Heather Rose: Hello

[HeatherRose]

I had a bad night last night. I am upset with my life and I hate this stuff. I'm very sick this morning.

[Shep]

I'm sorry you had a bad night, Heather. If you feel up to it, please list your symptoms and members may be able to help you. 

 

You've had so many abrupt changes recently, it may take awhile to settle down for you.

 

Sending healing vibes your way. 

[HeatherRose]

Cried myself to sleep, shaking. Cried again this morning and sick all morning. Stomach has hurt all day. Still hurting now.

[Shep]

Hi, Heather.

 

Are there things that work for your stomach pain? Peppermint tea, perhaps?

 

Surround yourself with things that are soothing, such as music and nature sounds. These types of videos helped me with some of my worst emotional symptoms and helped with sleep:

 

Beethoven Moonlight Sonata with Relaxing Nature Sounds

 

I also found that deep breathing slowed down my thoughts, eased my mind, and helped with stomach problems brought on by withdrawal.

 

Deep breaths, beautiful music, and if your thinking patterns are what's making you go into some dark thoughts that keep looping through your head, if you can, change the channel:

 

"Change the channel" -- dealing with cognitive symptoms

 

 

Change cognitive framing - Redirect - Another Way

 

 

I don't know if you've been dealing with emotional blunting that's common with these drugs, but if so, perhaps crying is healthy at this point. I haven't had any real, human emotions in years because of depersonalization.

 

But if it's uncomfortable, if it's making you sick to your stomach, than try a distraction (watch a movie, take a walk, sit outside for awhile, etc) and let your CNS calm down, take a break from withdrawal, as much as possible.

 

I hope you're feeling better today.  Sending healing vibes your way. 

[HeatherRose]

HI Shep,

   My stomach is, unfortunately, still in great turmoil. Had problems this morning. Have not been hungry either..have had to make myself eat even when I don't feel like it. I AM trying to do some relaxing things. Have been watching easy programs on Netflix and writing and reading funny things on the internet. That has been helping. I also pet my cats and take naps. But the stomach trouble is still bothering me. I was needing to go out today but if the stomach doesn't get better I may not.

[HeatherRose]

It's now my third day on the new antidepressant (zoloft) and off my Remeron now for 6 days. I am not sure now if i have a little flu or if i am having withdrawal symptoms and starting up the new medicine symptoms.

[HeatherRose]

Thank you for the lInks. I love Moonlight Sonata. :-)

[JanCarol]

http://survivingantidepressants.org/index.php?/topic/8632-flu-like-wd-vs-a-flu-like-virus-how-to-tell/

[HeatherRose]

Thank you. I read it! It sounds like this may be the Zoloft flu. Still having stomach problems and fatigue.

[HeatherRose]

I have been feeling sick in the mornings but the afternoon are okay! I am even doing some exercise in the afternoons and my mood is better. :-)

[HeatherRose]

Hi HeatherRose,

 

I want to commiserate on the Invega shot and propranolol. They tried that on me too, and I had to beg to get back on Seroquel. Akathisia is truly torture. Propranolol is a joke. 

 

I have the same sort of history of landing in the hospital and being ripped off Seroquel onto a new drug to try. I remember trying to explain to my psych doctors face that you can't take me off Seroquel so fast and expect me to be doing well. They think the new med will just take over. Thankfully, with the exception of the Invega shot, I could get them to put me back on seroquel.

 

I had a doctor who was willing to help me taper say that he didn't know if the akathisia would come back if I successfully got off all of the seroquel. I pressed another doctor into telling me the same chemical reactions for akathisia are going on within me on seroquel, there is just a masking agent at work. When they rip me off seroquel in the hospital it is hard to know if the akathisia comes back because of the drug or lack of masking agent. I haven't been able to taper off successfully yet, so I don't know. 

 

I put up a post under self care about getting nutrient testing done. If you get a good practitioner they could help you with getting a bigger, more focused picture on how to deal with underlying issues. 

 

I also suggest, "A Mind of Your Own" by Kelly Brogan. She healed herself from thyroid issues and her books talks about it. There are more details about her at my post under self care. 

 

Take it easy,

 

VitaminB

 

 

Hi VitaminB,

  sorry didn't read this until now. I am slow on these things. Yes I was taken off the Seroquel very fast. I got my Invega shot today (177mg a month) and do feel it might be helping with the weird thoughts that trouble me but feel i wish i was back on even a bit of seroquel at night because i slept so much better on that. But with the new thyroid diagnosis and all that affecting me it's hard to separate the thyroid symptoms from the withdrawal symptoms. Basically, my body is in the middle of a chemical ****storm right now and I am just hanging on to the raft trying to stay afloat.

Edited August 18, 2016 by JanCarol
language

[HeatherRose]

And YES when the akethasia is there it is really hard on me. I hate not being able to sit still for long. actually the propanelol is helping me. When they first started me on the Invega I was up walking for two days straight unable to sit still or concentrate for long. But now I am able to sit and do work. I still can't read very much--concentration not so good--but am reading online now some so that is good too.

[VitaminB]

Eeeeeck, the propranolol didn't help me at all. The thyroid problems may have more to do with your "mental health" status then you think. I would seriously check out Kelly Brogan MD. 

 

You don't have to live with akathisia. It feel like I was legally tortured from akathisia. 

[HeatherRose]

Hi HeatherRose,

 

I want to commiserate on the Invega shot and propranolol. They tried that on me too, and I had to beg to get back on Seroquel. Akathisia is truly torture. Propranolol is a joke. 

 

I have the same sort of history of landing in the hospital and being ripped off Seroquel onto a new drug to try. I remember trying to explain to my psych doctors face that you can't take me off Seroquel so fast and expect me to be doing well. They think the new med will just take over. Thankfully, with the exception of the Invega shot, I could get them to put me back on seroquel.

 

I had a doctor who was willing to help me taper say that he didn't know if the akathisia would come back if I successfully got off all of the seroquel. I pressed another doctor into telling me the same chemical reactions for akathisia are going on within me on seroquel, there is just a masking agent at work. When they rip me off seroquel in the hospital it is hard to know if the akathisia comes back because of the drug or lack of masking agent. I haven't been able to taper off successfully yet, so I don't know. 

 

I put up a post under self care about getting nutrient testing done. If you get a good practitioner they could help you with getting a bigger, more focused picture on how to deal with underlying issues. 

 

I also suggest, "A Mind of Your Own" by Kelly Brogan. She healed herself from thyroid issues and her books talks about it. There are more details about her at my post under self care. 

 

Take it easy,

 

VitaminB

 

 

Actually VitaminB...i have blood tests which have proven my TSH has been above 13 and my thyroid antibodies are at over 600 when normal TSH is about 0.5-1.5 and normal thyroid antibodies are under 35. I am on a synthetic hormone for my thyroid problems and am going through menopause so my hormones are screwing with me. the thyroid problems are not in my head and this is a common phrase for many thyroid disease sufferers. My Anti-TPO antibody score shows I have an autoimmune disease Hashimoto's Thyroiditis which is physically attacking my thyroid. I am going in for a thryoid ultrasound next week to make sure it is not cancer and check for nodules on my thyroid.

[HeatherRose]

 

Hi HeatherRose,

 

I want to commiserate on the Invega shot and propranolol. They tried that on me too, and I had to beg to get back on Seroquel. Akathisia is truly torture. Propranolol is a joke. 

 

I have the same sort of history of landing in the hospital and being ripped off Seroquel onto a new drug to try. I remember trying to explain to my psych doctors face that you can't take me off Seroquel so fast and expect me to be doing well. They think the new med will just take over. Thankfully, with the exception of the Invega shot, I could get them to put me back on seroquel.

 

I had a doctor who was willing to help me taper say that he didn't know if the akathisia would come back if I successfully got off all of the seroquel. I pressed another doctor into telling me the same chemical reactions for akathisia are going on within me on seroquel, there is just a masking agent at work. When they rip me off seroquel in the hospital it is hard to know if the akathisia comes back because of the drug or lack of masking agent. I haven't been able to taper off successfully yet, so I don't know. 

 

I put up a post under self care about getting nutrient testing done. If you get a good practitioner they could help you with getting a bigger, more focused picture on how to deal with underlying issues. 

 

I also suggest, "A Mind of Your Own" by Kelly Brogan. She healed herself from thyroid issues and her books talks about it. There are more details about her at my post under self care. 

 

Take it easy,

 

VitaminB

 

 

Actually VitaminB...i have blood tests which have proven my TSH has been above 13 and my thyroid antibodies are at over 600 when normal TSH is about 0.5-1.5 and normal thyroid antibodies are under 35. I am on a synthetic hormone for my thyroid problems and am going through menopause so my hormones are screwing with me. the thyroid problems are not in my head and this is a common phrase for many thyroid disease sufferers. My Anti-TPO antibody score shows I have an autoimmune disease Hashimoto's Thyroiditis which is physically attacking my thyroid. I am going in for a thryoid ultrasound next week to make sure it is not cancer and check for nodules on my thyroid.

 

 

 

I have read some of Kelly Brogan's research on thyroid disease and you are accurate in your assessment of her value. She IS saying much of what I am learning. I was afraid at one point it was another Kelly Brogan but I was wrong. They are two separate people. She is saying that the psychiatric conditions can be attributed to thyroid dysfunction and that depression and such can be strong in thyroid patients which is accurate. My depression and anxiety and social problems i am having now i think are directly correlated to my thyroid condition being strong. I will read more of her. Thank you.

[VitaminB]

Awesome, I wish I could lend you the copy of her book that I have through an internet portal from the future. 

 

You are on a hefty cocktail... I wish you could at least stop the akathisia. The only thing that helped me with my latest haldol akathisia was 1 mg of adivan, and they let me have those when ever I wanted IN the hospital of course. I had to start hiding the haldol under my tongue and spit it out after my visit from the nurse. I did it successfully for a week and the akathisia calmed down and they noticed "such a big difference in my behavior." DUH, stop torturing me and I will get better! A nurse finally caught me tonguing and I had to fess up that the drug gives me akathisia and I refuse to take it. The nurse was on my side because my behavior was "so much better" and the doctor took me off haldol that hospitalization. Back to seroquel I went! 

 

I was on Lamictal from maybe 2010ish to 2013... that was the easiest one to get off of. I tapered off of it and when totally off of it I had some weird days of being out of it, and then that went away. I don't know if it could be easy for you. 

 

I am sure you know the harm of taking benzos long term is, Kelly Brogan MD will only give people a short term benzo, and that is IT. She is done with all these drugs that drive people NUTS in the long term! 

 

I got so sick when I was on the invega shot and they gave me propranolol, I was ready to vomit for three days, dizzy as hell. And them on top of all that it didn't work, I was still pacing, walking, rocking, anything to keep moving. EEeeeeck. 

 

I will keep you in my thoughts and send you vibes of freedom. You don't deserve to be a prisoner in your own skin! 

[HeatherRose]

VitaminB--thank you. I just hope to be able to sort all of this out eventually. I got my Invega shot last night and woke up this morning crying and obsessing really bad. It was a hard morning but this afternoon i took a nap and felt a little better this evening. Woke up with my brain swirling after only about 5 hours of sleep. I know insomnia can get really bad with med changes. Have you found that to be true?

 

(this question for anyone who wishes to discuss)

[VitaminB]

YES, getting off seroquel to fast leaves me in my bed staring at the ceiling, the anxiety comes up and I KNOW I have gone down to fast. I don't take the physical sensations of seroquel withdrawal too seriously anymore. I don't make the connection that it is an emergency anymore and I take action to do I need to do to fall asleep. It feels like anxiety when it isn't familiar and you don't know what to do. It feels like the same old sh*tty sensation that used to be labeled "anxiety" now a days. 

 

I am not a doctor and this is not medical advice. Please disregard this if you are getting harmed in anyway. 

 

I have used Melatonin and Valerian Root. Please don't try them too fast, start with the smallest amount possible if you are interested in this. You are on a big cocktail and you need to add new things slowly. I switch between melatonin and valerian root because they really knock me out. Valerian root stinks to high heaven but it can also serve as an anti-anxiety remedy during the day also. Melatonin isn't good for people on SSRIs from what I have read from Shep's story. I have an article here that says melatonin is depleted in the body from APs, benzos and SSRIs. As you get older you make less melatonin too. This is not by blog, but I have looked up the sited sources and they have lead me to some good places:

 

http://www.optimallivingdynamics.com/blog/7-important-nutrients-depleted-by-psychiatric-drugs-antidepressants-antipsychotics-stimulants-benzodiazepines-induced-guide-vitamins-medications

 

How long have you been at 2mg of Adivan? Are you going into withdrawal because it hasn't been upped in a while? Benzos are a double edged sword, they help in the short term and then cut you down in the long run. 2mg is a big dose....they are hard on you long term because they are an addictive substance. Part of the definition of an addictive substance is you need more and more to just feel normal. I am sure you know this, but I wanted to make sure. I am sure adivan helped with anxiety and akathisia, but eventually, it makes things much worse. 

 

I am not a doctor and this is not medical advice. Please disregard this if you are getting harmed in anyway. 

 

I hope this leads you to some more comfortable times. 

[JanCarol]

http://survivingantidepressants.org/index.php?/topic/53-sleep-problems-that-awful-withdrawal-insomnia/

[HeatherRose]

Thank you both! Actually I have been taking Valerian Root since my twenties. I do like it for anxiety and to help with sleep. I DOES stink to high heaven but I have learned to close my nostrils while i take it, close the bottle right away and wash my hands right away that way i don't even smell it. Melatonin I have taken before and it doesn't much help me.

 

the big thing that helps me is when i took my computer out of my room. I heard that blue lights from a computer or modem can interrupt circadian rhythms so about 6 months ago i remade my bedroom, took my computer out of it (I don't have TV so that is not a problem) and I have started putting my phone across the room so i can't reach over and look at it without getting up. That prevents me from late night web surfing on my smartphone. :-)

[JanCarol]

That's brilliant (sleep hygiene).

 

How's the changeover to Zoloft going?

 

You are still in the "first 3 weeks" of it - I'm wondering if it is too strong or activating.  This is the first time I looked at the dose...

[HeatherRose]

So I'm feeling fed up, irritated and angry about stuff! I want what I want. My hormones are going crazy and taking me with them!  My doctor wants to take me off the Invega 177mg once a month and return me to my Seroquel. I WANT my seroquel back. The Invega sucks! It has sucked since the beginning. My head shaking, the akathesia, not helping the scary thoughts, my sleep sucks. I don't want it anymore. I don't know how to tell people that. How can I just say i want my old medicine back and it be okay? I feel judged and found wanting. I hate myself, the world and everything in it. I feel stupid, vacant, empty of  empathy, compassion, warmth and tenderness and full of rage.

 

I just want what I want. I want my body to be back the way it was. I want my hormones to stop messing with me. I want my mind sharp and clear. I want to be confident, happy and fullfilled and instead I am this pathetic waste of space just trying to survive my stupid days.

[HeatherRose]

I feel like everyone is pulling my strings..like i am a puppet in a show. My doctors, as I have three at the time, tell me what to do and i do them. My friends tell me what to do and i do them. My family tells me what to do and i do them. I am torn limb from limb every day and I only want to be free and quiet and left alone. I want no one to tell me what to choose to do. I want to make my own decisions. I want to never rely on people even though I have to to survive with this stupid illness(es) i have to survive on other people. I want to run away again. FAR FAR AWAY. I hate my life. I hate my body. I hate everything.

[AliG]

HeatherRose. Unfortunately we all have moments like this. Times where we want to run and perhaps hide. I can empathize and understand where you're coming from.

I've experienced it but I know now that it was the drugs talking.

 

It has taken quite a while for my own authenticity to come through and perhaps it will with you also. These drugs can rob us of so much. I have learned not to care so much about what others think.

 

It's not an easy process but with time off drugs , your spirit will come to life again.

Please don't lose faith. This is a process and it can take a little time to get there.

It's worth it, though in the end.

Ali

[HeatherRose]

Thank you, Ali, for your wonderful response. Sometimes I feel very alone in these feelings. I have a few friends I trust with my real me but most people are not privy to it because I am shy about my problems and don't like to share the deep stuff with most people. That  is why forums like this are so important when I am having a horrible day/night and need to unload but have no one around and available that I trust.

[VitaminB]

I hope you can hold on and persuade the docs to switch you back to Seroquel, the lesser of two evils. 

 

I remember reeling in stomach pain the first week of propranolol. I think you have been on it a while already though? 

 

I have been looking at my book drug muggers for any info on why your stomach hurts. I couldn't find anything yet. 

 

It does say not to take sedating herbs with Rozerem, it is unsafe. (So no valerian root.)

 

It says don't eat broccoli, brussel sprouts, turnips or cauliflower while on levothyroxin because it will fight your medicine. Also, separate taking your calcium or eat dairy when you take lovothyroxin by two hours. Don't eat fiber with levothyroxin because it will move through the bowel faster and not work as well. 

 

Maybe you have a selenium deficiency. All antidepressants make the list for "mugging" selenium. Selenium is a super important antioxidant that makes autoimmune thyroid disorders worsen if you are depleted. It is a supplement that you can end up taking too much of. You can get too much because it will spark the production of too much thyroid hormone. You have to be careful. I would get a SpectraCell or a NutrEval test to see what is going on with you. Here is a link to more info: 

 

http://survivingantidepressants.org/index.php?/topic/12812-vitamin-and-mineral-assays-testing-for-nutrition/

 

Anylabtestnow.com does spectra cell, but they call it a micronutrient test:

 

https://www.anylabtestnow.com/tests/micronutrient-test/

 

If you get on seroquel we can be taper buddies.

[HeatherRose]

I AM letting myself go back on the seroquel. I sometimes don't feel smart enough to do this. I sometimes don't understand all of this. I want to start tapering in January. I want to do the right thing for myself. IT is just hard after 23 years drugged to do this big step. IT is scary.

 

I wish i understood better. My brain is foggy. My heart is confused. I am scared to try. I am scared of losing someone i love. I want to make the right choices.

 

I am in crisis tonight. I have called the crisis line. They helped me through a major panic attack. My friend has assured me I will not lose her but my abandonment issues have been triggered. NO fault of her own. They just get tripped easily. I want to get off these drugs so i can feel better again but the withdrawal affects i hear about and read about are very scary. I am afraid i will never get over them. I am afraid I will be sick with withdrawal for the rest of my life.

[VitaminB]

It IS a huge risk tapering. I haven't been able to do it yet. Your fears are valid. 

[scallywag]

HeatherRose -- It's good to read that you're taking charge, "I AM letting myself go back on the seroquel." That attitude and the medication change are excellent steps toward your goal of being off medication.

 

Your plan to stabilize on Seroquel before considering a taper in January is very wise. Don't worry about what tapering might demand of you until the end of this year; let go of the thoughts about "smart enough" etc.  Write off those thoughts as the result of the medications, if you can.

 

You're resourceful -- calling the crisis line and talking with a friend -- and insightful, realizing your fears of being abandoned. Those two characteristics will be extremely helpful as you work through this. Please be patient and gentle with yourself. 

[brassmonkey]

Hi HeatherRose-- Starting a taper is a very big decision that we have to make with very little information and while we're not thinking clearly. It's a very scary thing to do. I was quite scared when I started mine and not that I'm reaching the end of it, I'm getting scared again about jumping off. You're making a good plan and taking charge of it which are two major factors in having a successful taper.  Have confidence in yourself and your plan, be patient and flexible and you will get there.

[HeatherRose]

HeatherRose -- It's good to read that you're taking charge, "I AM letting myself go back on the seroquel." That attitude and the medication change are excellent steps toward your goal of being off medication.

 

Your plan to stabilize on Seroquel before considering a taper in January is very wise. Don't worry about what tapering might demand of you until the end of this year; let go of the thoughts about "smart enough" etc.  Write off those thoughts as the result of the medications, if you can.

 

You're resourceful -- calling the crisis line and talking with a friend -- and insightful, realizing your fears of being abandoned. Those two characteristics will be extremely helpful as you work through this. Please be patient and gentle with yourself. 

 

 

Thank you. My friend was the one who suggested January as I just went through two major medication changes this summer. I was hospitalized in June and they took me off of Seroquel, Rozerem AND my Zoloft all in 5 days and put me on all new drugs--Remeron, Invega injections and raised my Levothyroxin. Since then I have had many scary effects. The first night they took me off Seroquel completely I was up for 25 hours straight...like CoMPLETELY awake--not even tired a bit. The invega shots gave me instant akathesia which was only helped by propanelol. They took me off my anxiety meds too and replaced them with PRN Zyprexa to calm me.

 

Since then my doctor has given me back my Zoloft and my rozerem, taken me off the Remeron and left me on the Invega injections. Now he wants to start me back on my Seroquel. This was a big decision and hard to make--caused a panic attack when I was trying to figure it out. Since I have been off the seroquel i have had belly problems, eye problems, weight gain, no appetite, more aches and pains, insomnia and akathesia. I am hoping by going back on the seroquel for awhile I might be able to alleviate some of these things--get off the propanelol and do a more gentle taper off the seroquel later on. Instead of the hospital taking me from 300mg a night to nothing in 5 days!  

 

so...lots to think about and hard to think. I get distracted and vacant quite easily though I think I have a good mind it doesn't always fit the pieces together very well. The side effects of the Seroquel withdrawal and med changes make me feel sick much of the time. But I will eventually learn.

[Shep]

I can definitely relate to the "belly problems" with Seroquel, Heather. In fact, next to rebound psychosis (although part of that was due to sleep deprivation), the GI problems coming off Seroquel were massive and required an extremely restricted diet. But I came off way too fast because I didn't know about tapering until I was down to just 6.25 mg. And by then, a lot of the damage was done. You'll do a lot better job of it than I did. A lot of the scary stories are from people like me that went too fast and too soon. 

 

But even so,  I'm doing a LOT better now and the farther off I am from that drug, the more foods I'll be able to add back in and the better my sleep is already. It's much deeper now, I'm even seeing some dream activity that I hadn't experienced in years. The damage is repairable. We are not broken. 

 

I think you're doing great and like others have posted, it is scary to think about tapering off. But some of the fears are caused by the drugs themselves. They effect the fear center of the brain, they give us lies in the form of intrusive thoughts, our doctors don't know what's going on and can compound the problem with confusing and inappropriate diagnoses that feed into our fears. So having fear is totally normal during this. But it's going to be okay. You're going to be okay. 

 

Think about the end result - being drug free, being free from the drug-induced looping thought lies, being free from the akathisia, being able to go into that deep restorative sleep state. Keep fighting the good fight. It's so worth it. 

 

Sending healing vibes your way. I hope today is a better day. 

[HeatherRose]

I can definitely relate to the "belly problems" with Seroquel, Heather. In fact, next to rebound psychosis (although part of that was due to sleep deprivation), the GI problems coming off Seroquel were massive and required an extremely restricted diet. But I came off way too fast because I didn't know about tapering until I was down to just 6.25 mg. And by then, a lot of the damage was done. You'll do a lot better job of it than I did. A lot of the scary stories are from people like me that went too fast and too soon. 

 

But even so,  I'm doing a LOT better now and the farther off I am from that drug, the more foods I'll be able to add back in and the better my sleep is already. It's much deeper now, I'm even seeing some dream activity that I hadn't experienced in years. The damage is repairable. We are not broken. 

 

I think you're doing great and like others have posted, it is scary to think about tapering off. But some of the fears are caused by the drugs themselves. They effect the fear center of the brain, they give us lies in the form of intrusive thoughts, our doctors don't know what's going on and can compound the problem with confusing and inappropriate diagnoses that feed into our fears. So having fear is totally normal during this. But it's going to be okay. You're going to be okay. 

 

Think about the end result - being drug free, being free from the drug-induced looping thought lies, being free from the akathisia, being able to go into that deep restorative sleep state. Keep fighting the good fight. It's so worth it. 

 

Sending healing vibes your way. I hope today is a better day. 

Thanks Shep. You are always so nice. I am glad I am not broken. I feel broken a lot of days right now. I am hiding within myself and shutting myself off from the world a lot. My stomach is always messed up one way or the other. I was told I had e-coli so some of that is it but i think some of it is nerves too. I am printing off the sheet of withdrawal symptoms. They are putting me back on the seroquel and I am letting it happen. I think i was taken off too fast and it was too hard on me. I want to go back on it and then deal with the invega withdrawal and those effects whatever they may be. Then go off it again later on much slower and easier now that I am learning what to expect. Before in my life when I have taken myself off the seroquel i felt so weird and it was scary and i went back on it b/c my body felt better on it.

 

Now I know that was the withdrawal and like from cigarettes or something it causes cravings for you to "feel normal" again. for your body to get back to that relaxed state you are used to. To satisfy those neurons or whatever in the brain that are dependent on it. So just going off it, though I want to, is not the best way. I feel like just stopping all my medications really fast sometimes b/c i am learning so much about what they are bad for me but i know that is not the way and I need patience. I am not good with patience.

 

Anyway, I am thinking it will be okay in the end. But it will be a long time and i am scared. Thank you for your kind words.

[HeatherRose]

Dr. Glenmullen's checklist of witdrawal symptoms won't download on my computer so i just copied and pasted the symptoms onto another doc and printed them out. If i knew how to use Excel I would make a checklist but i don't know how to use it. Not sure why it won't show up on my computer. When i go to download the PDF it just comes out blank

[scallywag]

Heather: There are two links in the first line of links; you may be clicking on the second one which is blank.

 

Here's the link to the PDF that has the symptoms listed in the table:
PDF Monthly List of Dr Glenmullen's Symptoms to Print

[Shep]

Please keep us updated as you transition back onto Seroquel. I hope all goes well and you get some peace soon. I think the way the drugs make us shut out the world is a healthy symptom, as we need to concentrate on nurturing our CNS. In many ways, our mind/body knows exactly what to do, and we just have to get out of the way and let it happen. 

 

As much as you can, try to find ways of distracting, as this will help with the patience factor. The distractions (watching movies, listening to gentle music, playing online games, etc) are all ways of giving our CNS a sense of normalcy, even if we are too sick to really enjoy the distractions. In time, it becomes a habit and we learn to not give into those intrusive thoughts. We learn that we are in control. 

 

And this is a powerful take away from withdrawal. 

 

I know this is scary, but your online community will be there for you all of the way until you're off the drugs and healing.