downtongirl: I want to become med-free

[Fresh]

Can't help you there DG , I haven't been around long enough.

 

I do think that without reinstating you wouldn't manage the school term.  For now , just show up , keep calm , and

take in what you can.

  

You might use today to explore some of the relaxation strategies in the Symptoms section.  No more research - it will just wind you up.

 

Good luck for your first day of school   .

 

.

[downtongirl]

Thanks Fresh I really appreciate it!

[downtongirl]

ok i am really scared now....i am not seeing the quick benefits of reinstating the dose of prozac i took this evening like i did before.  I still have insomnia even after taking my fish oil, magnesium glycerinate and i even tried L theanine.  I am afraid this is not going to work this time I know it says it takes 4 days but before it worked within 35 minutes....please help....

[downtongirl]

Ok I know I am panicking right now but I wonder if the prozac reinstatement does not work if I will have to go back on the effexor I was on from January 2015 through August 2015?  I used Prozac to bridge over to the effexor xr in late July-August.  Unfortunately effexor xr is the antidepressant that has been most effective for me in the past.

[Fresh]

You are catastrophizing DG.    You have chosen a plan , and your job now is to stick with it.

 

Unfortunately , it's part of the w/d that makes you question each action you take.

 

Time to dig deep and practise some of those CBT skills. Acknowledge that you are panicking , and that this isn't going to help.

 

Stay calm.  You have 3 1/2 days to go.

 

[downtongirl]

If prozac was used to get off of effexor and you are trying to reinstate almost 4 months off of prozac and the reinstatement does not seem to be working should you try a reinstatement of the effexor?

[downtongirl]

Another night of insomnia....this makes night 3...I had to take 30 mg of hydroxyzine to get maybe 2 hours of sleep....I am so disappointed that last nights dose did not have the good effect as it did two weeks ago....if this reinstatement does not work then what do I do?

[downtongirl]

Please someone help I think I may have felt a little better after this mornings dose but as the day goes on I am feeling worse...is this because it is taking time to build back up in my system? I think prozac takes a longer time than done to build up

[downtongirl]

Please is there anyone out there?

[Altostrata]

downton, what have we been telling you about reinstatement?

[downtongirl]

That it may not work

[Altostrata]

Have we not been telling you that you need to stick with it, be consistent, give it time? That you'll have ups and downs?

 

It's a good sign the dose today made you feel a bit better. That indicates it will work.

 

Give some thought to your possible habits of self-sabotage. Only you can fix that.

[downtongirl]

I'm sorry I just need some sleep should I try a sleeping pill tonight? The hydroxyzine is only giving me one to two hours if that I am very panicky and anxious about my sleep

[Fresh]

Jan 20:  ".how long do I give this dose before I decide it is a good dose to hold or if I need to go up?  I think I have read here 4 days?"

 

DG , this forum works a little differently to a chat group.

 

Please read over all the posts in you thread carefully.   You have asked so many questions , and have been given many 

answers.   Don't worry if you don't sleep much - that will even out as you recover.

[Altostrata]

Please post such detailed questions in your Intro topic, where we can discuss your situation in depth.

[downtongirl]

I have this strong desire to keep moving my legs, shaking them like you do when you are nervous....is there a name for this?

[downtongirl]

update on me....I still can't seem to stop shaking my legs....still crazy anxiety....this is worse in the afternoon, evening and pm hours.....spoke with my psychiatrist and he through out a couple of medicines such as seroquel for sleep, or possibly lamictal.  The thought of adding something else terrifies me but something has got to give...my husband is at his last rope with me and have a dr. appointment with psych. dr. tomorrow.  I don't think I will be able to continue with school....I only made it two days but I just can't concentrate to do the homework.

[Altostrata]

If you think it is in your best interest, perhaps you will wish to follow your psychiatrist's recommendations. You seem too anxious about the process to take charge of it yourself.

[Altostrata]

I have this strong desire to keep moving my legs, shaking them like you do when you are nervous....is there a name for this?

It is called making yourself so anxious you develop symptoms.

[downtongirl]

Yes Alto you may be right...I am completely desperate and on the verge of loosing it all.  I am sure I am not making this worse....I try to not obsess over this but I can't stop!

[Christian]

 

I have this strong desire to keep moving my legs, shaking them like you do when you are nervous....is there a name for this?

It is called making yourself so anxious you develop symptoms.

[Christian]

I think I'm guilty of what Alto has stated here as well. I'm no expert like Alto but if your symptoms went completely away (temporarily) by taking a dose thats much better than many of us were able to do. Unless, of course, I'm misunderstanding in some way. Many of us are in limbo. Just know you are not alone.

[Altostrata]

downton, this is a peer support site.

 

We cannot prescribe drugs. If you don't want to take drugs, one thing that's absolutely necessary for everyone here is that you need to take responsibility for tapering and for managing withdrawal symptoms or other psychological symptoms, such as obsessive health anxiety, if they should appear.

 

We don't have magic wands to make this easy. You need to find the ability within yourself to stay calm, make decisions, and follow instructions if you choose to take charge of your situation yourself.

 

If you cannot do this, we can't help you. Having your doctor make decisions for you is by far the easiest route. This decision is entirely up to you.

[downtongirl]

Ok 

[downtongirl]

Can this constant adrenaline rush, needing to shake my legs or arms feeling be tardive akathisia?  I have read the post here but am confused as to whether I am experience extreme panic or if this is akathisia?  Is there a way to determine the difference between the two.  Thanks in advance.

[KarenB]

Please see posts 119 and 203 above. 

[Altostrata]

Working yourself up into symptoms you read about is called "medical student syndrome."

 

downton, by all evidence, reinstatement of Prozac will work for you. It worked when you took 2 doses a week or so ago and then quit. It seemed to be working when you took a lower 2.5mg dose. Are you still taking 2.5mg at the same time each day?

 

Your irrational worry that it is not going to work seems to be overwhelming the real-world evidence that it is working. The problem here is that you seem to want to believe you cannot resolve your problems yourself through your own decisions.

 

We cannot fix your tendency to irrational worry and lack of confidence for you. Only you can do that. If following advice from a psychiatrist is more comforting to you, you should do that. We cannot continue to answer these questions over and over. You may be temperamentally unsuited to the do-it-yourself methods we offer her as a peer support site.

[downtongirl]

Alto, yes, I am still taking the prozac and I am taking it in the morning when I took my prozac before.  I started feeling a little bit better yesterday morning.  My mood changed from panic to a sort of flatness...sort of a I don't care...attitude yesterday evening until about 15 - 20 minutes after I ate dinner.  Then my mood improved, and my outlook improved.  I don't know if that has anything to do with eating, or if eating helps the prozac work better, or what?

 

I went back to taking my magnesium glyciinate because last week I had decided to quit taking all supplements (multi vitamin, magnesium glycerinate, NAC, vitamin C) because three reasons...

1.  I had read where too many supplements can make things worse

2.  I wanted to have as little amount of supplements in by body in preparation for my urine neurotransmitter test and saliva hormone test

3.  I was afraid that I would build up a tolerance to natural supplements and that would be just something else to have to withdrawal from

 

After taking the magnesium glycinate last night I became very relaxed and was able to sleep for 7 hours.  

 

Today I still feel better...not one back to what I would consider my normal but better.  The symptoms that have improved since reinstating the liquid prozac since Tuesday evening (2 1/2) days ago are the following....

 

akathisia is improved a lot

vision is better not as blurry

panic is not nearly as bad

thinking is more clear

sleep at the least for last night returned

 

I have decided to stay reinstated on the prozac for a while.  If I do ever decide to taper I will do it much, much, much, slower and better planned.  If I ever do decide to taper again I want to have been on some natural supplements for a while to help with any symptoms that may pop up.  That is why I am having the neurotransmitter and hormone tests done and have an appointment with a functional medicine doctor who is a md and a naturopath doctor to take the above test results plus any other test results he wants to run to see if I could benefit with natural supplements, amino acids, etc. I am not expecting these natural supplements to be the fix for everything but maybe they could help some.  I do see help from the magnesium glycinate.  From what I read on here if the taper is done slow enough the symptoms are minimized which is encouraging.  

 

Alto, you are right I do have irrational worry and I do not know how to stop it.  I have had panic disorder since I was a child.  I really, truly want to learn how to not be so irrational but I have tried cbt and dbt therapy and those skills just seem to leave me when I am in a situation like I was this week.  Do you have any suggestions, books, therapies, etc. that would help me develop the ability to have more rational thinking?

 

You said I may be temperamentally unsuited to the do-it-yourself methods that are offered on this support site.  Does that mean you don't think I will ever be able to be med free?  Do you think I should give up and just stay on the medicine?  That is not what I want to do but it does sometimes feel impossible to become med free.  

 

I thank you and everyone for encouraging me to reinstate.  I know I am frustrating and I have trust issues because I have no one to help me with this but myself...my parents are in Heaven, all of my other friends who have quit antidepressants just quit with no problem at all, and of course the psychiatrists....6 I have been to in my area are worthless, also my husband does not get it and thinks it is just best for me to stay on the medicines.  I have tried all kinds of resources to find someone who is experienced in helping people get off of these medicines and know how to help me handle the withdrawal symptoms.  I know those professionals are few and far between.  

 

I look forward to your response.  Thank You!

[bubble]

A good start is to be aware of problematic tendencies we have.

 

The rest is practice. You behave a certain way, then you become aware 'oh here I go again', then without being frustrated we put an effort into doing things differently. In that way we trace new neurological pathways in our brain.

 

Keep on working on yourself. This is a big insight you have just had. Remember it and remind yourself of it when you next start behaving in the way you have been programmed.

 

In the meantime keep the dose steady. This process comes with ups and downs so it's a very good opportunity to practice.

 

I would say you have learnt a lot through this process now and have a lot better chance at managing your anxiety which is probably a result of your problematic programming. You also understand how tapering works better so your chances to be med free one day are also better.

 

It's nice to read you so calm

[Altostrata]

Don't bother with a urine neurotransmitter test or any test that is supposed to detect your neurotransmitter "balance." They are nonsense.

 

You will need to give reinstatement a chance for months, possibly. Do not expect immediate resolution of your withdrawal symptoms.

 

You will need to find a therapy that works for you. See See our Symptoms and Self-care forum  http://survivingantidepressants.org/index.php?/forum/8-symptoms-and-self-care/for suggestions about how to cope with symptoms.

 

If you cannot make your own decisions, stay consistent with your dosing, and manage a taper, you will not be able to go off drugs following the methods we advocate.

 

Before you post another question, I highly recommend you re-read your entire Intro topic to see if your question has already been answered so as not to inconvenience the staff with redundant questions.

[downtongirl]

A good start is to be aware of problematic tendencies we have.

 

The rest is practice. You behave a certain way, then you become aware 'oh here I go again', then without being frustrated we put an effort into doing things differently. In that way we trace new neurological pathways in our brain.

 

Keep on working on yourself. This is a big insight you have just had. Remember it and remind yourself of it when you next start behaving in the way you have been programmed.

 

In the meantime keep the dose steady. This process comes with ups and downs so it's a very good opportunity to practice.

 

I would say you have learnt a lot through this process now and have a lot better chance at managing your anxiety which is probably a result of your problematic programming. You also understand how tapering works better so your chances to be med free one day are also better.

 

It's nice to read you so calm

 

Thanks bubble for your kind words and encouragement.  If I had not reinstated the medicine I would not be this calm unfortunately which makes me sad.  I wish I was stronger than the withdrawal symptoms like a lot of you are on here.

 

I am having some panicky feelings over whether I will be able to sleep without the magnesium glycinate.  Not having sleep frightens me because I have heard of people committing suicide when they have not slept for days and that is not something I want to happen to me.  I am absolutely paranoid of becoming suicidal.  Do you know if people can build up a tolerance to magnesium glycinate?  I just don't want to become used to using it as a tool and then the rug get pulled out from underneath me if it were to stop working.  

 

One issue I have is ALWAYS feeling the need to be prepared for the "WHAT IF'S" which I obsess about making sure I am not caught off guard to the point to where I don't think it is healthy for me.  

[downtongirl]

Don't bother with a urine neurotransmitter test or any test that is supposed to detect your neurotransmitter "balance." They are nonsense.

 

You will need to give reinstatement a chance for months, possibly. Do not expect immediate resolution of your withdrawal symptoms.

 

You will need to find a therapy that works for you. See See our Symptoms and Self-care forum  http://survivingantidepressants.org/index.php?/forum/8-symptoms-and-self-care/for suggestions about how to cope with symptoms.

 

If you cannot make your own decisions, stay consistent with your dosing, and manage a taper, you will not be able to go off drugs following the methods we advocate.

 

Before you post another question, I highly recommend you re-read your entire Intro topic to see if your question has already been answered so as not to inconvenience the staff with redundant questions.

Ok Alto, I will do my best to reread my intro post before asking a question...I can not promise I will never repeat and I don't want to inconvenience the staff but I will try my best to remember to do that...when I am in a panic mode concentration and memory are harder for me.

[downtongirl]

Well....I am not sure what I am feeling today but I will try to describe it....last night about an hour before bed I took 100 mg of magnesium and a fish oil.  I was able to go to sleep but only slept about 3 hours.  In the morning when I get up I have a tinge of feeling normal....then a little bit after of that I start feeling very flat....pretty much I don't give a crap about much of anything.  I am just sitting and staring out of the windows.  I am pretty much tire, fed up, frustrated, and pissed off at the fact that I ever took the first freaking pill some 20 years ago.  So after feeling this way I take a shower and eat a little lunch.  Since this crash the beginning of the week....I get less hungry than normal...I try to eat but half way through a meal I start to feel nauseous.  I then maybe feel a slight lift in mood about 15 minutes after a meal.  Then mid afternoon...usually around 3 pm I start to have the anxious feeling and restless feelings in my legs but so far am able to sit still.  I am perplexed why so soon after eating a meal I have a little lift in mood.  I don't know that it matters but I wonder why the tie in anxiety in mid afternoon...I wonder if it has anything to do with prozac being an instant release medicine instead of theeffexor that I was on being a extended release medicine but then that doesn't make sense because prozac has a much longer half life so I would think it stays at a more steady state than prozac...anyone have any thoughts?  Thanks!

[Altostrata]

What do you know about stabilizing after reinstatement? Have you been taking the same amount of Prozac at the same time each day since 1/19?

[downtongirl]

No Alto I had to increase to 5 mg but I am taking it at the same time in the morning.  I don't know much if anything about being stable for I have not been since probably 2010.

[Altostrata]

Not only do you need to read every response to your posts, you need to read the links people give you. See The Windows and Waves Pattern of Stabilization