Kori: Saphris withdrawal. Please help.

[Kori]

Hey everyone I am new here and experiencing the worst I've ever in my life. 

I am having extreme discontinuation issues, debilitating. 

April 18th I stopped Saphris cold turkey

Was taking 5mg @ night for a little over a month.

April 24th (5 days later) debilitating withdrawal symptoms (panic, anxiety, weightloss from not being able to eat, tingly chest and arms, extreme restlessness, sweaty hands, cold and hot feelings, insomnia, weak, not okay at all. 

 

Dr prescribed gabapentin 300mg 3xs daily

Seroquel for sleep and anxiety ( only taking at night for sleep on and off)

Cymbalta 20 mg nightly

 

I'm in the worst state of my life and ive never been more scared. My psych is not educated enough on this topic and I'm not sure what to do at all. Ive been in and out of the emergency room 4 or 5 times. 

Thank you for any help ❤❤❤

Kori

[manymoretodays]

Hi Kori, and welcome aboard,  @Kori

And so sorry, it sounds like you may be having, some severe symptoms of WD.

When did things get worse for you?

 

Have you started the gabapentin, Seroquel, and Cymbalta?  And if so, when?

 

Do you have any Saphris left?

 

 

We take a harm reduction approach to tapering off medication(s). The 10% taper recommendation is a harm reduction approach to going off psychiatric drugs.

*Why taper by 10% of my dosage?

 

What was the Saphris prescribed for?  And why the abrupt discontinuation? 

 

About reinstating and stabilizing to reduce withdrawal symptoms

^ this might be a possibility, to reinstate a small amount of Saphris.  Reinstatement is the only medically know way to decrease WD(withdrawal) symptoms.  Difficult however, with the sublingual(dissolves under the tongue type) to alter dosages. 

 

Tips for tapering off asenapine(Saphris)

More about Saphris^ here too.

 

 

When we take medications, the CNS (central nervous system) responds by making changes over the months and years we take the drug(s). When the medication is discontinued, the CNS has to undo all the changes it made.  The CNS likes stability. Rebuilding the neurotransmitter production and reactivating the receptor and transporter cells takes time -- during that rebuilding process symptoms occur.

 

Welcome aboard Kori.

L, P, H, and G,

mmt

 

[Kori]

@manymoretodays

 

I have been feeling a little better since Saturday. The days are copeable but nights and mornings are the worst 😰

 

I started the cymbalta the same night I ended the Saphris. Started gabapentin 300m 3xs a day when symptoms started. Seroquel for sleep when symptoms started.

 

Im having extreme insomnia, even with seroquel 25 mg.

 

I was only taking it for a month, how long does this last? 

 

I stopped taking it because I didnt think it was helping and hated the taste. Im so scared. 😭

 

 

[Kori]

@manymoretodays

 

Please help ive been suffering for almost 2 weeks 

[Hanna72]

@Kori hey, so sorry you are struggling. Don’t be scared you will be ok. The moderators will get back to you, try to stay calm, breathe. 
Best wishes to you🙏

[manymoretodays]

Hi Kori,

 

I'm trying to just summarize what you have posted in narratives, a bit more, for you, and us.

2020 April 18th Saphris 5mg CT  please add date started(you had said a little over a month, you could just put March and the day and then a - to the April 18th)

April 18- started Cymbalta 20 mg

Gabapentin 300 mg, three times, day (when started)

Seroquel 25 mg (when started)

 

Signatures are helpful, you can see mine and Hanna72's below our posts. 

Please put your withdrawal history in your signature

^ best done from a PC

 

You also said you take the Cymbalta at night, and the Seroquel at night.

 

Why don't you prioritize doing one of these, a daily note

Take a look at the link, and then just post a couple of days.

Time:  and then note the drug taken, by name and dose, and symptoms summed up, as they occur too, include sleep, and anything else you might ingest, like supplements

So you'd have a list of times on the left and then a brief overall view of a whole day.  Then post that here.  You'll see a sample one in the link.  Keep it simple.

And then in another post, you can do more narratives, if needed.  This can help, as you are now on a slew of drugs, to clarify, what might be coming from what.  And then there is your WD going on too.  And the notes, are not to get you to focus more on your symptoms, just to give a more objective look at what might be leading to what.  I hope that make sense.

I wonder if taking the Cymbalta at night is throwing the nights off.  Have you continued taking it at night?

 

Oh shoot, Kori, it sounds miserable right now.

And I hate to ask more, but it can be incredibly telling, to look at your drug interactions too.  If you would go to Drug Interactions-Drugs.com

Plug in your present medications, and then link us to it, or copy and paste that right here, in a post.

 

It may last awhile Kori, and I'm so sorry.  There are things you can do, non-drug wise to cope, and especially with the insomnia.  Such a common bugger of a symptom.  And mornings can be rough.

One thing that happens when you are so dysregulated is this cortisol thing:  Waking with panic or anxiety- managing the morning cortisol spike

And maybe something here will help as well:  Tips to help sleep: so many of us have that awful withdrawal insomnia

Were you sleeping okay while on the Saphris?

And what do you mean by "it didn't work"?

 

Thanks Kori, I hope some of that helps.  And we are a site, more meant for harm reduction tapering.  We can't do a whole lot of medication management.  That would be your prescriber's responsibility or should be.  We might be able to come up with some suggests, for all those recent medications added.  Oh, it's such a crazy world sometimes.

 

((((Kori)))))

 

Best, L, P, H, and G,

mmt

 

just fixed the DrugInteractions checker link, so it's all clear and ready to go.  (it still had some one else's drugs plugged in, solly)

 

Edited May 6, 2020 by manymoretodays
Drugs.com link, additional comment, Cymbalta, and took out excess white space

[Altostrata]

Welcome, Kori. Why are you taking all these drugs? Were you taking Saphris as a sleep drug?

 

On 5/4/2020 at 9:04 AM, Kori said:

I was only taking it for a month, how long does this last? 

 

You were taking Saphris only for a month? Were you taking something else before that?

 

To help us out, follow these instructions Please put your drug and withdrawal history in your signature You may need to use a computer to do this.

 

On 5/4/2020 at 9:04 AM, Kori said:

I started the cymbalta the same night I ended the Saphris. Started gabapentin 300m 3xs a day when symptoms started. Seroquel for sleep when symptoms started.

 

Im having extreme insomnia, even with seroquel 25 mg.

 

Why did your doctor switch you from Saphris to Cymbalta? What times of day do you take your drugs, at what dosages?

[Kori]

20 hours ago, manymoretodays said:

Hi Kori,

 

I'm trying to just summarize what you have posted in narratives, a bit more, for you, and us.

2020 April 18th Saphris 5mg CT  please add date started(you had said a little over a month, you could just put March and the day and then a - to the April 18th)

April 18- started Cymbalta 20 mg

Gabapentin 300 mg, three times, day (when started)

Seroquel 25 mg (when started)

 

Signatures are helpful, you can see mine and Hanna72's below our posts. 

Please put your withdrawal history in your signature

^ best done from a PC

 

You also said you take the Cymbalta at night, and the Seroquel at night.

 

Why don't you prioritize doing one of these, a daily note

Take a look at the link, and then just post a couple of days.

Time:  and then note the drug taken, by name and dose, and symptoms summed up, as they occur too, include sleep, and anything else you might ingest, like supplements

So you'd have a list of times on the left and then a brief overall view of a whole day.  Then post that here.  You'll see a sample one in the link.  Keep it simple.

And then in another post, you can do more narratives, if needed.  This can help, as you are now on a slew of drugs, to clarify, what might be coming from what.  And then there is your WD going on too.  And the notes, are not to get you to focus more on your symptoms, just to give a more objective look at what might be leading to what.  I hope that make sense.

I wonder if taking the Cymbalta at night is throwing the nights off.  Have you continued taking it at night?

 

Oh shoot, Kori, it sounds miserable right now.

And I hate to ask more, but it can be incredibly telling, to look at your drug interactions too.  If you would go to Drug Interactions-Drugs.com

Plug in your present medications, and then link us to it, or copy and paste that right here, in a post.

 

It may last awhile Kori, and I'm so sorry.  There are things you can do, non-drug wise to cope, and especially with the insomnia.  Such a common bugger of a symptom.  And mornings can be rough.

One thing that happens when you are so dysregulated is this cortisol thing:  Waking with panic or anxiety- managing the morning cortisol spike

And maybe something here will help as well:  Tips to help sleep: so many of us have that awful withdrawal insomnia

Were you sleeping okay while on the Saphris?

And what do you mean by "it didn't work"?

 

Thanks Kori, I hope some of that helps.  And we are a site, more meant for harm reduction tapering.  We can't do a whole lot of medication management.  That would be your prescriber's responsibility or should be.  We might be able to come up with some suggests, for all those recent medications added.  Oh, it's such a crazy world sometimes.

 

((((Kori)))))

 

Best, L, P, H, and G,

mmt

 

just fixed the DrugInteractions checker link, so it's all clear and ready to go.  (it still had some one else's drugs plugged in, solly)

 

https://www.drugs.com/interactions-check.php?drug_list=1147-0,1979-1274,949-0

Here is the drug interaction list,

I also updated my signature. 

I have never experienced any sleeping issues in my life, I slept very well with Saphris (was originally prescribed to help with mood stabilization, I stopped taking it because I did not feel an improvement) 

Thanks again ❤❤

[Altostrata]

Saphris was the first psychiatric drug you've taken?

 

Quote

April 23- extreme wd symptoms begin

 

What were these symptoms?

 

Why are you increasing Cymbalta to 40mg? That is going in the opposite direction from tapering.

 

Do your symptoms follow any daily pattern?  Please keep daily notes of times of day you take your drugs, their dosages, and your symptoms throughout the day. Post 24 hours of notes at a time in this topic, in a simple list format with time of day on the left and notation (symptom or drug and dosage) on the right.

 

 

[Kori]

9 hours ago, Altostrata said:

Welcome, Kori. Why are you taking all these drugs? Were you taking Saphris as a sleep drug?

 

 

You were taking Saphris only for a month? Were you taking something else before that?

 

To help us out, follow these instructions Please put your drug and withdrawal history in your signature You may need to use a computer to do this.

 

 

Why did your doctor switch you from Saphris to Cymbalta? What times of day do you take your drugs, at what dosages?

@Altostrata  I have never used meds to induce sleep. Saphris was prescribed for mood stabilization, it was the only med. I was on.

[Kori]

1 hour ago, Altostrata said:

Saphris was the first psychiatric drug you've taken?

 

 

What were these symptoms?

 

Why are you increasing Cymbalta to 40mg? That is going in the opposite direction from tapering.

 

Do your symptoms follow any daily pattern?  Please keep daily notes of times of day you take your drugs, their dosages, and your symptoms throughout the day. Post 24 hours of notes at a time in this topic, in a simple list format with time of day on the left and notation (symptom or drug and dosage) on the right.

 

 

For the last 2 weeks since I have discontinued Saphris I have been having a mental freak out.

Extreme anxiety, I can't eat anything (lost alot of weight), cannot sleep. Burning/ tingling in arms and chest, worried + overwhelmed.

The gabapentin and cymbalta was added to stabilize my wd symptoms.

This is my first antipsychotic med.

@Altostrata

[manymoretodays]

Hi Kori and thank you for getting your signature done.  This ^ is essential for us to help us guide you.  Take a look, just click the arrow top right there and it will take you to the link.

Here's what we are asking for:

(sample note)

6 a.m. Woke with anxiety
8 a.m. Took 2.5mg Lexapro
10 a.m. Stomach is upset
10:30 a.m. Ate breakfast
11:35 a.m. Got a headache, lasted one hour
12:35 p.m. Ate lunch
4 p.m. Feel a bit better
5 p.m. Took 2.5mg Lexapro
6 p.m. Ate dinner
9:20 p.m. Headache
10:00 p.m. Took 50mg Seroquel
10:20 p.m. Feeling dizzy
10:30 p.m. Fell asleep
2:30 a.m. Woke, took 3mg Ambien (NOT "took 1/2 tablet Ambien")
2:45 a.m. Fell asleep
4:30 a.m. Woke but got back to sleep

Give it a try Kori.  And then post a couple days right here, on your introduction.  Thank you so much.

Come on Kori, you are just going to get in a situation of heavy polypharmacy.  Why did you increase your Cymbalta? 

Sending healing vibes, all I can........for your relax and willingness to get into healing.  And hugs ((((Kori))))

 

19 hours ago, Kori said:

For the last 2 weeks since I have discontinued Saphris I have been having a mental freak out.

Extreme anxiety, I can't eat anything (lost alot of weight), cannot sleep. Burning/ tingling in arms and chest, worried + overwhelmed.

The gabapentin and cymbalta was added to stabilize my wd symptoms.

This is my first antipsychotic med.

 

Can you do some simple non-drug things to try to calm your system?

4- 7- 8 breathing comes to mind.  4 seconds in through your nose.  Hold for 7 seconds.  And then breathe out for 8 seconds.  Pause briefly, and find the space between the breath.  And just keep trying until you can do a few cycles.  It might take some practice, but it can really help.

 

Can you eat some blended up stuff?  I got into the habit of doing a morning blended concoction of fruits, dark greens, Greek yogurt, and juice way back, and still do it.  Even if you have to do toast and even baby foods, you have to eat!

 

And here is more for the freak out, fears/anxiety(thank you Gridley):

These links are helpful for dealing with anxiety.

 

Audio:  How to Recover from Anxiety - Dr Claire Weekes
 

VIDEO:  Peace from Nervous Suffering - Claire Weekes (1 hour) (http://sendvid.com/vgquc1dg)
 

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

 

10 minute Restorative Yoga for Relaxation | Up the wall

Edited May 7, 2020 by manymoretodays
added hugs, additional

[DMV64]

Hi Kori,

I have not been on here for awhile but I think I did respond to you before-but I don't see it now, admittedly skimming.

Saphris was the worst med withdrawal of all in my cocktail. All the things you mentioned. I had to go back on and use special measures to taper those sublingual wafers!

The GOOD NEWS is it does end. Takes a while and is not easy.

I am not sure what your status is now, but I hope you are felling better.

Mornings were the worst. The terror was hard. I had to set up a serious set of support people and tools. 

We do recover!

 

Oh yes and also, Saphris was my first med and the withdrawal is what let to my cocktail to try to stabilize me. Terrible drug.

[Saphriskill]

On 8/29/2020 at 6:32 PM, DMV64 said:

Hi Kori,

I have not been on here for awhile but I think I did respond to you before-but I don't see it now, admittedly skimming.

Saphris was the worst med withdrawal of all in my cocktail. All the things you mentioned. I had to go back on and use special measures to taper those sublingual wafers!

The GOOD NEWS is it does end. Takes a while and is not easy.

I am not sure what your status is now, but I hope you are felling better.

Mornings were the worst. The terror was hard. I had to set up a serious set of support people and tools. 

We do recover!

 

Oh yes and also, Saphris was my first med and the withdrawal is what let to my cocktail to try to stabilize me. Terrible drug.

How did you taper Saphris?

I know that it can't be dissolved in water so my doctor and pharmacist told me to split the medication.

I've been on Saphris 5mg for almost a year.

I am taking 3/4 of 5mg.