u/420-_-T-T

Hi everyone,

I've been taking escitalopram for 47 days total:

10 mg for 14 days

20 mg for 33 days

Since starting treatment, I've been experiencing a strange visual/perceptual feeling that I can't properly explain.

When I look at my surroundings, things sometimes seem zoomed out or farther away than they actually are. The strange part is that when I focus intensely on an object, it can seem like it gets even smaller or farther away. It gives me a very uncomfortable feeling that something is off or not right, but I can't find the right words to describe it.

I know the world is real and I don't believe I'm hallucinating. It's more like my perception of the environment feels different from how it used to.

I've told my psychiatrist about this. He said it sounds like hypervigilance, but I'm not completely convinced because I'm struggling to explain exactly what I'm experiencing. I'm worried that maybe it's something else, and because it's been going on for so long, I'm starting to feel like it will never go away.

Has anyone taking escitalopram experienced anything similar?

Did your surroundings ever feel zoomed out, smaller, farther away, or visually strange?

Did focusing on an object make the sensation stronger?

Did you experience this as part of derealization/hypervigilance?

Did it eventually go away?

If it was caused or worsened by escitalopram, did it improve with time or after changing medication?

Hi everyone,

I've been taking escitalopram for 47 days total:

10 mg for 14 days

20 mg for 33 days

Since starting treatment, I've been experiencing a strange visual/perceptual feeling that I can't properly explain.

When I look at my surroundings, things sometimes seem zoomed out or farther away than they actually are. The strange part is that when I focus intensely on an object, it can seem like it gets even smaller or farther away. It gives me a very uncomfortable feeling that something is off or not right, but I can't find the right words to describe it.

I know the world is real and I don't believe I'm hallucinating. It's more like my perception of the environment feels different from how it used to.

I've told my psychiatrist about this. He said it sounds like hypervigilance, but I'm not completely convinced because I'm struggling to explain exactly what I'm experiencing. I'm worried that maybe it's something else, and because it's been going on for so long, I'm starting to feel like it will never go away.

Has anyone taking escitalopram experienced anything similar?

Did your surroundings ever feel zoomed out, smaller, farther away, or visually strange?

Did focusing on an object make the sensation stronger?

Did you experience this as part of derealization/hypervigilance?

Did it eventually go away?

If it was caused or worsened by escitalopram, did it improve with time or after changing medication?

I'd really appreciate hearing from anyone who has experienced something similar. I'm mainly looking for personal experiences, not a diagnosis.

Hi everyone,

I've been taking escitalopram for 47 days total:

10 mg for 14 days

20 mg for 33 days

Since starting treatment, I've been experiencing a strange visual/perceptual feeling that I can't properly explain.

When I look at my surroundings, things seem zoomed out or farther away than they actually are. The strange part is that when I focus intensely on an object, it can seem like it gets even smaller or farther away. It gives me a very uncomfortable feeling that something is off or not right, but I can't find the right words to describe it.

I know the world is real and I don't believe I'm hallucinating. It's more like my perception of the environment feels different from how it used to.

I've told my psychiatrist about this. He said it sounds like hypervigilance, but I'm not completely convinced because I'm struggling to explain exactly what I'm experiencing. I'm worried that maybe it's something else, and because it's been going on for so long, I'm starting to feel like it will never go away.

Has anyone taking escitalopram experienced anything similar?

Did your surroundings ever feel zoomed out, smaller, farther away, or visually strange?

Did focusing on an object make the sensation stronger?

Did you experience this as part of derealization/hypervigilance?

Did it eventually go away?

If it was caused or worsened by escitalopram, did it improve with time or after changing medication?

I'd really appreciate hearing from anyone who has experienced something similar. I'm mainly looking for personal experiences, not a diagnosis.

Hi everyone,
I’m wondering if anyone has experience taking two SSRIs at the same time.
My psychiatrist recently prescribed:
Escitalopram (Lexapro/Exapro) 20 mg once daily
Paroxetine 20 mg/day 10 mg in the morning + 10 mg at night
He specifically told me not to stop the escitalopram and that paroxetine is being added on rather than replacing it. The main reason for adding paroxetine is my premature ejaculation, which hasn’t improved enough on escitalopram.
I know taking two SSRIs together isn’t the usual approach, so I’m curious:
Has anyone here taken escitalopram + paroxetine together?
What doses were you taking?
How long did you stay on both?
Did you notice any benefits or side effects?
Did it help with premature ejaculation?
Did your doctor eventually switch you to one SSRI?
I’m not planning to change my medication based on Reddit I’m just interested in hearing from people who’ve actually experienced this combination.

Hi everyone,
I’m wondering if anyone has experience taking two SSRIs at the same time.
My psychiatrist recently prescribed:
Escitalopram (Lexapro/Exapro) 20 mg once daily
Paroxetine 20 mg/day 10 mg in the morning + 10 mg at night
He specifically told me not to stop the escitalopram and that paroxetine is being added on rather than replacing it. The main reason for adding paroxetine is my premature ejaculation, which hasn’t improved enough on escitalopram.
I know taking two SSRIs together isn’t the usual approach, so I’m curious:
Has anyone here taken escitalopram + paroxetine together?
What doses were you taking?
How long did you stay on both?
Did you notice any benefits or side effects?
Did it help with premature ejaculation?
Did your doctor eventually switch you to one SSRI?
I’m not planning to change my medication based on Reddit I’m just interested in hearing from people who’ve actually experienced this combination

Hi everyone,
I’m wondering if anyone has experience taking two SSRIs at the same time.
My psychiatrist recently prescribed:
Escitalopram (Lexapro/Exapro) 20 mg once daily
Paroxetine 20 mg/day 10 mg in the morning + 10 mg at night
He specifically told me not to stop the escitalopram and that paroxetine is being added on rather than replacing it. The main reason for adding paroxetine is my premature ejaculation, which hasn’t improved enough on escitalopram.
I know taking two SSRIs together isn’t the usual approach, so I’m curious:
Has anyone here taken escitalopram + paroxetine together?
What doses were you taking?
How long did you stay on both?
Did you notice any benefits or side effects?
Did it help with premature ejaculation?
Did your doctor eventually switch you to one SSRI?
I’m not planning to change my medication based on Reddit I’m just interested in hearing from people who’ve actually experienced this combination

Hi everyone,
I’m wondering if anyone has experience taking two SSRIs at the same time.
My psychiatrist recently prescribed:
Escitalopram (Lexapro/Exapro) 20 mg once daily
Paroxetine 20 mg/day 10 mg in the morning + 10 mg at night
He specifically told me not to stop the escitalopram and that paroxetine is being added on rather than replacing it. The main reason for adding paroxetine is my premature ejaculation, which hasn’t improved enough on escitalopram.
I know taking two SSRIs together isn’t the usual approach, so I’m curious:
Has anyone here taken escitalopram + paroxetine together?
What doses were you taking?
How long did you stay on both?
Did you notice any benefits or side effects?
Did it help with premature ejaculation?
Did your doctor eventually switch you to one SSRI?
I’m not planning to change my medication based on Reddit I’m just interested in hearing from people who’ve actually experienced this combination

Hi everyone,
I’m wondering if anyone has experience taking two SSRIs at the same time.
My psychiatrist recently prescribed:
Escitalopram (Lexapro/Exapro) 20 mg once daily
Paroxetine 20 mg/day 10 mg in the morning + 10 mg at night
He specifically told me not to stop the escitalopram and that paroxetine is being added on rather than replacing it. The main reason for adding paroxetine is my premature ejaculation, which hasn’t improved enough on escitalopram.
I know taking two SSRIs together isn’t the usual approach, so I’m curious:
Has anyone here taken escitalopram + paroxetine together?
What doses were you taking?
How long did you stay on both?
Did you notice any benefits or side effects?
Did it help with premature ejaculation?
Did your doctor eventually switch you to one SSRI?
I’m not planning to change my medication based on Reddit I’m just interested in hearing from people who’ve actually experienced this combination.

Hi everyone,
I’m wondering if anyone has experience taking two SSRIs at the same time.
My psychiatrist recently prescribed:
Escitalopram (Lexapro/Exapro) 20 mg once daily
Paroxetine 20 mg/day 10 mg in the morning + 10 mg at night
He specifically told me not to stop the escitalopram and that paroxetine is being added on rather than replacing it. The main reason for adding paroxetine is my premature ejaculation, which hasn’t improved enough on escitalopram.
I know taking two SSRIs together isn’t the usual approach, so I’m curious:
Has anyone here taken escitalopram + paroxetine together?
What doses were you taking?
How long did you stay on both?
Did you notice any benefits or side effects?
Did it help with premature ejaculation?
Did your doctor eventually switch you to one SSRI?
I’m not planning to change my medication based on Reddit I’m just interested in hearing from people who’ve actually experienced this combination.

Hi everyone,
I’m wondering if anyone has experience taking two SSRIs at the same time.
My psychiatrist recently prescribed:
Escitalopram (Lexapro/Exapro) 20 mg once daily
Paroxetine 20 mg/day 10 mg in the morning + 10 mg at night
He specifically told me not to stop the escitalopram and that paroxetine is being added on rather than replacing it. The main reason for adding paroxetine is my premature ejaculation, which hasn’t improved enough on escitalopram.
I know taking two SSRIs together isn’t the usual approach, so I’m curious:
Has anyone here taken escitalopram + paroxetine together?
What doses were you taking?
How long did you stay on both?
Did you notice any benefits or side effects?
Did it help with premature ejaculation?
Did your doctor eventually switch you to one SSRI?
I’m not planning to change my medication based on Reddit I’m just interested in hearing from people who’ve actually experienced this combination.

Hi everyone,
I have lifelong premature ejaculation (usually under 10 seconds), and my psychiatrist prescribed Lexapro (escitalopram). I’m trying to decide whether I should keep waiting or if it’s unlikely to help.
My timeline:
Escitalopram 10 mg: 14 days
Escitalopram 20 mg: 21 days (current dose)
So I’ve been on escitalopram for about 5 weeks total, with 3 weeks at 20 mg.
Unfortunately, I still ejaculate in under 10 seconds, and I haven’t noticed any improvement yet.
For those of you who took Lexapro for PE:
How long did it take before you noticed delayed ejaculation?
Did you notice the benefit only after several weeks on 20 mg, or did it happen sooner?
Should I keep waiting until I’ve completed 6–8 weeks on 20 mg, or if there’s no improvement by now, is it unlikely to work?
If Lexapro didn’t help your lifelong PE, what treatment ended up working for you?
I’d really appreciate hearing from people with firsthand experience. Thanks!

Hi everyone,
I have lifelong premature ejaculation (usually under 30 seconds), and I’m hoping to hear from people who have had similar experiences.
Here’s my medication timeline:
9 days: Olanzapine 6 mg + Fluoxetine 25 mg (combination tablet)
5 days: Sertraline 100 mg/day
2 days: Sertraline 200 mg/day
15 days: Escitalopram 10 mg/day
6 days so far: Escitalopram 20 mg/day
So far, I haven’t noticed any improvement in my premature ejaculation, and it’s still usually under 30 seconds.
I’d really appreciate hearing from anyone who has gone through something similar:
How long did it take before an SSRI started helping your PE?
Which SSRI worked best for you (fluoxetine, sertraline, escitalopram, or another one)?
Did increasing the dose make a noticeable difference?
If an SSRI didn’t help, what treatment ended up working for you?
I’m looking for personal experiences rather than medical advice. Thanks in advance!

Hi everyone,
I’m taking Lexapro (escitalopram), and one of the reasons I’m curious about it is because I’ve read that it can help delay ejaculation.
I have lifelong premature ejaculation (usually less than 30 seconds), and I’m wondering about other people’s real experiences.
For context, I took 10 mg for 15 days, and it’s now been 6 days on 20 mg. So far, I haven’t noticed any improvement in my premature ejaculation.
I’d appreciate it if you could answer a few questions:
Did Lexapro improve your premature ejaculation?
How long did it take before you noticed a difference?
What dose were you taking (5 mg, 10 mg, or 20 mg)?
How much did your ejaculation time increase?
Did the improvement continue over time or plateau?
If it didn’t help, did another SSRI or treatment work better for you?
I’m looking for personal experiences rather than medical advice. Thanks in advance! 🙂

Hi everyone,
I’m a 25-year-old male and I’m hoping to hear from people who have experienced something similar.
Around June 1st, after I started seeing a psychiatrist and began taking psychiatric medications, I developed a very strange feeling that has stayed with me ever since.
The best way I can describe it is:
The world feels unreal, almost like I’m in a dream.
I know the world is real and I don’t believe anything has actually changed, but it doesn’t feel the way it used to.
When I go outside, everything seems farther away than normal.
If I focus on an object, it almost feels like it keeps moving farther away, and I feel like I’m getting “lost” in whatever I’m looking at.
Sometimes people or objects seem smaller or more distant than they should.
Loud environments make me feel hyperaware, overwhelmed, and sometimes like I might faint.
I don’t have hallucinations, and I don’t believe the world is fake. It’s more that my perception feels off, even though I know reality hasn’t changed.
My psychiatrist has told me to continue treatment, and my current medications are:
Escitalopram 20 mg
Buspirone 5 mg twice daily
Propranolol 10 mg twice daily
Mirtazapine 15 mg at night
Olanzapine 2.5 mg at night
The good news is that my sleep and appetite have improved, but this derealization feeling has persisted.
Has anyone experienced something similar?
How long did your derealization last?
Did it gradually go away?
Did medication, therapy, or time help the most?
Were there any techniques that made the feeling less intense?
I’m looking for personal experiences rather than medical advice. Thanks in advance.

Hi everyone,
I’m a 25-year-old male and I’m hoping to hear from people who have experienced something similar.
Around June 1st, after I started seeing a psychiatrist and began taking psychiatric medications, I developed a very strange feeling that has stayed with me ever since.
The best way I can describe it is:
The world feels unreal, almost like I’m in a dream.
I know the world is real and I don’t believe anything has actually changed, but it doesn’t feel the way it used to.
When I go outside, everything seems farther away than normal.
If I focus on an object, it almost feels like it keeps moving farther away, and I feel like I’m getting “lost” in whatever I’m looking at.
Sometimes people or objects seem smaller or more distant than they should.
Loud environments make me feel hyperaware, overwhelmed, and sometimes like I might faint.
I don’t have hallucinations, and I don’t believe the world is fake. It’s more that my perception feels off, even though I know reality hasn’t changed.
My psychiatrist has told me to continue treatment, and my current medications are:
Escitalopram 20 mg
Buspirone 5 mg twice daily
Propranolol 10 mg twice daily
Mirtazapine 15 mg at night
Olanzapine 2.5 mg at night
The good news is that my sleep and appetite have improved, but this derealization feeling has persisted.
Has anyone experienced something similar?
How long did your derealization last?
Did it gradually go away?
Did medication, therapy, or time help the most?
Were there any techniques that made the feeling less intense?
I’m looking for personal experiences rather than medical advice. Thanks in advance.

Hi everyone,
I’m a 25-year-old male and I’m hoping to hear from people who have experienced something similar.
Around June 1st, after I started seeing a psychiatrist and began taking psychiatric medications, I developed a very strange feeling that has stayed with me ever since.
The best way I can describe it is:
The world feels unreal, almost like I’m in a dream.
I know the world is real and I don’t believe anything has actually changed, but it doesn’t feel the way it used to.
When I go outside, everything seems farther away than normal.
If I focus on an object, it almost feels like it keeps moving farther away, and I feel like I’m getting “lost” in whatever I’m looking at.
Sometimes people or objects seem smaller or more distant than they should.
Loud environments make me feel hyperaware, overwhelmed, and sometimes like I might faint.
I don’t have hallucinations, and I don’t believe the world is fake. It’s more that my perception feels off, even though I know reality hasn’t changed.
My psychiatrist has told me to continue treatment, and my current medications are:
Escitalopram 20 mg
Buspirone 5 mg twice daily
Propranolol 10 mg twice daily
Mirtazapine 15 mg at night
Olanzapine 2.5 mg at night
The good news is that my sleep and appetite have improved, but this derealization feeling has persisted.
Has anyone experienced something similar?
How long did your derealization last?
Did it gradually go away?
Did medication, therapy, or time help the most?
Were there any techniques that made the feeling less intense?
I’m looking for personal experiences rather than medical advice. Thanks in advance.

Hi everyone,
I’m a 25 year old male and I’m hoping to hear from people who have experienced something similar.
Around June 1st, after I started seeing a psychiatrist and began taking psychiatric medications, I developed a very strange feeling that has stayed with me ever since.
The best way I can describe it is:
The world feels unreal, almost like I’m in a dream.
I know the world is real and I don’t believe anything has actually changed, but it doesn’t feel the way it used to.
When I go outside, everything seems farther away than normal.
If I focus on an object, it almost feels like it keeps moving farther away, and I feel like I’m getting “lost” in whatever I’m looking at.
Sometimes people or objects seem smaller or more distant than they should.
Loud environments make me feel hyperaware, overwhelmed, and sometimes like I might faint.
I don’t have hallucinations, and I don’t believe the world is fake. It’s more that my perception feels off, even though I know reality hasn’t changed.
My psychiatrist has told me to continue treatment, and my current medications are:
Escitalopram 20 mg
Buspirone 5 mg twice daily
Propranolol 10 mg twice daily
Mirtazapine 15 mg at night
Olanzapine 2.5 mg at night
The good news is that my sleep and appetite have improved, but this derealization feeling has persisted.
Has anyone experienced something similar?
How long did your derealization last?
Did it gradually go away?
Did medication, therapy, or time help the most?
Were there any techniques that made the feeling less intense?
I’m looking for personal experiences rather than medical advice. Thanks in advance.

Hi everyone,
I’m a 25-year-old male and I’m looking for advice from people who may have gone through something similar. I’m currently seeing both a psychiatrist and a psychologist, but I’d really like to hear other people’s experiences.
Over the past few weeks I’ve had several medication changes, and it’s been a really difficult experience.
My first psychiatrist prescribed olanzapine, olanzapine + fluoxetine, clonazepam, trihexyphenidyl (Hexidyl), and vonoprazan. Within a few days I was sleeping almost the entire day. I had extreme drowsiness, brain fog, poor memory (I couldn’t remember what happened 30 minutes earlier), blurred vision, dry mouth, and a constant dream-like feeling. Nothing felt real, and I became afraid of going outside. Whenever I did go out, my heart would race and I’d feel overwhelmed. My family eventually stopped those medications because I was barely functioning.
I then saw a second psychiatrist who prescribed sertraline 100 mg twice daily, mirtazapine, propranolol, memantine, clonazepam, Avacarni, Neurobion, Lysovit syrup, and G-Colin syrup.
After about a week, things became even worse. I developed severe insomnia and was sometimes sleeping only 2–3 hours a night. I completely lost my appetite, felt nauseated, struggled to eat without feeling like vomiting, had a racing heartbeat, shaking, chills, difficulty breathing, and became afraid to even leave my room because I constantly felt like something terrible was about to happen. Those medications were stopped as well.
I’m now with a third psychiatrist, and today is my fifth day on my current treatment. I’m taking pantoprazole, itopride, buspirone, propranolol, escitalopram 10 mg each morning, mirtazapine 15 mg at night, and olanzapine 2.5 mg at night.
The good news is that I’m finally sleeping again (more than 6 hours), my appetite is returning, and overall I feel much better than I did before.
However, today something happened that really scared me.
I went for a walk, and when I reached a busy area with kids shouting, people talking, and cars honking, I suddenly became extremely aware of every sound around me. It felt like my brain locked onto the noise and I lost connection with everything else.
Within seconds I felt like I might faint. I got chills, the world suddenly felt distant and unreal, and everything looked “zoomed out.” The closest way I can describe it is that it felt similar to being high on hash, even though I don’t use drugs. I went home because I was afraid I would collapse in public. I never actually fainted, but even now I still have some heaviness or pressure in my head and a mild unreal feeling.
Has anyone else experienced something like this?
Has anyone developed extreme sensitivity to sounds after starting psychiatric medications? Has anyone had derealization or feeling disconnected from reality triggered by busy or noisy environments? If you’ve experienced this, did it improve as your body adjusted to the medication?
Do these symptoms sound more like a panic attack, sensory overload, or a medication side effect? Has anyone experienced the world looking distant or “zoomed out” after going outside, especially after stopping one medication regimen and starting another?
If you’ve gone through something similar, how long did it take before you started feeling normal again?
I’m not looking for a diagnosis, and I’ll continue following up with my psychiatrist. I’m mainly hoping to hear from people who’ve experienced something similar during treatment or while adjusting to new medications.
Thanks for reading.

Hi everyone,
I’m a 25-year-old male and I’m looking for advice from people who may have gone through something similar. I’m under the care of a psychiatrist and psychologist, but I’d really like to hear other people’s experiences.
First psychiatrist (9 days)
I was prescribed:
Lepinza (Olanzapine) 5 mg – half tablet in the morning and 1 tablet at night
Ozapine-F (Olanzapine 6 mg + Fluoxetine 25 mg) – 1 tablet at night
Revotril (Clonazepam) 0.5 mg – 1 tablet at night
Hexidyl 2 mg – 1 tablet in the morning and 1 tablet in the evening
Vonoprazan 20 mg – 1 tablet in the morning and 1 tablet in the evening
Within a few days I developed:
Sleeping almost the entire day
Extreme drowsiness
Brain fog
Poor memory (I couldn’t remember what happened 30 minutes earlier)
Dream-like feeling while awake
Derealization (nothing felt real)
Blurred vision
Dry mouth
Fear of going outside
Racing heart and feeling overwhelmed outside
My family eventually stopped those medications because I was sleeping constantly and barely functioning.
Second psychiatrist (7 days)
I was prescribed:
Sertraline 100 mg twice daily
Mirtazapine
Propranolol 10 mg twice daily
Memantine 10 mg twice daily
Clonazepam 1 mg at night (half of a 2 mg tablet)
Avacarni (L-Carnitine 500 mg, Citicoline 500 mg, Ginkgo biloba 250 mg, Ginseng 250 mg, CoQ10 10 mg) – three times daily
Neurobion – three times daily
Lysovit syrup – 2 spoons three times daily
G-Colin syrup (Alpha GPC + Omega-3) – 2 spoons three times daily
After about a week things became much worse.
I developed:
Severe insomnia (sometimes only 2–3 hours of sleep)
Loss of appetite
Nausea
Couldn’t eat without feeling like vomiting
Racing heartbeat
Shaking
Chills
Breathing difficulty
Fear of leaving my room
Constant feeling something bad would happen
Those medications were stopped as well.
Current psychiatrist (Day 5)
I am currently taking:
Pantaz (Pantoprazole 40 mg) – twice daily before meals
Ignite (Itopride Hydrochloride 50 mg) – twice daily before meals
Benzodep (Buspirone 5 mg) – morning and evening
Inderal (Propranolol 10 mg) – morning and evening
Exapro (Escitalopram 10 mg) – half of a 20 mg tablet every morning
Nassa (Mirtazapine 15 mg) – 1 tablet at night
Olagen (Olanzapine 2.5 mg) – half of a 5 mg tablet at night
The good news is:
I’m finally sleeping again (more than 6 hours total)
My appetite has started coming back
I feel much better overall compared to before
However, today something happened that scared me.
I went for a walk and when I reached a busy area with kids shouting, people talking, and cars honking, I suddenly became extremely aware of every sound.
It felt like my brain focused only on the sounds and I lost connection with everything else.
I suddenly felt:
Like I might faint
Chills
The world felt distant and unreal
Everything looked “zoomed out”
The feeling reminded me of being high on hash even though I don’t use drugs
I came home before anything happened because I was scared I would collapse in public.
I never actually fainted.
Even now I still have some pressure/heaviness in my head and a mild unreal feeling.
My questions
Has anyone experienced extreme sound sensitivity after starting psychiatric medications?
Has anyone had derealization triggered by noisy environments?
Did it improve with time as your body adjusted to the medication?
Could this be a panic attack, sensory overload, or medication side effect?
Has anyone had the feeling that the world looked distant or “zoomed out” after going outside?
Has anyone experienced this after stopping one medication regimen and starting another?
If you experienced something similar, how long did it take before you felt normal again?
I’m not looking for a diagnosis and I’ll continue following up with my psychiatrist. I’m mainly interested in hearing from people who have experienced something similar during treatment or medication adjustment.
Thank you for reading.

Hi everyone,
I’m a 25 year old male and I’m looking for advice from people who may have gone through something similar. I’m under the care of a psychiatrist and psychologist, but I’d really like to hear other people’s experiences.
**First psychiatrist (9 days)
I was prescribed:
Lepinza (Olanzapine) 5 mg – half tablet in the morning and 1 tablet at night
Ozapine-F (**Olanzapine 6 mg + Fluoxetine 25 mg**) – 1 tablet at night
Revotril (Clonazepam) 0.5 mg – 1 tablet at night
Hexidyl 2 mg – twice a day
Vonoprazan 20 mg – twice a day
Within a few days I developed:
Sleeping almost the entire day
Extreme drowsiness
Brain fog
Poor memory (I couldn’t remember what happened 30 minutes earlier)
Dream-like feeling while awake
Derealization (nothing felt real)
Blurred vision
Dry mouth
Fear of going outside
Racing heart and feeling overwhelmed outside
My family eventually stopped those medications because I was sleeping constantly and barely functioning.
Second psychiatrist (7 days)
I was prescribed:
Sertraline 100 mg twice daily
Mirtazapine
Propranolol
Memantine
Clonazepam
Avacarni
Neurobion
Lysovit syrup
G-Colin syrup
After about a week things became much worse.
I developed:
Severe insomnia (sometimes only 2–3 hours of sleep)
Loss of appetite
Nausea
Couldn’t eat without feeling like vomiting
Racing heartbeat
Shaking
Chills
Breathing difficulty
Fear of leaving my room
Constant feeling something bad would happen
Those medications were stopped as well.
Current psychiatrist (Day 5)
I’m currently taking:
Pantoprazole
Itopride
Buspirone
Propranolol
Escitalopram
Mirtazapine
Low-dose Olanzapine
The good news is:
I’m finally sleeping again (more than 6 hours total)
My appetite has started coming back
I feel much better overall compared to before
However, today something happened that scared me.
I went for a walk and when I reached a busy area with kids shouting, people talking, and cars honking, I suddenly became extremely aware of every sound.
It felt like my brain focused only on the sounds and I lost connection with everything else.
I suddenly felt:
Like I might faint
Chills
The world felt distant and unreal
Everything looked “zoomed out”
The feeling reminded me of being high on hash even though I don’t use drugs
I came home before anything happened because I was scared I would collapse in public.
I never actually fainted.
Even now I still have some pressure/heaviness in my head and a mild unreal feeling.
My questions
Has anyone experienced extreme sound sensitivity after starting psychiatric medications?
Has anyone had derealization triggered by noisy environments?
Did it improve with time as your body adjusted to the medication?
Could this be a panic attack, sensory overload, or medication side effect?
Has anyone had the feeling that the world looked distant or “zoomed out” after going outside?
If you experienced something similar, how long did it take before you felt normal again?
I’m not looking for a diagnosis and I’ll continue following up with my psychiatrist. I’m mainly interested in hearing from people who have experienced something similar during treatment or medication adjustment.
Thank you for reading.