Posts by Jack Johnson47

I'm currently on 150 mg of Seroquel.
I don't know, honestly... I think the smartest move is just to run this by my psychiatrist over at Massachusetts General—I mean, they actually know my whole history and all my specific issues, so they're definitely the ones to ask...

So, for about six months, I was on this routine—taking my portal in the morning, Normabel 2mg three times a day, and then finishing the night with one and a half Prazin.
Everything was going pretty smoothly, you know? Relatively fine... until everything just hit the fan. I lost my job, things went totally sideways, and I ended up being hospitalized...
Now, looking at my discharge papers, they’ve got me staying on the portal and Normabel, but instead of the Prazin, they switched me over to SeroquelXR at night and added Cerson 5mg as needed.
Has anyone here actually dealt with this specific combo before?
I’ve heard stories about how Seroquel can make you pack on the pounds, and honestly, that is the last thing I need right now... 🤷

Hey again, it’s me... still relatively new to this whole medication thing and definitely feeling like a rookie at it.
Just got back from my check-up, and honestly, I feel more or less okay. My meds haven't changed, just the dosages are a bit different now.
So, it's one Prozac in the morning plus 2 mg of Normabel, half a Normabel in the afternoon, and then Normabel plus one and a half Prazin right before bed.
I was dealing with some nausea earlier, but it’s happening way less often now and it isn't nearly as intense.
That Normabel really hits the spot when it comes to relaxing—I seriously didn't expect it to work that well. Since my heart was racing a bit too much, usually right before lunch, my doctor bumped up my morning dose from half a pill to a full one.
All in all, I'm feeling better.
But now, I have a question 😁
I'm not sure if this has come up in this group before, but if anyone out there is on the same or a similar regimen as mine, I would be so incredibly grateful for some insight..
Um... okay, let's talk about sex.. How do these meds affect you in that department?
My libido is totally fine—the drive is definitely still there—but I've noticed it's becoming way harder to actually reach an orgasm, and it takes me forever.
My partner and I have an amazing relationship; he's super understanding and never makes me feel pressured, but I still end up feeling crappy about it myself..
Anyway, I'm just being blunt and asking you guys (it's honestly way easier to talk to people here than to my doctor 😁), so I'd love to hear about your experiences with this.

So, things started getting a little weird today... Work was a bit of a frantic mess this morning—nothing crazy, just that low-key panic where everyone’s running around aimlessly—but then, I had this run-in with someone. It wasn't even a close friend, just an acquaintance, really, and they said something that wasn't even meant to be mean-spirited, I swear... but man, it just hit me right in the feels. It stung way more than it should have. Honestly, I ended up totally breaking down and crying... now I'm just sitting here feeling all sorts of melancholy 🙂

fadedbear92 said:That sounds absolutely horrific—when did all of that happen to you????!!!!

It was a few years back... Yeah, yeah, I know, I really should've reached out for help way sooner, but honestly? I just thought I could handle it all on my own...

Anyway, getting back to what we were actually talking about...
Can blurry vision be a side effect?
And like, staring blankly at one spot without even blinking?

Paul Newman5 said:How does your anxiety show up? For me, I hate leaving the house. When I head to work, I'm always terrified something will happen—that I'll collapse, lose control, or get fired. I don't even like going downtown unless I absolutely have to. Are you able to get through your tasks at work? So far I am, but I'm constantly living in fear that one day I won't be able to.

Man, I went through this absolutely brutal stretch where I lost seven people close to me in just a few months—including my dad, who was my rock. That's when the sleep issues started. Then came a super stressful divorce, and to top it all off, I was actually a victim of an armed robbery. Now, I'm basically scared of everything... being around strangers is so uncomfortable, and even simple errands like going to Chase, the post office, or the library feel impossible. It just leads to me putting everything off... I constantly end up asking my mom to handle stuff for me because I'm so insecure and I just spiral into despair so easily. Honestly, I've had so many panic attacks that I've kind of learned how to manage them myself now...
Work isn't too bad since everything is familiar—the environment, the people—and I get along great with my coworkers, though it's a pretty small team. The only real issue is my concentration and memory... I'll start one thing, jump to another, and then totally lose track of what I was supposed to be doing in the first place...

I’m currently taking Normabel (2 mg)—half in the morning, half in the afternoon, and then one or two before bed. Last night, I took two plus some Prazina right before hitting the sack, and honestly? I drifted off pretty easily and only woke up once during the night. But man... this morning felt like I’d been run over by a freight train. I didn't even hear my first alarm—or maybe I just smashed it in my sleep without realizing—but getting out of bed on the second alarm was a total struggle.
So far today, I haven't really hit any major side effects, and work has been mostly fine... though I was acting a bit clumsy and ended up causing about fifty bucks worth of damage 😁 but luckily my boss is an absolute saint and smoothed everything over, so I don't have to worry about fixing the mess myself.
I'm still undecided about tonight... I think I might scale back to just 1 Normabel and the Prazina because I seriously cannot deal with waking up feeling like a zombie again..

As for all that stuff about autogenic training, meditation, and autosuggestion... I don't know... I just don't think I'm built that way. I'm skeptical, sure, but the bigger issue is that it feels like it requires so much time and practice, and I'm just not cut out for that kind of discipline. My focus is so shot lately that I can barely get through a long post on this forum, let alone sit there focusing on my breathing while my mind wanders everywhere else. Maybe once the meds kick in and things level out, I'll be able to actually concentrate 🤷

So, it’s day four of me messing around with this combo—Ozempic, Nurtec, and Prasilax... man, what a ride. That very first night when I knocked back the Nurtec and the Prasilax? I was absolutely wiped out. Like, straight to dreamland, super heavy sleeper, totally out of it... though, waking up for my shift the next morning was a bit of a struggle, let me tell you.
But honestly, that was just the first time! Since then, I haven't had any trouble drifting off, even if I am still tossing and turning a couple of times throughout the night. As far as side effects go, the one thing I’m positive about is how insanely dry my mouth gets—it's constant. And, uh, twice now my heart has been doing this crazy racing thing... I can't tell if that's actually a reaction to the meds or if I'm just totally stressing myself out over nothing 🤷

So, I'm gonna hit up my doctor next week and see what his take is on starting psychotherapy...
I mean, I'm really hoping this whole online community thing clicks for me—I’ve been scrolling through this subforum a ton lately, and it seems like so many people end up switching therapists... It makes me wonder, though—if an antidepressant takes maybe two or three weeks to actually kick in, how long does it usually take to figure out if a therapist is "the one," you know? Like, if they actually get you...

Paul Newman5 said:I actually gave you the answer about therapy when I was talking to Marty, so go read that—got my wires crossed on who I was replying to.😍I ended up asking her instead of you, but I'm wondering how many alarms it takes after those empty gaps and normal levels? It's sweltering today, driving me crazy, and between PMS or menopause, I can't tell which one is wrecking me right now.

Eh, I figured, no worries. This damn heat is killing me... 😁
The reason I brought up therapy is because it's a total mystery to me—I have zero clue how it actually works or what happens in those sessions—but I honestly feel like it would be pure torture for me since I just hate talking about myself...
I took my pills yesterday—Normabél and Prozac. And man, I can tell you one thing: I slept like a log. 🙏
Waking up was a little harder than usual, though, but I caught the first alarm. 😁
It took me a bit longer to really snap out of it, too... So this morning before work, I took half a Normabél and some Prozac. Work went fine, I guess, except I felt a tiny bit slower and more tired than normal. Then after lunch, I had another half of the Normabél...
Now that I've finally started, I feel a bit better knowing I didn't die or anything. 🤣

Thanks so much, Paul Newman5, for putting all this work into your post—you really nailed it.
I’m working through the whole weekend anyway, so honestly, it doesn't even matter which day I decide to kick things off. I’ve got a follow-up appointment next week, so I'll probably just play it by ear once I see how things are going...
Oh, and one more thing... psychotherapy... Is that usually part of the deal when you're dealing with these kinds of diagnoses alongside medication? My doctor only mentioned the check-up for now, and I totally (obviously 😁) blanked on asking him a million other questions...

I actually posted this over on the depression thread, but maybe I should've just come here instead 🤷
Anyway, here goes nothing

Hey everyone,
I’m honestly feeling a bit lost on where to vent or ask stuff, so I figured I'd just try my luck here...

So, long story short:
Things have finally hit a breaking point. After some people close to me kept nudging me, I had to face the fact that sometimes—just sometimes—willpower isn't enough to fix everything.
The diagnosis is F41.2, mixed anxiety and depressive disorder.
That's what Dr. Kramarić from Mayo Clinic wrote down.
He also prescribed: Prozac 20 mg in the morning, Lexapro 2mg (split 0.5+0.5+1-2), and Prazosin 25 mg before bed.
I picked up all the meds today and just set them on the table... now I'm just sitting here staring at them, and it feels like they're staring right back at me
I've never taken anything like this before, so yeah, I'm pretty terrified... but I know I have to do this because I can't keep going like this anymore.

A few questions:
If I take one Lexapro and one Prazosin tonight, how many alarms am I gonna have to set to actually make it to work on time tomorrow?
I read through all the fine print in the boxes (honestly, why did I do that to myself?), but what's the actual reality when it comes to side effects?
Since this therapy is a long-term thing, how hard does it actually hit your liver?
And seriously... how do you deal with people who just won't stop telling you that you don't need this or that "it's all in your head"?

Thanks...