Posts by Michael Hill2

redpilot37 said:I guess so. I’m completely wiped today. Napped this afternoon and now I feel like my blood pressure bottomed out or something. Just couldn't wake up. No energy at all. Even though I'm just hanging out at home, I have no idea how I'd manage to make it into the office if I actually had to work.😁 😲 🤣

My blood pressure is usually totally fine, though.

Even as a fellow insomniac, I took a nap today and my BP hit 101/59. Barely hanging on by a thread over here, so I definitely feel you. :-DDD

redpilot37 said:Finally, the side effects have cleared up, but I just feel totally drained... everything's all over the place. Yesterday I couldn't sit still for a second, and today I'm so sleepy it's driving me crazy... the swings are wild. One day it's nerves and restlessness, the next it's just pure exhaustion.... but I think I'll be fine and things will start looking up eventually.

Honestly, I'll take being sleepy over feeling wired and anxious any day. 🙂

It just takes a little time to stabilize. You'll be fine. 🙂

redpilot37 said:Thanks so much, you really helped me feel better. I'm sticking to half a pill today and then moving to the full dose tomorrow to see how it goes... it's a relief knowing someone else went through these same side effects.
Hopefully this passes. How long do you usually have to stay on an antidepressant? Is six months the standard?

Oh, and I've definitely noticed I can't stay still. I have all this restless energy and feel like I have to keep moving. I can't just sit in one spot, though sleep hasn't been an issue.

It'll pass, for sure. Just hang in there. 🙂

Seriously, I felt twice as bad when I first started. I couldn't get a second of peace, was totally desperate, and kept thinking it would never end. But it does. Your brain needs time to stabilize those serotonin levels. 🙂

Try that breathing exercise—it really helps calm things down. And look, taking something like Xanax or another anti-anxiety med while you're starting an antidepressant is pretty standard until things level out.

As for how long you need them? Probably at least 6 months to a year, but let your therapist decide that. Don't stress about it right now. Try to find something that makes you happy, even if you don't feel like doing anything. Hang out with good people, go outside, soak up some sun, take a walk. Just remember: this phase is temporary and IT WILL GET BETTER. 🙂

redpilot37 said:I’m wondering if anyone else dealt with side effects from taking Zoloft 5 day where you felt like you were crawling out of your own skin. It was pure misery. For four days I was just taking half a pill, then on the fifth day I took a full dose, and by that afternoon I felt absolutely nauseous. Honestly, I didn't think I was the type to react like this—I've never even had anxiety before. My psychiatrist just laughed it off and told me not to worry, that it would pass. He suggested I take some Valium as needed. For those of you who went through this with Zoloft, did the side effects actually go away? And how long did it take? Right now I'm back down to half a pill, even though my doctor wants me on the full dose. To be honest, it felt like my symptoms actually got worse. Thanks for any advice. 🙂

I don't take Zoloft, I'm on Paxil, but since it's in the same SSRI family, I totally get it. During those first two or three weeks, I also felt like I wanted to jump out of my skin. I couldn't sit still, couldn't lie down, just constant crying and shaking.
If your doctor told you to take the full dose, don't start playing chemist and cutting it in half on your own. Just take it like they prescribed and try to white-knuckle through those first few weeks. That hyper-anxiety and restlessness will subside, I promise. 🙂

Don't torture yourself at the start. Take the Ativan when you need it and try that breathing exercise I mentioned in an earlier post; it actually helps. 🙂

Just hang in there. It's just a phase you have to push through, and things will be great on the other side. 🙂

Jason Vaughn482 said:Goodness, I am in a state of absolute panic today; I have been nursing a headache for three days now, and today it is accompanied by dizziness and a tightening sensation around my heart that kept me housebound, leaving me torn over whether I should head straight to the ER.
But, returning to the subject of Muhammad Ali, when I was maintaining a 15 mg dose, waking up felt like pulling teeth, which is why I scaled back to 7.5 mg. Even then, while I do sleep for extended periods, the core issue remains that falling asleep is an uphill battle, leading to those restless bouts at 1:00 or 2:00 AM... and once the medication finally takes hold, I find it impossible to rise before 9:00 or 10:00 in the morning. As for weight gain, it was negligible—perhaps a mere five or six pounds—but currently, it doesn't stimulate my appetite during the day; the only issue is that I tend to wake up in the middle of the night craving sweets or anything else. I suspect that tendency stems from the Valium, a substance I am desperate to rid myself of once and for all, yet sleep remains elusive.
Regarding your question about whether the "concrete" feeling lifts after getting up? Honestly, no; in fact, I spend the entire day feeling somewhat numb and perpetually exhausted... I tire quite easily in general, and whenever I venture outdoors, I find myself counting the minutes until I can return home. That is the gist of it, I suppose.

That midnight binge-eating urge for sugar or carbs? That’s definitely from the Muhammad Ali, not the Valium.
That insomnia should actually clear up because at 7.5 mg, you're mostly just dealing with the side effects on histamine receptors; at that low dose, Muhammad Ali doesn't even really act as an antidepressant.

Seriously, try taking half of your 7.5 mg dose. If my doctor's theory and what people talk about on American forums is right, you might actually sleep better than you do on 7.5.

As for those panic attacks, if you're interested, I can share a trick my therapist from CBT uses—a breathing exercise.

Take a deep breath using your stomach (your diaphragm), hold it, and count from 1001 to 1006, then exhale while counting from 1001 to 1003.
After that, do about 6 or 7 cycles where you inhale 1001, 1002, 1003, and exhale 1001, 1002, 1003. (Don't hold your breath like you did at the start).
Then finish it off with one last breath hold from 1001 to 1006.

It really works. After a few cycles—maybe 5 or 6 minutes—it settles your heart rate and kills the panic attack.🙂

What else are you taking besides Muhammad Ali?

If I can help with any other CBT tips, just shoot me a DM. :=)

Jason Vaughn482 said:I’m currently on Zoloft. I started out at 15 mg, which honestly felt like being hit by a freight train; it just completely numbs you, making it an absolute struggle to drag yourself out of bed in the morning. Now, I’ve scaled back to half that—about 7.5 mg—but even then, the sleep is heavy and prolonged. Even though I don't have to clock in for work, I still find myself waking up at 5:00 AM after a deep slumber. It’s a bit of a double-edged sword: if I take it in the evening, I sleep soundly, but sometimes it feels like too much. However, on those nights when sleep feels like a distant dream, it works perfectly, even if it feels like overkill. Regarding the dose you mentioned, I doubt it will leave you feeling totally incapacitated; 3 mg should be fine, though I can't say for certain how drowsy it might make you. As for me, I'm also taking Xanax three times a day.

Thanks for the reply, Vega. 😘

The thing about Mirza is—my therapist told me, and I've seen people talking about it on US forums too—that lower doses often work better for falling asleep. So, maybe 3 mg would be the sweet spot for you. Might be worth a shot just to see how you react; maybe you could finally ditch the Ambien.

Just one thing: can you describe that "statue" feeling? Does it wear off once you actually force yourself out of bed?

Any side effects from the Mirza (you know, the notorious weight gain and all that)?

Jamie Martin37 said:My questions are:

1. How often can you take Xanax while still calling it "as needed"? Is doing 0.25mg about 2-3 times a week pushing it?

2. I'm honestly terrified of starting Zoloft because everything I read online says it just turns you into a total zombie—like you're stuck in cement. Has anyone tried a low dose like this (1-3 mg)? What does that "brain fog" actually feel like? I can't afford to be non-functional because of my job.

2. Also, I've read some horror stories about people who stopped taking Zoloft and suddenly couldn't sleep at all without it. I'm scared I'll just make things worse for myself in the long run.

On the bright side, Paxil works pretty well for those intrusive thoughts. I don't constantly worry about whether I'll sleep anymore, my mood is way better, and my appetite is great. Everything is awesome except for the occasional headache and the fact that it hasn't quite given me that solid, unbroken sleep through the night yet.

Thanks for being patient with me, and please, let me know what you guys think!😍

We're on the same dose! I got that same 0.25 mg bottle, but honestly, I haven't even touched them because I was so paranoid about getting hooked or feeling out of it, haha. Looking back, I'm glad I just toughed it out. But seriously, taking it a few times a week isn't going to kill you, trust me. My therapist even told me that in the beginning, 2-3 times a day is totally fine since you're dealing with such intense anxiety.

And regarding the sleep stuff, I went through the exact same struggle. I didn't get more than four hours of sleep at a time for two and a half months. Basically, Paxil has these mild sedative qualities, which is why some people prefer taking it in the evening. For the first four weeks, I had a hard time falling asleep, but now? I sleep like a baby. I really think it’ll help you with that once it settles in, especially if you take it at night.

As for the sleeping pills, I don't have any experience there. Honestly, your best bet is probably asking your therapist or your doctor. They'll know way more about the specifics than we will here on the forum. If I can give any advice, it's just hang in there. Once the meds fully kick in, I bet that sleep issue will resolve itself. Just try not to overthink it too much. 🙂

We're on the same dose! I got that same 0.25 mg bottle, but honestly, I haven't even touched them because I was so paranoid about getting hooked or feeling out of it, haha. Looking back, I'm glad I just toughed it out. But seriously, taking it a few times a week isn't going to kill you, trust me. My therapist even told me that in the beginning, 2-3 times a day is totally fine since you're dealing with such intense anxiety.

And regarding the sleep stuff, I went through the exact same struggle. I didn't get more than four hours of sleep at a time for two and a half months. Basically, Paxil has these mild sedative qualities, which is why some people prefer taking it in the evening. For the first four weeks, I had a hard time falling asleep, but now? I sleep like a baby. I really think it’ll help you with that once it settles in, especially if you take it at night.

As for the sleeping pills, I don't have any experience there. Honestly, your best bet is probably asking your therapist or your doctor. They'll know way more about the specifics than we will here on the forum. If I can give any advice, it's just hang in there. Once the meds fully kick in, I bet that sleep issue will resolve itself. Just try not to overthink it too much. 🙂

We're on the same dose! I got that same 0.25 mg bottle, but honestly, I haven't even touched them because I was so paranoid about getting hooked or feeling out of it, haha. Looking back, I'm glad I just toughed it out. But seriously, taking it a few times a week isn't going to kill you, trust me. My therapist even told me that in the beginning, 2-3 times a day is totally fine since you're dealing with such intense anxiety.

And regarding the sleep stuff, I went through the exact same struggle. I didn't get more than four hours of sleep at a time for two and a half months. Basically, Paxil has these mild sedative qualities, which is why some people prefer taking it in the evening. For the first four weeks, I had a hard time falling asleep, but now? I sleep like a baby. I really think it’ll help you with that once it settles in, especially if you take it at night.

As for the sleeping pills, I don't have any experience there. Honestly, your best bet is probably asking your therapist or your doctor. They'll know way more about the specifics than we will here on the forum. If I can give any advice, it's just hang in there. Once the meds fully kick in, I bet that sleep issue will resolve itself. Just try not to overthink it too much. 🙂
Thanks for the kind words. 🙂

I honestly thought that after almost six weeks on Prozac, I'd be sleeping through the night without waking up, but I guess I'm just hoping it needs a little more time to settle in.

I really wish I didn't have to add Zoloft into this whole mess, but I also know Xanax is bad news and incredibly easy to get addicted to. Unfortunately, I just can't function on three or four hours of sleep. 😢

Are you also dealing with having to pee all the time because of the Prozac?

Hey everyone, hope you're all doing alright. 🙂

Alright, let me try to wrap my head around this and summarize the whole saga.

It all kicked off about two months ago. I was staring at the ceiling one night, unable to drift off, and I just started spiraling. I had this massive presentation at work the next morning, so the more I realized I wasn't sleeping, the more my brain went into overdrive. Before I knew it, I was right on the edge of a full-blown panic attack. My heart was hammering against my ribs, I couldn't catch my breath, I was restless, sweating... the whole works. It was pretty intense.
I barely managed about thirty minutes of sleep last night. Total joke.
To be honest, I never used to have any issues with sleep before this.

I already decided I was hitting the sack early tomorrow night, thinking there was no way I'd deal with a repeat of last night's disaster. And wouldn't you know it? It happened exactly the same way.

The third night was the absolute worst. I didn't sleep a single wink, which led me to the logical conclusion that the universe had personally decided to screw with me. I ended up heading down to my GP, and they finally put me on 0.5mg of Xanax.

Took some Xanax last night and slept like a log for nine straight hours. Honestly, felt like being knocked out by a freight train.

It’s been two weeks and my sleep schedule is still a total wreck. I haven't found any kind of rhythm yet, so I’ve actually had to take one or even two Xanax just to stand a chance at drifting off. I ended up seeing a private psychiatrist about it.

So, here I am. Diagnosis: anxiety, insomnia, and those lovely intrusive thoughts—specifically the ones that loop endlessly about whether or not I’ll actually be able to fall asleep tonight. Real fun stuff.

So, I finally started on 100 mg of Trintellix. I’ve somehow managed to survive the first two weeks of side effects—headaches, brutal anxiety, nausea, zero appetite, the whole nine yards. I'm still leaning on Xanax until the antidepressant actually kicks in.

I've never actually taken Xanax during the day. When I first started, I was doing two 0.5mg pills at night, but eventually, I scaled it back down to just one.

It’s been almost six weeks since I started Febair, and my sleep schedule is still a total disaster. I can actually drift off without an issue, but then I wake up after three or four hours because I have to pee—and honestly, the constant trips to the bathroom since I started this stuff have been a nightmare. Sometimes I manage to fall back asleep, but other times I just toss and turn for two hours until I lose my mind. At that point, I just give in, chew on half a Xanax—0.25mg—and finally pass out until morning.

So, here’s the deal. Both my therapist and I have finally admitted that I’ve been leaning way too hard on Xanax lately. He's not exactly thrilled about me waking up in a panic in the middle of the night, so he switched things up. He put me on Zoloft instead. The plan is to start tiny—like a quarter or even an eighth of a pill before bed. Apparently, at that super low dose, Mirza just acts as a sedative by hitting those histamine receptors, without any of the actual antidepressant effects kicking in yet.

So, I was on vacation last week. Totally stress-free, which meant I wasn't obsessing over my sleep schedule like usual. Honestly? It was almost normal. I’d drift off without much drama, wake up after maybe three or four hours to hit the bathroom, and then just head back to bed. Sometimes it took a minute to settle back down, sometimes not, but I actually managed to get some rest.
In that entire week, I only had to reach for 0.25mg of Xanax one single night.

Woke up in the middle of the night and just couldn't catch any more sleep. Ended up taking another Xanax.

Here’s what I’m wondering:

How often can you actually take Xanax before it stops being "as needed" and starts becoming a habit? Is hitting 0.25mg two or three times a week pushing it too far?

I’m honestly pretty terrified about starting Zoloft. Everything I read online makes it sound like this pill just turns you into a literal zombie—like you're stuck in wet concrete. Has anyone actually tried a super low dose, maybe around 1-3 mg? I need to know if that "brain fog" feeling is real, because I can't afford to be non-functional at work. My job doesn't exactly leave much room for being a vegetable.

I’m honestly spiraling a little because I’ve been reading these horror stories about people who finally quit taking Zoloft and suddenly can't sleep a wink without it. It’s creepy. Now I'm sitting here wondering if I'm just doing long-term damage to my own brain.

So, turns out Paxil actually works pretty well for those intrusive thoughts. I’m not constantly spiraling about whether I’ll ever sleep again, my mood is way up, and my appetite is back to normal. Everything is great, really—except for the random headaches and the fact that I’m still not sleeping straight through the night.

Thanks for being patient with me. I’m officially opening the floor, so please, hit me with your best advice and comments.😍

dustymarlin10 said:Facts. It really is an individual thing.

But my issue is a bit different: i'm basically done for the night by 9 PM, and if i don't head straight to bed, i start nodding off in my recliner.
So i go to sleep, but then i'm wide awake again by 3:30 or 4 AM at the latest.
Once i wake up, it's game over; there's no more sleeping, just tossing and turning until 6 comes around and i have to get ready for work.
It’s even worse on the weekends because everyone else in the house sleeps in until at least 8, meanwhile i'm sitting there ready to head out at 4.😱

Haha, you make it sound like I wrote this myself.😁
I’m the same way—crashing and dozing off after 9 PM. Everyone knows it's my cue to hit the hay, but then I'm up at 5 AM like some kind of early bird... totally a morning person.
And then I just sit there drinking coffee from 5 to 7 before work starts.
Though, on the weekends, I actually manage to sleep in until almost 7.🙂

Linda Gonzalez5 said:...oh yeah... I also got a little tip for dealing with Cesnjak... hoping it actually works against these pests😉 Tenkjuuu🙂

Here's another "natural" remedy for you. My OB-GYN actually suggested soaking a slim tampon in some plain Greek yogurt—like Chobani—and just leaving it in there for two or three hours.
Thanks, I'll try it. I had a yeast infection once where those Canesten suppositories did absolutely nothing for me, but this yogurt trick 😛
stopped the itching and redness almost instantly. I’ve passed the advice along to all my girlfriends and nobody has complained yet.
Give it a shot. It’s cheap, effective, and honestly kind of weirdly brilliant. 🙏

Angela Reyes3 said:Just to add, the Opti-Free label specifically says it kills off that particular bacterium responsible for the infection, so I’m feeling a lot better about things now. At least I can finally stop worrying.🙂

So, you're asking where I grab my Opti-Free? Honestly, I don't really bother trekking out to some fancy boutique eye clinic for that stuff. I usually just pick up a bottle at CVS or Walgreens whenever I'm already there grabbing snacks. It’s pretty much everywhere if you know where to look.

Jamie Kim said:Look, I know... my only passing grade in college was for a microbiology joke.😁

I was messing around until they ran the tests, so obviously I tossed everything in the trash once I found out. Now I have until the end of the day to figure out what I'm actually going to use. Problem is, I don't have a case or any solution left. Thank God I had some contacts stashed at home.

Count me in as a former user of this stuff too... I used it for years and never had a single issue.😕
If anyone has a decent recommendation for a replacement, please let me know by the end of the day.🙂