bubbles

[bubbles]

Still feeling well. Still feeling better, in fact. So far so good.

[Rabe]

Thats lovely to hear bubbles!!!  Hope it continues!!!💜

[bubbles]

I have had a lovely, but exhausting, Christmas. Today is a relaxing, quiet day.

 

Update. I have been ruminating a bit. It may be the reduction in sertraline, or tiredness and stress, or the armour updose. It's pretty mild, but it does exist. It seems to come in waves - I'm fine now.

 

I am inclined to suspect the sertraline drop as I felt better when I started the higher armour, and this rumination has kicked in at about five half lives of the sertraline. If that's it, I just have to ride it out and bear in mind that there might be another change in mood in another week or so when sertraline's active metabolite works its way down too. I'd already intended to have a longer hold on this dose of sertraline, so I'll definitely do that.

 

In the short term I'm backing off a bit on the armour updose a titch just in case that's contributing. I've skipped the extra twice (on non-consecutive days) as an experiment. I want to give the higher dose of armour a solid trial as I did feel a boost from it but now that I know that the extra won't give me palpitations etc, it can wait a week or two. (I wanted to try it while my doctor was available - he's going to be on vacation for a month.)

[bubbles]

Rumination is on and off, and I'm very tired - maybe because I've backed off on the armour, but also just maybe because of the time of the year.

[ChessieCat]

Yes a lot of members have mentioned their withdrawal symptoms increasing because of Christmas.

[bubbles]

Thanks @ChessieCat

 

I don’t feel well either. Might be coming down with something. Again. Bad timing.

[bubbles]

Was cold earlier and now I’m sitting under a fan. Think I’m def getting sick. Meh. Early to bed despite having laid around all day. 

 

[Rabe]

Hope you feel better bubbles. 💜

[Carmie]

Hi Bubbles, 

 

Hope you manage to get plenty of rest so you get over your sickness. Did you end up coming down with a cold?

 

Take care, sending hugs🤗

[bubbles]

Hi @Carmie and @Rabe. Thanks for your thoughts.

 

Yes, I’m coming down with a cold.  This has been a bad year for getting bugs.  

 

I’m on break now so I can rest and tomorrow is the weekend. 

 

I’ll try again with the extra armour when I feel better again.

[bubbles]

Feeling pretty well again - throat still sore and still sniffing but mood okay.

 

Will try the increased armour in the next few days. 

 

All good. Looking forward to a longer hold at 5mg.

 

 

[Rabe]

Im so glad you are feeling better bubbles!  Hope the armour goes well and that the long hold will bring stability. Happy New Year.💜

[Blondiee1915]

Hi bubbles,

 

I found your thread via search for armour medication.  Also, I was on lexapro as well but for a much longer period of 10 years.  I struggle with fatigue since.  I was wondering if you could share your experience with armour and how you got diagnosed prior to lexapro or post? 

 

I had an issue raising my armour from 60 to 75.  I have low cortisol and low iron and the dose increase gave me flu like symptoms.  I went back to 60 and holding until my doctor appt.  

 

b  

[bubbles]

Thanks @Rabe

 

@Blondiee1915 I’m sorry. I didn’t see your message.

 

The thyroid predated the SSRI by a number of years. I believe the hypo caused the depression that ‘required’ the ssri. I was on levo for a few years. I switched to armour. It helped some of my hypo symptoms more than the levo, though not my depression. I started lexapro maybe a year after the armour. I wonder now if a higher dose of armour would have helped - I suspect so, but of course can’t go back!

 

Armour isn’t as perfect as having a healthy thyroid but it suits me better than levo did. I’ve recently had two increases, partly for fatigue but also I was achey, cold and foggy.  No real problem increasing. Hope you get your dosing sorted out. 

B

[bubbles]

Hmm not sure why that looks like two different fonts. 

 

Upped the armour a few days ago with no ill effects. Still holding the 5mg sertraline and still feeling fine.

[Blondiee1915]

Hi bubbles,

 

checking in in to see on how you are feeling since armour increase? 

 

I also increased a few days ago and dealing with some minor symptoms of flu like symptoms still working on my cortisol and iron too.  Hopefully will be okay 

[bubbles]

Hi @Blondiee1915 

 

I’ve had a few ups and downs. I’m trying the extra bit as a third dose and that seems better. How are you doing?

[bubbles]

I tried the extra armour as a third dose for a few days and since that was okay I then combined the second and third doses. I'm feeling quite well. I'll get another blood test in another month or two and see what it has done to my blood levels but, based on the previous tests/changes, I think only very minor tweaks are likely at this point and I'm likely on, or close to, my optimal dose. So far so good and this was very much a worthwhile experiment.

 

I've decided to hold on the 5mg sertraline for a bit longer.

[Carmie]

Hi Bubbles, 

 

I’m glad you’re doing well. Good idea to hold for a while, it’s best to make just one change at a time. I hope you don’t get too many colds and bugs this year, sending hugs🤗

[Rabe]

So glad to hear that bubbles!  That must feel good!  Glad it all went well!

[bubbles]

Thanks @Carmie and @Rabe

 

I hope not to get too many colds this year too - last year was a doozy! But hopefully the increase in the thyroid meds will help that.

 

I've had a good month mostly, but it was busy and I'm tired so I think a bit longer before I taper again will be useful. I also inadvertently got more 5mg capsules than I'd intended to - oops - so it will be more economical to sit here for a bit longer too.

[bubbles]

Still feeling fine. Am going to sit on this dose a bit longer. No symptoms at present, I just need a bit more of a break from tapering. Which pushes my end date out, but oh well, there you go.

[Carmie]

Hi Bubbles, 

 

Glad to hear you’re still doing well. Good idea to do a long hold from tapering, I’ve done that many times. We all need a break now and again, don’t we?

 

Sending hugs🤗

[JackieDecides]

On 2/12/2019 at 3:54 PM, bubbles said:

Still feeling fine. Am going to sit on this dose a bit longer. No symptoms at present, I just need a bit more of a break from tapering. Which pushes my end date out, but oh well, there you go.

 

nothing wrong with that, Bubbles, the main thing is no symptoms. good for you! 

[bubbles]

Thanks @JackieDecides   I've prioritized feeling well for this taper, so I don't want to shoot myself in the foot now. I'll see how it feels in a fortnight and go from there. Hope you're doing well.

[bubbles]

So, another update. I'm okay. No noticeable withdrawal for a couple of months. I'm not ready to taper again. I'm over-committed with work and other things and I'm tired - it's the end of summer, though there's probably only a few more weeks to go. When it's cool enough to sleep properly I'll make my next drop.

 

Next drop will be to 4.5mg, though I'm thinking I'll do it over two-ish weeks, dropping 0.1mg every, say, 3 days, and then hold for at least two weeks or longer depending how it goes. I found the micro drops easier, but the last few drops I did I was using up the capsules that I had. I'll be starting from a fresh batch of capsules/doses.

 

Some calculations to park here, so I don't have to do them again. In theory, these are the calculations for the next year, though knowing me I'll end up with longer holds and it'll be much longer.

 

Drop 1   4.5mg

Drop 2   4.1mg

Drop 3   3.6mg

Drop 4   3.3mg

Drop 5   3.0mg

Drop 6   2.7mg

Drop 7   2.4mg

Drop 8   2.2mg

Drop 9   1.9mg

Drop 10 1.7mg

Drop 11 1.6mg (note rounding)

Drop 12 1.4mg

 

I guess around that time it starts to go down by 0.1mg at a time, but that is a question for another day.

[Carmie]

Wishing you all the best when you start tapering again Bubbles.💚

[bubbles]

On 3/19/2019 at 6:32 PM, Carmie said:

Wishing you all the best when you start tapering again Bubbles.💚

 

Thanks Carmie. It might be next week.

[Carmie]

1 minute ago, bubbles said:

 

Thanks Carmie. It might be next week.

 

That’s great Bubbles, 

 

I started tapering again this month too after a long time of not tapering. Yay to forward movement!💚

[bubbles]

On 3/22/2019 at 7:40 AM, Carmie said:

I started tapering again this month too after a long time of not tapering. Yay to forward movement!💚

 

Yep, forward movement = good. It will be a very small drop though, as I've got an incredibly busy week in front of me, and I can't risk being destabilized. I'll do a 0.1mg drop for at least a few days and see how it goes - that sort of drop has been more or less imperceptible in the past so fingers crossed. Still, forward movement is forward movement! Hope you're doing well Carmie, sometimes we just need a long hold. I think I've done more holding than tapering.

[Carmie]

22 hours ago, bubbles said:

 

Yep, forward movement = good. It will be a very small drop though, as I've got an incredibly busy week in front of me, and I can't risk being destabilized. I'll do a 0.1mg drop for at least a few days and see how it goes - that sort of drop has been more or less imperceptible in the past so fingers crossed. Still, forward movement is forward movement! Hope you're doing well Carmie, sometimes we just need a long hold. I think I've done more holding than tapering.

 

I think I have probably done more holding than tapering too, like you too Bubbles, 😃

 

All the best with your next drop💚

[bubbles]

2 hours ago, Carmie said:

 

I think I have probably done more holding than tapering too, like you too Bubbles, 😃

 

All the best with your next drop💚

 

I could probably have gone faster, but hopefully doing it this way makes it more likely to be successful. I'm sure it's made it less painful. In the absence of good research pointing the way, all I can do is go slowly and listen to my body.

 

Today is day one of my drop to 4.5. I'm planning to take two full weeks to get there, so it'll be 4.9mg starting today for four days, then three days of 4.8, etc, four of 4.7, three of 4.6 then 4.5. I'll hold 4.5mg for two weeks and then consider the next move. Any wobbles and I'll stop tapering immediately.

 

[bubbles]

I took 4.9mg for 4 days and started 4.8 yesterday. I'll do that for a total of 3 days and then drop another 0.1mg. All okay here.

[bubbles]

I took 4.8 for three days and yesterday took 4.7. Will do that for a total of three days, then down to 4.6 for four days (or maybe the other way around, I can't remember what I counted out into my weekly pill box and it's in the other room, lol at myself), then Sunday is 4.5 and I'll hold there for at least two weeks.

 

So far so good. I don't feel it, but then I didn't expect to - that's why I'm doing it this way.

 

[bubbles]

Today I’m down to 4.5mg. Can’t update my sig from my phone, will do it another time.

 

Current - 4.5mg, down by 95.5mg.

[bubbles]

Today is the day I take my fourth dose of 4.5mg (in a few hours). No symptoms - it has been entirely unnoticeable so far, thankfully.

 

My next step is 21 April, when I either decide to drop to 4.1mg (in stages, since it seems to give me fewer symptoms), or to hold longer.