Psychotropic medication discussion thread

Michael Lewis5 said:Hey everyone!
It's day 3 on Zoloft (half of a 50 mg pill) — my first time ever dealing with depression. I also popped a tiny dose of Xanax (0.25) this morning because I woke up feeling super anxious. Now I'm just exhausted... like, I could sleep forever, but then the anxiety starts creeping back in again this afternoon 😢
Is this kind of side effect normal?
I've been diagnosed with mixed anxiety and depression
My psychiatrist wants to see me for a follow-up on September 3rd.
I'm basically a total wreck right now 😢
Anyone got any advice?

Michael Hill2 said:Just power through the first month. When the anxiety gets unbearable, take some Xanax—just don't overdo it—and look up some progressive muscle relaxation or breathing exercises online. 🙂

It's always like this at the start. Your brain is just trying to adjust to a new chemical balance. It gets better. For all of us, the beginning was a total disaster. Check out my old post from a few pages back where I went into detail about my own initial side effects. 😉

Hang in there. 🙂

Michael Lewis5 said:Hey everyone!
It's day 3 on Zoloft (half of a 50 mg pill) — my first time ever dealing with depression. I also popped a tiny dose of Xanax (0.25) this morning because I woke up feeling super anxious. Now I'm just exhausted... like, I could sleep forever, but then the anxiety starts creeping back in again this afternoon 😢
Is this kind of side effect normal?
I've been diagnosed with mixed anxiety and depression
My psychiatrist wants to see me for a follow-up on September 3rd.
I'm basically a total wreck right now 😢
Anyone got any advice?

Kevin Nguyen3 said:Look, after only three days, you aren't going to see any real changes yet.
The Xanax is fine; it should help relax you a bit while the antidepressant works its way through your system properly.

In short, it is actually quite common for anxiety to spike temporarily when you first start any antidepressant—it happens more often than you'd think.

And yes, the smartest thing you can do is stay active... go for walks, get some fresh air... maybe that will help ease things.

Michael Lewis5 said:Thanks Kevin Nguyen3🙂
Quick question—my doctor wants me on Misar SR, which I finally managed to pick up today. Can't even get a hold of her until Tuesday. Since starting the Zoloft a few days ago, I've taken a couple Xanax I had left over from my local clinic. I know Xanax and Misar are in the same class... is it bad if I switch over to Misar SR today? Or should I call the ER and ask them... total nervous wreck here😕

redranger2 said:Go ahead and switch to Misar SR; there is absolutely no reason to worry about it.😉

goldenbison31 said:Ever since I started taking Effexor, I’ve noticed my hair has been thinning out quite a bit, and honestly, it seems like it's falling out more and more every single day.
On the other hand, I suppose it might not be entirely the medication, because around that same time, I actually got a perm, spent some time at the beach, and was soaking up all that salt air and sunshine—which, if I'm being honest, feels like a recipe for hair loss all on its own.
Still, I did happen to notice in the list of side effects—though it's listed as one of those rarer ones, I think—that Effexor can potentially cause hair shedding.
I was just wondering if anyone else here has gone through something similar? 🙄

electrichound3 said:I’m on Effexor too, and the shedding is brutal. My hair used to be incredibly thick, but now it feels like it’s lost half its volume. It honestly terrified me at first. Every single time I run my fingers through my hair, huge clumps just come away in my hands. I’ve been on it for about nine months now, and the actual quality of my hair has tanked. There's no doubt it's the medication; I never had hair loss issues like this before starting it.

goldenbison31 said:That sounds absolutely awful, especially since my hair is already quite thin to begin with; I can't even imagine what it'll look like if it gets thinned out halfway. 😢
I'm actually considering trying some 2% Minoxidil, since apparently that helps prevent thinning.

electrichound3 said:Give it a shot... though I have no idea what dose you're on. Personally, I just take 37.5 mg twice a day in the morning.

Jamie Martin37 said:Guys, please, I seriously need help... I don't know what to do. Is it actually possible to have a panic attack even though I've been on my meds for two months now? Man, this has never happened to me before, I'm totally lost. First, my stomach was acting up—I already deal with issues there—but then my hands started doing this awful tremor, like an electric current running through them. And then last night, my head just started pounding like it was going to explode... it felt so empty, you know? I'm feeling so hopeless right now. It's true I've been a little anxious lately, but I honestly thought things couldn't get worse if I was staying on my prescription. Plus, my libido is basically non-existent, my blood pressure is low, and my circulation feels off. I don't know if it's all connected or what. This time I'm genuinely terrified that I've got some incurable disease. Why is this happening to me? 😢(( I'm just waiting for the day I actually lose my mind ://

Oh, and should I take some Misar 0.25? Will that just make me completely sedated? I haven't taken it once since I started therapy because I just tried to tough it out, but if we're talking about a full-on panic attack, I'd take it just so I don't feel too drowsy... Please help, I really don't know what to do, I'm scared I can't handle this 😢(

Michael Hill2 said:Based on those symptoms you described, I don't think you had a full-blown panic attack. From my experience, a real panic attack is nasty—it feels like you're dying, losing your mind, or losing control. Honestly, sounds more like your anxiety just spiked a bit.

Have you seen your psychiatrist recently? You really should go so they can evaluate what's actually going on.

Unfortunately, antidepressants aren't a magic wand that just deletes anxiety or depression. They're just the foundation that gets you to a functional state so you can actually do the work through psychotherapy, relaxation techniques, breathing exercises, etc. In my opinion, you can't really have one without the others.

As for the Misar 0.25, go ahead and take it when the anxiety hits hard. You'll be fine. For me, it works great to calm me down and shut up all that internal dialogue and overthinking about whatever problem is bothering me.

Either way, I'd suggest checking in with your doctor and giving psychotherapy some thought.

Did anything happen recently in your life that you think might have triggered these stronger anxiety symptoms?

Hang in there. 🙂

Maybe it wasn't even a full-blown panic attack or whatever, but man, it was enough to totally throw me off my game. I'm completely rattled. 😢 Honestly, in those moments, I legit thought I was losing my mind. Like, I actually wondered if there was something seriously wrong with my brain or if I was just going totally nuts... I don't even know.

Man, things have been absolutely wild lately. Life’s been moving at a million miles an hour and I haven't given myself even a second to just breathe. I've been working a ton leading up to summer—basically every single day from 8 to 4—and then once I get home, I'm immediately jumping back into chores. Especially this past week... it's been non-stop. To make matters worse, some jerk totally snapped at me recently, which honestly just left me feeling like absolute garbage. I ended up heading into work the next day feeling totally miserable because, let's be real, I'm sensitive as hell and everything just gets under my skin. I've definitely been dealing with a lot of anxious thoughts, too. They don't mess with me as much as they used to since I started the antidepressants (which are seriously a lifesaver), but I still feel this massive wave of insecurity. It's scary. Sometimes I feel like I'm actually afraid of myself. On the outside, I'll act all tough and stand my ground, but on the inside? I'm just falling apart. I feel so pathetic. I keep worrying that I have some horrible disorder and that I'm gonna snap soon and turn into a total psycho or someone just plain mean. I don't know. It's a lot.

Ugh, it’s honestly driving me crazy. I just feel so... empty? Like, I can't even wrap my head around feeling anything real for my family or my boyfriend. It’s like there's just nothing there. I don't know if it's the Adderall or maybe just low iron and blood pressure because I was reading online that those could be symptoms... And yeah, I actually just got some blood work back and it turns out I am super low on iron.

So, about therapy... I’ve been seeing this amazing woman over in downtown Chicago, and she told me I can basically call her whenever I need to vent. Honestly, most of our sessions have just been me rambling about how I've been handling everything lately and just processing all my feelings. She’s been great at helping me dig into why my anxiety is such a mess, but we haven't really jumped into the heavy lifting yet—like, you know, actually tackling the intrusive thoughts and killing off the anxiety for good. Once finals are finally out of the way, I’m definitely planning to try some CBT. My psychologist mentioned there’s this legendary professor over at Yale who specializes in it, so I might look into that!

The worst part is that I end up totally blaming my doctor. Like, I feel like they’ve done more damage than actual help, and then I just lose all faith in the whole process. I’m planning on scheduling an appointment with my psychiatrist soon anyway—she told me to check back in around September. Honestly, it feels like such a massive mountain to climb before I can finally feel like my old self again... or even a new version of me, haha. I’ve just let so much insecurity sink into my brain that I second-guess every single thought. I’m constantly spiraling, wondering if my reaction is actually normal or if I'm just completely losing it.

goldenbison31 said:I've actually settled into a routine of taking 2X37.5 mg myself, just one in the morning and one before bed.
I guess I was wondering, are you generally feeling okay with the medication, aside from the hair thinning issue?

Jamie Martin37 said:Maybe it wasn't even a full-blown panic attack or whatever, but man, it was enough to totally throw me off my game. I'm completely rattled. 😢 Honestly, in those moments, I legit thought I was losing my mind. Like, I actually wondered if there was something seriously wrong with my brain or if I was just going totally nuts... I don't even know.

Man, things have been absolutely wild lately. Life’s been moving at a million miles an hour and I haven't given myself even a second to just breathe. I've been working a ton leading up to summer—basically every single day from 8 to 4—and then once I get home, I'm immediately jumping back into chores. Especially this past week... it's been non-stop. To make matters worse, some jerk totally snapped at me recently, which honestly just left me feeling like absolute garbage. I ended up heading into work the next day feeling totally miserable because, let's be real, I'm sensitive as hell and everything just gets under my skin. I've definitely been dealing with a lot of anxious thoughts, too. They don't mess with me as much as they used to since I started the antidepressants (which are seriously a lifesaver), but I still feel this massive wave of insecurity. It's scary. Sometimes I feel like I'm actually afraid of myself. On the outside, I'll act all tough and stand my ground, but on the inside? I'm just falling apart. I feel so pathetic. I keep worrying that I have some horrible disorder and that I'm gonna snap soon and turn into a total psycho or someone just plain mean. I don't know. It's a lot.

Ugh, it’s honestly driving me crazy. I just feel so... empty? Like, I can't even wrap my head around feeling anything real for my family or my boyfriend. It’s like there's just nothing there. I don't know if it's the Adderall or maybe just low iron and blood pressure because I was reading online that those could be symptoms... And yeah, I actually just got some blood work back and it turns out I am super low on iron.

So, about therapy... I’ve been seeing this amazing woman over in downtown Chicago, and she told me I can basically call her whenever I need to vent. Honestly, most of our sessions have just been me rambling about how I've been handling everything lately and just processing all my feelings. She’s been great at helping me dig into why my anxiety is such a mess, but we haven't really jumped into the heavy lifting yet—like, you know, actually tackling the intrusive thoughts and killing off the anxiety for good. Once finals are finally out of the way, I’m definitely planning to try some CBT. My psychologist mentioned there’s this legendary professor over at Yale who specializes in it, so I might look into that!

The worst part is that I end up totally blaming my doctor. Like, I feel like they’ve done more damage than actual help, and then I just lose all faith in the whole process. I’m planning on scheduling an appointment with my psychiatrist soon anyway—she told me to check back in around September. Honestly, it feels like such a massive mountain to climb before I can finally feel like my old self again... or even a new version of me, haha. I’ve just let so much insecurity sink into my brain that I second-guess every single thought. I’m constantly spiraling, wondering if my reaction is actually normal or if I'm just completely losing it.

electrichound3 said:The doctor put me on it for GAD, and honestly, it’s been the best thing I've tried so far. It hits fast and doesn't have nearly as many side effects as the other meds I've cycled through. My depression—which was pretty much tied to my anxiety—just vanished. At least for me. I feel like I actually have energy again. I get a little nauseous right after taking it, but it passes quickly. When I was taking it at night, my sleep was a mess; I kept waking up in the middle of the night and couldn't drift back off, so my doctor stopped the evening dose. How are your memory and focus? I've definitely noticed some brain fog. I started taking B-complex and magnesium, and since then, my sleep has been solid. No more tossing and turning; I finally sleep like a normal person.🙂

fadedbear92 said:I'm no expert, but based on my own experience—none of those hypnotics worked for me either.
That's actually why I ended up getting Q-pins for my insomnia, which finally saved me from that misery.
"Prazosin contains prazosin, which is an aliphatic phenothiazine antipsychotic..." right here, check out point 5 regarding its pharmacological properties

In psychiatry, Prazosin is prescribed for things other than just insomnia.

Eglonyl, much like Prazosin, is an antipsychotic; you can find this thread on the forum and these experiences on
this page.
As for your last question, I honestly don't know because I haven't dealt with that specific medication before.

quietwalker5 said:Did you experience any tremors as a side effect when you first started taking it?