canboy what is the big deal about withdrawal ?

[canboy]

From all i can read on the internet, everyone says that how withdrawal is the most horrible thing in the world, they dont wish to happen it even to their worst enemy, how its better to die than to face it. ,, .....and so on.

Here I dont want to sound rude but what is it about withdrawal that makes it so nasty..

I have started tapering my ssri and i am afraid.

I think apart from akathisia and severe insomnia ,I can handle other symptoms easily like dizziness, brain zaps,headache, nausea etc..

If things go pretty difficult i am ready to quit my job until i get healed.

[Ali4]

All I can say, is taper VERY VERY SLOWLY, if you don't, buckle up cause its quite the ride, some of the wd symptoms you speak of are just the start of it, not trying to scare you, but I'm going through it and it can be shear hell to deal with, welcome to your journey, glad you found this forum, the people on here are amazing, I'm sure one of the mods will be on shortly to help you.

[Junglechicken]

I guess it depends on your tolerance level/level of sensitivity.

 

Thanks to the AD Cipralex (which I wish to this day I had never touched), I have gone from being a really 'healthy' person, to questioning on a daily basis how healthy am I???

 

I have had to make diet and lifestyle changes and get my head around what has been happening to my mind and body.

 

Thanks to this website I have been able to keep my sanity vaguely in check, but it has been a very frightening learning experience and has tested my already shaken nerves to the utmost.

 

This website really is the best place to be, so you came to the right place.

[romina95]

Some people are to taper off and get mild symptoms and others have horrible ones for months/years its best to taper off very slowly,dont do the same mistake that many of us do

[Bellisimo]

From all i can read on the internet, everyone says that how withdrawal is the most horrible thing in the world, they dont wish to happen it even to their worst enemy, how its better to die than to face it. ,, .....and so on.

Here I dont want to sound rude but what is it about withdrawal that makes it so nasty..

I have started tapering my ssri and i am afraid.

I think apart from akathisia and severe insomnia ,I can handle other symptoms easily like dizziness, brain zaps,headache, nausea etc..

If things go pretty difficult i am ready to quit my job until i get healed.

I think the worst thing with it is that people who have never experience it before and with docs who say its ok to quit even c/t sometimes, then a person end up in total chaos, its scary and it can be rough. People are different.. Some get alot of symtoms that last for long, some dont get anything at all and some mild.. its so different.

 

I wish you good luck tapering, try not think so much of what can  happen , stay positive.

[Bellisimo]

From all i can read on the internet, everyone says that how withdrawal is the most horrible thing in the world, they dont wish to happen it even to their worst enemy, how its better to die than to face it. ,, .....and so on.

Here I dont want to sound rude but what is it about withdrawal that makes it so nasty..

I have started tapering my ssri and i am afraid.

I think apart from akathisia and severe insomnia ,I can handle other symptoms easily like dizziness, brain zaps,headache, nausea etc..

If things go pretty difficult i am ready to quit my job until i get healed.

the reason why i got so scared in my w/d was because it felt like i lost myself. i didnt reconize myself at all. I lost alot of short term memory and coudlnt function good at all for a long time. 

[JohnnyPonce]

I was in the exact same boat as you! In my 20's I switched from one SSRI to the next cuz nothing worked. I thought all of the withdrawal horror stories were mostly overhyped or given by weak people. I had withdrawn just fine from at least 5 or 6 of them prior to experience long-term major protracted withdrawal. Believe me, if I could go back I would tell, no yell, at myself to PLEASE STOP TAKING the evil drugs before serious withdrawal sets in. Normal withdrawal is minor to moderate which is bearable to a certain extent....but major withdrawal is something ALTOGETHER different and yes, I wouldnt wish it on anyone!!! Only time and LOTS of it can heal one from the severity of it.

[Fresh]

Hi canboy , welcome to the site.

 

Please can you give us more information about your situation.  What have you been taking , what dose . for

how long.

How much have you decreased already , what meds, have you taken in the past?

 

Instructions for filling in your signature are here  

Please put your withdrawal history in your signature

 

The most common initial symptoms of withdrawal include "brain zaps" , diarrhea , flu' and cold symptoms , and

aches and pains.   Are you having any of these?

Hopefully you'll be one of the fortunate ones who is able to come off ssri's easily.

 

The big deal about withdrawal is that for many people the symptoms are so severe and so debilitating , that they

lose jobs , homes , marriages , relationships , even the ability to care for themselves.

The nature of protracted withdrawal means that many symptoms take years to subside , and it's not possible to

regain the life you had before.

 

Please use this thread to record your progress and ask any questions that come up.

 

Best wishes ,  Fresh

[SquirrellyGirl]

Hi canboy, 

 

I'm glad you have found your way here so that you can hopefully have a successful start to tapering off the meds.

 

As the others have professed, it truly can be horrific, but at the same time there are some people who just don't have any trouble at all.  The problem is, you don't know which one you will be.  Unfortunately, jumping in and cutting too big thinking that you'll just deal with it is the way that many have ended up here desperate for help.  When you make too big of a cut, you destabilize your nervous system because it has come to depend on the drug's action to function with some semblance of normalcy.  Yanking away a big chunk of your dosage is like ripping a trellis out from under a vine, taking a cog out of a machine and expecting it to work normally.  The problem is, some who try to reinstate after doing this find it very hard to stabilize with the updose.  Factors that seem to make a difference are how long you were on this and other ADs, whether or not there were direct switches between meds without tapering, previous attempts to come off, increases in dosage due to tolerance, and more. 

 

So, the 10% taper is a harm-reduction method for the general population of AD users, though some of those may be able to go faster.  You can start with 10% and if after a few weeks you find there were no wd symptoms, you can make your next cut.  A lot of people will get away with multiple 10% drops fairly rapidly but then run into trouble, probably because the nervous system fell behind.  Therefore, it may be wise to hold longer every few cuts, for a couple of months, and then resume.

 

It is best to not think in terms of the calendar.  You truly need to listen to your body on this, and only cut when you are stable, no WD symptoms.

 

I can honestly say that my taper has been very comfortable.  I am tapering mirtazapine, 10% per month (5% every two weeks), though I ran afoul when I switched to a homemade liquid.  I have gone back to dry cutting my dosages and feel pretty normal.  I will hold with this another couple of weeks before resuming.  

 

Having been through protracted wtihdrawal for 10 months which has left me with PTSD, I would rather NOT venture into those waters again!

 

Last note:  people talk about all the physical symptoms up front being nasty and then that part seems to be over in the first few months, but it is the emotional waves that hit months out that can be devastating.  Fear, doom, anxiety and depression at an intensity never before experienced, losing sleep entirely, waking with rushes of fear in the early morning hours, etc.  These are the things that floor people in WD.  The hope is that the very slow taper will prevent the worst of it.

 

Hopefully, if you take it  conservatively, withdrawal truly will be no big deal for you :-)  And with that, the best thing to do is to not read EVERY intro on here, scaring yourself with the rough ones.  If you are prone to anxiety anyway, it is best to stay away from researching everything to death, and focus on asking questions about your particular situation and experiences on your thread.  Oh, do read the success stories in that forum :-)

 

SG

[canboy]

Yes I have already read all these kind of posts in this forum as well as others about how horrible withdrawal is .

But I want to know which are those specific symtoms that makes it so horrible .

I have read that akathisia can be bad but would I be right if I say that I can manage it easily if keep myself at home for those withdrawal months.

[nz11]

Canboy in Can-ada com-plete drug-sig-nature?

 

What do you think of that idea?

[andy]

Yes I have already read all these kind of posts in this forum as well as others about how horrible withdrawal is .

But I want to know which are those specific symtoms that makes it so horrible .

I have read that akathisia can be bad but would I be right if I say that I can manage it easily if keep myself at home for those withdrawal months.

the symptoms are numerous and relentless they last all day every day.They consume your life and take away any enjoyment you had in life before meds.

I learnt the hard way and the only way to withdraw is very very slowly and to listen to your body,please take our advice

[Fresh]

Hi canboy ,  I have to say I love your attitude.  You're going to need that steely self-confidence to remind

yourself that yes , you can get through this , when it gets tough.

 

I had the same confidence in 2013 , when I tapered cymbalta.  The first few months were okay , I was hypomanic.

By Feb. 2014 , akathisia had kicked in.  The following video was made in March , during a calm spell.  

I didn't leave the house after February , and literally every moment was torturous.  In May I hadn't improved , and

requested hospital admission.

I'm still recovering.

 

[ChessieCat]

Hi Canboy,

 

It's not about toughing it out.  Understanding that the drug/s had changed my brain helped me to understand the advice people here were giving me.  I, personally, don't want to suffer any more than I have to getting of my drug.  Even having a mild headache for several days to a week can get to you very very quickly when you begin to forget what's it's like not to have one and it starts to feel like it will never end.  Also, any added stress on your body is going to slow the recovery process that your brain is trying to work on.

 

These are the things that helped me:

 

Video: Healing from Antidepressants: Patterns of Recovery

 

Brain Remodelling

 

This is a fantastic site with lots of supportive members and helpful staff and excellent information and advice on the best way to get off ADs.

 

It's not worth going through any withdrawal symptoms if there is a better way and you don't have to.

[btdt]

From all i can read on the internet, everyone says that how withdrawal is the most horrible thing in the world, they dont wish to happen it even to their worst enemy, how its better to die than to face it. ,, .....and so on.

Here I dont want to sound rude but what is it about withdrawal that makes it so nasty..

I have started tapering my ssri and i am afraid.

I think apart from akathisia and severe insomnia ,I can handle other symptoms easily like dizziness, brain zaps,headache, nausea etc..

If things go pretty difficult i am ready to quit my job until i get healed.

Brain zaps imagine every time you move your eyes your brain gets an electric shock that you can hear... EVERY time you move your eyes even if your eyes are closed night and day 24/7.  How one person describes brain zaps is not how another will... for me it was the above others have said they are like a shock that comes a few times a day or wk.  that is not what I had till long into cold turkey wd... don't go ct. 

Light and noise both are painful on so many levels it would be hard to list hem all ...bad enough not not go our and tinfoil your windows I did both. Shopped in the middle of the night for food did not eat much anyway as what went in came out.

Hallucinations and psychotic breaks... Paranoia and body pain

I don't like to talk about the worst of it as thinking of it gives it power and scares me to this day.  Wd has damaged me to the point I don't like to speak of the worst of it and do only when I see a person here struggling thru something alone and nobody knows about it... then I will go there but I won't go there for no reason...hope you understand this. 

If your against the wall with something tough that is kind of rare and need support I will go in and get you if I can... but I am not going there in a not dire situation cause it costs me each time I do. 

 

My experience may be caused by cold turkey when I could no longer tolerate any further drugging after 20 years of use... so please don't think everybody gets all of it... I pray they don't.  If I was told I would go thru it all again I am not sure I would stay for the trip because it is a very long and painful trip.  Even with what I know now and the skills I have it would be a struggle as all you are and have you lose and when it comes time to do battle your tired and wore ragged and frail... your not in the shape you are now when the worst of it hits your at your worst fighting the battle of your life a lot of it is about not giving in as much as it is giving in... depending on the day.

 

A part of me still thinks it is partly luck to make it thru cold turkey luck and support if you can find any.

 

I wish you peace. 

[apace41]

I have read that akathisia can be bad but would I be right if I say that I can manage it easily if keep myself at home for those withdrawal months.

 

In short, no.

 

There is no way to predict how any individual will respond to discontinuing the meds, especially in a cold turkey manner.  You give yourself the best chance for success by doing the slow taper we advocate but you get no guarantees either way.

 

If feeling like you are going to crawl out of your skin, unable to stay still, needing to pace the house for hours on end, unable to sleep and feeling like your head is running all over the place constitutes "managing it easily" then the answer may be "yes."  But, if you think that having a few months to stay home is a guarantee that you will "sail through" the process, that's a bad bet to make.  Is it possible that you have no or very few symptoms and then move on?  Yes.  Is it also possible that you have a long and difficult battle?  Yes.  Do what you can to maximize your chances of doing well.

 

Nobody can tell you what to do.  At the end of the day it is your call.

 

Best,

 

Andy

[canboy]

what does it means to 'crawl out of your skin' can you explain it. Looks scary .

[Ali4]

Looks scary? Or sounds scary? Cause let me tell you it is the worst thing someone can experience, been there done that, with ALL the symptoms, good luck if you " tough it out"

[nz11]

Personally im not sure why we are engaging with a person who is unable to provide even the most simplest of details.

[canboy]

I have tapered effexor from 75mg to 55 mg over 4months

. I haven't experienced anything major except slight aggression. When I am out on the road ,I get a feeling to hit someone, anyone.

[canboy]

Does it mostly hits during lower doses or after quitting

[canboy]

My plan is to stay at 5-8mg and go extremely slowly from there as I have read it hits hard when we reach low doses . what do you think ?

[Altostrata]

Withdrawal symptoms can start while you are reducing dosage or, if you've gone too fast, after you have quit. They can be worse than anything you can imagine.

 

This is why we urge people to go slow from the beginning. Once withdrawal symptoms start, it can take a long time before your nervous system settles down.

 

If you have increased irritability causing you to become more "aggressive," you should take that as a warning sign -- you need to slow down in your tapering.

[Altostrata]

canboy, I moved your posts here so we don't answer your questions in two places.

 

It might be a good idea right now to stop tapering for a while. What has been your reduction schedule in the last 3 months?

[canboy]

75-68-62-55. with 1month gap between each drop. I get first bout of aggression after my drop to 62mg and after further drop to 55mg ,it moved north .

I get an uncontrollable urge to hit a stranger, I only realize it when I am in a window. naturally ,I am a very calm person And always ready to help everyone .

[Fresh]

Hi canboy , if you recognize that that's not your usual self , take it as a warning sign.

There's no point charging ahead with your taper. Hold until you have no w/d symptoms at all ,

then wait even another couple of weeks after that before decreasing again.

 

How long have you been on 55 for?

[canboy]

for about 3weeks on 55mg.

 

when does the withdrawal starts. I mean,if it starts after a certain drop ,and let's assume it takes 1year for symptoms to subside and to recover. It makes no sense to hold on to that point ,but to continue tapering, albeit slower.

Because it may also take around 1year to recover after taper to zero . Does it makes any sense.

[Altostrata]

Yes, that is why we tell people to taper so slowly -- to avoid starting withdrawal symptoms.

 

If there was an easier, faster way, we'd tell people about it.

[btdt]

for about 3weeks on 55mg.

 

when does the withdrawal starts. I mean,if it starts after a certain drop ,and let's assume it takes 1year for symptoms to subside and to recover. It makes no sense to hold on to that point ,but to continue tapering, albeit slower.

Because it may also take around 1year to recover after taper to zero . Does it makes any sense.

 

From what I have seen on here it is the best bet to go slow in the first place as by the time symptoms that you can recognise hit your brain has suffered some damage it needs to heal from would it not be better to not put your brain through that?  This is my thinking AFTER having done everything wrong all the time. Once it starts it is an unpredictable state with no end time no for sure anything best to not let it out of the cage if you can help it a very slow taper is how to keep it caged for the most part... analogy a lion your trying to tame... if he gets out he is hell to put back in and there may be some damage along the way... if you can get him to do what you want while he is still caged and allow you to pass by... well that seems to me the smartest way to go.  For some of us the damage lingers years later it is not a guarantee that there is a get out of jail free card but to increase your odds slow taper is the best idea we have. 

I wish you peace

[nz11]

 

for about 3weeks on 55mg.

 

when does the withdrawal starts. I mean,if it starts after a certain drop ,and let's assume it takes 1year for symptoms to subside and to recover. It makes no sense to hold on to that point ,but to continue tapering, albeit slower.

Because it may also take around 1year to recover after taper to zero . Does it makes any sense.

 

From what I have seen on here it is the best bet to go slow in the first place as by the time symptoms that you can recognise hit your brain has suffered some damage it needs to heal from would it not be better to not put your brain through that?  This is my thinking AFTER having done everything wrong all the time. Once it starts it is an unpredictable state with no end time no for sure anything best to not let it out of the cage if you can help it a very slow taper is how to keep it caged for the most part... analogy a lion your trying to tame... if he gets out he is hell to put back in and there may be some damage along the way... if you can get him to do what you want while he is still caged and allow you to pass by... well that seems to me the smartest way to go.  For some of us the damage lingers years later it is not a guarantee that there is a get out of jail free card but to increase your odds slow taper is the best idea we have. 

I wish you peace

 

great analogy btdt

[Altostrata]

If you're getting withdrawal symptoms and insist on continuing to taper, you're set on a path to make yourself worse. If you keep on doing this, we can't help you.

[btdt]

for about 3weeks on 55mg.

 

when does the withdrawal starts. I mean,if it starts after a certain drop ,and let's assume it takes 1year for symptoms to subside and to recover. It makes no sense to hold on to that point ,but to continue tapering, albeit slower.

Because it may also take around 1year to recover after taper to zero . Does it makes any sense.

http://survivingantidepressants.org/index.php?/topic/509-protracted-withdrawal-or-paws-post-acute-withdrawal-syndrome-how-long-does-it-last/

 

I am sending this link in response to this "it may also take around 1year to recover after taper to zero" 

 

You would not do brain surgery without knowing what you were doing and getting off these drugs needs some study too... to be well informed I suggest you read the pages above.  

 

I know too that people who are tapering may not be thinking great or feeling at ease so please be as stable as you can get by holding your dose then study this animal before you decide the right move for you. 

 

I wish you peace

[Petunia]

Hi canboy,

I just replied on your topic Mood swings or bipolar disorder ?

and thought I would check out your intro thread to read your story. Now I'm even more concerned that you are tapering too fast. You've been medicated consistently since 2010 on multiple drugs, now down to the last one and reducing faster than we recommend with what seems like little regard for what seems to be happening..... the appearance of withdrawal symptoms, which will get worse if you don't slow down.

 

Are you still taking klonopin? If not, how did you stop taking it? Withdrawal syndrome from stopping a benzo too fast after regular use is common and the symptoms can last a long time. Its possible that the drugs you took later were masking a benzo withdrawal.

 

Please would you provide a little more detail about how you tapered Abilify. When did you take your last dose?

 

I strongly suggest you stop tapering for now and hold, giving yourself a chance to re-stabilize before making any more cuts.

 

Here is our effexor tapering topic:  Tips for tapering off Effexor (venlafaxine)  for when you resume tapering.

 

But given your history and current symptoms, I recommend you consider reducing by less than 10%, especially if cuts are causing aggression and irritability.

 

If things go pretty difficult i am ready to quit my job until i get healed.

 

If you taper slowly enough and pay attention to any symptoms, slowing down if they arise, then you shouldn't need to quit you job. The idea behind this site is to help people taper slowly and safely so they can remain comfortable and functional while reducing or coming off their medications.

[canboy]

Earlier I believed that I didn't felt any withdrawal symptom because I was on a low dose of 0.5 mg/day. After reading through some withdrawal stories, I felt lucky as I realized that the dose is enough to cause horrible withdrawal syndromes. And I tapered too fast , ( 0.25 for 2weeks and then stop ) ,under psychiatrist guidance.

I think you are right , abilify and effexxor must be masking it . But is it really possible to suffer from klonopin withdrawal after 2yrlears. I think it is my current taper that have caused it. I get an instant urge to hit people and I think it is obviously right to do it at that time. . I only realise it after it cools down after few days.

[Fresh]

I agree with you canboy - it's much more likely to be from your recent tapering.  

 

You might want to consider updosing the effexor to the last dose you felt stable on , and hold there.

[btdt]

Earlier I believed that I didn't felt any withdrawal symptom because I was on a low dose of 0.5 mg/day. After reading through some withdrawal stories, I felt lucky as I realized that the dose is enough to cause horrible withdrawal syndromes. And I tapered too fast , ( 0.25 for 2weeks and then stop ) ,under psychiatrist guidance.

I think you are right , abilify and effexxor must be masking it . But is it really possible to suffer from klonopin withdrawal after 2yrlears. I think it is my current taper that have caused it. I get an instant urge to hit people and I think it is obviously right to do it at that time. . I only realise it after it cools down after few days.

It is hard to say... and this is neuro emotion I know it well... 

http://survivingantidepressants.org/index.php?/topic/9809-neuro-emotions/

 

I always try to lay low when I know it is about it is one of the lions a cub maybe... but it can hurt you and those you love... sad thing is it is out and biting before I know it ... I think it a cub cause it is always able to sneek up on me... 

 

not so much any more... I tried to keep a handle on it by doing more meditation taking baths and staying away from people I loved that I did not want to hurt... cause hurting a stranger is bad enough hurting a loved one feeds the guilt and other neuro crap that comes later... regret... that stage.. best to keep to a minimum. 

peace to you