Quazzi Posted March 1, 2016 Share Posted March 1, 2016 Hello, I have been off of antidepressants for about two years now. I no longer have the akathisia that used to make me have to pace and not be able to sit still, but it has been replaced with an overall constant underlying feeling of anxiety and depression. I am basically in a perpetual state of anhedonia (inability to feel pleasure in once-rewarding activities). I still have horrible insomnia every night. At best I get four or five hours of broken sleep, and then I am awake and laying there in pain (from back and neck injuries on top of the other symptoms) for the rest of the time in bed. I have seen sleep specialists, who have tried to help by giving me prescriptions to various sleep medications such as Zolpidem and Zaleplon, but none of the drugs work any way as I am still somewhat hypersensitive to medications. I'm taking 1mg of Melatonin at night but am not sure that it is even helping at all. I wish someone could let me know when I can expect to sleep well again. I have been jobless since June of 2015 and am living in friends' basement bedroom, and they are wanting me out by some time in April. I have no idea where I am going to go. I was on Effexor beginning in 1993. I believe the highest dose I was ever on was 150 mg. I'm not sure exactly when, but I was put on Trazodone 50 mg to help me sleep due to Effexor side effects. Tried to quit Effexor several times but failed and always got back on. I stayed on 75 mg it until the end of 2012, when I switched to Prozac 20 mg to try to taper off of meds. Tapered off of Prozac over a couple of months, then ended up going to the ER in June of 2013 and getting back on Effexor XR at 37.5 mg. Started having horrible tolerance withdrawal after about 5 months but didn't know what was going on and ended up switching back to Prozac 20 mg some time around October of 2013. Then I tapered off of that again over a few months and went completely off in February of 2013. I felt okay for a month or so, then started having horrible insomnia and panic attacks like never before. I tried to reinstate Prozac at 10 mg, but I ended up having a bad reaction and it made things even worse. I stopped trying to get back on Prozac after taking a low dose for 3 days and never took it again. I continued to take Trazodone 50 mg throughout this time, although it did not help me get more than 4 hours of sleep per night. I finally weaned off of Trazodone a few months ago. I have been experiencing complete nervous system instability since March of 2014, with brain fog 24 hours a day, pain all over at times, agorophobia, akathisia-like symptoms of inner restlessness, complete anhedonia, pronounced cognitive impairment and memory issues. In addition to the protracted withdrawal syndrome symptoms, on January 21, 2015 I was rear-ended by an inattentive driver and am now in constant, chronic pain due to spinal injuries. Link to comment
divalee Posted March 2, 2016 Share Posted March 2, 2016 Quazzi I know how you feel - it will get better - I know what you are going through - there are many success stories here - we do get better - patience is what we sooo learn. Have faith and hope - Keep posting and let us know how you are doing Lee (f) Zoloft started for 8 years - 150 mg capsules Started tapering December 3, 2011, Off Zoloft May 17, 2013 While tapering WDS were tolerable Off Zoloft debilitating WDS the worst starting around 6 months off even worse after 18 months off Now 35 months off - still in a terrible wave for months now. Link to comment
coldturkmama Posted March 2, 2016 Share Posted March 2, 2016 Hang in there. It'd hard but you will heal. Paxil 20mg from 1998-2011 Paxil 40mg from 2011-2012 while experiencing poopout October 2013 quit cold turkey Oct-mid Nov 2013 great window Late November WD nightmare Windows and waves pattern Now: 28 months cold turkey...doing decent learning to deal with the windows/waves pattern fighting it every step of the way. Link to comment
Moderator Emeritus Fresh Posted March 2, 2016 Moderator Emeritus Share Posted March 2, 2016 Hi Quazzi , welcome to the site. There's lots of information and support here to help you get through this difficut period of your life. Unfortunately , it sounds like you're not aware that Trazodone is a tetracyclic antidepressant. Taking it from 1993 till now ("I finally weaned off of Trazodone a few months ago.") means your brain has become adjusted to it in a big way , and weaning over the short period you did is like going cold turkey. You might consider reinstating a very small dose (1 or 2 mg initially) to take the edge off your w/d symptoms. Once you have stabilized , you can then taper slowly in a way that avoids severe w/d symptoms. Please see "About Reinstating and Stabilizing to Reduce W/D Symptoms" here http://survivingantidepressants.org/index.php?/topic/7562-about-reinstating-and-stabilizing-to-reduce-withdrawal-symptoms/ If you click FOLLOW at the top right , you'll receive an email each time someone posts here. Best wishes , Fresh p.s let me know if you'd like to change the title of this topic. 1987-1997 pertofran , prothiaden , Prozac 1997-2002 Zoloft 2002-2004 effexor 2004-2010 Lexapro 40mg 2010-2012Cymbalta 120mg Sept. 2012 -decreased 90mg in 6months. Care taken over by Dr Lucire in March 2013 , decreased last 30mg at 2mg per week over 3 months. July 21 , 2013- last dose of Cymbalta Protracted withdrawal syndrome kicked in badly Jan.2014 Unrelenting akathisia until May 2014. Voluntary hosp. admission. Cocktail of Seroquel, Ativan and mirtazapine and I was well enough to go home after 14 days. Stopped all hosp. meds in next few months. July 2014 felt v.depressed - couldn't stop crying. Started pristiq 50mg. Felt improvement within days and continued to improve, so stayed on 50mg for 8 months. Began taper 28 Feb. 2015. Pristiq 50mg down to 45mg. Had one month of w/d symptoms. Started CES therapy in March. No w/d symptoms down to 30mg. October 2015 , taking 25mg Pristiq. Capsules compounded with slow-release additive. March 2016 , 21mg Link to comment
Moderator Emeritus SquirrellyGirl Posted March 2, 2016 Moderator Emeritus Share Posted March 2, 2016 Hi Quazzi, I'm sorry you have are having to deal with withdrawal and pain from the accident - it is awful and I just wanted to say that you aren't alone. Only those who have lived it really get it. SG Started ADs back around 1995 after bad break-up, starting with Prozac. Switched to Wellbutrin, and then to Effexor in 2002 Effexor XR 2002-2014 up to 225 mg at one point, down to 37.5 mg towards end but back up to 75 mg in 2014; now realize I had W/D as I dropped down, memory very poor about history. Extreme emotions, poor concentration as I stepped back down, didn't connect the dots! Summer 2014 reduced to 0 very quickly, was sick of anhedonia/sexual dysfunction due to meds, depression never controlled if not worse. Didn't recognize WD since symptoms built slowly (thought I had ADD! and menopausal on top of it), starting with severe sweats, very bad cog-fog and memory issues, culminating in weight loss, severe anxiety and depression, panic, severe apathy and insomnia by eight months off. Saw p-doc who put me on Remeron, increased from 7.5 mg/day to 37.5 mg by May 22, 2015; still doing very badly though able to sleep. June 1. 2015 Reinstated Effexor XR 37.5 mg, Remeron dropped to 30 mg PM. Immediate relief of symptoms, like nothing had ever happened! Joined SA and began on advice of friend who recognized it was WD all along! Began tapering in July 2015. Been tapering both meds ever since, focusing on one more than the other or doing no more than 5% of each per month. 12 mg Effexor and 5.8 mg Remeron (mirtazapine SolTabs to make a solution with OraPlus) as of 5/4/2017 Update 3/14/18: 2.9 mg Remeron and 6 mg Effexor; 6/10/18: 2.6 mg Remeron and 4.9 mg Effexor My intro: http://survivingantidepressants.org/index.php?/topic/9313-squirrellygirl-effexor-withdrawal-etc/page-2#entry196679 This is not medical advice. Discuss any decisions about your medical care with a knowledgeable medical practitioner. Link to comment
AliG Posted March 2, 2016 Share Posted March 2, 2016 Withdrawal insomnia , can take a while to navigate. There is no easy answer. Everyone is different, but it can be one of the last and hardest symptoms to get over. Sleep problems - that awful withdrawal insomnia Have a read , and see what you think . This is your journal /thread to ask questions and track progress. Ali Many SSRI's and SSNRI's over 20 years. Zoloft for 7 years followed by Effexor, Lexapro, Prozac, Cymbalta, Celexa, Pristiq, Valdoxan, Mianserin and more - on and off. No tapering. Cold turkey off Valdoxan - end of May 2014 Psych Drug - free since May 2014 . Link to comment
Quazzi Posted March 3, 2016 Author Share Posted March 3, 2016 Hi Quazzi , welcome to the site. There's lots of information and support here to help you get through this difficut period of your life. Unfortunately , it sounds like you're not aware that Trazodone is a tetracyclic antidepressant. Taking it from 1993 till now ("I finally weaned off of Trazodone a few months ago.") means your brain has become adjusted to it in a big way , and weaning over the short period you did is like going cold turkey. You might consider reinstating a very small dose (1 or 2 mg initially) to take the edge off your w/d symptoms. Once you have stabilized , you can then taper slowly in a way that avoids severe w/d symptoms. Please see "About Reinstating and Stabilizing to Reduce W/D Symptoms" here http://survivingantidepressants.org/index.php?/topic/7562-about-reinstating-and-stabilizing-to-reduce-withdrawal-symptoms/ If you click FOLLOW at the top right , you'll receive an email each time someone posts here. Best wishes , Fresh p.s let me know if you'd like to change the title of this topic. Hello Fresh, Thank you, I am now following this topic. To clarify things a bit, I did know that Trazodone was an antidepressant. It is actually classified as a serotonin antagonist and reuptake inhibitor (SARI), which is different from MAOIs and TCAs. I had not been taking it the entire time that I was on Effexor XR, but it was only added years later to help with sleep. I actually tried taking one the other night, and it helped me sleep somewhat, but I felt more zombielike the next day. I felt "dumber" and unable to concentrate even more than usual (the usual not being very good to begin with). I really don't think taking a small amount of it is going to do anything to improve my condition; I'm pretty sure the symptoms I have are much more from the neurotoxicity of the SNRIs and SSRIs than from the Trazodone withdrawal. I did taper off VERY slowly, at a rate of 10% per month. At the end I was using a digital scale to measure a tiny fraction of the pill. I was on Effexor beginning in 1993. I believe the highest dose I was ever on was 150 mg. I'm not sure exactly when, but I was put on Trazodone 50 mg to help me sleep due to Effexor side effects. Tried to quit Effexor several times but failed and always got back on. I stayed on 75 mg it until the end of 2012, when I switched to Prozac 20 mg to try to taper off of meds. Tapered off of Prozac over a couple of months, then ended up going to the ER in June of 2013 and getting back on Effexor XR at 37.5 mg. Started having horrible tolerance withdrawal after about 5 months but didn't know what was going on and ended up switching back to Prozac 20 mg some time around October of 2013. Then I tapered off of that again over a few months and went completely off in February of 2013. I felt okay for a month or so, then started having horrible insomnia and panic attacks like never before. I tried to reinstate Prozac at 10 mg, but I ended up having a bad reaction and it made things even worse. I stopped trying to get back on Prozac after taking a low dose for 3 days and never took it again. I continued to take Trazodone 50 mg throughout this time, although it did not help me get more than 4 hours of sleep per night. I finally weaned off of Trazodone a few months ago. I have been experiencing complete nervous system instability since March of 2014, with brain fog 24 hours a day, pain all over at times, agorophobia, akathisia-like symptoms of inner restlessness, complete anhedonia, pronounced cognitive impairment and memory issues. In addition to the protracted withdrawal syndrome symptoms, on January 21, 2015 I was rear-ended by an inattentive driver and am now in constant, chronic pain due to spinal injuries. Link to comment
Moderator Emeritus Fresh Posted March 3, 2016 Moderator Emeritus Share Posted March 3, 2016 It takes 4 days to get to a steady state in your blood stream. The fact that it helped you sleep a bit is a good indicator. What dose did you take? We'd recommend a tiny dose , 1 or 2 mg , to see if it helps. You can always updose if you need to. 1987-1997 pertofran , prothiaden , Prozac 1997-2002 Zoloft 2002-2004 effexor 2004-2010 Lexapro 40mg 2010-2012Cymbalta 120mg Sept. 2012 -decreased 90mg in 6months. Care taken over by Dr Lucire in March 2013 , decreased last 30mg at 2mg per week over 3 months. July 21 , 2013- last dose of Cymbalta Protracted withdrawal syndrome kicked in badly Jan.2014 Unrelenting akathisia until May 2014. Voluntary hosp. admission. Cocktail of Seroquel, Ativan and mirtazapine and I was well enough to go home after 14 days. Stopped all hosp. meds in next few months. July 2014 felt v.depressed - couldn't stop crying. Started pristiq 50mg. Felt improvement within days and continued to improve, so stayed on 50mg for 8 months. Began taper 28 Feb. 2015. Pristiq 50mg down to 45mg. Had one month of w/d symptoms. Started CES therapy in March. No w/d symptoms down to 30mg. October 2015 , taking 25mg Pristiq. Capsules compounded with slow-release additive. March 2016 , 21mg Link to comment
Quazzi Posted March 4, 2016 Author Share Posted March 4, 2016 Thank you for your kind words Lee, coldturkmama, Fresh, Ali and SquirrellyGirl. I was on Effexor beginning in 1993. I believe the highest dose I was ever on was 150 mg. I'm not sure exactly when, but I was put on Trazodone 50 mg to help me sleep due to Effexor side effects. Tried to quit Effexor several times but failed and always got back on. I stayed on 75 mg it until the end of 2012, when I switched to Prozac 20 mg to try to taper off of meds. Tapered off of Prozac over a couple of months, then ended up going to the ER in June of 2013 and getting back on Effexor XR at 37.5 mg. Started having horrible tolerance withdrawal after about 5 months but didn't know what was going on and ended up switching back to Prozac 20 mg some time around October of 2013. Then I tapered off of that again over a few months and went completely off in February of 2013. I felt okay for a month or so, then started having horrible insomnia and panic attacks like never before. I tried to reinstate Prozac at 10 mg, but I ended up having a bad reaction and it made things even worse. I stopped trying to get back on Prozac after taking a low dose for 3 days and never took it again. I continued to take Trazodone 50 mg throughout this time, although it did not help me get more than 4 hours of sleep per night. I finally weaned off of Trazodone a few months ago. I have been experiencing complete nervous system instability since March of 2014, with brain fog 24 hours a day, pain all over at times, agorophobia, akathisia-like symptoms of inner restlessness, complete anhedonia, pronounced cognitive impairment and memory issues. In addition to the protracted withdrawal syndrome symptoms, on January 21, 2015 I was rear-ended by an inattentive driver and am now in constant, chronic pain due to spinal injuries. Link to comment
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