littlebird: tried tapering Pristiq - will try tapering Wellbutrin instead

[Shep]

2 hours ago, littlebird said:

Also really need to get proactive in finding a good psychiatrist to help with this. I will start calling today. In the past, because I have Kaiser for insurance, I was told that since they don't provide weekly therapy, there isn't enough support for the doctors to feel comfortable with lowering meds. You'd think the solution to that would be to provide more therapy (mine was 6-8 weeks between each session), but no... just upping doses and more meds, or refusing to help me lower anything.

 

Unless you're on forced "treatment," you are the one in charge of what you're putting into your body. And any doctor can prescribe these drugs. 

 

If you want off, I'd find a doctor, tell them you really like these drugs and want to continue on taking them, and then taper them as you like. This thread may be helpful:

 

How do you talk to a doctor about tapering and withdrawal?

 

And information on finding a doctor versed in withdrawal:

 

Recommended doctors, therapists, and clinics

 

Mad in America - PROVIDER DIRECTORY

 

 

[j1290]

5 hours ago, littlebird said:

Do you have a pill tracking app you'd recommend?

I use MyTherapy.  I don't know if it's the best or anything but it works for what I need.  

 

5 hours ago, littlebird said:

but no... just upping doses and more meds, or refusing to help me lower anything.

I won't speculate as to why but my experience has been that professionals haven't provided effective guidance to lower my meds.  If my doctor will prescribe me what I want (generic IR Wellbutrin for tapering purposes) then I'm happy with that.  

 

5 hours ago, littlebird said:

I thought about paying out of pocket for a weekly therapist

Much like hiring a lawyer, I don't like paying for them, but I've found their services irreplaceable.  I've had therapists on my insurance plan and found better luck with the private ones.   How many times have I needed to make big checklists of them to find availability, etc.  Best thing I ever did was audition 4 or 5 of them and pick the best one to work with.   I also wish I'd tried different psych doctors but instead stayed with the same one for 15 or 20 years with no new treatment advice.  

 

Wishing you the best, Littlebird, and looking forward to your next update!

[littlebird]

Got in to see someone! The first available appointment was at the end of February, but I advocated for a check in before then since I haven't been doing so hot. 

 

Talked to doctor yesterday, it was a super fast appointment, and a little frustrating. I told him how terrible I felt after taking Pristiq in the afternoons and his suggestion was to take it at night with Seroquel. I mentioned the interaction with those, and that I didn't think I needed Pristiq at this stage in my life and would like to taper off.

 

His suggestion was to go cold turkey. I told him I had tried that, and the withdrawal was too much. We talked about the every other day thing, he suggested I just do that until my appointment in February, and I asked for a little more support than that (as that doesn't make sense for tapering off either). 

 

His suggestion is to take 10mg Prozac in the morning with Wellbutrin/Gabapentin while also taking Pristiq (he had no advice about the interaction/timing, so I think I'll keep taking that 2 hours apart). He suggested to do this for a week, then up the 10mg of Prozac to 20mg and stop taking the Pristiq. If cold turkey was too much, I could take it every other day for a week, then stop and keep taking the Prozac and then check in on how it's going with whoever my assigned psychiatrist is at the end of February. I asked if it would be possible to check in before that if I wasn't doing too well, and he rolled his eyes a little and said only in case of emergencies.

 

So, unless it's an emergency, gonna be flying solo on this one for the next 7 weeks. Seems like their psychiatry department is really slammed. That was the fastest appointment I ever had with anyone, and he was clearly gunning to get through it as quickly as possible. 

 

I looked up Prozac after the appointment, and it has a major interaction with Wellbutrin AND Pristiq, and a moderate one with Seroquel and Gabapentin! So... when do I take this new little son of a gun for the week I'm supposed to take all of these together? Wish the doctor knew, he had no advice when I asked about timing for it during our appointment, just told me I'm very sensitive to meds.

 

@Shep, thank you SO much for putting me on to the interactions. Why don't doctors know/have alerts in their system about these? My life markedly improved after I adjusted the timing of things. 

 

@Gridley, thank you! I hadn't thought about how every other day was reducing it by 50%... now that I think about that in numbers, that's a lot all at once. Which makes me wonder further about how this is his plan for me the week after next!

 

His timing seems a little abrupt: take all of these together for a week, week of Pristiq every other day while doubling Prozac, then next week off Pristiq and continue 20mg Prozac for 4 weeks until my scheduled appointment. I sure wish I could talk to a doctor a little longer, and sooner, but it is what it is. SO appreciate y'all. This forum is a godsend. 

 

@j1290Thank you! The idea of auditioning healthcare workers sounds ideal. I used to be way too loyal, even if it felt like someone wasn't that helpful. It's a goal to be more of an advocate for what I need, and to feel more comfortable asking to see someone new if things aren't working for me. If the doctor I talked to yesterday was going to be assigned to me, I might have put that goal into action right away, but it sounds like someone else will be stepping in at the end of next month. Fingers crossed that it's a good fit!

[j1290]

Congrats on getting through it and advocating for yourself, Littlebird!  One of the best decisions I made was to stop blindly accepting doctor's word as facts, and ask more questions, get second opinions, etc.   

 

That pill regimen looks like it could be tricky.  Smarter people than me can offer advice, I'd just encourage you to research and be very deliberate and careful with any changes.   

 

Please keep us updated, and congrats again on getting through this!

[littlebird]

Thank you, @j1290! It's amazing how trusting I used to be of doctors, and have since learned that they far from all-knowing. I've had some that made me think, "Well, someone had to squeak by at the bottom of the class..."

 

I appreciate the support! It helps to feel less alone in this. That pill regimen does seem a bit tricky. I've been reading through the Pristiq tapering pages, and still wondering about timing and whether a week at a time for each step will be enough. Will give the pages a re-read to see if I missed some timing stuff. I started to get angry at the lack of caring from the company who makes this and the FDA!

 

Might have to be a "try it and see" situation, and adjust according to how my body feels? Who knows, I have some days before mail order delivers the Prozac to figure out a game plan. 

[littlebird]

Found a thread on the Prozac Bridge that's a little alarming! I'm thinking, especially since I have 7 weeks until my next check-in, that there's no harm in going slow. It sounds from that thread like Prozac takes more than 1 week to build up, so perhaps the best way to move forward is to take all the meds (in alternating times to prevent interaction) for 2 weeks instead of 1, then (instead of every other day Pristiq), try to taper more gradually with splitting the pills and using a scale to slowly decrease. It wasn't great the last time I split Pristiq pills, but perhaps it'll be easier than trying to do a 50% decrease. Still not sure about doubling the Prozac, I think I'm going to wait and see how it makes me feel and reassess after taking it at least 2 weeks at the 10mg dosage.

[Thorin]

It’s interesting how different meds effect different people. I was able to taper off Pristiq with a bridge to another AD relatively easily a couple of years ago. But the Lurasidone, which many people seem to come off just fine has me well and truly in its hooks.

[j1290]

2 hours ago, littlebird said:

It's amazing how trusting I used to be of doctors, and have since learned that they far from all-knowing. I've had some that made me think, "Well, someone had to squeak by at the bottom of the class..."

I took everything I was told as gospel and didn't question anything.  Now?  Not so much LOL!!!

[littlebird]

I was changing my signature to reflect the changes my GP recommended to stop Gabapentin from wrecking my stomach, and realized that he had me do a 50% "taper." Talked to the psychiatrist about that last week, and he had no advice. 

 

I bring this up because my anxiety has been really bad. I feel like its out of control, and even sending a small message to someone is having me spiral. Got a new title at work (sadly, not with a pay increase) and had a panic attack when I logged off instead of feeling good about it. I'm seriously losing my mind here! 

 

Wondering if I need to play with raising my Gabapentin, maybe up to 175 instead of 150? This would also complicate the making of the pills I've been doing... but anxiety is taking over my life and I need to do something about it.

 

I was reading that Prozac can help with anxiety, so maybe when that arrives in the mail this will help, but I'm still wondering when exactly I take all these meds that interact, and which would be best to take first. I tend to have very anxious mornings after taking Wellbutrin/Gabapentin together (especially after reducing Gabapentin), so maybe I should start with Prozac, take Gabapentin/Wellbutrin 2 hours later, then Pristiq 2 hours after that, then another dose of Gabapentin 2 hours after that, then keep Seroquel by itself at bedtime.

 

I also don't want to rely on meds to handle anxiety, especially since my goal is to get off them. Almost took a benzo the other day, then decided to try and handle it holistically and was able to eventually bring the panic down. Has anyone found anything that's helped them with anxiety? I'm on the verge of anxious tears just thinking about how bad it's been since the switch. I appreciate not having stomachaches anymore (those were truly awful), but YIKES on the level of fear I'm feeling all day.

[littlebird]

Started playing with Gabapentin to measure out 175, and discovered when I tared the Gemini scale with an empty Gabapentin capsule, that each prescribed pill has 133-135mg Gabapentin powder inside. I'd been measuring out 50mg, then dumping the rest of the powder into another capsule and assuming there was 50mg in there. Actually, it's been more like 80mg! Curious what's going on here. Is it normal for powder in capsules to not match what the bottle says it is? With the weight of the capsule removed, there should be 100mg (more or less), no?

[Shep]

@littlebirdThe powder in the capsule has filler in it, in addition to the amount of the medication that listed on the pill bottle, so yes, there will be a difference. If you haven't already done so, you may want to watch the videos that are listed in the first post of this thread: 

 

Using a scale to weigh and measure doses

 

What drugs and doses are you currently taking? Your signature is hard to follow - the last line for 2015-present has decreases in Gabapentin but it doesn't list the month/year for the reductions. Please add the month/year for your recent reductions. You can update your signature here:

 

Create Your Signature in "Account Settings".

 

What changes have you made over the past 3 months? Please list the name of each drug and the dose for the past three months. 

[littlebird]

Thanks @Shep! Updated signature, is that more clear? 

[littlebird]

The filler means I haven’t been taking the correct dosages! What I thought was 50mg was less medicine. I need to be taking 1 ‘100’ mg pill and more like 66mg of the powder. That might also be affecting my mood. Tried a higher dose today (175mg) and still had way too much anxiety. I’d successfully tapered off of Buspar, but I’m starting to wonder if that would help with the lowered Gabapentin. I’m losing it with the anxiety.

[Shep]

@littlebirdPlease settle in on the same dose. I know the scale can be tricky. Feel free to post questions in the Using a scale  thread.  I think you'll feel better the more consistent you can be.

 

Thanks for updating your signature. 

 

[littlebird]

Sounds good, @Shep! Now that I know about the filler, my doses are going to be a lot steadier. By just measuring out 50mg, then dumping the rest into a capsule and assuming it was also 50mg, I was inadvertently making that Gabapentin dosage rather unsteady. So glad I measured that Gabapentin capsule and discovered the filler!

 

Work has been a little wild, and I haven't been consistent with remembering Pristiq in the afternoon (I know, bad littlebird). I'm starting to wonder if I should stay on the accidental "one day on, one day off" Pristiq schedule developed during the holidays in light of the incoming Prozac/tapering down. If I've already (accidentally) done this taper, and that's what my doctor prescribed for a week after starting Prozac, would it be helpful to stay on the lower (every other day) dose of Pristiq and add in Prozac? Otherwise, I'd be going up to one Pristiq a day, instead of the every other day I accidentally started/kept doing, then adding in Prozac, then lowering. 

 

Also, I noticed some people on this site are using their threads to track taper and daily symptoms. Is that helpful, or would I be cluttering things up on the mod's end to post more often?

[j1290]

56 minutes ago, littlebird said:

Also, I noticed some people on this site are using their threads to track taper and daily symptoms. Is that helpful, or would I be cluttering things up on the mod's end to post more often?

I can't help but notice...that sounds like me!  😂😂😂  It's a great question, because the last thing I want to do is add to anybody's work load.  It's been really handy to me to note my symptoms on the daily just for my own record, and I appreciate the interaction with fellow travellers, but I'll refrain if it causes hardship.  

[littlebird]

@j1290 I thought it was so smart for a lot of reasons that you do that! Started to do the same tonight, then my (out of control) anxiety hit me with the ole "You're being a bother, littlebird" narrative and I started second guessing myself big time. Which is funny, because anxiety had just been hitting me with "You're not doing enough."

 

Which is it, anxiety? Not enough or too much? 😅 Ahhh, I'm losing it! 

[j1290]

8 minutes ago, littlebird said:

then my (out of control) anxiety hit me with the ole "You're being a bother, littlebird" narrative and I started second guessing myself big time.

Oh, sorry @littlebird, I can't relate to anxiety 🤣🤣🤣  Actually I went through the same thing, but I'd kinda forgotten about it till you said something haha!!!   

12 minutes ago, littlebird said:

Which is it, anxiety? Not enough or too much? 😅 Ahhh, I'm losing it! 

Story of my life, right here.  I was just talking to @Thorin about Dr. Claire Weekes, are you familiar with her?  I used to listen to an audio book she made.  Such a calming influence.  Here's a cut from the CD I listened to.  She's helped more people than she ever knew.  

 

If nothing else, my daily report gives me something to do and others a vehicle to interact with me during this very isolating process that so few understand.  That and my daily WD checklist made this whole process so much easier and because I can refer to my notes the anxiety doesn't get a grip on me like it would otherwise 😅

 

Just read your latest entry.  I enjoy your writing, you put out good energy 😊  I had a flashback when I read about you missing a dose of Pristiq and an accidental taper.  I was off Effexor for a week because of running out on vacation(I had no clue what I was doing) and I remember going to the doctor and trying to convince him it was a good idea to just CT because I'd already started for a week, why waste this opportunity?!? 😆 Luckily he talked me out of it haha It actually took me at least 3 years to taper off that stuff.  

 

Always enjoy your updates!

[littlebird]

Thank you, @j1290! I haven't heard of Dr. Claire Weekes before. I'm really enjoying listening to her, thank you. I'm enjoying her accent too! This is helpful, I'm going to re-listen tomorrow when anxiety rears up again. 

 

49 minutes ago, j1290 said:

Just read your latest entry.  I enjoy your writing, you put out good energy 😊

Thank you, same to you! You've been very helpful and kind, and I appreciate you!

 

I'd been thinking about logging things in my phone, then started thinking that posting on here was a good idea because there could be moments when we don't realize something is a withdrawal symptom, or (in my case early on) an interaction. So glad this resource exists! 

 

I really like how Dr. Weekes is having me really get into the feelings, instead of adding to them with, "Oh no, anxiety, get outta here! I got things to do!" 

[j1290]

1 hour ago, littlebird said:

You've been very helpful and kind, and I appreciate you!

You're very thoughtful, right back atcha!  

 

1 hour ago, littlebird said:

we don't realize something is a withdrawal symptom,

Now and then someone will point out something that I had no clue about, like Altostrata telling me I really need to be strict about the times I take my doses, stuff I just couldn't see or didn't know.  

 

1 hour ago, littlebird said:

I really like how Dr. Weekes is having me really get into the feelings,

I haven't listened to her in a while, but does she call that the second fear when you panic and try to make those feelings leave?  I can remember like it was yesterday, reading my notes off a 3x5 card I kept in my pocket, that I should just note the symptoms of the panic attack like a researcher, and that in 5 minutes it would be over, it's just chemical reactions.  

 

I'm glad you got to listen to her.  She's an absolute treasure for someone like me that sometimes has an anxious mind.   Even if I can't focus on her words, just hearing her voice is soothing 🤗

[FireflyFyte]

On 1/7/2023 at 3:13 PM, littlebird said:

His suggestion is to take 10mg Prozac in the morning with Wellbutrin/Gabapentin while also taking Pristiq (he had no advice about the interaction/timing, so I think I'll keep taking that 2 hours apart). He suggested to do this for a week, then up the 10mg of Prozac to 20mg and stop taking the Pristiq. If cold turkey was too much, I could take it every other day for a week, then stop and keep taking the Prozac and then check in on how it's going with whoever my assigned psychiatrist is at the end of February.

 

From my experience, too many psychiatrists see Prozac as the "fix" for withdrawals from every other medication. I was put on Prozac to "help" with the anxiety from a Latuda withdrawal and had it upped for the same reason. I don't think it helped me in my withdrawals, at all, but I'm on it for now as I want to taper the Zyprexa/Olanzapine first.

 

I am also on Gabapentin and learned from this site to dose it two hours from my Prozac, and Olanzapine, so my dosing schedule currently looks like this (in case it helps you with spacing) -

• 7:30 AM: Gabapentin (300mg)
• 9:30 AM: Prozac (40mg)
• 2:00 PM: Gabapentin (300mg)
• 7:00 PM: Zyprexa/Olanzapine (2.5mg)
• 9:00 PM: Gabapentin (300mg)

[littlebird]

10 hours ago, j1290 said:

I should just note the symptoms of the panic attack like a researcher, and that in 5 minutes it would be over, it's just chemical reactions.

I'm going to use that the next time panic hits! I tend to panic about the panic, and it can last awhile. I'll try coming at it like a researcher! Taking notes today on dosages and mood, and noticing some things. That's a good idea to log! 

 

11 hours ago, FireflyFyte said:

my dosing schedule currently looks like this (in case it helps you with spacing)

Thank you, @FireflyFyte! That helps a lot. We'll see how this prozac thing goes! Appreciate your help!

[littlebird]

This ended up being much longer than I expected, and provided some insights into how my meds are affecting me throughout the day. I used to just take them and get on with it, but taking the time today to reflect was useful. Probably won’t write this much again, but it was good to take the time to notice how things went today. Maybe this is a sign I need to journal? This was helpful to do today!

 

9am: Began work, noticed my beloved morning tea is affecting my anxiety. Perhaps having a small amount of caffeinated tea, then switching to herbal tea will help my anxious mornings. Grabbed a snack before a meeting, but doesn't feel like enough food to take pills.

 

10am: Tech issues affecting work, frustrating, but gives me a moment to divide up some Gabapentin pills (something hard to find time/remember to do). Made some oatmeal to cushion the Gabapentin/Wellbutrin. 

 

10:30am: Anxiety is getting turned up to 11, wondering if my Wellbutrin is contributing? Feeling short of breath, and the work I'd been looking at earlier today feels... daunting. A hummingbird just came to the feeder in the window, providing a lovely little reminder to pause, breathe, and stop spiraling. Herbal tea time.

 

11am: Herbal tea is satisfying, and cutting caffeine after Wellbutrin anxiety spike was a good call. Anxiety is definitely affecting productivity!

 

12:30am: Got distracted from med schedule, taking Pristiq a little later today. Simply pulsing with anxiety! It’s hard to focus on what I’m trying to do. Lots of hummingbirds coming around, providing nice tiny breaks to watch them. Anxiety is so high that I find myself pining for the days of 200 mg doses of Gabapentin, although those stomachaches were too much to try that again.

 

1pm: Having some lunch, still an anxious littlebird. To-do list is feeling overwhelming. Oh gosh, here’s the afternoon Pristiq shaky feeling… it’s kicking in. White knuckling! Trying to listen to music to keep my brain from jumping out of my skull with all this anxiety, and it can help with focus too to keep one part of my hyperactive brain focused on something in the background so the productive part can work… like distracting a child. Well, whatever works!

 

2pm: Taking advantage of the nice weather to take the dog on a long hike. I’m losing it with anxiety, and pup could use the exercise.

 

4pm: Hike was nice, went about 3 miles. Pup sorely needed to run around after many rainy days. Break went longer than planned due to traffic. Back at work and feeling very unmotivated (although anxiety isn’t as bad as it was, which is nice). Swung by a shop with a lovely shop-owner who always boosts my mood. I sometimes forget that working from home is isolating! Gotta get out more.

 

6:30: Anxiety was better than usual, so exercise and nature time was probably helpful. Time to try to work some more… took 150mg Gabapentin, maybe that’ll help quiet the chatter in my mind and help me get a little more done.

 

8pm: Well, my night took a turn. About an hour ago, I was working on my front porch like I do most nights. Someone ran up to me and tried to grab the laptop out of my hands. When I reflexively held onto my laptop, he started swearing at me and punched me in the face. The punch knocked me off my chair, and I let go of the laptop. Had to file a police report because it was a work computer, and I needed a police report to get it replaced. The adrenaline and shock are fading, and I’m wondering how this is going to affect the already high anxiety. This happened on my own front porch, and isn’t the first crime I’ve experienced in this neighborhood (although it is the most alarming).

 

Anywho, I’ll be fine. The bleeding stopped, and while my face and neck are sore (I think neck got injured when he punched me), I’m grateful it wasn’t worse. Someone was killed in a robbery near here, so I’m lucky it was just a sucker punch. Well, lucky enough. Gonna have a shiner tomorrow for sure! Luckily have an old device I can wipe the laptop from, and I’m having the screen display “This is a stolen laptop.” What a night! I think I’m going to just call it on trying to get work done and work a partial day. Time to self-soothe.

[FireflyFyte]

8 hours ago, littlebird said:

8pm: Well, my night took a turn. About an hour ago, I was working on my front porch like I do most nights. Someone ran up to me and tried to grab the laptop out of my hands. When I reflexively held onto my laptop, he started swearing at me and punched me in the face. The punch knocked me off my chair, and I let go of the laptop. Had to file a police report because it was a work computer, and I needed a police report to get it replaced. The adrenaline and shock are fading, and I’m wondering how this is going to affect the already high anxiety. This happened on my own front porch, and isn’t the first crime I’ve experienced in this neighborhood (although it is the most alarming).

 

Anywho, I’ll be fine. The bleeding stopped, and while my face and neck are sore (I think neck got injured when he punched me), I’m grateful it wasn’t worse. Someone was killed in a robbery near here, so I’m lucky it was just a sucker punch. Well, lucky enough. Gonna have a shiner tomorrow for sure! Luckily have an old device I can wipe the laptop from, and I’m having the screen display “This is a stolen laptop.” What a night! I think I’m going to just call it on trying to get work done and work a partial day. Time to self-soothe.

 

I am so sorry that you experienced this, littlebird but glad to hear that you'll be fine. Please be extra gentle with yourself 💜

[littlebird]

Still a little shaken up, and sporting a gnarly black eye. Got a bad fibromyalgia flare up last night, not terribly surprising after my nervous system getting rattled like that. Took a low dose of a muscle relaxant with Seroquel at bedtime, and was able to head it off at the pass.

 

Slept late, so med schedule was a little off. I was only going to take the morning off, but my boss is saying I should take the whole day off. Tried to get a little done on an old device, but my concentration isn’t very good.

 

It does seem like both Wellbutrin and Pristiq are increasing anxiety, looking forward to getting off those suckers one day. Also, gotta say, getting attacked on my own front steps really hasn’t been good for the already high anxiety! Not doing so hot. 

[littlebird]

I skipped Pristiq today. When it came time to take it, I couldn’t. The afternoon anxiety would have been too much. Got an appointment with a therapist for Monday through an employee benefit plan, outside of insurance. I wish I’d explored that months ago. If there’s a silver lining to getting mugged, it’s that it finally made me follow through on replacing my burnt out therapist who disappeared on me. Long needed, finally scheduled. 

 

I’m struggling! My front porch was such an oasis for me. When I got stressed, it was so nice to sit out there and watch the birds and say hello to neighbors and passers by. I also liked working in the fresh air, but I’m too nervous to try that again. I’m trying to get out to the porch for little “breaks” today, though I find I leave the door open in case I need to dart inside. I don’t like the idea of this man stealing my oasis on top of my laptop, so I’m working to reclaim that space for myself. It sucks this happened at all, but on my own front steps? Jeez.

 

My eye is gnarly, but my vision is returning to normal and the bleeding in the eye is going away. Gonna have a black eye for a hot minute! I was thinking that if I didn’t reflexively fight him off, he wouldn’t have hurt me. Then again, it happened so fast. I didn’t choose to fight, my instincts did. Maybe if this happens again I’ll remember and let the items go. Things can be replaced, and robberies turn deadly around here all the time. I’m honestly lucky to have gotten just a black eye.

[littlebird]

I was talking with some folks on another thread about masking, and it got me thinking a lot about my own masking. I’m too good at it, and it’s hard to let it down enough to show the real mess inside to a clinician or even a trusted loved one. I’m not sure if it’s masking, or something else, but it’s also very hard for me to cry. For weeks, possibly months, I’ve felt like I wanted to have a good cleansing cry… and at most a few tears trickled out. 

 

Turns out, getting punched full force on your own front steps is pretty good at cracking a mask and letting some tears out. I sobbed last night. First, after being tough about it all day, I had a full on panic attack. I was reclaiming my steps, being on the porch, and I started feeling dizzy and sick. Went indoors and got quite ill. I thought maybe it was the concussion, but then I realized I was trembling with panic. After that, finally got to a place where I could just let go and sob, which I needed to do even before all this went down.

 

This attack brought up a lot of childhood trauma, and I found myself telling my partner things from when I was very small that had been dislodged and were coming loose from being locked down inside. My partner was wonderful. I’m beyond grateful to be married to someone so kind.

 

Thank goodness for them, actually, I don’t like to think how I’d be handling this attack if I lived alone. NOT well, I can tell you that. It would be overly tough (verging on self-destructive) city. This is making me realize that not only is it not healthy to be tough all the time, it doesn’t allow the big ouches inside a way to come out. Could it be that the most tough thing is actually to be vulnerable? Probably.

 

The Prozac arrived this morning! I’m thinking I’m going to take it first, to see what this new little son of a gun is going to do to me side effects wise. It’s hard to eat. When I feel out of control, my old frenemy anorexia sidles up to remind me that restricting food is a good way to regain control. Mx. Anorexia (who has tried to rebrand as Intermittent Fasting to a lot of folks around here) is so sneaky. In addition to messing up the metabolism, not eating doesn’t make taking meds on a schedule easy. Gonna make myself eat and then take this darn pill. 

[j1290]

Wowsers I missed the whole part about being mugged!  That's terrible that happened to you and Im so glad it wasn't even worse.  Happy to hear you're getting to speak to someone about this!

[littlebird]

Do I love Prozac? I might! Took first dose (10mg) this morning. Which reminds me, time to update signature. Maybe it was the Prozac, maybe it was not taking Wellbutrin in the morning, but I had so much less anxiety than usual. I’ll take it! Took all the pills, spaced out, but since I slept late won’t have time for an evening Gabapentin unless I stay up late. We’ll see how it goes.

 

I’ve got a mild concussion, which is making looking at a screen difficult. If it’s on dark mode, I can look at it for longer. I’m dizzy and nauseous quite often. Hoping that passes quickly. Taking the whole weekend off, in addition to Friday, to see if that can help reset. My job involves a lot of looking at a screen, so I hope that passes quickly.

 

Thanks, @j1290! Glad I got in to talk to someone too. I used to love sitting on my front porch, now I’m downright nervous even in the daytime. I keep looking at where he snuck up on me. Saw a neighbor’s security footage of it, he really did well at keeping to the shadows and darting up the front steps. Didn’t know he was there until he was in my face. He moved so fast, like a snake striking.

 

Well, it’s a setback, but it’ll pass. The black eye just keeps getting uglier and darker, I’ve been catching a lot of looks and double takes. It’s pretty bad! Okay, too much screen, time to rest some more. Is there a way to make this site in dark mode? That would help a lot.

[j1290]

18 minutes ago, littlebird said:

Saw a neighbor’s security footage of it, he really did well at keeping to the shadows and darting up the front steps. Didn’t know he was there until he was in my face. He moved so fast, like a snake striking.

Unbelievable.  That's so frightening.  Hoping you feel better soon!!

[FindRest]

On 1/4/2023 at 4:07 PM, Gridley said:

Skipping days is equivalent to reducing your dose by 50% and is not recommended by SA.  The half lives of almost all psychiatric drugs are too short for this to make any sense.  It causes the amount of the medication in your bloodstream to go up and down, battering your nervous system and making withdrawal worse.  We recommend tapering by no more than 10% every four weeks.  It's important that your dose be consistent every day--varying doses from day to day is hard on your nervous system.  It's best to take your doses at the same time every day.

littlebird, I’m concerned that you continue to take your medications inconsistently.  As Gridley noted above, and other mods and admin have noted in your thread multiple times, skipping a day between Pristiq dosages is not a good idea, nor is taking your medication at different times from one day to the next. The advice you’ve been given has been learned from the terrible consequences many here on this site have experienced. Once our nervous system becomes destabilized, it becomes a whole new ballgame. 
 

I’m also concerned about the addition of the Prozac. Prozac can rev things up all on its own, much less when it’s added to a lengthy cocktail of meds. Take heed to the information you’ve read in the Prozac bridge thread. It’s important. 

 

Please take care.

 

Edited January 15, 2023 by FindRest

[FireflyFyte]

9 hours ago, littlebird said:

Do I love Prozac? I might! Took first dose (10mg) this morning. Which reminds me, time to update signature. Maybe it was the Prozac, maybe it was not taking Wellbutrin in the morning, but I had so much less anxiety than usual. I’ll take it! Took all the pills, spaced out, but since I slept late won’t have time for an evening Gabapentin unless I stay up late. We’ll see how it goes.

 

Glad you are feeling better and hope it continues.

9 hours ago, littlebird said:

Well, it’s a setback, but it’ll pass. The black eye just keeps getting uglier and darker, I’ve been catching a lot of looks and double takes. It’s pretty bad! Okay, too much screen, time to rest some more. Is there a way to make this site in dark mode? That would help a lot.

 

Depending on your browser, I think you can set the viewing to dark mode regardless of the website. Might be worth looking into.

[littlebird]

I think I might have a problem. After I took the Pristiq last night, I started feeling all kinds of wrong. Anxious is normal, but my muscles were tense and my blood pressure was high and I was sweaty despite feeling cold. Usually Seroquel knocks me out, but it was fighting some insomnia last night. I woke up still feeling off. Something made me look up Serotonin Syndrome, and that seems to track. It didn’t start until I took the Pristiq, which makes me worried about taking it again as I taper.

[Altostrata]

What drugs are you taking now, at what times o'clock and dosages?

 

What changes have you made in the last 10 days? Did you increase Prozac to 20mg?

 

The advise you got in https://www.survivingantidepressants.org/topic/28048-littlebird-tried-tapering-pristiq-will-try-tapering-wellbutrin-instead/?do=findComment&comment=626634 was dumb.

 

[littlebird]

Thank you for jumping in, @Altostrata! Yesterday was my first day taking the Prozac, just started at one 10mg capsule. I’m taking them much later than I usually start meds, I’m sleeping super long hours after getting attacked. Realized I also haven’t logged things since that happened, got to get back on keeping track of things.

 

Yesterday was roughly:

1pm - Prozac (felt actually better than I have in ages, much less anxiety)

3:30pm - Wellbutrin & Gabapentin (anxiety kicked up)

6pm - Pristiq (things started to get weird)

Honestly don’t remember if I took an evening Gabapentin, I was way off after taking Pristiq

11pm - Seroquel took much longer to put me out, and I could feel it fighting the weird muscle tension and anxiety that the Pristiq brought on.

 

Today I felt so off after last night, I dragged my feet on taking anything and just took Prozac (10 mg) around 1:30pm. I wrote above that I’d accidentally gotten into an “every other day” Pristiq habit, which turned out to be what the Dr prescribed to taper. I’m thinking I won’t take the Pristiq today, which shouldn’t be a shock to the system as I fell into that questionable habit during the holidays. I felt so sick last night that I found myself thinking that he said I could cold turkey Pristiq. At the time, that seemed like terrible advice, but I felt so sick after taking it that I never want to take it again.

[littlebird]

Oh gosh, not having the same calm feeling after taking Prozac today! I’m so restless I can’t sit still, digestion feels weird, I’m cold and shivery yet sweating. Jeezy Creezy, this sucks.