Posts by Paul Newman5

Jason Vaughn482 said:unknown:

The sheer granularity of measurement—this obsession with the milligram—is enough to make one question the very foundations of modern pharmacology. We exist in this strange, clinical reality where our entire sense of stability, our very ability to function within the gears of society, hinges upon such an infinitesimal fraction of a gram. It is a heavy burden to carry, isn't it? To realize that the thin line between a productive afternoon and a total psychological collapse is measured out in tiny, white specks that most people couldn't even see without a magnifying glass. One minute you are navigating the complexities of life, and the next, you are desperately recalibrating your existence based on whether you took a slightly larger or smaller dose of your prescribed regimen. It’s a delicate, almost absurd dance with chemistry. As if I haven't heard this all before. It’s the same old song, isn't it? A repetitive cycle of predictable patterns that people mistake for profound insight. Honestly, listening to these arguments feels like watching a rerun of a low-budget sitcom where the punchlines were stale even during the first season. You sit there, waiting for a shred of originality or a moment of genuine nuance, only to be met with the same tired rhetoric that’s been circling the drain for years. It’s exhausting, really—this constant need to repackage the obvious as if it were some groundbreaking revelation. One would think that after all this time, we might have evolved past such rudimentary observations, but apparently, we are all just content to tread water in the same shallow pool of thought. I have been staying consistent with my Effexor regimen, and I must say, it has been incredibly effective in stabilizing my baseline. On top of that, my doctor introduced me to Seroquel, which has proven to be an exceptionally potent tool in my recovery toolkit—truly a remarkable medication. However, there is one persistent, rather vexing side effect that seems to follow me everywhere: I am perpetually, insatiably hungry. It feels as though my appetite has been dialed up to an unnatural level, leaving me in a constant state of searching for the next meal.😁 The most vital detail to establish is that my primary regimen consists of Xanax—formerly known under the old branding—which has now transitioned to a daily dosage of 30mg of Normabel. I find myself compelled to reiterate my conviction regarding this matter: Diazepam truly is an exceptional option, standing in stark contrast to Alprazolam, which I am convinced acts as nothing short of a corrosive agent upon one's cognitive faculties.

Xanax destroys the brain while Normabrel saves it? Oh, give me a break. Honestly, I feel like I could read anything on this forum at this point. It’s an endless, exhausting cycle where one person tears another down only to be torn down themselves immediately after. I’ve already slogged through 170 pages of these discussions, and it all just circles back to the same repetitive arguments. And yet, despite all this intense debate, I haven't read a single success story about someone actually being cured. The reality is much bleaker: all these medications are essentially wrecking our neurological wiring, but if we can't function without them, we're stuck taking them. You people act like there's a magic bullet, but you start praising Normabrel like it's some kind of miracle cure, and frankly, it does absolutely nothing for me. It felt as though I hadn't even swallowed a pill at all. After struggling with it for just a few days, I gave up on it entirely. Please, stop suggesting what works for you as if it’s gospel; these drugs don't affect everyone in the same way, and pretending otherwise is just plain foolish.

I'm with you on this. Not trying to argue about what works for whom, but there's an old saying: "out of the frying pan, into the fire." It all messes with your head and you end up hooked on something. Ideally, we wouldn't need any of it, but when life happens, we take the pills. I started out on Normabrel too, but it did nothing for my anxiety. Personally, Lexapro is the best for killing the fear, but my doctors insisted on Ativan, so I dropped the Lexapro and just take Ativan now, though I still use Lexapro to sleep. Everything is individual. The fact remains: you get addicted to whatever it is, whether it's Normabrel or Ativan. Maybe it's easier to get off Normabrel, but who knows.

Ronald Baker5 said:Thanks a lot, man. I've just started taking them, so we'll see how things play out. 😁
I just really hope I don't end up totally wiped out or becoming a "vegetable," which is what people say happens with certain types of antidepressants... thanks again. 😁

Been on Citram for about a month now—exactly three weeks at the prescribed dose. Today was my first day back at work in months, and I felt about half as anxious as usual, even while taking half the dosage of xelex. Since I’m a bit of a hypochondriac, I spent the first week just taking a quarter dose before moving up to the half-dose they want me on until my follow-up next month. Side effects were minimal; maybe around the two or two-and-a-half-week mark I dealt with some sweating, a slight headache, and some stomach pain. Then again, I deal with gastritis, so my stomach is always a weak spot, plus my anxiety tends to spike. Honestly, I don't think Citram is going to turn you into a vegetable; most people on this forum have actually seen improvement. Not sure about anyone else, though.
I had a rough time with it last fall, mostly because my doctor insisted I jump straight onto 10 mg. It hit me so hard I could barely function. Switched doctors since then—this one titrated it slowly, and everything’s fine now. Hopefully you don't deal with unbearable side effects and they actually last. What dose did they put you on? Good luck with the Citram.

Kevin Nguyen3 said:Are you taking your medication in the morning?
What dose of Wellbutrin were you prescribed?
In general speaking, it shouldn't be that things get progressively worse over a long period of time. You might be feeling terrible because the medication itself isn't sitting right with your system, which leads to those side effects.
But that is exactly what you tell your doctor so they can swap that antidepressant out for something else. We don't all react to medication in the exact same way, do we? There is always an alternative.
Of course, I would never tell you... "Oh, just ignore it all, I'll tell you what's best for you..."
I don't know enough, and frankly, it wouldn't be right to act that way. Is it even moral? No.
The real question is: how long is that amount of Helix actually going to work for you?
Look, the drug itself isn't inherently bad. The problem arises when people start taking it on their own terms, or "as needed." People lose control. It becomes addictive. Just like a drug.
The dose you are taking isn't massive (I know people who take 10 mg a day).
Antidepressants usually need at least two weeks to start affecting the brain, though sometimes it takes even longer, especially when you are combining them with other medications (maybe four or five weeks).
During that window, the side effects are often very intense, and you simply have to be patient. There is no other way. Wellbutrin is a solid antidepressant, but unfortunately, it comes with a mountain of side effects.
No one can force you to swallow something you don't want to take.
Just remember, doctors are supposed to listen to us so they can "recommend" a path forward, not bark orders at us about what we must ingest.

Kevin Nguyen3, I'm on Citram. They suggested Wellbutrin, but since it doesn't cover anxiety or panic, I didn't want it. I'll stick with Citram for now; it's only day 15, but I've been on edge all day, so I'm just hating everything right now. Everyone has bad days, I guess. It'll get better. And I'm not giving up the Helix yet.

redranger2 said:Look, just take the Helix, honey; there's no need to apologize to anyone. 😉
If it’s part of your treatment plan and your mind tells you it’s necessary, then take it. There will eventually come a moment when
you won't rely on it nearly as much once the antidepressant actually kicks in.
At the end of the day, I’ve been using it myself for six years; if I skip it for three days, I'll just pop one or two whenever
that restlessness hits, and then everything is fine in America. I make sure to stay disciplined so that I
don't exceed two tablets a day, except in those extreme circumstances where
I know for a fact I'm going to have a breakdown from the stress.

Look, I'm taking it. I can't go anywhere without my Helix; the little box stays with me.😂I take it every single day, three 0.5mg doses. As for the AD, we'll see if it ever works. Honestly, I feel like I'm getting worse the longer I stay on this stuff. The first week was fine, but this week is driving me insane. Nausea and headaches the last couple of days, and today the anxiety is just peaking. I've basically locked myself inside because I have no idea how I'll react once the AD finally hits. So I just thought, why not just stick to the Helix until it does? I'm exhausted from all the trial and error. Feeling pretty on edge today.

Michelle Evans said:I just have to remind you that if you decide to stop or change a prescribed treatment based on advice from someone on a forum, you're doing so at your own risk...

No offense intended, but using a forum as a substitute for a real doctor or a clinic is truly irresponsible.

EDIT: My apologies, I misread and thought you had stopped Helix because of forum advice.

Maybe I worded that poorly or wasn't clear enough, but obviously, I’d never just stop my meds without talking to a doctor first.

Kevin Nguyen3 said:Yes, I did state that Helix shouldn't be mixed with just any random AD.
Theoretically, everything works perfectly fine. We have these brilliant theorists with PhDs in every niche branch of psychiatry imaginable... right up until they actually have to deal with the practical side of things.
The diagnosis.
That is where the wheels fall off.
Because of ignorance, a lack of experience, pure apathy, narcissism, arrogance, or simply a total vacuum of information during patient interviews, doctors end up prescribing just about anything and everything.
Usually, they just throw out some generic AD.
There is such a razor-thin line between anxiety and depression, isn't there? It is incredibly difficult to tell them apart because the symptoms overlap so frequently.
Just look at the chaos in our hospitals! Every single doctor has seventy-eight times more patients than they can realistically handle. Everything is rushed; everything is surface-level analysis.
And then, look at the big pharmaceutical companies—those massive money-making machines exerting pressure on every single sector of medicine.
Just look at what you can buy over the counter if you happen to have the cash.
In this kind of climate, is it any wonder that people end up taking the wrong medications, based on wrong diagnoses, or even the wrong dosages?
I believe I mentioned somewhere that newer drugs often have multiple effects—targeting anxiety and depression, or sometimes even acting as an antiepileptic—yet they haven't been studied enough, and still, they are handed out left and right.
It would be a waste of time to list all the ADs that might actually handle the anxiety component well, but at the end of the day, the doctor is the authority—they are the final link in the chain who decides or assesses.

Getting a diagnosis is tough, yeah, but half the time doctors don't even want to listen. I went to a private specialist who didn't have a hundred people waiting outside her door, and it was the exact same story. She ended up prescribing Wellbutrin, which I didn't even want to start. Even though my pharmacology knowledge is pretty basic, I could see from what I read that it doesn't touch anxiety or fear; it's strictly for depression. For me, it would probably be dysthymia rather than full-blown depression, but only slightly. My main issue is the fear of leaving the house, even though I still go to work and try my best not to break down completely. Honestly, I could live on Helix, but they insist on an antidepressant instead. I've spent months researching and switching doctors, and I'm still struggling with Citram. Since starting it, I stay inside more—yesterday I had nausea and a headache all morning, today it's heightened anxiety. I never know what taking it in the morning will do to me. When I take Helix, I know I can make it to work or go wherever I want.
And if I wasn't worried about needing more and more Helix, I wouldn't even touch antidepressants. I know plenty of people who've been on Helix for years, don't see psychiatrists, and don't even care. At least with my version of things. I wouldn't touch the heavier stuff, though; I don't understand it.
But yeah.

Kevin Nguyen3 said:Not at all. Calistoga is a textbook antidepressant formulated from the active ingredient mirtazapine. It is intended for severe depression. It isn't even close to being an anti-anxiety medication.
There are more and more various AD-ov entering the market nowadays just to prevent certain allergies or sensitivities to specific drug characteristics—like in this particular case with mirtazapine.
The goal of all AD-ov is similar, if not identical: to alleviate depression. However, not every patient can take every pill because they might be hypersensitive to certain ingredients within the medication.
And that is where the side effects originate.
Side effects arise from ignorance rather than knowledge, unfortunately.🙄
For anxiety, one should look toward anxiolytics, which @rejoflajt covered in her posts over a year ago, though we don't revisit them very often.

Sorry, but I don't get it. You say anxiolytics are for anxiety, but I'm anxious and terrified, and I've never really dealt with major depression. You told me before to stop taking Helix. If anxiolytics are for anxiety, why am I suffering through Citram or any other antidepressant? Am I supposed to just vomit up my Helix and call it a day? Sorry if I misunderstood, but that's how it sounded.🤷

Kevin Nguyen3 said:It takes quite a while for Cyrus to fulfill its duty as a CIA. Once you finally start feeling better, you have to stay on it for at least another six months.
Lexapro is similar to Oxazepam. There's also one called Lexaurin... some kind of mid-range anxiolytic.
My recommendation? Stick to exactly what the doctor prescribed until your check-up. Then, have a detailed conversation with them and proceed based on their assessment—either keep going or switch the CIA.
Sometimes, combining Ladd with other medications can speed up the metabolism of the Ladd, which ends up reducing its effectiveness.
Are you taking Ladd?
I'm not entirely sure if Cyrus should be combined with tetracyclic CIAs.
That would require a much closer look.
Helix is an anxiolytic and can be quite dangerous; it creates dependency and doesn't play well with all CIAs.
You absolutely must report these side effects to your doctor and stop taking Helix.

I stopped taking James Smith because my doctor cut it off—I gained too much weight too fast, which is why I reached out. Now I'm just on Citrus. And Helios was the doctor's call, so I guess it's fine. We'll see. My follow-up is August 29th. Thanks for the reply. I know Helios is risky, but since I work, it's been a lifesaver. For now. Doesn't mean it always will be. But given how terrified I get heading into work—my biggest fear is just collapsing there, losing control, or whatever else my head throws at me when I leave the house—Helios is what's keeping me going. Since I spent 5 months without an antidepressant and was just using Helios without any issues—I can even drive after taking it—whatever I'm feeling right now is either from the Citrus or, like redranger2 said, something else entirely that I've just linked to the medication.

redranger2 said:If it has only been 14 days since you reached the full dosage, side effects are still entirely possible. That said, it’s also plausible that this isn't related to the antidepressant at all. Even a perfectly healthy individual not taking any medication can experience exactly what you're describing. There are simply days when we don't feel our best, and that is perfectly normal.

It might be wise to start tapering off the Helios gradually—perhaps moving down to two tablets a day for a week or two, then eventually to just one. You're dealing with quite a heavy chemical load right now between the three Helios doses and the Xanax. However, if your anxiety remains intense, continue with the current regimen and wait for the Citrus to stabilize. It would be a mistake to abandon the therapy prematurely; it takes time for the brain chemistry to settle. The most difficult part is often the transition between different medications, which can create absolute chaos among your neurons.🙂

Thanks. I was thinking the same thing. Maybe the headache is from something else, but you always end up blaming the medication first.
Regarding the Helios, the anxiety is still too much. I don't think I'm ready to taper yet, even though I know it's a lot. I'm just waiting for the Citrus to work so I can... well, I know it has to happen eventually. I've been on this dose since September, but back in the spring, there were days where I was practically comatose and painfully restless. How much longer should I give the Citrus a chance? And obviously, I hope it works. Nobody enjoys switching up their meds.🙂

Just checking in with everyone... I've been on 😕Cyrus for just under a month now. Well, actually, today marks 14 days since I hit the full prescribed dose (5 mg). Last week was manageable—just some morning sweats and a bit of restlessness, nothing major. But yesterday and today, the mornings have been worse than last week. Nausea, and this brain fog that’s really getting to me; it feels like my head isn't even mine. I'm still taking 3x0.5mg of Helix during the day, same as before. Sleep isn't an issue; honestly, I wish I slept less. If I take 6 mg of Lexapro, I sleep like a baby.
Basically, I want to know if it's normal to still be dealing with these side effects after two weeks, especially since they seemed to clear up for a bit last week. How long am I supposed to wait? How much longer do I have to put up with this? My follow-up appointment isn't for another month, and I can't exactly call my doctor every five minutes, even though she gave me her cell number. I already called her once about the Ladd. Any advice would help. I don't want to stop the treatment, but I also don't want to spend another month suffering through these mornings.🤷

redranger2 said:It is frankly terrifying and incredibly irresponsible of your doctor to jump straight to a full dose; it’s no wonder you felt like you were falling apart. Since Citram and Cipralex are chemically identical,
if you had been tapering on the Cipralex—starting with a quarter dose for three days before scaling up—you wouldn't have endured those symptoms.
No competent psychiatrist would ever prescribe a full dose of an antidepressant right out of the gate.

So I switched doctors. If she’d actually been responsible, I wouldn't have spent the last eleven months playing scientist. I've only been on Citram for ten days, so we'll see. Still getting side effects, but nothing compared to last year. Kevin Nguyen3 said I was just a guinea pig for some ambitious private practitioner... and honestly, it feels that way. Once this stuff finally kicks in, I'll forget the whole mess.

restlesstrucker15 said:I am doing well, thank you. 🙂 I am hopeful that things will click this time around; they ought to, provided you remain patient just a little longer. Are you planning on starting psychotherapy? When dealing with anxiety, that component is absolutely vital.

Did CBT privately for five months, maybe an hour or two a week. Didn't help much. My therapist suggested we take a break because things just weren't clicking. Honestly, I had a happy childhood, good parents, a solid life—didn't see the point in digging through the past to "heal." I just piled three jobs on myself, felt like everything had to be perfect, including the housework. Turned my whole life into a strict schedule and ended up losing myself. Now, I've cut back on work, outsourced some chores, and I'm learning how to actually do nothing when I don't feel like it. Hoping the meds help too. I'm ten days into the full dose; side effects aren't nearly as bad as they were in November. Just some morning nausea, headaches, and feeling a bit more jittery. Regret having to stop Microsoft. It worked great paired with Tim Cook, but my doctor wouldn't allow that much weight gain. Even I wasn't a fan of it.

Kevin Nguyen3 said:Exactly. In a way, because of that heightened sensitivity, you were basically a "guinea pig." There was this assumption—or perhaps just misguided ambition on the doctor's part—that you would eventually stabilize on the Lexapro.
But clearly, that wasn't the case. Once the doctor realized force wouldn't work, she pivoted the treatment plan.
This time, things are moving more smoothly—gradual, cautious, much better.
On one hand, it makes sense, doesn't it? How can any physician truly predict how an individual will react to a specific drug? They can only experiment.
On the other hand, there is the valid frustration felt by you and all of us regarding how this was handled.
The question is: how do we deal with it?!
Unfortunately, there are so many medications on the market today that even the most seasoned pharmacologists can't certain how a single drug will behave, let alone how various combinations might interact. It's unpredictable.
So, how do we frame this whole complicated ritual of switching medications as a genuine attempt at healing?
I suppose the only way is to accept that nobody—and I mean absolutely nobody—can predict specific side effects within a certain timeframe. We all know firsthand that a pill acts differently in the morning versus at night, or when we're exhausted versus when we're well-rested or hungry. Those are just tiny variables, yet they aren't even explicitly noted on the labels.
By pooling together all these different lived experiences, we can somehow get closer to understanding the basic characteristics of drugs like Celexa or Xanax...
But for all the newer medications out there? There are still far too many question marks.

Just overambitious. She told me I'd feel like a new person in ten days. Guess I was just a guinea pig. This time, I'm just hoping for a better outcome. Not expecting miracles, but hoping.

redranger2 said:Don't tell me you jumped straight to 10 mg???😲

Yeah, she told me that. After five days of pure hell, instead of suggesting I taper off, she just cut it off entirely and switched me to Lexapro, which was another total bust. I was completely new to all this. My anxiety issues first hit in October, and since nobody else in my family deals with stuff like this, I honestly thought this was just how life worked. Then I was blindsided to find out Citram is basically the same thing as Lexapro. My doctor told me to drop by quarters, then down to a half, and said to stick to 5 mg until my checkup at the end of August.

restlesstrucker15 said:Don't let this weigh on you too heavily right now. It might work, or it might not. I wouldn't go so far as to say one is weaker than the other; if they are in the same class, the efficacy should be comparable. Unfortunately, an AD isn't a magic cure, but it is incredibly helpful. As for knowing when it takes effect? You'll know when those physical manifestations of depression and anxiety begin to recede, or when you notice a return of mental joy—things like having actual motivation, just as fadedbear92 mentioned. Ultimately, you'll know when you stop constantly questioning whether it's working.🙂

Hey restlesstrucker15, long time no see. How've you been? Glad you reached out; we talked a lot about Lexapro back in the fall. Thanks to you and Rijeka, too. I'll try to stay positive. But honestly, I'm terrified it won't work and I'll be right back at square one. I know others have it worse and some people here have been fighting this for years, but everyone's struggle feels heavy when it's yours. I feel for them, though.

fadedbear92 said:You'll feel calmer, with more positive energy—which basically means having the drive to actually *do* things you didn't have the strength for before.
And if you've been dealing with panic attacks, those should taper off, too.

So, way, way less anxiety and a higher libido.
-"...Libido as psychic energy" (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Libido)

Plus, your sexual energy naturally picks up, of course.

If I'm looking for any actual progress from what you wrote—and I know nine days is way too short to tell—I feel like I'd need to be on Citram for a month before feeling this way. Does that mean it isn't working? Since I still don't see much improvement, and I've still got those minor side effects. Ladiomil worked great for my nerves, but the weight gain was brutal. When I asked for a different evening anxiolytic AD, she wouldn't recommend anything else... just said Citram would be fine on its own. My anxiety is the bigger issue anyway; I had several panic attacks last year, and I probably would've had them now too if I weren't taking Xanax instead of dealing with depression.

On Citram I've been on for about 3 weeks now. Since I'm a total wimp, I spent the first 10 days taking just a quarter dose, and now I've been on 5 mg for 9 days—that's what my doctor prescribed until my follow-up in 5 weeks (late August). No major side effects, just some extra jitters and nausea in the morning. It’s manageable. But I'm wondering, how does someone actually feel when an AD is working? Like, when am I supposed to notice a shift? I haven't felt anything with any AD so far. Maybe a stupid question since everyone is different, but I'm just counting the days, waiting for the moment I can get up and head to work or leave the house without feeling so much fear and anxiety. I was on Ladiomil for 7 weeks once; it was fine at first, but I gained 3 lbs in the first month—which I mentioned here—and then after that, it was like my metabolism just went haywire. I put on 7 lbs in three weeks. I had to call my doctor because I was terrified I'd hit 200 lbs before my next appointment, so she told me to stop the Ladiomil immediately. Another thing: my first med last November was Lexapro, starting straight at 10mg. Five days of pure hell and unbearable restlessness, but my doctor back then refused to lower the dose and just stopped it entirely. Now I'm on Citram and it's tolerable. If she had taught me to taper slowly like they do now, maybe Lexapro would have worked and I wouldn't have wasted months of misery. Am I right, or is Citram just weaker than Lexapro even if they're in the same class?

Kevin Nguyen3 said:I included two links in my post; did you actually read them to the end, or do you just find someone's tone unpleasant?🤷
It isn't about asking people to believe me... it's about reading or evaluating the experiences of people who have gone through similar situations, or are still going through them right now.
Do I care if I am liked by you or anyone else? Not really! I am simply speaking about the effects of completely different medications that should never be combined.
Can you offer me a different interpretation?!
I have been taking medication for twenty years—medications that would give a healthy person an arrhythmia in ten minutes!—and I am still taking them, still monitoring them, and still reading everything there is to read about them.
Psychiatrists aren't pharmacologists; they make mistakes. And honestly, we are an even bigger problem because we don't bother reading anything about our own meds.

''Patients being treated with Aurorix must exercise caution, as they may need additional medications that increase serotonin levels, much like many other antidepressants, especially when used in multi-drug combinations. This is particularly relevant regarding clomipramine.
Treatment with tricyclics and other antidepressants can begin immediately after stopping Aurorix—that is, without a 'washout' period—provided that the same precautionary measures are taken.''

Just a thought...

''Pharmacotherapeutic group and action

Anafranil contains clomipramine, a tricyclic antidepressant that acts on depressive syndromes as a whole, including typical features such as psychomotor retardation, depressed mood, and anxiety.

It wouldn't be a bad idea to go to your doctor and demand an explanation.

I didn't mean to hurt you or "discredit" your 20 years of experience with medication (I'm just a novice here, having struggled with mild depression and anxiety for just under a year). I was just stating my opinion. You say psychiatrists aren't pharmacologists and make mistakes, but GPs are even worse, and pharmacists can't dispense anything without a doctor's order anyway. So who is actually treating us? Other people's experiences aren't necessarily ours. Researching drugs and reading stories online often just makes me feel worse, to the point where I don't want to take anything at all. Besides, this woman has been on that specific combination for two years and asked about starting AP. Online links and forums can help, but they shouldn't be absolute guides (anyone can write anything on the internet). From my own experience, Lexapro worked great for a friend, but it gave me severe restlessness and suicidal thoughts... should I have trusted my own experience or the doctor who prescribed it?
I don't know much about pharmacology, but my take is that the doctor comes first. If it isn't working, you change the meds or the doctor. The internet and forums come last.

"Quote:"

urbanskipper4 said:Are you kidding me???? I actually trust my psychiatrist; she’s been treating me for 10 years.😲
I seriously thought she knew which combinations were okay to use?!

She’s an older, more experienced doctor. I won't say where she works or who she is, it doesn't matter.

But anyway, thanks for the heads-up.
Glad I asked.

Maybe it was just some random oversight on her part.
Luckily, I have a follow-up appointment this week, so I'll bring up this combination and see what she says.

Your doctor has been treating you for ten years. You’ve been on this specific combo for years. Why would you trust some random person on a forum over your own physician? It’s honestly sad how some people here act like they graduated from Harvard Medical School and finished three different psychiatry residencies. All their "advice" just ends up scaring the person asking the question. I was supposed to start Wellbutrin at the beginning of the year, but I asked around here first. Based on what everyone told me, I didn't even try it. Maybe it would have worked for me. People claim they gained 25 pounds on Lexapro, but after seven weeks on mine, I've only gained three. No offense intended, but some people really overstep with their "expert knowledge" about medication. Just go to your follow-up appointment and ask the professional. If you haven't personally taken a specific combination of drugs, how can you possibly know if it’s bad? Even something like Aspirin can cause GI bleeding—it's literally in the warnings—yet people take it by the handful for heart health. Sorry if anyone feels called out, but if you haven't taken it, you shouldn't be commenting just because you read something online.

Paul Newman5 said:Been taking Ladomil 25 mg at night for a month now. It’s doing alright—helped lift the depression as much as it can in this timeframe and dialed back the jitters, which was a huge issue for me in the mornings. Because of that, I've actually been able to cut back on my Xanax intake, though I'm still using it. Still, it hasn't touched the anxiety much. I'm still struggling with getting to work and that constant dread of something going wrong once I'm there. Honestly, I just hate leaving the house in the morning. Even though the Ladomil keeps me calmer, my doctor prescribed the same nightly dose plus 5 mg (half a pill) of Escitalon at my checkup today. I've been lurking here for months and don't recall anyone mentioning it. If anyone has experience with it or knows anything, let me know. I read it's good for various types of anxiety and social phobia since it's an SSRI, but that's just what the pamphlet says. Real-world experiences would be helpful. Thanks.

Forgot to mention, Ladomil is still at night and Escitalon is in the morning—just realized it basically works out like I need to take both at night.