Posts by silverranger10

wiredharbor18 said:Those are two completely different medications.
Zoloft is sertraline (which falls under the SSRI category), whereas Effexor is a relatively newer drug. At higher doses, it also inhibits the reuptake of norepinephrine and dopamine (essentially making it an SNRI, a dual inhibitor of serotonin and norepinephrine reuptake). It has proven to be very effective, and the side effects tend to be less pronounced than those seen with "classic" SSRIs.

I'm doing alright now, aside from occasional crises (nothing too major). I've been on antidepressants for seven years, and I've been on this specific regimen for about five years now, allowing me to function normally.

Look, everything is highly individual, but generally speaking, most therapies (both psychotherapy and antidepressants) show good results for the vast majority. You might experience short-term episodes occasionally, but they aren't nearly as severe as those initial struggles. Honestly, I think even "normal" people have crises like that sometimes.

Just give it a little time, and I truly believe things will settle down.

As far as time goes, my family and I are incredibly patient—we kind of have to be, since we're a bit different from the crowd. But today, the anxiety and dark thoughts are back in full swing (if you'll excuse my choice of words), even though he actually managed to sleep last night after being up for a few days straight.
I actually messed up in my last post when I said he was already taking Effexor; he’s still on Zoloft. We're still waiting for the pharmacy to get the Effexor in stock.

He ended up switching psychiatrists because the first one (even though he’s in private practice) was pretty condescending. My dad called him on a Saturday because he wasn't feeling well, and apparently, the doctor doesn't work Saturdays—we had no idea. He basically snapped at us about why we were calling outside of business hours.

I truly believe once the meds kick in, he’ll find his footing and stay steady, but I'm just stuck wondering how to help him through this transition. Right now, he’s convinced this feeling is permanent...

wiredharbor18 said:The reason you're being directed to Effexor is because that’s the generic name for this medication. It belongs to the class of selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (ICD), just like Zoloft.
It's actually quite common to "trial" different antidepressants until you find the right fit. As for when you'll feel the full effects, it really varies from person to person—in my own case, I didn't start feeling better until about two months in.

As for the psychiatrist, it's hard to judge if they're the right fit immediately.
My advice would be to stick with the current doctor for a little while longer, at least until you can see whether the treatment starts working.

Hey! Thanks!
So, are Zoloft and Effexor basically the same thing, or is there actually a difference?
I ask because these last three days have been great—no depression, no dark thoughts, no stomach acid issues... He’s actually in a good mood, we can hold a conversation, he’s out working in the fields, giving us a solid 5/5 score, except he can't sleep.🤷 At least, that’s what he tells me, though I’m not sure if it’s true—I find it hard to believe someone could go 3 or 4 days without any sleep at all. To be fair, even on his old meds, he had these good phases followed by crashes. I'm praying to God this lasts a little longer (if we can get him sleeping), because it was honestly heartbreaking watching him look so helpless.

How are you doing? And once you finally find the right medication, is it just constant stability, or do you still deal with ups and downs?

Hey everyone! I’m checking back in because this is pretty much the only place (aside from one friend who actually went to grad school for psychology) where I can find any decent, firsthand info. I really need to figure out how to handle my dad, who has "recently" started struggling with depression and anxiety.
I mentioned before that his private doctor put him on Zoloft + Prozac, but after a full month, we aren't seeing much of an improvement. Honestly, at first, I thought things were looking up—we had these brief windows of better days—but then it just spiraled back into total apathy, followed by deep depression and all the usual symptoms...
Over the last ten days or so, things have actually taken a turn for the worse. He's dealing with major stomach issues, vomiting nothing but bile, dark thoughts, and just zero motivation...
Because of that, he went to see a psychiatrist today at the local clinic—he's one of those specialists who travels into our town from San Francisco every couple of weeks—and the doctor decided to switch things up. Now he’s been prescribed brand name + brand name. I haven't been able to find much online about the second one, but the doctor keeps pointing me toward Effexor.
So, what’s the actual difference between the first regimen and this new one? And is it even a good idea to switch doctors and medications after just a month of bad results? I mean, does it usually take way longer for these drugs to actually kick in?
Thanks in advance for the help!

My dad has been on Zoloft and Lexapro for about 18 days now. This is actually his first time ever taking medication for this, though looking back over the last 20 years, he’s definitely had those shorter bouts of depression and total lack of motivation... it all really peaked two months ago when he dealt with some intense stomach anxiety and ended up making an appointment with a psychiatrist on his own.

Even though he claims the pills aren't doing anything, from my perspective, the Zoloft seems to be helping quite a bit. His stomach issues have cleared up, he isn't acting depressed or lethargic anymore, his appetite is back, and he actually has the drive to get chores done around the house...
however, he just can't sleep. For the first two days after starting, he was actually sleeping a ton, but since then—for the last 16 days straight—he hasn't been able to catch any rest at all.

A friend of mine is a psychologist and has some experience in this field, and she says it takes time for the meds to really kick in and that we need to be patient. But man, it is incredibly hard to explain that to someone who is actually struggling with these symptoms.

How long does it usually take to see the full effects of Lexapro?

Also, is it safe to take those medications alongside Vitamin B?

As a family, how should we be handling this? Sometimes he just seems so hopeless.

Are there any teas you’d recommend that might help ease things, maybe something like St. John's Wort?

Our family hasn't really dealt with mental health issues like this before, so we might have been making mistakes by telling him it was "all in his head" or pushing him to get out more and go to work. We eventually realized we shouldn't have been forcing him into things.

Thanks in advance!

So, what does it actually mean for my title to list the bank that approved my auto loan as the owner?😕 😕?

I know I have to carry full coverage for the entire life of the loan, but what happens if I end up wrecking the car or if I just decide I want to sell it?