Nypeaches89: Trintellix / Brintellix / vortioxetine withdrawal

[peaceandlove]

Hey sending you love ❤️ I’m going & feeling the same way as you. Hoping you get a window of relief soon

[ChelseaMorning]

I'm so sorry it's been such a difficult journey for you.

 

I think my antidepressant withdrawal (AW) has ended now, possibly for about a year, but my pms symptoms continue. They might have been triggered by the AW or just worsened by the AW and the suspected endometriosis I have (my best guess). I will now go back on the contraceptive pill for the endometriosis until I can get treatment/diagnosis (long waits on the NHS), as it is causing me serious physical and emotional issus.

 

Perhaps hormonal medication is something for you to consider if that's an option available to you. Hormonal medication is probably not very stabilising when going through withdrawal (but naturally fluctuating hormones don't seem to be stabilising either). If this is just PMS symptoms rather than AW now it could be something to consider.

[Nypeaches89]

Update 

 

 

Ok so I’m in ovulation since yesterday and it’s been 8 days that I feel totally normal. The week before I had horrible atrocious akathesia and intense depression, as almost every month after my periods. I was feeling so horribly depressed, then I did a very mindful yoga session at home, took a very hot long shower, and it ALL passed suddenly ?! I reached a level of relaxation that helped the “hormonal wave” to pass it seems?  That was such a massive relief, I couldn’t believe it. It’s confusing too.

 

I talked to a survivor online (girl from previous video I posted), she said all the menstrual (pre or post) stuff did get better / disappear over time. It gave me hope. To be honest I’m feeling completely different if I’m in a wave or a window, so my posts are all going to be a bit contrasted to say the least… 

 

 

I am moving out in about a month. I can not wait. 
 

[Nypeaches89]

21 hours ago, ChelseaMorning said:

I'm so sorry it's been such a difficult journey for you.

 

I think my antidepressant withdrawal (AW) has ended now, possibly for about a year, but my pms symptoms continue. They might have been triggered by the AW or just worsened by the AW and the suspected endometriosis I have (my best guess). I will now go back on the contraceptive pill for the endometriosis until I can get treatment/diagnosis (long waits on the NHS), as it is causing me serious physical and emotional issus.

 

Perhaps hormonal medication is something for you to consider if that's an option available to you. Hormonal medication is probably not very stabilising when going through withdrawal (but naturally fluctuating hormones don't seem to be stabilising either). If this is just PMS symptoms rather than AW now it could be something to consider.

I tried the progesterone pill and it made me insomniac. For me ovulation is my absolute best time of the month mentally so I don’t want to remove that. I’m maybe wrong but I do think pms/post menstrual will get better over time, I was talking to a woman who’s been thru it and she said it did get much more manageable in the same time than her PAWS healed. It just takes a very very long time. 
I also seem to notice that after a very bad wave I tend to progress in my recovery… (not sure if that’s a thing? If anyone knows please tell me)

 

Anyway hope the pill does help you. I also wonder if I have endo, I have weird pains up my abdomen, sometimes up to my arm or back (wtf), and I feel it’s when I have pains in my ovary that I feel it (wtf!!). It kinda worries me.

 

 

[Nypeaches89]

22 hours ago, peaceandlove said:

Hey sending you love ❤️ I’m going & feeling the same way as you. Hoping you get a window of relief soon

Hey yes , just updated my topic yes I did get a huge relief. My worst week is after my periods. If you track your cycle maybe you’ll notice a correlation with symptoms? Akathesia is only after periods in my case. Sending you hugs! We WILL get better I’m sure 🩵

[Nypeaches89]

Does anyone know anything about withdrawal and gallbladder issues? I have gallbladder pain since 7 months. On and off. 
‘anyone? 

[peaceandlove]

I get bladder pains off & on. Not sure if that’s what your experiencing 

[Nypeaches89]

On 2/19/2024 at 4:43 AM, peaceandlove said:

I get bladder pains off & on. Not sure if that’s what your experiencing 

No I mean the gallbladder . Pain Seems to be connected to ovulation time, strangely.

[Nypeaches89]

Update 

 

I’ve had the absolute worst January and February post menstrual phase. My last menstruation phase was intense too, I  cried and I cried everyday for three days, feeling completely fragile, weak, hurt, betrayed, lonely, rejected, etc. And after periods it stopped all of a sudden. No post menstrual feeling yet ? I’m confused by what triggers what, why I have bad months and good months, why I don’t have post menstrual now, why I had it last month, I do not know. I have a new certainty though, that I had lost, it is that I’m sure I will fully heal. Despite the setbacks. The setbacks don’t mean I’m not progressing. They’re really good at making me feel that way, though. very convincing. 

I do not know where I had it in me but I managed to take control of some addictions: beer (moderately), Netflix (tv shows), my phone. All in the same time I’ve stopped drinking my 1 beer every evening, I’ve stopped watching dumb tv shows that numbed my brain and started watching good movies instead, I’ve put my phone away and started reading again. I’ve also started doing yoga every day, or almost everyday. Maybe I should’ve started there because the other changes come from that. 
 

I’m moving out in 26 days. I’m anxious but also excited, same thing isn’t it. I’m hopeful the new spot is going to be beneficial to my healing. I won’t have to take transports much anymore which I was starting to struggle with so so much. I’ll be near the best park. I’ll be in my fav neighborhood. The place won’t be perfectly ready when I’ll move there but nevermind, it’s better than rotting in my old apartment that I can’t stand anymore. i think the next place will mark the start of a new chapter, hopefully a better one.
 

 

[Nypeaches89]

No one reads this but update anyway.

 

I haven’t had any « typical » PAWS symptoms in a while, although I still do experience Premenstrual mood/ physical issues (anxiety, irritability, headaches, weird pains, fatigue, depression, etc). I experience it now in a way that seems more normal and bearable, it doesn’t feel like some wires burned in my brain. Let’s see for post menstrual next week..

I suspect why there are not many success stories on this website. It is not because people never recover. They do. It is because life itself goes on, and sometimes real life problems come up too. Lately I’ve had so much anxiety over stuff that I forget entirely about withdrawal, and about everything I’ve been through the past 2 years. You simply forget. Do you remember what having the flu or food poisening feels like? Even though it was dreadful I’m sure you completely forgot about it. You went on. Anyway.  Lately I’m in survival mode, not because of withdrawal, maybe because of hormones, anyway it sucks. I’m paralyzed. 

 

 

I hope to have better moments because lately it’s been pretty awfully stressful.
Wish me luck. 
 

wishing luck to anyone reading this. 

 

[Nypeaches89]

Post menstrual still induces depression. As I said before the massive anxiety from the past months did not help. 
In terms of progress I no longer have Akathesia it seems. I still have some sensory hyper sensitivity but it’s less severe. I no longer have the buzzing gut-brain strange overwhelming sensation. No longer have heart burns. It seems I’m getting better, but it’s oh so freaking slow. I’m better but I’m still phased by hormonal changes during my cycle, so that’s basically most the time. I’m really sick of it despite the progress. 

[Nypeaches89]

Note on crying.

I cried last night (post menstrual, days before ovulation), and it’s the third time or more that I notice this: it seems to send me into an awful wave. The crying instead of giving me relief, seems to set my brain chemistry on fire. It’s like the emotion becomes “infected” and sends all the neurotransmitters into a mess. I think it’s gaba and serotonin that regulates emotions? Anyway so I’m in a wave, brain heavy, gut depression, insomnia last night. Every time it happens it’s post menstrual; I had crying phases that were actually a relief in other times of the menstrual cycle. Proof that all of the sad depressed feelings are still iatrogenic. **** 

[Nocturna]

Hey, sorry for not reading through, my eyes are a bit tired atm. I found your topic looking for "menstrual" and thought sharing a similar experience might be helpful. And someone is reading (though the forum feels a bit lonely recently)

 

I also noticed that crying happens close to my period, not sure if it's mostly pre- or post, as I've seen both. Today (3 days after the period and 3 days after the last cut of my drug) I had pretty unbearable crying throughout the morning (which is also the worse part of the day since I reached lower doses). I was trying to find a good moment relative to my period to make the cuts (bearing in mind that I'm tapering Abilify, which is seen as "lifting", though it's technically an anti-psychotic) and use the natural "bump" we get monthly. For now it seems mid-ovulation might be a good choice for me. Last 2 months I tried making the cut before the ovulation instead and it didn't feel so stable.

 

Have you noticed a good correlation for yourself? I read an article about monthly changes to estrogen/progesterone in relation to base dopamine levels, not sure if it gives you some useful info:

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5508121/

 

/edit after reading some more:

"I wake up depressed, and I feel 100% better after lunch at around 1:30PM. I think I’ve noticed the better I sleep, the more depressed I feel the next day" - that's been my pattern for the past 1-2 years. I'm not sure, but maybe it started after the pandemic and my mildly unsuccessful attempt to return to regular daily routine (initially our office was not available, then I switched jobs to 2 work from home positions). I know for sure having to go out in the morning, even if it's just for shopping groceries and then coming back to work from home feels very different than just sitting around..