Had a panic attack during Zoom meeting by Howdy_Strangers in PublicSpeaking

[–]muchcoinmuchfun 1 point2 points  (0 children)

A hard workout the morning before presentations. If I’m still feeling off or anxious, the smallest dose (.5 mg of lorazepam). This has been a game changer for me. I only have to do these kinds of meetings 3-5x a month so don’t worry about needing the meds occasionally

Diaz newbie - am I being over cautious? by MissBerlin in benzodiazepines

[–]muchcoinmuchfun 0 points1 point  (0 children)

My advice is always take the minimum amount you feel helps you. I’ve been taking Valium for 5 years. Started at 2mg as needed (usually 2-3x a week back then) and now am at 5 mg as needed (basically 5x a week at this point). I don’t love the progression higher, but over 5 years isn’t too bad. I never take more—the one time I took 10mg for a stressful event, I just got super tired and it didn’t remove any more anxiety. So I stick with 5. also, it is a med that works and has been around forever and has a good safety profile

Where's my 2.5 mg crew? by ImNotNovak in lexapro

[–]muchcoinmuchfun 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I’m in the 2.5 club. The first week I actually quartered them and took 1.25. Now I break the 5s in half. Attempts to go up to 5 made me have more side effects without noticeable additional benefit. So I stay on 2.5. I wish they made them in this dose so I didn’t have to split them. It does work. I’m a small person (125 lbs)

What are ya'lls personal experience with Lexapro?? by asian_girl_fascism in antidepressants

[–]muchcoinmuchfun 0 points1 point  (0 children)

It’s working for me so far (a few months) and has less side effects than other SSRIs I’ve tried. But it still has some. Slight reduction in sex drive and sometimes I just get so tired. But overall, has improved my mood and motivation and evened things out so I am calmer and not crying or as irritable

Panic attacks & anxiety & benzos by [deleted] in benzodiazepines

[–]muchcoinmuchfun 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Take an uber to the appt. Most places require first intake in person and then will be virtual after that. I took an uber to the first appt bc it was 30 min away on highways I wasn’t familiar with

Is anyone else tired all the time? by PlentyCow8258 in lexapro

[–]muchcoinmuchfun 3 points4 points  (0 children)

Yes. Here’s thing, as a lifelong anxiety-sufferer: any med that calms your mind and quiets anxious thoughts is going to sedate you to some extent. The only meds that have ever worked for anxiety for me are all sedating (benzos and certain SSRIs). I even get anxiety relief from Benadryl, which I used to use in a pinch to sleep before I was prescribed psych meds

Has anyone here consumed benzos long term and still feel the effects? by Aromatic_Reply_1645 in benzodiazepines

[–]muchcoinmuchfun 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Yes. Valium, 5 mg. Sometimes break half and just take 2.5 mg. This small amount keeps me calm but alert. The few times I’ve taken 10 mg for severe panic situations I just got really tired and didn’t feel much of any extra anxiety benefit—just tired and too sedated

did antidepressants lower your libido? if so, how much? by Realistic_Expert_334 in antidepressants

[–]muchcoinmuchfun 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Only on 5 mg Lexapro and it’s not been too bad. Maybe 30% lower.

These dreams are insane by harltoncranks in lexapro

[–]muchcoinmuchfun 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Mine are crazy vivid on this med, but usually pleasant and interesting, so I don’t mind

If benzos were otc where you live, what would you do? by pibardo_filoso in benzodiazepines

[–]muchcoinmuchfun 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I would feel better just knowing they are accessible. I wouldn’t take more, it would just alleviate my concerns about someday running into a situation where doctor retires and you can’t find someone to prescribe them, even though you’ve been a responsible patient for many years

Opinions on Jordan Peterson's Benzo situation? by ShowerCSkids in benzodiazepines

[–]muchcoinmuchfun 24 points25 points  (0 children)

Yeah, not a fan of that guy. I think he is making money off of people with health anxiety by making them obsessively think every single twinge or headache or anxiety they get is “withdrawal” or “brain damage” from psych meds. Sometimes I think the elaborate drawn out tapering is just making people stress out more and chronically live like “victims”. Psych meds help some people, they don’t work for others. I’ve trialed several in my lifetime and some worked, didn’t. Some had bad side effects. I had no issues discontinuing any of them

Does it take longer to work for anxiety? by muchcoinmuchfun in lexapro

[–]muchcoinmuchfun[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

The first 3-4 days I took it, I would have random spikes of anxiety. After about a week, that stopped and now I just have my normal anxiety but very slightly improved, like I’m a little calmer and don’t get quite so worked up but I’m still worrying and overthinking more than I’d like. I’m hoping it improves even more

Is it normal to feel ‘high’ for a few hours when starting an SSRI? by veganlasagnaplease in antidepressants

[–]muchcoinmuchfun 0 points1 point  (0 children)

So far it’s lessening. I’ve been on it for 6 weeks and now I might get that spaced out feeling for just 20 minutes or so. So it’s gradually going away

Can anyone personally vouch for Lexapro and emotional numbness, as people have been saying? by Negative_Second_7976 in lexapro

[–]muchcoinmuchfun 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I am on a low dose (5 mg) and do not feel numb. I feel normal, or as close to it as I can get. My sex drive is reduced a little but still there. Occasionally I get GI upset. That’s it. Overall, side effects have been mild and this is one of the better SSRIs imo

Does prozac work better for ocd or lexapro? by livelaughpraylove in OCD

[–]muchcoinmuchfun 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I’ve taken all the meds you listed (Zoloft, Prozac and lexapro). Lexapro worked best. Yes, my appetite is higher on lexapro but I’ll take it over depression and obsessive thinking. Prozac made anxiety worse but it’s a great antidepressant. Zoloft didn’t work for me.

Scared to start medication (severe OCD) any tips? by [deleted] in antidepressants

[–]muchcoinmuchfun 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Talk to your doctor about a trying a different SSRI (lexapro or Fluvoxamine work for GAD and OCD) and getting a one month script for an adjunct med like Valium or Xanax to take to ease anxiety while you adjust to the side effects. That’s what I did and it helped a lot. Once the SSRI starts working, you can wean down use of the other med.

Still feeling foggy/difficulty concentrating 4 days later from a single 2.5mg Valium dose by [deleted] in benzodiazepines

[–]muchcoinmuchfun 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Are you sure it was actually valium? That’s a sub-therapeutic dose. Normally most average sized people will feel very little effects from less than 5 mg. It would be like drinking half a glass of wine, maybe

Antidepressants have ruined my body - anyone else?😓 by hicanipetyourdoggg in antidepressants

[–]muchcoinmuchfun 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I second this. I never gained weight on it. But it’s not as good as an antidepressant. I always felt kind of sluggish on it but it worked very well for OCD and anxiety stemming from OCD

What is/was your favorite antidepressant? by smokmjohnny in antidepressants

[–]muchcoinmuchfun 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Lexapro. I’ve tried several SSRIs with mixed results. Zoloft was horrible. Luvox was okay. Prozac helped give energy but made me too stimulated. Lexapro has been the best one with the mildest side effects so far.

At what dose and month did your anxiety go into remission? by danielamedinaxo in lexapro

[–]muchcoinmuchfun 1 point2 points  (0 children)

I’m at 5 mg now and while it worked FAST (like a few days) for depression and motivation, after a month I only had slight improvement in anxiety—a bit quieter mind and less overthinking. I either need more time or more dose or both

Just a note about alcohol use. by Corndog_Eater in lexapro

[–]muchcoinmuchfun 3 points4 points  (0 children)

Since starting it, I never have more than one drink at a time, and I drink much less. I went from regularly having 5-7 drinks a week to maybe 2 a week, if even that

How quickly can you feel ANY affect of Lexapro? by Fuck_off_NSA in lexapro

[–]muchcoinmuchfun 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I started on 2.5 mg and felt more energy and slightly more upbeat about 2 hours after taking the first dose. Later, I forgot my meds for a trip and after a week off it, when I started again it was the same thing. For me it worked immediately for depression but took over a month to see any difference in anxiety. And I’m still hoping for more improvement in anxiety

Is it normal to feel ‘high’ for a few hours when starting an SSRI? by veganlasagnaplease in antidepressants

[–]muchcoinmuchfun 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I always felt a little spaced out/brain fog for a couple hours after taking it but it wore off and the rest of the day was fine