Posts by Paul Newman5

Brenda Lee9 said:Can anyone actually give me some real advice regarding Zoloft?? I’m only taking two a day now—I dropped the third one because the weakness was just too much—but it hasn't really helped much either... My appointment with the psychiatrist isn't until early September. Should I just stop taking them altogether? Does anyone here actually know anything about this medication? How do you even taper off...?
Thanks in advance

I was on Fluoxetine for about 6 or 7 weeks before I had to stop. My leg muscles would lock up so badly, I was walking like my legs were cooked sausages. No other side effects for me.
Don't know your dosage, but when I stopped after those few weeks, I went cold turkey and had zero issues. None at all. Not saying you should do the same since everyone reacts differently. Just my experience.

Brenda Lee9 said:Is anyone currently on Lexapro who can tell me something good about it? 😊😊😊😊

I was on Lexapro for about six weeks. Had to quit because it trashed my muscles, especially my legs. They felt like sausages—not even mine, barely able to walk. Other than that, nothing. No nausea, no dizziness, just a slight loss of appetite, which worked for me. But that muscle weakness was too much. Sorry I can't say anything better, but that's how it went for me.

fadedbear92 said:Paxil is definitely a downer—it made me drowsy during those first two weeks, but after that, I felt great. Like I mentioned before, it works wonders for anxiety.

Effexor is more of a stimulant; it wakes you right up, and it actually gave me insomnia.

more

Effexor works fine for me. It doesn't give me those crazy energy spikes and hasn't caused major issues, though it didn't fully kill off my anxiety either. At least it wasn't as brutal as Lexapro or Luxeta were for me.

brighthawk0 said:Two months on Paxil 2 x100mg, and things are looking up, I guess. The obsessions have dialed back significantly, which helps me make much more rational decisions. I still deal with bits of anxiety every now and then, but the main thing is that I’m functioning way better in social settings—and honestly, fixing my social anxiety was the whole point of this treatment. 🎉

Anyway, maybe this helps someone out.

Glad for you. Just wondering if you felt sleepy at first? And do you take it morning and night, or just once? My issue is always drowsiness because of work—when I was on Calixt, getting up at 6 AM was rough. I'm looking into Paxil because the Effexor I'm on now hasn't quite done the trick. I'm doing better than last year, sure, but the anxiety persists and I still need Xanax—though maybe half as much as before, but I'm still on it daily.

Jason Vaughn482 said:You know, I deal with the same constipation issues; I struggle with chronic constipation normally, and believe me, even if I were eating three servings of fiber a day, it wouldn't help much... yet here we are. I didn't take my /Calixt/ yesterday, and I can tell you right now, I am absolutely wired today. It really does have that numbing effect. I'm genuinely torn between bumping up to the 30mg dose or ditching it entirely. Fevarin is a solid option for nighttime, but it falls into that category of drugs that triggers those specific side effects for you... plus, it can wreak havoc on your stomach. At the end of the day, everything is purely subjective. I'm actually considering switching to it myself. See how complicated this gets? That 15mg of Calixta never actually touched my anxiety levels, but for me, the sedative effect was the holy grail. Now, however, the whole thing has fallen apart; my appetite is gone, it doesn't even help me sleep anymore, and I feel perpetually hungover. I'm completely lost. Then I see what that other doctor suggested—45mg of Calixta combined with 2.5mg of Zyprexa... at that point, you might as well just sleep through the entire day. It doesn't seem worth it to me, especially since I already sleep until 9 or 10 in the morning. Besides, I've seen people take Zyprexa and pack on as much as 60 pounds.
Oh, I nearly forgot to mention: I barely have any appetite during the day and eat very little, yet every single night I find myself wandering to the fridge. I’ll even whip up pancakes at midnight—something I could never dream of doing during the day because I simply lack the energy. I suspect Sanval is the culprit behind those late-night cravings.

Since I'm a late-night snacker too, I might show up for those pancakes. You aren't close, but for pancakes, it's worth it. I don't cook, but I'll polish off some cookies like that.🤣

Jason Vaughn482 said:I’ve been taking Mirtazapine on and off for two years now—I’ve already shared my reasoning for doing so elsewhere, but I do intend to taper off eventually... For the most part, I initially gained about six or seven pounds, but lately, it doesn't seem to affect my appetite at all; in fact, I've lost my appetite entirely and have actually dropped weight...

Lucky you, Jason Vaughn482. Calixta worked wonders for me when I was taking Velafax, but I was eating everything in sight and my doctor pulled it. Now I miss it; my morning anxiety spiked—not a ton, but enough to make things unpleasant compared to how it felt with Calixt. I’ll call my doctor after Easter to see about a new anti-anxiety med for nighttime. Hopefully there's one out there that won't cause weight gain. You could try the 30mg dose; it’s decent for anxiety, though it made me gain weight and gave me bloating and constipation. But hey, if it works for you, go for it.

fadedbear92 said:You're talking nonsense here. What made you think I'm on a first-name basis with my doctor? Even if I were, what does that have to do with our actual topic? I was simply trying to pass along some information—if that's not relevant to you, then there's really nothing left for us to discuss.

Thanks for the info, but when you can text your doctor at 9 PM and actually get a reply, that’s a privilege. Just stating a fact—not everyone has that kind of access, and they can't. That was just my take, or maybe a clumsy comment, but calling me stupid for it is unnecessary. It feels like you're calling me an idiot, which isn't nice, especially since I wasn't even attacking you directly.

restlesstiger49 said:I have a question for anyone who has used Lexapro. I'm curious if you experienced anything beyond just nausea—which seems to be a pretty common side effect—such as heightened anxiety, intense psychomotor agitation (like being unable to sit still), trouble concentrating, or dizziness. Based on your experience, how long does this usually last? Everything hit me all at once, and honestly, it's becoming unbearable. I'd love to stop taking this medication as soon as possible.

Me too. Took Lexapro for a few days back in the fall of 2012 and the psychomotor agitation was so bad I could barely settle down, even with extra doses of Inderal and Ativan. That was my first antidepressant. It was impossible, so my doctor pulled me off it after about 5 or 6 days. Had the same issue with Luxet. Definitely talk to your doctor, though. But yeah, those were the exact symptoms I got from Lexapro.

shadowbear9 said:So... you’re claiming to be some kind of psychiatrist too? Do you actually hold a license that gives you the authority to spout such utter nonsense? It’s honestly infuriating how you can just step into a space meant for sharing personal experiences and immediately start escalating the tension with statements like that. I guess some people just feel entitled to act superior, even when they have no business doing so.

If you ask me, you should probably just back out of this argument entirely. It honestly isn't worth it, and I suspect the moderators might step in if things escalate any further. There’s really no point in letting this turn into a massive blowout. I mean, she can think whatever she wants and distribute her little indictments to whoever she pleases, but why let us get caught in the crossfire? She’s clearly trying to act like some kind of martyr, stepping up to save everyone from herself, but it’s all just quite unnecessary. It seems we’ve reached a point where misinformation is spreading like wildfire, and frankly, it's infuriating. I guess it’s just become the norm these days, isn't it? People are throwing around claims without a shred of evidence, and I find the whole situation absolutely maddening. It feels like we can't trust anything we read online anymore. Maybe I'm being too harsh, but when falsehoods are presented as absolute facts, it undermines everything. It’s truly exhausting to navigate this landscape of constant deception.

I suppose she feels entitled to act that way. Maybe she thinks she’s somehow owed something, but honestly, it just seems like she's making herself out to be some sort of victim when she really isn't. It's quite frustrating to watch. 😂 It’s an absolute disaster, if you ask me.

Not to save the world from our "misinformation," but to tell us what to take and which doctors to see. Personally, I've had to switch through several psychiatrists and even drive to different cities just to find the right fit, and I'm still not fully there yet. I think Kevin Nguyen3 is actually right this time—he told us things exactly as they are.

Kevin Bailey2 said:What are you guys even talking about? What kind of psychosis do you need to qualify for this medication?

I was prescribed a perfectly standard 400mg daily dose of Seroquel just to manage my depression and anxiety.
My medical records don't even show a single sign of psychosis.

Why are people spreading such misinformation?

I can't tell if people on this forum just love making things up or if they're visiting some total hack psychiatrist.
Good grief... no competent American psychiatrist is going to prescribe Sanval for anything longer than a week.

Do yourselves a favor and find a doctor who actually knows what they're doing.

We're talking about what we actually went through, not spreading rumors. I see the psychiatrist I have available because I can't drive across the whole country just to switch doctors every single week. If you have the luxury to shop around, good for you, since your old posts make it pretty clear you can afford better care.
We weren't attacking you, so it’s not cool to call us liars or our doctors hacks. I was just sharing my own experience, and I wasn't even talking to you—I was talking to someone else. You tend to act pretty condescending on this forum, which isn't great. Based on what I've read, you think you know everything—won't take anything that causes weight gain, won't take meds for longer than a week, all that.

shadowbear9 said:My doctor wouldn't even write it for me... she claims she won't put psychosis in my diagnosis if I don't actually have it, and if she doesn't, then my insurance isn't going to cover it. So now I'm just stuck suffering through the Sanval and Xanax. 🤷 It’s incredibly frustrating because I can't exactly order this high-end American sleep medication online easily... three different types of hypnotics and all that nonsense. 😢 Honestly, I'm quite envious of people who have access to it.

Once, my doctor gave me Lamictal—I was incredibly restless from Lexapro—and she wrote down bipolar disorder just because she couldn't prescribe it without that specific diagnosis. But I’m about as bipolar as the sky is the ground; it has nothing to do with me. Luckily, my primary care physician knows me well enough and understands my actual issues are mostly anxiety, so he didn't put bipolar in the system. I feel for anyone actually dealing with bipolar or psychosis—there's zero shame in it—but why label someone with psychosis when they don't have it?!

restlesstrucker15 said:Yes, small doses of Eglonyl, around 25 or 50 mg,

Sent fr

I took 50 mg of sulpiride—which is pretty much the same as Eglonyl—every morning for three weeks and didn't feel anything spectacular. I ended up quitting because it made me feel totally hungover and gave me bad chest pains (pretty sure it was my breasts). Maybe I should have stayed on it longer since people rave about it, but for me, it wasn't anything special. Still, worth a shot. We all know everyone reacts differently here.
Quick question. I've been on Calixta for about two months now. For the first month and a half, I was alternating between 7.5 and 15 mg. Since I'm gaining weight like crazy, my doctor suggested jumping to the 30 mg dose for just two weeks. She claims she’s seen cases where the 15 mg makes people gain weight while the 30 mg doesn't. Honestly, it sounds a bit ridiculous to me, but she insists her experience shows 30 mg works better for weight management. If I keep gaining weight, I plan to ditch Calixta entirely after a week and just stick to Effexor at 75 mg in the morning, maybe bumping it to 150. My doctor told me to just stop Calixta cold turkey since nothing bad will happen. Has anyone actually quit Calixta abruptly, or should I taper off? Should I drop back down to 7.5 first, or is it really safe to just stop after taking it for such a short time? I don't plan on staying on the 30 mg for more than a week. If the weight keeps coming on and I feel too groggy in the mornings, I'm not going to suffer through it for weeks. That's what the doctor said, anyway. Any advice?

Jason Vaughn482 said:You see, my experience with Unknown is quite different; it seems to be losing its efficacy even for sleep. In the beginning, I’d drift off instantly, but after ten days, I find myself needing Ambien just to get any rest. As for the anxiety? It hasn't budged an inch. It’s truly disheartening to have been on this for so long, but if the Ambien isn't cutting it, I feel backed into a corner where I have to increase the Unknown again... honestly, I'm just deeply disappointed.😢
I'll eventually have to pivot to a different medication, but then we run right back into the sleep issue... and on top of everything else, 😢 I wake up feeling utterly drained, exhausted, and riddled with tension. Those butterflies in the stomach—it's just wretched.

Unknown hasn't really helped my sleep either, but it did kill that horrible morning anxiety. Maybe it was the Effexor too, since once my doctor bumped me up to 75mg, things started looking better—though even that took nearly two months. And yeah, I feel drained if I lie in bed or sleep too much. The earlier I get up, the better. For the last ten days or so, the anxiety has finally hit a manageable level; I've even tapered off some Xanax, though I'm still taking it. Hoping it stays this way. Maybe it will.

restlesstrucker15 said:It is unfortunate that we don't have a psychologist readily available here to step in and offer guidance. My therapist once explained to me that there isn't a single medication on the market that can completely eliminate anxiety; at best, these drugs can simply dial it down to a manageable level. When I pressed her for clarification, she noted that anxiety is essentially a reaction to the internal conflicts we wage within ourselves. Resolving those underlying issues requires dedicated therapy. Changing those deep-seated patterns can take several years, depending entirely on how much effort one is willing to put into the process.
I even jokingly asked her about getting a lobotomy—just kidding, of course—but she insisted that even then, my anxiety would remain 😁

Send it fr

Time keeps passing, and I'm looking at it this way. I've been on Valtrex for six months—two months at 75 mg after starting on 37.5 mg—and for about two months, I've been taking 15 mg of Unknown at night (though lately I've been taking a half dose). Finally, about two weeks ago, my anxiety dropped to a tolerable level, and I've significantly cut back on the Xanax, though I'm still using it. Honestly, my anxiety fluctuates based on how I handle the day or just how things go. I don't think any antidepressant can fully wipe out anxiety without us doing the work or going through psychotherapy.

Chloe Hughes6 said:Some people seem completely lost in this discussion. (I kindly ask the moderators and fellow members to bear with me, as I’m clearly having an off day!) Nevertheless, I can't help but notice a certain pattern of conversation emerging. It usually goes like this: "I take this medication and that supplement; will they interact?"—even though the answer is clearly printed right there on the warning label inside the box! Then, another user chiming in simply says, "Yes, that's exactly what it says," and thus, we have users merely exchanging information that was already provided by the manufacturer. And don't even get me started on these constant questions about weight gain! 🙂 For my part, I have personally tried roughly thirty different psychotropic medications, all of which were prescribed by my doctors (and I am being entirely serious). If anyone has any specific inquiries, please feel free to ask, as my posting style should make it quite evident that I know my stuff.

And what would anyone even ask you once you tell them it's all written on the pamphlet?
As for the weight gain stuff, it's not some trivial thing. People asking about gaining weight aren't just worried about looks (though that matters too). Weight gain brings real issues like high blood pressure and diabetes. Besides, why should it bother you if someone wants to ask around because they're trying to avoid packing on pounds from their medication?

restlesstrucker15 said:After everything you've been through, you truly deserve this.
For me, side effects usually kick in on the second day. After that, they either taper off or they don't show up at all.
So, if you've gone two days without any issues, that's a really great sign.
As for the sulpiride, it almost seems to start working immediately. You should hopefully notice a reduction in your anxiety within a few days.🙂

Skickas FR

Thanks for the support, those words really meant a lot.
I'm hoping too, but based on past experience, I'll wait a few more days. You know how it is—once you get burned, you're careful with everything.

restlesstrucker15 Quote:
Not me. 🙂
I think we’re talking about people using it as their primary medication for different diagnoses—those high doses over 200.
Great. No side effects. 🙂 Yeah.

That’s what I thought too. Didn't really look into whether people actually gain weight on sulpiride, but hey, we'll see.
And here come the side effects. Just two days on Sulpiride and four on an increased dose of Effexor. If that Sulpiride actually kicks in, we can all howl together. I’ll be doing it for days if I have to.

Anyone else dealing with weight gain from Sulpiride? I brought this up at my clinic in Chicago and nobody believed me. I gained 18 pounds in just a few weeks. Now, my doctor at the Mayo Clinic just rewrote my prescription for it, specifically highlighting the weight gain and lactation risks. He really emphasized the weight part.
Took it this morning. Nothing yet. Usually, though, the first couple of days with a new med are pure anxiety. I start panicking and then I swear I feel every single side effect, even the ones they don't list in the manual.😁

Jason Vaughn482 said:I was on a short course of 50 mg of Eglonil, and honestly, it seemed quite effective—it felt like a solid option for managing anxiety—but I had to cut it short because I broke out in this persistent rash. I might reconsider it down the road if things don't improve, though. Currently, I'm still on Calixta, though I deal with that morning fog; my doctor suggested that dropping from 15 mg to 30 mg might actually be counterproductive, claiming a higher dose helps mitigate that "drunk" feeling, but I haven't tested that theory yet. What I can say is that after staying on it for a while, that initial grogginess isn't nearly as overwhelming as it was at the start. Right now, I'm tapering down to 15 or even 7.5 mg; it’s not specifically meant for anxiety, but we'll see how it holds up when the morning haze hits. I'm responding here since I haven't had a chance to check my private messages yet, and I haven't been active on the forum since we last spoke.

My psychiatrist told me 30 mg is better than 15, too, but I just can't do it. 7.5 mg is my limit, even if the hangover eventually fades. As for sulpiride or eglonil, I'll see when I start. Maybe the combo of 75 mg Wellbutrin and sulpiride will finally work. Good luck with the portal, hope it goes well for you. Talk soon in the DMs.

Brandon Lopez6 said:Man, I gotta correct myself 🙈.

Back then, I was dealing with a ton of stomach issues—which was also tied to my mental state (nausea and all that)—and this stuff actually helped with that. As for the psychological stuff (panic attacks, derealization, whatever), nothing really changed, but for the heavy physical sensations? It totally nailed the nausea. I gotta give credit where it's due 🙂

(Don't kill me for not remembering this sooner; I was on it from 2010 to 2011, but then I went on a much heavier regimen that basically wiped my memory 😁)

I deal with gastritis and nausea constantly too, so if it helps there, it's a win. You saying the meds wiped your memory 🤣sounds about right. Sometimes forgetting everything isn't the worst thing. How’s your grandfather doing? Did he have the surgery?