Psvt: Misdiagnosis ... because every ill must be anxiety, stress and depression?

[Andie]

Hi There 

 

Thanks for for stopping by my thread. 

 

I just had had a quick read through your thread. I too was suffering from runs of really uncomfortable SVT and it was the cardiologist that wanted me off the Pristiq ASAP. The Cardiologist I saw mentioned he had seen many patients on SNRIs and SSRIs suffering from SVT, but when I mentioned this to my Psychiatrist he said he has never heard of this. 

 

I am hoping with time we will all recover. The SVT has definitely calmed down a lot since I have reduced the dose. 

[Psvt]

2 years 3 days 20 hrs 16 min

 

unbeleivable.......nothing to say really other than things are not good, no improvement. In fact there has been an increase in intensity of symptoms and barely hanging on. Not only has this poison devestated my life but it's taken a good chunk from daughters as well. How dare they even produce such vile rubbish toxic crap let alone approve it as a medicine. I guess one take away from all this is that my misdiagnosed issue hasn't returned since it was fixed with surgery but to be still a vegetable from medications I never needed for a condition I never had just blows my mind.

 

Still housebound and with debilitating symptoms both mental and physical. Stopped counting and grieving the losses. 

 

WOW....JUST WOW.

 

This is just ferocious......

 

 

[Psvt]

On 26 May 2019 at 4:24 PM, Andie said:

Hi There 

 

Thanks for for stopping by my thread. 

 

I just had had a quick read through your thread. I too was suffering from runs of really uncomfortable SVT and it was the cardiologist that wanted me off the Pristiq ASAP. The Cardiologist I saw mentioned he had seen many patients on SNRIs and SSRIs suffering from SVT, but when I mentioned this to my Psychiatrist he said he has never heard of this. 

 

I am hoping with time we will all recover. The SVT has definitely calmed down a lot since I have reduced the dose. 

Sorry Andie for such a let reply....I have been, well, just trying to stay alive.....

 

anyway, I had SVT prior to any drugs but it was always blamed on anxiety or panic or dehydration or , or , or, .........

 

but  I can guarantee you one thing, these drugs especially the pristiq increased the amount of episodes in quantity , length and intensity. I have also recently found out that pristiq should not be prescribed to anyone with an arrhythmia....go figure.

 

Your psychiatrist sounds like every other quack, an ignorant narcissistic quack who couldn't make it a real doctor so became a psychiatrist. 

 

so the pristiq didn't cause the SVT which was AVNRT type but it did cause some other nasty things with my heart which almost caused me to have a pacemaker fitted for a thing called wenkebach or what's also known as second degree heart block where I was missing every third heart beat. Thankfully my brilliant Doctor the electrophysiologist and his colleagues assured me that the pristiq was the cause of it. That's the difference between real doctors and psychiatrists and GPs that call themselves doctors.

 

anyway, I hope things are going in the right direction for you now?

[Psvt]

On 27 March 2019 at 11:44 PM, withhopeinmyheart said:

Hi PSVT, 

 

just read your thread. I'm so sorry this happened to you. 

 

It's been half a year for me, four months since holding the tiny reinstatement dose. 

 

I too am housebound except maybe a short walk once a month. 

 

I also often lose hope this can end. 

 

Hope you're doing better. 

Don't lose hope, I'm assured by the gurus and survivors of psych drug withdrawal that all this craziness ends. Everything goes back to normal. All of it. 

 

This ENDS.......the only question is WHEN?

On 27 March 2019 at 6:19 PM, Leo1983 said:

Some improvement?

 

Nada......well nothing worthy to report anyway.

[Maya]

Hi PVST,

I highly admire your positive thinking in this miserable situation.

I'm home/bed bound too.

How do you manage your days? How do you spend them? And what about meal? Do you make it yourself?

[Leo1983]

Hi.

 

were you on Lexapro for 2 years?

[Psvt]

9 hours ago, Leo1983 said:

Hi.

 

were you on Lexapro for 2 years?

 

A little less, around 18 mths.

[Psvt]

10 hours ago, Maya said:

Hi PVST,

I highly admire your positive thinking in this miserable situation.

I'm home/bed bound too.

How do you manage your days? How do you spend them? And what about meal? Do you make it yourself?

 

Getting through the days....well that is a day by day concept...depending on the symptoms really. If the akathisia is torturing me then a just pace up and down my driveway for the most part till it settles. 

 

Other than that, I flitter around from one thing to another....maybe a puzzle, then you tube, then Netflix, then a shower, back to you tube, then word search games, message some "withdrawal" friends because I've lost all my real life friends, then click around on the computer then repeat. Watch some Webinars or join a Q&A session with Baylissa. Back to being crucified to my bed, walk outside again, back inside, sit down highly uncomfortable, stand up again and on and on it goes.

 

well my wife and daughters are caring for me for the most part and do all shopping for food.. Some days I can put meals together or I eat leftovers from the night before. 

[Aeroman]

On 1/22/2018 at 5:42 PM, PSVT said:

UPC

 

Thanks. This means a lot. 

 

Its BS that people have to go through this relentless suffering. It really does feel like normal resumption of service will never come but I guess it is about keeping faith and belief in those who suffered before us and got through this. Success like Aeroman, Belissimo, Mr B (benzo buddies) and others.

 

For me, and I'm sure like many others, having to go through this for an issue I never had is something I am struggling to come to terms with. It is death by a thousand cuts............

checking in, how have you been doing?!

[Psvt]

On 16 January 2020 at 3:23 AM, Aeroman said:

checking in, how have you been doing?!

 

Hi aeroman

 

thanks for checking, I appreciate it.

 

unfortunatley things are not very good at all. Still suffering immensely as I look down the barrel of 28 mths.

 

between the akathisia , anxiety, fear, tinnitus, muscle twitching, early morning wake up with terror and on and on it goes I'm just totally flabbergasted that this is even possible even though I am still non functional I am still constantly assured that this will end and the symptoms leave and normal service resumes. 

 

However this his is slowly wearing me down to the point of "no longer doable" if a break, a window, a lessening of the symptoms or some confirmation of healing doesn't arrive relatively quickly as this is having a big impact not only on me but also my wife and two daughters.

 

my diet is good and clean. I don't take supplements or any type of drug being prescribed, over the counter or illicit. Minimal caffeine in an occasional cup of tea and don't take anything that could impact healing. All I have left is giving up food water or oxygen.

 

i guess some of are more deeply injured than others and need more maximum time to recover..

 

psvt

 

[Amira]

Hey @PSVT how are you doing? 

[Psvt]

On 8 June 2020 at 6:55 AM, Amira123 said:

Hey @PSVT how are you doing? 

 

 

Pretty much the same, dealing with severe akathisia and a myriad of other symptoms that keep me debilitated and homebound.

a couple weeks away from 34 mths.

 

just hanging on until 36 mths then .....well.....I will be taking an alternate course of action. I'm done with this amount of suffering for so long. 

[Altostrata]

Hang in there, PSVT. What is your sleep schedule and sleep pattern?

[Leo1983]

1 hour ago, Altostrata said:

Hang in there, PSVT. What is your sleep schedule and sleep pattern?

 

Hi Altostrata.

 

Do you mean hang in their for recovery?

[Altostrata]

6 minutes ago, Leo1983 said:

 

Hi Altostrata.

 

Do you mean hang in their for recovery?

 

Of course.

[Psvt]

On 28 July 2020 at 4:18 AM, Altostrata said:

Hang in there, PSVT. What is your sleep schedule and sleep pattern?

 

The akathisia starts to usually settle around 9.30 to 10.30 pm which allows me to go to bed and fall asleep. I can actually feel all the energy just subside to a very minimal level which then let's me know it's bedtime. Once that happens I'm pretty much out like a light but then between the 3-4am every morning I get woken up with a blast in my chest, terror, fear and like a nuclear bomb has gone off and I battle the whole day long repeat repeat repeat. Although I'm almost 34 mths off this started 36 mths ago. 

 

I keep getting assured that it will stop eventually but I have to start facing the reality of this and call it a day. I have paid my dues and a hefty price for this so I surrender. I give myself 73 more days to see some major improvements. Otherwise it's curtains. I'm depleted of all resources, emotional, spiritual, physical, financial. I'm just done. Overcooked. 

[Leo1983]

15 minutes ago, PSVT said:

 

I keep getting assured that it will stop

 

Fair comment. I feel the same at 25 months

[Altostrata]

12 hours ago, PSVT said:

Although I'm almost 34 mths off this started 36 mths ago. 

 

This started while you were taking Pristiq or after you went off Lexapro in March 2017?

 

It sounds like you are hypersensitive to the early morning spike in cortisol, which is a natural phase of our circadian rhythm triggered by early morning light. See

 

Waking with panic or anxiety -- managing cortisol spikes

 

Darkening your bedroom with blackout shades and curtains and wearing a sleep mask can help.

 

It also sounds like the symptoms abate in the evening with the circadian rise in melatonin. Melatonin has a half-life of only a few hours. You might find taking a little at 1 a.m. helps reduce the reaction to the cortisol rise a couple hours later, or you might experiment with extended-release melatonin. You may be hypersensitive to all neuroactive substances, so you'll probably want to experiment with a very low dose. Even 0.25mg melatonin can be effective for sleep. See

 

What is the sleep cycle?

 

Melatonin for sleep: Many people find it helpful

 

 

Are you sensitive to light? If so, see

 

Increased sensitivity to light, noise, sound, exercise etc

 

Light-sensitive? Try blocking out blue light

 

Computer Program Adjusts Blue Light to Time of Day

 

 

You might benefit from "sleep hygiene" as well:

 

Tips to help sleep -- so many of us have that awful withdrawal insomnia

 

Path to Better Sleep FREE online for everyone from the US Veterans Administration

 

Music for self-care: Calms hyperalertness, anxiety, aids relaxation and sleep

 

TV or computer use in evening can disrupt sleep: Bright light signals the brain that it's daytime

 

 

How much exercise do you get? Be sure to get at least a half-hour of gentle exercise, such as walking, each day.

 

Inactivity may make sympathetic nervous system hypersensitive...

 

 

On 10/11/2018 at 10:59 AM, Altostrata said:

Hello, psvt, good to hear you're seeing some improvement.

 

Have you tried fish oil and magnesium supplements, see http://survivingantidepressants.org/index.php?/topic/36-king-of-supplements-omega-3-fatty-acids-fish-oil/
http://survivingantidepressants.org/topic/15483-magnesium-natures-calcium-channel-blocker/

 

A lot of people find them helpful. Try a little bit of one at a time to see how it affects you.

 

 

Did you ever try fish oil and magnesium? Magnesium can be effective to reduce the activation sensation. Take in small doses throughout the day, you might try a small dose when you wake at 3 a.m. as well.

[Repent]

Fighting right here beside you at 23 months off, same sympthoms. Akathisia terror all day, every day. And innerbodypain, burning from my bones. Like fibro. Or maybe its fibro. Who knows. I also feel like my whole inside is stretched out, like im gonna snap. So yeah, i know your hell. 

 

I just wanted you to know youre not alone. We keep going, yeh? 

 

[Psvt]

On 30 July 2020 at 4:28 AM, Altostrata said:

 

This started while you were taking Pristiq or after you went off Lexapro in March 2017?

 

It sounds like you are hypersensitive to the early morning spike in cortisol, which is a natural phase of our circadian rhythm triggered by early morning light. See

 

Waking with panic or anxiety -- managing cortisol spikes

 

Darkening your bedroom with blackout shades and curtains and wearing a sleep mask can help.

 

It also sounds like the symptoms abate in the evening with the circadian rise in melatonin. Melatonin has a half-life of only a few hours. You might find taking a little at 1 a.m. helps reduce the reaction to the cortisol rise a couple hours later, or you might experiment with extended-release melatonin. You may be hypersensitive to all neuroactive substances, so you'll probably want to experiment with a very low dose. Even 0.25mg melatonin can be effective for sleep. See

 

What is the sleep cycle?

 

Melatonin for sleep: Many people find it helpful

 

 

Are you sensitive to light? If so, see

 

Increased sensitivity to light, noise, sound, exercise etc

 

Light-sensitive? Try blocking out blue light

 

Computer Program Adjusts Blue Light to Time of Day

 

 

You might benefit from "sleep hygiene" as well:

 

Tips to help sleep -- so many of us have that awful withdrawal insomnia

 

Path to Better Sleep FREE online for everyone from the US Veterans Administration

 

Music for self-care: Calms hyperalertness, anxiety, aids relaxation and sleep

 

TV or computer use in evening can disrupt sleep: Bright light signals the brain that it's daytime

 

 

How much exercise do you get? Be sure to get at least a half-hour of gentle exercise, such as walking, each day.

 

Inactivity may make sympathetic nervous system hypersensitive...

 

 

 

Did you ever try fish oil and magnesium? Magnesium can be effective to reduce the activation sensation. Take in small doses throughout the day, you might try a small dose when you wake at 3 a.m. as well.

 

Well I used to wake up at around 4 after the lexapro with some other symptoms like concrete legs, and fatigue etc so after 3 mths or so I went back to the doctor but was re-diagnosed with major depression hence the pristiq. After about a week on the pristiq everything went even further south and I have not yet had any relief. 

 

The akathisia gives me more than enough exercise for now. 

 

I hav tried magnesium in the first year but didn't feel like I derived any benefit at all. Possibly made me worse and now I'm just too scared to try anything because of my fragile condition I cant afford to get worse. Given all the info and bad stories out there I feel the risk is too great.

[Psvt]

On 31 July 2020 at 5:54 AM, siwoue said:

Fighting right here beside you at 23 months off, same sympthoms. Akathisia terror all day, every day. And innerbodypain, burning from my bones. Like fibro. Or maybe its fibro. Who knows. I also feel like my whole inside is stretched out, like im gonna snap. So yeah, i know your hell. 

 

I just wanted you to know youre not alone. We keep going, yeh? 

 

 

Its an unbelievably cruel process  and this symptom is really taking its toll.

 

yeah, have to hang tough a little longer. 

[Mariposa]

Found your thread randomly as I search for pinpoints of light in this tunnel of a process. I can't even tell you, your vibrant descriptive words of the hell of this had me deeply appreciating your handle on your situation and empowered me to find a way to express my own anger over this injustice and insanity.

'Underworld', 'crucified', 'ferocious', 'flabbergasted', 'weapons of mass destruction'.

Thank you. 

 

As a fellow 'can't do this longer' who's been plagued by SI almost daily for 4 years now post-drug, I can't offer much more helpful advice than others already have, except to comment that the longer I've hung in there beyond what I thought I was capable of, beyond what a human 'should' endure, the more of my 'humanness' it seemed to expose for rising up and out to this misguided world beyond what I believe I ever would have connected with had this evil situation not occurred. Some kind of silver lining, but there it is.  It has all inevitably transmuted into a heartbreakingly ecstatic (transcendent) spiritual process, however that's defined.

 

So just expressing my humble and profound appreciation for ya, and adding my thoughts and positive energy to your process as you keep finding more unimagined reserves of endurance to draw from, even when the worldly justification seems lost.

[Psvt]

3 years 6 mths.........42 freaking mths.

 

still really messy. non functioning still and home bound with both mental and physical symptoms. I am being taken to my limits. very despondent and running on fumes. i am in total disbelief how this has transpired. 

 

some symptoms have lessened and some have gone (currently) but nowhere near a good positive place yet.

 

is this surprising to anyone in here? Do i need to seriously consider underlying issues or alternatives or even permanency of this condition? I have been using Baylissa as my support and go to person during the last 3 years but as she is now limiting her availability and exposure in the community i’m feeling extremely lost and hopeless. 

 

does everyone heal?  i guess given the timeframes and level of healing or should i say lack thereof then No, maybe not everyone heals. most do but maybe not everyone!

 

maybe the medical community know more about mental illness than we give them credit for? because i can’t get any traction towards healing or getting any semblance or quality of life back. surely 42 mths is enough TIME to see healing with some significance.

 

cant fathom a positive outcome from this. drugs i never needed for a condition i never had.  life is cruel!

[ChessieCat]

No, it is not unusual.

 

Please read this post, especially Brassmonkey's comparison of his taper compared to his acquaintances' cold turkeys:

 

Cold Turkey and Too-Fast Tapers

[Alan1234]

Really really sorry to hear this but I’m sat in hospital and have been told I’ve got SVT but they can’t or don’t know the cause of it. The cardiologist says I need to take anti anxiety pills/anti depressants again as  I’m stressing myself out that much over it that I’m making it worse.

 

ive quizzed him about their effects on the heart but he says their all completely safe!! He also says flippantly that I need to take aspirin, beta blockers, satins and a GTN spray for the rest of my life even though he admitted I only have very minor plaque in my arteries and this isn’t the cause of this rare and unexplained SVT that I have.  I’m sure that he introducing 5 new drugs all in one go aswell as reinstating anti depressants isn’t a great thing to do to my nervous system. I haven’t slept in 12 mths due to the SVT and was constantly told by my GP it’s just anxiety. Yet there happy to want to push all these drugs but won’t acknowledge that he insomnia and the constant severe attacks of dizziness I get especially when lying down 

[Oskar]

On 7/29/2020 at 12:54 AM, PSVT said:

 

The akathisia starts to usually settle around 9.30 to 10.30 pm which allows me to go to bed and fall asleep. I can actually feel all the energy just subside to a very minimal level which then let's me know it's bedtime. Once that happens I'm pretty much out like a light but then between the 3-4am every morning I get woken up with a blast in my chest, terror, fear and like a nuclear bomb has gone off and I battle the whole day long repeat repeat repeat. Although I'm almost 34 mths off this started 36 mths ago. 

 

I keep getting assured that it will stop eventually but I have to start facing the reality of this and call it a day. I have paid my dues and a hefty price for this so I surrender. I give myself 73 more days to see some major improvements. Otherwise it's curtains. I'm depleted of all resources, emotional, spiritual, physical, financial. I'm just done. Overcooked. 

Hi I am 4 months off pristiq. I took it for more than 5 years. I also found something in my heart by we are still checking with my cardiologist. The first weeks I experienced very bad morning anxiety. This was very bad. I was scared to go to sleep because of this  feeling at mornings. It is the cortisol that is not regulated in your body. I took 3 things that help me and now I don't have this felling anymore. 1) ashwagandha 2) Rhodiola 3) Melissa officinalis. I took the 3 every night because the feeling was too bad for me. Now I don't have this anymore. I hope this help.you. 

[mva96]

@Psvt

 

I stumbled upon your story a while back when my akathisia was at it’s absolute worst. 
 

I have no idea how bad it must be for you but you are in my thoughts regularly. I only know of @Alice1who has endured such suffering for A similar time. 
 

I pray to god your brain recovers sooner rather than later. Hang in there. 

[JesusSavemefromWD]

On 4/9/2021 at 1:25 AM, Psvt said:

3 years 6 mths.........42 freaking mths.

 

still really messy. non functioning still and home bound with both mental and physical symptoms. I am being taken to my limits. very despondent and running on fumes. i am in total disbelief how this has transpired. 

 

some symptoms have lessened and some have gone (currently) but nowhere near a good positive place yet.

 

is this surprising to anyone in here? Do i need to seriously consider underlying issues or alternatives or even permanency of this condition? I have been using Baylissa as my support and go to person during the last 3 years but as she is now limiting her availability and exposure in the community i’m feeling extremely lost and hopeless. 

 

does everyone heal?  i guess given the timeframes and level of healing or should i say lack thereof then No, maybe not everyone heals. most do but maybe not everyone!

 

maybe the medical community know more about mental illness than we give them credit for? because i can’t get any traction towards healing or getting any semblance or quality of life back. surely 42 mths is enough TIME to see healing with some significance.

 

cant fathom a positive outcome from this. drugs i never needed for a condition i never had.  life is cruel!

I admire the way u write and ur endurance of this hell. Unfortunately I don’t have any advice to offer to help u other than to say that I ve heard about other people suffering for long time and waking up one day feeling ok! Like a miracle. I have similar symptoms to yours, as well as depersonalization (so I feel all the suffering but I don’t feel me, this is really insane symptom, I would take all the others just to get relief from DP). Like u no mental issues before drugs… 3.5 weeks on the lowest dose of Zoloft (yes that’s right just few weeks) and been suffering for a year now. Can’t be a mother to my kids, can’t be a wife to my husband, can’t work, watch TV, read a book, exercise, nothing … let’s hope a miracle is waiting for us one day … u are a Hero … 

[Psvt]

well, i must apologise for not responding to all these comments but i have simply been too unwell. i have spent every moment of everyday just staying alive. 

 

im now only a few days away from my 4 yr anniversary. i’m yet to see any improvement. i’m still home bound. with all symptoms raging. the internal akathisia really has shifted gear to another level. it’s brutality at its finest. fear. terror. agoraphobia. myriad of physical symptoms. intrusive thoughts and memories. tinnitus. eye floaters. i could continue but there is zero point at this stage. 

 

i am in total disbelief, despairing and hopeless about ever recovering from this insanity and torture. drugs i ever needed for a condition i never had ends this way?  it just doesn’t make sense. but i just can’t endure. 

 

im out of stamina now. and there is probably no need for anyone to comment here as i won’t be able to read them going forward. 

 

thanks anyway and good luck to all. now i know why some of the gurus say that for some people it’s permanent. 

 

vaya con dios..

 

 

[ChessieCat]

It took Altostrata, SA's founder, 11 years before she was fully recovered after she cold turkeyed Paxil.

 

Please check out the video and podcast in Post #1 of this topic:

 

about-altostrata-11-years-of-protracted-antidepressant-withdrawal-syndrome

 

 

[Psvt]

21 minutes ago, ChessieCat said:

It took Altostrata, SA's founder, 11 years before she was fully recovered after she cold turkeyed Paxil.

 

Please check out the video and podcast in Post #1 of this topic:

 

about-altostrata-11-years-of-protracted-antidepressant-withdrawal-syndrome

 

 

11 yrs is not sustainable in this condition. it’s impossible. in all ways. physically. mentally. financially. IMPOSSIBLE. 

[Alan1234]

7 hours ago, Psvt said:

11 yrs is not sustainable in this condition. it’s impossible. in all ways. physically. mentally. financially. IMPOSSIBLE. 

I completely feel the same and totally understand how you feel. Literally the worse imaginable how unfortunately it affects some of us 

[ChessieCat]

I will apologise in advance if the following post makes you angry / upset but please understand that I am only try to help.  I have been a member of SA for 6 years and a moderator for just over 5 years.  During this time I have seen the differences in how members handle their suffering.

 

Alto's journey to full recovery was very gradual, it wasn't the worst for the full 11 years.  The reason I mentioned her story was that recovery does happen and if you watch her video you will hear how bad it was for her.  There are other recovery stories in the Success Stories forum of the site.

 

You might not have any control over how long the recovery journey takes, but you do have a choice of how you spend that time. 

 

I use the analogy of waiting in a queue at the supermarket or having to wait at the traffic lights for them to change in our favour.  We can either wait patiently and calmly or we can get angry and upset.  The end result is the same, we will get served or we will be able to continue along the road.  However the way we spend our time waiting can make a huge difference.

[Psvt]

On 10/8/2021 at 9:50 AM, ChessieCat said:

I will apologise in advance if the following post makes you angry / upset but please understand that I am only try to help.  I have been a member of SA for 6 years and a moderator for just over 5 years.  During this time I have seen the differences in how members handle their suffering.

 

Alto's journey to full recovery was very gradual, it wasn't the worst for the full 11 years.  The reason I mentioned her story was that recovery does happen and if you watch her video you will hear how bad it was for her.  There are other recovery stories in the Success Stories forum of the site.

 

You might not have any control over how long the recovery journey takes, but you do have a choice of how you spend that time. 

 

I use the analogy of waiting in a queue at the supermarket or having to wait at the traffic lights for them to change in our favour.  We can either wait patiently and calmly or we can get angry and upset.  The end result is the same, we will get served or we will be able to continue along the road.  However the way we spend our time waiting can make a huge difference.

how long did your akathisia last?

[ChessieCat]

I haven't suffered from proper akasithia.  But I have had times when I have felt very restless physically as well as mentally.