samanthaelizabeth: How do you manage to keep working while taper off

[samanthaelizabeth]

Yes, just did.  Thank you!

[kangamangus]

27 minutes ago, samanthaelizabeth said:

Did I go back up to fast?   I'm back up to 200mg after super quick taper-My notes tell me that I was sleeping better at 150mg -but go back down again?  I'm still depressed, not sleeping well, not crying though.  I have to get back to work. My doc doesn't come back until Feb5. My hands are shaking, my left ear has been ringing for a month.

How long has it been since you went back up to 200mg?

[samanthaelizabeth]

12/9/2017	50MG	1.75	0.25	Feel okay emotionally,  tired, No Brain Zaps, a little dizzy
12/10/2017	45mg 9am	15	0.25	Kind of Bad morning crying a little.  Wanted to go to Red Rock to get outside or dog park.  Vinny is busy helping Richie.
12/11/2017	40mg 6 am		0.25
12/12/2017	100 mg  5am	15	0.75	very bad day-GOT A LITTLE BETTER TOOK SHOWER WENT FOR WALK MADE APPT W DR. STILL THINK NIACIN IS HELPONG
12/13/2017
12/14/2017	100 mg730 am	15	0.5	mornign headache
12/15/2017	150mg 815		0.5	oke up at 1 am couldn't get back to sleep until about4 am
12/16/2017	150 mg 5 am		0.4
12/17/2017			0.4
12/18/2017			0.35	woke up at 3 am finally got back to sleep some moderate anxiety-trying to keep my wits about me.
12/19/2017	150 mg 5 am		1	slept good
12/20/2017	200mg 8am		1	slept good
12/21/2017	200mg 8am	15 mg	0.75	slept good wokeup at 3am took gaba and theanine went right back to sleep
12/22/2017	200mg 8am
12/23/2017	200mg 8am		0.75	slept good wokeup at 3am took gaba and theanine went right back to sleep
12/24/2017	200 mg 8 am	15mg	0.62	slept good wokeup at 3am took gaba and theanine went right back to sleep
12/25/2017	200mg 8am	15mg	0.62	slept good wokeup at 6am took gaba and theanine went right back to sleep
12/26/2017	200mg 6am		0.55
12/27/2017			0.56
12/28/2017
12/29/2017			0.5
12/30/2017	200mg 6am		0.5
12/31/2017	200mg 8am	15mg	0.5	slept good wokeup at 3am took gaba and theanine went right back to sleep
1/1/2018	200mg 6am	15mg	0.375	slept good wokeup at 3am took gaba and theanine went right back to sleep heavy sweating
1/2/2018	200mg 6am		0.375	slept good wokeup at 3am took gaba and theanine went right back to sleep heavy sweating
1/3/2018	200mg 6am	15mg	0.375	slept good wokeup at 3am took gaba and theanine went right back to sleep heavy sweating
1/4/2018	200mg 6am	15 mg	0.0325	didn’t sleep that good maybe 4-6 broken sleep
1/5/2018	200mg	15mg	0.0325	didn’t sleep that good maybe 4-6 broken sleep
1/6/2018	200	15mg	0.0325	woke up at 3 am finally got back to sleep some moderate anxiety.  Layed dow
1/7/2018	180mg	15mg	0.25	tachycardia sweating
1/8/2018	180mg	15mg	0.25	tachycardia sweating
1/9/2018	180mg	15mg	0.24	slept good wokeup at 3am took gaba and theanine went right back to sleep heavy sweating
1/10/2018	180mg	15mg	0.22	didn’t sleep that good maybe 4-6 broken sleep
1/11/2018	180 mg	15mg	0.22	slept good
1/12/2018	180mg	15mg	0.12	didntt sleep good
1/13/2018	180mg	15mg	0.12
1/14/2018	200mg	22.5mg	0.006	slept okay-very anxious
1/15/2018	200mg	15mg	0.006	slept until 2 am-then didn't sleep good.  Feeling okay need to find a job
1/16/2018	180mg		0.06
1/17/2018	180mg	15mg	0.06	sleptpretty good woke up at 4am went back to sleep good dreams
1/18/2018	180mg	15mg	0.03	slept okay woke up at 530am
1/19/2018	180mg	15mg	0
1/20/2018	200mg	15mg	0	didn't really sleep that good-mind racing-heavy sweting
1/21/2018	180mg	15mg	0	didn't really sleep that good--heavy sweting
1/22/2018	180mg
1/23/2018	200mg	15mg	0	not sure how I slept-kind of feeling bettergaba and theanine-head feels like it is stuffed with cotton
1/24/2018	200mg	15mg	0	little anxious appetite poor
1/25/2018	200mg	15mg	0	woke up at 2 am took gaba and magnesium went back to sleep

Did I go back up to fast?   I'm back up to 200mg after super quick taper-My notes tell me that I was sleeping better at 150mg -but go back down again?  I'm still depressed, not sleeping well, not crying though.  I have to get back to work. My doc doesn't come back until Feb5. My hands are shaking, my left ear has been ringing for a month.

 

[nz11]

28 minutes ago, samanthaelizabeth said:

Did I go back up to fast?

To be honest it would be very helpful to summarise in the drug sig what you have done 

eg 1Jan 18 - 14jan 18, 200mg zoloft

1jan -19jan 18, 20mg klopnopin (say) Last dose 19jan18.

15 Jan 18 - 24 jan 18 180 Zoloft, 

say...etc...

 

The thing is jumping up and down is not the way to go. Its like walking around with a stack of wine glasses on your head And now you decide to play jumping jacks.

You have picked a dose and now the thing is to STICK to it. You have just gone off the klonopin. It is best to change one drug at a time. Maybe this is time to just hold things for a little while. When you feel settled then taper again.  

You are going to have to be patient here. You brain is busy replacing the wine glasses back in their correct position. Your brain will be very upset if you start doing more star jumps.   

28 minutes ago, samanthaelizabeth said:

  I'm still depressed, not sleeping well, not crying though.  

imo no disrespect or to belittle the current situation but  this could be worse. 

please don't panic. It will settle. 

You are going to be okay.

[samanthaelizabeth]

Is this better?

[samanthaelizabeth]

Okay so stay at 200mg?

[nz11]

17 minutes ago, samanthaelizabeth said:

Is this better?

yes it is actually. Well done. You could put a brief mention about klonopin. it would be good to know about that.

Looks like in 'somewhere' you use the American date system. 

What an interesting  place you live in. 

I'm sure if you just sit tight for a while then ... skies are (gonna be)  blue.  

 

[samanthaelizabeth]

Thank you- I'll stick with the 200MG zoloft.  Was thinking about adding Abilify 2mg for a few months to help me get a job and back to work...I"m not crying or anything just don't feel very happy.

[nz11]

16 minutes ago, samanthaelizabeth said:

Was thinking about adding Abilify 2mg for a few months to help me get a job and back to work.

 

I'm sure there are nicer (non drug ) friends in somewhere who can help you get a job somewhere in somewhere.

You can do it. 

SE stop teasing me you are scaring me.

 

[samanthaelizabeth]

1 minute ago, nz11 said:

 

I'm sure there are nicer (non drug ) friends in somewhere who can help you get a job somewhere in somewhere.

You can do it. 

SE stop teasing me you are scaring me.

 

I have to do something I have really been letting my husband down..I don't have any friends here since we moved and no family.

[DaveB]

8 minutes ago, samanthaelizabeth said:

I have to do something I have really been letting my husband down..I don't have any friends here since we moved and no family.

 

Staying steady and holding is doing something, it is letting your brain and CNS chill after the crazy ride they have been on. YOU WILL BE OK! I went up and down and on and off meds for almost a year before I finally did what SA recommends and held steady. I was where you are at just a few weeks ago, and I am far from perfect or back to “normal” but am doing SO much better just a few weeks later. Look through my topic, there have been times I was losing it, but I remained steady on a dose, and things are starting to settle now. You will be ok, take your tablets at the same time every day, try to get some sleep, try to eat right, and you will notice improvements.

[nz11]

Somewhere sounds like a dull place but I'm sure there must be future friends just waiting to meet you. Remember the golden rule 'she who is friendly has friends'

I sense you need a paradigm shift in the way you view these drugs ..they are not friends at all but dangerous betrayers.

[nz11]

2 minutes ago, DaveB said:

Staying steady and holding is doing something,

Exactly well said Dave.

[samanthaelizabeth]

Thank you.  I'll keep you posted..How do I make myself happy, since i'm not producing any of my own seratonine?

 

[samanthaelizabeth]

dStill don't feel right...Worried that I will never return to normal..My blood pressure has been high, Is it okay to take a high blood pressure med?

[samanthaelizabeth]

Still don't feel right...Worried that I will never return to normal..My blood pressure has been high, Is it okay to take a high blood pressure med?

[samanthaelizabeth]

I can't even deal with this right now.  Staying on Zoloft 200mg.  My MS is progressing, I have bigger problems to worry about.

[samanthaelizabeth]

How do I change my screen name?

[LilyBlueRose]

If you do try things.. Consider doing it one at a time. Fish oil makes that feeling so much worse for me and magnesium can as well. Start slow and don't incorporate another item for atleast a couple of weeks. 

 

Clean eating, positive thinking, relaxing and exercise helps me with this. But most of all is time. 

[samanthaelizabeth]

Woke up with my eyes dialated and forhead muscles rigid or something is it from my MS or from reinstating back to 200mg?

[Madeleine]

If you have MS, I don't think anyone can say, especially if they are not there in person with you in person, what symptoms are caused by MS and what by withdrawal.  However,  you tapered extremely quickly, then ramped up quickly, so it sounds like that is a factor in your symptoms, as it's destabilizing to make quick changes.  Hopefully you will stabilize soon.  It is best to taper very slowly,  like this forum advises, going down 10% maximum per month. 

[Altostrata]

Good to see that you're keeping notes about your symptoms and dosages, but the format is difficult to read.

 

The symptom pattern indicates that 200mg Zoloft is too much for you.

 

When did the ringing in ears (tinnitus) start?

 

How is your sleep now?

 

What time of day do you take Zoloft? When does the racing feeling start? Did it settle down?

 

On 1/25/2018 at 4:45 PM, samanthaelizabeth said:

Please help-i'm shaking-  The last time I had normal sleep was @100mg of zoloft

 

On 1/25/2018 at 5:23 PM, samanthaelizabeth said:

Did I go back up to fast?   I'm back up to 200mg after super quick taper-My notes tell me that I was sleeping better at 150mg -but go back down again?  I'm still depressed, not sleeping well, not crying though.  I have to get back to work. My doc doesn't come back until Feb5. My hands are shaking, my left ear has been ringing for a month.

 

If your sleep is still poor, ^this indicates you are taking too much Zoloft. If you're increasing Zoloft to treat "depression," you're barking up the wrong tree. Sleep is important. "Depression" is something you can manage.

 

Lexapro is more stimulating than Zoloft, it doesn't make a bean of sense to switch to Lexapro, and switching in general isn't a good idea anyway.

 

 

[samanthaelizabeth]

So I should just stick with my regular 200MG of Zoloft.  I feel okay right now - not exactly happy but I can function....

[samanthaelizabeth]

Thank you Alostrata, I slept better last night I feel a little better today. I take my Zoloft around the same time everyday around 6 am.  I take Remeron about 9:30 PM.  I have a Pdoc appt on Feb 5 I'm just going to stick to my 200mg and then consider tapering slowly very slowly as I have been Z since 1999.  It's funny in '99 when I was prescribed Ativan for pressure headaches and my behaviour became very strange after 4-6 weeks I flushed then all down the toilet, not knowing what would happend to me.  I swear I ddn't sleep  all summer.  I didn't know what was going on..I lost 35 lbs in 3 months until I went to the doctor finally and they put me on Remeron and Zoloft ( I very slowly tapered off the Remeron) and just was taking the Zoloft)  I looked all over the internet back then trying to find something that would tell me that my behaviour was from the Ativan and was not ME!  Back then there wasn't any information like this site...If I had only known...I could have prevented myself from being stuck in this drug for 20 years, I have been so scared to go back to that awful place I was in that summer of '99 it was so scary!

[Altostrata]

Unless your psychiatrist is exceptional, he or she probably will not want you to reduce your drugs.

 

Yes, psychiatric drugs, including Ativan, can cause behavioral changes.

 

20 hours ago, Altostrata said:

When does the racing feeling start? Did it settle down?

 

20 hours ago, Altostrata said:

When did the ringing in ears (tinnitus) start?

 

[samanthaelizabeth]

I feel "chemically" if that is even a word LOL,  Should i just continue with the 200 MG?

[samanthaelizabeth]

Anyone should I stay on the 200mg and just tell my Pdoc that i'm doing okay so they don't mess up my system even more by trying to switch to something else?

[samanthaelizabeth]

Anyone should I continue with the 200mg of Zoloft?

 

[DaveB]

I AM NOT A MODERATOR, but yes in my opinion give yourself a couple of months at 200mgs and let you system settle. It seems like you have always been able to achieve stability on 200mgs of Zoloft, let yourself get stable again and remain functional. Then once stable, you can resume a slow taper. 

[samanthaelizabeth]

6 minutes ago, DaveB said:

I AM NOT A MODERATOR, but yes in my opinion give yourself a couple of months at 200mgs and let you system settle. It seems like you have always been able to achieve stability on 200mgs of Zoloft, let yourself get stable again and remain functional. Then once stable, you can resume a slow taper. 

Thank you!  I cannot believe I have been taking this for almost 20 years.  I'm afraid my Pdoc will try to put me on something else and make matters worse.  I'll just tell him that I'm doing good on 200mg and leave it at that?

[DaveB]

10 minutes ago, samanthaelizabeth said:

Thank you!  I cannot believe I have been taking this for almost 20 years.  I'm afraid my Pdoc will try to put me on something else and make matters worse.  I'll just tell him that I'm doing good on 200mg and leave it at that?

 

Why would he want to put you on something else if you have always done well on Zoloft? These Docs never cease to amaze me, patient has done well on Zoloft for 20 years, "hey Lexapro is "new and improved" you should switch to this because who cares if it throws your life into complete chaos for no reason." I know, I was on Zoloft for 8 years and couldn't believe I had stayed on it that long. I REALLY wish when I tried to come off of it in October of 2016 I would have known what I know now, it would have saved me a year of absolute HELL! Now I am just trying to pick up the pieces and hope I will eventually get back to myself. 

[samanthaelizabeth]

I believe my MS was caused by these drugs.  in 2008 after a rough patch in my marriage and being laid off from my job in real estate, I told my doctor I wanted to try effexor.  I pm pretty sure that I only took it for a day or two and started getting numbness in my face and couldn't really control my fingers when I was typing.  Then one morning I got out of the shower and looked in the mirror and my face was drooping on one side and my smile was crooked.  I called my doctor and she sent me to ER where they did an MRI and found several demlyinating lesions and I was diagnosed with  MS.

[samanthaelizabeth]

Can I change my screen name to Wizard, please I referred someone to this site and don't want them to recognize my name.

 

Thank you

[samanthaelizabeth]

So where do I go from here?  I was fine on the Zoloft all this time.  I had a bad flare up of my MS in 2012 and was on IV Steroids for 5 days.  About  a month later my dog died and I really freaked out about it ( Now i'm thinking it was because of the Steroids) but I couldn't stop blaming myself for putting her to sleep crying all the time.  I asked the Pdoc to put me on a very low dose of Abiliify and eventually started to come out of it. Continued with Zoloft and went off of Abiliify 6 months later ( doctor told me not to take it for longer than 6 months). So I continued to do fine. Then in 2015 I had to get the weight off from Abilify and started to take Wellbutrin ( I think this is where everything went wrong) By the time we moved here I had the worst anxiety panic I've ever had in my life)  So I stopped that and started back with Zoloft I think it took months to stabilize ( looking back on it now)  Anyway I have to get back to work- soon. Will I stabilize being on Zoloft 200mg?  I used to be a happy person, I love life and work is a big part of my self esteem plus my husband expects it.  But my question is- Where do I go from here?  If I change SSRI's God knows what could happen?  I just need to get engaged in life again!  But i've been on this stuff for so long what happens if they stop making it??I will be screwed!  What if for some reason I could not get my prescription filled?  Am I supposed to stay on this for another 20 years??  

[samanthaelizabeth]

How come Nobody answers my posts?

[Gridley]

You are overthinking and catastrophizing, which is typical in withdrawal.  You are thinking about things that very unlikely to happen. (Do you really think they will stop making a drug they make so much money on?)  

 

Do not change SSRI's. Stay on Zoloft.  Staying on the same drug at the same dosage is the safest path to stability.  Tell your doctor you want you are doing fine on 200mg Zoloft, that you want to continue at that dosage, and that you don't want to switch to Lexapro.  

 

I can't tell you how long it will take for you to stabilize.  But I can tell you that you increase your chances of stabilizing more quickly by remaining as calm as you can and not thinking about worst-case-scenarios.

 

When you see your doctor remain calm.