Posts by Larry Barnes10

Benjamin Perasović absolutely crushed that speech

restlesstiger49 said:Week five on Zoloft. Current status:🤷 I honestly have no clue! I’m not even sure what the "right" feeling is supposed to be, so how am I meant to tell if it's actually working? Should I look into switching medications, or just hang in there a bit longer?

Haha, same here. Honestly, I have no idea if the meds are even doing anything. Maybe I feel a tiny shift once in a while, but nobody ever tells you what the actual goalpost looks like... how am I supposed to know if it's actually working?🙂

restlesstrucker15 said:It is true that all medications carry some level of risk, but that doesn't mean they aren't beneficial when needed. 🙂
I would love to see someone try to walk through a severe case of pneumonia without any antibiotics.
Jason Vaughn482, please don't be alarmed by the side effects listed everywhere; they are standard. I could suggest you read the warning label on a simple bottle of Tylenol, though perhaps that isn't necessary either. 😁
In my estimation, things like fast food are actually far more detrimental to one's health than a single dose of a benzodiazepine.

Sent from my

This is easily the most intense group when it comes to preaching about how "dangerous" pills are. Like, sure, let's all just sit here and suffer in agony instead...

restlesstrucker15 said:Hang in there 🙂
People say the nausea from Lexapro can be pretty nasty, but it usually passes.
Try to cling to those moments when you're feeling even slightly better; it might make dealing with the side effects a bit easier to stomach.
Personally, I didn't experience any side effects from Lexapro or Ellie, but I know how brutal they can be—both physically and mentally—because I’ve dealt with them from other meds, so I truly empathize with you. 😢

Ships FR

Can you describe how Lexapro/Ellie worked for you? I've been taking it for a little over two months and maybe feel a tiny bit of a difference, but nothing major. Does increasing the dose ever help since I'm at 10mg now and the instructions say it can go up to 20mg (I have depression/anxiety)?

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.

We're all pretty new to this whole scene, so don't be too hard on us😁 plus, being curious is just human nature. Some questions are definitely stupid, but whatever, people ask stuff when they're spiraling. This is basically an online therapy couch, after all.🤣

Anyway, since you've tried thirty of them, which one actually worked best? Just wondering if I should mention it to my psychiatrist next time, because what I'm on right now isn't doing squat...

Maria Wood8 said:I’ve put on a few pounds since I started taking Lexapro, too. I’m constantly snacking—all I can think about is food. It's weird because I'm usually not even a big eater. For now, it's fine, but I really don't want to keep gaining weight.
Regarding libido... yeah, I have zero interest in sex. Like, zilch. Not since I started this medication. It doesn't bother me too much right now, though, just because of where I am in life.
I'm not sure about the official diagnosis, but my paperwork says something about "depressive-anxious symptoms in a socially introverted individual." That's probably it.
Is escitalopram—the main ingredient in Lexapro—a hormone or something? Do these antidepressants mess with your hormones?

Look, I'm no expert on hormones, so hopefully someone here who actually knows their stuff can weigh in on that.🤷
For me, the meds barely even work. My libido is totally normal and I haven't had any real side effects at the start. I haven't noticed an increased appetite either, which seems to be what people get once they actually start feeling better.😲😢🙂

Maybe I need to bump up the dose, but obviously only after talking it over with my psychiatrist...

Maria Wood8 said:Sounds like it's still way too early for you. Just hang in there for at least another month, and if things haven't shifted by then, go talk to your doctor. I'm on 10mg too. Honestly, once I removed myself from whatever was causing my stress, the anxiety pretty much vanished—though I still deal with the occasional bout of rage :/
I mean, most people get anxious when things get stressful, so it makes sense. It’s great that you changed up your routine🙂 and once the meds really settle in, you'll be golden!
By the way, did you put on weight since you were seeing Erica?

Of course I'm gonna stick it out, I just like checking in on how things are going right now and hearing what people with more experience have to say.
I'm also trying to spot my stress triggers and stay away from them or handle them better. Another thing I used to do—which definitely made my problems worse—was drinking. Now I don't touch it at all, or maybe just one drink a week compared to before, which was night and day.
As for weight gain, I haven't had any issues. My appetite is totally the same and I still work out a lot, so that shouldn't be a problem. My libido is actually normal too, even though everyone kept saying that was the biggest side effect—that total lack of interest in sex. It takes me a little longer to finish, but it's not a big deal, and honestly, the orgasms are kind of stronger.😍
What's your diagnosis? I've got Anxiety/Depression.

Maria Wood8 said:Look, personally, it took me a full two months before I even started feeling a bit more like myself. Like, I was actually cheerful and radiating some kind of positive energy for once.
I honestly can't tell if it's the Lexapro (which I'm also on) or if it's just because enough time has passed since whatever mess triggered me to start antidepressants in the first place.
How long have you been on the Lexapro?

I’ve been on it for about a month and two weeks. I feel a slight difference, but I still get hit with depressive episodes out of nowhere. Not trying to force anything, gotta give the meds time to work... I also overhauled my lifestyle pretty a bit, so hopefully all that pays off together.
What dose are you on? I'm at 10mg. Also forgot to ask—did the anxiety go away for you? Mine's slightly less, but in certain situations, it hits just as hard as before.

David Vaughn75 said:Look, meds aren't some magic wand that fixes your entire life overnight. People always have this naive idea that they'll just pop a pill and—boom—everything is suddenly sunshine and rainbows. It doesn't work like that. You need a combination of the right medication and actual guidance from a pro to make any real headway.

But my take is that the meds just stop me from being so anxious, jittery, or totally blocked up. It gives me enough breathing room to actually deal with life's bullshit and handle situations without spiraling. It lets me slowly retrain my brain to act differently. Obviously, nothing happens without putting in the work, but I need that foundation to even start building.

Honestly, you guys on here (you, Kevin Nguyen3, and the rest of the "experts" giving advice) have helped me way more than my actual psychiatrist. But hey, whatever, you know how it goes. It's a long fight and there's a million things to change... gotta take it one step at a time.

What’s your experience been like with ADHD meds? How much did they actually help you out?

So, how long does it actually take before you can tell if a med isn't working? Like, am I supposed to see massive improvements right away? Everyone I know who took it saw huge changes almost immediately, but I'm sitting here taking Elixa

I've been on Alice's meds for exactly 25 days now, though I spent the first week tapering up with a lower dose just to get used to it. Had some minor side effects during that first week, nothing crazy, but they cleared up pretty fast.
Honestly, I’m not feeling much better—if anything, the last two days have been rough, with these heavy depressive episodes hitting me out of nowhere.
So, if anyone here has experience with this specific med, should I go see my psychiatrist to switch things up or just hang in there a bit longer? (I'm dealing with anxiety-depression and mild bipolar II)