Nelly: coming off fluoxetine / Prozac

[Nelly]

18/08/19

8.30am thyroxine 

9am walked Daisy

9.30am b’fast

9.30am Venlafaxine 6 beads

9.30am fish oil

10am magnesium 

11am - 4.30pm went to mums; cleaned 

5pm walk on the beach

9.30am bed 

 

 

[Nelly]

19/08/19 Took a while to get to sleep last night

7.30am thyroxine 

7.30am shower

8am walked Daisy

8.30am b’fast

8.30am Venlafaxine 6 beads

8.30am Fish oil 

no magnesium 

9am 4pm work in cafe; feel ok

Body aching a little

4.30pm walked Daisy

6pm feel like sciatica pain in buttocks and down left leg; pain in neck

7pm supper

8pm magnesium salt foot bath

10pm applied magnesium oil to neck and legs, bed

 

 

[Nelly]

20 Aug 2019 

8.30am thyroxine

9.30am walked Daisy

10am b’fast 

10am Venlafaxine 6 beads 

NO sciatica pain

10am Fish oil 

cleaned, laundry & pottered in the garden. Feel ok 

1pm lunch 

4.30pm magnesium 

4.30pm Fish oil

4.30pm pain I’m back of neck, head feeling heavy

NOT feeling emotional 

walked Daisy

7pm supper

9pm shower 

9pm applied magnesium oil to neck and legs

9.45pm Horlicks & Bed 

[Nelly]

21 Aug 2019 

6am woke 

7am walked Daisy

7.30am thyroxine

8am b,fast

8am venlafaxine 6 beads

8am Fish oil

8am magnesium.  Feel ok

8.30am - 9.45am went back to bed. No pain

10.30am - 5pm work  Head a bit woolly 

3.30pm Fish oil

3.30pm magnesium 

5pm walked Daisy.  Feel bright 

went food shopping 

10pm applied magnesium oil to neck and legs, bed x

 

[Nelly]

22 Aug 2019

8.30am thyroxine. Tired on waking

8.45am walked Daisy

9.15am venlafaxine 8 beads

9.15am fish oil

9.15am showered Daisy

9.45am shower.  Feel better. no pain 

10am b’fast

10.30am - 5pm work 

12.30pm head ache 

12.30pm magnesium

5pm walked Daisy

7pm supper 

7.30pm phone rang; didn’t answer it 

9pm soaked feet in magnesium salt water 

10.30pm bed x

 

 

[Nelly]

Woke at 5am.

6pm I am amazed at how bright I look; eyes wide open. I used to wake with utter dread and feel like a heavy weight. Those feelings have gone. I wonder where I have been all my life. I almost feel emotional about it, the relief. I dreamt last night of people from the past. I want to get out there and have a life. I hope I will feel good enough.  Have others felt like this?  X

 

Edited August 24, 2019 by ChessieCat
corrected time

[Nelly]

Good morning

sorry I haven’t been recording daily records recently

i continue to be doing ok

slight aching in neck, sometimes muzzy head, but bearable.

continue to be focused at work and enjoying it. 

no bad effects

continue to take magnesium citrate 100mg and fish oil 2 capsules each are 1300mg 

apply magnesium oil to my neck and legs at night.

foot bath in magnesium salts once per week

continue to wake less tired and with a lot less dread, less misery 

some discomfort in my legs and feet and in my hands, due to I think, neuropathy.

i am seeing a neurologist for the first time in a couple of weeks. I don’t know what has caused the neuropathy; could be constant use of AD’s, smoking, which I am know is not helping, and I need to pack in. I was told I was pre Diabetic a few months ago, then told by another practitioner that I wasn’t!! Since then I have been more careful on what I eat. 

Do you think I should now increase my fish oil to 3 capsules a day and increase the magnesium to 200mg per day? 

Thank you x

[ChessieCat]

Do you take your magnesium throughout the day or in one dose?  If only once a day you might find it better to split the dose and take at least twice a day.  Try that first and then later you could try adding in a 3rd dose of 1/2 tablet..  Too much magnesium can cause diarrhea.

 

You could probably increase the fish oil.  I think in the Omega 3 topic it says you can take up to 6000.

 

Only make one change at a time and only increase by small amounts to see how it affects you.

[Nelly]

Thank you for your guidance

i will do this and see how I get on x

[Nelly]

I haven’t made any changes to my daily routine, with meds and supplements, since my last post. 

I have just returned from a short break with my friend, which was very relaxing walking by the seaside. 

I have had some pain in the back of my head and neck over the past  3 days.

Magnesium oil applied to my legs appears to be helping with the “jumping” legs at night.

However, my legs have felt strange, difficult to explain, I wonder if it may be the Neuropathy causing this.

I have been taking ibobrufen before bed, which seems to help a little. I am going to try without the ibobrufen, as I don’t want to add more medication to my plan. 

My sleep has been disrupted more often over the last few days. 

Could be WD or could be Neuropathy. 

My mood has been fine whilst away. Didn’t want to come home. 

Arrived home today, feeling very tired and had a sleep. X

 

[Nelly]

Feels like a wave; very tired and foggy head and want to hide from the world x

 

[Nelly]

09 Sept 2019

7am thyroxine

walk, shower, b’fast

8.15am Venlafaxine 6 beads 

Fish Oil & Magnesium 

9am - 4pm work in cafe

4.15pm Fish oil & Magnesium 

Feet & legs aching badly; legs feel so heavy

5.30pm 2 Co Codamol

10pm Magnesium oil to neck & legs, bed.

 

[Nelly]

10 Sept 2019

slept well despite waking at 3am & 5am

8.30am thyroxine

pins & needles in hand 

walk, b’fast

9.30am Venlafaxine 6 beads

Fish oi & magnesium

2.30pm Fish oil & magnesium 

9pm Magnesium salt foot bath

11pm magnesium oil to neck & legs, bed 

[Nelly]

Hello 

I am struggling today with physical symptoms; flu like, head ache, ringing in ears, aching, twitching eye, hungry, feeling sick. 

This is so horrible what we are going through. All my life struggled with feeling unwell, and now the realisation of what has caused it, or at least had a massive impact. I am now 55. I have had a crap life. I don’t mind if I go now. I have felt this coming on over the last few days. X

[Nelly]

My symptoms passed. I had a good cry, put on some relaxing music, dyed my hair and had 2 mugs of ovaltine. I do remind myself it will pass and sure enough it does. X

[Nelly]

14 Aug 2019

very bad nights sleep; kept waking and getting up. In the past I would face the following day with anxiety and overwhelming dread, and even consider ringing work to say I am unwell. This is no longer the case.  I no longer have the thoughts that I can’t face the day; I do it! I think this is down to reduced AD’s, I can’t think why else this would be. So my day......

7 .15 am thyroxine didn’t want to get up, but I had to go to work.

7.15 am shower, walk Daisy, b’fast feel ok

8am velafaxine 6 beads; fish oil; magnesium 

8.45am - 4.30pm  work; I did it!

4.40pm walked Daisy; corn out but not sleepy; head & neck ache 

5pm fish oil; magnesium. 

6pm supper chicken & veg

6.30pm short walk

7pm 9pm massaged oil into weary feet; did small jobs at home, bit by bit; pleased I didn’t give in and do nothing.

9pm magnesium oil to neck & legs; feel weary but ok. Not depressed. 

I was hoping to go out with friends this evening but didn’t feel up to socialising  as feet and legs were aching. 

9.30pm bed; ringing in head

I was planning on reducing half a bead tomorrow, but I have decided to hold where I am, as symptoms are apparent. 

I think continued use of AD’s all my life,  and the side effects of taking them,  in fact caused anxiety & depression. I am more alert in the mornings now,  after a poor nights sleep than I was after10 hours sleep in the past. The misery I felt when I woke in the past was enough to cause depression. X

 

[Nelly]

I have had a fairly good day, despite having a head ache which I couldn’t shift. This evening I am feeling bad. I have had a couple of hours sleep; my whole body and mind feels fragile. My head still aches and is heavy pain. No matter how bad I get, I am not taking any more prescribed meds, that are going to cause such horrific consequences.  

I have had enough and want to go now. I think I need to arrange to see the doctor, to ask for some support to get through this. X

[Nelly]

Not a nice day today. Feeling a dark cloud over me. Weary and empty. Head still a little heavy and body tired. X

[Nelly]

Hello

can AD’s mask the symptoms of Neoropathy please? X

[Nelly]

I have just ordered the book The antidepressant solution by Dr Glenmullen, to help identify which symptoms are as a result of WD, and which are symptoms of Neuropathy.. 

[Nelly]

Took hot water bottle to bed 

15 Sept 2019

8am woke good nights sleep                           pain/aching in head & legs & hands 

8am thyroxine

9am walk

9.30am venlafaxine, fish oil, magnesium, b’fast 

pottered about at home

met friends for lunch

5.30pm fish oil & magnesium slept on sofa          feeling weak and ill on waking

9pm ate some chicken                                                 felt a little better 

10pm magnesium oil to neck 

10pm 400mg ibobrufin 

10pm bed

12.30am couldn’t sleep  400mg cocodamol 

 

[Nelly]

Took hot water bottle to bed

16 Sept 2019

slept better

woke with a headache 

8.45am thyroxine

9am walk Daisy

9.15am cup of tea

9.15am Ibobrufen 400mg

9.20am Dentist

10am shopping, walk Daisy, coffee

1.30pm salmon jerky 

1.30pm venlafaxine 

1.30pm Fish oil & magnesium

1.30pm tumeric latte 

2.30pm boiled egg

pottered about at home & did some jobs.   Feel ok

5.30pm dinner chicken & veg , choc trifle, tumeric tea 

8pm magnesium salt foot soak 

9pm slight head ache

9.30pm magnesium oil to neck & legs

9.30pm hot water bottle to bed

 

Reduced my caffeine intake today down to 2 drinks, no bread today. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[Nelly]

Slept ok last night after getting up at 11pm -  2 xCo codamol

17 Sept 2019

8am thyroxine 

8.15am walk Daisy

8.15am don’t feel very well. Body aching; weak, pain in head

8.45am b’fadt; nuts, seeds, coconut, yogurt, kiwi fruit, tea 

wanted to die this morning. Feet cold, body feels sick. 

10am hungry; salmon jerky. Lay on bed

10.30am - 5pm work 

1.30pm 2 x ibobrufen body aching

4.30pm head foggy, ringing, body aching.

5pm walk Daisy

5.20pm sleep felt a little better

6pm Dinner; chicken, veg, cake, nuts

10pm 600mg ibobrufen, feet burning, bed with hot water bottle. 

 

[Nelly]

18 Sept 2019

slept ok last night

8am woke with slight headache, thyroxine

8.30am walked Daisy

9am shower, healthy b’fast

9.30am venlafaxine 6 beads, magnesium & fish oil headache eased 

10.30am - 5pm picked up friend and drive to apt with Neurologist; said likely that I don’t have Pephipherial Neuropathy, but referring me for conducive nerve test. Had blood tests taken. Felt a little disappointed that I didn’t ask enough questions and felt a bit hurried and that she was a little impatient with me. Not depressed. 

12.30pm lunch salad & egg & tuna & tea

3pm tea & biscuits

3.30pm starting to feel tired (tired but not sleepy feeling) 

5pm magnesium & fish oil.   Tired (unwell feeling) no head ache, minimal body aches 

5pm walk Daisy

6.30pm salmon & salad, nuts, little dark chocolate, craving anything else sweet but don’t act on it.

7.30pm mum rung me; second time this week! 

9.30pm ovaltine, feel ok; a little tired 

10pm magnesium oil to neck and legs, hot water bottle, 400 mg Ibobrufen; bed x

 

 

[Nelly]

18 Sept 2019

I failed to mention, the Neurologist offered pain medication; I declined 😊

[Nelly]

I would like to reduce by half a bead. It has been 6 weeks since my last reduction. Minimal WD symptoms, minimal aches & pains, some disrupted sleep, but still able to cope the following day. No anxiety and not depressed. 

I haven’t recorded my daily diary, over the last few days. I feel the best that I have been, as far as I can remember, as far as living, tiredness, emotions are concerned. I feel more in control. I know this is something I need to continue to manage, in order to keep well. I would appreciate some guidance on my next reduction please. Thank you x 

[Nelly]

25 August 2019

stopped apply magnesium oil to my neck for the past 4 nights before bed and head aches have eased on waking. 

Slept well last night. Left healing music playing in the background. 

Today feel ok, sight ringing in my head, slight detachment, but bearable. Eating as healthy as possible. Trying to remember to drink plenty of water 

Jumping legs not noticeable the last few nights, no need to take ibobrufen. 

Slight dry mouth today. 

No anxiety No depression. X

Just now, Nelly said:

25 August 2019

stopped apply magnesium oil to my neck for the past 4 nights before bed and head aches have eased on waking. 

Slept well last night. Left healing music playing in the background. 

Today feel ok, sight ringing in my head, slight detachment, but bearable. Eating as healthy as possible. Trying to remember to drink plenty of water 

Jumping legs not noticeable the last few nights, no need to take ibobrufen. 

Slight dry mouth today. 

No anxiety No depression. X

25th September not 25th August 

[Nelly]

26th Sept 2019

slept well

No headache on waking, no jumping legs last night, had soothing music playing throughout the night.

9.30am - 5pm work from home

slight twitching eye today

slight ringing in head

Ate well and drinking plenty of water. Feeling hungry 

walked twice with Daisy

8pm feel ready for bed 

 

[Nelly]

1st October 2019

I’m doing ok. No major WD symptoms, that I can’t deal with.

My legs were jumping a little last night, I took 2 Ibobrufen and slept well. 

Feeling lonely the past few days, I know it doesn’t have to be that way, there are people I can call or visit but I don’t do it. I know this is not good for me. Lacking motivation, even to have a shower or clean my flat. I don’t feel depressed or anxious. It is down to me I know, to go swimming or yoga or something. X

 

[Nelly]

3rd October 2019

Slept well last night. 

Feeling dreadful today. Started off ok, but gradually I felt unwell. Slept on the sofa this afternoon, head ache most of the day despite taking 400mg ibobrufen twice today. Head ringing and feel sick, I rarely feel sick, but have noticed this new symptom more than one once over the last week or so. 

Thoughts of.... I don’t know if I can do this.....if I didn’t work from home I wouldn’t be in employment, because I wouldn’t manage with this dreadful feeling. 

Made a positive decision yesterday and renewed my membership at a nice spa and pool; I went last night. 

Thoughts of how prescription after prescription is handed out without consideration given of how coming off these meds is going to be so so horrible. I wish I had known sooner. 

This is no life, it has never been a nice life, and I have had enough. I am not surprised people end their lives. It is exhausting, continuing to make positive changes, over a long period, but it doesn’t seem to help. My body feels poisoned! My head feels full, I don’t want to talk, because I am too tired. It is no wonder people turn to booze! 

Day after day the constant battle. X

[UnfoldingSky]

Nelly, how are you doing? 

[MissyE]

I was wondering the same Nelly.  Thinking of you. 

 

 

[UnfoldingSky]

Nelly, I wanted to check in and see if you had been by..I hope you are having a peaceful and enjoyable holiday.  Best wishes for the New Year, and I really hope we hear from you soon.🙂

[Nelly]

On 12/4/2019 at 2:37 AM, UnfoldingSky said:

Nelly, how are you doing? 

 

On 12/4/2019 at 11:30 AM, MissyE said:

I was wondering the same Nelly.  Thinking of you. 

 

 

 

On 12/27/2019 at 7:43 AM, UnfoldingSky said:

Nelly, I wanted to check in and see if you had been by..I hope you are having a peaceful and enjoyable holiday.  Best wishes for the New Year, and I really hope we hear from you soon.🙂

Good morning 

thank you for your messages. It’s really kind of you. I have been posting on a FB group. 
I am just ok. I haven’t reduced further since October. I was doing ok, but have had symptoms that have prevented me from tapering further. Still on 5 mini tablets. It dawned on me at the weekend, that my symptoms could be relating to my thyroid. I saw the doc in November, she said your thyroid test came back slightly low, but she was reluctant to increase my thyroxine and said if I notice symptoms to go back to see her. I should have realised sooner, but I just put it down to my tapering. I am going for blood tests this morning. So hopefully, this is the cause of my needing to hold for so long with having symptoms that have caused my WD symptoms to appear worse. Thank-you. 
I hope you are doing ok xx

[UnfoldingSky]

Nelly!  Great to hear from you!  Though I wish you were feeling better than just okay.  I hope your tests went well and you sort out what is going on so that hopefully you can taper further (assuming you wish to). I am having my thyroid tested too, I have some sort of involved health issue it seems, that doctors haven't been able to sort out.  Been going on for over a year now and I'm getting kind of fed up, health care where I am is a right mess.

 

How is Daisy? Have you still been seeing the man you mentioned last year?  Or met anyone new?  How are you finding the Facebook group?  So many questions...  I hope they are supportive.  I was often thinking about you, I was a bit worried maybe you were not doing well.  Glad to see you then.

 

 

 

 

 

 

[Nelly]

On 3/3/2020 at 5:51 AM, UnfoldingSky said:

Nelly!  Great to hear from you!  Though I wish you were feeling better than just okay.  I hope your tests went well and you sort out what is going on so that hopefully you can taper further (assuming you wish to). I am having my thyroid tested too, I have some sort of involved health issue it seems, that doctors haven't been able to sort out.  Been going on for over a year now and I'm getting kind of fed up, health care where I am is a right mess.

 

How is Daisy? Have you still been seeing the man you mentioned last year?  Or met anyone new?  How are you finding the Facebook group?  So many questions...  I hope they are supportive.  I was often thinking about you, I was a bit worried maybe you were not doing well.  Glad to see you then.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Good morning 

thank you for your message. I hope your blood results were positive for you and that you are feeling better and doing well. 

My tapering history off 150mg of venlafaxine, I thought was sensible and cautious, but not always the 10% recommended and sometimes a little more and a little less. less  

11th October reduces to 5 beads from 5 and a half: 62.5 kgs. My withdrawal symptoms become troublesome so I increase to 75 mg on 3rd April. A contributory factor for the symptoms I am told were likely due to cutting a tablet. I was feeling like I couldn’t cope, felt weak, foggy brain, head and neck pain. 

On 2nd May I couldn’t stop crying and felt like I was breaking down. I had had a very busy 3 days at work and I think this was a contributory factor. I emailed my manager on 3rd May, telling her that I couldn’t continue to work at the pace that I had been. 

On Monday 4th May I called the doctor, my emotional pain was too much; I knew what she was going to suggest; bridging with a different ad or increasing my venlafaxine. She prescribed me 150mg venlafaxine; I started taking 125 mg. in hindsight I probably could have increased less than this. I am disappointed after all my hard work, maintaining a healthy diet and lifestyle. 

I am so tired of this taking over my life, I don’t want to answer the phone, being in company tires me. the doctor also gave me 7 x 1mg lorazepam, which I take when desperate to sleep. 

I haven’t wanted to live any longer for some time, my sadness and attempts for a better life are exhausting, because I continue to battle with feelings of sadness. Now I have increased the venlafaxine, the symptoms are different but not pleasant; which is the better of two evils?? I don’t want to be medicated, numb. I have always looked at others and wished I could be happy like them, although I don’t compare too much. I have nice friends who I have told, it’s not that I don’t want to talk to you or go out with you, I would love to, but I am too tired. Maybe I have to accept that the best for me is to live a solitary life and unfulfilled.

I have been following a healthy diet for a long time now, walking my dog, taking quality magnesium fish oil, CBD oil, apple cider vinegar, ginger infused in lemon juice, magnesium foot baths, using essential oils, listening to relaxing music, avoiding overwhelming situations as much as possible. 

Iam beginning to think that this is always how it is going to be for me. If I accepted that, and stopped battling with it, finding reasons or excuses it might help. But I want to do so much, I want to be part of a group of happy friends, I want to do some voluntary work etc......but I don’t think I can. 

Perhaps my nervous system won’t cope without AD’s as I have taken various ones most of my life, usually because I cried and felt like I couldn’t cope: no love, no support, just drama. I am away from the drama now, 

I still don’t want to live anymore. It’s so disheartening when you put so much effort into doing the right things, but it is just not enough. I won’t kill myself because I have Daisy to look after. 

Thank you for reading and I feel better for writing xx