huge... Thanks!
@ maiam I’ve been on antidepressants since back in 2006. Honestly, I’ve cycled through at least ten different kinds, and for me, Effexor XR 150 mg was the absolute game-changer! For a good stretch—maybe two years—I was doing 2x37.5 mg in the morning paired with 200 mg of sulpiride. But then last year, around May, things really started going downhill, and my psychiatrist finally put me on Effexor XR 150 mg, just once in the morning. It was like being reborn! I never even dealt with side effects; it just clicked with my system perfectly. It turned me into this open, smiling person who can actually handle whatever life throws my way. It doesn't make me gain weight, and I don't deal with that weird fatigue or euphoria everyone talks about... I just feel totally, perfectly normal. It absolutely crushed the depression, and if anxiety tries to creep in, I just take some Xanax 0.5 mg and I'm golden. Now I also take one 2.5 mg Olanzapine at night, which completely fixed my insomnia. Long story short, I've had nothing but good vibes from Effexor.
I'm looking for some honest feedback on this medication; specifically, how long did it take before you actually felt something? Does it tend to cause nausea, dizziness, or drowsiness, and if so, for how long does that phase last? Has it actually helped manage depression for anyone here—and if so, when did the shift happen—and how does it hold up against anxiety?
thanks
First off, it’s spelled Velafax, not velofax. I’ve been on it for a few years now and honestly, I wouldn't trade it for anything. It hasn't given me any side effects at all, and it pretty much wiped out my depression and anxiety. Though, if a panic attack does sneak up on me once in a while, I'll just pop a Xanax and that usually does the trick... I started out on the standard 37.5 mg dose, taking two pills every morning for about two years. Then, about a year ago, things got a bit rougher, so my doctor switched me to the 150 mg XR version. Now I just take one in the morning and I am beyond happy with it. I’ve been on antidepressants since 2006 and I’ve cycled through at least a dozen different ones, but I can finally say Velafax is the one that actually saved me... I also take 2.5 mg of Zyprexa at night, which totally fixed my insomnia. I feel amazing!
How the hell am I supposed to keep this depression and anxiety under control? That’s exactly why I’m posting here—because honestly, I’m totally lost!
You gotta put in the work on yourself, man. Don't stop looking for the right therapy, and if you can, definitely try psychotherapy... once you finally track down the meds that actually work for your system, those symptoms will start to back off, which makes the actual self-work way less of an uphill battle. Just don't quit on yourself!
Robin Hernandez8 said:Wait, so you were taking 10 mg of Sanval along with all those other pills and none of it actually worked for you? (I know I went through the exact same thing.) Does that olanzapine require insurance coverage or is it something out of pocket?
I've been there... I used to knock back like six 10 mg pills at once, mixing them with Xanax, whatever it took just to feel something
So, I was totally spiraling on Sanval and stuff, but ever since my shrink put me on 0.25 mg of olanzapine at night, I’ve been sleeping like a baby for a whole week now. I’m talking about years of absolutely crushing hypnotics—just constant Xanax, Ativan, Klonopin, Rivotril, Normabay, you name it... It's only been one week on this new antipsychotic! Honestly, even I can't believe it...
Honestly, I’m just gonna pop my antipsychotics and finally catch some decent sleep... man, it feels so good, especially since I haven't had a real night's rest in forever
Jason Vaughn482 said:I have to ask, how much Zoloft are you taking alongside that Mirtazapine? My own approach was quite different; I started Zoloft and then just take a tiny 7 mg dose of Mirtazapine at night strictly to knock myself out. It strikes me as somewhat excessive to be juggling Sanval, Cerson, and a full 45 mg of Mirtazapine all at once—honestly, do you even manage to wake up at all?😕
Seriously though, I feel like this person is just eating pills by the handful. 😁
I can't even wrap my head around the thought of ever coming off Effexor. It’s basically rewired my entire brain to the point where I don't even want to exist without it.
Yeah, it’s honestly such a struggle when you and your doctor just aren't on the same page. And listen, Brandon Lopez6, you’ve gotta be more persistent and really advocate for yourself with your doctors. You have to realize that if a medication isn't working or the side effects are absolutely brutal, you need to check in with them way more often. Helex is an anxiolytic—it's basically there to help us manage the anxiety while we wait for an antidepressant to actually kick in. Personally, I went through at least 10 different meds before I finally found the one that actually worked for me... Just let this give you a little bit of hope that there is a solution out there for you too. Just stay stubborn, keep listening to your body, and take care of yourself. Good luck!
Physically speaking, I’m officially and mostly fine, if you don't count my knees and heart acting up a bit, my neck being trashed from too much time behind the wheel, or my ribs protesting after hauling heavy kegs around a bar... I could probably keep listing things, but honestly, nothing's really broken.
redranger2 said:Honey, I'm here and I'm doing fine, though I have certainly endured a hellish stretch with my nerves. Fortunately, I managed to pull through once again.😁
How much Olanzapine are you taking? I suggest you wait a little while, as there is a distinct possibility your psychiatrist will simply increase your dosage. Don't go making any adjustments on your own. It would be ideal if the Olanzapine or perhaps another antipsychotic could assist with your insomnia, because those standard sleeping pills are notoriously hard on the nervous system. My psychiatrist would never permit me to take Sanvale or anything similar, and there is certainly a reason for that.
I take 2.5 mg twice a day in the evening. Don't worry, I'm not messing with anything without talking to my doctor first. Though, I don't actually take them until 6 PM. I was on Sulpiride 200 for a long time and it really helped me feel better during the day. But sleep? Total nightmare. Anyway, I'm heading in to see her next week because honestly, this stuff isn't doing squat right now.
What happened with you, though? What's been going on for so long? You can always shoot me a DM...
redranger2 said:So, how is that Olanzapine actually affecting your sleep? That’s essentially just Vaira or Zyprexa.
redranger2, babe, where have you been hiding?! It feels like forever! Welcome back to the party... How’ve you been holding up?
Honestly, taking this Olanzapine feels like I’m just chewing on a scrap of paper... there's zero noticeable effect, nothing at all. Like, absolutely zilch. What do you guys think—should I just hang tight and wait it out, or should I head straight to my psychiatrist first thing Monday morning...?
shadowbear9 said:I feel for you. My doctor gave me the 5 mg Ambien, but I didn't want to look like some kind of junkie, so I wasn't going to rush back there over it. I got it on Friday, and as of today, I haven't even touched it... Not to mention, I'm supposed to take it during the day for anxiety as well as for sleeping, yet they only gave me one pill a day. What are they thinking?? I can hardly believe it, but last night I took eight of those 5 mg Ambien pills, fell asleep at midnight, and then woke up at 3 AM. But it wasn't like waking up normally; it felt like someone had dumped ice water over me. I simply don't know what to do anymore🤷 I think I'll start keeping a sleep diary to bring to her, just so she can see exactly how it looks and how much I am actually sleeping... both with and without the meds🥳 and I'm waiting to hear back from that specialist once they return from the sleep clinic, because I truly believe something is seriously wrong with me if a heavy hypnotic like that can't even keep me asleep...
Seriously, what are they thinking?! Last time I saw my doctor, I practically had to fight her just to get two 30-count boxes of 10 mg Ambien and two packs of 0.5 mg Ativan, and now she thinks she’s gonna "cure" me with this? I used to be able to knock out in two hours on 2-4 Ambien, 3-4 Ativan, 2 Xanax SR, and 2 Tramadol—bam, asleep. Done. What next, should I just ask to be admitted to the hospital so I can stay on pure morphine? I'm definitely going to go talk to my psychiatrist earlier than planned.
Chris Cruz8 said:Look, sorry if I’m coming on a bit strong here, but I really need some help! Which calming pills can I actually pick up over the counter? Besides valerian root🙄? Thanks in advance.....
Honestly, you're stuck with herbal stuff—things like Persen, valerian, whatever. There isn't anything else without a prescription, unfortunately!
So my shrink decided to swap out my Sulpirid 200 for some Olanzapine the other day. To me, it feels like eating styrofoam... she claims it’ll help with the sleepiness, which is her excuse for switching things up because I can't catch a wink of sleep lately. Then there's this clueless doctor who only prescribed me one single box of Ambien and Xanax, and seriously, man, for someone like me, that's basically just breakfast or dinner. I really need to go file a formal complaint. Looking at the calendar, it's only been five days so far. I'm going to head in and lodge my grievance on January 21st. It's enough to drive you absolutely insane...
The general consensus is that once you’ve been on antidepressants for a while, your sleep patterns should finally stabilize, but clearly, my body didn't get the memo... I've been relying on Sanval for about six years now. If things at home are chill—like, if I'm just hanging out by myself—two Sanval pills and two 0.5mg Xanax doses usually do the trick. But lately, being stuck under the same roof as my parents? Yeah, I need massive doses just to pass out. I'm going to try to get an appointment with this one psychiatrist in town; she's the only one around and only works weekends. Lucky me, right?
And seriously, you should definitely go talk to a psychiatrist too, because trying to DIY this stuff isn't going to get you anywhere.
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.