Posts by Chris Kim7

restlesstrucker15 said:Listen, this whole extended-release thing can be tricky; now that you mention it, I see why you asked. The catch is that you aren't supposed to break those tablets, because if you do, you lose that controlled-release mechanism entirely. Honestly, a 150 mg dose feels quite high if it’s intended for insomnia combined with an extended-release formula. 🤷 Regardless, you can't really do anything without consulting a doctor, so it's best to ask them first before trying it out.

If breaking them ruins the extended release, then we might actually be onto something here... 😁

restlesstrucker15 said:Are you serious? I was actually planning on asking my doctor for a new prescription this week. That’s frustrating... If you're in New York City, did you try calling the one near Pike Place Market? I'm not entirely sure, but I know there is an extended-release version available for order, though honestly, even the standard ones seem to last a long time for me 🤣... You should check with them and consult your doctor.

Yeah, at Pike Place Market. They're claiming there's a shortage, but who knows if that's true.

Did you ever get my DM from a few days ago?

Chris Kim7 said:I just got off the phone with a pharmacy that handles international orders for Zoloft, and they told me they can't get it right now because of some supply chain issue or whatever... 😢

So what else is there, how am I supposed to find this stuff?

I'm probably giving up on California, so I figured I'd just try switching to Zoloft instead...

So, I found out they have Effexor available in Austria, but it only comes in 150 mg doses, and I read online somewhere that those 150 mg ones are extended-release, whatever that actually means... if anyone knows anything about that, please let me know. Thanks.

restlesstrucker15 said:I take Trazodone; that is both the medication and its active ingredient. It isn't available locally anymore (like Devidon used to be), so I have to order it from abroad. Usually, I take 100 mg, though 50 mg is typically prescribed for insomnia. You might want to ask your psychiatrist to write a prescription for something specific, depending on their clinical opinion and how it fits with your current regimen.
In my experience, this works much better than Calixt or Q-pin when it comes to avoiding that debilitating "hangover" sedation the next day—though, to be fair, I still deal with some sedation. It feels like someone is trying to keep us all asleep. 😉

There is no point in asking for Halcion, as it won't provide a long-term solution for insomnia, and there really isn't a stronger hypnotic than Halcion once you've reached that limit. 😢

I just got off the phone with a pharmacy that handles international orders for Zoloft, and they told me they can't get it right now because of some supply chain issue or whatever... 😢

So what else is there, how am I supposed to find this stuff?

I'm probably giving up on California, so I figured I'd just try switching to Zoloft instead...

Jason Vaughn482 said:As for my own experience, my physician has kept me on Lexapro for two years now; I feel absolutely lethargic from the 15 mg dose, though the 7.5 mg felt significantly more manageable. However, things took a turn today when I found myself rushing to the ER. I never imagined I'd be prone to panic attacks, but a sudden toothache sent me spiraling. Then, after a bit of bleeding gums a couple of days later, I was gripped by such intense anxiety that I had myself packed and ready to head back to the emergency room within two minutes flat. I ended up requesting a referral to the psychiatric emergency unit, where I was seen by a specialist—and frankly, I've never been particularly fond of those types.
It wasn't anything groundbreaking, really, except that she was actually quite accommodating and prescribed the Coaxil I was looking for. When it comes to sleep aids, they don't seem to offer much beyond Ambien or Seroquel... oh goodness, it just slipped my mind that I should have asked about Xanax; I haven't ventured down that path yet. I'm feeling quite scattered right now... I wonder if a local pharmacy would even dispense Xanax in place of something like Ambien?

Anyway, good luck with the Coaxil, I'm crossing my fingers that it works for you!

I doubt the pharmacist would just swap them for you, but your primary care doctor could probably write a script for Zan instead of Sanval...

Jason Vaughn482 said:Exactly, and that is precisely the point I was trying to drive home to you earlier.

Yeah, I get it, I remember now.

It’s just these symptoms that are throwing me off, they weren't nearly this bad when I was out on vacation... Back then, I'd occasionally need to take Sanval alongside my 30 mg of Calixte just to catch some sleep. 🤷

restlesstrucker15 said:Yes, that's likely the case. When I was dealing with this, my doctor told me to try it for five days, and if the hangover effect didn't subside, we would discontinue the treatment entirely. At the time, I was taking 15 mg. It might be worth asking for advice on cutting your dose in half.

15 mg doesn't even touch my insomnia, it's just not enough for me...

Kevin Nguyen3 said:Well, look, it's hard to play prophet, isn't it? But if you ask me, it seems like Calixta just hasn't sat right with your system.
I used to have those dreams too—frequent, dark ones—but they've stopped for me now. I finally stumbled upon my own little formula for how to feel less depressed, less suicidal, while still sleeping soundly and waking up feeling actually fit.
The trouble is, some of the side effects from Calixta can overlap so much with the actual illness that it becomes incredibly difficult to tell what is truly causing what. Is it the condition, or the medication? It's a puzzle.
In my opinion, the best course of action is to have a real, honest conversation with your doctor about all of this.

Yeah, obviously, they're just getting back from vacation now. Still, I'm leaning towards it being the Calixta... I'll hang in there a little longer, maybe my body will adjust 🤷

Paul Newman5 said:I can sleep on 6 mg of Lexapro for now. Luckily, no insomnia issues, didn't gain any weight from it either. It helped me sleep fine, and I wasn't groggy in the morning, except for the first week. Again, I was taking the absolute lowest dose, so I wouldn't know about higher amounts.
Weight? Probably food intake combined with a slower metabolism. I have gastritis, so I usually have to be careful, but while on Ladiomila, nothing bothered me. I felt like I could eat twice as much as I do now. Everything sat well, and I just wanted to eat constantly. The scale was ruthless.🤣Minds you, it might not happen to everyone. But for calming down, it worked great for me.

Thanks again 😉

I'm going to talk to my psychiatrist about Calixt and potentially switching up my meds (though I'll hang onto Calixt for a little longer)...

Kevin Nguyen3 said:Are those really the only pills you're taking?
You shouldn't be feeling this way for such an extended period. Is it even safe to stay on them this long? I know everyone reacts differently, of course, but this seems excessive. Could it be some sort of interaction with another medication? Or perhaps your body just isn't responding quite right to the Calixt?
Do you feel any better when you aren't on the Calixt?

I've been taking Klonopin for years, also right before bed, just a tiny dose—currently at 0.75 mg. That shouldn't really have anything to do with it.

I started Calixta because of the insomnia, and it helped there, though it's been four weeks now since I began. Still, my dreams are wild, and they aren't exactly pleasant...

A neuropsychiatrist once told me that plenty of people don't do well with Calixta because it leaves them feeling completely sedated all day. Apparently, that's a pretty common side effect...

I'm also noticing that I wake up feeling pretty groggy, my heart is racing a bit, and there's just this lingering sense of restlessness...

Kevin Nguyen3 said:The general rule for Calixta is to take it in the evening. Or perhaps twice a day—once in the morning and once at night—depending on the specific dosage you've been prescribed. Personally, I take 45 mg at night and I don't feel completely wiped out the next morning. Then again, can one truly be an expert here? I am taking a whole mountain of other medications myself, so I suppose I cannot claim any absolute certainty.🤷

I take 30 mg of Calixta right before bed, and it's not just the waking up part that sucks, I feel groggy and wiped out all damn day...

Paul Newman5 said:I was on Ladiomila for about 6 weeks, just 25mg at night. Hardly any side effects, except maybe feeling a bit groggy during that first week. It really calmed my nerves, especially that morning anxiety I deal with. It worked well, but I gained 7 lbs in those 6 weeks, so I called my doctor and we stopped it. Didn't do much for my fears, though—and I didn't take it long, which is a shame because the weight gain sucked. My appetite was insane. Once I quit, I dropped 4 lbs within a week. It was decent otherwise, and I was on a low dose. Not sure what happens if you take more or if the side effects ramp up. Currently on Citram, 5 mg in the morning.

Thanks for the reply!

Man, that's a lot of weight to pack on that fast. I'm guessing it's either because you were eating everything in sight or it just slowed down your metabolism...

Did you have trouble sleeping before starting it? That's mainly what I'm trying to figure out, if it actually helps with sleep.

I'm still weighing my options with Calixt, because honestly, it feels pretty heavy during the day, kind of sedating, and leaves me feeling wiped out...

I see zvonx is on Trazodon. Anyone else here actually using it who can give me the rundown? I'm mainly trying to figure out if it even touches insomnia...

What about Ladiomila? If you don't mind, could someone write up a bit (maybe a lot 😁) about how it works, the side effects, whatever... thanks!

I’ve been relying on earplugs to deal with insomnia for about 15 years now... I need my room pitch black and absolutely silent to get anything done. My ENT said it was perfectly fine, and honestly, all those years of trial and error have just proven that it works for me.

I used to use those standard yellow foam ones you find at any CVS, but for the last couple of years, I’ve switched to these and they’re incredible because the fit is much more anatomical: http://www.google.com/search?q=ohropa...w=1917&bih=857

You can pick them up at most pharmacies or even at a Walgreens. Cotton balls don't do squat, they're way too thin to block out noise 😁

Some people can't stand having things in their ears, but I got used to them pretty fast... definitely better than dealing with constant background noise.

The plugs are really just an extra tool to help me manage the insomnia...

Jason Vaughn482 said:Hey, where have you been hiding? Are you finally back in the land of the living? And more importantly, how on earth are you holding up with Calixt? Give me a shout when you can.😉

I was actually just thinking that, you beat me to it... 😉

I'll shoot you a DM.

Still trying to wrap my head around Calixt... ☕

restlesseagle4 said:Where the hell can I pick up those earplugs? Aside from seeing a therapist, I’m losing my mind because I can't sleep—everything is too loud, from the honking outside to the neighbors slamming doors. It's driving me insane and I need those plugs ASAP. Where can I get them?
I've been dealing with this insomnia crap for forever. My doctor put me on some sleep aid for ten days, but it was useless; it worked for maybe three days max, then I spent seven straight nights wide awake even though I was supposed to be out cold. Then a coworker handed me some 10mg Diazepam, which helped for a few nights, but now even that isn't doing anything. I'm just lying there, wired and exhausted, knowing I have to work tomorrow. Every single workday is such a massive struggle when you're dealing with constant stress over money, the future, and everything else piled on top of you. I can't shut my brain off at night even when my body is completely dead; that damn brain of mine just runs at a hundred miles an hour and won't let me rest. Help—where do I buy those earplugs? I jump at every little sound. I am absolutely impossible when it comes to sleeping. 😢((((

Back in the day, 0.25mg of Xanax actually did the trick, but now even double the dose does nothing... I can't believe I've been cycling through pills for two or three years already. If someone had told me years ago that I'd end up like this, I would've called them crazy. But I guess life hits you with things you never see coming, and you should never say "never."

You can find noise-canceling earplugs at any local pharmacy, or even just head over to Walmart...

How much Xanax are you on? I’m taking 1 mg before bed and I'm planning to get off it... I tried tapering down before, which didn't really work, though I managed to get myself down to 0.25 mg gradually without too much trouble, but then everything just stalled because the insomnia was absolutely killing me, and Ativan wasn't much of a substitute...

unknown...

I don't know what to tell you about that ultraoptimism thing... people just seem to think everything is going to be fine when it clearly isn't... says: I've been on 15mg of Mirtazapine or that unknown stuff for about four and a half years now... It's what pulled me out of that deep depression I was dealing with back in early 2010... I used to struggle with having zero drive, feeling completely lifeless, and losing my appetite altogether... I’ve cycled through a thousand different meds before finding this one... As far as sleep goes, if I take it an hour before bed, it hits me hard and knocks me right out. I don't know what kind of dosage you're on, but you could probably bump up the milligrams a bit to get that extra sedative effect. It definitely kicked my appetite into gear, too. For me, it started working almost immediately, though I did deal with some nasty headaches when I tried stepping up to 30mg, so I dropped back down to 15mg... Anyway, just talk to your doctor about upping the dose. You could even pair it with a little Norvasc to help settle things down, though Mirtazapine is already pretty heavy on the sedation and calming side. I wake up feeling totally normal in the morning without any lingering effects during the day, but honestly, I wouldn't touch those extended-release versions because they just leave you feeling groggy all day long...

I'm gonna keep bothering you for a bit... 😁 If you feel like it, please just answer...

Ever struggle with insomnia too...

I wonder if that hypnotic, sedative effect from unknown eventually starts to wear off over time...

I'm looking for some insight here.

I take 1 mg of Valium at night just to help me settle down and actually fall asleep... I've also started taking unknown, beginning at 15 mg and slowly bumping it up to help with the sleep part.

I really want to get off the Valium—my psychiatrist is on board too—but I'm stuck on when the "right" time actually is. Should I wait four weeks until the antidepressant fully kicks in (😁) or can I start tapering off now, maybe by cutting back a quarter dose every week?

Obviously, I'll be running this by my doctor, but I really value hearing what people have actually gone through themselves...

Kevin Nguyen3 said:

Wait... what exactly am I looking at here? Is this some kind of botanical marvel or just a very strange little plant? It looks almost otherworldly, doesn't it? Like something you'd find tucked away in a corner of a high-end greenhouse in Seattle or maybe somewhere tropical down in Florida. There is such a striking, almost aggressive elegance to those petals. Does anyone else feel that? That sense of quiet, intense drama? I find myself staring at it, wondering about its origins, its purpose... why does it look so purposeful yet so delicate all at once? It’s quite captivating, really. Truly. kaže:
Is there actually any kind of blood test—you know, something definitive—that could pinpoint whether my serotonin or norepinephrine levels are drifting away from what’s considered "normal"? And I don't just mean those two; I’m talking about all the other essential neurochemicals that play such a massive role in depression and anxiety. Is there a way to truly measure this imbalance through a simple lab draw?

Wouldn't that just make the entire process of diagnosis and selecting the right AD so much more seamless? Wouldn't it?

Not a chance. No way. Absolutely not.☕
Is there such a thing as a "carcinoid syndrome"? It’s a question that lingers in the mind, isn't it? When one begins looking into the clinical indicators—specifically the measurement of serotonin levels within the bloodstream or even through urine analysis—one must wonder about the diagnostic implications. Does this specific physiological marker truly serve as the definitive signal for such a condition? It is a matter of biochemical significance, I should think.
What is considered a standard range? Well, if you look at the data, the normal value typically falls between 101 and 283 ng/ml—that is nanograms per milliliter. Does that seem high? Perhaps. But isn't precision everything when it comes to these measurements? It really is.
Is it not true that certain values—certain critical data points—are entirely dependent upon the specific laboratories used? One must consider the variables! If the equipment differs, does the result not shift? It is a matter of precision, is it not? Everything hinges on the lab.
Adrenaline levels... they're sitting at less than 70 nMol/24h. Does that even sound right to you? It feels... low. Is it supposed to be this low? I can't help but wonder what that actually means for the body's internal rhythm. Is it significant? Truly? I find myself spiraling into these thoughts constantly.
Noradrenaline levels... specifically, anything falling under the 400 nMol/24h mark. Is it concerning? Should one be worried? I find myself pondering the implications of such a measurement. It feels quite low, doesn't it? One wonders about the physiological fallout of such a deficit. What does this mean for the body's equilibrium? It's a significant figure to consider, truly.
Dopamine levels... specifically, dropping below 2500 nMol*dU/L. Is it just me, or does that number feel incredibly heavy? One starts to wonder about the physiological implications, doesn't one? It's quite a significant dip. Does this indicate a systemic deficiency, or perhaps something more localized within the neurological pathways? I find myself spiraling into these thoughts—wondering if the equilibrium of the mind is truly at stake here. It feels urgent, almost pressing, in its simplicity. Why does such a specific metric carry so much weight? Truly, it’s a question worth pondering deeply.
Concentration for a full twenty-four hours? Is it even possible? I find myself wondering... can one truly maintain that level of mental acuity without succumbing to the inevitable fog? It seems like a Herculean task, doesn't it? To stay sharp, focused, and entirely present from sunrise to the following dawn? One wonders if the modern American lifestyle, with its endless stream of notifications and caffeine, even allows for such sustained cognitive stamina. Is it a matter of sheer willpower, or perhaps some secret ritual involving black coffee and silence? Truly, I am curious.
It changes so incredibly fast... just happens in an instant. And then? It ends up right there in your urine. Can you even imagine how quickly that process occurs? Truly!

Basically, things would actually get easier if these tests could show what's really happening up in the brain...

But this urine testing? It's pretty useless, at least for what we're dealing with here.

So, I guess we're stuck playing the trial and error game...