Jennn: Still having withdrawal symptoms

[Jennn]

July 2019 started reducing Duloxetine 30 mg to 2.5ml venlefaxine Solution - 1ml per month. 

Servere withdrawal started two weeks after starting 1ml. Dose was highered to 1.5ml. On this dose for six weeks but felt my mind and body had withdrawn. Dose highered back to 2.5ml and now back on venlefaxine Tablet 37.5mg. I am still having withdrawal symptoms and cannot cope. 

Edited March 11, 2020 by manymoretodays
name added to title, moved from S and SC to Introductions

[Gridley]

Welcome to SA, Jennn.  I'm sorry you're having these difficult symptoms.

 

Could you clarify some points please?

 

1.  Before July 2019 you were on Duloxetine 30mg, correct?

2. In July 2019 you switched from Duloxetine 2.5ml venlafaxine soliton, correct?

3. Why did you switch?

4. You said you tapered 1ml per month.  Does that mean you went from 2.5ml to 1.5ml?

5. What are your symptoms now?

6. How do you feel after you take the 37.5mg venlafaxine?

 

As you know, you are suffering  withdrawal and disregulation of your central nervous system from your taper and  from so many dose changes.

 

What is withdrawal syndrome.

 

Daily Checklist of Antidepressant Withdrawal Symptoms (PDF) 

 

What is important now is that you stay where you are at 37.5mg and make no further changes.  Your system needs to stabilize.  You will heal but it will take some time.

 

We don't recommend a lot of supplements on SA, as many members report being sensitive to them due to our over-reactive nervous systems, but two supplements that we do recommend are magnesium (glycinate is a good form) and omega 3 (fish oil). Many people find these to be calming to the nervous system. 

 

Magnesium, nature's calcium channel blocker 

 

Omega-3 fatty acids (fish oil) 

 

Add in one at a time and at a low dose in case you do experience problems.

 

This is your Introduction topic, where you can ask answer my questions, ask your own questions and connect with other members.  We're glad you found your way here.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[Jennn]

 Hi Gridley

 

Thank you for your reply. Apologies for being vague. At the time of posting I was struggling to cope with the withdrawal symptoms.

My experience of antidepressants started in 2009 where I was actually struggling with hormone related mood dips and anxiety each month prior to a period. For this I was prescribed anti depressants. I have been on six different ones from srri's to snri's to which none have helped to my issue being hormonal

i eventually discovered a top gynaecologist who diagnosed me as being hypersensitive to my own hormones and was prescribed estrogen after having my ovaries removed and a hysterectomy. My own progesterone made me feel suicidal. I am also on testosterone and found that the combnatin of the two hormones really had an impact on my energy and mood

Yes I was put on Duloxetine in 2012.

I switched due to wanting to get off the antidepressant now that I was on the hormones. 

Sorry no I tapered 0.5ml a month. I got that wrong due to the state I was in typing. I just felt so desperate for some advice.

My symptoms now are

Insomnia

Anxiety

Over eating

Weak stomach

Low self esteem

Filled with fear

Repetitive thoughts

Feel like everything has been sucked out of my mind and body

Uncontrollable crying

Weak in mind and body

Mow mood

Scared like I'm having a breakdown and there is no way out of feeling this way. 

Noise makes me feel tense and irritable. 

Muscles in my legs and arms feel strange

Tingling on the right side of my head with numbness. 

After taking 37.5mg  venlefaxine I feel spaced out some days, confused, forgetful, drugged up, zonked out, like a zombie, unable to decide, I don't realise obvious things like using my daughters car keys to unlock my car!!!!! 

Thank you for the advice and info.

Are antidepressants addictive? 

I just feel my life is in ruins from taking antidepressant, bit trying to stay positive. 

 

2012 - Venlefaxine 37.5mg

2014 - Duloxetine 30mg

2019 - July 2.5ml   Aug 2.0ml, Sept 1.5ML Oct 1.0 ml, venlefaxine solution

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[Jennn]

 

 

My experience of antidepressants started in 2009 where I was actually struggling with hormone related mood dips and anxiety each month prior to a period.  For this I was prescribed anti depressants by a GP.  I have been on six different Anti depressants which include paroxetine, seroxat, citralopram, sertraline, venlefaxine,  and duloxetine.  None  have helped due to my issue being hormonal. It was a losing battle going to the Doctors until I asked to have my ovaries removed in 2014.  This operation went ahead, but unfortunately as I hadn't had a hysterectomy I couldn't have estrogen alone.The HRT I was prescribed had progesterone in it and I was too anxious to hang washing outside. 

In 2017 I found Menopause Matters on line and through that I  discovered a top gynaecologist who diagnosed me as being hypersensitive to my own hormones (Pmdd) I was  prescribed biodentical estrogen  and a hysterectomy. It was my own progesterone that was causing me to feel deep emotion, suicidal, depressed and  anxious. . Prior to this in 2012 I I was prescribed  a coil for fibroids which contains progesterone. I was in  the bath and it made me feel like putting my head under the water. I am now  also on testosterone and found that the combination of the two hormones really had an impact on my energy and mood. It felt like a light had been switched on in my brain. 

 

2003  paroxetine, seroxat

2009 citrlopram 10mg

2012 venlefaxine 37.5mg

2014 duloxetine 30mg

2016 Sertraline 50mg

2016 Duloxetine 30mg

2019 Venlefaxine solution 2.5 ml             to 1ml (tapering) 

 

 

 

[Gridley]

14 hours ago, Jennn said:

2019 - July 2.5ml   Aug 2.0ml, Sept 1.5ML Oct 1.0 ml, venlefaxine solution

 

Thanks for responding to my questions.  And now you are on 37.5mg Venlafaxine, correct?  When did you start that dose?

Are you feeling better on that dose than your previous very low dose?

14 hours ago, Jennn said:

Are antidepressants addictive? 

They make you physiologically dependent, so that when you stop them or reduce them very fast, you get withdrawal symptoms.  Antidepressants change your brain, and the brain gets used to operating with them.  When you stop, the brain goes into turmoil because it's not accustomed to functioning without them.  That's why a slow taper is recommended so that your brain can slowly return to its normal function without depending on the drug.  This analogy expresses the process very well:

 

   On 8/30/2011 at 2:28 PM,  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.

 

 

 

[Jennn]

Thanks for the information  and analogy. I started on 37.5mg of Venlefaxine on 30th January. 

No, Im not feeling better. Some of the symptoms are still horrific  and others still bad on this dose. The symptoms  can last for a couple of days then I'm ok for a couple of days. Then I will get the side effects of highering the dose ie sleeping more. I actually felt like I was sinking into a deep black  hole and couldn't hold on any longer. That was a  scary feeling. When I first started to withdraw my whole body was so tense I felt like my head needed to explode to release the tension. I was shaking my arms uncontrollably and hitting the walls. I could only get advice by email via the consultant's secretary as I have to go to my GP to be referred for funding and that can take a while. The consultant advised the tapering process I followed. The GP put me  back up on 2.5 ml dose as I was not feeling right and then up to 37.5mg. I thought this was the right way to go but obviously it's not a quick fix. Now the Consultant has put me back on Duloxetine 30mg after I had a telephone consultation with him as it is a long way to travel from where I live to London. I started this dose yesterday. 

It's good to at last get some information.  It's very helpful. Thank you. 

[Gridley]

33 minutes ago, Jennn said:

Now the Consultant has put me back on Duloxetine 30mg after I had a telephone consultation with him

Are you now on both the Duloxetine 30mg and the Venlafaxine 37.5mg -- or just the Duloxetine?

[Jennn]

Just Duloxetine. 

[manymoretodays]

Hi Jennn, @Jennn

And welcome aboard.  I just put another post, here in your Introduction from yesterday.  You'll see it above. 

2003  paroxetine, seroxat

2009 citrlopram 10mg

2012 venlefaxine 37.5mg

2014 duloxetine 30mg

2016 Sertraline 50mg

2016 Duloxetine 30mg

2019 Venlefaxine solution 2.5 ml             to 1ml (tapering) 

 

You could use the above ^, and then just update it, with the more recent changes, including the month and day and do a signature:

Please put your withdrawal history in your signature to help the moderators

 

Thank you.

L, P, H, and G,

mmt