Posts by Michael Hill2

restlesstrucker15 said:It does happen to me. It’s infrequent, but it occurs. Antidepressants combined with psychotherapy significantly reduce these symptoms, and the ultimate goal is learning how to manage them effectively. It is quite normal for these issues to surface and then recede, though they should never return with the same intensity as before. Despite all the therapy and medication, I still deal with about 20-30% of my original struggles, but that is a percentage many people face, regardless of whether they are in our specific situation. There is no such thing as a magic pill; however, through dedicated self-work and a combination of medication and therapy, one can typically resolve about 80% of the issue. Unfortunately, we cannot fully alter our core personality or our genetics.

Skickas FR

That’s exactly what I wanted to talk to someone about. For instance, I’m on Fevarin right now and it’s been great—it pretty much wiped out my anxiety completely. I feel awesome.

My doctor wants to taper me off after a year, and I'm wondering: am I going to slide back into my old ways, or will this positive shift actually stick to some degree?

Btw, I’m starting psychotherapy too. 😉

mellowtinker7 said:Hey everyone. Is anyone else dealing with panic attacks while on ADHD meds? It’s been a while, and these lately have been milder and shorter, but they're definitely happening. How are you all handling this? Does it mean I necessarily need to stay on treatment longer? Do you feel like you've taken a few steps backward when the panic hits despite being on medication?

I don't have any personal experience here, but I've read on some American forums that sometimes these meds just stop working after a while. People over here call it the "poop-out" phenomenon. It might be worth poking around some US message boards to see if what you're feeling matches up with what others are going through. Fingers crossed it’s not that for you. 🙂

Gregory Jackson3 said:Much appreciated.
It strikes me as rather odd that even our pharmacists don't bother to mention such things... 👎

If I may, I have a follow-up question.
Regarding Lexapro—does it require a certain number of days to reach its full therapeutic effect,
or is it one of those "instant" medications where the very first dose represents the ceiling of what it can offer?

If I recall correctly, you mentioned going to your primary care doctor first just to get a prescription for Fevarin because you read on here that it was good. Then she gave you Luxet instead—which is similar to Fevarin, but isn't quite the same. Like I told you before, it's essentially a generic version of Zoloft.

Look, I know a GP can prescribe certain psych meds, but personally, I think that's pretty sketchy and unprofessional. A general practitioner just doesn't have the deep knowledge or the clinical experience to guess how a specific antidepressant will hit your particular mental state.

You can't just walk into a clinic and say you think Fevarin might work because it worked for Michael Hill2, Mari, or Peri. Every antidepressant has different indications. It is incredibly important to sit down with a psychiatrist who can actually evaluate your situation, warn you about how to taper the dose up gradually, what side effects to expect, and how long they might stick around.

And it doesn't cost you a dime, maybe just a small $3.25 co-pay.

Taking Luxet like this, jumping straight into a full dose without an adjustment period, is just asking for trouble.

Your body is basically in shock because you didn't ease into the medication, so those side effects you're feeling are probably going to hang around for at least two or three weeks. We've all been there.

My friendly advice? Get a referral to a psychiatrist so they can properly evaluate you and decide if Zoloft is actually the right move for you. 😉

fadedbear92 said:My sister mentioned that based on some US studies, you should give it a maximum of 14 days—if you don't see results by then, you just move on to something else.

Yeah, that's what the studies claim, but I’m living proof that things don't always work that way. My meds took about six weeks to actually do anything. Honestly, I was already sitting in my doctor's office getting ready to ask for a prescription change.

The general rule is that if you're treating anxiety, it takes longer than if you're treating depression. So, if you're taking them specifically for anxiety, I'd suggest hanging in there for at least six weeks before giving up. If it still isn't working after that, then go ahead and switch. 😉

Gregory Jackson3 said:Hello, everyone.
So, a few pages back, someone suggested I try Faverin, but my insurance swapped it out for Luxet instead.
My doctor maintains they’re essentially interchangeable, but then I actually took the time to read through the fine print on this little beauty:

thoughts of self-harm or suicide may occur; these can intensify during the initial stages of antidepressant treatment, potentially lasting two weeks or longer.

And what’s particularly charming is that there isn't even a recommendation to stop the medication if this happens; rather, it’s more of a "go ahead and explain to everyone else that you're depressed" type of advice.

It’s a bit much, isn't it? This is supposed to be the solution for anxiety and depression, yet for over two weeks, a person might find themselves grappling with suicidal ideation.
Should I actually be taking this, or am I just inviting trouble? 😲

Also, Luxet isn't anything like Faverin (fluvoxamine). It's basically just a generic Zoloft (sertraline).

The only similarity is that they both fall under the same category of SSRIs, but their uses aren't the same. Faverin is primarily prescribed for cases where anxiety, OCD, or insomnia are the main issues. 😉

Gregory Jackson3 said:Hello, everyone.
So, a few pages back, someone suggested I try Faverin, but my insurance swapped it out for Luxet instead.
My doctor maintains they’re essentially interchangeable, but then I actually took the time to read through the fine print on this little beauty:

thoughts of self-harm or suicide may occur; these can intensify during the initial stages of antidepressant treatment, potentially lasting two weeks or longer.

And what’s particularly charming is that there isn't even a recommendation to stop the medication if this happens; rather, it’s more of a "go ahead and explain to everyone else that you're depressed" type of advice.

It’s a bit much, isn't it? This is supposed to be the solution for anxiety and depression, yet for over two weeks, a person might find themselves grappling with suicidal ideation.
Should I actually be taking this, or am I just inviting trouble? 😲

Don't bother reading the list of potential side effects. Honestly, you’re just going to end up psyching yourself out and imagining things that aren't even happening. Everyone reacts differently anyway—it's all highly individual. You might not deal with a single one of them. 😉

Honestly, you probably got some kind of anti-anxiety med prescribed alongside the antidepressant to help manage those initial side effects. It’s pretty standard procedure, so I don't think you really have anything to worry about. 🙂

Kevin Bailey2 said:I have this theory that sometimes we subconsciously reject a medication, and that’s when the panic kicks in.

I usually wait until my kid is down for the night before I take my Seroquel. Everything goes smoothly... it calms me down, makes me a little drowsy, works up an appetite so I can grab a snack, and then I'm out.

But I remember one time I took it while my little one was still awake, and man, I started feeling this intense shortness of breath and heart palpitations. I was just like... omg... wtf?
I think it happened because I was anxious about the baby being up. I was probably terrified that the meds would knock me out too hard while he was still awake.
So the whole thing didn't even work; I just stayed wired and agitated until the kid finally fell asleep.

The mind is a powerful thing—way more powerful than any psychotropic drug. Our attitude toward our meds really dictates how they actually work.

I totally agree with you, 👍

That’s exactly how it felt when I first started taking Luvox. I was scared half to death about what it might do to me. I’d obsessively track every single side effect, and with this massive knot in my stomach, I’d swallow my pill every night just waiting for something terrible to happen.

Looking back now, I have to laugh at myself. I realize I was basically self-sabotaging my own progress by subconsciously fighting the reality that I was in a position where I actually needed an antidepressant.

It wasn't until I finally made peace with it that I started noticing real improvements. They probably would've shown up sooner if I hadn't been busy subconsciously fighting the pharmacy.

jadehawk8 said:thank you🙂I bumped my dose from 10 mg to 20 mg this past Sunday, so I’m not sure if that triggered it—maybe it was just a sudden panic attack in the middle of the night. I'm still waiting to hear back from my doctor, but they are never around exactly when you actually need them... grrr.

It’s definitely possible you're feeling the dose adjustment. Either way, try not to overthink it too much; it should pass🙂

If a panic attack hits, try some slow breathing—count 1001-1004 on the inhale, then 1001-1004 on the exhale. Keep it very slow and deep.

Also, try a distraction technique—look around and name everything that’s purple, or round, or sweet. It's a trick from CBT used to break the cycle during an attack.
By doing this, you force more of your brain's cognitive functions to kick in, which basically shuts down the primitive part of the brain responsible for triggering the panic.

It’ll be fine. Good luck.🙂

jadehawk8 said:I'm on Prozac, and my doctor told me it has anti-anxiety effects. I usually take my pill in the morning... but now I feel like I should take it now, and I'm panicking. I tried calling my doctor but his phone is off. I don't know what to do.😢(
Should I take it or not?

Just take the pill. If that wave of weakness and panic hits you again, just take some Normabest or Xanax—whatever they actually prescribed you.

Honestly, I don't think you need to spiral. I went through something pretty similar when I first started Luvox. 😉

jadehawk8 said:Around 3 AM—I wake up after maybe an hour or two of sleep feeling just terrible. Everything starts spinning, like I can’t catch my breath, and when I try to sit up, I feel like I’m going to pass out. It really scared me tonight; I tried to get up to go to the bathroom and just got so dizzy. Has anyone else dealt with this on AP? It feels weird that I'm fine during the day, but then this hits me at night. My heart also started racing around 9:30 PM and didn't settle down for an hour. That's the first time I've felt an arrhythmia while taking this medication... I guess I'm just having bad luck with AP😢(((((

If you just started an antidepressant, especially one with sedative effects, and you take it right before bed, this isn't exactly unheard of. You're probably just feeling the sedation kicking in, which causes that dizzy sensation.

Could also be blood pressure issues. I went through hell for two months dealing with low blood pressure from Luvox, and I felt that exact same weakness and lightheadedness. 😉

fadedbear92 said:I get it.
A long time ago, I liked Xanax way too much myself, so I had to go through the process of getting off it.😉😛

Man, Xanax.
😍

The absolute best legal drug you can get with a prescription.

Honestly, I’m glad it’s out of my system, but man, I still remember that incredible feeling. 👏

Jason Vaughn482 said:Must be nice to be able to sleep like a rock on just 2.5 mg... it just goes to show how much our chemistry varies; some people can't catch a wink even on 10 mg. For instance, I personally require 1 Sanval combined with 7.5 mg of Calista just to function, yet here you are sleeping soundly on a mere 2.5 mg.

Yeah, I definitely lucked out finding a therapy regimen that actually sticks. 😉

I’m also on Prozac, which is an SSRI that happens to have some sedative properties. When you stack that on top of the sedation from Calista, it’s basically the perfect sleep combo. 😍

Benjamin Robinson3 said:It’s honestly surreal reading about people actually getting sleep from Calixta, especially at such low doses like 7.5 mg.
I was on 45 mg for four months, and the only time it actually helped me drift off was during those first two or three weeks; after that, it did absolutely nothing.

Calixta is a very specific type of antidepressant.
At low doses—anything under 15 mg—it hits the histamine receptors exclusively, which is what knocks you out. Basically, the lower the dose, the stronger the sedative effect.

It was originally developed as an antihistamine, but then they realized that at higher doses, it also messes with serotonin and norepinephrine. Since the antidepressant market is way more profitable, they pivoted, but people still use it off-label for insomnia all the time.

So, it makes sense why 45 mg wasn't working for you; at that level, the impact on histamine is pretty much neutralized by the serotonin and norepinephrine stuff.

I’ve been taking 1/6 of a tablet for about three months now—roughly 2.5 mg—and I sleep like a log. The only catch is Calixta demands its minimum of 7.5 hours of shut-eye; if I get any less than that, I’m a total wreck and a zombie the next day.😉

But hey, whatever works. I haven't slept this well in my entire life over the last three months.😍

shadowbear9 said:So, I tried explaining my situation to the doctor yesterday. I told her straight up that I’d managed to get my hands on some Quetiapine and that it actually works wonders for me. But she was being incredibly stubborn about it, insisting she can't just prescribe it because she doesn't view me as psychotic. She mentioned she’d check in with Medicare to see what the policy is and told me to call her back tomorrow to see if there's any way around it. If not, apparently I'll just have to pay full price out of pocket, or—and this part felt a bit shady—she suggested I talk to a psychiatrist to have them note that I'm experiencing psychosis. I've only got four tablets left, and honestly, God knows how I'm supposed to sleep once they run out.🙄

Look, you could always just go see a private psychiatrist. Lay out the whole situation, get a private prescription, and then you can just go buy it yourself without all this drama.

Kevin Bailey2 said:I don't get it... there's a drug actually called Quetiapine, which is basically just Seroquel... but apparently, this Quetiapine is weaker than the Seroquel?

From what I can dig up online, it's the exact same active ingredient in the same format (quetiapine fumarate). The only real difference is which company manufactured it.😉

fadedbear92 said:So, I already mentioned that I take 100 mg of Quetiapine to help me sleep—though sometimes I'll bump it up to 150 mg—but when I brought that up to my doctor, she wasn't exactly thrilled. She told me she’d rather not introduce any kind of sedative into my routine just yet, so we're going to circle back and discuss it again at my next appointment.
I was stuck in this brutal cycle of waking up after only two or three hours of sleep—it was exhausting. I ended up bumping up my dosage because, honestly, if I don't get a solid seven hours, I'm basically a zombie the next day. Just can't function.🙄

The main thing is just getting some sleep. If you haven't lived through chronic insomnia or surviving on two hours of shut-eye a night, you honestly can't grasp how much of a nightmare it actually is.😉

Benjamin Robinson3 said:It’s been a week since I switched from Calixta 45 mg and Tegretol 400 mg over to Prozac 20 ml and Quetiapine 200 mg.
The first combo gave me the absolute worst side effects imaginable—it felt like every bad thing that could happen, did. Even though I was on a high dose of Calixta, it just stopped working, and I started sliding back into depression. I even had some suicidal thoughts for a few days there, but I managed to pull myself through. Those two meds were seriously messing with my vision and my head. I won't go into all the details, but it was rough.
My new psychiatrist suggested Prozac to help with weight loss, since that previous regimen caused me to gain 30 pounds. She put me on Quetiapine to help with sleep because I used Seroquel about a year ago and it used to knock me right out.
The first night I took the Quetiapine, I couldn't sleep at all and had to take Normabate just to drift off. I struggled so much, and when I finally woke up, it felt like I'd slept for 12 hours straight. I was hyperactive, which isn't like me at all. It felt like someone had grabbed my leg and sawed it off—just constant pain and discomfort. I'm also getting massive hot flashes from the Quetiapine and sweating like crazy.
The Prozac is working well; I'm eating a bit less, though my stomach hurts sometimes. I feel happier and more stable on it. Still, there's this weird sadness in the back of my mind because I finally found a medication that makes me feel "normal," yet I actually grew to like myself when I was depressed and suicidal (as weird as that sounds—I loved being that crazy version of myself, and it felt right. I don't know how else to act when I'm like that).

I’m going to have to talk to my psychiatrist about the Quetiapine.
Has anyone else dealt with this?

I wouldn't know, honestly, but right now you can't really tell which side effect is coming from the Prozac and which is from the Quetiapine.

The only thing I remember seeing online while looking for insomnia fixes was that people take 25 mg of Quetiapine for sleep, and then you supposedly scale up. I have no idea why your doctor jumped straight to such a high dose; maybe that's what's causing the agitation.

You'd be better off asking someone who's actually used Q-pin for insomnia—like, half the people on these therapy subreddits. 😁

And hey, if you're crazy, you'll still be crazy on Prozac. Don't worry about it. You're alright. 😍

restlesstiger49 said:So, basically, does the drowsiness just never go away?

Look, if I can actually afford to get a full eight hours, I don't feel drowsy at all the next day—not even right when I wake up. But if I get less than seven hours, I'm definitely groggy when I first open my eyes. It takes about thirty minutes to an hour to shake it off, though, and then I'm fine for the rest of the day.😉

restlesstiger49 said:Alright, I see we're talking about Calixta. Does it cause any drowsiness the following day? I'm currently on a 15mg dose.

For the first two weeks? Yeah, absolutely. After that, you kind of adjust. Personally, it takes me about half an hour every morning just to actually function, but once I'm up, I'm a total goody two-shoes.😉

Michael Lewis5 said:A quarter of what?

A quarter of 15 mg? Last time I tried an eighth, I think I slept for about 15 hours straight.😁
If you’re only taking it to deal with insomnia, dropping the dose actually works better for those histamine receptors—meaning you'll probably sleep way better.

My cousin swears the lowest effective dose for sleeping is just an eighth.

Get some good sleep, kid. Trust me, you'll want to.😍