Help! Scared to take new medication!

[Natalie_m86]

I don’t know why but lately I have been extremely scared to try new medications my psychiatrist is recommending me to take.

I am suppose to start Remeron before bed but I have yet to take it. Just the thought of it makes my anxiety sky rocket and I go into panic mode. The biggest problem is that I go online and read about it and all the side effects and then totally freak myself out. I know I shouldn’t do this but I can’t help it and control it.

Anyone else feel this way or anyone have any suggestions for me? Help!

[Hidden]

This is one of my most severest anxieties I have. I call mine ‘pill anxiety’. I used to spend all day doing what you described, come night time I would bail out of taking it.

I’ve quit taking antidepressants for sleep or sleeping tabs that are prescribed. I’ve tried a bunch of them, the side effects too much or don’t work but for a couple hours of sleep so I gave up. I’ve taken a different route on my sleep which is my main chief complaint and good sleep usually results in much less tendencies for anxiety the next day.

Best I can say is, weigh your options and choose what’s best, you could look at it like your anxiety, depression, sleep issues will not get better if you don’t take it and your doctor has decided side effect panel out weighs the risks to you if don’t you take them. Wishing the best outcome for you. 🌺💜

[evilspicy]

Hi there! I hear you on the hesitation to take new meds. I spent a very long time being anti-pharmaceutical and I give my doctor 20 questions any time we discuss medications. I want to address your concerns about the Remeron. I've been taking Remeron every night since 2018 and I have to say, in my experience, side effects have been minimal, if any, and the benefits have GREATLY outweighed any concern I may have had about taking it at first. It has made a world of difference in my sleep and, in fact, I recently went a spell without it and I really realized how much good it was doing me and promptly had my doctor put me back on it. I'm not saying that you should or shouldn't take it, I'm just giving you my perspective as someone who has been extremely grateful for it. It's really one of the less scary meds out there. Honestly, I can't say that I've ever had any side effects from it. I hope this will help and maybe give you some food for thought. Also, what I had to look at when making the decision to take meds, was this: compared to the concerns I have about meds, what is my quality of life like without them? Meds don't have to be a lifetime sentence, sometimes they can just get you through a rough period of time. Wishing you strength and courage on your journey!

[Natalie_m86 in reply to evilspicy]

I’m glad you experienced little to no side effects, but you are one of few. I have read lots of horror stories from it, and was freaked out. Nightmares, severe sedation even on the smaller doses, feeling super out of it and still sedated the next day, sleeping for 12+ hours etc idk.

I have to talk to my psychiatrist tomorrow and I know she will make me feel bad about not trying it. She always tells me this is why you aren’t getting better, you could have already been better a month ago, and she always sounds and looks very frustrated and upset with me which then in turn makes me feel upset and then I start feeling hopeless when she makes comments like that to me even though i know it’s because I won’t take the medications. She is always huffing and puffing when I tell her I haven’t taken it, and she will put her hands over her eyes as if she’s “done with it” and she will sometimes put her hand on her forehead and sigh out of frustration.

Which then makes me feel bad.

[bonkers65]

I take 15mg. of Remeron every night before I go to bed. It helps me sleep. I don't have any side effects.

[Bettikins]

I have started to take it as well less than a week ago while getting weaned off of cipralex. No side effects for me. I can understand your apprehension.

[IHadADog]

You definitely have to do what's right for you and every body is different. I was suffering an almost year-long depression that was the worst I'd ever experienced in my (then) 58 years. I had been taking Celexa and it wasn't doing anything. It took a few months before I could get a psychiatric prescriber because of insurance, etc. Then I started on Remeron. I felt better almost immediately, but I thought, "It can't work that fast." But it continued. I'd also had sleep issues and this helped with that. It's been over a year now and it's truly been life changing. I've gained a few pounds but when I was depressed I'd dropped about 35 pounds without trying (no appetite) and I needed to gain back at least 15, so I'm okay with it. No side effects that I've noticed but it gave me life back. Good luck whatever you choose.

[Luvbud]

I am going through this right now. I have had my first bottle of meds for a month now and too scared to take it. I am going to try tomorrow. I sometimes wish we didn't have so much access to information because I can't stop reading the reviews online and they freak me out. I hope you ended up trying and that it worked for you.