Hey gang! I’m officially getting back on the Lexapro train after a 3 year hiatus. Starting in a baby dose of 2.5mg because I’m super sensitive to meds ever since I stopped smoking pot. Looking for any tips about restarting and words of encouragement. My health anxiety/anxiety about starting a new medicine always mess with me. Thanks!!
I’m on a baby dose of Buspar, 7.5mg total daily. My psych doesn’t think I need to taper but I’m skeptical. I’ve been on it for 4 months. Thoughts? Really don’t want to deal with severe withdrawal.
Let me hear them! Start up phase and all. Thank you!
Hey everyone! I’ll be restarting my Lexapro journey in a couple weeks. I was on it for a good 14 years then stopped for 3. Was on Caplyta for MDD and every time my psych prescribed a SSRI on top of it I was anxious mess and tapped out quick. I’m off Caplyta now and am really struggling anxiety, depression and OCD wise.
I did well until the end of my first stint with Lexapro but I was also smoking pot like it was free at the time lol.
Looking for positive experiences and encouragement to start again.
EDITED:
Hello! Long time anxiety sufferer here. Was on Lexapro for 7 years. GAD and OCD compulsions. I stopped taking lexapro almost 3 years ago and was fine coming off it with no withdrawals. Anxiety and OCD compulsions reminded of course.
I suffered a very traumatic life experience with my 2 month old son passing away. About 7 months after he passed I stopped smoking cannabis after being a heavy user for 20 years. This withdrawals of that were awful. Started Caplyta 10.5mg just before I quit and was on it for about 6 months. During my time on it my anxiety improved but then worsened over time. I attributed it to Caplyta not really being for anxiety. Then during the 6th month I noticed this insane inner restlessness. Like anxiety on steroids. At the time I was experiencing a lot of firsts being off cannabis and also firsts without my aon(his bday/anniversary of his passing etc). I was only able to sleep until 3am and would wake up in panic unable to fall asleep and would toss and turn until morning.
I’ve been off Caplyta for 3 months now and did well coming off of it with basically no withdrawal symptoms. Because anxiety was still very much there and I wasn’t sleeping I started a low dose Buspar. Did well on it initially but not well enough to say my anxiety was/is gone or under control. And sleep remained an issue and still does. Onset and maintenance. Thankfully it’s largely improved but I still wake up with a lot of anxiety every morning around 6am. I take Quviviq for sleep and what also works is a combo of passion flower, lemon balm and apigenin.
What’s hard for me is to distinguish it from anxiety. I have all the classic anxiety symptoms. I ruminate like you wouldn’t believe and have anxiety about things I’ve always had anxiety about. Along with my OCD compulsion. So it could very well be untreated anxiety/OCD. I’m able to relax and watch tv without moving my legs or anything but when I am working and under stress I notice I am moving my legs slightly.
So is it Akathisia or just worsening/not properly treated anxiety? And how do I bring this up with my psychiatrist? Thank you all!!
Aside from the GI symptoms the first few weeks, what was everyone’s experience? Did anxiety go through the roof? What does did you start with? I have zero tolerance for an anxiety increase both mentally and psychically. I need to switch meds though. I’ve been on a super low dose of Buspar because every time I try and increase it the anxiety becomes unbearable.
Thanks in advance!
Hi everyone! Thinking of starting Cymbalta but am scared to start any new med really. Bad experiences with SSRIs have left me jaded. But I know I need to do something. What was everyone’s start up phase like? Super activating? Not sure I can handle a boost in anxiety at this point both mentally and physically. Also what’s everyone’s dose? I’d be treating GAD, panic disorder and OCD. Thanks!
Just picked up some Valerian Root extract from Gaia Herbs. What’s the typical dose for anxiety/sleep. Bottle says 333mg per dropper. Thanks!
Any tips on combating constant fatigue due to anxiety? Aside from anxiety meds. Thank you!!
Anyone take Quviviq and it make your anxiety and depression worse? Been waking up with awful panic attacks the last 5 days. Been in it for almost a month.
Thanks!
Been taking 25mg for a little over 3 weeks. It’s helped but hasn’t been anything dramatic yet. My psych upped the dosage to 50mg.
For those that have taken both strengths. What can I expect? I know it’s double the strength but will it be big difference? Am I going to be “hungover” tomorrow?
Hi everyone! Been struggling with anxiety for a long time. Was on Lexapro in my 20’s/early 30’s and did well on it. Was off it for a couple years and then suffered a traumatic life event so I tried Paxil, Zoloft and Viibryd. All of which made my anxiety go nuts the first few weeks causing me to tap out early.
My psychiatrist has recommended Mirtazapine for both my newly discovered insomnia (yay) and anxiety. And because the onboarding is apparently very easy. Curious as to everyone’s experience. Really tired of playing medication roulette. And the insomnia is absolutely making things 10X worse for me. Thanks!
Hey gang! Potentially starting Remeron aka Mirtazapine for insomnia and anxiety. Deathly afraid of starting due to bad experiences with SSRIs severely increasing my anxiety in the start up phases to the point where I had to tap out early. I’m also afraid to start because IF it doesn’t work I’ll have to come off of it and don’t want to experience the withdrawals that, from what I’ve read on Reddit, are god awful.
So just looking for experiences when starting the medication and also coming off of it.
Thank you!
Hey gang! So I started my Buspar journey on 2.5mg once a day for a week, then 2.5mg twice a day for a week and then 2.5mg three times a day for two weeks and was doing well at that dose. Felt I had room to grow so increase to 5mg in the AM and 2.5mg in the afternoon and at night. After 2 weeks there that sent my anxiety off the charts again unfortunately so we backed back down to 2.5mg TID.
All during this time I was using 150mg of CBD isolate oil. Found out through my psychiatrist that CBD is a moderate CYP3A4 inhibitor which is the liver enzyme that processes Buspar. And at that high dose was causing a blockade in the liver increasing my Buspar levels.
So in retrospect I was likely taking a much higher dose of Buspar due to the interaction.
We decided today to increase my morning dose to 3.75mg and keep my other two doses at 2.5mg.
I’m just scared I’m going to go through the same thing again and really don’t want to. It was awful. I’ve been without the CBD for 3 weeks now and definitely feel way better than I did when I was using it.
Just looking for advice/encouragement I suppose. Thank you all!
Hey gang! I was taking Xanax as needed but was taking it only twice a week for about 3 weeks. I haven’t taken it in over a week. I am going to a concert and was planning on taking one before the show to stop any panic attack from happening. Will the .25mg be effective or will it not be enough because I was taking it sort of frequently?
Hi everyone! Anyone have success with Quviviq for insomnia? My insomnia is mostly anxiety driven. So I’m wondering if taking this will help at all or whether my anxiousness will make override the medication.
Thanks in advance!
Hey gang! Last time I took Benadryl I took a kid dose and it made me wired. Being how I had this reaction I’m reluctant to start Remeron especially because the main purpose of me taking it would be to sleep.
Anyone sensitive to Benadryl have this issue with Remeron? Or am I over thinking it here?
Hey gang! I’ve tried a bunch of SSRIs and they’re all very activating in the beginning stages which has caused me to abandon ship. Maybe I’m being a wimp but it made my already horrible anxiety way worse. Curious if Trintellix does the same thing? Or what to expect in the beginning few weeks. Thanks!
Anyone with high anxiety, especially at night, have any issues with Quviviq? Was prescribed it but am wondering if my anxiety will override its effects causing the drug to fail. Or I fail it I guess lol. Thanks!
Hey gang! Thinking of starting Mirt for anxiety/depression/insomnia. I already have tachycardia and take a beta blocker for that. Afraid to start Mirt because of its effect on norepinephrine. Don’t want to start if it’s going to increase my heart rate.
Anyone experience an increase in HR and if so how pronounced was/is it? Thanks!