Posts by redpilot37

Kevin Bailey2 said:Let me jump in. I have the best primary care doctor ever. I explained everything to her and she was sweet enough to write me a prescription for 25mg Loquen.
(Since the psych report says a GP can substitute a med if it's in the same class).
She set me up that way and told me to just take roughly what I feel I need... give or take. 🎉

I took a 25mg dose last night and it didn't knock me out at all, but I still got a solid 7-8 hours of sleep. Plus, I woke up feeling fine—no grogginess or hangover effect at all.

That's great news. Kudos to your doctor.👍
It’s awesome she actually helped you out instead of being some jerk.🎉
I'm honestly a bit nervous about starting Lamal. I don't want to get hooked and then deal with the fallout if I try to quit after a month. I tried taking it once and felt like I was stuck in a half-dream state, but my neurologist prescribed it.
It sucks because I won't be able to take anything for the new one.😁

Kevin Bailey2, since you've been on meds for a while now, are they messing with your libido, or has your body just adjusted?

jadehawk8 said:I tried all those alternative methods, but honestly, things just got worse since nothing actually worked. It was a struggle that only I—and others going through it—really understand. Medication was the only thing that finally brought me back to my old self. I’m doing great now, though I still get that familiar feeling every once in a while when I'm exhausted, but it's nothing compared to how bad things used to be.

Look, medication is just a crutch you need to get back on your feet. Sometimes you can't do it without them. Sometimes the body is just too overwhelmed to function otherwise. Meds are support.
For instance, I'm only just realizing how much better I feel on Prozac because I put it off for so long, debating whether to start or not. Now I finally have some peace. I can see how much they helped, how much that anxiety has vanished, and how much more energy I have. It's incomparable. 🙂

fadedbear92 said:You really have to dig into the root causes, which is what psychotherapy is for. That's the only way to truly resolve the issue; medications are a massive help, sure, but psychotherapy is the primary solution.

I agree.👍

Brandon Lopez6 said:I’m not on Lamictal myself, but I am taking a different antiepileptic.
I take mine at night before hitting the sack and honestly, haven't noticed much difference 🤷.
I'm on 2x25mg

It did clear up my dissociation and those crazy mood swings for me—not like full-on bipolar stuff, just more like constant, heavy PMS 😬. That was it. It didn't really touch my sleep either way, and I didn't deal with any side effects.

thanks

fadedbear92 said:It’s been a long time for me, but I only used it as a mood stabilizer—it didn't really have a sedative effect on me at all.

That's a small dose. I see others taking several hundred mg a day, so I figure it'll be fine as a stabilizer and for preventing those dysrhythmic headaches.

Hey, I was wondering if anyone here has taken Lamictal before bed? Just curious how it hits you... does it actually knock you out, or what? My doctor suggested starting at 25 mg.

Quoth:

Jeremy Scott quoth: What, did you honestly think a little pill was going to fix everything in your life? 🙄

Don't go expecting some magic wand that you wave around to make everything suddenly perfect.
Look, we aren't expecting anything here. We’re just asking questions and swapping stories. Hello?🤦

jadehawk8 said:Does anyone else deal with little waves of anxiety or panic while on antidepressants? I’ve been on mine for two months now and honestly, things have been great—my old issues are pretty much gone. But today, while I was out grabbing coffee, I got this sudden wave of feeling like I might pass out. It totally triggered that old sensation. Maybe I just overdid it being out all day and I'm actually just exhausted? It really spooked me, thinking I might slide back into my old patterns, but I'm taking my meds and hoping for the best. I really don't want to go through that hell again.

It hit me today, too. I've been on Prozac for three weeks, and it isn't panic—just this uncontrollable rage because I was so pissed off.

fadedbear92 said:Damn you druggies, go to hell!🤣🤣🤣

sorry but 😂 😂 😂
Seems like I'm the least drugged person here. Maybe I just need a little Viagra to catch up.🙂🙂😬

Richard Diaz50 said:I tried going without medication once, but I just ended up looking like a naive little kid—I definitely overestimated myself.😵
Now I've made a different choice; once you exhaust every possible alternative only to be met with disappointment, you'll accept whatever comes your way.☕ 😁
If only there were more understanding out there... sigh.🍿

Exactly. You eventually realize it’s time to reset and let go of the stress, the anxiety, all of it. There isn't some perfect fix. We’re always questioning ourselves, but maybe that’s just baked into who we are. That tendency toward anxiety, depression, sensitivity, guilt—maybe the only thing left to do is accept it. You have to love yourself most of all.
I live in a small town where psychotherapy isn't really an option unless you pay out of pocket, which is expensive. Since I'm already paying a specialist privately, adding more costs would be too much, especially since I'm home right now and not working.
Basically, self-love and acceptance. That's the key.

Richard Diaz50 said:That is the absolute minimum dose... so I really shouldn't say how much I'm taking 😢
but honestly, everyone, what is the deal with this mental anguish? It's starting to get under my skin... without meds, I feel like a shell of a person, yet with them, I don't even feel like myself. What's the point of any of this?

I'm asking the same thing. They work okay for my social anxiety and they calm me down, but I'm just groggy all day. There's no adrenaline left. I'm just not myself😁 I really miss the old me.😒
Whatever. If people love me, they love me. If they don't, they're wasting their breath.😁
Anyway, switching to something worse just to end up addicted to Normabel or Xanax isn't the answer... and good luck being "smart" about that.🍿
I have a feeling that maybe CBT (cognitive behavioral therapy, if I remember right 🤣) is the only thing that would actually work, and frankly, I'd rather tell everyone to go jump in a lake.🙂

shadowfox75 said:That is great news. I am keeping my fingers crossed for you. Tomorrow marks my eighth day on 25 mg. I hope I feel as good as you do soon. Until this kicks in and the side effects subside, I still need a bit of help from half a Lexapro pill.

I'm already about 13 days into the Zoloft. I hit a rough patch around day 7 when I tried bumping from half a pill to a full one. I was dealing with heavy daytime drowsiness and night sweats—tossing and turning in bed, insomnia, just all that stuff. So, I dropped back down to the half dose for two days. By the second day back on the half dose, I felt totally normal again. Honestly, I didn't even feel the half pill working, so I figured it was time to go for the full dose. Took the whole thing and zero side effects. Slept great that night, and now I've had two solid nights of sleep in a row. Someone actually recommended switching to something newer because I couldn't handle the jump to a full pill due to the side effects, but honestly, everything is working fine now. I'm going to ignore the suggestion to try Trintellix. Not interested in risking my liver if I don't have to.

Kevin Bailey2 said:I’ve been up since 5 AM feeling heavy... and my head feels even heavier. 😁

Good morning... ☕ 🙂

Things are looking up for me. I'm on Prozac now and honestly, I wish I hadn't waited so long to stick with therapy. I'm not taking anything else alongside the Prozac. Since I actually managed to get some decent sleep last night, I'm hoping tonight goes the same way.🙂😁

Morning, everyone. Let's get moving. 😁

shadowbear9 said:I suppose there isn't really anything to be afraid of... we actually had a psychiatrist give a presentation during one of our meetings regarding these specific side effects mentioned in the paperwork. She argued that you should never even read them before starting a medication because you'll likely just end up autosuggesting that you're experiencing them. Instead, you should probably just take the medication for about ten days first. In my case, I think it mentions needing blood work monitoring for Coaxil too, but my doctor didn't seem particularly concerned about it...

I think I'll stick with the Zoloft Ad. It showed some serious Toxic effects on the liver, which is the only one, but it's a big deal...☕

My psychiatrist recommended I try Trintellix. It’s taken at night and works by targeting melatonin receptors... it’s covered $35 under my insurance plan, which is great. Everything sounds perfect except for one thing: elevated liver enzymes are a pretty common side effect 😲 so I'll have to do constant blood work to monitor my liver levels—at three, six, twelve, twenty-four months, and then just whenever they feel like it. It's making me a little nervous. Anyone have any experience with this?

Grace Ross62 said:Has anyone else dealt with intense drowsiness right when they first started on Zoloft? If someone is reacting this way, would it be a smart move to take Xanax to counteract the sleepiness, or is it better to just push through and let those initial side effects settle down?

It’s pretty common to feel a bit wiped out at the start—just constant exhaustion and stuff like that. Don't take Xanax during the day; it'll just knock you out even harder. Only use it if your sleep is totally messed up.

Does anyone know a good private neurologist in the Miami area? Thanks.

velvetmoose9 said:Hm.
It would be smart to see an infectious disease specialist and a cardiologist as soon as possible (make sure you get an Echocardiogram too).
Streptococcus can be really nasty when it hits the joints, kidneys, or heart (that lack of energy might be a side effect of heart muscle involvement??)

Thanks a lot for the reply.

I had a Streptococcus infection; my CRP was up at 88.8 back then.
Had a fever, chills, and toward the end of the Silapen therapy, I started dealing with muscle aches or joint pain—honestly, it’s hard to tell them apart—and just feeling completely drained.
Afterward, I got some labs done.
CRP is 3.3 (normal).
Blood cultures were within the reference range.
The only thing bothering me is my blood Creatinine level. Every lab site seems to have a different reference range, but mine came back at
50 (ref. 49-90).
Is it possible this could be causing the muscle and joint pain, even though it's right at the bottom edge of the normal range?
I'm also currently being evaluated for dizziness. Thanks.

Brandon Murphy5 said:Hang in there, because honestly, all of this is pretty "normal" for the process. You're already seeing progress, since you mentioned the improvements yourself; you just need to give it more time to settle.
I'm telling you all of this from my own personal experience—things will eventually stabilize and be okay.

Here I am, halfway through a pill on day three... and I feel way better than when I was on a full dose. It just dulls everything down completely.
As if I could handle a steady job right now. I don't even know how I'd manage... it’s like someone just sliced away my drive, my energy... no, no, no... I wouldn't be able to do it. There's really only one possibility here: either the dosage is off or the medication itself isn't right for me.

I’ve been on Zoloft since July 3rd. Started with half a pill for the first eight days. At first, the side effects were brutal—felt like I was losing my mind. Then things started looking up. My motivation kicked in, I felt like doing everything, staying active. But then, out of nowhere, everything just died. Now I have zero drive. I feel numb. I'm exhausted. This isn't me. The only thing I noticed is that it calmed me down and killed my social anxiety, which wasn't even why I started it—I took it for depression. My libido picked up a bit at first, then tanked again. I didn't expect it to hit me like this. I think I'm going to get off the Zoloft. Took a half dose today... feels weird.