bhb2w going off nortriptyline

[bhb2w]

I am new to the the forum and have some questions. I wasn't sure where the best place to post about this but this board seems to fit it. I have taken nortriptyline for 10 years. The last 5 years, I was taking 75mg. I was prescribed this for migraines. I had no clue it was an anxiety. In may of 2013. I moved to a new house while in college and stopped taking my meds cold turkey. Just got caught up with everything. About 2 weeks after I stopped, I started getting crazy symptoms. I originally though it was an STD. Got tested and everything came back negative. I want to post some of my symptoms and see if it could be connected to withdrawal problems. I started with flu like symptoms, developed red scrotum syndrome, tingling in hands arms and feet, pain in my calfs to ankles, waking up really early and not being able to go back to sleep, had a couple rashes, vitamin d dropped, testosterone dropped, depressed, IBS every day, not being hungry in the mornings, bad taste in mouth, along with some others. Symptoms fluctuate but don't go away. I started taking my meds again this week. My pharmacist said since it was such a high dosage that I should only take it every other night for a week. I do notice symptoms getting better since I started taking nortriptyline again. My question is can being on that high of a dosage for so long and quitting cold turkey really mess you up that bad. This is the only thing I can account for all my symptoms to seeing as how all my tests for everything but Vitamin D and testosterone have come back normal. All I know is that the past months have been terrible. 

[Altostrata]

Welcome, bhb2w.

 

Yes, going cold turkey off nortriptyline could cause very serious symptoms.

 

Please take the same dosage every day at the same time for at least a month to let your nervous system settle down. Since you've been off it, 50mg may be sufficient.

 

Once your nervous system stabilizes, I would very carefully reduce the dosage by no more than 10% per month. See http://survivingantidepressants.org/index.php?/topic/1024-why-taper-by-10-of-my-dosage/

 

Tapering nortriptyline http://survivingantidepressants.org/index.php?/topic/4011-tips-for-tapering-off-nortriptyline/

 

About withdrawal syndrome http://survivingantidepressants.org/index.php?/topic/603-what-is-antidepressant-withdrawal-syndrome/

[Johanna]

Hello bhb2w,

Just reading your comment you posted some time ago ( almost 2 years!) and was wondering how you are doing now?

I am aware of another guy currently tapering who also is suffering from some of the same symptoms you mentioned but the most debilitating is the red scrotum syndrome. Has this syndrome resolved for you?