Posts by Kevin Bailey2

Between the Prozac, Clonazepam, Lamal, and Seroquel, I’ve lost weight on all of them.
The Prozac does it because it just wires me up; I'm so hyperactive I forget to eat.
Clonazepam makes me such a multitasking machine that I'm constantly juggling ten things at once and don't have a second to grab a bite.
As for Lamal... honestly, no clue why, but the hunger just vanishes when I take it.
Then there's Seroquel. It knocks me out cold. I sleep so much that I miss meal times entirely, and by the time I actually wake up, I'm not even hungry—I just grab a coffee and basically live off caffeine.

I actually came pretty close to anorexia because of the Prozac.
Though, if you ask me, anorexia feels like just another side effect of taking Prozac.

Man... is it just me, or has LeBron James completely killed the hype for everyone else?

Brandon Lopez6 said:Good luck, restlesstrucker15 🙂

I’m seriously considering checking into that Sleep Center because this whole situation is killing me. Honestly, if I’m supposed to work eight hours and sleep twelve, plus throw in two more for eating and showering... what the hell is actually left of my day? 🤣

A Sleep Center?

redpilot37 said:Fair enough, though at 25 mg, we're talking a tiny dose. Still, I'm a skeptical hypochondriac by nature.😬

Do these drugs kill your libido? And does the body actually adjust to them over time or not?🍿 hoping for the best🤦😁

Only Seroquel messed with my drive, and even then, it was right after taking it. By morning, it usually cleared up.

My sex drive is definitely a bit lower... but honestly? I still love good sex and I can still feel it. 😁

redpilot37 said: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?

Speaking from experience, you aren't going to get addicted to Lamal. It's not like that. It's actually kind of strange because you don't really "feel" it hitting you. You just notice your mood and behavior shifting subtly... for the better, obviously.

Plus, it doesn't give you that high that makes people crave psych meds, so... you've got nothing to worry about.

Kevin Bailey2 said:I posted this on another thread, but there are more people here, so if anyone knows anything...

So my psychiatrist at the local clinic tells me they don't even carry Seroquel or Zoloft in anything smaller than 100mg anymore.

I was looking for Seroquel first so I could drop down to 25 or 50mg, because even 100mg hits me way too hard, and you can't split them.

He tells me they don't have anything lower than 100.

So I tell him, fine, just prescribe the generic version of Zoloft then—I remember taking it ages ago and it came in 25mg doses... but he tells me that doesn't exist anymore either... apparently they only get them in 100mg minimum.
I mean... seriously? What gives?

Then one day, I actually took a hammer to a 100mg Seroquel pill just to take a tiny piece and toss the rest... and damn it... I still slept for 15 hours. I don't know how these pills are made... but whether you swallow the whole 100mg tablet or just a fragment, it feels exactly the same.

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.

Richard Diaz50 said:Has anyone else dealt with a side effect where you lose your sense of taste? I don't mean it’s totally gone, but rather—it's like the joy is missing from my favorite foods. I just don't get that same kick from chocolate anymore, and I absolutely love chocolate...
It feels like I could skip meals entirely—honestly, I find myself eating just because I have to...

Honey, I feel the exact same way 🙂 though maybe my patience is running a bit thin...

Yeah. I used to be able to inhale an entire bag of chocolate without stopping, but now even a single square makes me feel sick.

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.

That's just the psychological dependency those meds can create.
You can usually wean yourself off the physical side in a day or two without too much trouble... but the mental dependency sticks around way longer. Honestly, that part is worse than the actual physical withdrawal, which you can usually power through like a nasty bout of the flu.

feralpanther64 said:Exactly. I fall asleep without Xanax, wake up later, can't get back to sleep, so I take Xanax and pass out.
Last night, I took Xanax around 9 PM thinking I'd sleep through the night, but I still woke up at 2:30 AM and had to take more. Then I slept until 9 AM.

I'm going to try going without Xanax. I have zero intention of getting hooked on something I don't even need... even if it means pulling an all-nighter.

Aha... look, you've only been on the antidepressant for 11 days. Seriously... this is just your body reacting normally. Hang in there for a few more weeks while your system settles down, and ditch the Xanax. Well, don't toss it—just tuck it away somewhere in case of a real emergency, but try to avoid using it. Better to let these side effects run their course naturally. You'll face tougher times later when you might actually *need* the Xanax, and if you're already dependent on it, it won't even work. Honestly... I really recommend just pushing through these initial side effects since you just started the meds. Don't try to mask them with other drugs... especially not Xanax.

I posted this on another thread, but there are more people here, so if anyone knows anything...

LoisKent said:what are your experiences with Zoloft?
I take 50mg at night just to be able to sleep, but the thing is, if I miss a dose, I can't drift off at all. I'll be wide awake at 4 AM like it's high noon. It sucks.

So my psychiatrist at the local clinic tells me they don't even carry Seroquel or Zoloft in anything smaller than 100mg anymore.

I was looking for Seroquel first so I could drop down to 25 or 50mg, because even 100mg hits me way too hard, and you can't split them.

He tells me they don't have anything lower than 100.

So I tell him, fine, just prescribe the generic version of Zoloft then—I remember taking it ages ago and it came in 25mg doses... but he tells me that doesn't exist anymore either... apparently they only get them in 100mg minimum.
I mean... seriously? What gives?

Then one day, I actually took a hammer to a 100mg Seroquel pill just to take a tiny piece and toss the rest... and damn it... I still slept for 15 hours. I don't know how these pills are made... but whether you swallow the whole 100mg tablet or just a fragment, it feels exactly the same.

restlesstiger49 said:So, just when it felt like the Effexor was finally kicking in at full strength, insomnia decided to show up. Even though I take it in the morning, I’m lying there at night feeling completely wired and restless. Could this be the medication? Or is it something else entirely? Maybe I should try the XR version. What about suicidal thoughts? Any ideation?

Edit: It looks like Effexor is definitely the culprit:

Nearly all selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors, mixed serotonin/norepinephrine reuptake inhibitors, and tricyclic antidepressants cause sleep abnormalities to some extent. These antidepressants have marked dose-dependent effects on rapid eye movement (REM) sleep, causing reductions in the overall amount of REM sleep over the night and delays the first entry into REM sleep (increased REM sleep onset latency (ROL)), both in healthy subjects and depressed patients. The antidepressants that increase serotonin function appear to have the greatest effect on REM sleep. The reduction in REM sleep is greatest early in treatment, but gradually returns towards baseline during long-term therapy; however, ROL remains long. Following discontinuation of therapy the amount of REM sleep tends to rebound. Some of these drugs (i.e., bupropion, mirtazapine, nefazodone, trazodone, trimipramine) appear to have a modest or minimal effect on REM sleep.

Source.

It’s pretty common to pair antidepressants (especially the ones that boost energy... Prozac, Effexor, etc.) with a stabilizer to keep you calm so the meds don't send you flying into total euphoria. That actually happened to me with Prozac early on—they had to put me on Clonazepam and Seroquel to level things out.

Why not just ask your psychiatrist about adding something like that?

feralpanther64 said:I'm on Luxet. Day 11. Feeling better overall, but I've been waking up at the exact same time three nights in a row. 4:30 AM, and I'm wide awake. Last night, I finally drifted off around midnight only to snap awake at 2:30 AM, feeling like I'd slept for three days straight. When I wake up in the middle of the night, I just take some Xanax 0.25 to get back under, even if there isn't much reason for it. I don't want to switch from Luxet, but I really need to find something else to replace the Xanax...

Honestly, I have no idea what you'd even swap Xanax for... if you're looking for something milder, you're probably out of luck.
So, let me get this straight: you fall asleep at night without the Xanax, then you wake up too early and take the Xanax just to crash again? Am I reading that right? And you actually feel well-rested even without the Xanax?

Then why are you even using Xanax? If your body isn't demanding tons of sleep and you're feeling rested... just ride it out for a bit. Eventually, you'll start sleeping longer if it's actually bothering you.
In my opinion, you don't need Xanax at all, and you definitely don't need a replacement. Most of those other options are just different versions of the same crap.

I actually walked into an exam while my Xanax was still kicking in. I have zero clue what kind of nonsense I was rambling about, but I do know one of the toughest professors on campus was absolutely cracking up. He ended up giving me an A.

shadowfox75 said:I have. For years now. A neurologist prescribed it for me after an abnormal EEG. I haven't lost a single hair. O
So... good luck with the hair, regardless.

Can you tell me what dose you're taking?...

restlesstiger49 said:Has anyone else on venlafaxine experienced that heavy morning fatigue, even after getting a solid 7 or 8 hours of sleep? I can't shake the feeling that this medication is making my sleep restless. Every morning, I wake up with this muscle lethargy and a slight wave of anxiety that usually clears up after about 40 minutes. I’m currently taking 37.5mg in the morning.

Effexor gave me nothing but intense, exhausting dreams. They were way too much, and I ended up needing to take something like Xanax just to actually knock me out so I could sleep longer...

It was great... You guys were all... 😍 😘

Anyone been on Lariam for the long haul?
My psychiatrist gave me a bit of a scare today... apparently, it can cause hair loss.

hiddenwalker30 said:And I’ll definitely be wearing some sexy pajamas just to make sure everyone else keeps their eyes on you instead.🍿

My pajamas are covered in chlorine stains...

If anyone actually has a thing for that... more power to them. 🤣 🤣 🤣

hiddenwalker30 said:Are you getting all dressed up for this coffee date, or is it just a casual thing?👍

I was curling my hair yesterday... actually, I do it every single day because it’s dead straight and completely useless.
And the nails... good grief... I'm constantly painting them. What makes you think I’d actually bother getting all dolled up just for you? Please... 😛 😵

At this rate, I’ll probably show up looking like a total slob in my pajamas... just to spite you. 😛 😁

Look, I just wanted to say one thing... honestly... I’m feeling a little embarrassed. I've got this red patch on my neck, and please, don't go thinking it's some contagious disease or anything. It isn't. I just burned myself with the curling iron while doing my hair. Just wanted to clear that up so nobody panics.