Posts by frozengardener57

That’s wonderful news! I am truly thrilled to hear things are looking up for you. Insomnia is such a brutal side effect, especially when it drags on for this long. Still, I suppose getting even three or four hours of sleep is infinitely better than nothing at all. I honestly worry that prolonged sleeplessness can take such a heavy toll on a person's health.
I actually gave Sanval 5 mg a shot myself, but it didn't do the trick for me, so I'm sticking with Xanax for now.

Day 11 on Cipralex, though it’s only my second day at the full 10 mg therapeutic dose (we spent the first three days bumping up from 2.5 mg)
The anxiety symptoms haven't vanished—I'm still dealing with skin flushing, tingling sensations, heightened sensitivity to noise, and that constant fixation on the ringing in my ears when I lie down (which is actually what triggered the anxiety and panic reactions in the first place)—but I do feel like they are tapering off slightly. It’s not a massive shift, but there is a perceptible decrease.
Yesterday, I only took 0.50 mg of Xanax before bed and skipped my daytime doses entirely. I managed to crush my morning anxiety with a long walk, then took the Xanax last night just as a preventative measure, but wouldn't you know it—insomnia struck again.
I fell asleep without any trouble, but about an hour later, I woke up in a total panic. Those symptoms persisted through the entire night (I probably drifted off within minutes, but it wasn't deep sleep by any means).

Is anyone else experiencing this while adjusting to their medication? Does the anxiety peak during the night or right when you wake up? I wonder if it's because the body is at its most relaxed state, making it unable to maintain its usual "alertness," so every anxious signal feels overwhelming? Or could it be related to how the medication is metabolized, since I take mine in the morning?

Thanks for all the replies; they’re helping me out just as much as my Xanax

Honestly, it was my own mistake to try and quit therapy the second I started feeling better.
It’s always been my go-to, so I jumped right back on it, but I totally forgot how grueling the whole process actually is. It hasn't always been this difficult!
Whenever my anxiety spikes before I even start the meds, the side effects hit me way harder. I always seem to find a new thing to obsess over, even though the root cause stays exactly the same.

The nausea has definitely let up a bit (I felt like I was going to throw up constantly during those first few days), but I'm really just waiting for that nighttime and early morning anxiety to finally stabilize.
I have a psychotherapy session scheduled for Monday, so we'll see how things progress from there!

I could really use some encouragement right now.

I’ve used Lexapro before, so I know what those initial side effects feel like, but they always hit me hard—and this time, they are even more brutal. It honestly feels like I'm being punished because I have a habit of stopping the medication as soon as I start feeling better after a couple of months.

I am currently on my 8th dose of 7.5 mg, and I'm supposed to bump up to 10 mg tomorrow.
I am absolutely losing it. All that initial anxiety—which is why I'm taking this in the first place, since I don't have depression... yet—has just skyrocketed. If I didn't have Xanax, I think I would actually lose my mind.
And the insomnia! Lately, I’m only getting about one to four hours of sleep per night.
I wake up in a state of pure dread and panic, with tingling sensations and hot flashes all over my body, and my head is just throbbing.
I realize this is expected and that it’s way too early for the medicine to actually kick in, but this is truly terrifying.
What has your experience been like with this? Were you even able to function at work during this phase?

Well, I just stumbled upon yet another psychiatrist specializing in schizophrenia who preaches about full recovery from the condition. After his initial diagnosis, he went on to study at elite institutions like Harvard; Daniel B. Fisher
Here is an interview with him

I found quite a few names and references over on this blog: Voices of Recovery

Oh, there’s plenty to dive into here!
I remember seeing an article in the New York Times about a psychiatrist based out of Chicago who specialized in schizophrenia. If I recall correctly, she’s retired now, so she was doing a bit of a retrospective look back on her career... (she focused specifically on that diagnosis, which is why she eventually stepped down) — link

Here is another interesting read about a man living with schizophrenia who is now incredibly high-functioning.
link

I don't personally have schizophrenia (at least not currently), though due to some private business matters, I maintain a very specific "connection" to that diagnosis..

To give you an idea, I recently came across the story of a highly prominent and respected clinical psychologist who actually lives with paranoid schizophrenia. He was diagnosed back when he was 25, and he’s quite a bit older now.
After his diagnosis and subsequent treatment, he decided to head to grad school, eventually specializing specifically in schizophrenia! He speaks openly about his own journey to fight stigma, serving as a massive source of inspiration and encouragement for so many others. (He even has several appearances on YouTube)

His name is Frederick Frese, and you can find his site here: http://www.fredfrese.com/

I found this particular article of his absolutely fascinating—it covers various coping mechanisms and ways of managing life
for someone living with schizophrenia link

Anyway, I thought some of you might find this just as interesting! 🙂

It might really depend on where you're starting from. For me, the issue isn't even primarily depression; it’s more about the anxiety and those relentless, obsessive thoughts. The literature also mentions that these symptoms can actually spike when you first start... and honestly, without a little extra anti-anxiety help, it feels absolutely terrifying.
You just have to power through this adjustment phase.
I'm going to try to steer clear of Sanval because I'm terrified of hallucinations or other side effects—one of my biggest phobias is the idea of losing touch with reality and becoming psychotic.😁

I haven’t ever taken too much Cipralex, but I am definitely feeling those exact symptoms right now during this initial adjustment phase
I assume the patient info leaflet covers what to do in case of an overdose (likely just contact a doctor)

After all that restlessness and anxiety, things finally settled down last night and I managed to get a solid 8 hours of sleep. I really hope it stays that way!
I have some Xanax to help me relax, and my doctor even prescribed Ambien when I complained about the insomnia, but I’m not a huge fan of the side effects. I've never actually used a hypnotic before, just anxiolytics.
What works best for you guys when it comes to getting some sleep?

Thanks so much for all the replies! 🙂

To be honest, just before I read this, I took 5 mg of Prozac (day three for me) along with 0.25 mg of Xanax, so whatever happens, happens! I’m currently feeling this intense burning and tingling sensation all over my skin and even on my tongue. But honestly, that’s usually how my anxiety hits me
I can manage during the day, but I’m terrified of the nighttime and the insomnia—I have to head into work tomorrow morning, and absolutely no one suspects a thing about what's going on...

Before bed, I'll probably take another 0.5 mg of Xanax (which would bring my total for today to 1 mg of Xanax, which doesn't seem too bad at this stage), right?
I also have some Norvasc and Helex at home (thank goodness for my highly organized, medically-focused family!), so I might switch things up occasionally. My doctor didn't give me very specific instructions, but I've read that it's better to rotate these types of instant anti-anxiety meds

Help!
For the last two days, I’ve been taking 1/4 of a Prozac tablet before bed, along with 0.25 mg of Xanax..
My plan is to gradually work my way up to 10 mg.

However, I woke up today feeling absolutely terrified. All my symptoms—the anxiety, the intrusive thoughts—are dialed up to eleven! I know the beginning phase is always rough and the body needs time to adjust, but I honestly didn't expect this much intensity from such a tiny starting dose.
I am also genuinely worried about becoming dependent on Xanax if I end up needing to take it three times a day.

I just took another 0.25 mg, but it hasn't fully calmed me down. I'm panicking a little... is this medication actually going to help me at all? 🙂🙂
What has your experience been like?