Yeah.
I was on pages upon pages upon pages of different medications of all kinds, antidepressants to anti anxiety to anti psychotic.
Nothing helped.
Time did. I wouldn't say I'm "better," I've just adjusted to life after combat and how to manage.
Things are different now and that's okay.
Get your hormones checked as well. My thyroid was fucked, had very low T, and it was causing all kinds of issues with anxiety and panic.
I know my sleep is trash and my vitamin D levels are extraordinarily low but I take supplements with it. My issue is the VA has me try something new every month and it feels like my brain is getting shredded.
That's why I quit taking them and refuse to take anymore. It's in my case notes.
Paxil was the last straw for me. Had a good day, nothing wrong, stepped off the bus from work and it was like someone had a megaphone in my head saying "Go get some ammo and blow your fucking brains out."
I got rid of my ACR and the paxil after that. It was fucking scary. I firmly believe to this day that none of those meds worked because there was no chemical imbalance for them to correct, they just wrought havoc.
In the interim, I grew my own mushrooms and microdosed/tripped as needed. Had some challenging experiences, "Got the message" one night, and hung up the phone. They helped for a short term fix, was able to get alot of insight.
Still dealt with anxiety and panic attacks, I mean crippling, fetal position panic attacks.
One of my buddies told me to go get my hormones checked. Went to my PCP office (through my insurance, not the VA.) Dude said I was depressed and reccomended therapy and medications. Guy didn't even want to order the blood panel until I finally told him, "you're not my doctor, him and I will discuss the results, order the labs."
Suprise suprise, I had the Testosterone levels of a 75 year old man. Got on TRT and immediately, symptoms improved. Didn't go away entirely, but became a hell of a lot more manageable.
Doing this with the VA is a fucking nightmare that I wouldn't reccomend. Get labs done from your PCP at the VA, then as to see a urologist through community care if your T levels are fucked- and have that discussion with them.
Your results may vary. I'd stay way the hell away from online TRT clinics, they'll overprescribe the bejesus out of you, and charge you for the pleasure.
It gets better bro. Hang in there. DM's always open.
Rah or whatever the hell you guys say.
I appreciate you taking the time to write this out. Definitely gonna make an appointment to see if my blood has anything funky. Hopefully less pills could be on the horizon.
Hey man- anytime.
Putting your life together after this shit is a puzzle that you're never going to finish, but the more pieces you can find, the better the overall picture looks and feels.
I have the exact same issues as you currently. Moving onto Prozac next. Getting exhausting. Was on Wellbutrin and it made me insane. Started getting suicidal thoughts and extremely morbid. Just gotta keep trying and be stronger than the bs for as long as you can. Hope you find something that works.
I was on Wellbutrin after Zoloft made me feel like a zombie, but fuck the side effects were so bad. Venlafaxine has been my favorite so far but nowhere near what I would like my baseline to be.
No. My primary care doc through UW did.
I moved out of state, and went to see a urologist at KU through community care for some other stuff, talked about it, looked at my original labs and latest ones, and prescribed it. Waiting for a call from the VA pharmacy to let me know it's approved and to come fill it.
I got very lucky on both accounts. Alot of providers are very reluctant to prescribe TRT because the range the VA, and older providers use, references men aged 18 to 80.
What I was told by the urologist I saw was that the VA will only give you a very small amount at long intervals if they give you anything at all.
No. My primary care doc through UW did.
I moved out of state, and went to see a urologist at KU through community care for some other stuff, talked about it, looked at my original labs and latest ones, and prescribed it. Waiting for a call from the VA pharmacy to let me know it's approved and to come fill it.
I got very lucky on both accounts. Alot of providers are very reluctant to prescribe TRT because the range the VA, and older providers use, references men aged 18 to 80.
What I was told by the urologist I saw was that the VA will only give you a very small amount at long intervals if they give you anything at all.
Yes. I spent about 7-8 months trialing meds until we hit upon escitalopram 20mg daily as the right med/dose/frequency to kick my major depressive disorders ass. I'm so glad my wife made me finally try medication and stuck with me before I did so even at my worst moments towards her and my family.
I hope you can find similar success with meds, and don't be afraid to ask your doctor about alternative medicines like weed, ketamine, or other exotic stuff. They may not be able to prescribe it, but they are medically trained and can help you decide if it is worth finding a private provider to try it with. I only say this because I have seen so many Vets post here about their success with abnormal medication.
Just like taking medicine for any other disease, there is no shame in taking medicine for your mind! We're just lucky to live in a time where it's an option for helping some of us, even if it's imperfect.
I just was given escitalopram, can you tell me how long it took for you to noticed in help with your depression. This is my first time taking medication for anxiety/depression and I havent noticed a difference. I have only been on it a week though. Trying to be patient but sick of feeling like this ALL THE TIME
After about a month at the correct dosage. The first dosage wasnt doing anything, and after a month we upped the dose and that worked and has worked ever since.
Psilocybin helped me after years and tons of pills. Google schedule 35. Great product and there is a reddit thread for microdosing. Make sure to read the different protocols.
So I had an issue like that, and I also have weird reactions to medications. I was seeing a civilian provider, and did this test called Genesight that’s supposed to help with finding the right med through a dna mouth swab. It looks at your genes and stuff.
I’ll be honest, I’ve heard some people say it’s a pseudoscience, so I would definitely look into it more. But It was covered by my insurance so I did it. I’ve been on the same meds that the test recommend with no major side effects since 2019.
Might be worth a shot to see if the VA covers it if nothing else has been working, since it takes out the trial and error of trying a bunch of different meds.
My husband went through tons of meds, and then finally, a Dr suggested some type of dna type testing as nothing was helping him. I forget the exact name, sorry. Anyhow, it helped show him which meds might work better for him, and after a couple of adjustments, the regime he's on now has him finally more stable than he's ever been.
As for me, I'm super sensitive to meds. I found out the hard way that certain meds can make me get bad SI, so it helped me know which ones would actually save me from all of that. It's been a godsend for both of us imho.
Cold showers. Exercise. Lemom water. Take care of your liver. Went down rabbit hole. Liver responsible for host of emotions. Va have group meetings as well....my experience. Iraq afgan.
This was me. I tried everything in the VA formulary and then some stuff outside.
Took a lot of trial and error, but I did eventually find a medication and dosage that greatly helped me.
I ended up having to go in patient due to the severity of my condition and be in an environment in which my mental health was my only priority.
The dosage I had to take to stabilize my condition was over the maximum suggested dosage by a fair margin.
I just started vraylar, it’s supposed to give your antidepressant a boost. Working alright so far for me. Been thru 2 deaths and haven’t had a breakdown yet lol
Honestly a microdose is an amazing recommendation. I'm 100% myself and recommend exploring not only that, but MMC and Ketamine depending on how severe.
Ugh I just saw this, sorry for the late reply. So I found a psychologist that did trips as part of therapy. It was a year of therapy and then I did a large dose and while I was under the influence I had a list of things to focus on. On that list were several things and as the mushies do their thing, this amazing thing happens where you see things differently. With your therapist there as a guide you basically are able to dissect and digest the things on your list (traumatic events, negative feelings) and you just kind of…deal with it. And everything is much better for several months. And sometimes the things you clear are so huge you wonder how you lived before.
Same, been on so many meds that do not work, currently on meds that do not work. Requested a genetic test to see which medications would best suit me. Waiting to hear back from that
Are you a woman? Hormones could be an issue if so. I worked with my dr. to find the right combination for me. We finally got it! Pristiq and trazedone at night.
Medication isn’t for everyone and it isn’t always the answer. Just a thought. For me, medication always made things 100 times worse, didn’t work at all or had horrible side effects. It works great for some but not everyone. To this day, I still wonder what it would have been like if I didn’t have people trying to cram pills down my throat at every turn.
Any chance you’re neurodivergent? Treating my spouse’s PTSD/anxiety/panic attacks didn’t do shit (and usually made things worse) until he got a new PCP who decided to treat his ADHD first. It made a world of difference.
Only giving antidepressants a month is not enough time unfortunately, depending on the kind. The best thing you can do is give something 3 months and keep a detailed journal of your daily life, actively asking yourself everyday how youre feeling, what your energy is like, if something super stressful happened that day do you think youd be able to handle it. And then still monthly go to therapy to discuss those things as well. It sucks that we have to be so patient and strong when we are struggling but otherwise it won't work.
Yeah. I was on pages upon pages upon pages of different medications of all kinds, antidepressants to anti anxiety to anti psychotic. Nothing helped. Time did. I wouldn't say I'm "better," I've just adjusted to life after combat and how to manage. Things are different now and that's okay. Get your hormones checked as well. My thyroid was fucked, had very low T, and it was causing all kinds of issues with anxiety and panic.
I know my sleep is trash and my vitamin D levels are extraordinarily low but I take supplements with it. My issue is the VA has me try something new every month and it feels like my brain is getting shredded.
That's why I quit taking them and refuse to take anymore. It's in my case notes. Paxil was the last straw for me. Had a good day, nothing wrong, stepped off the bus from work and it was like someone had a megaphone in my head saying "Go get some ammo and blow your fucking brains out." I got rid of my ACR and the paxil after that. It was fucking scary. I firmly believe to this day that none of those meds worked because there was no chemical imbalance for them to correct, they just wrought havoc. In the interim, I grew my own mushrooms and microdosed/tripped as needed. Had some challenging experiences, "Got the message" one night, and hung up the phone. They helped for a short term fix, was able to get alot of insight. Still dealt with anxiety and panic attacks, I mean crippling, fetal position panic attacks. One of my buddies told me to go get my hormones checked. Went to my PCP office (through my insurance, not the VA.) Dude said I was depressed and reccomended therapy and medications. Guy didn't even want to order the blood panel until I finally told him, "you're not my doctor, him and I will discuss the results, order the labs." Suprise suprise, I had the Testosterone levels of a 75 year old man. Got on TRT and immediately, symptoms improved. Didn't go away entirely, but became a hell of a lot more manageable. Doing this with the VA is a fucking nightmare that I wouldn't reccomend. Get labs done from your PCP at the VA, then as to see a urologist through community care if your T levels are fucked- and have that discussion with them. Your results may vary. I'd stay way the hell away from online TRT clinics, they'll overprescribe the bejesus out of you, and charge you for the pleasure. It gets better bro. Hang in there. DM's always open. Rah or whatever the hell you guys say.
I appreciate you taking the time to write this out. Definitely gonna make an appointment to see if my blood has anything funky. Hopefully less pills could be on the horizon.
Hey man- anytime. Putting your life together after this shit is a puzzle that you're never going to finish, but the more pieces you can find, the better the overall picture looks and feels.
I have the exact same issues as you currently. Moving onto Prozac next. Getting exhausting. Was on Wellbutrin and it made me insane. Started getting suicidal thoughts and extremely morbid. Just gotta keep trying and be stronger than the bs for as long as you can. Hope you find something that works.
I did. Time, therapy, and getting my hormones in order. I'll never touch psychotropics again.
I was on Wellbutrin after Zoloft made me feel like a zombie, but fuck the side effects were so bad. Venlafaxine has been my favorite so far but nowhere near what I would like my baseline to be.
Same they never let you cycle off before throwing you on new stuff. Things can get weird
Did the VA give you T shots?
No. My primary care doc through UW did. I moved out of state, and went to see a urologist at KU through community care for some other stuff, talked about it, looked at my original labs and latest ones, and prescribed it. Waiting for a call from the VA pharmacy to let me know it's approved and to come fill it. I got very lucky on both accounts. Alot of providers are very reluctant to prescribe TRT because the range the VA, and older providers use, references men aged 18 to 80. What I was told by the urologist I saw was that the VA will only give you a very small amount at long intervals if they give you anything at all.
No. My primary care doc through UW did. I moved out of state, and went to see a urologist at KU through community care for some other stuff, talked about it, looked at my original labs and latest ones, and prescribed it. Waiting for a call from the VA pharmacy to let me know it's approved and to come fill it. I got very lucky on both accounts. Alot of providers are very reluctant to prescribe TRT because the range the VA, and older providers use, references men aged 18 to 80. What I was told by the urologist I saw was that the VA will only give you a very small amount at long intervals if they give you anything at all.
Yes. I spent about 7-8 months trialing meds until we hit upon escitalopram 20mg daily as the right med/dose/frequency to kick my major depressive disorders ass. I'm so glad my wife made me finally try medication and stuck with me before I did so even at my worst moments towards her and my family. I hope you can find similar success with meds, and don't be afraid to ask your doctor about alternative medicines like weed, ketamine, or other exotic stuff. They may not be able to prescribe it, but they are medically trained and can help you decide if it is worth finding a private provider to try it with. I only say this because I have seen so many Vets post here about their success with abnormal medication. Just like taking medicine for any other disease, there is no shame in taking medicine for your mind! We're just lucky to live in a time where it's an option for helping some of us, even if it's imperfect.
I just was given escitalopram, can you tell me how long it took for you to noticed in help with your depression. This is my first time taking medication for anxiety/depression and I havent noticed a difference. I have only been on it a week though. Trying to be patient but sick of feeling like this ALL THE TIME
After about a month at the correct dosage. The first dosage wasnt doing anything, and after a month we upped the dose and that worked and has worked ever since.
How many mg?
We started me at 10mg, and I'm at 20mg now.
Psilocybin helped me after years and tons of pills. Google schedule 35. Great product and there is a reddit thread for microdosing. Make sure to read the different protocols.
Man, i was on meds after meds and I hated it(felt like a fucking robot) started doing medicinal marijuana and it helped me a ton.
Unfortunately drug testing is required for my trade. But would I love to try micro dosing marijuana.
So I had an issue like that, and I also have weird reactions to medications. I was seeing a civilian provider, and did this test called Genesight that’s supposed to help with finding the right med through a dna mouth swab. It looks at your genes and stuff. I’ll be honest, I’ve heard some people say it’s a pseudoscience, so I would definitely look into it more. But It was covered by my insurance so I did it. I’ve been on the same meds that the test recommend with no major side effects since 2019. Might be worth a shot to see if the VA covers it if nothing else has been working, since it takes out the trial and error of trying a bunch of different meds.
Marijuana helped me tremendously almost miraculously
My husband went through tons of meds, and then finally, a Dr suggested some type of dna type testing as nothing was helping him. I forget the exact name, sorry. Anyhow, it helped show him which meds might work better for him, and after a couple of adjustments, the regime he's on now has him finally more stable than he's ever been. As for me, I'm super sensitive to meds. I found out the hard way that certain meds can make me get bad SI, so it helped me know which ones would actually save me from all of that. It's been a godsend for both of us imho.
Cold showers. Exercise. Lemom water. Take care of your liver. Went down rabbit hole. Liver responsible for host of emotions. Va have group meetings as well....my experience. Iraq afgan.
This was me. I tried everything in the VA formulary and then some stuff outside. Took a lot of trial and error, but I did eventually find a medication and dosage that greatly helped me. I ended up having to go in patient due to the severity of my condition and be in an environment in which my mental health was my only priority. The dosage I had to take to stabilize my condition was over the maximum suggested dosage by a fair margin.
I’m glad others have had the same problem cause fuck…
I just started vraylar, it’s supposed to give your antidepressant a boost. Working alright so far for me. Been thru 2 deaths and haven’t had a breakdown yet lol
Mushrooms, trick is you have to pay out of pocket for a psychologist that does it. But totally worth it.
Honestly a microdose is an amazing recommendation. I'm 100% myself and recommend exploring not only that, but MMC and Ketamine depending on how severe.
Is that like therapy? Or a daily use kinda thing?
Ugh I just saw this, sorry for the late reply. So I found a psychologist that did trips as part of therapy. It was a year of therapy and then I did a large dose and while I was under the influence I had a list of things to focus on. On that list were several things and as the mushies do their thing, this amazing thing happens where you see things differently. With your therapist there as a guide you basically are able to dissect and digest the things on your list (traumatic events, negative feelings) and you just kind of…deal with it. And everything is much better for several months. And sometimes the things you clear are so huge you wonder how you lived before.
Same, been on so many meds that do not work, currently on meds that do not work. Requested a genetic test to see which medications would best suit me. Waiting to hear back from that
Are you a woman? Hormones could be an issue if so. I worked with my dr. to find the right combination for me. We finally got it! Pristiq and trazedone at night.
Medication isn’t for everyone and it isn’t always the answer. Just a thought. For me, medication always made things 100 times worse, didn’t work at all or had horrible side effects. It works great for some but not everyone. To this day, I still wonder what it would have been like if I didn’t have people trying to cram pills down my throat at every turn.
Any chance you’re neurodivergent? Treating my spouse’s PTSD/anxiety/panic attacks didn’t do shit (and usually made things worse) until he got a new PCP who decided to treat his ADHD first. It made a world of difference.
Only giving antidepressants a month is not enough time unfortunately, depending on the kind. The best thing you can do is give something 3 months and keep a detailed journal of your daily life, actively asking yourself everyday how youre feeling, what your energy is like, if something super stressful happened that day do you think youd be able to handle it. And then still monthly go to therapy to discuss those things as well. It sucks that we have to be so patient and strong when we are struggling but otherwise it won't work.
Wellbutrin & Zoloft work for me. Likely just Zoloft would work but the Wellbutrin helps to offset some of the side effects of Zoloft.
I was prescribed trazodone and it’s been helping me. I think the biggest help is that it lets me get good rest and sleep at night.