Jonno: introduction

[Jonno]

I am a 48 year old male, was misdiagnosed with depression in 2002, and prescribed 75 mg Effexor daily.

I tried to stop taking the medication several times between 2002 and 2008, but each time unknowingly suffered extreme w/d symptoms.

I came across David Healey's web site in 2008 from where I realized that I had been suffering w/d. I swapped to 20 mg Prozac daily and tapered off from February through June 2009. I experienced acute withdrawal for about 6 to 8 weeks and then protracted withdrawal. My w/d symptoms have been all of the usual suspects - DP/DR, brain fog, cognitive issues, aches/pains, tiredness, zaps, short depressive episodes, intrusive and obsessive thoughts, fear, nervousness, food/drink/supplements intolerances, etc etc.

I am much improved now but still have some healing to do. I still experience substance intolerances, low stress tolerance, and hyper sensitive nervous system. My recovery was delayed I believe because in 2006 I was diagnosed as a type 1, or insulin dependant, diabetic, and between 2006 and 2011 I was injecting insulin 4 times per day. It transpires that the Effexor caused hyperglycaemia which was mistaken for diabetes - once I realized this I reduced the insulin over time and stopped completely in March 2011. Currently my blood sugars are slightly elevated but not diabetic - Hba1c test result of 6 (UK) and 108 (US) - as my body is not yet fully recovered I am hoping my blood sugars will return to normal when it does.

 

I would really like to hear from anybody who has experience of dysfunctional blood sugars.

[Altostrata]

Thanks very much for joining us, Jonno.

 

Your story about misdiagnosed diabetes -- it makes me shudder. What a lot you've gone through.

 

My own adventures with Paxil and prolonged withdrawal syndrome seem to have raised my blood sugar level, but it went down to normal finally. (I never ate much sugar.)

 

Very happy to hear you're improving.

 

How did your withdrawal symptoms get better, do you recall?

 

For example, how long did it take for depersonalization to go away, and what was the process like?

 

Did any particular supplement help?

[Jonno]

Hi Altostrata,

 

Thank you for you kind thoughts - it certainly has been a difficult journey.

 

My recovery has tended to be more linear than waves and windows. I have waves but never really have good windows - but I do improve after each wave as well as some ad hoc improvements.

The process that tends to happen when I have an ad hoc improvement is that suddenly a particular w/d symptom will come and go for a few days/week, and then one morning will disappear completely. Depersonalization, for example, stopped about 4 months after I stopped injecting insulin ( which is when my recovery really started ), and the process was as described. I was driving to see my son and noticed that I was able to drive without having to concentrate too hard ( as I had to do with DP). This lasted about 1 hour and then the DP returned. These episodes happened on and off over about a week or two and then DP went away completely except for when I am very stressed.

 

I haven't been able to take any supplements since w/d because I cannot tolerate any that I have tried. Interestingly my intolerances to food, dink, supplements, meds etc seem to be coincident with my blood sugar problems such that around 30 to 90 minutes after eating an intolerable substance, my body becomes stressed - racing and pronounced heart beat, brain fog, aches/pains etc - and my blood sugars will increase. I measured my blood sugars frequently for a long period of time and this relationship was consistent - I just cannot be sure if the intolerances cause the raised blood sugars, or if it is a coincident relationship.

 

Over time my reaction to intolerant substances is improving and reducing.

[angie007]

Hey Jonno,

 

Great you decided to join us,im sure u will remember me from the other site, we often spoke and discussed so many things, one of which is what you talk of above, sorry to hear your still having issues with that, hopefully time will resolve that for you too my friend.

Anyway just popped by to welcome you here, and hope you like our site -its been brilliant for me and so many others here too,

stay well and post often, good to catch up with you, often wondered how you were doing.

[Jonno]

Hi Angie,

 

Good to hear from you, and I hope you are feeling better these days also - as you know it can be a long road but lets hope for continued recovery for us all.

[Altostrata]

Jonno, I hope you visit often. You have a lot to teach regarding recovery and its patterns.

[Jonno]

Hi Altostrata,

 

Thanks - and I am happy to help with anything I can.

[Barbarannamated]

Hi Jonno ~

I just read your history with great interest~ I'm having endocrine and autoimmune issues and just last week was put in the 'pre-diabetic' category in addition to elevated LDL and TGs„fatty liver disease„Hashimoto's~Insulin Resistance was mentioned and metformin Rx'd

 

Your comment about driving really hit home as I was out locally yesterday and got momentarily lost on roads that I travel regularly ~I wasn't in danger but it was disconcerting feeling so foggy in my own neighborhood ~i also had a minor fender bender about 2 weeks ago when I went spacey and rear ended a car at a light ~driving is 2nd nature to me and I often go out for pleasure rides with music/drive in Los Angeles traffic etc and have never had problems ~

Q: What helped most w your ability to concentrate while driving (forgive if you explained already)

 

This is all new to me ~

[Jonno]

Hi Barb,

 

Without wanting to sound negative but I personally didn't find anything that helped with my driving concentration - I just had to concentrate on concentrating and try to reduce the amount and duration that I drove.

As far as I could tell I used to have brain fog when driving, and the brain fog was caused by my nervous system being over stimulated, or stressed, while driving. So the concentration improved once my brain fog started to improve - improvement started in June/July 2011 in sporadic episodes and resolved completely a couple of weeks later.

 

Just fyi - I have found numerous people now who have had dysfunctional blood sugar while taking AD's and benzo's, and during withdrawal, and whose blood sugars returned to normal once they had fully recovered.

[angie007]

Hi Barb,

 

Just to let you know, i too had blood sugar issues on paxil ( seroxat) had regular testing all because of abnormal levels and was told id have a good chance of being diagnosed with diabetes in a year or two. My first full blood panel off this drug came back absolutely normal aha, i wonder why lol.

Hope the same happens for you too x

[Altostrata]

Hello, Jonno, how are you doing?