Posts by urbanpilot

Justin Rogers5 said:Man, my doctor won't even prescribe it anymore because I wasn't consistent over the last three months. Sometimes I take it, sometimes I don't. Lately, I've been taking it more often because stress has been absolute hell, but neither my GP (who's actually pretty understanding) nor my psychiatrist wants to write it for me again. Honestly, I'm too embarrassed to even ask them.🙄

My doctor cut off my Diazepam even though I wasn't following the "four times a day" rule. I was mostly just using it to sleep, maybe one during the day every week or two when things got bad.
Now she won't even give me a referral to see a specialist. I'm just sipping some herbal tincture from a local wellness shop alongside my AD, but thank God I have a few Normabals and some Diazepam left at home to get me through the rough patches. If things get really bad, I'll just head to the ER and have them give me a Normabal injection. 🤣

Just wanted to add that I felt absolutely terrible Wednesday night. I tried using this herbal tincture I’ve been taking lately instead of my diazepam, but once it became clear it wasn't doing anything, I headed to the ER and they gave me another 10 mg injection of Valium 😢
I was dealing with chest pain and discomfort right under the ribcage. My blood pressure was all over the place—swinging from 110/71 up to 145/100—and my heart rate sat between 55 and 72. Plus there was tingling in my hands and mouth, dizziness, weakness...

The doctor actually recommended I take some Valium yesterday before heading out to the cemetery, so I did. The day turned out okay enough.

Paul Newman5 said:Anxiety and fears are my biggest struggle. I'm anxious, though I still get my stuff done. Not sure after being on Lexapro, though. Why don't you try psychotherapy? We'll see if Lexapro brings any improvement. I see a psychologist, but only briefly. I don't know what to say or think. Xanax works best for me, regardless of the brand.🤷

I don't go to therapy because my primary care doctor thinks I don't need it. She's never even given me a referral for a psychiatrist or a psychologist; she just prescribed me Brintellix. I feel much better now, but I have no idea how I'll cope if she decides to take it away. I really want to talk to a specialist—someone who will actually listen to me and decide on a treatment plan themselves.
My doctor thinks this is all just grief over losing my brother, but that was just the trigger for a massive avalanche of issues that had been building up for years and is still piling up.

Jason Vaughn482 said:So, how long have you actually been taking Zoloft? And what dosage are we talking about?

I've been taking Brintellix for a little over four months now. It's 50 mg once a day, just in the morning.

My experience with Zoloft, hm. It doesn't actually start kicking in until you've been on it for maybe 2 or 3 weeks. At the same time, I was taking Xanax at 5 mg, four times a day (as needed). Back then, my "attacks" used to hit two or three times a day—I’d be gasping for air, shaking uncontrollably, unable to speak or even move... I'd take the Xanax, and about 20 minutes later, things would settle down. Whether that was the Zoloft or just my mental state at the time, who knows? I was basically in a vegetative state most of the time. After two weeks, I dropped 3 pounds and finally forced myself out of the house for a walk—fighting my way back, my own way. Now I'm 10 pounds lighter (one of the few "pros" for me), and I feel significantly better. Aside from the terrible sex life, but we'll manage through that.
I talk to my husband about everything eating at me, as well as friends and family. It helps a lot; keeping everything bottled up is what landed me in this mess in the first place.
I think my husband is exhausted by all of this. He never knows when I'm going to crash, and I'm left alone with the kids, especially when the oldest is in middle school. One time I felt so sick that the kids actually called him to say I was fading; he rushed home from work instantly just to give me a pill because I literally couldn't make it the 2.5 miles to the medicine cabinet to grab a glass of water.

redtiger35 said:I haven't seen your older posts, so I'm not sure: how long have you been in treatment overall? Did the loss of libido start right when you began this specific medication four months ago? And how massive is the shift in your sex life? You've basically got two major things clashing here: 1) depression is life-threatening and sticking to your therapy is absolutely fundamental, but 2) sex is huge in a marriage, and you guys are young; I don't want to scare you, but I've seen scenarios like this go south (talking three sentences a day, him gaming, the quick kiss and turned backs...). He knows you're struggling and he supports your treatment (I assume?), but he probably feels the lack of intimacy more than he actually says. In my opinion, while the depression is technically "more important," you can manage that more effectively through mechanics (adjusting your meds), whereas the relationship side is harder to control and can blow up in your face before you even realize it. Talk to your psychiatrist about how this AD is hitting your libido and ask for a change; focus on treating the depression while specifically addressing that side effect. Whatever you do, don't just let things stay like this!

My total treatment time has been about four and a half months, starting after my younger brother passed away.
Up until the medication kicked in (about three weeks in), our sex life was perfectly healthy. The insert mentions it could increase or decrease libido; for me, it was definitely a drop.
My GP prescribed it. I haven't seen a psychiatrist yet because she doesn't think I need one.
My husband is incredibly supportive, but with three kids, he's working 7 AM to 5 PM every single day. By the time he gets home, he finds me in a vegetative state (that was the case for the first two and a half months). I'm sure it isn't easy for him. He's taken over most of the childcare, the housework, and even looking after me while I was getting back on my feet.
He's always been the type who doesn't talk about his feelings; I practically have to pull words out of him just to know if something is wrong. He just swallows it and deals with it. To make matters worse, he's had a rough year at work—he was in an accident, took medical leave, almost got fired, and ended up with a massive pay cut. I'm sure all of that is weighing on both of us, not just my condition. It sucks that we're dealing with this stuff so young.
My doctor said I'll be on Brintellix for a few more months, but I'm feeling better now and using some herbal supplements, so I feel like I might be able to do without the Brintellix.
I'm honestly not sure what to do.
I start a new job next month and I'm actually looking forward to it. That's a huge boost, but life always has its ups and downs. At least I'm not ashamed to admit it; I want to fight through this.
Thanks for the comment.

Paul Newman5 said:There's a woman on the menopause forum I've been chatting with; my depression and anxiety kicked in right alongside menopause. She was on Sonalia for five years and she's absolutely bursting with energy—she's basically the optimist of that whole thread. Check that forum out and ask her everything. Sex is important, sure, but I think getting healthy is more vital. I started Lexapro today, just hoping it pulls me out of this cycle. I also hope my husband loves and respects me enough to stick through this. I'm not trying to lecture you, just sharing my thoughts and pointing you toward someone who managed long-term Sonalia use.😉

Thanks for the reply. Obviously, getting better is the priority and sex isn't being compared to that, but the whole situation is just becoming incredibly frustrating. My husband doesn't complain—he's actually been a huge support and is really understanding—he just feels bad that I end up feeling miserable and irritable after sex. We both know I shouldn't be feeling that way.
I'm nowhere near menopause yet; I just turned 30. But I'll hunt down that thread and do some reading. Do you happen to remember that woman's username?

I finally got taken off diazepam and I'm just staying on Sonalia 50 mg now.

Instead of the diazepam, my doctor prescribed Valium, which isn't even stocked at our local pharmacies and costs a fortune out of pocket. Apparently, they switched me because Valium is supposedly herbal-based and won't cause dependency—that was the whole reason for cutting the diazepam. In the end, I just ordered some herbal nerve and calming tincture from a woman who makes her own botanical supplements, and honestly, it actually works.

I take it before bed and during the day whenever things get heavy.
The real issue is how the antidepressant is nuking my libido. Since I started this (about 4 months ago), my sex drive has been sitting at absolute zero.🙂
We try. We really do. We make an effort and it’s fine, I guess, but I can't reach orgasm. It’s incredibly frustrating, and obviously, it’s frustrating for my husband too. We’re both just irritable. There’s no more tenderness left. We climb into bed like two eighty-year-olds, exchange a quick kiss, and turn our backs to each other. It’s killing my mental state even more.
I’ve only just hit my thirties, yet I feel exhausted, pathetic, undesirable, and totally listless...
How do I fix this? I don't want to wreck my marriage. Things were genuinely great before this. Sure, we have ups and downs, little issues, and stress like any couple, but there was always compromise and respect. Now, I feel like the ground is slipping out from under us. Take today: we haven't exchanged more than two sentences all day. I made lunch, he and the kids ate, then I just sat in the living room staring into space. Later I napped while he sat at his computer and the kids played. When I woke up, I did the dishes, fed the kids, and went back to sit in front of the TV while he kept gaming. Once I got the kids to bed, he fell asleep in the living room and here I am, posting this. Now I’m going to shower, wake him up so he can head to bed, and that's it. A kiss, then turning our backs.🙂

Jason Vaughn482 said:I'm not familiar with what Sonalia is, and personally, I don't have much experience with diazepam. I remember once taking Valium and a 5mg Normabel together, which actually worked for me, but I don't have them anymore and I'm not sure if my GP will prescribe them since I already have Xanax, even though that doesn't help me sleep at all.

Sonalia is an antidepressant.😉
Never tried mixing Ambien and Valium, but thank God for diazepam. Second night sleeping like a baby. 🙏

Is anyone else here mixing diazepam with Sonalia?

Up until now, I’ve been on 50mg of Sonalia once a day, plus Normabest at 5mg three times a day and another 5mg right before bed. Problem is, I haven't managed to get a wink of sleep thanks to the Normabest for over two and a half months. 🙂
I went to the pharmacy to ask if Sanval might work better than the Normabest, and they told me it was perfectly fine to try. Well, I took it for two days and it was the same old story—didn't sleep for even thirty minutes while we were staying at the cabin, though I did spend the night talking nonsense. Poor husband. 🤣

Yesterday, I started diazepam—7.5mg at bedtime and then some during the day as needed—while still keeping up with the Sonalia in the mornings. And finally, I actually slept. 🙂

My doctor mentioned that Normabest and diazepam are basically the same thing chemically; she just switched me to diazepam so I could split the dose to hit 7.5mg instead of taking 10mg of Normabest.

The first night went smoothly. We'll see how it holds up.
If you've dealt with this specific combo, let me know.

rapiddrifter4 said:I started taking Lindynette 30—my cycle kicked in on the first day (I took them specifically to deal with heavy, painful periods)—and here I am on day ten, still spotting. It’s just a few drops a day now, but I'm wondering... is this kind of thing normal during the first month?

It’s totally normal. You can expect spotting for the first three months.

Brandon Alvarez9 said:However, you actually can request a limit increase before that year is up if you head down to a local branch and ask in person.🙂

What are the requirements for that?

George Taylor28 said:This app is an absolute disaster!
What kind of nonsense is this "upcoming transactions" feature that just shows you two different account balances... I mean, who on earth is that actually useful for?!!
I have a premium credit line, so I can see my total limit, but I can't see how much of it is actually available, nor can I see how much of the limit I've already burned through. On top of that, there's no way to see when my installments are due or even how much they are until the day they're snatched from my account.
The whole app is a complete catastrophe.
Email notifications are broken, and that useless automated email notifying me every single time I log in won't let me opt out no matter what I try.

Now, I was wondering... I was granted this premium credit limit right after my first paycheck, set at the amount of one month's salary. It's been three months now, and this month I actually received $333 a bit more because I had a baby—it was a bonus from my employer—but clearly, the folks over at JPMorgan Chase don't realize why my pay was higher :-)) so I'm curious if I can actually go in and request an increase on that limit now?

Everything works fine for me. I can see exactly what I've spent on my credit line, how much I have left to withdraw, and the specific dates for all my installment payments. Everything is clear.
I get transaction emails regularly the second they happen.
Your credit limit only changes once a year. You got the limit on a specific date, and you can only request an increase or decrease on that anniversary date. Same goes for your overdraft.

That actually touches on your question
so we had to pay a moving fee 😉

We paid the $50 notary back last summer—can't even remember which month. Then, just about a month ago, we finally got word from the bank that the lien was cleared and we could actually go get a new vehicle title.

If you’re taking birth control the right way, you don't need a break. That whole "pill break" thing was an old-school gynecologist move. Modern pills don't really recommend pausing unless you're actually trying to get pregnant.
My mom went fifteen years without a break and had her three-day checkup just fine.
Mine finally showed up on day five of the break. 😍

Only 600 or 800 mg doses of ibuprofen actually do anything for me.

melloweagle93 said:I’ve got a question too—honestly, I think I just need someone with actual experience to talk me down from my own paranoia. So, up until now, I’ve always relied on condoms for protection. But because of PCOS, I’ve had to start taking Yaz. I’m nearly through my third pack now, and I haven't really noticed any side effects—which is fine—but I’m also barely seeing any of those "positive" changes people talk about. Since starting the pill, there hasn't been any mood shifts, no bloating, no breast enlargement, no weight gain or loss... I haven't even seen my skin clear up (I don't have a ton of acne, but I was really hoping those few stubborn spots would finally vanish). The only real win is that my periods aren't painful anymore, which is a huge relief.
I guess what I'm wondering is: how effective are these pills really when it comes to preventing pregnancy? To be honest, both my partner and I are getting pretty tired of the condom routine, but I can't shake this feeling of anxiety—like, what if these hormones aren't actually doing their job? I mean, I don't have side effects, but maybe that means they aren't "strong" enough? Especially since Yaz has one of the lowest hormone concentrations on the market. 🙂
I read somewhere that birth control is 99.97% effective, which sounds pretty solid on paper, but knowing my luck, I’d probably end up being part of that 0.03%. 🙂
Hopefully, some experienced women here can help ease my doubts and this constant worrying. 😁

You’re fine. I’ve been on the pill for years. We only bother with condoms if I miss a dose by more than 12 hours—then we use them for seven days straight. Otherwise, you're good.
I don't have any side effects. All I lost was my headaches, which is a win in my book.

I suggested her before you got your blood work done, so ask her about Lindynette 20 or 30. They’re basically the same thing, just with slightly different hormone levels. You can get them with a prescription for $11, or just pay $21 without one.

Here’s some extra info on them
http://www.mayoclinic.org/tests-procedures/hormone-replacement-therapy/about/acm-20085311

Gemini, I took my last pill on Friday, which means you start the first one of the next pack on Saturday.
So, seven days off, then the pill on day eight.

Drew Lewis11 said:Hey ladies! Sorry if this has already been brought up, but I didn't want to scroll through everything to find out..

I actually just started taking Lindynette 20 earlier this week, and honestly, there are moments where it feels like I’m having a hard time breathing.. I took my third pill today and now I’m stuck wondering: is this actually happening, or am I just overthinking things and being silly?

This is my very first time using oral contraceptives, which is why I’m reaching out—has anyone else dealt with a little issue like this? Could it just be a temporary thing while my body adjusts to the pills?

I feel kind of stupid even thinking about stopping the medication, but I am a bit worried. I really hope this passes, so I was just curious if anyone else has had a similar experience? 🙄

I haven't heard of anyone experiencing shortness of breath from birth control before. Honestly, your best bet is to call your OB-GYN and get their advice before you take another one.