malexander: Suffering, but glad to have found this forum

[malexander]

Hello all. I have been taking buspirone 7.5 once a day for about a year. Recently, i've been dealing with some intense obsessive/intrusive thoughts, and i started up an online psychiatric/talk therapy subscription to Brightside. In my first meeting with my provider, she took my medication history and asked about my symptoms and then prescribed me Fluvoxemine 50mg. She also told me to discontinue the buspirone, as those should not be taken together. My life has been hell ever since. (this was exactly two weeks ago).  I thought i was just having severe side effects from the initial start of Fluvoxemine - which have been loss of appetite, stomach queasyness, intense never-before-experienced anxiety and edginess, insomnia, suicidal ideations, and have lost about 15 pounds.  I have been taking .25mg of xanax to ease the anxiety, but that seems to be helping less and less.  

 

Having done some research here, it appears that stopping buspirone cold turkey was something that my provider should have not have recommended. I have message her in the app several times and have heard nothing back from her.

 

I reached out to my friend who is a psych nurse practitioner who suggested that I do a quick taper off of Fluvoxemine (since i've only been on it for 2 weeks). I have already taken just half the dose of fluvoxemine yesterday and will take another half dose tonight.

 

My question is - should I start back on Buspirone once I'm completely off of Fluvoxemine (in two days)? What happens when people go cold turkey off of a med and then after a couple of weeks, restart that med to ease withdrawl symptoms? I'm really in over my head here.  I'll be looking for a new provider pronto but could be weeks until i can get a consultation. Thanks everyone - I'm thankful for this community.

Edited June 19, 2023 by manymoretodays
name to topic title

[getofflex]

Hello, and welcome to SA.  We are a volunteer-run community of people who have been or are getting off of psychiatric drugs.  I'm sorry that your provider cold turkeyed you off the buspirone, then refused to communicate with you.  This was irresponsible on her part.  Let me give you some basic information, and then some specific suggestions.  I suspect that you are in withdrawal from cold turkeying the buspirone.  Your friend is right - you can just do a very fast taper off the fluvoxamine, since you were only on it 2 weeks.  

 

Can you please give us specific information in your signature about your drug history for all drugs and supplements you are on and have been on, especially for the past 18-24 months?  It would be especially helpful to have the details of your drugs in a concise vertical list (no symptoms), only specific dates, include the day (as best you can say for example early March if you don't recall the day), drug names, and dosages of each medication decrease or increase. Here is an example: 

 

March 12, ’22: Lexapro 5 mg, Xanax 0.5 mg, Trazodone 50 mg

March 29, ’22: Lexapro 4 mg, Xanax 0.5 mg, Trazodone 50 mg

April 17, ’22:  Lexapro 3.8 mg, Xanax 0.5 mg, Trazodone 50 mg

May 19, ’22:  Lexapro 3.8 mg, Xanax 0.5 mg, Trazodone 25 mg

 

 

Please read the link below for instructions.  This will allow us to give you the best guidance.  

 

How to List Your Drug History in Your Signature

 

Here is some important information about how these drugs actually work.  This explains why we get symptoms from going off of these medications, and why it's so important to taper slowly and carefully, and be very cautious about changing our doses: 

 

How Psychiatric Drugs Remodel Your Brain

 

 

This helps you understand what withdrawal syndrome is: 

 

Video on Recovery from Psych Drugs

 

Windows and Waves Pattern of Stabilization

 

 

Here is a link with checklists of common WD symptoms: 

 

Dr Joseph Glenmullen Withdrawal Symptom Checklists

 

 

Here are some techniques to cope with symptoms: 

 

Non Drug Ways to Cope with Withdrawal Symptoms

 

Stability is really important when we are tapering off psych meds.  Please read the link about stability:

 

Keep It Simple, Slow, and Stable

 

 

We don't suggest many supplements, but 2 that many of us find helpful are magnesium and omega-3 fish oil. Here are the links for info about those. It is suggested to add one at a time, and start with a low dose to see how it affects you. 

Magnesium

Omega 3 Fish Oil

 

I would suggest you do a small reinstatement of the buspirone.  This is best done very carefully.  This is temporary, and after stabilizing you would then taper gradually off of this.  There is some risk involved, and we need more specifics about your drug history before we can suggest a good dose at which to reinstate.  Here is some information about reinstatement.  

 

About Reinstating and Stabilizing to Reduce Withdrawal Symptoms

 

When we see a detailed drug history, we can suggest a specific reinstatement dose.  Hang in there, you have a very good chance of being helped a lot by a reinstatement, since you just jumped off the drug recently.  

Edited June 21, 2023 by getofflex