trenace: is this serious withdrawal after a year?

[trenace]

Okay this is embarrassing but who cares at this point? My digestive issues have caused me hemorrhoids and whilst it's not excruciatingly painful it's something that causing me discomfort and could easily get worse.. I had a fissure last year that was horrendously painful and I reacted badly to two ointments which I tried and only ended up healing it by giving myself enemas for 3 days. I'm taking movicol to soften my stools so I'm okay on that front but they're not getting any better. Is there anything I could try that ain't going to cause a reaction? The two creams I tried last year contained steroids so I'm assuming it was that that gave me the reaction. Does anyone know of any non steroid containing oiments that actually work? Right now I'm using tea tree oil that kinda soothes it, but it ain't shrinking I don't think.

[ChessieCat]

When I was growing up we used to use Alum for mouth ulcers which would shrink them.  I've just done an internet search for:  alum for hemorrhoids and there are websites discussing this.

 

SA is a site for tapering psychiatric drugs.  We don't treat general medical issues.  If you are after a non steroid ointment you will need to speak to your doctor.  The only reason I responded was because I was curious about Alum and then found out that it might work.

 

Also, do a internet search for:  hemorrhoids support group forum

[trenace]

Hi everyone. Well I'm still here lol. Recently I've had a huge abscess appear on my backside which caused me more pain than I've ever had and I had it cut and drained under local anesthetic which pretty much traumatised me

because I didn't want general for fear of a reaction. So been an amazing weekend for me lol. Luckily I didn't react to the local but I am going to need another surgery, this time under general. Can I please get some advice to regarding whats worked for people and what hasn't worked. I have a sinus down there that keeps reinfecting and I need it cut out because it's causing other abscesses to form and they hurt like hell. 

As far as withdrawal goes I've had some decent days and some bad days but it's all over the place as usual and I'm hanging in there. Any symptom can come and go at any time and I just want this surgery over and done with, with as less trouble and reactions as possible. Any and all advice would be appreciated. Hope everyone's okay anyways.

[Deano32]

Hi trenance 

I had this surgery a couple of years ago,I was ok with the general anaesthetic,but had a reaction to the antibiotic after,

Also I would try prune juice worked wonders for me when I was going through this.

 

Regards

Deano

 

[trenace]

1 hour ago, Deano32 said:

Hi trenance 

I had this surgery a couple of years ago,I was ok with the general anaesthetic,but had a reaction to the antibiotic after,

Also I would try prune juice worked wonders for me when I was going through this.

 

Regards

Deano

 

Hey Deano, thanks for the reply. Can u please clarify the name of the surgery you had because I really need it to be a one time thing with no recurrence? Also which Anaesthetic did they use? I have no intention of taking antibiotics afterward tbh so I'm going to avoid them at all costs.

[Deano32]

 

I'm not sure on the name of the surgery I had,all I know is it was drained and anal fistula was removed,Wound was left open to heal from inside out.

And I had general anaesthetic not sure what kind,sorry I can't be more helpful.

I can say though since I had the surgery I haven't had any recurrence 🤞

 

Deano

[trenace]

49 minutes ago, Deano32 said:

 

I'm not sure on the name of the surgery I had,all I know is it was drained and anal fistula was removed,Wound was left open to heal from inside out.

And I had general anaesthetic not sure what kind,sorry I can't be more helpful.

I can say though since I had the surgery I haven't had any recurrence 🤞

 

Deano

Well considering it never occurred again I guess that's a good thing. Glad u recovered man this stuffs nasty. Thanks for your help.

[DataGuy]

Hi @trenace,

 

Sorry to hear about the abscess. Which of these surgeries are you having? https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/pilonidal-sinus/

[trenace]

1 minute ago, DataGuy said:

Hi @trenace,

 

Sorry to hear about the abscess. Which of these surgeries are you having? https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/pilonidal-sinus/

It's okay dataguy, not your fault lol. I've just had the minor one and I'm gna ring my doc first thing to see a specialist because it's getting severe now. I'll write back as soon as I've got more info. Hope you're okayy btw.

[trenace]

Hi everyone it's really late here but I can't get this out of my mind. I've had a pretty terrible week which eased slightly today and it's the last thing I wanted to worry about. My brother's told me that he's been taking amytriptiline 50mg for joint pain for the last month even though I've been ranting about my withdrawal for three years! He says he has no negative effects at all but I need advice on how he should stop taking it please. I know it's not the same as sertraline but I'm sure he's not supposed to stop taking it cold turkey which is what he's intending. What should I tell him? I honestly can't put into words how mad I am at him. I've managed to stop my mother and my other brother from taking the same drug for pain over the past year which I'm sure he's aware of but he's still gone and started it without telling anyone. 

[ChessieCat]

I suggest that you print out or direct him to this leaflet:

 

cepuk-major-milestone-royal-college-releases-new-guidance-on-stopping-antidepressants

 

Tips for tapering off amitriptyline

 

Why taper by 10% of my dosage?

Dr Joseph Glenmullen's WD Symptoms Checklist

 

39 minutes ago, trenace said:

My brother's told me that he's been taking amytriptiline 50mg for joint pain for the last month

 

It can take as little as 1 month for the brain to fully adapt to a psychiatric drug.  However e may be able to do a fast taper, but he will need to listen to his body/symptoms and hold for longer as needed.  It is better to reduce slower than to experience withdrawal symptoms and then have to stabilise.  It can end up taking longer if you try to go too quickly.  And if the sleep becomes affected it can make the whole process so much worse.

 

Obviously the best idea would be for him to join the site.

 

The above is the only assistance we can provide through you to your brother.  Hopefully he will be willing to look into how to get off the drug with minimal discomfort.

[trenace]

9 hours ago, ChessieCat said:

I suggest that you print out or direct him to this leaflet:

 

cepuk-major-milestone-royal-college-releases-new-guidance-on-stopping-antidepressants

 

Tips for tapering off amitriptyline

 

Why taper by 10% of my dosage?

Dr Joseph Glenmullen's WD Symptoms Checklist

 

 

It can take as little as 1 month for the brain to fully adapt to a psychiatric drug.  However e may be able to do a fast taper, but he will need to listen to his body/symptoms and hold for longer as needed.  It is better to reduce slower than to experience withdrawal symptoms and then have to stabilise.  It can end up taking longer if you try to go too quickly.  And if the sleep becomes affected it can make the whole process so much worse.

 

Obviously the best idea would be for him to join the site.

 

The above is the only assistance we can provide through you to your brother.  Hopefully he will be willing to look into how to get off the drug with minimal discomfort.

Thank you, I feel like choking him tbh so frustrated. I thought the site is no longer taking new members? I'll print out all the Info for him and if he struggles I'll tell him to join. Hopefully he doesn't struggle at all though.

[trenace]

Has anyones withdrawal seemingly gone worse for no reason? Lately my derealization and concept of time as well as brainfog have just turned horrendous and I don't even know why. My overall mood is just down n out too. Don't feel like doing anything. I'm basically in my room all day again but I've not done anything different. Crying spells and emotions have just gone haywire again.

[ChessieCat]

Q:  Have you been consuming alcohol, beverages containing caffeine (coffee, cola, energy drinks, Mountain Dew), Chinese food, chicken salt or other savoury foods, tinned/frozen/packets (flavoured snacks) which contain MSG (a neurotoxin), have you been sick, had to take other medication, eg antibiotics, sleep pattern changed, been playing stimulating games/music/noise/bright lights, been out and about after being at home a lot (covid)?

 

During this year we have had other members posting that their withdrawal symptoms have worsened or started up again.  It is possible that the covid situation has affected you.  A change in routine, uncertainty, isolation or being cooped up with others more than normal, can all cause additional stress.  If you have been affected financially or your job situation has changed because of it can add to it as well.

[trenace]

On 11/18/2020 at 11:08 PM, ChessieCat said:

Q:  Have you been consuming alcohol, beverages containing caffeine (coffee, cola, energy drinks, Mountain Dew), Chinese food, chicken salt or other savoury foods, tinned/frozen/packets (flavoured snacks) which contain MSG (a neurotoxin), have you been sick, had to take other medication, eg antibiotics, sleep pattern changed, been playing stimulating games/music/noise/bright lights, been out and about after being at home a lot (covid)?

 

During this year we have had other members posting that their withdrawal symptoms have worsened or started up again.  It is possible that the covid situation has affected you.  A change in routine, uncertainty, isolation or being cooped up with others more than normal, can all cause additional stress.  If you have been affected financially or your job situation has changed because of it can add to it as well.

I've been consuming savory snacks but I've done that throughout withdrawal. I had to have minor surgery under local anesthetic lidocaine but I didn't notice an immediate reaction at all. It was actually a fair few days afterward I started getting bad when I added a lot of wholemeal flour back into my diet. I've taken it back out now and I'm not taking anymore medication either. Feels like my derealization and brainfog have gone a lot worse. God, fourth year of this and I feel maybe I'm functioning at 15/20% on good days. Lockdown doesn't bother me or stress me I haven't been able to consistently get out the house for 3 years now. I literally spend entire days playing video games or trying to nap but some days I can't because my nervous system plays up and I wake up panicking immediatley. Other days I can sleep a little and then wakeup panicking.  Still seems like I have any symptom at any given time. Sorry for late reply too past week has been very rough. Lots of fatigue and depression been in bed mostly trying to find ways to get by.

[trenace]

I read a lot of people saying that they're withdrawal is severe, and I don't like to undermine anyone suffering but personally, as soon as I read that someone is able to work or exercise I just feel worse because I'm not able to be productive at all. Cept maybe in some windows I can sit with my family and talk to them.

[DataGuy]

Sorry to hear you are having a rough time @trenace. Recovery can take quite a long time, and you'll be up and down throughout. Usually it is tough to see progress unless you look back months or years. It helps if you carefully document your symptoms when you are at your worst and best, then you have an idea how bad it can get and how good your windows have been. You were having a bit of a window not that long ago, so hopefully you pull out of this current wave of symptoms soon and get back to some semblance of stability. Just do what you can to help yourself and try not to worry too much about symptoms getting bad. It could have just been stressful for you having the procedure or taking the medication. The pandemic is not really helping anyone either. Hope you start feeling better soon. 

[trenace]

On 11/29/2020 at 11:52 AM, DataGuy said:

Sorry to hear you are having a rough time @trenace. Recovery can take quite a long time, and you'll be up and down throughout. Usually it is tough to see progress unless you look back months or years. It helps if you carefully document your symptoms when you are at your worst and best, then you have an idea how bad it can get and how good your windows have been. You were having a bit of a window not that long ago, so hopefully you pull out of this current wave of symptoms soon and get back to some semblance of stability. Just do what you can to help yourself and try not to worry too much about symptoms getting bad. It could have just been stressful for you having the procedure or taking the medication. The pandemic is not really helping anyone either. Hope you start feeling better soon. 

Thanks dataguy, when I look back at the first year I'm definitely better off but I'm also worse off than the start of my second year before the antibiotics but that can't be helped now I guess. I was wondering though, I have this sinus now where my abscess used to be that is getting infected constantly now. Like almost everyday it's infected and I have to wait a couple months before my first consultation with the surgeon. I have a feeling that this chronic infection is actually wreaking havoc with my energy levels and mood, I'm constantly feeling anhedonic or depressed with low mood and lots of fatigue. Could the chronic infection be adding to my withdrawal and making it worse? My symptoms change almost hourly but it feels like my baseline is this low mood and fatigue and I'm thinking a chronic infection isn't helping at all.

 

[DataGuy]

Yes, @trenace, very possible the infection is making things worse. I think the best way to conceptualize withdrawal is that we are hypersensitive to any sort of stimuli. So any chronic pain or irritation is going to be amplified and it can most definitely affect your mood and as a result, the way you feel physically. It can also be much easier to catastrophize symptoms that would not normally be seen as disastrous. I know in benzo withdrawal people often complain of bloating and constipation. Many people have these symptoms who are not in benzo withdrawal and they don't really pay them much attention, so it doesn't affect their quality of life. But in withdrawal, the discomfort is amplified and it feels like the entire nervous system gets involved (mostly because it is). So IBS symptoms which would normally not seem to be all that severe from a medical standpoint really end up interfering with daily functioning and quality of life. 

 

I am wondering if you could benefit from fasting? I know I had (and still have) very bad gastro problems, and I have found some success with intermittent fasting periods of 14-18 hours per day. I can't always do this, since work gets in the way and I need energy to function there, but some of the times I have felt best in withdrawal is when I haven't eaten for 14 or more hours. I think when we eat, especially if we have bad stomach problems, we tend to feel every little particle of food bouncing around down there and causing havoc. At least with fasting it can give you a few hours of peace per day. It's not easy, but it is something you can think about doing if you want to experiment with treatments that have very limited risk. Here is a bit of a guide if you are interested: https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/intermittent-fasting-guide

[trenace]

24 minutes ago, DataGuy said:

Yes, @trenace, very possible the infection is making things worse. I think the best way to conceptualize withdrawal is that we are hypersensitive to any sort of stimuli. So any chronic pain or irritation is going to be amplified and it can most definitely affect your mood and as a result, the way you feel physically. It can also be much easier to catastrophize symptoms that would not normally be seen as disastrous. I know in benzo withdrawal people often complain of bloating and constipation. Many people have these symptoms who are not in benzo withdrawal and they don't really pay them much attention, so it doesn't affect their quality of life. But in withdrawal, the discomfort is amplified and it feels like the entire nervous system gets involved (mostly because it is). So IBS symptoms which would normally not seem to be all that severe from a medical standpoint really end up interfering with daily functioning and quality of life. 

 

I am wondering if you could benefit from fasting? I know I had (and still have) very bad gastro problems, and I have found some success with intermittent fasting periods of 14-18 hours per day. I can't always do this, since work gets in the way and I need energy to function there, but some of the times I have felt best in withdrawal is when I haven't eaten for 14 or more hours. I think when we eat, especially if we have bad stomach problems, we tend to feel every little particle of food bouncing around down there and causing havoc. At least with fasting it can give you a few hours of peace per day. It's not easy, but it is something you can think about doing if you want to experiment with treatments that have very limited risk. Here is a bit of a guide if you are interested: https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/intermittent-fasting-guide

I undertand what you mean in terms of withdrawal amplifying other conditions, but I mean can an infection affect mood on a physiological level? Because I've had this sinus opening for years but it would only get infected occasionally but I've noticed now that as the infection is pretty much constant my fatigue and my mood have dipped significantly and more consistently. 

[trenace]

Fasting does occasionally help but I've noticed that sometimes when I'm very hungry my withdrawal symptoms amplify, I get very tired and foggy a d can't focus on anything.

[ChessieCat]

4 hours ago, trenace said:

I've noticed that sometimes when I'm very hungry my withdrawal symptoms amplify, I get very tired and foggy a d can't focus on anything.

 

These are normal symptoms of hunger.

How to Tell if You Are Hungry: Symptoms of Hunger - Am I ...

https://amihungry.com/how-can-you-tell-if-youre-hungry

Look for physical symptoms of hunger. Here are the most common symptoms: Hunger pangs; Growling or grumbling; Gnawing; Empty or hollow feeling; Slight queasy feeling or nausea; Weakness or loss of energy; Fatigue; Trouble concentrating; Difficulty making decisions; Light-headedness; Slight headache; Shakiness ; Irritability or crankiness ("hangry")

[DataGuy]

On 12/3/2020 at 12:12 PM, trenace said:

I understand what you mean in terms of withdrawal amplifying other conditions, but I mean can an infection affect mood on a physiological level? Because I've had this sinus opening for years but it would only get infected occasionally but I've noticed now that as the infection is pretty much constant my fatigue and my mood have dipped significantly and more consistently. 

 

Yes, infections, both bacterial and viral can cause neuropsychiatric symptoms. I'm not really sure if that is the case with your condition. The only thing I found was that it may cause a low grade fever, but it says that is rare. Fatigue can most definitely be a symptom. I think if it were dangerous then the surgery would be more of a priority. You can always ask the doctor what the worst outcome is if you really want to worry yourself lol. I think you will be ok. Just keep cleaning it and try not to make it worse. If you can spend more time walking or standing that might help things. I think exercise, however minor, is almost always good for you. Any sort of muscle movement helps. Even squatting is an improvement over sitting. 

[trenace]

On 12/5/2020 at 3:54 PM, DataGuy said:

 

Yes, infections, both bacterial and viral can cause neuropsychiatric symptoms. I'm not really sure if that is the case with your condition. The only thing I found was that it may cause a low grade fever, but it says that is rare. Fatigue can most definitely be a symptom. I think if it were dangerous then the surgery would be more of a priority. You can always ask the doctor what the worst outcome is if you really want to worry yourself lol. I think you will be ok. Just keep cleaning it and try not to make it worse. If you can spend more time walking or standing that might help things. I think exercise, however minor, is almost always good for you. Any sort of muscle movement helps. Even squatting is an improvement over sitting. 

I feel as if my depression and hopelessness has been more severe since the infection has been getting worse, although I was taking lidocaine for it pretty consistently too so that could have contributed to it too. I've got a cold now too feel pretty terrible overall. This overriding feeling of depression/hopelessness brainfog DR is just making everything more difficult though. I sometimes sleep really well during the day but I'm going to try and not sleep today as I really toss and turn at night then. It's hard enoughtl at night I'm sleepy all day then just as it's time to sleep at night my brain becomes wide awake and my legs get extremely restless.

[DataGuy]

Yes, I think it's a good idea to avoid trying to sleep during the day, @trenace. Remember that withdrawal is not only stressful itself, but makes us more sensitive to everyday stresses. So the increased feelings of depression could simply be due to your current circumstances rather than the infection. I think maybe you should try to contact and see some friends, if possible. 

[Mike8989]

On 9/10/2018 at 11:17 AM, trenace said:

Thanks guys, It's really strange because when it first started early this year I assumed my stomach was causing the issues so I switched up my diet and eliminated anything that could be causing me issues. (gluten, sugar etc) But my symptoms all worsened and I reacted terribly to anything that could benefit me it seemed. Is this common with withdrawal? 

 

Did you feel sick everyday without being sick? 6 months into a fast taper/ slight increase of dosage to relive the horrid symptoms?

[trenace]

11 hours ago, DataGuy said:

Yes, I think it's a good idea to avoid trying to sleep during the day, @trenace. Remember that withdrawal is not only stressful itself, but makes us more sensitive to everyday stresses. So the increased feelings of depression could simply be due to your current circumstances rather than the infection. I think maybe you should try to contact and see some friends, if possible. 

I think I might have found out one thing which may have contributed to worse sleep. I've had lemsip max because of my cold and it contains phenylephrine. My restless legs and sleeplessness have gotten much worse alongside other symptoms too. I think any medication needs to be considered very carefully. Need to wait until this restlessness passes now. Worried sick about my possible surgery now too.

[trenace]

10 hours ago, Mike8989 said:

 

Did you feel sick everyday without being sick? 6 months into a fast taper/ slight increase of dosage to relive the horrid symptoms?

I have nausea on and off but it depends on what I eat. Sorry I can't be of much more help but that's all I can figure out. I don't have it all the time.

[trenace]

10 hours ago, Mike8989 said:

 

Did you feel sick everyday without being sick? 6 months into a fast taper/ slight increase of dosage to relive the horrid symptoms?

Good to see your tapering though. Just taper very slowly it's the best and safest way.

[trenace]

It also contains vitamin c and aspartame both of which I've reacted to in the past. Have to be so careful with what I put into my body.

[DataGuy]

Yes, adverse reactions should diminish with time as you get better. Until then, best to be cautious with new meds. Hope you have found the culprit. Keep fighting, @trenace!

[trenace]

3 hours ago, DataGuy said:

Yes, adverse reactions should diminish with time as you get better. Until then, best to be cautious with new meds. Hope you have found the culprit. Keep fighting, @trenace!

Thanks dataguy, the reaction eased off today but I've discovered something else right now. Mood was much better today, energy levels very good too then about an hour ago I had a bowl of soup with brown bread and literally ten minutes later I got a wave of depression and fatigue, so I'm thinking I'm intolerant to wheat. I don't think it's gluten because I eat a lot of gluten tbh and this reaction is pretty obvious to the food. 

 

[Leila]

8 hours ago, trenace said:

I had a bowl of soup with brown bread and literally ten minutes later I got a wave of depression and fatigue, so I'm thinking I'm intolerant to wheat. I don't think it's gluten because I eat a lot of gluten tbh and this reaction is pretty obvious to the food. 

Ehi @trenace, in my case (suspected IBS) I'm not intolerant to gluten (I checked it) but I suspect it could be intolerance to yeast (in case of leavened bread) or irritation that whole foods can give to the intestine (not to everyone) due to insoluble fiber. Many things depend on our intestines!

[DaBro]

Hi @trenace I’ve just picked up on your story. I stopped Sertraline Nov 2018 and my WD didn’t really kick in until October 2019, so I think we’re similar. 

 

I’ve been through a lot of the symptom list and am still in WD 25 months out but improving. The WD symptoms have changed from month to month and included a food intolerance period which lasted about 2 months back in the summer. Main issues were with shellfish and curry. I just ate bland stuff and lots of veg for a while. For me, like most symptoms it passed eventually. 

 

I’ve tried B12 oral spray. I found it made insomnia worse so I took it in the morning, primarily to help with mood. tbh I’ve found over the last year that supplements don’t help me much. I just take Fish oil in the morning and Magnesium Glycinate in the evening now. 

 

Ive recently had a couple of months of TD quite bad, but that seems to have stopped. I’m sleeping much better now too, often 9+ hours a night with a main symptom of frontal lobe headaches and low mental stamina. I’m hopeful the extra sleep means extra healing is happening. 

[trenace]

On 12/16/2020 at 11:49 AM, DaBro said:

Hi @trenace I’ve just picked up on your story. I stopped Sertraline Nov 2018 and my WD didn’t really kick in until October 2019, so I think we’re similar. 

 

I’ve been through a lot of the symptom list and am still in WD 25 months out but improving. The WD symptoms have changed from month to month and included a food intolerance period which lasted about 2 months back in the summer. Main issues were with shellfish and curry. I just ate bland stuff and lots of veg for a while. For me, like most symptoms it passed eventually. 

 

I’ve tried B12 oral spray. I found it made insomnia worse so I took it in the morning, primarily to help with mood. tbh I’ve found over the last year that supplements don’t help me much. I just take Fish oil in the morning and Magnesium Glycinate in the evening now. 

 

Ive recently had a couple of months of TD quite bad, but that seems to have stopped. I’m sleeping much better now too, often 9+ hours a night with a main symptom of frontal lobe headaches and low mental stamina. I’m hopeful the extra sleep means extra healing is happening. 

I think were similar in that our withdrawal started later. Great to see your working, if your capable of that and sleeping well I'm sure your on the way to recovery now. I've read alot that once sleep improves your almost there. I can't really do anything, except pass time. I don't really have much range of emotions right now, except anger and depression which vary in strength sometimes leaving me in bed sometimes I can sit up and play video games. Sleeps much worse recently always wakeup agitated and restless. Get about 3/4 hours at night then a couple more during day if I don't get cortisol rushes. Today I had cortisol rushes so can't sleep

[trenace]

On 12/16/2020 at 11:49 AM, Leila said:

Ehi @trenace, in my case (suspected IBS) I'm not intolerant to gluten (I checked it) but I suspect it could be intolerance to yeast (in case of leavened bread) or irritation that whole foods can give to the intestine (not to everyone) due to insoluble fiber. Many things depend on our intestines!

Tbh I don't have a clue what's going on with my gut at all. I can't tolerate alot of foods and even too much of the food I can tolerate. React to mostly everything so I can't take any supplements. My naturopath, said sibo is a definite and I agree but I can't really treat it right now. Maybe I can treat it later on.