Medication/Prescriptions

[lostlilgirl]

"I swear by Zoloft. :] It has done wonders for me. I had bad reactions to Wellbutrin.
...Ativan was a life saver but I got addicted heavily so I had to switch to Klonopin.
4mgs is quite alot, how'd you get to be put on that much?"

I don't take all 4 at once. I was on a dosage of 3 mg a day for a long time. 1 during the day as needed for anxiety. 2 at bedtime.
I asked my doctor to up it just because after being on is sooooooo long, I needed more. She had no problem with it. She said I have
extreme anxiety & probably will the rest of my life. Then she said " I know you're not out selling it on the streets so I have no problem with
raising the number prescribed.

I know I am addicted but they really are what keeping me from the dark thoughts that are always in my head.

When did it get this bad? Oh, did I say that out loud?

[trepid]

[quote author=holly link=topic=781.msg1403535#msg1403535 date=1254630578]
Zoloft and effexor = absolutely no sex drive or ability to get off for me. 

[/quote]

omg, effexor is the worst shit ever. I was on 175mg of that crap a day for 5 years and was like a dead person walking, completely devoid of emotion (which wasn't necessarily a bad thing at the time). It also gave me some serious brain 'zaps' (I am sure their are people here that know EXACTLY what zaps I am talking about). Only when I wanted to come off it did they tell me the withdrawls were going to be worse than coming off heroin. And they weren't kidding ... the withdrawls were six months of pure hell. It is really hard but it is isn't impossible to get off them. Definately worse than any other drug I have had problems with though (which is like ... any and every substance that is illicit  :|).

[quote author=Hellbettie link=topic=781.msg1403560#msg1403560 date=1254631655]
That's what is keeping me sober, the promise of a better life. I finally realized that me and drugs are just not a happy couple. Me and any mood altering substance, really. Maybe even pot. I do miss pot, but I don't need it.

my GOD I can't believe I just typed that 
[/quote]

yay hellbettie  I totally understand what an epic statement that is to make for some people.

You and me both girl. I was totally in denial until I had this sudden overnight revelation and then everything changed for me ... It's all fun and games until one day you wake up and realise you have a serious problem. It kills your social life, but I don't want to ever go back to my drug fucked days *shudder*

[holly]

[quote author=trepid link=topic=781.msg1404105#msg1404105 date=1254701407]
omg, effexor is the worst shit ever. I was on 175mg of that crap a day for 5 years and was like a dead person walking, completely devoid of emotion (which wasn't necessarily a bad thing at the time). It also gave me some serious brain 'zaps' (I am sure their are people here that know EXACTLY what zaps I am talking about). Only when I wanted to come off it did they tell me the withdrawls were going to be worse than coming off heroin. And they weren't kidding ... the withdrawls were six months of pure hell. It is really hard but it is isn't impossible to get off them. Definately worse than any other drug I have had problems with though (which is like ... any and every substance that is illicit  :|).
[/quote]

YES!  The zaps...  Oh god, it was horrible!

[lostlilgirl]

Effexor was the first thing I tried after getting to the "Prozac poopout". I have been on it for 10 years. I loved it. It worked the best of anything.
With Effexor, my blood pressure shot up high. Lots of other horrible side effects that I can't remember or blocked out. 

It's ironic, one thing I remember when I was on Prozac was thinking to myself " I don't think I could feel depressed if I tried ".
Now, with what I am currently on not doing shit but allowing me to "function", I say to myself " I don't know if I can ever feel good again ".

[Clockworx]

[quote author=trepid link=topic=781.msg1404105#msg1404105 date=1254701407]
You and me both girl. I was totally in denial until I had this sudden overnight revelation and then everything changed for me ... It's all fun and games until one day you wake up and realise you have a serious problem. It kills your social life, but I don't want to ever go back to my drug fucked days *shudder*
[/quote]

Congrats.  Towards the end for me it wasnt even fun and games anymore.  Shit was a necessity to be able to function at work, in public, etc and not be dope sick and bedridden all day.  I used every drug as a crutch to be outgoing and shit like that cause i disliked myself up until 14 when i started using.  Im not gonna lie and say these last 10 months have been peachy fucking keen and i havent thought about getting fucked up again but i know if i do ill be dead.  The hardest part for me was changing my cell number and deleting all my "friends aka using buddies" numbers out of it and having to start all over and get friends who werent druggies.  But i havent been as happy as i am now in too many years to count. 

[trepid]

[quote author=Clockworx link=topic=781.msg1404126#msg1404126 date=1254704237]
Congrats.  Towards the end for me it wasnt even fun and games anymore.  Shit was a necessity to be able to function at work, in public, etc and not be dope sick and bedridden all day.  I used every drug as a crutch to be outgoing and shit like that cause i disliked myself up until 14 when i started using.  Im not gonna lie and say these last 10 months have been peachy fucking keen and i havent thought about getting fucked up again but i know if i do ill be dead.  The hardest part for me was changing my cell number and deleting all my "friends aka using buddies" numbers out of it and having to start all over and get friends who werent druggies.  But i havent been as happy as i am now in too many years to count. 
[/quote]

Yeah same here, it completely takes over your life and you really, truly don't even realise it until you are in the deep end and just barely keeping your head above water. I think everyone in that situation inevitably reaches that dark point where it is all or nothing and you just have to make a choice.

It is a real hard lesson to learn but I am so glad I listened to my "inner voice" (or whatever the fuck you want to call it). Whatever it was, I finally heard it loud and clear and it was a real turning point in my life - after you turn around and admit you have hit rock bottom, I figure the only place to go is up. And I agree with you, the hardest part is not resisting the drugs themselves, but changing your entire lifestyle ... it sucks major balls but it is worth it in the grand scheme of things.

Congrats to you too, it definately is no easy road so all the more power to you my friend. 

[merdeath]

Abilify and 50mg Zoloft?  Will this get rid of my severe lows?  The psych. prescribed it to me the weekend I was admitted to the psych hosp. I told my dad to throw out all my meds before I got out.  Never really got a chance to try it.

[TinkerBelly]

[quote author=missberi link=topic=781.msg1410125#msg1410125 date=1255297003]
Abilify and 50mg Zoloft?  Will this get rid of my severe lows?  The psych. prescribed it to me the weekend I was admitted to the psych hosp. I told my dad to throw out all my meds before I got out.  Never really got a chance to try it.
[/quote]

I just posted to you in Sober House and now I am about to post to you here.  I'm not stalking you  :lol:

I agree with what Gutsy posted in the other thread regarding psyche vs. addiction and medications.  Since I've been following your journey here I don't think you have had enough time on any type of depression med to be able to feel the benefits or not.  Most take a good four to six weeks to get into your system and do what they are meant to do.  I know the first time you definently weren't taking them as directed 

I think you need to find a doc that specializes in everything you are dealing with and stick with the same doctor.  Weekly checks and journaling how you feel can give you and your doc a good picture of what is working and what is not.  I wish there was a quick fix for you but I think slow and steady will be more beneficial in the long run.

[quote author=emmieslost link=topic=781.msg1403747#msg1403747 date=1254665198]
cymbalta is the most disgusting drug i have ever used. 
[/quote]

Please expand on this. I am almost 30 days into taking it....

[Megan1285]

Does anyone know if 80 mil of Prozac is too much? What if I constantly feel shaky (like if I am wired), and I started smoking cigarettes now just to calm the shaking feeling...I know that is a horrible sentence but the important thing is to get some input. Please.

[TinkerBelly]

[quote author=MeganFarmer link=topic=781.msg1410218#msg1410218 date=1255304695]
Does anyone know if 80 mil of Prozac is too much? What if I constantly feel shaky (like if I am wired), and I started smoking cigarettes now just to calm the shaking feeling...I know that is a horrible sentence but the important thing is to get some input. Please.
[/quote]

I have no first hand experience with Prozac.  Definently worth mentioning to your doc.

[Megan1285]

[quote author=TinkerBelly link=topic=781.msg1410245#msg1410245 date=1255307042]
I have no first hand experience with Prozac.  Definently worth mentioning to your doc.
[/quote]

I will, it is extremely uncomfortable...I just want to hurry up and get better. If anything I feel like the change in meds is making me feel worse, I miss my son and want him back already it makes me sadder.

[Kristinella]

[quote author=Clockworx link=topic=781.msg1403543#msg1403543 date=1254630936]
Thanks.  Yea they put me on the anti-seizure drug phenobarbital for a month plus when i came off the xanax and it took me a good month to get more then 2 hours of sleep a night.  I was abusing 400 mg's of Oxy's along with 6-8 mg's of xanax and day and combining the two via my nasal passage all the time.  I just finally came to the realization that my life was a fuck up deluxe and after losing a government job i had held for 5 years because of using i decided to cut everything out and havent picked up shit since.  That was a little over 10 months ago and my life is wayyyy better without it all.
[/quote]

I used to do the same thing with pills (snorting) as well as the parachuting.  I've done about everything you could do and found that pills are my weakness. 

[merdeath]

I am so scared to go back to the psych.  I do NOT want all the meds again.  But this Abilify....I want to try it again. 

[Megan1285]

[quote author=missberi link=topic=781.msg1410275#msg1410275 date=1255311931]
I am so scared to go back to the psych.  I do NOT want all the meds again.  But this Abilify....I want to try it again. 
[/quote]

Abilify? Is it milder?

[TinkerBelly]

[quote author=missberi link=topic=781.msg1410275#msg1410275 date=1255311931]
I am so scared to go back to the psych.  I do NOT want all the meds again.  But this Abilify....I want to try it again. 
[/quote]

That's good that you don't want all the meds again.  Once again you realize a possible problem and want to avoid it.  There are medication machines that you can have at home that only dispense the required med at the right time of day and can be set up for more than one med and also for various times during the day.  I know quite a few people who have them and it's a great way to stay on track with medications.

Oh by the way I love your glasses in the picture thread you posted in.  They are awesome  8-)

[merdeath]

[quote author=TinkerBelly link=topic=781.msg1410286#msg1410286 date=1255313016]
That's good that you don't want all the meds again.  Once again you realize a possible problem and want to avoid it.  There are medication machines that you can have at home that only dispense the required med at the right time of day and can be set up for more than one med and also for various times during the day.  I know quite a few people who have them and it's a great way to stay on track with medications.

Oh by the way I love your glasses in the picture thread you posted in.  They are awesome  8-)
[/quote]

Thanks love!  If I have anything to save it is my b/f. 

[TinkerBelly]

[quote author=missberi link=topic=781.msg1410289#msg1410289 date=1255313266]
Thanks love!  If I have anything to save it is my b/f. 
[/quote]
  You have to save YOU first.  He is second. 

[angelaiscaustic]

This isn't a "drug" drug I don't think but can somebody tell me more about melatonin?  I need some fucking sleep.

[emmieslost]

[quote author=angelaiscaustic link=topic=781.msg1410616#msg1410616 date=1255357276]
This isn't a "drug" drug I don't think but can somebody tell me more about melatonin?  I need some fucking sleep.
[/quote]

i used to take it in high school and it was helpful.  i just had to remember to take it early enough so that i could wake up in time the next morning.  i don't remember it having many side effects, but it was years and years ago.

[Hellbettie]

As far as side effects, the only one I deal with is having really weird dreams, like nightmares that you think about all day. I love melatonin.

[TinkerBelly]

[quote author=angelaiscaustic link=topic=781.msg1410616#msg1410616 date=1255357276]
This isn't a "drug" drug I don't think but can somebody tell me more about melatonin?  I need some fucking sleep.
[/quote]

Tylenol makes Simply Sleep that is a sleep aid without the Tylenol.  It works pretty good.

[beli]

why oh why when i forget to take my stattera and when i finally do, i get sooooo nauseated??? ugh. its that nausea that make your stomach cramp, but you have nothing to throw up....ugh  :-(

[merdeath]

I am convinced...ALMOST everyone on MDS is on medication in some sort.

[snowfallsoon]

you know what really works for me for depression/anxiety is imiprimine. it is one of the 'older drugs', not an SSRI. They tried to switch me,
because they said the side effects wouldn't be as bad-but the only side effects are dry mouth and constipation sometimes. No 'psychological'
side effects at all. But now the drug companies seem to be pushing these new drugs.
My daughters boyfriend was on Cymbalta, he had a very tough time on it. Sick all the time, dizzy, depressed.
I've been on Zoloft, which was good but i was constantly go-go-go and couldn't sleep. Celexa did nothing.
I also take a small dose of Paxil now, which I really like.
The thing that sucks is, you have to try a new med, and it takes time to get to a 'theraputic dose', sometimes weeks and weeks and if it
doesn't work out you need to start all over again. The whole thing can get really depressing because sometimes after a while you feel
like nothing will ever work. Or the med DOES work, but then it just stops working.

Meganfarmer-I think 80 mg is at the high end for Prozac. Were you on a smaller does and it wasn't working so they upped it?
If it is really bothering you, you could call your doctor tonight, or whoever is covering, and check it out with them. Someone is always
on call, don't worry about bothering them, it's their job!

[jeneria]

[quote author=Hellbettie link=topic=781.msg1410699#msg1410699 date=1255366281]
As far as side effects, the only one I deal with is having really weird dreams, like nightmares that you think about all day. I love melatonin.
[/quote]

I can't take Melatonin, St. John's Wort, or Valerian because they interact with Lithium.  It can cause something called Serotonin Syndrome.  Knowing that syndromes are rarely good and that my serotonin is already out of whack, hence the Lithium, I've decided not to mess with herbal stress or sleep aids any longer.