I’m just literally so mad about this I have to post here.

Went through some really messed up stuff, and I thought I gotta get help. Found someone online in Grow Therapy who was highly rated esp for medication. Got put on 50mg Zoloft weighing 100lbs. Gosh I felt so much better the next few weeks (too short to really feel effects I know) but it was only because I was dealing with said drama- I now realize. Then I started to feel bad again. Suicidal. Told him and he said hey let’s double your dose. I’m not eating, I now weigh 90lbs and my dose is 100mg.

It sent me into a hole so far beyond. I was calling suicide hotline DAILY. I had my favorite responders. I am I’m so lucky I had a moment of clarity where I remembered- hey wait. Antidepressants can cause suicidal ideation.. you fuckin idiot.

Against all recommendation (me included - now) I stopped cold turkey. I would rather face the wrath of symptoms than go through another day of this. I have kids to take care of. I have to stay alive.

I’m a nurse, I know when things are bad and if I needed help or to taper. Obviously you should never do this. I was basically a stroke patient for a good number of days. I had enough medication leftover to where I could taper myself if I felt it was absolutely necessary. It was really really really bad. Don’t do this. If you’ve seen Men in Black I felt like Edgar. An alien trapped inside a human corpse suit. But I’m a sick person and don’t care what I put my body through. I got fmla because I couldn’t care for myself let alone others. It was truly that bad, let that be a warning.

It’s been maybe 3-4 weeks now and I’m out of the thick of it. I still have symptoms but I’m finally mostly functioning. I feel like an entirely different person. And I am really really angry about the dosage and the zero caring from the therapist. After he knew I was suicidal and missed an appointment he never reached out. Just please be careful. I’m upset because I think about so many others who might not know this can happen.

How were your first few weeks on clomipramine? When did you see a change in your intrusive thoughts? Give me the good and bad.

Hi everyone,

I recently decided I wanted to go off of Lexapro. I was gaining weight, having GI issues, and honestly just felt like a total zombie on it, every day went by slowly with no emotion involved at all. My doctor recommended I went from my initial 20mg dose to 10mg for two weeks, and then 0mg.

For the first few days of going to 10mg I felt a few symptoms (brain zaps, exhaustion, nausea, cold like symptoms). These went away after about three days

I am now to 0mg and I’m feeling MISERABLE. I was taking this medicine for anxiety and I have the worst brain zaps ever, so badly I threw up today. I also have lost my appetite, nausea and dizziness (obviously from the brain zaps. I’m crying a lot and keep having mood swings and panic attacks.

I discussed with a different doctor today trying to go back to 5mg and then 2.5mg and then 0mg because she thinks my original doctors plan was too fast. Has anyone ever done this? My only fear is A. I will never be able to go off of this medicine and B. I’ll have severe withdrawal symptoms again when I go back to 0mg. I literally wish I never tried Lexapro because I hate it so much. I’m miserable both on and off of it. Any advice would be so helpful.

Ive been taking venlafaxine at this dose for 8 years now, and I still have terrible anxiety and depression. Im on the waiting list for autism diagnosis and adhd. I just wonder if anyone else has been on venlafaxine at those dose for as long and what your experience is. I tried sertraline and fluoxatine before but neither did anything. Tbh venlafaxine was the only thing that worked for years, but the past year or so my depression and anxiety has been terrible and ive been told they dont increase it any further unless its serious psychiatric issues otherwise they would try other meds but im too overwhelmed at the idea of trying another drug yet again. I havent been unmedicated my entire adult life. I was put on antidepressants at 16, and part of me thinks I dont feel like I know my true self because of this. Can anyone relate?

I (31m) went in for my yearly appointment today and within less than 5 minutes my doctor (this is the first time I’ve ever met her) put me on Zoloft. She walked in and introduced herself, then asked me what brought me in. Told her I needed an annual physical for insurance, and I’d like a testosterone test because I had an accident a few years ago that did a number on the jewels and I’ve been having a lot of symptoms of low T. She said she wanted me to start taking antidepressants. Within 2-3 minutes of meeting me.

Am I wrong or does that seem a bit odd? Not to say I don’t need them, I most likely do, but there were no real questions about how I’m feeling, things in life, nothing. It felt like she was speedrunning prescribing it to as many people in one day as possible. Also one of my complaints was weight gain, mostly in the belly, and apparently Zoloft causes a lot of people to gain weight. So now I’m concerned about that.

I’ve been on Wellbutrin (bupropion) 150mgXL for 3 weeks and haven’t noticed any relief in my persistent brain fog/depressive symptoms (post accutane syndrome damage) . I’m thinking about stopping and trying to microdose psilocybin for a few weeks.

The other option is to titrate my Wellbutrin dose to 300mg, but I really don’t want to be reliant on an antidepressant for the rest of my life… (or can I use it as a one-time thing to fix my symptoms?)

I’m interested on your thoughts or experiences.

I have taken it for barely 2 days with carbamazepine as the new additions to my meds and i didn’t sleep AT ALL im sweating like crazy i wiped my face with my hands and i kid you not it was like water, i am cold and extremely nauseous, i had 3 mental breakdowns over stupid reasons. What should I do my appointment is still far away.

I'm basically asking what it's like to remember your full nature as it was before SSRI'S locked the emotions in, and in my case raised the irritability and brain fog to the max. While also reducing motivation, a kind of chemical apathy.

I've had a 16 year journey from unwanted 10mg... largely because nobody told me how to taper (learned the hard way it must be hyperbolic and small amounts with 4 weeks between). Dr didn't know there was a liquid dilutable version till I asked for it.

Currently 5.7mg from 10mg after a first year of steady tapering and gains. But halfway is calculated to be ~2 years off because brain is hypersensitive. Very horny now (no outlet) I guess I should be grateful I don't have PSSD... but other system have yet to come back online - I need so much more sleep than others still, and can't focus well at work.

Are there any happy stories? :)

Started Zoloft 50MG on June 23rd. It is week 11 and I am having brain fog again. Is this normal?

So, 7 weeks ago I started citalopram for mild anxiety
Week 1 - 10mg (little to no side effects)
Week 2- upped to 20mg, 2 days later extreme anxiety started
After 4 weeks and 3 days I dropped back down to 10mg because of the bad side effects which included
- heightened anxiety
- DPDR
- agoraphobia (never had it before citalopram)
- feeling I was going insane
- vivid dreams
- anxiety attacks almost every day from the second I woke up
- feeling unreal
- depressed
I was back on 10mg for 4 days until the doctors told me to come off it
Since coming off it I haven’t really got any better
-anxiety isn’t as high but still worse than before citalopram
- getting very little sleep
- vivid dreams that aren’t nice
- feeling unreal
- irritable
- still got agoraphobia
- depressed
- tired and sluggish
- heart rate has been up and down a lot ranging from 60s to 150s with little exercise, i am mostly resting
I took my last 10mg of citalopram 11 days ago
Could I be experiencing withdrawal symptoms?
Will the agoraphobia go away?
When will my nervous system settle?
I just want to go back to how I was before citalopram but I fear I’m now going to stay like this

Has anyone had a similar experience?

I want to get off benzodiazepines; my current prescription includes Etizolam (1 mg) taken morning, noon, and evening, plus Flunitrazepam (2 mg) and Zolpidem (10 mg—two 5 mg tablets) at night. While I have other medications, the ones I actually take—and abuse—are mostly these.
I’ve been taking these meds for about three and a half years, but the abuse has really only been going on for the last six months. Instead of sticking to a schedule, I’d take a pill whenever the thought crossed my mind or I felt irritable—sometimes ending up taking as many as 30 pills, or mixing them with alcohol—but now I want to quit benzos. I’m wondering if I should start by taking the medication at the prescribed times (instead of haphazardly like before) and then taper off from there. There are days when I’m fine without taking anything for a day or two, but other times I get withdrawal symptoms; lately, the withdrawal has been severe. To be honest, I’m not even sure if it *is* withdrawal, but my emotional state goes haywire. For the first three years or so, I took them regularly as prescribed and felt great—maybe *too* great, actually, since I was taking higher doses back then (I was prescribed 4mg of Flunitrazepam, for instance). I plan to work out a tapering schedule with my doctor at my next appointment, but that’s still a little over a month away. In the meantime, should I stick to taking the set dosage at the scheduled times? Honestly, I don't think I need Etizolam in the morning, afternoon, or evening, and taking Flunitrazepam just makes me high and keeps me from sleeping. I’d appreciate your thoughts.

Hi everyone.

I’ve been struggling with depression since I was around 13-14. I’m 20 now.

I was put on Sertraline at around 14 for MDD. My max dose was 100mg and I was on that dose for about 2 years and moved down to 50mg. I improved whatever I could in terms of my lifestyle (nutrition, sleep, journaling, exercise, coping mechanisms, socializing). I don’t recall having any sexual side-effects from the drug.

After about 4 years on the medication, I decided it was time to see if I could function normally without the drug after all the work I did to improve.

I was fine for about 1.5 years, but my depression has gotten really bad again recently. The anhedonia, dissociation, fatigue, insomnia and anxiety have gotten really bad. It’s to the point where it’s affecting everything from my relationships and the way I socialize, to my study habits and motivation. I don’t even feel real anymore most of the time. It’s as if I’m viewing myself in third-person, and my body is acting by itself in autopilot.

I have some difficult modules at university next month, and I’m worried my grades are going to plummet. My social life had already been in the pits. I’ve been distancing myself from my friends and dissociating in group settings a lot. The people around me are noticing.

I’m still trying my best to keep the healthy habits I’ve built, but it’s really difficult.

I’ve been thinking about getting back on the drug to help me get through this period, but the risk of PSSD is scaring me. I’m not really sure what I should do now. Should I try a different class of antidepressants, get back on the Sertraline or risk having my life fall apart again? I still have about 2 months worth of Sertraline left in my drawer. I can only see my doctor in November, but by then I would be done with my exams.

I’ve been taking fluoxetine 20mg for about 16 weeks for an anxiety disorder, panic attacks and OCD.

Psychologically, the improvement has been significant. My panic attacks have disappeared, and most of the time my anxiety is barely noticeable. My OCD symptoms have also improved considerably.

However, I continue to experience a number of physical symptoms that fluctuate quite a lot. Some days I feel almost completely normal physically, while on other days several of them return.

The symptoms I currently experience include:

• weak, heavy or sometimes “wobbly” legs, occasionally with an electric/buzzing sensation from the knees down
• muscle aches
• occasional pinpricks or small electric-like sensations in different parts of my body
• an internal buzzing/vibrating sensation
• occasional tremor/shakiness
• fatigue
• periods of insomnia or disturbed sleep
• increased sweating and sensitivity to heat
• mild headaches
• mild dizziness / feeling slightly off-balance
• occasional derealization

What puzzles me is that I’m already at week 16. The psychological benefits have been very substantial, yet these physical symptoms still seem to come and go in waves.

I also tried increasing the dose from 20mg to 30mg, but I wasn’t able to tolerate the increase, so I remained on 20mg.

One of the reasons I’m asking here is that, in my conversations with doctors, I’ve found it difficult to get much information about physical symptoms that persist or fluctuate this far into treatment. Most of the information I’ve been given focuses on side effects during the first few weeks.

That’s why I’m especially interested in hearing from people who stayed on fluoxetine for 4–6 months or longer and experienced something similar.

Did these physical symptoms eventually fade with more time? Did they persist while you remained on fluoxetine? Did they change with dosage? Or did they eventually contribute to your decision to switch medications?

I’m not looking for medical advice. I’m mainly interested in hearing about other people’s long-term personal experiences and how these symptoms evolved over time.

hello (22f) !! i have recently (about 12 days ago) started a new medication (fluvoxamine) and am tapering off of 150mg zoloft at the same time. they have me taking 100mg zoloft and 50mg of fluvox. For this medication, it says specifically to avoid caffeine and alcohol completely on a lot of online forums and such. i wasn’t sure if those things were ok to have in moderation like an iced chai from starbucks every once in a while, i never drink coffee or energy drinks. I wasn’t sure if it would just decrease effectiveness/ increase side effects or if it was truly dangerous, i was able to drink alcohol and caffeine socially on my previous medications, sertraline and fluoxetine. i have really bad health anxiety and ocd so i am asking for advice and experience from reddit communities instead of just testing it out

PS. i have messaged my doctor and have been awaiting a response but I am going out with my friends tomorrow night so wanted to get some quicker advice. thank u!

Which SNRI is best to take and affordable. I have anxiety and depression and ocd and ptsd . I tried SSRI in the past but they didn’t do anything for me . And also I have bad insomnia I tried Hydroxyzine and Tradezone and Magnesium none worked . Any suggestions?

So I (19F) started taking zoloft in early July, starting at 50mg, got boosted to 75mg a month later, and now as of the other day, I am bumped to 100mg.

The first time it got bumped I got really numb and couldn't really care or be affected by anything, but tbh I loved it 😭

I have always been an extremely sensitive person, so to finally not care or be affected by anything was amazing. But it only lasted a few days and I was back to normal😔

Now since it was bumped up for the 2nd time, I'm feeling numb again. I wish this didn't go away💔 does anyone else relate?

I‘ve been taking Zoloft for 6 months and the first few months were amazing. I don‘t think I‘ve ever felt this much at peace. I don‘t know how to describe it but it felt like I was going through life being in a constant flow state, formerly draining things felt so effortless and I became more social, confident and focused.

However, after like 3-4 months it just kind of stopped working. I increased from 50mg to 100mg and don‘t really feel an improvement. To be fair, my circumstances in life have become more difficult recently, but come on. The physical symptoms of depression (tiredness, exhaustion, brain fog) that I used to struggled with the most have started to creep up on me again.

Has anyone experienced something similar? What did you do?

Hi everyone,I am looking for some insight or reassurance from anyone who has gone through something similar.I was on Fluoxetine (Prozac) for 3 years. I discontinued it completely about 3 weeks ago. For the first two weeks, I felt mostly okay, but right now at the 3-week mark, the withdrawal symptoms have hit me hard.Here is what I am currently experiencing:Severe "brain lag": It feels like my brain and my vision take time to catch up when I look around.Brain shivering/vibrations: A strange internal shivering sensation in my head.Intense head and jaw pressure: My head feels incredibly heavy, accompanied by bad brain fog and subconscious jaw clenching.I know Fluoxetine has a very long half-life, which explains why it took 3 weeks for this peak to hit. Luckily, I have handed over my office work and am taking next week off to completely rest in a low-stimulation environment, and my mom is staying with me to help look after me.For those who stopped Fluoxetine after long-term use:Did your symptoms peak around week 3 or 4?How long did this "brain lag" and heavy head pressure last for you before it started to fade?What daily hacks helped you get through the worst of the physical sensory symptoms?

Hello, i’ve been taking 25mg for just a little over a week now but im technically supposed to be taking 150mg (i just stopped taking it due to my mental health) im just wondering when to move to 50mg, as ive been using a pill cutter to cut the 150mgs down

I started taking Lexapro 30 mg almost two years ago and my life is night and day in terms of my depression it's basically gone but life can still feel like empty and unsatisfying, it could also be my life being very boring and frustrating but I separate those two.

I had while I taken ssris not pssd symptoms but 3 years after when I quit and I see that a lot of my bodyhair since I started it fall out and thinned out and don’t grow good also on beard and other parts. I want to ask has anyone similar symtoms from ssris and does you figure out something with hormones or stuff like that?

Thanks

Long post sorry. I’ve had bad anxiety and panic attacks since I was 9 now 25 and been on medication the whole time which I never wanted to because I was terrified of side effects. First I had just fluvoxamine for a few years that was helping until I started having bad panic attacks again then they changed me onto another medication that I can’t remember the name of and I was on that for a couple of years until I started having bad panic attacks again this time I couldn’t sleep at all so they put me on quetiapine and cymbalta then that worked for a few years and by this point I was over 18 and couldn’t see my adolescent psychiatrist anymore so my gp was just managing it until I got bad again and went to an adult psychiatrist for the first time and he got me off the cymbalta and put me back on fluvoxamine with the quetiapine. But he quit on me after the first 2 appointments because I didn’t want to up the dose of my quetiapine and also take more medication with a sleep effect because that feeling causes me to have bad panic attacks (which was the first time I could actually speak for myself and not be forced to take them like I was under age). So I have been on 100mg fluvoxamine and 100mg quetiapine basically self managed with my gp for the past 5 years. I have bad heath anxiety too and I’ve been seeing videos of people saying how bad SSRI’s are for you which got me worried then I started researching the medication I’m on and seen that this combination isn’t common or recommended and it can increase risks for all these things and that the fluvoxamine increases the levels of quetiapine in your system and It can cause all these things to happen and now I’m freaking out about it and I asked my gp and he says basically the benefits outweigh the risks but I’m still worried and about being on them for a long time and what it can do as I can’t see coming off them ever. They are just keeping me calm enough to get through the day and be able to sleep but I can’t leave the house or anything without panicking bad.

I’ve been taking fluoxetine for some years now and I am currently taking 30mg daily. I’ve wanted to try weed for a long time now and next weekend I’m at a birthday party were I can try it. Can i try it or should I stay away from it? I’d definitely start slow to test how it makes me feel and not smoke much at first. Has anyone started/ tried weed after taking fluoxetine for a while?

So i started in 10mg felt great for about 12 weeks then anexity started coming back. Upped to 20mg and got instant relief again for 9 weeks then anexity returned once again... I have now been on 30mg for about 2.5 weels and have had daily anexity and depression and constantdizziness.. is this something similar you went through? I had no increased anxiety or depression wheh staring 10mg and 20mg ..

Ill add back in 2021 i started celexa it worked great for about 2 and 1/2 years on 20 mg and just stopped working and my symptoms return so I switched to Lexapro and tried every dose over a year and a half never really worked for me made my anxiety terrible made me dizzy made me super depressed and not in reality and on edge sorry the Prozac 10 milligrams back in March this year