okapi4: struggling badly

[okapi4]

First i start by thanking everyone in this forum, it's been really helpful and i wish i found it before, greetings from Colombia and sorry for my spelling mistakes.

 

Last agoust I had a manic episode due to a bad reaction to meds and I was told I was bipolar and put on depakote and olanzapine, and I got so depressed I wanted to kill myself for a month and I've never been so miserable and I ended up hospitalized and put on lamictal, risperodone and gabapentin. I never had bipolar symptoms before but psychiatrists said I needed to be medicated for life. Within a month of taking those drugs I started having side effects and awful migraines, so i stopped taking the risperidone, and tried to take off the lamictal, i tappered the lamictal to half, now i feel worse and i think is WD, I have neuropathic pain in all my body, i have occipital and trigeminal neuralgia,  migraines sensivity to light, tinnitus, ear pain, the pain it's so bad it makes me wanna scream,  I'm in so much pain I don't know what to do, I hate meds for doing this to me,  they just seem to do more harm than good. Now i can bearly get out off bed and i'm unable to funcion, my partner is taking care off me and i'm so grateful for having him, i try to be hopeful but it's hard 

 

Did anyone experience symptoms like these and got better, specially the neuralgias, my doctor said that occipital neuralgia and trigeminal neuralgia are incurable? what are some tips to get some relive? thank you all. 

[LotusRising]

Hi @okapi4

 

Welcome to SA,

 

We are a peer-run volunteer site dedicated to a harm reduction tapering approach. We suggest tapering by no more than 10% of your most recent dose each month in an effort to minimize withdrawal (WD) symptoms. See  Why taper by 10%. Could you tell us a little more about how you tapered?

 

We would also ask that you help us out by adding a signature, which will ensure your drug history appears at the bottom of every post and makes it easier for those trying to assist. How to Create a Signature 

 

These two links will help you to understand withdrawal syndrome:

 

What is Withdrawal Syndrome?

 

Video on Recovery from Psych Drugs

 

When we take medication, the CNS responds by making changes over the months and years we take the drug(s). When the medication is discontinued, the CNS must then undo all the changes that were made. As the changes are undone, symptoms may occur. You can expect that they will follow 

The Windows and Waves Pattern of Stabilization  and since the CNS likes stability, we suggest to Keep it simple, slow and stable.

 

19 hours ago, LauraVictoria said:

my doctor said that occipital neuralgia and trigeminal neuralgia are incurable?

If the pain is related to tapering, I hope it's reassuring for you to hear that it does get better with time. I experienced this type of neuropathic pain for quite some time while I was tapering, but it has since become a LOT more tolerable. But, as I mentioned, it would be good to know more about your taper history before we make any further recommendations. If you are currently tapering, I suggest holding.

 

This thread might be helpful:

 

Personally, I had a hard time finding relief, but distraction helped a little bit. Also, some people use biofreeze to numb the area. If the pain is in your teeth, the pressure of chewing gum seemed to help a little bit as well.

 

Please post any updates or questions related to your specific situation right here in your thread. It's helpful to keep everything related to your tapering journey in one spot and it helps to keep the site tidy.

 

Reach out with questions, and again, welcome to the site

 

LotusRising

[okapi4]

8 minutes ago, LotusRising said:

Hi @LauraVictoria

 

Welcome to SA,

 

We are a peer-run volunteer site dedicated to a harm reduction tapering approach. We suggest tapering by no more than 10% of your most recent dose each month in an effort to minimize withdrawal (WD) symptoms. See  Why taper by 10%. Could you tell us a little more about how you tapered?

 

We would also ask that you help us out by adding a signature, which will ensure your drug history appears at the bottom of every post and makes it easier for those trying to assist. How to Create a Signature 

 

These two links will help you to understand withdrawal syndrome:

 

What is Withdrawal Syndrome?

 

Video on Recovery from Psych Drugs

 

When we take medication, the CNS responds by making changes over the months and years we take the drug(s). When the medication is discontinued, the CNS must then undo all the changes that were made. As the changes are undone, symptoms may occur. You can expect that they will follow 

The Windows and Waves Pattern of Stabilization  and since the CNS likes stability, we suggest to Keep it simple, slow and stable.

 

If the pain is related to tapering, I hope it's reassuring for you to hear that it does get better with time. I experienced this type of neuropathic pain for quite some time while I was tapering, but it has since become a LOT more tolerable. But, as I mentioned, it would be good to know more about your taper history before we make any further recommendations. If you are currently tapering, I suggest holding.

 

This thread might be helpful:

 

Personally, I had a hard time finding relief, but distraction helped a little bit. Also, some people use biofreeze to numb the area. If the pain is in your teeth, the pressure of chewing gum seemed to help a little bit as well.

 

Please post any updates or questions related to your specific situation right here in your thread. It's helpful to keep everything related to your tapering journey in one spot and it helps to keep the site tidy.

 

Reach out with questions, and again, welcome to the site

 

LotusRising

Thank you so much for your kind response, i put more info in the signature. I'm so glad to hear you got better 

[LotusRising]

@okapi4

 

You were on effexor, seroquel and pregablin for 3 years? And then were taken off them cold-turkey in August 2023?

[okapi4]

1 minute ago, LotusRising said:

@LauraVictoria

 

You were on effexor, seroquel and pregablin for 3 years? And then were taken off them cold-turkey in August 2023?

Yes, in the hospital.

[LotusRising]

Did you have the neuropathic pain prior to cutting your lamictal in half?

 

Do you have other symptoms?

[okapi4]

6 minutes ago, LotusRising said:

Did you have the neuropathic pain prior to cutting your lamictal in half?

 

Do you have other symptoms?

yes, the neuropathic pain started before.  

 

i have accute headaches and sensitivity to light, nausea, tinnitus , my head gets hot, like a fever, muscle pain, fatigue, sensitivity to touch, anxiety and had two syncopes. 

[LotusRising]

Do you recall when the symptoms started? 

 

Did anything get worse with the lamictal reduction? Did you cut it in half all at once, or taper it?

[okapi4]

7 minutes ago, LotusRising said:

Do you recall when the symptoms started? 

 

Did anything get worse with the lamictal reduction? Did you cut it in half all at once, or taper it?

The symptoms started in January. The symptoms got worse when I tappered. I tappered 10% every two weeks, I think it was too fast.

[LotusRising]

When did you make your last reduction?

[okapi4]

9 hours ago, LotusRising said:

When did you make your last reduction?

About a month ago 

[LotusRising]

What dose were you on a month ago? You might consider updosing a little bit to see if it relieves some of your symptoms. It sounds like because you've been going too quickly, you are getting WD symptoms. 

[okapi4]

2 hours ago, LotusRising said:

What dose were you on a month ago? You might consider updosing a little bit to see if it relieves some of your symptoms. It sounds like because you've been going too quickly, you are getting WD symptoms. 

Thank u I will updose to the 70 mg I was 

 

20 hours ago, LotusRising said:

Do you recall when the symptoms started? 

 

Did anything get worse with the lamictal reduction? Did you cut it in half all at once, or taper it?

 

[LotusRising]

I would just caution about updosing too much at one time.

 

Please let us know how it goes.

[okapi4]

I got it up to 60 and found some relieve, but the pain is still horrible