Csilover: What to do? Effexor

[Csilover]

@Altostrata I think then had more windows of feeling completely myself then it sort of went downhill. Not crying as much as I did but still crying quite a bit. Definitley feel more depressed now than I did then.

 

Is tapering slow helping it settle down? And getting rid of the drugs in general? how can I settle it down? 

[Csilover]

If we go slow will it prevent my old symptoms from coming back? @Altostrata 

 

[Csilover]

Also is the seroquel and Ativan adding more and more toxicity to my brain? I just started my period so maybe that’s causing me not to sleep as well

[Altostrata]

You are worrying about a lot of things. Please do not worry about drug toxicity. You have only been on Seroquel and Ativan for a few weeks.

 

If the worrying is making you feel depressed, you have control over it. You can't fix the situation with worrying. When you get these worries, push them away. Do you have pets? Play with your pets instead. If you don't have pets, go for a walk and look at trees and flowers. Do anything but worry.

 

Yes, tapering will make it easier for you to minimize these drugs, but we have to do it carefully. Right now, we want your nervous system to settle down from the Ativan changes.

[Shep]

15 hours ago, Csilover said:

Also is the seroquel and Ativan adding more and more toxicity to my brain? I just started my period so maybe that’s causing me not to sleep as well

 

Yes, hormonal shifts can definitely affect sleep, as well as cause other upticks in symptoms. You may want to hold everything steady for a few days and align your taper around your cycle. 

 

When you resume your taper, do you feel you could reduce the Ativan as listed here? 

 

Ativan .25 mg morning

Ativan . 50 mg evening

Seroquel .75 evening

 

This would be a 25% reduction in Ativan, taken from the morning dose only. If you feel this is too much, another option would be to reduce by 10%. Please post your thoughts on this. If you'd like to go slower, we can walk you through doing either a reduction via scale or by liquid. Please note that Ativan does come in a concentrated prescription liquid, so you may want to check with your doctor and see if s/he will prescribe it for you. If not, you can make a homemade liquid solution using tablets. Compounding is also another method - please see - Getting custom dosages at compounding pharmacies (US, UK, Canada, and elsewhere). 

 

At some point, you'll need to gather the equipment necessary, so I'm going to leave some links for you here. 

 

Using a digital scale to measure doses

 

How to use a scale - video (6.5 minutes)

 

Questions and answers about liquid medications, use by date, expiry

 

How to make a liquid from tablets or capsules

 

It can seem a bit overwhelming at first, but we will walk you through each step for whichever method you choose. 

[Csilover]

@Shep  Instead of doing 10%, could we possibly do 12.5 % reduction and do 1/4? on the benzos. So I could split the pill into fourths. Should I get the seroquel compounded into liquid? I only have 25 mg tablets and 200 mg tablets. I just picked up my Ativan, so I don't know If I could get that compound now. 

 

@Altostrata I'm gonna work on being more positive. I'm making a positivity book and putting success stories in it. Are there any immediate adverse reaction success stories that you can think of that I can add to it?

 

 

Also I think about how a lot of this stems from my cold turkey from Zoloft. I tapered off in two weeks in early 2019. I had horrible debilitating anxiety all year and I think I eventually crashed In January. Would that make sense? 

It is interesting because I tried Trintellex, an SSRI, before Effexor, and I puked for two days straight. Thought I caught a stomach bug. When I tried Effexor, an SNRI, I immediately felt relief from my anxiety. Even when I tried Effexor again, I didn't react badly. Then when I tried the Paxil, an SSRI,  I had an adverse reaction. Very interesting looking back. 

[Shep]

18 minutes ago, Csilover said:

@Shep  Instead of doing 10%, could we possibly do 12.5 % reduction and do 1/4? on the benzos. So I could split the pill into fourths. Should I get the seroquel compounded into liquid? I only have 25 mg tablets and 200 mg tablets. 

 

Yes, you could cut a .5 mg pill into fourths. That sounds like a good compromise. So you would take .375 mg Ativan in the morning and .5 mg at night (along with the usual 75 mg Seroquel). 

 

Please don't make any changes to how you're taking Seroquel just yet. Even a change from tablet to liquid at the same dose is still considered a change. For now, let's just work with the Ativan.

 

Please let us know how you do. 

[Csilover]

@Shep Okay. Sounds like a plan. Thank you.  I will start once my cycle is over or when you guys decide is best. I'll post my notes from yesterday now. 

[Csilover]

7 am woke with anxiety

8 am crying

9 am took .5 Ativan

10 Calmed down

12 felt calm

4  Felt nauseas like I was going to pass out. Hands started tingling. Unctrollable crying. Think I was having a panic attack. 

5 calmed down

8 Felt calm most of the evening.

9 took 75 mg Seroquel and .5 Ativan. 

9:45  Went to bed

Slept really well. Woke only once. 

7 am Woke with anxiety

[Csilover]

@Shep How long would I be on that dose? Like a week or two? or just until I seem stabilized?

[Csilover]

Mom found a grey hair of mine and pulled it out. Goes to show how stressful withdrawal can be. I’ve lost 17 pounds since the beginning of the year. Haven’t had a period in months and started yesterday , so I’m super grateful for that. Today was a good day.  ☺️

[Shep]

17 hours ago, Csilover said:

@Shep How long would I be on that dose? Like a week or two? or just until I seem stabilized?

 

Yes, until you're stable enough to make another reduction.

 

[Csilover]

@Altostrata do you recommend I do 25 percent reduction or 12.5?

[Csilover]

7 am woke with anxiety

9 am  felt better

11 am felt inspired

12 felt completely myself

5 this good mood continued throughout the day

7 felt really good

8 anxiety kicked in a bit

8:30 pressure in head. TIngling and shooting pains in legs.

9 took Seroquel 75 mg and .5 Ativan

10:20 fell asleep

slept really well.

7 am woke with anxiety

 

 

[Altostrata]

Looks like you're stabilizing. Hang in there, coast on this schedule for a couple of weeks. I'd favor the 12.5% reduction.

 

An occasional gray hair is normal, even in a teenager.

[Csilover]

So I reduce 12.5 soon or coast on the schedule I'm on now?  Like do I keep taking .5 in the evening and morning for now? Or after my cycle like Shep had mentioned?  I only have 30 ativans in my new prescription. I don't know if you doctor will give me more.

 

Thanks so much Alto. @Altostrata

[Csilover]

@blanketsareawesome   Thank you for the advice ❤️

 

[Altostrata]

7 hours ago, Shep said:

 

Yes, until you're stable enough to make another reduction.

 

 

We need to make sure you're stable over the next weeks, before you make another reduction. Please let us know how you're doing.

[Csilover]

@Altostrata Okay. Thank you. I'll hold off on the 12.5 drop until you guys think I'm stable. Thanks so much!

[Csilover]

7 am woke with anxiety

8 am felt very anxious. Crying.

9 am took . Ativan

10 am cried

11 feel much better

3 calm 

5 calm

7 calm

8 calm. Lots of muscle twitches in legs and face.

9 took .5 Ativan and 75 mg seroquel 

10:30 fell asleep

slept really well

7 am woke up feeling anxious. 

[Csilover]

I found this in my daily devotional book, "He Whispers My Name, by Cherie Hill. I don't know if it will help anyone else. 

 

"I know you're tempted to walk by sight and not by faith. Your circumstances seem to indicate that all hope is gone, and yet you fail to realize that worrying changes nothing. In this world you will have trouble, but you can live with joy and peace in the midst of it all. Your constant worry, which leads to disappointment, will leave you heartsick. But trusting in Me and counting on My miracles will transform you in ways you can't imagine.  You can win over your worries by hoping in Me. When your worries are weighing you down, I will not only help you survive but thrive. I want you to live joyously, free of anxiety, knowing that I am holding you always. I want you to soar above your troubles, seeing things from the big-picture perspective through My eyes. I want you to fully trust that My hope will not fail you.  You worry that I've forgotten you, that I'm too busy to care, and you lose the faith that you were once living by, Come to Me in your worries. Allow My Spirit to give you revelation and let Me enlighten your heart. Then your hope will never be cut off. My plans for you entail countless blessings, so don't worry... My grace is endless." 

 

for those who aren't religious, I have another quote that is helping me.

 

"You can rise up from anything. You can completely recreate yourself. Nothing is permanent. You're not stuck. You have choices. You can think new thoughts. You can learn something new. You can create new habits. All that matters is that you decide today and never look back."

 

[Shep]

3 hours ago, Csilover said:

9 am took . Ativan

 

Looks like you accidentally left the dose amount out. How much Ativan did you take? 

[Csilover]

I apologize @Shep. .5 Ativan. You didn’t want me to start now with the 12.5 percent off right? 

[Shep]

18 hours ago, Csilover said:

I apologize @Shep. .5 Ativan. You didn’t want me to start now with the 12.5 percent off right? 

 

No worries, Csilover. Just wanted to check to see if you'd already started reducing. Yes, if you feel up to it, go ahead and reduce by 12.5%. But if you're feeling unstable, you could wait a day or two. I wouldn't wait too much longer because you're risking dependency, if you're not there already. 

 

Please let us know how you do. 

[Csilover]

@Shep okay! Sounds good! I just started to sleep really well the past few days. I may drop when my period ends. Is that what you meant with lining up with my cycle? It should stop in the next two days. Didn’t wake with anxiety this morning. Yay!

[Shep]

4 minutes ago, Csilover said:

I may drop when my period ends. Is that what you meant with lining up with my cycle?

 

Yes, exactly. Set yourself up for success. 

 

5 minutes ago, Csilover said:

Didn’t wake with anxiety this morning. Yay!

 

Wonderful! You're doing great. 

[Csilover]

7 am woke with anxiety

8 am Calmed down a bit

9 am took .5 ativan

10 am felt good 

3 pm anxious 

4 pm feel pretty good 

8 pm get head pressure and blunted feelings. 
9 pm take 75 mg seroquel 

10:30 feel a little anxious. Legs were twitchy

10 fall asleep
sleep most of the night 

8 am wake up without anxiety. Yay!

[Hanna72]

23 hours ago, Csilover said:

 

"I know you're tempted to walk by sight and not by faith. Your circumstances seem to indicate that all hope is gone, and yet you fail to realize that worrying changes nothing. In this world you will have trouble, but you can live with joy and peace in the midst of it all. Your constant worry, which leads to disappointment, will leave you heartsick. But trusting in Me and counting on My miracles will transform you in ways you can't imagine.  You can win over your worries by hoping in Me. When your worries are weighing you down, I will not only help you survive but thrive. I want you to live joyously, free of anxiety, knowing that I am holding you always. I want you to soar above your troubles, seeing things from the big-picture perspective through My eyes. I want you to fully trust that My hope will not fail you.  You worry that I've forgotten you, that I'm too busy to care, and you lose the faith that you were once living by, Come to Me in your worries. Allow My Spirit to give you revelation and let Me enlighten your heart. Then your hope will never be cut off. My plans for you entail countless blessings, so don't worry... My grace is endless." 

 

for those who aren't religious, I have another quote that is helping me.

 

"You can rise up from anything. You can completely recreate yourself. Nothing is permanent. You're not stuck. You have choices. You can think new thoughts. You can learn something new. You can create new habits. All that matters is that you decide today and never look back."

 

Love this, thank you for sharing. 
Took a screenshot of it and I will have it on my phone to look at🙏
Wow your improving💪 Great job

My best wishes to you

[Csilover]

@Hanna72 thank you for the support! Glad it could help. Sending healing wishes your way ❤️

[Csilover]

@Altostrata @Shep I took my morning meds 45 minutes late.  Will I be okay? Will it shake my system up too much. I started feeling lots of brain fog and a little anhedonic and then I realized I hadn’t taken it. Added the alarm to my phone now.  I feel lots of anxiety but I can’t tell if it’s because I took it late or if I’ve worried myself. 

[Csilover]

This may seem like a silly question, but is lotion okay during withdrawal? I know there can be a lot of chemicals in lotions. Would I be better off with an organic one? Does it go into your bloodstream? The past few months I haven’t put any on because I wasn’t taking care of myself, but I’d like to get back to doing it again. Skin is very dry. 

I’ve also been taking lavender Epsom salt baths. Hope that is okay. 

[Altostrata]

You'll probably be okay with taking your drugs 45 minutes late this one time.

 

Yes, use lotion -- Epsom salts are drying.

 

[Csilover]

8 am wake up. Eat Breakfast

9 am started to feel head pressure. Felt very out of it. 

9:30 head hurts really bad. Forehead tight. 

9:45 Realized I hadn't taken my meds. Take meds late. .5 Ativan

11 am feel anxiety in stomach, but it passes.

1 pm feel calm

3 pm feel anxiety in stomach. Vision is blurry. 

5 feel calm

8 pm start to feel a little out of it. Head starts to hurt. Legs start to ache. 

9 pm Take 75 mg Seroquel and .5 Ativan. 

sleep well.

6 am wake up without anxiety. Stomach is upset. 

8 am Eat Breakfast. Rest in bed. Stomach is upset. Nausea. Feel anxious and cry a bit. Mostly self induced by worry. Calm myself with breathing techniques. 

9 am Feel a bit detached and disconnected this morning. Take .5 Ativan. 

 

 

I have been having muscle twitches all over my body the past week. I got it during my old withdrawal a lot, especially when I felt bad. My nervous system is surely under a lot of stress from the adverse reaction to Paxil and the other drugs. Would holding a longer time make it safer for me to taper or is getting off these drugs ASAP better for me? I'm having trouble telling if I'm stable or not. Would stability be feeling like myself most days with very little symptoms or am I stable even when I feel a little out of it and not much myself (but calm and sleeping)? I guess I have trouble with the distinction. Like the days where I feel calm, I feel like a watered down version of myself. A little blunted. I'm definitely grateful for this though. It's better than the way I felt a couple of months ago, so I can't complain. Just confused on stability. 

 

@Altostrata @Shep

[Csilover]

May 21 

 

"It may seem the you endure more than you ever thought you could or should. Know that I AM at work within you, in order that you might run with endurance to finish the race set before you. This life is not a sprint, but a marathon. I know your troubles seem endless, but they are not. I will always provide times of rest and renewal for your soul.

 

Though it seems like your problems are insurmountable like a mountain you're climbing with no summit in sight, I'm steadily leading you to the top, preparing you for a revelation of My presence and power that will leave you in awe. There is no need to become weary and discouraged. I AM with you and will help you, giving you all the grace and strength you need. 

 

Don't give into self-pity. Trust in My sovereignty, knowing that everything is in My control. What you're facing is not by mistake. It is divinely orchestrated, preparing you not by mistake. It is divinely orchestrated, preparing you to have a more precious view of the blessings to come. Eagerly await Me. Know that I love you with an everlasting love, I draw you with loving-kindness, and sometimes it is through trials and troubles. Don't lose heart. Just be embraced by mine."

 

- He Whispers Your Name, Cherie Hill

 

@Hanna72, Another good one. Hope this helps ❤️

 

[Hanna72]

So beautiful and true🥰

Thank you 🙏

[Altostrata]

Please be sure to take your drugs at the same times each day. Going off schedule makes your nervous system wobbly.