Bailey: Acute Paxil Withdrawal Symptoms

[Bailey]

3 minutes ago, Catina7 said:

Link that discusses resistant starch and the many health benefits:

 

https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/resistant-starch-101#health-benefits

Thank you @Catina7. I'l definitely check this out. I'd love to expand my diet. 

[LostInCanada]

26 minutes ago, Bailey said:

main issue with Benadryl and other things you mentioned is that they are activating and can set one off

It's one of the issues. Because it is also anticholinergic it can add to the side effects such as increased heart rate, muscle issues, eyesight problems. The less change the better. Every added drug makes the body work harder. 

For stomach issues, ginger tea and organic ginger chews are a life saver. So is chamomile and lavender tea. 

 

[Bailey]

thanks @LostInCanada ❤️

[LostInCanada]

@Bailey you are very welcome. I developed monophobia after my cold turkey. Did you as well? It is slowly getting better as well. I didn't even know such a thing existed till this insanity. This experience sure has been a lesson in patience and modesty. 💯

[Bailey]

7 minutes ago, LostInCanada said:

@Bailey you are very welcome. I developed monophobia after my cold turkey. Did you as well? It is slowly getting better as well. I didn't even know such a thing existed till this insanity. This experience sure has been a lesson in patience and modesty. 💯

@LostInCanada I do get afraid of being alone. Sometimes I'm OK, other times I'm really uncomfortable with it. I'm afraid generally of lots of things.  I think I'm still in a fight or flight mode perceiving threats around me. Do you find that? I'm glad you feel it's getting better for you. 

[LostInCanada]

1 minute ago, Bailey said:

fight or flight mode perceiving threats around me. Do you find that?

At the beginning definitely. Now it pops up once in awhile. It will get better for you too. You will stabilize. 👍

[Boges11]

Hi checking in…. How are things going?

[LotusRising]

@Bailey

 

I agree with @Catina7 about the carbs. Your body is likely doing a lot of repair work and that requires energy. Try not to be afraid of carbs. Catina gave you some really good suggestions. 

 

And rest assured, you haven't made mistakes that won't sort themselves out. I made several mistakes while tapering and I'm doing alright. You'll get there.

[Bailey]

12 hours ago, LotusRising said:

@Bailey

 

I agree with @Catina7 about the carbs. Your body is likely doing a lot of repair work and that requires energy. Try not to be afraid of carbs. Catina gave you some really good suggestions. 

 

And rest assured, you haven't made mistakes that won't sort themselves out. I made several mistakes while tapering and I'm doing alright. You'll get there.

@LotusRising So it's best to keep hiding the medicines where I'm at and not make changes? And there's hope? I know I keep asking about the hope.

I had another night with no sleep. I drift off for maybe an hour and then have to go to the bathroom despite stopping liquids 6-8 hours in advance (I have to go several times a night). Then that's kind of it.  My nervous system is ramped up and back in motion. I thought I was trending toward having a few more bits and pieces of sleep for the first time a few weeks ago but not the past several nights. I wake up at midnight or 1:00am and have the whole night ahead of me. I struggle so much at night and am so vulnerable with SI thoughts and other thoughts when I can't sleep. I've also started experiencing severe muscle camping in my calves, feet, and thighs during the night. I keep hoping for signs that I'm improving. I just need hope, I guess. I'm scared. 

[LostInCanada]

5 hours ago, Bailey said:

have to go to the bathroom despite stopping liquids 6-8 hours in advance (I have to go several times a night).

@Bailey this is because paroxetine is an anticholinergic (most potent one of all SSRIs). 

From the mayo clinic:

Anticholinergic drugs block the action of the chemical messenger acetylcholine. Acetylcholine sends signals to your brain that trigger bladder contractions associated with an overactive bladder. These bladder contractions can cause a need to urinate even when the bladder isn't full.

 

So because we have less paxil in our system, the body has to figure out how to deal with production of acetylcholine now. Until it works it out we will have an overactive bladder. I have the same issue.

[Bailey]

26 minutes ago, LostInCanada said:

@Bailey this is because paroxetine is an anticholinergic (most potent one of all SSRIs). 

From the mayo clinic:

Anticholinergic drugs block the action of the chemical messenger acetylcholine. Acetylcholine sends signals to your brain that trigger bladder contractions associated with an overactive bladder. These bladder contractions can cause a need to urinate even when the bladder isn't full.

Thanks @LostInCanada.Good information. The weird thing is that I don't go that much during the day when I'm drinking. I hit liquids hard in the morning.  It's after I fall asleep that I have to go. I'll go 3-4 times a night even though I haven't had anything to drink or eat for hours --  and there's fluid there. I try to get it out during the day well in advance of bedtime but it's aways at night when my body wants to deal with it. It's some kind of weird paxil withdrawal thing. Do you have to go more at night than you usually would?

Edited March 31 by Bailey

[LostInCanada]

25 minutes ago, Bailey said:

It's some kind of weird paxil withdrawal thing. Do you have to go more at night than you usually would?

It's the drug that keeps on giving for sure. 

I go so many times during the night. I try not to drink about 2 hours before bed. It's important not to get dehydrated as well. 

I am the same as you- fine during the day. I read somewhere that this hormone acetylcholine is produced at night:

Acetylcholine release in the basal forebrain is highest during REM sleep, lower during quiet wakefulness, and lowest during NREM sleep.

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov › pmc

Neuropharmacology of Sleep and Wakefulness - PMC - NCBI

[Bailey]

9 minutes ago, LostInCanada said:

 

I am the same as you- fine during the day. I read somewhere that this hormone acetylcholine is produced at night:

 

Interesting. Thanks for the good information @LostInCanada. So maybe it doesn't really even matter that I stop drinking so early. And I stop waaaay early because once I wake up after that first bathroom trip, my system is revved up and in panic mode. That might be it for sleep for the rest of the night. It's really difficult after trip 2 if I've managed to fall asleep after trip 1. 

[LostInCanada]

@Bailey have you tried melatonin. I take 1/4 of a 1mg pill and it helps add falling asleep. You might want to try taking it after your first wake up. Just a thought. I know some who sleep in a chair watching tv to help with waking and terror. For me, napping in the day gives me terror and panic. One day at a time. ❤️

[Bailey]

21 minutes ago, LostInCanada said:

@Bailey have you tried melatonin. I take 1/4 of a 1mg pill and it helps add falling asleep. You might want to try taking it after your first wake up. Just a thought. I know some who sleep in a chair watching tv to help with waking and terror. For me, napping in the day gives me terror and panic. One day at a time. ❤️

@LostInCanada Very early in withdrawal back (late Nov.) when I wasn't even sleeping a single minute at night, I tried .5 or 1/2 of a 1mg children's gummy of melatonin and reacted. It felt like my system was fighting it. I had heightened inner and outer akathisia. I still have both in fairly extreme fashion every morning no matter what. Like you, there's no way I could nap during the day. Any falling asleep at any time will produce the terror/akathisia wake-up though I thought things were starting to ease a touch at night. The last few weeks have been much more difficult, though. I suppose this is when I tell myself that healing isn't linear? 

[LostInCanada]

5 minutes ago, Bailey said:

healing isn't linear

Definitely but also maybe you are feeling a bit of a wave window pattern which is good news. 

7 minutes ago, Bailey said:

melatonin and reacted

Stay away from that for sure. 

I am very sensitive to alot as well.

[Bailey]

23 minutes ago, LostInCanada said:

I know some who sleep in a chair watching tv to help with waking and terror. 

Do they stay that way all night @LostInCanada

[LostInCanada]

1 minute ago, Bailey said:

Do they stay that way all night

They had mentioned that when they tried to transition to bed they couldn't fall back to sleep. So they stayed there. This particular person also had the bladder issues as well. I think whatever works for you is good. I have slept on a wedge pillow so quite elevated and that helps me. It also helps if you have dizziness.

[Bailey]

8 minutes ago, LostInCanada said:

 I have slept on a wedge pillow so quite elevated and that helps me. It also helps if you have dizziness.

Maybe I could try a wedge pillow. You don't happen to know which one you have, do you? Sometimes it's hard to tell what something really is by the picture on Amazon. It helps with the terror response when waking up @LostInCanada? Or just the bladder issues (and dizziness)?

[LostInCanada]

@Bailey I bought the 8" bodyform pillow from Walmart but I also saw it in Wayfair. Then I place softer pillows on it for comfort. I find it helps with terror and dizziness. When I wake from a higher position I am not as disoriented and I seem to have less panic. I don't know why but it works for me. 

[LostInCanada]

@Bailey I bought the 8" bodyform pillow from Walmart but I also saw it in Wayfair. Then I place softer pillows on it for comfort. I find it helps with terror and dizziness. When I wake from a higher position I am not as disoriented and I seem to have less panic. I don't know why but it works for me. 

[Bailey]

@LostInCanada that makes sense to me.  Several times I've thought if I had a hospital bed that I'd raise the head to sleep higher for some intuitively perceived comfort from the terror. 

[Sonia009]

6 minutes ago, LostInCanada said:

@Bailey I bought the 8" bodyform pillow from Walmart but I also saw it in Wayfair. Then I place softer pillows on it for comfort. I find it helps with terror and dizziness. When I wake from a higher position I am not as disoriented and I seem to have less panic. I don't know why but it works for me. 

@LostInCanadaI hope you don't mind me jumping in but you mentioned using pillows to help with dizziness. I'm the same, I have to keep as upright as possible to prevent dizziness. I just bought two plump pillows which are good but I've ordered a v shaped pillow to see if that helps.

 

[LotusRising]

9 hours ago, Bailey said:

And there's hope? I know I keep asking about the hope.

Yes, of course! There's always hope. You said that you weren't getting any sleep at all back in November and now you're getting a little bit - it sounds like you might be in a bit of a windows and waves pattern, which is definitely good! 

 

Can you remind me when you take your xanax? Is it at night?

[Bailey]

@LotusRising I take it at 6:30am with the paxil. Thank you for always imparting hope. The morning akathisia is brutal with the cortisol rush so I figure that's the slot for it. 

[Bailey]

@LotusRising Another question. I think you mentioned that you tried a beta blocker at some point but didn't have much luck. Would you mind sharing what your experience was?  I'm still weighing "least bad" options for the akathisia (e.g., something likely not the best but better than ending up in psych ward or a worse fate).

[Catina7]

Hi @Bailey,

 

Melissa Boutilier, a benzo and AD withdrawal healing coach, just released a video about severe akathisia.  I hope it helps!  ❤️

 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yc-E97W9Ffs

 

 

[LotusRising]

10 hours ago, Bailey said:

I think you mentioned that you tried a beta blocker at some point but didn't have much luck.

It wasn't a beta blocker, but similar. I tried clonidine and it made me feel very dry and my blood pressure was already on the low side so I opted not to take it. It didn't seem to improve anything anyway. But yes, I have heard that beta-blockers help some people. 

[Bailey]

11 hours ago, LotusRising said:

It wasn't a beta blocker, but similar. I tried clonidine and it made me feel very dry and my blood pressure was already on the low side so I opted not to take it. It didn't seem to improve anything anyway. But yes, I have heard that beta-blockers help some people. 

Thanks @LotusRising. My doctor is having me try out propranolol for the akathisia. I'm not sure that the trade offs are worth it. It seems to be interfering with what little sleep I can manage. There are other side effects, too. Of course I knew there would be and I was trying to utilize something that was less bad than being in the hospital or worse. But, if I can't sleep even a little, that could lead to a worse situation. 

[Boges11]

Having severe aka as welll, just wanting you to know you’re not alone.

sending many hugs, this is so inhumane and I hope yours lessens soon.

hugs 

[LotusRising]

10 hours ago, Bailey said:

I'm not sure that the trade offs are worth it. It seems to be interfering with what little sleep I can manage.

It's a risk/benefit analysis for sure. If it helps, then maybe it's worth it?

 

Are your symptoms always worse at night? I'm wondering if your morning xanax dose might be starting to wear off overnight? Do you have any personal feelings about if this could be happening?

[Bailey]

@LotusRising symptoms are the worst in the morning upon waking for several hours. The cortisol spike, I think. I'm in a pitch black room but once I step out of bed and go to the kitchen where a light is on, the convulsing, etc. really gets going. Sometimes the external akathisia is calmer by noon. Often by late afternoon, say 3-4pm, it runs out steam. From 4:00pm onward can be a calmer time for me. 

[Bailey]

15 hours ago, Boges11 said:

Having severe aka as welll, just wanting you to know you’re not alone.

sending many hugs, this is so inhumane and I hope yours lessens soon.

hugs 

Is yours worse at a certain time of day? Mine is especially crazy in the morning. I'm convulsing as I type right now at 830am. I'm praying for both of us. Big understanding hug ❤️  

[LotusRising]

Okay, hard to say for sure, but definitely something to be mindful of.

[Bailey]

25 minutes ago, LotusRising said:

Okay, hard to say for sure, but definitely something to be mindful of.

What would I do @LotusRising? If that's the case, what would you advise?

Edited April 3 by Bailey

[LotusRising]

3 minutes ago, Bailey said:

What would I do

Typically, you would split your dose for better coverage in an effort to reduce symptoms of interdose withdrawal, but since you take an extended release version of Xanax, this would be trickier. In your case, unless you were absolutely certain you had interdose withdrawal, I don't think making changes would be a good idea.