146 posts shown.
Timothy Wood38 said:I'm not entirely sure how the medical protocols work here in the States, but generally speaking, you'd expect a check-in every single week during those first six months of therapy. Honestly, though? Most doctors aren't quite that cautious. It's actually much more common to see this every two weeks. Best bet is just to run it by your doctor.
Kevin Nguyen3 said:Well, if your doctor recommends it, then even more often!
For those first 3 to 4 months, wouldn't it be best to go every single week?!
There is such a massive risk for agranulocytosis—you know, that huge drop in white blood cell counts.
If you're at risk, isn't it just better to do regular checkups?
They even perform an EKG for the heart.
Lopressor is a hell of a drug. I took it ages ago and honestly, I don't even remember it anymore.
After that initial 3 to 4 month period, they do monthly white blood cell checks.
Once you stop the therapy, you have to do blood tests again around the 4-week mark.
Sometimes they run lipid panels too, checking sugar levels, liver function, and monitoring for low blood pressure (which is actually why I stopped taking it myself).
It is absolutely vital to tell your physician if you are on any other medications, because certain drugs simply cannot be combined with Lopressor.
And there's also the possibility of weight gain.
Zyprexa is peculiar in its own way; it carries quite a few unpleasant side effects that tend to pop up frequently.
Of course, it doesn't happen to everyone—for some people, it's perfectly fine.
Then there is that famous "Lilly" phobia.🙂
If there are signs of persistent behavior issues—hallucinations, mania, sudden loss of speech, and things like that—then Zyprexa is usually pushed. If those aren't present, one looks into changing the therapy.
In your specific situation, it would be Lopressor.
Timothy Wood38 said:That would be roughly an equivalent dosage, though... well, it's actually quite difficult to draw direct comparisons between Lopressor and any atypical antipsychotic. Most people consider Lopressor to be one of the most effective options out there. Also, just a heads-up: when you first start on Lopressor, you really need to have your blood work monitored every two weeks for the first three months, or whatever your doctor suggests.
Matthew Clark3 said:I gave up black coffee ages ago because it makes me shake like a leaf... just totally jittery. I switched to cappuccinos instead, but then I end up drinking those in massive amounts. I try to cut back, but I honestly can't—I'm such a caffeine addict. Plus, I feel like it definitely spikes my anxiety. I really should switch to something decaf. Maybe some Dunkin' decaf.... I'll manage for a day or two, but then I'm right back to the cappuccino and it's the same old cycle. Just don't have the willpower...
Gerald Torres2 said:Look, psychiatrists generally advise against coffee because caffeine can spike anxiety, especially while you're adjusting to antidepressants, so you really have to make your own call. I personally never quit coffee because the headaches without it are killer, but I'll just make it twice as weak as I usually do and see how I react. For me, it isn't an issue; there are days when I'll grab a Red Bull or a Coke and feel totally fine. Some days I'll consume enough caffeine to give a "normal" person a panic attack, and I won't feel a thing. Other days, like today, I wake up feeling insanely anxious and I end up drinking coffee anyway. Besides, cigarettes are the only thing left in my life that actually gives me any pleasure, and frankly, I couldn't care less about anything else.
Gerald Torres2 said:I’m a massive coffee addict, but I’ve managed to scale back quite a bit. Now, I just have one small cup in the morning and call it a day. Honestly, I’ve gotten so used to this routine that it feels perfectly fine. I haven't noticed any impact on my anxiety levels, despite what people usually claim happens. But again, I strictly stick to just one cup a day—and it's a quick instant coffee with milk, not a heavy dark roast.
Sophia Moore38 said:Thisthat second sentence just absolutely reeks of toxic positivity
Don't you think?
Sophia Moore38 said:Maybe it's because I'm carrying extra weight and everyone's having a laugh at my expense...
And because, deep down, I really just want to start a family.😁
Kenneth Scott41 said:If you feel like that depression is starting to creep back in—and I notice quite a few people here mentioning they’re struggling with relapses, sometimes even feeling worse than before—I can't help but wonder why you stopped doing the things that actually helped you get through it in the first place.
Personally, I don't see any issue with someone just taking a single AD indefinitely if that's what works for them.
I mean, look at my elderly mother; she’s been taking her heart medication for years now without anyone batting an eye...
Scott Alvarez22 said:I've touched on this before;
For me, Zoloft has a massive impact on how I perceive the weather—specifically atmospheric pressure.
When the barometric pressure drops, I deal with nausea and dizziness, whereas high pressure brings tension and headaches.
I find myself constantly having to balance it out with Xanax; when there's high pressure—like during a bright, sunny day—I feel like I need more Xanax just to cope, but during those rainy, humid days from the south, I barely need any at all.
In my experience, Zoloft and Xanax share a surprisingly similar set of side effects—shaking, jitters, nausea, and so on. The main difference is the timing: with Zoloft, everything hits within thirty minutes to two hours, whereas with Xanax, the symptoms tend to flare up once it wears off after a couple of hours. It took me years to finally realize that the symptoms are almost identical, almost as if Zoloft somehow has Xanax baked right into it.
Scott Rodriguez7 said:Could you expand on that a little?🤷
I'm not quite following what you mean by "how do you interpret." What exactly are you getting at there?
Scott Alvarez22 said:Unfortunately, for me, it feels exactly like I'm starting from scratch all over again.
Scott Alvarez22 said:Zoloft Experience
I first started taking it six years ago when I was in a pretty dark, highly anxious state.
Naturally, nobody warned me that it would initially make me feel even more jittery, cause nausea, tremors, lack of focus, and all that good stuff...
After a while, I just learned to live with that initial phase, but the restlessness and dizziness have been following me around for the entire six years.
At the beginning, I took it for exactly one year and one day before dropping it, but then I had a major lapse four months later and found myself right back at square one.
Recently, I tried tapering down from 50mg daily—which I'd done for five years—by taking 0.25mg for two months before finally quitting.
The sense of relief, which I hadn't felt in six years, was absolutely incredible, but it only lasted fifteen days. Now, here I am again, dealing with the exact same symptoms I had when I first started six years ago. It turns out the real issue is finding the courage to start again, because you really have to plan your exit strategy very carefully.
My takeaway: if you're coming off Prozac, expect it to take at least 6 to 12 months.
Scott Rodriguez7 said:Personally, I don't see a direct link between being a Thinker (someone who might feel less intensely) and being a Feeler (someone who feels more).
Whether someone leans toward being a Thinker or a Feeler doesn't necessarily tell you anything about their actual emotional sensitivity.
You definitely have people who are hardcore rationalists but can still feel the weight of their decisions incredibly deeply; they just prioritize logic regardless of those emotions.
It works the same way for the so-called Feelers, too—some of them might react very emotionally or spontaneously to a situation out of habit, even if there isn't actually a huge amount of deep-seated emotion driving it at that moment.
Scott Alvarez22 said:wiredskipper45
No, I’ve actually gone back on Zoloft again. It’s been six years, and honestly, I’m just sitting here enduring those same old adjustment symptoms; the only difference is that I recognize them now, which makes them feel slightly less overwhelming.
I’m right there with you—for those entire six years, the medication managed to keep the depression somewhat in check, though the anxiety would dip at least once a day. It wasn't much, just enough of a reprieve to keep me constantly questioning if it was actually working or if I was just imagining things.
"Great," right? I’ll admit, during that ten-day stretch when I was off Zoloft, I felt completely fine—full of warmth and a sense of security—but it all popped like a cheap balloon the second the withdrawal symptoms started kicking in.
I’m seriously considering making the switch from Zoloft to Effexor. Everyone seems to say that Mirtazapine just knocks you out, and I can't deal with being a zombie. From what I hear, Effexor is basically like a hybrid of Zoloft and Mirtazapine.
Lisa Myers said:Weight gain isn't any less dangerous than a mental illness, even if I see your point. If someone is already overweight—and they're eating because of their mental struggles—then they deal with psychosomatic issues, and then the medication causes even more weight gain while treating the mind... you're just stuck in a vicious cycle and nothing gets better. I've made that a bit messy, but I hope people get what I'm trying to say.
I'm not looking for a weight-loss miracle in psychotropic drugs; I just don't want them to cause weight gain. Honestly, if weight loss were a side effect, that would be even better. That's really all I care about.