Posts by wiredskipper45

Melissa Sanchez59 said: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... 🤷
It knocked me sideways immediately. I remember taking it for the first time on a weekend, slept for 14 hours straight, tried to get up and walk around, but couldn't. I was stumbling with every single step... so I just crawled back into bed and crashed for another 17 hours. 😁 And it used to knock me out perfectly while I was on it. Even when I was incredibly tense... so now I'm thinking about going back to it, even though if you ask me, it didn't do anything for my anxiety. If anything, it made it worse. 😢

Gerald Torres2 said:I've been on Wellbutrin for two months now—the kind prescribed for major depression—along with 0.5mg of Xanax. I also have some Rivotril 2mg at home. Honestly, the Wellbutrin has been great for the depression side of things; it practically brought me back to life. But when it comes to anxiety? It does absolutely nothing. Lately, I’ve hit a rough patch, and everything is just spiraling downward, even though I'm technically medicated. I could take a handful of pills at this point and see zero benefit, other than maybe passing out. My doctor won't authorize anything without a psychiatrist's sign-off because she's generally against prescribing CIA to someone my age. I'm only 27.😂

I remember the first day of Wellbutrin felt incredible, almost like being on speed. But then that "honeymoon phase" ended, and I actually ended up more anxious and depressed than before because I wasn't sleeping at all... 😢((
To be fair, I'm pretty skeptical about ADs myself. I feel like they mess with our brains in ways we don't fully understand. But right now? I'm at that point where—to use your words—I'd take just about anything... 😢((

Gerald Torres2 said:I'm interested in this too. From what I can see, everyone is on something; certain ones work for some people and others for different folks... but no one ever comes along and says: "HEY GUYS, I'M CURED AND I DON'T NEED MEDS ANYMORE!!!" I stopped taking my CIA and anxiolytics about a year and a half ago, and here I am again. A little bit of stress at work and the anxiety came rushing back right alongside the depression, making it impossible to function... so I'm back on the CIA. I've been taking them, and I was doing okay until a major stressor hit last week, and now I'm back at rock bottom despite the CIA and anxiolytics—honestly, I might even be overdoing it a bit with them right now...

My biggest fear is starting the CIA again and just feeling stuck in this exact same loop. Right now, I'm just clinging to the hope that when things get too heavy, I can lean on the meds again if I have to.
Doesn't that help you feel any better? Maybe they haven't kicked in yet. 😢
What are you taking?

Scott Alvarez22 said:wiredskipper45

No, I’ve actually gone back on Zoloft again. It’s been six years, and honestly, I’m just sitting here enduring those same old adjustment symptoms; the only difference is that I recognize them now, which makes them feel slightly less overwhelming.
I’m right there with you—for those entire six years, the medication managed to keep the depression somewhat in check, though the anxiety would dip at least once a day. It wasn't much, just enough of a reprieve to keep me constantly questioning if it was actually working or if I was just imagining things.
"Great," right? I’ll admit, during that ten-day stretch when I was off Zoloft, I felt completely fine—full of warmth and a sense of security—but it all popped like a cheap balloon the second the withdrawal symptoms started kicking in.

I’m seriously considering making the switch from Zoloft to Effexor. Everyone seems to say that Mirtazapine just knocks you out, and I can't deal with being a zombie. From what I hear, Effexor is basically like a hybrid of Zoloft and Mirtazapine.

I don't really know what to tell you. :/ How long does the withdrawal crisis actually last after you stop taking CIA meds? I've been "clean" for a month and a half now. Just taking Xanax and Ambien.
Man, maybe I should have stuck with the Effexor longer, but the insomnia is killing me. And the restlessness. It's awful. Are you having trouble sleeping? If not—don't touch the Mirtazapine. It'll absolutely wreck you.

Scott Alvarez22 said:Wait, are you saying I'll never be happy again, regardless of whether I take the CIA or not?🙂

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.

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?

Scott Alvarez22 said:From what I've gathered, only Zoloft and Effexor seem to have the right profile for treating anxious depression.

The state you find yourself in after coming off medication is usually much worse if you do it abruptly. By "abruptly," I mean failing to go through a tapering process that lasts at least 8 months.
If you decide to switch back to Zoloft, expect about 3 or 4 days of nausea, tremors, drowsiness, insomnia, digestive issues, and brain fog, though it might finally knock down the anxiety.

Finding joy and taking CIA rarely go hand in hand; that's just the reality. So, don't blame yourself—blame the chemistry.

Hold on... are you actually saying I'll never be happy again, regardless of whether I take the CIA or not? 🙂

I’m really curious if anyone actually managed to get off their meds and ended up feeling better overall?!
Or is everyone else (like me) just in a much worse state after stopping therapy than when they first started?
Not that they even worked perfectly while I was still on them... 😢
I’m currently on some combo involving Lexapro and Depakote, and the insomnia from it is brutal. It feels like my Xanax isn't even doing anything anymore; I just feel drugged out and groggy, but everything is still terrible... I've never felt this kind of total lack of willpower in my life. On top of that, my nerves are just fried—I can feel it throughout my whole body. I’m functioning, I’m working, I’m raising my kid by myself. But it’s all just pure autopilot. There’s zero joy left in anything. :/ Now I’m sitting here wondering if I should go back on the CIA, but I honestly don't even know what I want anymore... and my doctor keeps asking me what I expect these pills to do for me?! wtf??? All I know is that Mirtazapine let me sleep like a log and made the depression feel slightly more manageable, but it did absolutely nothing for the anxiety—that constant nervousness. And Effexor and Prozac caused such bad side effects that I didn't even bother trying them for more than a single day. Citalopram was basically like Bonkers to me—nothing. Wellbutrin felt amazing for the very first day, like a massive adrenaline rush, but then ugh—you can't sleep at all on it. I’m losing it, I’m exhausted, and I’m running on empty. I’m terrified I’m going to snap and end up in a psych ward being pumped full of antipsychotics, which is exactly what I’m trying to avoid at any cost. I’m scared of APs.
Please, if anyone has dealt with similar issues or medications, share your experiences.
thanks.

Brandon Lopez6 said:Risperdal actually worked great for me; it felt nothing like Zyprexa. At least for me...

What were you taking it for, exactly? Sleep issues, mood stabilization? And what kind of side effects did you run into? I tend to have pretty intense reactions to psych meds.🙂

redranger2 said:You need to head back to your psychiatrist and lay it all out for them. I find it hard to believe that
your anxiety intensified because of the Remeron, though perhaps your doctor will decide to prescribe
you a different antidepressant. When it comes to insomnia, antipsychotics are generally the most effective route. Don't just sit there struggling;
insomnia is a frequent symptom of both depression and anxiety, and it is something you absolutely have to address.😉

sorry, just seeing this now.
my psychiatrist did swap my antidepressant and put me on Effexor, but the side effects were absolutely brutal—I could barely function, and I ended up sleeping even less. the restlessness was terrifying, just constant nerves and this itching all over my body... and the nausea? I couldn't eat a single thing for three days straight. 😢
I'm refusing to touch antipsychotics, though. I think I mentioned this before—I was on Zyprexa for a few months once and it turned me into a total zombie, just walking around feeling nothing at all. 🙄

So, I’m heading back to Lexapro this weekend. Honestly, I know I need the break because it’ll probably hit me like a sledgehammer. I'm not exactly thrilled about getting back on antidepressants—I feel like I could handle everything on my own if I could just manage to sleep. But I can't. Not without help. Sleep deprivation kills me. It makes me useless. I actually had to leave work early yesterday because there’s zero point in being there after only two and a half hours of shut-eye. 😢(((
Is anyone else taking Lexapro? What’s your experience been like? When I was on it, I slept like a log and the depression was barely even there, but over the last year, the anxiety became absolutely crushing. Then, once I stopped, the anxiety kind of retreated? Anyone else dealt with something similar? And does Lexapro actually touch GAP, or is it strictly for depression? I mean, I know what my psychiatrist told me—that it works for both—but we all know how they love to oversell everything for every little thing. :/

Anthony Lopez8 said:Typically, the maximum daily dose for anxiety sits around 4mg, though it can go up to 10mg if you're dealing with a panic disorder.
But let's be realistic—any medication can cause serious issues regardless of the amount prescribed. 😁
If your primary struggle is insomnia, wouldn't it make more sense to talk to your doctor about switching from Xanax to something specifically designed for sleep rather than forcing a sedative to do a job it wasn't meant for?

Yeah, sleep is the big one right now. 😢 I was on mirzapine for three years and slept like a log. But lately, my anxiety has been spiking, and I started worrying the meds were the cause, so I just stopped taking them altogether. Since then, I've been sleeping less and less every night, even while staying on the same amount of Xanax. Honestly, I had issues before I ever touched the mirzapine, and stuff like Ambien or Lunesta didn't do much for me back then either. 😢
Do you think things like Lyrica or Paxil work better for getting some rest?

Only managed about two hours and twenty minutes of sleep tonight, even after taking 1 mg of Xanax. Honestly, the stuff doesn't even touch it anymore at this dose. It’s frustrating. Does anyone actually know what the upper limit is for a single dose before things get dangerous? Any idea?

There’s actually this thing called regression, where they supposedly pull you back into some past life that’s the root of all your current trauma. 😁
I’m not really sure what to make of it... honestly, the whole hypnosis thing creeps me out. You’d have to have total, blind faith in whoever is messing with your head, because like you said—that person absolutely has to be a legitimate Expert.
As for my own baggage—I think I’ve finally managed to clear most of it out, though it’s a shame what happened in the first place.

Yeah, everything you’re saying tracks. But I already know why I am the way I am. It was a massive trauma right on the edge of puberty—losing two people in my immediate family before I hit eighteen, one of whom was my sister. She took her own life. I never actually went through the grieving process; I just got stuck in denial and eventually developed BPD. Now, I live with this constant, paralyzing fear of losing people. On paper, though? Everything is fine. My life is actually pretty dialed in right now. I’m knocking on wood here, but I have a wonderful kid, an amazing boyfriend, a supportive family, a house, a career... but inside, it’s just total chaos. :/

A muscle test?! Never heard of it. I'll have to go dig around and see what's what. 😁
Thanks anyway.

I’m not sure if this thread already exists, but after swallowing everything under the sun in terms of pharmaceuticals over the last six years, I’ve been trying to pivot toward alternative methods. I'd love to hear what you guys have dealt with.
Personally, I tried some bioenergetic treatments—went to see someone like Oprah Winfrey, one of the big names in that field—but the whole thing was a bust because it only seemed to work if I showed up every single day, which absolutely wrecked my bank account. It might dull the symptoms, I guess, but when you're dealing with BPD, she isn't exactly going to rearrange the wiring in my brain. :/
So then I moved on to a guy practicing Ayurvedic medicine. He gave me some decent advice regarding diet and breathing exercises, and he handed me this herbal supplement they've used in India forever for anxiety—Brahmi, I think. I’ve been taking it for two months now. Apparently, it’s a slow burn and you need to be consistent for at least three months to see anything, but honestly? Nothing yet.
Right now, I'm also messing around with Shivayoga—meditative yoga. They say staring into a candle flame while meditating is supposed to be great too. I’m hoping I can stick with it; I really believe it could quiet the chaos in my head, but I also know it requires an insane amount of time, patience, and persistence... things I am currently running very low on. :/ I'm just exhausted from the constant searching and testing...

Any experiences?

Donna Torres5 said:See, my experience hasn't been nearly that dramatic. I actually feel fine on it; I don't feel emotionally vacant or anything like that. I still have my full range of emotions—it's just that I can't cry. Then again, I couldn't cry even when I was going through that massive trauma that triggered all the mental chaos in my head in the first place; that's just how I'm wired.
The only real downside to Zyprexa for me is the weight gain. Everything else works out just fine.

I guess it’s all just down to the individual. Pretty much with any medication, I suppose. For me, nothing ever seems to hit the mark perfectly; either the side effects are brutal, or the stuff does absolutely nothing at all. Xanax is the only thing I actually respect. 🙏

Eric Mitchell55 said:Yeah.
You know, you really put me on the spot there.
I remember back when I was going through my darkest period and trying to end things, I was also on Zyprexa. Maybe it just works differently for me, or maybe it’s actually doing its job.

If I’d known what Zyprexa would do to me, I never would have touched it. 😢
But that doesn't mean every suicide attempt is caused by the meds. All I know is that for me, it left me feeling like a literal stone. And honestly? Being totally numb isn't what I'd call "stability." :/

Zyprexa basically robbed me of a whole year of my life. Sure, I slept like a baby, and I didn't even pack on too much weight, but I was a total zombie. Just... nothing. No feelings, good or bad. I couldn't even feel love for anyone. I’m an emotional person—probably like everyone else on this forum—so living without any sensation felt just as hollow as being dead. There were times I'd just walk down the street hoping a car would hit me. Suicide isn't an option for me, though; I'm still here because of someone in my family who means everything to me. 😢((

fadedbear92 said:I was on standard Effexor for three weeks and it gave me such terrible insomnia—no sleeping pill worked at all until the Effexor finally cleared my system. I ended up having to take a month off work.🙄

🙂 Total crap. But I believe it, honestly. I didn't get a wink of sleep last night either... I can still feel it. 😢((
Did it actually help with any of your symptoms, though? Like, at all?

New to this forum, but unfortunately a veteran when it comes to psych meds. :/
I’ve got BPD and generalized anxiety/depression. At least, right now.
The other day I had this massive, terrifying anxiety attack. It's pretty much my main struggle; the depression hits way less often and isn't quite as overwhelming.
Being a typical BPD sufferer, I don't really listen to anyone except that voice inside my head—which usually sounds like a damn siren. During my last check-up, I asked my psychiatrist for a new med because Effexor wasn't doing anything for me besides helping me sleep. Once I stopped taking it, I realized I was sleeping just fine without it anyway. Insomnia used to be my biggest hurdle. So, anyway, my doctor put me on Effexor. 75mg. XL. I took it yesterday, and I spent the whole day with such bad nausea that I couldn't even touch food. Then, once night rolled around, things went south. Aggressive jitters, muscle restlessness, I couldn't get comfortable for a single second all night. I actually started getting paranoid that I was heading toward serotonin syndrome. Around 2 AM, I decided to just take some Xanax—I hate mixing stuff, honestly—and finally crashed until 5. I felt better once that garbage Effexor wore off. I didn't take it today. 😢 I just can't. I'm home alone with a toddler; I need to sleep, I need to function. If only I knew how long this adjustment period lasts... Has anyone else dealt with side effects like this (by the way, I had the exact same thing happen with Lexapro)? How long does this misery usually go on for?