Hello Guys! My name is SuperSteve91, nice to meet you

[Altostrata]

Steve, please be very regular with the 1mg Lexapro, take it at the same time each day. Give it some time, at least a week, to see what it does.

 

Let us know how you're doing.

[SuperSteve91]

Hi Alto and Shep,

 

Ive had a good night sleep. Even dreamt a bit about music and drums which i really enjoyed. I also felt more rested this morning, the sleep felt deeper and more comfortable. Ive just taken 1mg of lexapro this morning, and i can't see if it is doing anything. It is not making things worse, but I think it is also not making things better at the moment, Ill take it a few more days and see how things go.

Now I am in doubt with myself at the moment. Basically ive been anxious al my life, I even remember being anxious in the early days of primary school. Ive coped with it somehow but when I was 16 it got out of hand and got progressively worse that it was starting to interfere with my daily life. I started to cancel parties and not go to things even though I am really a person who likes to be sociable with others. when I was 19 i was prescribed lexapro and it didn't do anything for my anxiety at all, made things worse to the point where I am now, Ive lost friends and find it difficult to leave the house. (But maybe ive always had some fear of leaving safe places anyway.) Im in doubt because the last months were so heavy going and Ive had so my symptoms, maybe it is just that my anxiety has returned big time (it was always there in the first place). My doctor always says it is just my anxiety and that withdrawal doesn't exist. I am really at a point in my life (25) where I can still study and do a lot of stuff that ive always wanted to do, but the anxiety is worring me. What if I never progress any further in life? Should I take an antidepressant after all? Ive always been a thinker, but being at my mums house really makes me think of a lot, and brings back memories that I didn't even know where in my head. Ive taken a sicky today, I am going to start to work wednesday again. I am so in doubt with my mental and physical ability at the moment, that it is easy just to stay at home, but I don't want to do that. You know what I mean? Will I get over this without any 'medication'? Thanks for the encouraging words.

[SuperSteve91]

And I want to add to this that when I took magnesium for some time, I had a few of the best days of my life. Without any anxiety and worry, and I was just happy about myself. Ive worked for three years, almost constantly and it was a very demanding job physically. Ive worked in a supermarket carying crates from 20-30 kilos al day long. Maybe I am overworked, but I don't know because every day is different symptomwise. 

[Shep]

Hi Alto and Shep,

 

Ive had a good night sleep. Even dreamt a bit about music and drums which i really enjoyed. I also felt more rested this morning, the sleep felt deeper and more comfortable. Ive just taken 1mg of lexapro this morning, and i can't see if it is doing anything. It is not making things worse, but I think it is also not making things better at the moment, Ill take it a few more days and see how things go.

 

 

That sounds like a good plan. Please make sure you're taking the Lexapro at the same time every day and continue to make these notes about your symptoms. This is a really positive update. 

 

 

 

Now I am in doubt with myself at the moment. Basically ive been anxious al my life, I even remember being anxious in the early days of primary school. Ive coped with it somehow but when I was 16 it got out of hand and got progressively worse that it was starting to interfere with my daily life. I started to cancel parties and not go to things even though I am really a person who likes to be sociable with others. when I was 19 i was prescribed lexapro and it didn't do anything for my anxiety at all, made things worse to the point where I am now, Ive lost friends and find it difficult to leave the house. (But maybe ive always had some fear of leaving safe places anyway.) Im in doubt because the last months were so heavy going and Ive had so my symptoms, maybe it is just that my anxiety has returned big time (it was always there in the first place). My doctor always says it is just my anxiety and that withdrawal doesn't exist. 

 

Many of us on this forum are worriers by nature, I know I am. Very few doctors recognize withdrawal. There's a really good book that explains what is going on:

 

Anatomy of an Epidemic

 

This video is a great summary of the book:

 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5VBXWdhabuQ

 

 

 

 I am really at a point in my life (25) where I can still study and do a lot of stuff that ive always wanted to do, but the anxiety is worring me. What if I never progress any further in life? Should I take an antidepressant after all? Ive always been a thinker, but being at my mums house really makes me think of a lot, and brings back memories that I didn't even know where in my head.

 

Replaying these kinds of old memories in your head is very, very common during withdrawal. This went on for me for months after coming off Klonopin, which is similar to your Ativan. Coming off psychiatric drugs (especially benzos) affects the memory center and the fear center of the brain. The mind goes in search of memories to match up to that level of fear.  And these drugs also cause intrusive and repetitive thoughts, so those fear-based memories keep cycling around and around in the mind. 

 

But this will get better. Many people find that practicing meditation, going for walks, listening to calming music, etc. helps. In time, these kinds of coping skills used during withdrawal become the very coping skills you can use to handle your anxiety off of drugs. The very act of detoxing is a powerful form of mindfulness training. And from what you're reported so far, you're already really good at finding ways of distracting from your symptoms and keeping a positive attitude.

 

Here's a list of non-drug coping skills that are very helpful:

 

Non-drug techniques to cope with emotional symptoms

 

 

 

Ive taken a sicky today, I am going to start to work wednesday again. I am so in doubt with my mental and physical ability at the moment, that it is easy just to stay at home, but I don't want to do that. You know what I mean? Will I get over this without any 'medication'? Thanks for the encouraging words.

 

 

Taking a sick day is a great non-drug coping method. I requested Friday off myself because I find that taking a day or two off a month really helps me. 

 

The problem with medication is the chronic course of outcome. Here's another Robert Whitaker article that explores this:

 

http://www.madinamerica.com/2011/06/%EF%BB%BFnow-antidepressant-induced-chronic-depression-has-a-name-tardive-dysphoria/

 

You sound extremely resilient by nature. With a few non-drug coping skills added for anxiety, you've got a really bright future ahead of you. 

 

 

And I want to add to this that when I took magnesium for some time, I had a few of the best days of my life. Without any anxiety and worry, and I was just happy about myself. Ive worked for three years, almost constantly and it was a very demanding job physically. Ive worked in a supermarket carying crates from 20-30 kilos al day long. Maybe I am overworked, but I don't know because every day is different symptomwise. 

 

 

Magnesium and fish oil may be other non-drug ways of handling your anxiety, so I'm glad you mentioned this. Here's some information about that:

 

King of supplements: Omega-3 fatty acids (fish oil)

 

Magnesium, nature's calcium channel blocker

 

Please continue to keep us updated.

[cymbaltawithdrawal5600]

 

when I took magnesium for some time, I had a few of the best days of my life.

 

Yeah but mag is a naturally occurring element of the earth and cannot be patented and sexily marketed by a drug company so their execs and stockholders can drive around in fancy cars while you are doing the donkey work stacking their grocs in the store....

 

Apparently mag is one of those essential things that, when low, does not have any obvious symptoms so it is never plugged into the anxiety therapy equation. But ativan is, go figure. Where does it say on the box of almonds that a cupful delivers the recommended daily allowance of ativan for optimum health? Or lexipro for that matter?

 

We all have to learn non drug techniques now to manage our pesky human emotion without drug meddling because drugs, though they work well in the beginning and temporarily,  are not a long term solution.

 

Not sure you are going to like how you will most likely feel as your body is rebuilding itself after the drugs did their thing but it is survivable. Just kinda unnecessary suffering if a reinstatement and slow taper can be done instead. You run the risk of your life becoming unmanageable and you can't keep going on and off the drugs, even at small amounts. That just causes further destabilization.

 

You will have to learn to manage your emotions yourself. We can give you lots of great tips and support though. You've got the rest of your life to learn and perfect your techniques.

[SuperSteve91]

 

 

when I took magnesium for some time, I had a few of the best days of my life.

 

Yeah but mag is a naturally occurring element of the earth and cannot be patented and sexily marketed by a drug company so their execs and stockholders can drive around in fancy cars while you are doing the donkey work stacking their grocs in the store....

 

Apparently mag is one of those essential things that, when low, does not have any obvious symptoms so it is never plugged into the anxiety therapy equation. But ativan is, go figure. Where does it say on the box of almonds that a cupful delivers the recommended daily allowance of ativan for optimum health? Or lexipro for that matter?

 

We all have to learn non drug techniques now to manage our pesky human emotion without drug meddling because drugs, though they work well in the beginning and temporarily,  are not a long term solution.

 

Not sure you are going to like how you will most likely feel as your body is rebuilding itself after the drugs did their thing but it is survivable. Just kinda unnecessary suffering if a reinstatement and slow taper can be done instead. You run the risk of your life becoming unmanageable and you can't keep going on and off the drugs, even at small amounts. That just causes further destabilization.

 

You will have to learn to manage your emotions yourself. We can give you lots of great tips and support though. You've got the rest of your life to learn and perfect your techniques.

 

Hi Cymbalta, what do you mean by 'Just kinda unnecessary suffering if a reinstatement and slow taper can be done instead.' So you think it is better for me to reinstate the ativan? And what about the lexapro? I don't want to hop on and off of drugs, I want to be drug free at some point in the near future.

[SuperSteve91]

Also, what causes these sudden drops in blood sugar? I never had that problem before quitting lexapro. Ive had chronic stress a long time and WD made me even more stressed.

[cymbaltawithdrawal5600]

No need to quote a post in its entirety to reply, just go to the bottom of your thread and start typing in the reply window. Quoting the whole thing just drags duplication all the way down the page....

 

So in this case, instead of me GIVING you the answer, I suggest you read your thread from the beginning and read all the links you've been given.

 

The desire to get off drugs in the 'near future' is what got you here. That is not how it works if you want to keep your life from falling apart as your body tries to heal itself. Look up Hudgen's thread, SA's poster boy for slow tapers completed successfully. Also Rhi's 'turtle taper'.

 

Sudden drops in blood sugar? That's easy. All the restructuring the body has to do to get things put back right takes a tremendous amount of energy, over and above what you are making it do at work and just living. You have no clue. You are in too much of a hurry and that is going to be your undoing. And if you don't learn how to manage stress, you'll have a worse time. A simple thing as eating and not letting your blood sugar fall is a great way to manage stress. Our parents and schools filled our heads with crap, not how to live well and use our bodies properly. The media is a big offender too. Growing up in a cave would produce better humans.

 

Frequent small meals are the way to go. Blood sugar dips cause psychological symptoms and often, when you feel bad, eating something will erase that. You won't be fully optimal for a long time. But if you do it right that long time won't be all that bad. Understand? Read read read.

[cymbaltawithdrawal5600]

Oh shoot, the edit time passed and my edit to the above was lost.

 

Unnecessary suffering refers to the fact you are balking at staying on the ativan and tapering off it safely. Had you considered that what you are diagnosing as blood sugar spikes is in actuality your body ramping up benzo withdrawal?

 

This is not a contest, your body needs the drugs till it can take over on its own.

[SuperSteve91]

Hi Cymbalta thanks for your statements. Unfortunately my mind just doesn't seem to cope with a lot of reading, when I read something I have to read it 2 or 3 times before my brain actually registers it. But I'll try to read some now and then.  Ive had this sudden loss of blood sugar before, even when I was not on the Ativans but was in a few months of lexapro withdrawal. Stress levels are quite good actually. What ive expierienced just now as I went to the centre of my town where I live in, is that I am just very very sensitive to everything. Sounds, lights, people, different situations. My brain is not able to cope with it. I feel quite confused most of the time. Lexapro 1mg isn't doing a great deal for me, maybe even making symptoms worse. I don't know. But as I said before, Ive been to this place of confusion before, and had some weeks where it totally cleared up. It feels as though my body and my anxiety system in my brain is so sensitive to everything. 

[cymbaltawithdrawal5600]

That 'sensitivity' is how WD syndrome manifests in the body. The ears don't process sound right, the eyes go wonky, the blood sugar goes haywire.

 

Don't yank your drug doses around. It makes it worse. Hoow many more days are you supposed to try the lex and what was suggested you do about the ativan? That is what I want you to read, the stuff you were told in your thread already. Sorry was not clear.

 

The drugs are to keep it from getting worse.

[cymbaltawithdrawal5600]

WD syndrome also manifests as irrational thoughts. That's why we do all we can to prevent that.

 

The thoughts go away.

[SuperSteve91]

I am going to try the lexapro 1mg 2 or three more days. Ive had a good night sleep but I am super anxious. Am afraid to get out of bed this morning and walk round the house. Everything makes me anxious at the moment. 

[cymbaltawithdrawal5600]

This is classic and is why we try so hard to prevent this from happening. Physiologically, the body's 'alerting' system goes kaflooey when these drugs are abruptly withdrawn. It reacts with alarm to EVERYTHING, even its own internal processes sometimes. It can manifest in your thoughts and emotions too.

 

Reducing at 10% or less of the previous dose per month usually puts you at going off the drug about 1 1/2 times the length of time you were on it. And adding in a relative crumb of a dose if you've stopped too soon (and then tapering slowly off that) is sometimes enough to calm the body down. Doing it at the right time and the right dose is tough to figure and people sometimes panic and see saw the doses or dump them all together and then its only time and waiting till the body sets it right, an unknown amount of time for everyone. There are no drugs to help this they make it worse.

 

I survived cold turkey off 3 drugs. WD syndrome did not hit till 1 year later. But I knew what it was and what to do because I was a member here. It was pretty bad for me. Not everyone can go through it as you might have seen from your reading yesterday. But they are just thoughts, the anxiety feelings are just sensations gone awry, they don't reflect the real world.

 

All this info is in those links we gave you, you'll get to them eventually. So now you know what it is, I'll leave your thread now. Other people read it too, it is for their benefit also.

[Altostrata]

Steve, have your symptoms gotten better or worse since you started taking 1mg Lexapro?

 

Since you've also made changes in the benzo, you could be having symptoms from that, even more anxiety.

 

Do your best to stay calm and not add to any drug-caused anxiety. Meditation is a very good technique for managing worry.

 

Please stick with the Lexapro. Do not make any more changes right now. Let us know how you're doing.

[Christian]

Hi Steve,

 

Just curious. Did your symptoms improve ?