Posts by silentmarlin76

Jason Vaughn482 said:Ten milligrams???😲 My goodness, how on earth did you end up on a dosage like that?

my bad, I meant 0.10 mg... honestly, we always tend to drop the zero when talking about these things, so people just say 10 or 5 and stuff, and things get messy... oh man, that sounded totally wild, my mistake🤣

@Kevin Hayes83, those prescriptions aren't exactly standard, so maybe head over to the nearest clinic and find yourself a real psychiatrist!!

Jason Vaughn482 said:But how much were you actually taking? I mean, what was the dosage in milligrams?

I was on 10 mg daily. Some days I’d take a little more, some days less, just kind of drifting along like that for years now... at least eight years, give or take.

@Nino, you really shouldn't be taking Xanax right before bed like that... was that the psychiatrist you were seeing? Whereabouts are you located?
you seriously need to get to a doctor ASAP and lay everything out for them, just explain exactly what's going on...

Look, I don't want to freak you out or anything, but honestly, anything is possible if you just decide it’s gonna happen 😁 you really have nothing to lose by giving it a shot...
just stay brave... seriously, we're in this fight together and I've got your back 😉

fadedbear92 said:Xanax is definitely the go-to for anxiety—but honestly, the physical dependency is nothing compared to the mental grip it has on you. It gave me this total sense of false security, which made quitting incredibly tough—though, thankfully, years of psychotherapy really helped me pull through after being hooked for so long.😵

And I am finally kicking that crap to the curb... oh my god, let me tell you, there was this one time at work where I stayed late and hadn't taken it for three days... I was just totally out of it!! Like, brain dead!! Completely useless!! I couldn't even string a single sentence together on my computer, I was trying to process a project, reading through stuff and I couldn't even grasp the first sentence, let alone the whole damn topic... my manager was talking to me about the assignment and I was just staring blankly at him, not understanding a single word, just nodding along like a zombie, pretending I knew what was going on🤣

thank God I managed to slip away, a friend of mine happened to swing by that day... and ever since then, I always make sure I have 😁

@Jason Vaughn482, honestly, man, just toss out whatever you don't need and hang onto only what helps you actually get some sleep..
and look, about the Xanax thing—it doesn't really matter if you're taking a tiny dose or a big one, or even if you skip a day here and there... but once you've been on it regularly for a month or two, even if it's just daily doses, getting off it is a total nightmare. It gets "heavy," you know? And as time goes on, it just feels harder and harder to shake that crap..
and since you said you weren't on it constantly, like you mentioned earlier, you shouldn't have much trouble stopping.. at least give it a shot..
I'm rooting for you! 🙂

Jeffrey Ramos4 said:Sanval is highly addictive, and you really shouldn't be on it for an extended period...

Zoloft is a strange one. I’ve been on it for quite a while now, and if I miss even a single dose, my eyes start twitching left and right the very next day... plus I get this weird, unsettling nausea. It’s bizarre. I was also reading up on it, and apparently, for one antidepressant, it's a pretty intense ride. If you're trying to taper off, you have to go incredibly slow, essentially removing one tiny little bead at a time. Technically, antidepressants aren't supposed to be addictive—that's more the territory of anxiolytics. Thank God I don't have that problem... 😁
Has anyone here actually dealt with Depakote? It’s primarily prescribed for epilepsy, but they use it as a mood stabilizer too. It feels a little strange to me...

yeah, that med is absolute garbage and I totally feel you on that.. but that whole "bead by bead" thing sounds like total nonsense.. it's the first antidepressant I haven't been able to kick, and man, I am struggling like crazy. Right now I'm down to half a pill—because I refuse to swallow those little beads—and I'm still going through the wringer. If things get too bad, I might honestly just check myself into a clinic just so they can stabilize me a bit and make the tapering process less of a disaster.. this stuff created a real ADDICTION for me, even though some people say it's just a mood stabilizer.. basically, it's pure hell when it's not in my system..

Honestly, man, going cold turkey on the Xanax and Valium has been hitting me like a freight train... I’m really struggling out here.
It’s just so hard to get used to actually falling asleep on your own after relying on those sleeping pills for so long, you know? In my experience, it takes at least a month of grinding through it before your body finally remembers how to just shut down naturally without help. That’s what happened with me, anyway.

Man, I am so jealous, Brandon Lopez6 😁 seriously, how on earth did you pull that off!?

Jason Vaughn482 said:Even after several years, I still take a starting dose of Xanax (as mentioned above), which ranges from 0.5 to 1.5 mg...
In truth, I have come to the cynical realization that almost everything carries an addictive potential. I believe I’ve touched upon this before: what is the functional difference if I spend years on Xanax while someone else relies on Klonopin or any other antipsychotic? It seems the logical approach is simply to find whatever fits best for one's own unique physiology and mental state. Personally, I’ve found a sort of equilibrium with this low dose of Lexapro; it hasn't caused weight gain, it helps me drift off, and I don't suffer from debilitating side effects. So, I use the antidepressant, and then supplement it with something like Ambien or Lunesta, which function as hypnotics. I don't bother with Xanax at night because it doesn't actually help me sleep...

The thing is, though—and this is where it gets messy—those basic anti-anxiety meds or sleep aids don't necessarily hook you the same way, but stuff like benzodiazepines, Xanax, or Ativan? They definitely create that dependency... which makes things super sketchy when you try to quit, which is exactly what I'm dealing with right now, so I'm basically going through withdrawal hell..

I actually managed to drop the basic anti-anxiety stuff all at once, and man, those three weeks of fighting insomnia were brutal, but things are finally starting to level out, and nothing else really bothered me with those. But with the benzos, I have to taper off slowly because if I stop cold turkey, I get these massive panic attacks, these weird emotional "hallucinations" where everything feels unreal, you know? It's heavy..

I'm also working on weaning myself off Xanax, because without it, I honestly feel so foggy that I can barely even process a single thought... so I'm taking it one tiny step at a time. Plus there's this one other medication that everyone seems to swear by, but it's the one that sends me into my absolute worst withdrawals... but I know I can function without it, I really do. That's the main goal. I've made up my mind that there are no compromises in this fight; I'm seeing this through until the very end so I can finally, truly be free from all of it..

fadedbear92 said:Look, you don't need to explain Xanax to me—I’ve unfortunately had a fair amount of experience with it myself—and I'm certainly not claiming it's a sleeping pill. My point was simply that mixing Ambien, Xanax, and Quetiapine to fight insomnia is a bad idea; a specialist needs to pick one specific, appropriate medication instead.
Just so we're all on the same page here:
Ambien
Xanax
Quetiapine

Regarding Quetiapine—yeah, I suffer from terrible insomnia, and after trying plenty of meds that worked for a little while before losing their edge, my shrink prescribed this antipsychotic. It's used in low doses for anxiety and sleep, but in higher doses for psychosis (schizophrenia, mania, bipolar disorder... it's all in the pamphlet)

One quick side note—my doctor is an absolutely stellar psychiatrist-psychotherapist and is incredibly well-versed in psychopharmacology. She isn't one of those doctors who just hands out prescriptions like candy; I truly feel for people who end up in the hands of those types.

Prazosin is a potent drug and it leaves you feeling groggy. It's meant for managing opioid withdrawal..

That's news to me, though it is also used for insomnia along with what's listed in the instructions.

Try taking—in consultation with your psychiatrist—something like Paxil or similar. It won't leave you feeling so lethargic, tired, and foggy.. there is no "magic pill".. potentially, adding another pill on top of that just creates more dependency.. and that's not what you want..

All benzodiazepines become addictive after a certain point.
As for Paxil,

I assume by "magic pill" you meant antidepressants—there's already been a ton written about that—but I'll just add that psychotherapy should really be the foundation, with medication serving as temporary support rather than the only option, unless, of course, they are absolutely necessary.

In conclusion—yes, everything absolutely needs to be handled in coordination with a professional. We're just sharing our personal experiences here, which is what this thread is for, right?
And, as has been said countless times in previous posts, medications affect everyone differently, so it often takes trying a few different options (not all at once, please don't misunderstand me!) to find the right fit.😁) how one might actually track down the "real" deal, if you know what I mean😉

Prazines were originally used as an alternative to heptanones, specifically to deal with opioid withdrawal...
benzos become addictive after about a month, like I already said... 🙂
And I definitely wasn't talking about antidepressants when I said "lifeline"... those just level things out, and even then, they take a month or two to kick in and can cause dependency too... but you already know all that...
I was actually being a little vague on purpose because I didn't want Currie to think about adding yet another medication to the mix... I was thinking of Xanax, which is like a quick fix to lift you up, but yeah, it's also addictive after a month...
and I totally agree with your last point, that's something I find myself repeating all the time... 🙂

SajkoDad said:Is Mirtazen the same thing as Calixta? Man, if I take that stuff, I turn into a total hog almost immediately—though honestly, it’s probably more about the food itself because Calixta just makes me feel insanely hungry, so I guess there's more to dig into there. I don't know if I'd be this ravenous on something like Q-pin, though... maybe not? It feels like it's not just a simple "you're hungry or you're not" situation, but more like there's this middle ground where you can actually manage to stay sane without raiding every single thing in the fridge.

So, Mirtazen (Calixta) is an antidepressant, while Q-pin is an antipsychotic... and yeah, those antidepressants can definitely cause weight gain because your body starts craving food, but you can usually find a way to hold yourself back if you really try... oh, and just a heads up, pretty much any medication like that can make you bloat since you end up retaining water..
Just go talk to your psychiatrist and see what you guys can work out..
Personally, I don't gain any weight at all from antidepressants, but man, when I was on an antipsychotic once, I gained 30 pounds in just 16 days 😁 and then dropped it all in a single week once I stopped taking it..

steeltrucker3 said:Thanks! My brain is definitely a bit of a circus too... haha. I'm currently switching out my primary care doctor, so I haven't done much yet besides deciding I'm done with Zoloft. On me, Zoloft makes my muscles feel stiff and shaky when I exert myself—I end up stepping off the bus looking like a newborn deer! I actually quit Cipralex pretty quickly because of that, and now I'm worried all SSRIs might act the same way...

If you want my two cents, maybe look into Mirzaten... you could take it every night before hitting the hay. Just make sure you hammer out the dosage with your psychiatrist first, though. Seriously, don't go tweaking anything or adding stuff on your own without talking to them...

fadedbear92 said:If you pop 100 mg of Quetiapine, you’ll be out cold in about 30 minutes—just straight sleep without any tossing and turning. Honestly, skip the Ambien and the Xanax; you really shouldn't be mixing three different sleep aids at once.😒

Look, Xanax isn't actually a sleep med, and Q-pin is basically an opioid that just "levels you out," which is why people sell it as a sleep aid, but it's not really that. For most regular folks who aren't dealing with actual addiction issues, it'll knock you out, but there are way too many of these things floating around the market being handed out left and right.

Benjamin Robinson3 said:Is there any kind of pick-me-up I don't have to take daily, but can just grab whenever I'm hitting rock bottom? I'm currently on Prozac (I need to hurry, because they bumped the price from $30 to $17, and this tiny little box only lasts me a week...) and 100mg of Paxil to help me sleep. It feels like I'm sinking more often lately for no apparent reason, so if there’s anything out there that could lift my spirits—something proven that I could tell my therapist I'd like to try—I would really appreciate it 🙂

Prazina is heavy-duty stuff, and honestly, it's probably why you're feeling so groggy. Prazina is typically used to help people coming off opioid withdrawal... If you want to stay functional, talk to your psychiatrist about something like Paxil or whatever—something that won't leave you feeling totally drained, exhausted, and just totally numb. There isn't really a "magic pill" to lift you up... at worst, adding another pill just means you're building another dependency, and that's the last thing you want.

Kimberly Morris said:Day 27 on Zoloft and honestly? Nothing. It’s actually getting worse. A few days ago I even bumped up to the full 50 mg pill.
I feel like I’m poisoning myself and my kid, and I’m literally praying every single day for some kind of relief, but... nothing. Zip. Zero.
My psychiatrist keeps insisting things will eventually turn a corner... Okay, fine, maybe I just need more time to feel human again, but the fact that I don't feel even a tiny bit better yet is absolutely killing me.

Maybe ask her if she can prescribe something else to help you bridge the gap while you wait for this to kick in... I am so incredibly sorry you're going through this nightmare right now. 😢 Hang in there!

I mean, it doesn't have to be some massive, overnight overhaul... you just don't want to go swinging for the fences all at once without having a psychiatrist in your corner to help guide the way, you know? Just take it one tiny step at a time... maybe give that a shot if you haven't already... Good luck, seriously!

I honestly can't even begin to tell you how much I’ve been overthinking this whole situation lately, like, my brain just won't shut up about it, you know? I was sitting there just staring at my screen, probably looking like a total space cadet, thinking back to what urbanskipper4 said earlier, and it really hit me how much we all just struggle with the same weird stuff. It’s kind of wild when you think about it, isn't it? We're all just out here doing our best, trying to navigate life without losing our minds, and sometimes it feels like we're just spinning our wheels in some massive suburban parking lot in Ohio or something. Anyway, I don't mean to ramble on forever—though I know I totally do—but I just felt like I had to share that little thought because it felt important in that weird, late-night sort of way. Just one of those things, I guess!

urbanskipper4 said:Sometimes my stomach looks like I’m freaking pregnant.
I’m taking it for anxiety tied to my OCD. I also struggle with some pre-psychotic symptoms.
This time around they switched me over to an anti-epileptic because, honestly, every other antipsychotic makes me put on at least 50 pounds.

I feel like Lyrica bumps up my appetite on Yelp just a little bit, nothing crazy though.

Yeah, honestly, if you're eating everything in sight, then yeah, the Paxil will definitely make you pack on the pounds—but you don't actually have to eat like that, you know? It’s all about how you handle it. I don't think Lyrica makes you gain weight per se, but man, almost every single one of these meds makes you feel super bloated and puffy. It's just one of those things. Anyway, regardless of what anyone else says, you should probably go get some liver function tests done, just to be safe and make sure you aren't running yourself ragged. 😉

I was just sitting here thinking about everything we’ve been discussing lately, and honestly, my head is kind of spinning from all the different perspectives flying around this thread. It feels like everyone has such a unique take on how things are going, which I guess is why I spend so much time lurking here, even when I don't have much to add myself. Sometimes I feel like I'm just drifting through these conversations, trying to make sense of the chaos, you know? Anyway, I'm just hanging out, processing it all, and hoping that eventually, some of this stuff starts to click for me. Just one of those days where I'm feeling a little extra reflective, I suppose. kaže:
So, look, there’s no actual addiction issue here or anything like that, but I decided to run a little experiment on myself this week by tapering off my Zyprexa. Honestly? Total disaster. I was pulling these insane all-nighters where I wouldn't even hit the pillow until 5:00 AM, only to be jolted awake by my alarm at 7:00. I really went into this thinking that once the medication cleared out of my system, my sleep cycle would finally stabilize and things would actually feel better—you know, like I'd finally get some decent rest. But nope, absolutely nothing. My sleep is still non-existent, and honestly, everything else feels pretty crappy too.

How long has it actually been since you stopped taking Zyprexa? I mean, how many nights have you gone without any real sleep now?

Jason Vaughn482 said:What dosage are you currently on? A friend of mine handed me some 100 mg pills he had just sitting in his desk drawer and suggested I simply split them in half. However, looking at the tablet now, there isn't a score mark or any indentation to guide the way, and frankly, I’m paralyzed by the thought of hacking it into three uneven pieces. I haven't taken anything yet; I'm just sitting here staring at this tiny fragment of a pill, feeling a genuine sense of dread about whether I should even attempt it.

Based on how you're describing it, if they gave you stuff like Seroquel, Quetiapine, or an SSRI, then yeah, just break it up... you can even crush it if you really have to. Just tear off a quarter of it and swallow it down, but hey, if Paxil used to make you feel all groggy and out of it, this might do the same thing to you... Don't sweat it too much though, it's not like it's super intense. Honestly, just nibble off a tiny bit of the pill and go catch some Z's, then see how you feel after...

I don't even know where to start with this one, honestly, because there’s just so much to unpack from what was said, but I guess I'll dive in anyway since my brain won't let me settle down until I've chewed on it for a bit. It's funny how certain things just stick in your head, isn't it? You're just going about your day, maybe grabbing a coffee in Seattle or something, and suddenly you're spiraling over a conversation you had three days ago. Anyway, regarding what was mentioned...

urbanskipper4 said:Anyone else taking Lyrica? It’s got me feeling super bloated and my legs feel all swollen and weird.

Lyrica is some heavy-duty stuff... Honestly, you can notice it with pretty much any medication they put you on, that whole water retention thing. It doesn't have to be a huge deal if you’re just feeling a bit bloated around the stomach—that’s kind of par for the course—but you really ought to get your liver checked out, especially if you start noticing swelling in your legs. If you don't mind me asking, what are they even having you take it for? Not trying to pry or anything, just curious.

I don't really know how else to put this, but I've been sitting here staring at my screen for what feels like an eternity just trying to find the right way to respond to everything that’s been said, because honestly, there's so much to unpack and my brain is feeling a little bit like scrambled eggs today. It’s funny, isn't it, how we all end up in these digital spaces just drifting along, hoping someone actually gets what we're trying to say, even when we're being a total mess about it? Anyway, I was looking back at what was mentioned earlier, and it really got me thinking about how much stuff changes depending on who you ask, which is kind of wild if you stop to dwell on it for more than a second. I guess I'm just rambling now, sorry, I tend to go off on these little side quests in my own head sometimes, but I just felt like I had to share those thoughts before they drifted away entirely.

I guess I’m just sitting here thinking about things again, probably overthinking them more than I should, which is kind of my specialty, I suppose. You know how it goes when you start spiraling down one of those mental rabbit holes where everything feels a little too heavy and you can't quite shake that sense of unease. It’s like being stuck in a fog where you’re trying to find your footing but the ground just feels a bit too soft, if that makes any sense? Anyway, I was just reflecting on how much easier life might feel if we could just flip a switch and turn off all that background noise in our heads, though I know deep down that it isn't actually that simple, no matter how much we wish it were. Just one of those days where my brain is doing its own thing and I'm just along for the ride, trying to make sense of it all while sipping on some coffee and hoping the clouds clear up soon. kaže: I honestly feel like we should be sending everyone struggling with mental health issues in for a full checkup once a year, you know? Like, just a regular, comprehensive deep dive to see where things stand. It feels like we just sort of drift along until something hits the fan, but if we actually had a system for annual screenings, maybe we could catch the downward spirals before they turn into total freefalls. Just a thought, I guess—maybe I’m just overthinking it again, but it seems like it would make so much more sense. Just thinking about everyone out there who’s currently navigating life on a mix of AD and AP... you know, those of us just trying to keep our heads above water with the daily meds and the anti-anxiety stuff.

Man, what they actually ought to be doing is lightyears away from how they’re actually running things... I know, I know, there's supposed to be a rule for this kind of stuff, but honestly, hardly anyone ever bothers to post about it, and from what I can tell, nobody even considers it essential documentation for anything, so everyone just skips right over it.

Jason Vaughn482 said:I took some Ambien last night which I don't usually use, and it was a struggle just to drift off; honestly, I fall asleep easier than I do with those OTC stuff... My doctor prescribed me Ventia to help with sleep since I told him I was struggling, but after reading through everything online, I think I'm giving up on the AP I was assigned for my insomnia yet again. I haven't actually tried a single pill from the prescription yet... I don't know, maybe I should try a 25 mg dose, but reading all these horror stories gives me the chills.

Look, if you take Ambien, you really have to head straight to bed immediately... otherwise, you might just push right through it and feel like you didn't even take anything at all. You can basically bypass the whole effect in half an hour and then it's over, nothing left. I'm not sure if your doctor warned you about that part?

If you're looking for sleep, Praxiten would probably be the best bet, but man, that stuff is a total trap. Just a heads-up, you can expect a nasty withdrawal crisis once you try to stop taking it after about a month.

Regarding Ventia or Seroquel... seriously, if it was prescribed to you, don't let fear stop you from trying it. Just start small—maybe 25 mg—and go from there. The main thing with those is that your tolerance builds up fast and you end up feeling super hungry, by the way. But hey, it doesn't cause addiction, so if it doesn't work for you, you can just quit without any drama. Don't let those intense warning labels scare you off; your doctor wouldn't have written them down unless there was a real reason. (I mean, every single medication comes with a massive list of warnings, contraindications, and side effects, right?) Give it a shot... you might just feel a little groggy at first.

Maria Clark5 said:Depends on why you're taking it. I was on Mirtazapine for depression and insomnia, and honestly, it works great. But there's one massive downside: it makes you gain weight like crazy. That's why I stopped. As for the number of meds—don't sweat it. I'm currently juggling Xanax, Ativan, Norvasc, Seroquel, Prozac, Ambien, and Celexa... depending on the day. Throw in some Dormicum and you've got my routine. You'll be fine.😉

Check out this cocktail:
xanax + xanax (Helix is basically just a different brand) - both are anxiolytics - benzodiazepines..

Normabel - which, if you're already taking the xanax mentioned above, you wouldn't even be prescribed this because it also falls under the anxiolytic/benzodiazepine category..

If you just need help sleeping, Normabel does the trick, but she's listing the super mild stuff—Cerson and Sanval—and then adding the heavy-duty hypnotic Ambien on top (which you can't just mix and match like that; usually it's one or the other or maybe a third, because they all target the same receptors).

Plus, she mentions SEROQUEL!? which is an antipsychotic—that's typically used for schizophrenia, manic depression, PTSD, or anxiety at best.. It doesn't even fit in with anything else she listed..

With that whole list of meds, girl, with all due respect, she probably wouldn't be able to string a coherent sentence together out loud, let alone type it out on a computer.. 😁

Hey guys! Honestly, my head is spinning just reading all this bad advice and total misinformation floating around here!

Everything labeled as an antidepressant is basically a scam because they don't actually kick in for at least 2 or 3 weeks—no exceptions there. And most of the time, you don't even "feel" anything happening; it just sort of levels you out, if that's even the right word..

Tolerance builds up for pretty much everything, GENERALLY speaking, so once you've been "popping" something daily for more than a month, you're looking at addiction.. which means you're heading straight for a physical, neurological, and psychological crisis when you eventually try to quit those pills.

Xanax and Helix (which I see some people here mixing together) are essentially the same kid, just from different manufacturers—it's a huge misconception. They're the exact same thing as Normabite or Valium.. and they have absolutely nothing to do with antidepressants. You feel them after about an hour.. one is a quick lift and the other is a heavy sleeper..

Seroquel!? Ambien!? — those are antipsychotics.. NO WAY! There is zero theoretical reason for you to be on those unless you're dealing with schizophrenia, manic depression, PTSD, or major depression, at the very least.

I don't even have the energy to explain this all... just go to a local hospital like Mayo Clinic with a referral for an addiction specialist and explain your situation there.. you don't just get these pills for no reason, even if places like that hand them out for everything because they're basically living off the big pharma companies.. but seriously, what I'm reading on here isn't safe for anyone. Sadly, they shut down that old forum where the advice was actually decent.. Pills aren't something to mess around with. If someone suggests Zyprexa or Cogentin to you, man, you'll be toast.. 😁