Dizzy4: hello

[Dizzy4]

Hello, I have been using this wonderful resource for a few months now and I thought I better introduce myself. Firstly, I'm doing really well :-). I'm currently tapering off Effexor XR 150mg and Lexapro 5mg.  I haven't been on the Effexor long, my taper off will likely take 5 x as long. I've done a 10% drop and this last one was just 5%, this was all I was comfortable with given I have to go to work and I feel like my nervous system has already had a rough time of it.

 

In May this year my doctor took me off Lexapro 40mg ( I think I'd been on it about 5 - 6 years) this way:  Day 1 40mg;  Day 2: 20mg; Day 3: 20mg; Day 4 washout; Day 5: washout; Day 6: 75mg Effexor XR   The first week after the switch was ok , then the flu-like systems started, then general feelings of being unwell or poisoned, then visual vertigo, I couldn't use my computer screens for long or my mobile.  About a month after the switch I had a motion sickness, nausea attack with vomitting followed by feelings of motion sickness for days along with cognitive fog. Three of four times my head would clear up and then quite suddently usually mid-morning at work I get that feeling like something was wrong and the dizziness and nausea would come. My GP said my anxiety was requiring a higher dose of Effexor XR.  I went to a new GP and was referred to a neurologist who diagnosed vestibular migraines.  The neurologist said Effexor was good for migraines (ha ha!). I took Maxalt for migraine episodes and I feel that it maybe eased things a bit, reduced the severity, but I also used Phenergen - a lot, it gave me so much relief but I couldnt go to work and be productive on it.  On two doctors recommendation and in desperation, I increased my Effexor dose to 150mg , I changed my mind after 2 weeks but it was too late, I had a panic attack upon trying to reduce down to 75mg again.

 

A few dizzy days later I reintroduced the Lexapro at 5mg, the following day I felt a shift. That was 8 weeks ago.  I've had about 4 migraines since but they last hours instead of days which is amazing. In the last week I'm feeling like I can do full work days. Things like following a conversation and composing an email and working fast are more challenging than they used to be.  I seem to have trouble with lots of auditory stimulation e.g trying to follow a conversation in a noisy cafe, I can do it but its hard work and I could potentially migraine afterwards.

 

I should say I'm a very sensitive person (a 'HSP'), I think this has effected my response to my SSRI - SNRI switch back in May and perhaps its extreme. 

[ChessieCat]

Hi Dizzy4 and welcome to SA,

 

To get you started please create your drug signature.  This will appear below each of your posts and makes it easy for us to see your drug history at a glance.  Please update it whenever you make a change.  Please make it nice simple by following these instructions (NO diagnoses or symptoms please - thank you):

• details for last 2 years - dates, ALL drugs, doses
• summary for older than 2 years - just years and drug/s

Account Settings – Create or Edit a signature

 

Please use the Drug Interactions Checker for all current drugs you are taking and copy and paste the results or a link to them here in your Intro topic.

 

This is your own Introductions topic where you can ask questions about your own situation and journal your progress.

[Altostrata]

Welcome, Dizzy.

 

On 10/17/2018 at 5:53 PM, Dizzy4 said:

The first week after the switch was ok , then the flu-like systems started, then general feelings of being unwell or poisoned, then visual vertigo, I couldn't use my computer screens for long or my mobile.  About a month after the switch I had a motion sickness, nausea attack with vomitting followed by feelings of motion sickness for days along with cognitive fog. Three of four times my head would clear up and then quite suddently usually mid-morning at work I get that feeling like something was wrong and the dizziness and nausea would come.

 

What you've described here is classic withdrawal syndrome, from the too-fast switch from Lexapro to Effexor.

 

It's good that you're doing better with reinstatement of 5mg Lexapro. Are you still taking Effexor?

 

Your nervous system may take a while to settle down. Since you reinstated Lexapro, how has your daily symptom pattern changed?

[Dizzy4]

On 10/21/2018 at 2:41 AM, Altostrata said:

 

What you've described here is classic withdrawal syndrome, from the too-fast switch from Lexapro to Effexor.

 

Thank you. Its so nice to finally hear someone say that.

 

My GP is happy I seem to be doing better but she hasn't seen (or recognised) this withdrawal syndrome before and I feel like she is humoring me a bit when I say I feel like I'm better with the 5mg Lexapro and no I can't cut my Effexor by 1/8 every 3 or 4 days like other patients have done.

 

So, yes, still taking Effexor 😞.  By the time I'd cottoned on to what was happening (thanks to this site), it was too late, I was unable to stop taking the Effexor. I've been really angry about it, I checked with three doctors about the decision to go on Effexor and then up the dose to 150mg and now here I am on Effexor and Lexapro at the same time.

 

Since reinstating the Lexapro,  if I look at my diary, I've had some lightheadedness for a few days post, then a few days of some dizziness and cognitively not quite right 2 weeks later. Exactly one month after - a migraine, just like earlier in the year but on both those occasions I had tried a bead drop in my Effexor XR a day or two earlier as well. (I do wonder - was I starting to get well and is it in my mind - that this 5mg has changed everything, it could even be the higher dose of Effexor kicking in (@ 3 weeks).

 

And then a couple of vestibular episodes or migraines when I've been in busy, noisy environments and couldn't escape.

 

My daily symptom pattern bares no resemblance to what it did June through August  - my doctor can see the difference in me, the way I move my head, the way my eyes move. She said "you were so vestibular!". 

 

I think where previously my nervous system was fried by 11am at work (with the lights, computer screens, conversations etc), now I would have to work to 5pm to feel that way

I feel like if I am really cautious with my medication changes now I will keep getting better. 

 

[Altostrata]

It's not good to take a full dose of Effexor with Lexapro. Let's figure out a way for you to taper it.

 

Do your symptoms follow any daily pattern?  Please keep daily notes on paper about your symptoms, when you take your drugs, and their dosages. Use a simple list format with time of day on the left and notation (symptom, drug and dosage) on the right.

 

Please remove the line spaces from your signature. They spread it out too much. Thanks.

[composter]

Hi Dizzy,

Just chiming in to say welcome, and I can relate to several things that you mention. Namely, having a prescribing doctor that had "never seen" my issues before when coming off this drug. And being diagnosed with "migraines" when I was actually going thru withdrawal.

 

Perhaps it is a comfort to know that you are not alone in these things. I share your feelings of frustration and hurt that medical professionals have little to know understanding of AD withdrawal.

 

Are you still experiencing vestibular issues? I ask because I had a lot of success with vestibular physical therapy when I had vestibular issues due to a concussion.

[Dizzy4]

1 hour ago, Altostrata said:

It's not good to take a full dose of Effexor with Lexapro. Let's figure out a way for you to taper it.

 

Do your symptoms follow any daily pattern?  Please keep daily notes on paper about your symptoms, when you take your drugs, and their dosages. Use a simple list format with time of day on the left and notation (symptom, drug and dosage) on the right.

 

I am tapering but just the Effexor, I thought it would be confusing for me to do both (and I haven't worked out how to work with the Lexapro tablet yet). Its looking like this:

Note: I take my Effexor XR at 1pm & feel like I'm most vulnerable to symptoms to middle of the following day

19 Aug - 50% dose drop to 75mg

20 Aug - nausea!! + anxiety attack  around 2pm - Back to 150mg

21 Aug - 23 Aug - in bed with dizziness

24 Aug - 5 mg Lexapro

25 Aug - lightheaded

28 Aug - I've written "normal" in my diary (plus some parasthesia in my arms)

1/8 bead drop in Effexor (Dr recommended)

29 Aug- lightheadness nausea shaky sore eyes, unreality by midday

29 Aug - 30 beads ok

30 Aug - 40 beads

9 Sep - 50 beads

10 Sept - dizzy around 2pm

11 Sept - dizzy 11am, brain fog

12 Sept - lightheaded sore neck

13 Sept - brain fog, felt fluey

14 Sept - light headed from 2pm

15 Sept - ok

22 Sept - 60 beads

23 Sept - head tight and light, feel like my eyes can't focus 50 beads

24 Sept - 1pm hot, sweaty, visual vertigo, brain fog, nausea and dizziness

25 Sept - still some nausea, feeling wobbly

26 Sept - 10 October - nothing much to report

11 Oct - 73 beads 

12 Oct - tight, light head around 12pm queasy

 

I will keep more detailed notes thank you, maybe I'm missing subtle things on the days I've written "normal"

Edited October 24, 2018 by Dizzy4
wrote "back to 150mg"

[mirage]

Hi @Dizzy4 Your story sounds similar to mine. I was on Wellbutrin and stopped, pretty much, cold turkey in May of 2017. My symptoms didn't start until a month later. The first thing that happened was vertigo. After a couple of weeks of that, then the other symptoms appeared, nausea, anxiety, body aches, chills, dizziness, ect. My doctor told me it was anxiety and I needed to reinstate the Wellbutrin. So I did. However, it only made me worse. I found out through this site, that my cns had already crashed and adding back, a high dose of the med was too much for my symptom. However, my doctor said that wasn't the reason and that it was anxiety and so another med, Remeron, was added. Again, no improvement. 

 

Bottom line, I am totally off the Remeron and have weaned the Wellbutrin from 300 to 150 and that is where I am holding. My worse symptom through this entire journey has been the dizziness/vertigo and an off and on odd feeling of floating. My doctors have told me it was migraine related and I have tried everything, several different types of meds, physical therapy, ect. Nothing worked. What I have actually found out and believe to be true, is that my vestibular system, being a part of the nervous system and not the ears, was temporarily damaged and thrown off, due to stopping the  med. 

 

I am 16 months  into this journey and have had dizziness/vertigo/floating feeling, the entire time. However, a month ago, things started to let up and it is getting so much better. 

 

Just wanted to share what happened to me, in hopes that it could help you. 

 

Prayers to you

[Altostrata]

Those are good notes, Dizzy.

 

How much Effexor are you taking now? How many beads are you taking out?

 

15 hours ago, Dizzy4 said:

12 Oct - tight, light head around 12pm queasy

 

If you're still having symptoms like this, please stop reducing your Effexor dose. Your body needs to catch up with the dosage reduction.

[Dizzy4]

 

On 10/24/2018 at 11:29 AM, composter said:

Hi Dizzy,

Just chiming in to say welcome, and I can relate to several things that you mention. Namely, having a prescribing doctor that had "never seen" my issues before when coming off this drug. And being diagnosed with "migraines" when I was actually going thru withdrawal.

 

Perhaps it is a comfort to know that you are not alone in these things. I share your feelings of frustration and hurt that medical professionals have little to know understanding of AD withdrawal.

 

Are you still experiencing vestibular issues? I ask because I had a lot of success with vestibular physical therapy when I had vestibular issues due to a concussion.

Thank you so much! Yes it is a comfort!  Even if I can just say to my husband hey this person went through the same thing, with the migraine diagnosis and all.. I feel a little validated. Although I'm sorry you've had to go through that..its lonely.

 

I did go to a vestibular physio actually (my GP insisted to rule everything out) and I'm glad I did, it gave me more knowledge about how my body and balance system works e.g my brain was already working hard with multifocal glasses and forward head posture to maintain equilibrium, throwing the withdrawal in made me really vulnerable to visual vertigo.

 

[ChessieCat]

19 minutes ago, Dizzy4 said:

my brain was already working hard with multifocal glasses

 

I sometimes have trouble readjusting my focus.  If I've been reading something for a while and then try to look middle or distant I have trouble focusing.  This has happened several times.  I've put it down to withdrawal slowing my brain's responses.

[Dizzy4]

 

On 10/25/2018 at 2:16 AM, mirage said:

My worse symptom through this entire journey has been the dizziness/vertigo and an off and on odd feeling of floating. My doctors have told me it was migraine related and I have tried everything, several different types

 

Hello Mirage, thank you for sharing your story, I can relate to so much of it - the initial symptoms and the timing of your symptoms, the doctors response (its anxiety)!  You recognising your CNS had crashed but your doctor not doing so and then giving you another med to cope with.  I'm finding this is one of the trickiest things with my doctor - I am responding to (Effexor) dosage drops more dramatically than she has ever seen before because my CNS has already taken a beating this year (and I know she thinks I'm being ridiculously overcautious with my beadcounting 🙂 but she is polite thank goodness)

 

And of course the dizziness, this is where it hit me hardest too and I was unable to function, all I could do was take the old fashioned antihistamines and sedate myself to ease my discomfort, certainly couldn't go to work.  Looking back, it was several episodes of several days and I had some good days all over only 4 months and it feels like the longest time, I can not imagine a year plus of this 😞 

 

Your story is inspirational. Congratulations on being off the Remeron and down on the Wellbutrin!! I want to be off the Lexapro and right down on the Effexor and then I too might hold for a bit.

 

 I hope you continue to feel better.

 

 

I did read your reply to my post a week ago and then was punished for being online too much and got a bit of visual vertigo (I'm still a bit fragile in the balance area!).

[Dizzy4]

48 minutes ago, ChessieCat said:

 

I sometimes have trouble readjusting my focus.  If I've been reading something for a while and then try to look middle or distant I have trouble focusing.  This has happened several times.  I've put it down to withdrawal slowing my brain's responses.

Oh really?  I'm finding the visual component of my work really fatiguing because its fast paced, multiple programs on two screens, I'll pay attention tomorrow but I wonder if I'm experiencing something similar.  Thanks! 

[ChessieCat]

I've also had to purchase gaming over glasses to cut out the lights.  I had to get them from USA because I couldn't find them anywhere else and they probably would have cost the same anyway.  I got them on ebay and the postage cost twice (because it was tracked) as much as the glasses 😮 they are working.  They are only cheap plastic and the end of the arms tough the lens so I have to wrap them up so they don't get scratched.  I wish now that I had bought two pairs but I didn't know at the time whether they were going to do the trick.

[Dizzy4]

On 10/25/2018 at 3:11 AM, Altostrata said:

Those are good notes, Dizzy.

 

How much Effexor are you taking now? How many beads are you taking out?

 

 

If you're still having symptoms like this, please stop reducing your Effexor dose. Your body needs to catch up with the dosage reduction.

Hi, thank you. I probably need to hear that. I have my doctor on the other hand hinting I could go a bit faster!  I am up to taking 95 beads out of my 150mg XR capsules (we counted 2 capsules at 510 beads and 490 beads so just working off 500) at the moment, its been 2 days at this stage (I didn't see your reply oops). I was a bit surprised that I had felt what was roughly a 5% drop that last time! I just don't want to think that I'm one of the lucky ones that needs to do 5% drops a month. I think I am ok with this one but it seems to be the first 5 days I'm vulnerable to feeling gross.

[Dizzy4]

A quick update on my symptoms and my Effexor taper, because unfortunately typing on a computer for me is one of the hardest things to do. I never appreciated how complex a task it is! 

 

It has been 7 months since my CT from Lexapro to Effexor. Fortunately the last four months since I reintroduced the Lexapro at 5mg have been so much better than the first 3 (but still "eventful" and I have had to resign from work). The debilitating motion sensitivity has not returned. It threatens sometimes 🙂

 

I am now taking 100 beads out of my Effexor XR 150mg capsule (still on 5mg Lexapro).  I think 5% is the best number for me (rather than 10% and this next drop I will try at 5 weeks rather than 4 weeks. 

 

Based on the last two drops I seem to have symptoms peak 4 to 6 days after dropping the dose.

 

8 Dec - drop from 95 beads to 100 beads

9 Dec - lightheaded, surreal by midday

12 Dec - floaty base of skull pressure, sore eyeballs

13 Dec - sore base of skulls, jittery

14 Dec - floaty, surreal, brain fog (not able to function, needing a dark room)

15 Dec - a bit foggy, tired but better

21 Dec - the same as 14 Dec but unable to shake the brain fog

25 Dec - noticing the brain fog, had trouble following games with the kids

27 Dec - noticing the blurry vision today

28 Dec - head a bit swimmy, brain foggy, inarticulate

 

2 Jan - present - brain fog on and off, am always light sensitive now, parasthesia in arms is there more often than not, brain shivers similarly, are so frequent since December that I don't even register them anymore. If I startle, I think I'm more likely to get a brain shiver or feel the parasthesia.

 

In November I started being performance managed at work (I was in an administrative role, very computer based), just days after recovering from what I call "migraine" but they are episodes like I describe above which last from 2 to 7 days (visual vertigo, blurred vision, brain fog); and I'd also just purchased new glasses because my vision just isn't the same - and then I became so anxious, I couldn't sleep properly and of course I had another "migraine" episode - so I knew I had to think seriously about the work environment I was in. My ability to handle stress is not what it was. I had a second performance talk while I was still unwell and I resigned the next day. I'd love to hear how others have managed to maintain employment while recovering? And now that I am looking for more work, I don't know what I can commit to. Hmmm..

 

 

[Carmie]

Hi Dizzy, 

 

Tapering at 5% sounds like a really good plan. I can only taper around 5% myself. Having a longer hold as you mentioned is a great idea too. Have you ever checked out the brassmonkey slide on the top of the tapering page?

 

Wishing you all the best with your tapering.💚

 

 

[ChessieCat]

15 minutes ago, Dizzy4 said:

n November I started being performance managed at work (I was in an administrative role, very computer based), just days after recovering from what I call "migraine" but they are episodes like I describe above which last from 2 to 7 days (visual vertigo, blurred vision, brain fog); and I'd also just purchased new glasses because my vision just isn't the same - and then I became so anxious, I couldn't sleep properly and of course I had another "migraine" episode - so I knew I had to think seriously about the work environment I was in. My ability to handle stress is not what it was. I had a second performance talk while I was still unwell and I resigned the next day. I'd love to hear how others have managed to maintain employment while recovering? And now that I am looking for more work, I don't know what I can commit to. Hmmm..

 

strategies-for-getting-back-to-work

 

working-as-in-getting-a-paycheck-through-withdrawal

 

3 minutes ago, Carmie said:

Have you ever checked out the brassmonkey slide on the top of the tapering page?

 

Brass Monkey Slide

[Dizzy4]

11 minutes ago, Carmie said:

Tapering at 5% sounds like a really good plan. I can only taper around 5% myself. Having a longer hold as you mentioned is a great idea too. Have you ever checked out the brassmonkey slide on the top of the tapering page?

 

 

Thank you Carmie! I've been meaning to check it out, I'll do that today.  Cheers 🙂

[Dizzy4]

9 minutes ago, ChessieCat said:

 

strategies-for-getting-back-to-work

 

working-as-in-getting-a-paycheck-through-withdrawal

Brass Monkey Slide

 

Ooh thanks ChessieCat!

[Carmie]

7 minutes ago, Dizzy4 said:

 

Thank you Carmie! I've been meaning to check it out, I'll do that today.  Cheers 🙂

 

It’s a good idea Dizzy, 

 

You wanted to hold longer anyway. So what it is, you pretty much just break down whatever percentage you taper in a month over four weeks instead, and then hold for two weeks after that. 

 

For example, if you’re tapering by 10%, you will taper down by 2.5% a week for four weeks, and then hold another two weeks. You will then be tapering by 10% over six weeks. 

 

Wishing you all all the best in your tapering💚

 

 

[Dizzy4]

On 1/8/2019 at 1:16 PM, Carmie said:

 

It’s a good idea Dizzy, 

 

You wanted to hold longer anyway. So what it is, you pretty much just break down whatever percentage you taper in a month over four weeks instead, and then hold for two weeks after that. 

Ok, I will do a drop at the end of the week 🙂 . It will have been six weeks then so I'm overdue but I started a new job yesterday and didn't want to upset the apple cart!  Feeling kinda steady for 2 weeks woot!    So probably because of the 5.5 week hold so far (and I think I may have only done a 2.5% drop last time, someone needs to check my maths 😂 ) 

 

I still have a hyper sensitive nervous system. There's been days where its been like jigga jigga jigga in my body like I've had 5 coffees. I will now be more vigilant with my vitamins and supplements as I've been a bit lax about recording this alongside my symptoms e.g I would take a multi B and not note it (and maybe they're hyping me up a bit). 

 

I have been on 1000 mg krill oil and 1000 iu D3 this past week (consistently vs whenever I remember)

 

Unfortunately, I've realised I am maybe overdosing on B6, its in everything!  Has anyone else had this issue when taking a few supplements? E.g its in my magnesium supplement (which I won't change because I like the taste), my B's obviously and my zinc tablets which I take occasionally.  Don't worry I will get professional advice, its just only occurred to me yesterday!

Edited January 15, 2019 by Dizzy4
typos galore

[ChessieCat]

On 1/8/2019 at 2:16 PM, Carmie said:

For example, if you’re tapering by 10%, you will taper down by 2.5% a week for four weeks, and then hold another two weeks. You will then be tapering by 10% over six weeks. 

 

Just to clarify, because it was something I got confused about, 2.5% a week for four weeks, and then hold for an additional 2 weeks.  So the last hold will actually be 3 weeks.

 

37 minutes ago, Dizzy4 said:

I would take a multi B and not note it (and maybe they're hyping me up a bit). 

 

37 minutes ago, Dizzy4 said:

I've realised I am maybe overdosing on B6, its in everything!  Has anyone else had this issue when taking a few supplements?

 

B vitamins can be activating, especially B6.  See this link for a google search I did which brings up various links to vitamins and supplements.

[Carmie]

Hi Dizzy, 

 

I just wanted to say never do the next drop until you are actually feeling stable. We need to taper according to how our bodies feel. 

 

Probably not a good idea to be taking vitamin B.

 

Sending hugs🤗

[Dizzy4]

Thanks Carmie, it seems like common sense but I realised I haven't been doing that!

 

Edited January 22, 2019 by ChessieCat
removed quote

[Dizzy4]

An update from me.  

 

I don't know if I'm going too fast?   I thought that because I'm on both Lexapro 5mg (because I did a reinstate in August 2018 to stop my head spinning) and Effexor XR (because I did the switch from Lexapro in June and got addicted super fast 😱) that I should be in a hurry to reduce one of these drugs (and as Effexor has always felt like poison in my body I am keen to work on that first, plus its beads which is convenient).

 

So in January (15 i think)  I ended up doing 2 x 2.5% drops in Effexor over 6 weeks. I was intending to try the brassmonkey slide.  In retrospect I  should have done a 1.25% drop first up, not 2.5% I think, given I haven't tolerated 10% drops before over 4 - 6 weeks. Would you agree? For those who've changed over to the slide method, do you tolerate bigger drops over a 5 week period than the other way (apologies for my words today, I'm struggling)?

 

Anyway it went a bit pear-shaped when I got a tummy bug 22 January. Had no idea how much Effexor XR I'd kept down but felt pretty rotten the next day. I think I had my first brain zap in the middle of the night, very weird!! I'm still not sure if it was a nightmare..

 

23 Jan - whooshy head; 24 Jan - 27 Jan floor rocking at work, nausea - brain fog and mild vertigo for 2+ weeks! The day would start ok and then by the middle of the day especially if I was working/rushing/doing computer things (my job) I might get a bit of vertigo which would then escalate to nausea if I didn't rest.

 

Feb 4 - feeling better  

 

Feb 7 -  I did a 2.5% drop to 120 beads removed and felt great until 01 March! I had almost all of February feeling NORMAL!  This is the best I've been since June last year. I felt so smart ☺️

 

Last Thursday 28 Feb I was excited because a bead drop now would mean I could move from a 150mg capsule to a 75mg + a 37.5mg capsule which meant my poor husband could have a break from bead counting every morning (he's just so much faster than me). Dropped another 10 beads.

 

The next day I was like 'uh-oh' - I was having trouble with tasks at work. If I was interrupted, it would take a bit too long to reorient myself. I then had brain fog (a bit of a sore head but i barely notice that) for that day and the day after but it started to lift ..

 

And then Monday afternoon 4 March I had a bit of a tummy upset (kid germs again I think, just unlucky!!) and that set me off again.

 

This round (wave, episode) I've had :

 

Skin prickles; head in a vice feeling, pulsating head, sore eyes, motion sensitivity, light sensitivity, noise sensitivity, low stress tolerance (e.g if my dog barks I'm startled then teary), the brain fog of course including inability to construct/write novel sentences, physically fatigued, easily confused (I'm losing things), shaky, twitchy, other cognitive issues - counting and maths is hard, vision a bit blurred, suicidal thoughts (never in my 44 years have I had that .. hmmm thanks venlafaxine 🤨)

 

Not sure about the emotional symptoms. Not sure if my anxiety and sadness is appropriate given the circumstances. I'm helpless as a baby right now so yeah a bit depressed. My boss scares me a bit so I'm really anxious about work/not being able to work

[Dizzy4]

So I'm wondering if I should hold for a bit on my Effexor taper? I'm down to a 37.5mg capsule + 75mg capsule from 150mg in August 2018 (but still on 5mg Lexapro!).

 

It's been 10 months since my Lexapro cessation and I've had one decent break from the w/d symptoms (at 8 months for a few weeks as mentioned above) and now I'm just coming out a 4 week wave, the worst for a while.

 

Should I give my brain a break? Or do another bead drop 😖. 

 

And I don't know if its Lexapro withdrawal or Effexor withdrawal when I get sick (I know it probably doesn't matter). There is definitely a pattern of 4 to 6 days after a 5% drop in Effexor that I have a wave of several days or more. The 2.5% seemed to go ok..

[Dizzy4]

Just had 2 weeks of severe brain fog. My head has threatened to spin a few times and it reminds me that things could be much worse. Nothing is like that initial withdrawal phase after cold turkeying. Nevertheless the brain fog was quite debilitating - who'd have thought crossing a road would require so much brain power! I found this relatable article!  https://www.healthline.com/health/13-things-only-someone-with-brain-fog-would-understand#3  When I’m dealing with the fog, my explanations range from “I’m having a brain fog day” to “Brain not working.” How I explain it has to do with where I am, who I’m with, and how bad the fog is hitting me.

 

So, still on 5mg Lexapro no taper since August 2018  and 112.5mg Effexor minus 30 beads 

 

A new doctor has suggested this prozac taper for me but from my reading here and my intuition I believe it will not only not work but get me in deeper because

1. I already have withdrawal symptoms

2. the length of the taper means my CNS will be used to fluoxetine and venlafaxine together 

 

Venlafaxine reduction schedule

 

1.       venlafaxine 112.5 mg – presently PLUS ESCITALOPRAM 5mg / ALSO Fluoxetine 10mg for 4 days

2.       venlafaxine 112.5 mg – presently PLUS FLUOXETINE 10mg - have to check what he means to do here

3.       venlafaxine 75 mg for one month PLUS FLUOXETINE 10MG

4.       venlafaxine 37.5 mg for one month PLUS FLUOXETINE 10MG

5.       Cease venlafaxine – CONTINUE FLUOXETINE 10MG

6.       Fluoxetine 10 mg - take for one month.

7.       Fluoxetine 10 mg for ONE months.

8.       Fluoxetine 10 mg every other day for one month – CAN DO THIS.

9.       Cease.

[Dizzy4]

its been a year since my lexapro too fast "taper".  feeling clearer but brain fog threatens daily if i push myself to fatigue e.g. 10 hr work days. 

 

my parasthesia is intense! its waking me up at night. its in both arms. there's nothing mechanical going on that i can ascertain. having prickling skin or pins and needles is just my new normal for the last 10 - 11 months. 

 

I'm now working only 3 days per week and no longer work with a computer as its too fatiguing and when the brain fog does hit, its just nauseating. 

 

against my doctors advice, i'm still micro-tapering Effexor and holding the Lexapro.  i feel like i'm poisoning myself everyday but i'm also doing all i can to keep myself steady so i can be a Mum

 

holding 112.5mg Effexor minus 33 beads until 2 July

[Dizzy4]

At minus 57 beads still, I guess just under 100mg Effexor.. plus 5 mg Lexapro.

 

Doing roughly 2.5% drops (I say roughly as I'm not weighing, just counting beads). I did a drop two days ago and just feel unwell, my eyeballs hurt and my short term memory and concentration is poor.

So its taken me about a year to get from 150mg (a dose I was at for whole 2 weeks) to 100mg and I haven't even thought about tapering the Lexapro yet

 

Current symptoms - 

My physio was alarmed by my lack of muscle tone at last visit. I'm wondering if this is something others have experienced as well (loss of tone).  I've also had blood tests (I have a lot of muscle aches,, GP is checking for autoimmune) and have autoantibodies (positive ANA test). Wondering if this is a thing in withdrawal as well?

 

My last fog episode (a couple of weeks ago) my eyes were really affected, so sore and such difficulty focussing.  I need my eyes. 

 

Even on my best days 15 months post Lexapro too rapid taper things I/my brain/NS just only have so many hours in me per day and also per week (if i have a big day I need to recouperate the following day). 

 

Learning is particularly taxing and I can potentially crash after an intense couple of hours. At work I'm 'crashing' (disorientated/hazy) between 4pm and 6pm unless its training (or performing a new task I haven't done before) and then I'm fatiguing by midday or mid-afternoon!!  

 

 

[Dizzy4]

I'm really cr@p this week and last and the one before actually! I'm wracking my brain - what have I done differently? This week I realised I've been about a week without taurine.. So Ill go get some today.

 

Last week, I had intense fog the day before my period, really struggled cognitively. The week before, I had an early morning start 4.30am (not too bad) and was in a fog for 3 days! 

 

I'm seeing a rheumatologist tomorrow as my joint pain is pretty persistent at the moment. Its the least of my worries though I have to say! 

[Dizzy4]

The rheumatologist diagnosed me with fibromyalgia..  He said its possible the medication change last year was the trigger. I feel like the acute withdrawal symptoms just morphed in to this chronic sensitisation issue. I could not say when this began!! 

 

 

[Dizzy4]

2% effexor drop on 27 October, felt my vision go a bit double after 2 days and like clockwork by day 4 I felt unwell - after a TWO PERCENT drop - I'm still around 90mg !  I felt everything a bit black around the edges, a bit wrong, waking up a bit shaky... just that effexor drop feeling.

 

I'll have a look for threads on this, regarding the fibromyalgia diagnosis - has this happened to anyone else? I had the acute WD symptoms, lots of equilibrium type things/episodes and then the episodes changed slightly to more fatigue and fog (not sure at what point - say at 12 months) and in fact the vertigo has faded out completely but then I found I was just different, less hours of full functioning in a day, more exhausted by work and then started getting "work hangovers' - still getting paresthesia but thats WD yeah? same with light sensitivity, it first came on with the acute Lexapro wd symptoms and does flare up but its also a fibro thing!  

 

I have been achey but I do a physical job!  The body pain thing just hasn't been on my radar (in any case, I'll take aches over dizziness and confusion and effexor induced terror any day).   And then my nutritionist made me think about about HOW achey I am... I realised I was getting distressed if I couldn't find a wheat pack to put on the back of my neck (or today my lower back), not 'normal ' achiness 

 

Oh and my (fibro fogs''?) fogs.. the last two cycles the day before my period I have been severely foggy. last week was a nightmare. I shouldn't have left the house. I misplaced so many items haha.. but then it faded away quite quickly.  At least this fog is not random. hooray! 

 

I started on PEA ( palmitoylethanolamide) on 22 October for "fibro", I'll keep  you posted.  I'll have a look for threads on this too

 

 

[Dizzy4]

wow. tried to reduce the Lexapro for the first time in about 18months. Cut a little bit off my tablet (it was probably about 14% - stupid I know). One week later the dizziness hit - BAM! took me right back to July 2018. I will attempt again when I stabilise and have good scales.

 

I'm still getting a lot of pain and trying to manage that. The PEA does work but I think my dose has been too low. I'm about to try 900mg

 

Effexor WD symptoms - just internally shaky a lot, like I have to keep moving, sore eyes, blurry eyes. Today a very sore neck. Dose is 75mg plus 28 beads.

 

I've just trialled ubiquionol (CoQ10) 150mg to assist with pain and fog (suggested in some fibromylagia circles) and at this stage its looking like its not for me. I don't usually feel anxious and light headed in spite of all of the above but oh my goodness I have been feeling bad since taking that 150mg! It may work for some with fibro but perhaps not if you're in withdrawal sadly. 

[Dizzy4]

update 75mg Effexor, 5mg Lexapro. chronic sleepiness, classic fibromyalgia type symptoms ie flares. Those days of normal work hours are gone. I also seem to have lost strength so that after doing one remedial massage treatment I am shaking. 

 

I am really cautious with my lexapro  - shaving off the tablet and using a digital scale so I take a standardised amount each day - 0.063mg

 

I've stuck with the same supplement regimen except I've introduced CBD. It interacts with the Effexor and I think is contributing to some somnolence. It is just taking the edge off pain and agitation and helping me sleep. 

 

I still often can't sit still and have had to cancel one sit down event because I knew I HAD to exercise. Its not anxiety, I rarely experience anxiety. I do often "vibrate" internally. 

 

other things: intermittent blurry vision, fogginess,  poor concentration

 

tapering 2.5% per 6 weeks 

[NeDaytoDayMJ]

How have you been Dizzy4?  Any updates? Hope you are well.