Curious - what was the indicator for you to startincorporating medication into your mental health routine as the next best step?

2024 was the year I stopped taking Lexapro due to heightened prolactin, then secondly, I just felt like I wasnt benefiting from it as much as before.

Prior, It was taken due to ha dying grief after loosing my furbaby to cancer then 2 months later my mom passed in a car accident. (Summer to Fall 2020)

There were some "sprinkles" of cognitive behavior therapy.

Not as intentional and consistent as it has been starting off the past few months.

I was brought to trying therapy again due to the realization that Im "operating" in broken systems. A mix of past trauma, identifying through old beliefs, lack of self worth, etc.All of which are holding me back from being the newer, truer version of myself.

If that's not in order then its hard to visualize being present for others in a healthy way.

With the help of therapy and my partner, Ive uncovered some heavy boulders that have been tough to move. Spiraling and depressive dips have been more present.

Journaling and figuring out that 1.) Curiosity to the mistake or event thst is the root of spiraling and/or 2.) Seeking connection with someone I feel safe with are some things that sometimes help shift the perspective.

Though, such as a day like this, which also seems to be linked to being g on my period (lol) -- that newly discovered system isn't quite working. So, riding out the thoughts and being still and patient feels like what should be the focus for the rest of the day.

How did you gauge when trucking through the shadows was the opening to invite medication again?

I’ve only been on Prozac for about 2.5 weeks. I’m not someone that has ever really experienced placebo affects. I don’t think I’m wired that way.

Anyway. I know it typically takes 6+ weeks to feel the full affects of an SSRI. But I swear to god, I’m feeling so different. I’ve never felt like this. I obviously don’t feel perfect. The best way I can describe it is I feel “level.” Things just feel smooth. I don’t have anxiety constantly sitting under my chest. Things don’t feel heavy and unbearable. I vaguely recognize emotions in passing but they’re not crippling me anymore. It’s a very noticeable difference.

I guess I just wanted to know if anyone else has experienced a noticeable change earlier than 6 weeks? Or am I just somehow trippin? I know meds affect everyone differently but just curious. Thanks in advance!

Vou começar a tomar esse remédio e vi pessoas falando de ganho de peso, mas não entendi se é por comer mais (ganho de apetite) ou se o ganho é metabólico (ganho de peso mesmo comendo igual).
Alguém com experiência pode me ajudar?

I called my psychiatrist to tell her the sweating is out of control and asked if she could give me something for it and she prescribed terazosin at the next appointment, but I had a dermatologist appointment before i heard back from the psychiatrist so I talked to my dermatologist about it who prescribed glycopyrrol. Has anyone been on either one and had success? I’m taking both and literally nothing is changing.

I’m on 20mg of Lexapro, take it everyday with no real problems and have done for over a year. I’d accidentally ordered this months prescription to the wrong address and won’t be able to get hold of it for another two days (until Friday). But I’ve been out since last Saturday (today is Wednesday). So I’m on Day 5 out of 7 going come turkey with no Lexapro BY ACCIDENT and it is not fun. Mentally I don’t feel particularly bad, but the vertigo/dizziness is next level. Room is spinning if I even move the tiniest amount.

Basically chat… am I cooked?? 😭😭

Has anyone had this combo? How did it work for you?

I recently got put back on fluvoxamine after taking it for 5 years and being off it for nearly 2 after deciding it was the wrong course for me to wean off of it. Just got prescribed 50mg to start but will go up to 100 eventually. 200mg was my original dose.

I was also prescribed trazodone for sleep, I believe 100mg but I know I can always half or quarter it for a lower dose. I had no idea trazodone was an antidepressant and didn't ask about it at my appointment, so I'm hoping I can find some answers here.

I'm concerned about serotonin syndrome mostly, but I also found out there can be other adverse affects when combining the two.

Any anecdotal stories about this combo? Anything to ease my fears? Or should I talk to my psych about switching to something else? I would be taking trazodone at night and fluvoxamine in the morning, as I had done before.

I’m on day 10 after increasing my Lexapro dose and I’m trying to figure out how long to give it before deciding whether it’s helping. I’ve had more fatigue, weakness, low appetite, and physical anxiety, and I’ve needed my prescribed Klonopin a few times (.5mg). My psychiatrist also prescribed propranolol, but it didn’t seem to do much for me.
For those who had a rough adjustment after increasing Lexapro, how long did it take before you noticed things turning around (if they did)? I’m planning to stick it out a bit longer unless things get significantly worse, but I’d appreciate hearing others’ experiences.

So about a month ago now I went cold turkey off my Zoloft. Well 50mg to 25 to 0. So bit really cold turkey ig. Anyways the withdrawals were hellish for the first 2 weeks but I've come down to just infrequent brain zaps, minimal nausea. But the most alarming thing that I've only recognized recently is that I've lost my ability to see 3d in my head. You know the apple test to see how far you can visualize and manipulate an apple in your head. I used to be able to rotate it and see the color but I can't now.

In multiple cases Ive needed visual explanations on how something would move in 3d space when I used to be able to picture things vividly.

It's kinda disappointing but I don't think I can get it back so not much I can do. I wouldn't recommend going cold turkey especially without consulting your psychiatrist. I didn't and still haven't gotten back in touch with mine just because I don't want to. I'd advise that you do if you're thinking about getting off any meds.

Goodnight folks

Hi everyone! :)

I was prescribed Sertralin in April for severe health anxiety, somatization, and nervous system exhaustion.

I’m currently taking 75 mg but I haven’t noticed any significant improvement. I do have really good days and even good weeks, but once or twice a month I crash badly, usually before my period or during strong weather changes. During those times I feel just as awful as I did before starting the medication.

Even on my “good” days, it’s all relative—I still experience physical symptoms like feeling spaced out, dizziness, constant drowsiness, and brain fog, just less intensely, and I don’t get as anxious about them.

Yesterday, my psychiatrist suggested switching me to Scippa (escitalopram)*because he thinks Sertraline may simply not be the right medication for me if these bad periods haven’t improved after all this time. He asked me to think it over.

To be honest, I can’t decide. This would be the third antidepressant I’ve tried. Earlier this year I was on Brintellix, but it was terrible for me in every way. I’m worried that switching will just destabilize me again, leading to another 2–3 months of struggling, with no guarantee that this medication will actually work.

I’m also seeing a clinical psychologist for psychotherapy, which has been helping a lot.

I’d love to hear from anyone who has taken either Sertraline or Scippa—or both—for similar issues. I know everyone’s response to medication is different, but hearing other people’s experiences might help me make my decision.

Thank you! :)
**29/F**

I (32F) have been taking SSRI’s for years now for my mental health. My longest med was Fluvoxamine, was on that for numerous years. However, last December I switched to Zoloft. It honestly really helped me way more with my MH symptoms compared to my stagnant place I was at on the Fluvoxamine. However, I feel like since starting this my body’s ability to overheat has been AWFUL. It’s full on hot flashes all the time. Like I feel the heat rising inside me and it is the most uncomfortable feeling there is. I sweat profusely, especially on my face and “down there”. This summer has been the worst I’ve had thus far.

Any tips/tricks/product advice any fellow SSRI hot flash ladies (or guys lol) can recommend? Thanks in advance and stay cool out there 🥵

when i move my eyes i feel it in my feet… plz help🥹

I started 25mg of sertraline (Zoloft) a couple nights ago for anxiety/depression symptoms and whatnot. I have some acid and shrooms on me and I want to do a trip with some of my friends sometime soon, but I’m aware of how the combination of SSRI’s and psychedelics can dampen the experience (and lead to serotonin syndrome in extreme cases). I’ve only done 2 days of the 25mg sertraline so far - if I were to stop taking it for a few days and then trip this weekend, would I be fine? I feel like 2 days of 25mg isn’t enough time for the drug to really integrate into my system but I’m not sure.

What should I try instead? It works amazing for anxiety 10mg, but I feel super flat.

Was on 50mg for a few years. Recently tapered to 25mg for a month, then stopped. All under supervision of my doctor of course. First 1.5-2 weeks were fine physically, then started to have severe GI upset which has only worsened. Now going on 4.5 weeks and it’s probably the worst it’s been so far. Cramping, urgency, nausea, bloating. Diarrhea 1-5 hours after a meal. Starting to get concerned it’s not related now. Anyone else have a similar experience? It’s really affecting my quality life at this point.

If i care too much about other people to the point it kills my quality of life and myself, could SSRIs/sertraline make it so that i dont care anymore what others think or that if im myself or no?

Hello people

Do u think timing of escitalopram affecting ur nausea in the morning??

And morning anxiety

Since early June I’ve been weaning off my 10mg of lexapro. I’ve been taking them since being diagnosed with postpartum depression 14 years ago.

For two weeks I took 5 mg daily, then two weeks of 5mg every other day. Now I’m taking 2.5 mg every other day.

I feel cross-eyed. My ears feel full/like I need to constantly pop them. I have a headache.

Should I just keep going at this rate? I am taking grad school classes and I feel like I can’t read without getting a headache. Is there anything that can help me feel somewhat normal?

I genuinely think that today I have fully recovered.

I started taking Citalopram on 6 July and stopped on 8 July after just 3 doses.

Today is 21 July, so it's been almost two weeks since my last dose, and I truly feel like I'm back to my baseline.

I had a strange "pain" on the upper right side of my head, but it's completely gone now.

I can only kind of notice it if I close my eyes and really focus on it, so I honestly think it's psychological at this point rather than something that's actually there.

S3xually, I feel back to baseline. My g3nital sensitivity feels completely normal again, my er3ctions are normal, and I don't notice any difference anymore.

The biggest change between yesterday and today was actually emotional.

I realised something had changed while watching a movie.

For the first time since this all started, I found myself genuinely feeling emotions and empathising with the main character.

It felt natural again.

I'll also never forget something that will stay with me forever. During the worst part of this experience, my wife was crying because of a difficult situation.

I knew I was sad, but it didn't actually feel like sadness.

It was more like an intellectual understanding of how I should have felt.

It honestly felt as if there was a wall preventing me from accessing genuine sadness.

That experience terrified me far more than the s3xual symptoms.

Today, I finally feel in control of my mind again.

I even messaged all of my closest friends to tell them that I'm back.

This has been the worst week of my life.

I honestly feel like crying just because I think it's finally over.

My question is: for people who have experience with SSRIs or even PSSD, is it possible for symptoms to get worse again after reaching what feels like a full recovery?

Has anyone recovered like this and then relapsed days or weeks later, or is that considered unlikely?

I'd really appreciate hearing from people with genuine experience.

I know nobody can predict the future, but I'd like to understand what has happened to others.

Need opinions. Thanks

Doc suggested two options. I'm on zoloft, and had some improvement but found it hard to get above 50mg because of side effects. Main side effects are fatigue and digestive issues. I've tried lexapro before, and was great for my mood but had worse digestive issues. My psych suggested adding abilify to the low dose zoloft to see if that combo works. Or I could try prozac to see if that works better than zoloft or escitalapram.

We also talked about an SNRI but I'm not ready to try that yet because I'm worried about how difficult they are to get off.

Did a very short taper of 50 down to 25mg for 2 weeks. Then stopped. That would have been 27th of June so, nearly a month but not quite.

I would say I have been side effect free for about a week at this point. My sleep has not been brilliant but it is very hard to tell how much of that is this and how much is the heatwave - so yeah. Happy days. Cried loads at a film the other day and it was brilliant.

Have not really taken SSRIs other than a few month stint on citalopram 10 years ago. Thinking about Trintellix as I see it works well for GAD and some mild depression.

I lose sleep 1-2 nights a week from anxiety. Small things like kids sports or social obligations give me anxiety. Typical stuff. Angry, snappy sometimes for no reason. Random bouts of mild depression that don’t last longer than a few hours.

Wondering if anyone has had a similar experience and used this drug to help with it, and if side effects were excessive.

Thanks all and much love.

Sertraline will be my 3rd SSRI.

Citalopram and Prozac not much help.

Does anyone understand how it works in our brains ?
Thanks 🙏

I went to a psychiatrist for the first time 3 weeks ago and got prescribed Luvox for moderately severe depression/anxiety, starting with 25mg taken daily. Today, I had a follow-up consult with the clinic's care manager and she told me to continue still taking only 25mg daily till my next appointment with the psychiatrist, which is in October.

From what I've learned so far, 25mg is a sub-therapeutic dosage for depression/anxiety, meaning the effects are mild at best for treating adults.

Has anyone else been on a similar starting regimen? How was your experience like, did it improve your condition at such a low dose? Is it normal clinical practice to prescribe 25mg Luvox for 4 months when first starting on an SSRI?

My experience so far with Luvox has been pretty smooth sailing, minimal side effects, and I was more than ready to increase my dose so it can start working its magic on my brain/mood. I'm not in any real danger to myself or anyone, but I experience passive SI occasionally and constant anhedonia. I start a new job in September and really hoped to get any initial adjustment side effects out of the way fast because I heard they can be brutal, but now I guess I'll have to wait it out :(