Posts by Roger Rodriguez

It isn't bipolar, though the symptoms overlap quite a bit. That said, during the cycle 😬 the symptoms don't hit nearly as hard.
Regardless, I'm with you—if fadedbear92 actually has cyclothymia, then the therapy they're using just isn't cutting it.

Gary Thompson6 said:I honestly can't believe it, but after just four days on 25mg of Xanax twice a day—once in the morning and once at night—I'm already feeling so much better. That sense of derealization is finally starting to lift, and I actually feel capable of pulling my thoughts together and thinking logically again. The constant anxiety has completely vanished, and I haven't dealt with any side effects yet; I can finally get my life organized. I have a follow-up appointment in a month, and I’m really hoping this is the turning point. Thank God.

Are you taking nothing else besides the Xanax?

fadedbear92 said:Look, I’m not even going to stress about it—I’ve got cyclothymia, or whatever they call it these days to make it sound more official... I just have my cycles.😍

Are you being serious?
I've been staring blankly at my screen for several minutes now, struggling to find the right words to say.🤣
Wait, did a psychiatrist actually diagnose you with that, or is it just your own conclusion?

Oh God, does someone really need a specific reason to feel suicidal? 🤷

fadedbear92 said:Does everyone seriously have to stay up until 2:16 AM???😂🤣

So, no luck with sleeping? 😂
Hang in there—maybe you'll finally start feeling some progress today if you can manage to cut out the valium!

fadedbear92 said:So, I had my therapy session today—my therapist actually pointed out some genuine progress I've made with my personality lately, which felt good! She’s being extra careful with my treatment plan right now, though, because she doesn't want me to spiral. Anyway, the sleep issues are still a major hurdle. We figured out that since I started taking that Wellbutrin she prescribed to keep me from moping around in bed all day, my insomnia has actually gotten worse. It’s hitting my sleep cycle so hard that I can't drift off at all—so, I'm going to try switching it from midday to first thing in the morning. To help, she gave me another sedative; she mentioned it isn't like Ambien, which wears off way too fast, whereas this one should let me get a solid 5 or 6 hours of uninterrupted rest.
According to depression.org: "..Flurazepam is a potent benzodiazepine hypnotic. It works by enhancing GABA, accelerating the physiological sleep process by blocking stimuli from sensory, autonomic, and motor regions. This allows the patient to enter the first stage of sleep without shutting down the body's alertness systems. Essentially, the medication facilitates natural sleep induction, gentle waking, easy re-entry into sleep if interrupted, normal dreaming, and a feeling of freshness upon waking.
It is used to treat primary insomnia as well as various types of insomnia characterized by difficulty falling asleep or frequent nighttime/early morning awakenings.

That bolded part is spot on; almost everyone who has tried both medications agrees that Ambien is less effective in the long run.
What dosage were you prescribed? I've heard people develop a tolerance incredibly fast, forcing them to mix it with benzos just to drift off, so most people don't end up taking it every single night.🤷
I'm not sure if shifting your Wellbutrin schedule will make a difference—will you feel the change right away? Perhaps it will take some time to settle.
Let me know how this new combo works out for you—unless you end up sleeping through the whole day!😬

granitefalcon26 said:Wait, did that actually happen to you??😲 No wonder they're constantly hovering.😢

That’s true, but they were always this way. I never went anywhere without them for more than two weeks. Now I've become just like that, and I'll probably be the same way with my own kids one day.
It's just a cycle, isn't it?☕

Larry Howard8 said:Basically, separation neurosis means that in my head,
I'm still just a kid.
Mentally—not physically—I can't seem to detach from my parents because I'm terrified of growing up and taking on real responsibility.
Given how old I am now, there's this constant internal tug-of-war between the adult and the child.
One part of me wants to step up, while the other is scared to death, and that conflict leads to
obsessions, anxiety, depression, and all that stuff.
Hopefully, that clears things up for you.

🙂

I actually received a very similar explanation myself. During my first session with a psychiatrist, they thought my panic attacks were strictly due to trauma from an assault. But after going through extensive psychotherapy, we realized the real issue was the struggle to separate from my parents; I moved to a different city when I was only 15, and I just never truly processed that shift. To make matters worse, my parents aren't any easier to deal with than I am—they're even more intense about this stuff! They worry constantly and call me fifteen times a day. If I even have a slight fever, they'll jump in the car immediately to drive me back home so they can take care of me. I've essentially been conditioned to let them smooth everything over for me, yet I feel this growing need to finally become independent. Isn't it funny how hard it is to actually follow through? 😢

Wow, Larry Howard8, just wow.
(Not that I mean anything by it 😉 )

Robert Collins2 said:I’m currently on a cocktail of Lockheed, Vax, and Helix—got diagnosed with F-35.2

Honestly, I haven't really dealt with any side effects from the Lockheed side of things, just a tiny bit of weight gain. But since I managed to drop 8 pounds thanks to the depression, I guess I’ve just ended up right back where I started...

Linda Ross said:Weight gain while taking Lexapro in Los Angeles? Is this just a Barbie thing? Any experiences out there...

🤷
This question seems to pop up all the time, doesn't it?
Have you checked the medication guide yet? Most of the answers you're looking for are usually listed right there.
To be completely honest, you might see some weight gain, but it doesn't mean you'll pack on 10 pounds overnight. It's more likely that you'll just have to work a little harder to maintain your current weight, don't you think?

fadedbear92 said:exactly—antidepressants don't mask your emotions; that's what anxiolytics do, which is why they're actually dangerous. otherwise, we'd all just be walking around like fucking zombies. zero feelings, pure nirvana. just vegetating.

To be honest, there are times when that sounds pretty tempting. To just check out for a few days and then jump right back into my normal routine without any fallout, you know?😢

hollowtinker18 said:So you guys are claiming Calixta makes you gain weight? Fine.
But have any of you actually tried staying on Lexapro for a few weeks? Then you'd see what real weight gain looks like. It’d cure any anxiety problem instantly—I personally fluctuated between 175 and 250 lbs in just a matter of weeks because of it. The side effects are brutal, and one of them is this unstoppable hunger.

I definitely gained ten pounds (which is way too much for me since I was already right on the edge even before starting Seroxat😬), but I haven't actually been eating more than usual.
I honestly don't understand where these pounds are coming from; it's so frustrating.😠

Taylor Miller10 said:Alright... I know some of you are going to lose your minds over this, but this is just how I need to get my thoughts out...
I’m on day 11 of Zoloft. For the first four days, I was taking a quarter tablet, then for about five days I moved up to a half. I’ve decided to stick with the half dose for now.
To be honest, I’m hesitant to take the full dose because from what I can see, many of you have been on half doses for an entire year, and frankly, I have zero interest in becoming dependent on these things.
The main issue is that while the side effects have mostly vanished—no more nausea, maybe a little dry mouth... and thank God I can actually eat again—I’ve become incredibly tearful. It's infuriating.
And I feel an impossible level of sadness.
About two months ago, I ended a relationship during the exact same period I described in my previous posts, yet I feel significantly worse now than I did back then.
I honestly feel like my head is going to split open from the grief. If I could reach in and just rip my own heart out to make this pain stop, I would.
It's ridiculous. I take these supposed "uplifting" meds, and yet I feel even worse than I did before I started them!
So, I’m putting it to you: should I keep going with them or call it quits?

Thank you all so much for your input!

Best,🙄

To me, this looks like a completely normal grieving process following a breakup.🤷 You’re going to be sad, you’re going to cry, and your heart is going to ache when there's a legitimate reason for it. It would only be a problem if this were happening for no reason at all.
Try not to worry and stop counting the days you've been on Zoloft; things will get easier.

Everyone reacts differently, so please don't base your expectations solely on someone else's experience. For some, they start feeling a difference in just two weeks, while for others, it might take closer to two months.
It is often suggested that you should wait about a month, which just goes to show there is no set timeline for when an antidepressant will actually kick in, right?

Brandon Lopez6 said:They went and doubled my Xanax dose! (And I was already on the absolute bare minimum 😍)!

Now I'm actually low-key terrified to take it 🙄

Don't let it get to you. 😉 You aren't going to be taking this dosage forever, right? It's just meant to help you stabilize for a little while.

I would honestly just suggest that you stop obsessing over exactly when the AD will kick in or when you'll finally start feeling better. Why not try to just go about your day without constantly thinking about the medication itself?

Linda Ross said:So, I guess I’m not the only one dealing with this. Linda Ross, did you finally stop taking Calixt, and if so, what are you using as a substitute now?
SuperCrow, what exactly constitutes this "brilliant" doctor of yours—are we talking about a private psychologist or just some local GP?

A private psychiatrist...

Honestly, I also gained an insane amount of weight in such a short window of time. My doctor just gave me one look during my last treatment and told me I should probably grab two extra pairs of pants and five more shirts before heading out for a run, since clearly losing weight isn't happening on these meds. He didn't exactly kill my spirit, though! 😠

Terry Mendoza80 said:Since we’re all talking about increased appetite and stuff like that—has anyone else actually dealt with this while taking Lexapro? My psychiatrist told me it might happen right when you start the medication, but honestly, I feel like this hunger surge is only hitting me now, like, around month eight or nine of being on it. It’s a little hard to pin down exactly, though I’m pretty certain I have a much higher drive for food than I used to... maybe it’s just because I’m not working right now and I’m stuck at home all day, so I end up eating just out of sheer boredom 🤷 😁

I'm not sure how Ciprolex affects people, but I didn't start gaining weight on Paxil until after a full year. In fact, I actually lost weight during those first few months because I felt so great; food wasn't even on my mind since I was constantly out and about planning my next adventure. Then, after a year, everything changed—my appetite spiked just as my activity levels dropped, a combination that easily cost me about 20 pounds in a single year.🙂
Looking back, I used to be able to just grab a sandwich in the morning and be set until the next day... now, whenever I get hungry, it isn't just normal hunger; it's this awful, hollow sensation, like my stomach is collapsing and I have zero energy left.
Even now, I don't overeat per se; I just tend to go overboard on sweets (which I did before anyway), yet I'm still putting on weight. If you notice the scale creeping up, my advice is to start exercising and stay active. Don't obsess too much over dieting, because honestly, that won't help much if the hunger is driving you.😉

If the instructions say you shouldn't mix this with alcohol, doesn't that basically mean you should skip the drinks entirely? I mean, surely one beer won't ruin everything, right? Then again, it really just comes down to how your body reacts.

First off, what’s the reason you’re on medication in the first place?
Second, you really ought to stay away from alcohol while you're on this treatment. If you find yourself missing it that much, maybe it's time to look into rehab. What can I say—it's been three years since I've touched a drop?
And no, you absolutely cannot start tweaking your own dosage or skipping pills just because you want to go out drinking at night. You're playing with fire and risking even worse symptoms; for instance, if you're dealing with panic disorder, skipping a few doses could trigger a whole new wave of attacks.
These medications take days to build up in your system, so taking an extra Lexapro earlier in the day isn't going to change anything.
A single beer probably won't kill you, but it all depends on how your body reacts to mixing booze with your meds.
At the end of the day, you have to decide: is your mental health more important than a few beers that might jeopardize everything?

Can anyone tell me, if you've ever tapered off an antidepressant before, whether it’s possible to take something else alongside it—something other than Xanax or Natalie—to help ease those withdrawal symptoms? Does even such a thing exist?
I'm seeing my psychiatrist this Monday, and I'm honestly a bit worried he might just tell me to keep taking Paxil instead of actually letting me stop.