deadbrain: overstimulation

[deadbrain]

Hi everyone this is my first post in this forum although I have been a member since 3yrs. I needed some advice. I am in withdrawal syndrome for about 3 years from antidepressants that I took for 2 years(fluvoxamine for 1.5yrs and then after a gap of 3 months  mirtazapine/rivotril/busprion for 3 months). I could turkeyed or quickly tapered within a week all of these meds.  After 3 years although a lot of my symptoms have gone away(except for the stubborn 24/7headaches,obsessive thoughts and insomnia) when I am in a non stress state however if I take even a little bit of stress all my symptoms come back. Recently I started a teaching job which is just for 3hrs everyday.  While teaching I am okay but after that all my nerves start burning, I am in severe fog, sleep is also affected, also anxiety comes back.  I know I am sort of overstimulating myself however I love the job(it gives me a sense of purpose) and don't want to leave it.  I guess I can bear all these symptoms and still work however I don't want to harm my body. My question is what should I be doing? Should I quite the job.  In need of some advice. Thank you. 

[ChessieCat]

Hi deadbrain and welcome, finally, to SA,

 

I have found doing volunteer work is helpful, because it gives me a routine and a purpose.  It also gives me something else to focus on instead of myself and my withdrawal.  Some days it can be harder than others.

 

Please create your 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 your own introductions topic where your can ask questions about your own situation and journal your progress.  We encourage members to visit other members so that they can support and encourage each other.

 

The only supplements which SA recommends are Magnesium and Omega-3 Fish Oil.  Try a small amount, one at a a time.  I find that magnesium helps to take the edge off my anxiety.

 

Recovery isn't linear it happens in a Windows and Waves Pattern

 

When we take a psychiatric drug, we are adding chemical/s to the brain.  The brain then has to change to adapt to getting the chemical/s.  It might have to change something to do with A and then once that change has been made it affects B so another change has to be made and so on down the line.  It is a chain reaction, a domino effect. 

 

The same thing happens when we take the drug away.  That's why it's possible to experience such a vast array of withdrawal symptoms, and they can change, and be of different intensity.  These explain it really well:

 

Video:  Healing From Antidepressants - Patterns of Recovery

 

are-we-there-yet-how-long-is-withdrawal-going-to-take

 

On 8/31/2011 at 5:28 AM, Rhiannon said:

When we stop taking the drug, we have a brain that has designed itself so that it works in the presence of the drug; now it can't work properly without the drug because it's designed itself so that the drug is part of its chemistry and structure. It's like a plant that has grown on a trellis; you can't just yank out the trellis and expect the plant to be okay. When the drug is removed, the remodeling process has to take place in reverse. SO--it's not a matter of just getting the drug out of your system and moving on. If it were that simple, none of us would be here. It's a matter of, as I describe it, having to grow a new brain. I believe this growing-a-new-brain happens throughout the taper process if the taper is slow enough. (If it's too fast, then there's not a lot of time for actually rebalancing things, and basically the brain is just pedaling fast trying to keep us alive.) It also continues to happen, probably for longer than the symptoms actually last, throughout the time of recovery after we are completely off the drug, which is why recovery takes so long.

 

AND

 

On 12/4/2015 at 2:41 AM, apace41 said:

Basically- you have a building where the MAJOR steel structures are trying to be rebuilt at different times - ALL while people are coming and going in the building and attempting to work.

It would be like if the World Trade Center Towers hadn't completely fallen - but had crumbled inside in different places.. Imagine if you were trying to rebuild the tower - WHILE people were coming and going and trying to work in the building!  You'd have to set up a temporary elevator - but when you needed to fix part of that area, you'd have to tear down that elevator and set up a temporary elevator somewhere else. And so on. You'd have to build, work around, then tear down, then build again, then work around, then build... ALL while people are coming and going, ALL while the furniture is being replaced, ALL while the walls are getting repainted... ALL while life is going on INSIDE the building. No doubt it would be chaotic. That is EXACTLY what is happening with windows and waves.  The windows are where the body has "got it right" for a day or so - but then the building shifts and the brain works on something else - and it's chaos again while another temporary pathway is set up to reroute function until repairs are made.  

 

[ChessieCat]

 

Dr Joseph Glenmullen's WD Symptoms Checklist

 

There are many existing topics on this site.  I like to use google and add survivingantidepressants.org to my search term.

 

Sleep problems - that awful withdrawal insomnia

 

brain-fog-blank-mind-comprehension-cognitive-and-memory-problems

 

ocd-obsessive-thoughts-compulsive-behaviors

 

burning-skin-burning-feet

 

paresthesia-pins-needles-numbness-tingling-burning-sensations-aka-neuropathy

 

increased-sensitivity-to-light-noise-sound-exercise-etc

 

 

Edited January 10, 2019 by ChessieCat

[ChessieCat]

We strongly encourage members to learn and use non drug coping techniques to help get through tough times.

 

Understanding what is happening helps us to not get caught up with the second fear, or fear of the fear.  This happens when we experience sensations in our body and because we don't understand them we are scared of them and then start to panic.

 

This document has a diagram of the body explaining what happens in the body when we become anxious:

 

https://www.getselfhelp.co.uk/docs/AnxietySelfHelp.pdf

 

Anxiety Stuff - all kinds of stuff about anxiety attacks and things that help ...

 

Audio FEMALE VOICE:  First Aid for Panic (4 minutes)

 

Audio MALE VOICE:  First Aid for Panic (4 minutes)

 

Non-drug techniques to cope

 

dealing-with-emotional-spirals

 

Dr Claire Weekes suffered from anxiety and learned and taught ways of coping.  There are videos available on YouTube.

 

Claire Weekes' Method of Recovering from a Sensitized Nervous System

 

Audio:  How to Recover from Anxiety - Dr Claire Weekes

 

CBT Course:  An Introductory Self-Help Course in Cognitive Behaviour Therapy

 

Resources:  Centre for Clinical Interventions (PDF modules that you can work through, eg:  Depression, Distress Intolerance, Health Anxiety, Low Self-Esteem, Panic Attacks, Perfectionism, Procrastination, Social Anxiety, Worrying)

 

On 4/28/2017 at 4:03 AM, brassmonkey said:

 

AAF: Acknowledge, Accept, Float.  It's what you have to do when nothing else works, and can be a very powerful tool in coping with anxiety.  The neuroemotional anxiety many of us feel during WD is directly caused by the drugs and their chemical reactions in the brain.  Making it so there is nothing we can do about them.  They won't respond to other drugs, relaxation techniques and the like.  They do, however, react very well to being ignored.  That's the concept behind AAF.  Acknowledge, get to know the feeling involved, explore them.  Accept, These feelings are a part of you and they aren't going anywhere fast. Float, let the feeling float off as you get on with your life as best as you can.  It's a well documented fact that the more you feed in to anxiety the worse it gets.  What starts as generalized neuroemotinal anxiety can be easily blown into a full fledged panic attack just by thinking about it.

 

I often liken it to an unwanted house guest.  At first you talk to them, have conversations, communicate with them.  After a while you figure out that they aren't leaving and there is nothing you can do to get rid of them.  So you go on about your day, working around them until they get bored and leave.

 

It can take some practice, but AAF really does work.  I hope you give it a try.

 

 

[Carmie]

Hi deadbrain, 

 

Love that username. I should have used it!😃 It sums me up quite well. I’m so sorry you are going through this. Our brains will eventually heal, it does take time though. It would be great if we knew when, but alas that is not to be. 

 

I find distracting myself the best thing to do when I’m going through waves, I have lots of hobbies. 

 

As regards work, that’s a choice you have to make yourself. A lot of people on this site are still working even though they are going through withdrawals, but others have quit work. If you do continue to go to work make sure you get some good rest during your rest periods. Maybe go somewhere quiet and shut your eyes for a while. Take care of yourself, stay hydrated and eat healthy.  Nothing actually stops withdrawal symptoms, but too much stress will make them worse. 

 

Wishing you all all the best in your recovery 💚

[deadbrain]

Thank you  Chessie cat and Carmie. 😊😀

[deadbrain]

I left my job after working for 3 weeks because I was getting vertigo...  Perhaps it had something to do with migraines I was getting Throughout my job.  Now after 3 days of having left my job I experience all those symptoms that I had in year 1. It is very depressing. The brain fog which was gone for about 2 years is back,  so is the hypersensitivity to foods and continuous burning. In the last 2 years I only had these symptoms during any stressful activity.  Can some setback send a person back this far.  Its just really scary.  

[deadbrain]

Do we recover after many years? (could be triggering for those in early withdrawal)

 

I am 7 years 4 months off on all antidepressants. While many of my symptoms have improved. I have work related anxiety which is unbearable and has not improved at all. Every time I start a proper job I get intense restlessness, body burning, pounding migraines, can't eat because of burning sensations in my gut, my mind is racing, sleep is not refreshing with my mind racing during sleep.  Sometimes I may get a panic attack in the night.  Heart starts to beat fast.  I haven't been able to have a proper job since withdrawal because of all these symptoms. While I have improved tremendously in terms of all my symptoms Alhamdulillah(thanks to God All Mighty) but these anxiety symptoms I get when I start a proper job haven't budged. Is their anyone who has seen recovery in withdrawal after many years especially in anxiety levels. Are there people who have had recovery with a certain symptom that did not budge for so long after many years in withdrawal. Need to hear from someone. Thank you.

Edited April 30, 2023 by Shep
added title after moving from another thread

[Shep]

@deadbrain Please note I moved your last post off the Symptoms & Self Care forum and placed it here in your introduction / update thread. Please continue to post your updates here so all of your information is in one place.

 

9 hours ago, deadbrain said:

Are there people who have had recovery with a certain symptom that did not budge for so long after many years in withdrawal.

 

Definitely, my story is one example. While I have a success story in progress (link is in my signature) and have made remarkable progress, I still have some DP/DR at almost 8 years off these drugs. And if you read the Success Stories, you'll find people struggle for quite a number of years before healing.

 

What do you mean by a "proper job"? Are you able to find something working remotely that might cause less anxiety and be easier for you to do until you completely heal?  

[deadbrain]

My family is forcing me to work in a hospital...  I am a doctor... They don't understand withdrawal... They just want me to work and take responsibility... While I have improved a lot Alhamdulillah(thanks to God All Mighty), I do have autonomic issues. Most of my remaining symptoms are probably because of autonomic issues. If I get into a stress situation like a job...  Then the sympathetic system doesn't stop until I quit the job...  I am continuously stimulated throughout the job and symptoms get from bad to worse. I was considering taking benzos but I guess that would be a wrong choice since I haven't taken any meds for over 7 years. Would really like to know if someone recovered from their autonomic nervous system issues.   

[Shep]

4 hours ago, deadbrain said:

I was considering taking benzos but I guess that would be a wrong choice since I haven't taken any meds for over 7 years.

 

Correct - benzos are not a good solution. Dependency can set in within a few days to a few weeks. And then you'll have another drug problem to deal with. Best to deal with this using non-drug coping strategies:

 

Non-drug techniques to cope with emotional symptoms

 

4 hours ago, deadbrain said:

Would really like to know if someone recovered from their autonomic nervous system issues.   

 

Yes, there are many people who do recover.

 

Success stories: Recovery from psychiatric drug withdrawal

 

Are you currently taking any supplements? Many people find that Magnesium and Fish Oil can be helpful with autonomic nervous system issues. Only add in one supplement at a time and at a low dose to see how you do. 

 

Are you able to work part-time until your symptoms resolve? 

 

[deadbrain]

Titled:  taking meds after 7 years

 

I know this may not be recommended. However, what if someone does not improve after many years, can he take meds again?. I had a withdrawal mainly due to fluvoxamine. After a few months of fluvoxamine withdrawal suffering my doctor put me on mirtazapine. Mirtazapine worked wonders for me and I was back to 80% in 2 months. I gave a very difficult exam which was 8 hrs in duration on mirtazapine. However at that time because of the bad experience of meds i left mirtzapine as well while it was working really well. I was back into withdrawal again thereaafter. I thought that the withdrawal would last 2-4 yrs, however, at 7+ years i still cant sleep over 4-6 hrs, have a continous headache, cant work outside because i get anxiety outbreaks from the thought of responsibility. At the same time many things have improved but the improvements mainly happened around the 1 year mark since then there has been very slow improvement - (the things that have improved in the last 6 years although very slowly - light sensitivity,sleep initiation). I am getting really tempted to use mirtazapine again because i want to work and get back in life. Has anyone gotten back on meds.       

Edited May 26, 2023 by manymoretodays
merged from S and SC, title added

[Shep]

Since this is a withdrawal site, going back on these drugs after many years is not something we see a lot. When you were previously on mirtazapine, your nervous system wasn't destabilized. Your nervous system may not react to this drug (or any psychiatric drug) the same way.

 

Besides insomnia, have there been any changes in your symptoms over the years? Are any symptoms better?