SoCal: bromocriptine aka Cycloset & Parlodel dopamine agonist recovery

[SoCal]

Hi  there, these are some of the details, and I promise it has a good ending:

 

I have a prolactinoma (period stopped, hormones were off) so the endocrinologist gave me bromocriptine to shrink the tumor so I could get the period back and get pregnant. 

 

I took it for about 10 months and he said once I got pregnant to just go cold turkey with the meds. So I did and experienced a very mild withdrawl (though I didn't know that's what it was at the time) and about a year and a half after I gave birth I had my gall bladder removed. Gall bladders have a lot to do with breaking down things you ingest. 

 

Well, I took one pill, one tiny little bromocriptine pill because the doctor said I should just take bromocriptine forever, and I think it was the fact that I no longer had a gall bladder or that I had had a previous reaction to an SSRI, but I here are the details:

 

Reaction/Withdrawl to Zoloft (sertraline) July 2016 was onset

- palpitations, sinus issues, constant panic, paranoia, vertigo, fatigue, the shocks in the head

- lasted full-strength for about 6 weeks and then started to calm down slowly

- 3 month after onset I was kind of emotionally and psychologically tired but the symptoms were gone and I was able to drink alcohol and coffee again

 

Reaction/Withdrawl to Bromocriptine (dopamine agonist) January 2017 was onset

- sinus issues, constant panic, paranoia, vertigo, fatigue, depersonalizationm, extreme tinitus, loss of concentration, burning scalp, major brain fog

- these symptoms all lasted full force for about 6 months. Then it began to get better and slowly got better for about a year and a bit. Then finally, at about 20 months after onset the horrific brain fog finally went away

- exactly 2 years after onset I still have tinitus now and then and I have some residual anxiety-related issues, as well as PTSD from the whole situation, but I can enjoy my life again. I still can't drink more than a glass of wine with dinner, or have any caffeine, but I'm myself again. 

 

I came back on here because I want all of you to know that it's a waiting game. I'll admit there were a couple of months during the cold, harsh, dark Canadian winter (at 12 months after onset) where I wondered whether I had it in me to keep fighting, but I did keep fighting, and it got better. I can look at the sun again, feel sunshine and like it, I can feel happiness without really focusing on trying to feel it, the horrible brain fog and insomnia that plagued my life are basically gone. I can drive around again. If I lose sleep, it's no big deal.

 

I can only describe those 2 years, the worst 2 years of my life, as the feeling of all of the bad things that have ever happened to me, but instead of them happening over 30-something years, being multiplied by 2 and rolled into 2 years. But it gets better. 

 

Things I did to help me cope:

- I got as much fresh air as I could

- I went out and did stuff even if it hurt. Now, I can't remember the pain of it all, but I do have nice memories of things I did with people. Nearly drove me insane but I did it

- guzzled night time tea every two hours to keep the panic down

- along with the tea took Holy Basil caps 

- along with those took L-Theanine tablets, those were amazing. I used to down them like mentos. Truly helpful. 

- when the night-time tea started making me feel bad I switched to Chamomille 

- got as much excersize as I could; you have to sweat 

- read success stories; you have to keep your hope alive 

- stay active; the withdrawl is going to be there no matter what you do

 

Something that helped me a lot was that I wrote a novel. I got some serious flow out of that, so my suggestion is to find something you love that is work but is also enjoyable, because at some point you're going to crawl out of the haze and I can tell you that it feels good to have something to show for all the pain you went through. 

 

It will feel like a lifetime will go by before you are through this, but you will get through it, and it will feel amazing. All the posts that talked about bromocriptine withdrawl said it was 2 years from onset to full recovery, and that has been the case with me too. Not 100% recovered yet, at 24 months, but pretty dang close. So, if that's what you took, then yah, at 20/21 months I was feeling like it was never going to end but then all of a sudden the fog finally lifted and I could experience happiness the way I used to and it was an incredible feeling. I even went to a concert and was totally fine with the noise. Anyways, all the best to any readers out there, and don't lose hope. 

Edited January 7, 2019 by ChessieCat
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[ChessieCat]

Hi SoCal and welcome to SA,

 

That's certainly a couple of horrible years that you have endured.  Glad to hear that things are improving for you.

 

 

Please create a drug signature using the following format.  Keep it simple.  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

 

 

This is the link to a search on the drug on SA:

 

https://www.survivingantidepressants.org/search/?q=Bromocriptine Cyclose Parlodel

 

 

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

[Rachellynn]

I am so sorry you’ve been through all this but thank you for sharing as you’ve given me a lot of hope. Sending love❤️

 

Edited February 9, 2019 by ChessieCat
removed quote

[Carmie]

Hi Socal, 

 

How are you doing?💚

[SoCal]

On 2/9/2019 at 12:18 PM, Rachellynn said:

I am so sorry you’ve been through all this but thank you for sharing as you’ve given me a lot of hope. Sending love❤️

 

You'll get through it! I promise! And then eventually it will all become a strange memory of a time when you just weren't yourself. Sending love back!