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☼ a99: can I still heal with all this stress ?


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I don't think it's withdrawal anymore .

On and off prozac from 2010 -2014 .

Several failed fast tapers and reinstatements .

Cold turkey : March  2014 .

-----------------------------------------

took lysanxia 40 mg a day for almost a year
november -14- 2018 weaned to 30 mg
november -26- 2018 weaned to 20 mg
symptoms that got better : fatigue
current symptoms : severe anxiety
one rescue dose (10 mg ) december -15 -2018
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Please can  answer me if CT ad MRI scans can show tense muscle or not .

On and off prozac from 2010 -2014 .

Several failed fast tapers and reinstatements .

Cold turkey : March  2014 .

-----------------------------------------

took lysanxia 40 mg a day for almost a year
november -14- 2018 weaned to 30 mg
november -26- 2018 weaned to 20 mg
symptoms that got better : fatigue
current symptoms : severe anxiety
one rescue dose (10 mg ) december -15 -2018
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Please 

On and off prozac from 2010 -2014 .

Several failed fast tapers and reinstatements .

Cold turkey : March  2014 .

-----------------------------------------

took lysanxia 40 mg a day for almost a year
november -14- 2018 weaned to 30 mg
november -26- 2018 weaned to 20 mg
symptoms that got better : fatigue
current symptoms : severe anxiety
one rescue dose (10 mg ) december -15 -2018
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  • Moderator Emeritus

Have you tried googling it? I don't think people here would know about such things...

Current: 9/2022 Xanax 0.08, Lexapro 2

2020 Xanax 0.26 (down from 2 mg in 2013), Lexapro 2.85 mg (down from 5 mg 2013)

Amitriptyline (tricyclic AD) and clonazepam for 3 months to treat headache in 1996 
1999. - present Xanax prn up to 3 mg.
2000-2005 Prozac CT twice, 2005-2010 Zoloft CT 3 times, 2010-2013 Escitalopram 10 mg
went from 2.5 to zero on 7 Aug 2013, bad crash 40 days after
reinstated to 5 mg Escitalopram 4Oct 2013 and holding liquid Xanax every 5 hours
28 Jan 2014 Xanax 1.9, 18 Apr  2015 1 mg,  25 June 2015 Lex 4.8, 6 Aug Lexapro 4.6, 1 Jan 2016 0.64  Xanax     9 month hold

24 Sept 2016 4.5 Lex, 17 Oct 4.4 Lex (Nov 0.63 Xanax, Dec 0.625 Xanax), 1 Jan 2017 4.3 Lex, 24 Jan 4.2, 5 Feb 4.1, 24 Mar 4 mg, 10 Apr 3.9 mg, May 3.85, June 3.8, July 3.75, 22 July 3.7, 15 Aug 3.65, 17 Sept 3.6, 1 Jan 2018 3.55, 19 Jan 3.5, 16 Mar 3.4, 14 Apr 3.3, 23 May 3.2, 16 June 3.15, 15 Jul 3.1, 31 Jul 3, 21 Aug 2.9 26 Sept 2.85, 14 Nov Xan 0.61, 1 Dec 0.59, 19 Dec 0.58, 4 Jan 0.565, 6 Feb 0.55, 20 Feb 0.535, 1 Mar 0.505, 10 Mar 0.475, 14 Mar 0.45, 4 Apr 0.415, 13 Apr 0.37, 21 Apr 0.33, 29 Apr 0.29, 10 May 0.27, 17 May 0.25, 28 May 0.22, 19 June 0.22, 21 Jun updose to 0.24, 24 Jun updose to 0.26

Supplements: Omega 3 + Vit E, Vit C, D, magnesium, Taurine, probiotic 

I'm not a medical professional. Any advice I give is based on my own experience and reading. 

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Please can  answer me if CT ad MRI scans can show tense muscle or not .

 

Hi, a99.

 

I'm not sure what you mean by "tense muscle". A lot of us have muscle pain during withdrawal. SSRIs have been prescribed for pain, so it stands to reason that we would experience pain during withdrawal. For some members, the pain can be quite severe.

 

Are you doing any non-drug coping skills such as yoga or tai chi? JanCarol listed a couple of videos in her post here.  Have you tried the one to help with shoulder and neck pain? These are not exercises to try once and it will fix the problem, but something to do every day, as you are able. 

 

Please let us know what non-drug coping skills you are using. This is as important as knowing what drugs you are on. 

 

Sending healing vibes your way. 

 

 

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Plz help me I'm suffering really bad and I don't know what's wrong with me anymore .. I don't even think it's wd anymore .. my head is so messed up I went to a neurologist and he prescribed me a muscle relaxant I've been taking it for 9 days but I didn't feel much difference .. it's like the muscles in my head not only are tense but also move all the time I think maybe that's why the relaxant didn't work well ..I'm really exhausted and lost and depressed to see me lose years of my life and can't do anything about it .. even my family can't take this anymore they are so fed up .

Plz consider that I'm really starting to doubt it's wd  ... I'm really suffering and I can't just sit and wait .

On and off prozac from 2010 -2014 .

Several failed fast tapers and reinstatements .

Cold turkey : March  2014 .

-----------------------------------------

took lysanxia 40 mg a day for almost a year
november -14- 2018 weaned to 30 mg
november -26- 2018 weaned to 20 mg
symptoms that got better : fatigue
current symptoms : severe anxiety
one rescue dose (10 mg ) december -15 -2018
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Hi a99

I think you should try taking the drugs again and then, when you are ready slowly begin to taper. Thats my advice. You can listen to it or not. But if I were you, I would not waste another year of my precious life. Its clearly not getting better now matter how many years is passing by.

Best wishes Sara

When I was 15 years old i had a kundalini rising. It was a wake up call from what I had been my whole life, a person who always did what others told me to do and never loved anyone. I was a very scared child because my mother was always very worried. In december 2010 i got locked in a psychiatric hospital. I was there for almost a half year, they felt they could do nothing to help me. Then I got locked in again i august 2011 and got the strongest antipsuchotic drug there is, Cisordinol, its not allowed in the US. I was a zombie for one year, my psychologist said I had got a prefrontal lobotomy, that I had PTSD and the the only thing worse was war torture. My parents did nothing else than bullying me with the things i couldn´t. For a couple of years, I did nothing. I mourned over my life who I had lost and time flew as it does to those who had lost their sence of time. In december 2014 I was close to death because of the drugs. From around march 2015 things started to turn the right way for me, my near death experience was a wake up call for me, I was filled with love and accept and I met my boyfriend. I was also at a psychiatric hospital again from january 2015 to september 2015. When I got out I thought that now was my life starting to go the right way for me. I stopped with the medication from one day to another and it was the worst mistake I ever made. I was in withdrawal and I started to forget and it just continued to be worse and it still does. Along with that I got locked in again from january 2016 to may 2016. I had no other choise than to take medication otherwise they would let me do nothing. The place where I live now forces me to take medication, otherwise I cant live there and I have nowhere else to live. I had left my first boyfriend despite i still loves him and believes that we one day can be together again but I felt that he didnt understood what I was going through. I have a new friend/ boyfriend who I feel understands my feelings and that it is okay to be sad and frustrated. Whenever my mom is visiting me I just wanna vomit and thats one of my main problems. Please write to me if you find me interesting or you have experienced something similar to me.

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Hi a99, are you being subjected to a lot of stress?, stress can exacerbate the symptoms a lot,,, specially the tension headaches..

 

Last year I had just pssd and apathy, and I didn't take care of myself properly ,I worked a lot, obsessed a lot about the pssd,... summing up, I was subjected to a lot of stress, and that stress have resulted in having tension headaches almost eveyrday since last July,,,,

 

what I mean is that wd can get worse with stress, and that may be what is happening to you

About me ------------------------ College student with a history of anxiety, excessive worrying and health anxiety.

April 2014 - May 2015----------    Prozac 20mg On and Off.  Second time on it I developed apathy, changes in personality, asexuality.

May 2015  -   July 2015-----------------  Tappering off prozac. Still no feelings,anhedonia, apathy, no libido, asexuality.

Current symptoms--------  pssd (asexuality in my case). Anxiety and depression developed some months afer stopping prozac, could have been caused by obsessing and beating myself up too much when I found myself unable to like girls again. The best thing to do with pssd (which in my case is asexuality) is accept it and move on.

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Thank you so much but no I don't think it has anything to do with stress .. my head has been tense and tight and heavy for years now but also I feel the muscles move all the time and it's really excruciating .

On and off prozac from 2010 -2014 .

Several failed fast tapers and reinstatements .

Cold turkey : March  2014 .

-----------------------------------------

took lysanxia 40 mg a day for almost a year
november -14- 2018 weaned to 30 mg
november -26- 2018 weaned to 20 mg
symptoms that got better : fatigue
current symptoms : severe anxiety
one rescue dose (10 mg ) december -15 -2018
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PLeaaaase help !

On and off prozac from 2010 -2014 .

Several failed fast tapers and reinstatements .

Cold turkey : March  2014 .

-----------------------------------------

took lysanxia 40 mg a day for almost a year
november -14- 2018 weaned to 30 mg
november -26- 2018 weaned to 20 mg
symptoms that got better : fatigue
current symptoms : severe anxiety
one rescue dose (10 mg ) december -15 -2018
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  • Moderator Emeritus

PLeaaaase help !

 

 

A99,

 

Please try to breathe deep and calm down. It sounds like panicking is a part of the problem. I know when I get stressed - and that includes stressing myself out with dark thoughts - my symptoms get much, much worse.

 

Are you still taking the muscle relaxant like you mention in the below post from a few days ago? Can you tell us what it is and what dose you're on? 

 

Also, did you have a MRI or CT like you mentioned in an earlier post? 

 

I hope you feel better soon, but try not to make your symptoms worse than they already are. 

 

 

 

 

 

Plz help me I'm suffering really bad and I don't know what's wrong with me anymore .. I don't even think it's wd anymore .. my head is so messed up I went to a neurologist and he prescribed me a muscle relaxant I've been taking it for 9 days but I didn't feel much difference .. it's like the muscles in my head not only are tense but also move all the time I think maybe that's why the relaxant didn't work well ..I'm really exhausted and lost and depressed to see me lose years of my life and can't do anything about it .. even my family can't take this anymore they are so fed up .

Plz consider that I'm really starting to doubt it's wd  ... I'm really suffering and I can't just sit and wait .

 

 

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PLeaaaase help !

 

 

A99,

 

Please try to breathe deep and calm down. It sounds like panicking is a part of the problem. I know when I get stressed - and that includes stressing myself out with dark thoughts - my symptoms get much, much worse.

 

Are you still taking the muscle relaxant like you mention in the below post from a few days ago? Can you tell us what it is and what dose you're on? 

 

Also, did you have a MRI or CT like you mentioned in an earlier post? 

 

I hope you feel better soon, but try not to make your symptoms worse than they already are. 

 

 

 

 

 

Plz help me I'm suffering really bad and I don't know what's wrong with me anymore .. I don't even think it's wd anymore .. my head is so messed up I went to a neurologist and he prescribed me a muscle relaxant I've been taking it for 9 days but I didn't feel much difference .. it's like the muscles in my head not only are tense but also move all the time I think maybe that's why the relaxant didn't work well ..I'm really exhausted and lost and depressed to see me lose years of my life and can't do anything about it .. even my family can't take this anymore they are so fed up .

Plz consider that I'm really starting to doubt it's wd  ... I'm really suffering and I can't just sit and wait .

 

Thank you so much for your time . Really just seeing how everyone here helps each other makes me feel better and not alone .

I'm taking mydocalm " tolperisone " 150 mg twice a day and yes I did have an MRI and was clear I mean no negative results .

On and off prozac from 2010 -2014 .

Several failed fast tapers and reinstatements .

Cold turkey : March  2014 .

-----------------------------------------

took lysanxia 40 mg a day for almost a year
november -14- 2018 weaned to 30 mg
november -26- 2018 weaned to 20 mg
symptoms that got better : fatigue
current symptoms : severe anxiety
one rescue dose (10 mg ) december -15 -2018
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  • Moderator Emeritus

I didn't recognize this drug, so I looked it up for it's profile with side effects:

 

http://pharmacybook.net/mydocalm/

 

It has quite a number of side effects including muscle pain and weakness.  Plus the article states, "Treatment should be as short as possible."  

 

I'm glad your MRI was clear, that is great news. It really sounds like you're dealing with withdrawal. But now you've added another drug that doesn't sound like it's working.

 

How long are you supposed to stay on it? 

 

Please be very, very careful adding drugs. Your CNS is already destabilized from your withdrawal, and it's not unusual to have severe waves, even several years after coming off. 

 

 

 

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Can you follow up with the neurologist about what it would be like if it's working and how long before it usually produces that effect?

This is not medical advice. Discuss any decisions about your medical care with a knowledgeable medical practitioner.
1997-1999 Effexor; 2002-2005 Effexor XR 37.5 mg linear taper, dropping same #beads/week with bad results

Cymbalta 60 mg 2012 - 2015; 2016: 20 mg to 7 mg exact doses and dates in this post; 2017: 6.3 mg to  0.0 mg  Aug. 12; details here


scallywag's Introduction
Online spreadsheet for dose taper calculations and nz11's THE WORKS spreadsheet

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I didn't recognize this drug, so I looked it up for it's profile with side effects:

 

http://pharmacybook.net/mydocalm/

 

It has quite a number of side effects including muscle pain and weakness.  Plus the article states, "Treatment should be as short as possible."  

 

I'm glad your MRI was clear, that is great news. It really sounds like you're dealing with withdrawal. But now you've added another drug that doesn't sound like it's working.

 

How long are you supposed to stay on it? 

 

Please be very, very careful adding drugs. Your CNS is already destabilized from your withdrawal, and it's not unusual to have severe waves, even several years after coming off. 

I'm having great doubts it's not WD . It has never gotten any better actually it's getting worse with time . It's the only symptom that never showed any improvement . I've dealt with a lot of stress the past few years and even before the cold turkey my head was tense so maybe I don't think it's wd .

I'm supposed to take it for 2 weeks and the last dose should be this  wednesday .

The most confusing thing is that I feel like the muscles are not stable and lt's like they move is that beause they're tense ?

On and off prozac from 2010 -2014 .

Several failed fast tapers and reinstatements .

Cold turkey : March  2014 .

-----------------------------------------

took lysanxia 40 mg a day for almost a year
november -14- 2018 weaned to 30 mg
november -26- 2018 weaned to 20 mg
symptoms that got better : fatigue
current symptoms : severe anxiety
one rescue dose (10 mg ) december -15 -2018
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Can you follow up with the neurologist about what it would be like if it's working and how long before it usually produces that effect?

I read muscle relaxants work within a short time and that's why I'm a little worried .

I really can't tell if it's working because the muscles keep moving .. maybe it is ..

On and off prozac from 2010 -2014 .

Several failed fast tapers and reinstatements .

Cold turkey : March  2014 .

-----------------------------------------

took lysanxia 40 mg a day for almost a year
november -14- 2018 weaned to 30 mg
november -26- 2018 weaned to 20 mg
symptoms that got better : fatigue
current symptoms : severe anxiety
one rescue dose (10 mg ) december -15 -2018
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  • Moderator Emeritus

Your neurologist prescribed this believing it would help. Ask him/her what it would look like if it was helping.

This is not medical advice. Discuss any decisions about your medical care with a knowledgeable medical practitioner.
1997-1999 Effexor; 2002-2005 Effexor XR 37.5 mg linear taper, dropping same #beads/week with bad results

Cymbalta 60 mg 2012 - 2015; 2016: 20 mg to 7 mg exact doses and dates in this post; 2017: 6.3 mg to  0.0 mg  Aug. 12; details here


scallywag's Introduction
Online spreadsheet for dose taper calculations and nz11's THE WORKS spreadsheet

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Your neurologist prescribed this believing it would help. Ask him/her what it would look like if it was helping.

It's not helping much . 

She advised me to do an EEG test and to keep taking the muscle relaxant. 

I'm still in incredible pain I keep grinding my teeth to move the muscles in my head it's like the muscles want to move but cant . It's crazy .

On and off prozac from 2010 -2014 .

Several failed fast tapers and reinstatements .

Cold turkey : March  2014 .

-----------------------------------------

took lysanxia 40 mg a day for almost a year
november -14- 2018 weaned to 30 mg
november -26- 2018 weaned to 20 mg
symptoms that got better : fatigue
current symptoms : severe anxiety
one rescue dose (10 mg ) december -15 -2018
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Maybe it's some sort of fibromyalgia ? 

On and off prozac from 2010 -2014 .

Several failed fast tapers and reinstatements .

Cold turkey : March  2014 .

-----------------------------------------

took lysanxia 40 mg a day for almost a year
november -14- 2018 weaned to 30 mg
november -26- 2018 weaned to 20 mg
symptoms that got better : fatigue
current symptoms : severe anxiety
one rescue dose (10 mg ) december -15 -2018
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She also suggested putting me on anafranil .

On and off prozac from 2010 -2014 .

Several failed fast tapers and reinstatements .

Cold turkey : March  2014 .

-----------------------------------------

took lysanxia 40 mg a day for almost a year
november -14- 2018 weaned to 30 mg
november -26- 2018 weaned to 20 mg
symptoms that got better : fatigue
current symptoms : severe anxiety
one rescue dose (10 mg ) december -15 -2018
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  • Moderator Emeritus

Hi, A99.  Anafranil is a tricyclic antidepressant, so it would be like reinstating after getting through more than 2.5 years off of Prozac. 

 

You may be going through a wave. A lot of people don't heal from AD withdrawal for several years. Some experience waves and windows, others only see healing toward the end of the journey.

 

Are you sleeping and eating enough? 

 

I'm still in incredible pain I keep grinding my teeth to move the muscles in my head it's like the muscles want to move but cant . It's crazy .

 

Do you have a nightguard to protect your teeth and jaw from the grinding? Grinding your teeth can cause all sorts of painful problems.

 

Please keep us updated.

 

 

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I regret waiting and letting it get this bad .

It's clearly not wd .

If I acted earlier Iprobably  wouldn't lose all these years and  suffer the way I did .

On and off prozac from 2010 -2014 .

Several failed fast tapers and reinstatements .

Cold turkey : March  2014 .

-----------------------------------------

took lysanxia 40 mg a day for almost a year
november -14- 2018 weaned to 30 mg
november -26- 2018 weaned to 20 mg
symptoms that got better : fatigue
current symptoms : severe anxiety
one rescue dose (10 mg ) december -15 -2018
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  • 4 months later...

I have the same thing...my head symptoms literally feel like a giant bubble/liquid in the back/right side of my head.  It's been 2 years and it's still exactly the same as it was years ago.  Starting to wonder if I'm ever gonna get better..does anyone else have what I'm feeling?

June 2013 - Vyvanse 40mgs and Adderall 20mgs

 

March 2015 - Concerta 36mgs and Seroquel 50mgs

 

August 2016 - Vyvanse 50mgs

 

November 2016 - Current - Vyvanse 60mgs, Seroquel 50mgs (I cut them in half and only take 25mgs), Wellbutrin 450gs (I hardly ever take it)

 

Current Withdrawal Symptoms: Very abnormal pins and needles/bubble feeling on the right and backside of my head (thought it was a brain tumor, so got both an MRI and CT Scan that came back normal), random waves of extreme depression sometimes with suicidal thoughts, tired most of the time, get anxious for seemingly no reason, sometimes hard to sleep. 

 

September 6, 2021 - Completely off all drugs.  Still smoke a lot of cannabis.  Take Animal Pak, L Tyrosine, and Organic Mucana as supplements.

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There seems to be a lot of different manifestations to do with head symptoms during W/D.  I had tingling and " pins and needles" .  They are gone now. Everyone has a different timeline to healing. It does get better.

Many SSRI's and SSNRI's over 20 years. Zoloft for 7 years followed by Effexor, Lexapro, Prozac, Cymbalta, Celexa, Pristiq, Valdoxan, Mianserin and more - on and off. No tapering. Cold turkey off Valdoxan - end of May 2014

 

                                                  Psych Drug - free since May 2014
.
         

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There seems to be a lot of different manifestations to do with head symptoms during W/D.  I had tingling and " pins and needles" .  They are gone now. Everyone has a different timeline to healing. It does get better.

 

How long did yours last?  I thought I had a brain tumor honestly.  I got some brain scans and they all came back normal, though.

June 2013 - Vyvanse 40mgs and Adderall 20mgs

 

March 2015 - Concerta 36mgs and Seroquel 50mgs

 

August 2016 - Vyvanse 50mgs

 

November 2016 - Current - Vyvanse 60mgs, Seroquel 50mgs (I cut them in half and only take 25mgs), Wellbutrin 450gs (I hardly ever take it)

 

Current Withdrawal Symptoms: Very abnormal pins and needles/bubble feeling on the right and backside of my head (thought it was a brain tumor, so got both an MRI and CT Scan that came back normal), random waves of extreme depression sometimes with suicidal thoughts, tired most of the time, get anxious for seemingly no reason, sometimes hard to sleep. 

 

September 6, 2021 - Completely off all drugs.  Still smoke a lot of cannabis.  Take Animal Pak, L Tyrosine, and Organic Mucana as supplements.

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I've noticed that the head symptoms aren't so bad recently. This may because I haven't made any changes to my meds in over two months. I have always suspected that the head pressure was related to Effexor reductions. Also, I haven't really experienced the tingling that I was feeling in my left ear at all since my last Effexor reduction. Could there be a connection Sherlock? Yes, I think so Watson   :)

 

I haven't made any cuts in a while because I haven't been feeling great. A lot of anxiety/depression. Generally related to work. However, I think that I am ready for another Effexor cut very soon as things have settled now thankfully.

 

Have a good weekend!

Previously - zopiclone, risperidone, lyrica (pregabalin), ativan (lorezapam)
01/Aug/2016 -  65mg effexor, 4.5mg olanzapine, 15mg mirtazpine
12/Aug/2016 -  75mg effexor, 4.5mg olanzapine, 15mg mirtazpine
03/Oct/2016 -  70mg effexor, 4.5mg olanzapine, 15mg mirtazpine
29/Oct/2016 -  65mg effexor, 4.5mg olanzapine, 15mg mirtazpine
25/Nov/2016 -  65mg effexor, 4mg olanzapine, 15mg mirtazpine
25/Dec/2016 -  60mg effexor, 3.6mg olanzapine, 15mg mirtazpine
18/Jan/2017 -  60mg effexor, 5.25mg olanzapine, 15mg mirtazpine
27/Mar/2017 -  54mg effexor, 5.25mg olanzapine, 15mg mirtazpine
23/Apr/2017 -  54mg effexor, 7.5mg olanzapine, 15mg mirtazpine
09/May/2017 -  75mg effexor, 7.5mg olanzapine, 15mg mirtazpine
08/Jun/2017 -  75mg effexor, 6.75mg olanzapine, 15mg mirtazpine
18/Jul/2017 -  75mg effexor, 6mg olanzapine, 15mg mirtazpine
Sometimes valium. Not daily. Supplements - Sterols and Stanols.
Note : I would really hope that nobody uses my tapering history as a guideline. It might not work well for somebody else tapering similar medications.
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  • 5 months later...

Head pressure and burning brain

 

Anyone experience this from AD or benzo withdrawal? Anyone recover? Can I do anything for symptom relief?  

 

For 2.5months now my brain feels like it has been in a vice with acid poured on it.  

 

 

Edited by Songbird
add title

2006-15 Effexor on and off mostly on. Also tried drugs that didn't work; notriptyline, Celexa, Zoloft, Welbutrin, Abilify, Pristiq, Cymbalta. Weaned off Effexor for last time quickly (2015) - horrible depression, anxiety, and insomnia.
Remeron (2016) helped wd symptoms. 
2017 - tapered off Rem over a few mths. Horrible wd symptoms with insomnia. Reinstating Remeron fail. For wd insomnia tried: Trazodone, Elavil, Gabapentin, Seroquel, Doxepin, Valium. Failed. 2mg Ativan at bed intermittent use 4mth.
CT Ativan - off all meds June '17.  Recovered by Oct '17 - well for a yr.
Oct '18-now. Major stresses, drank alcohol. In hell -insomnia, dp/dr, head pressure, anhedonia, no emotions, blank mind.
May/June '19 - 16 doses Rem CT, 10 doses 2mg Ativan. CT

Recovered Oct 2020-June 2022 - fully functional, working.  Only left with head pressure.

Major stresses - mainly financial, living space, relationship - severe insomnia, severe anxiety, depression, dp/dr, emotional numbness, blank mind

Sept 2022 - for sleep - took 8 doses of 15mg Remeron, 3 doses of 7.5mg, 3 doses of 3.75mg, 3 doses of 1.875mg

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Hi Uncomfortablynumb,  I'm not a moderator nor a medical professional, but I have felt similar symptoms.  I found fish oil rich in DHA and EPA (2000-3000 mg in those combined active ingredients a day) is likely to calm the electric fire felt in your brain.  I know when I go off of fish oil I get zaps, and a physical feeling of activity in parts of the brain - it's strange to explain and even worse to feel..Magnesium is very calming for the brain and muscles too.... there's other parts on this site that deal with brain zaps. You may find them useful.

In Jan 2011 started Lexapro 10 mg after 10 minutes consultation with doctor telling him I felt anxious in confined spaces and had an anxiety attack on plane and underground. Remained on that dosage until Sept 2014. Tapered following a doctor's schedule on 2.5 mg drops every three weeks. Once stopped I developed severe withdrawals. Three weeks of Prozac beginning of Oct 2014 but had adverse reaction and stopped CT. Protracted withdrawals since. Supp now - magnesium, fish oil, turmeric, vit D, melatonin (but recently it's made me depressed), castus vitex capsule with ginger, Withania, Vit E, zinc, Lutein for PMS.
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Hey DaisyBell, 

 

I am not sure if these are really brain zaps. I had what I think are zaps when I got off Effexor and Remeron. Like intermittent waves of electricity flowing and weird sensations in the brain. What I am experiencing now I believe is from the Ativan withdrawal - it is a crushing, squeezing head pressure that is constant.   

 

I could try and up my fish oil dose and see if there is a difference.   Wonder what is causing this symptom? Tightening of head muscles or something wonky with nerves.  

2006-15 Effexor on and off mostly on. Also tried drugs that didn't work; notriptyline, Celexa, Zoloft, Welbutrin, Abilify, Pristiq, Cymbalta. Weaned off Effexor for last time quickly (2015) - horrible depression, anxiety, and insomnia.
Remeron (2016) helped wd symptoms. 
2017 - tapered off Rem over a few mths. Horrible wd symptoms with insomnia. Reinstating Remeron fail. For wd insomnia tried: Trazodone, Elavil, Gabapentin, Seroquel, Doxepin, Valium. Failed. 2mg Ativan at bed intermittent use 4mth.
CT Ativan - off all meds June '17.  Recovered by Oct '17 - well for a yr.
Oct '18-now. Major stresses, drank alcohol. In hell -insomnia, dp/dr, head pressure, anhedonia, no emotions, blank mind.
May/June '19 - 16 doses Rem CT, 10 doses 2mg Ativan. CT

Recovered Oct 2020-June 2022 - fully functional, working.  Only left with head pressure.

Major stresses - mainly financial, living space, relationship - severe insomnia, severe anxiety, depression, dp/dr, emotional numbness, blank mind

Sept 2022 - for sleep - took 8 doses of 15mg Remeron, 3 doses of 7.5mg, 3 doses of 3.75mg, 3 doses of 1.875mg

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hi. i had those head pressure (not zaps, just pressure and a bit of burning) as well 4-5 months ago and they lasted for 1-2 months.

 

The spot where i felt the pressure  changed over days but mostly i had this problem on the left side of my head.

 

I can tell you i don't experience this anymore.

 

It simply disappeared and i think it will be like this for you too. stay strong

I'm sorry, didn't write a proper diary and my memory is very bad, can't remember exactly all dosages . Here is a short summary

Drugged since i was 11 yo.

Prescribed several SSRI, neuroleptics, mood stabilizers, benzos.Last prescription was lithium, lamotrigine , 20 mg paroxetine, rivotril

Tapered fast lithium and lamotrigine with little to no symptoms 3 years ago.Since then i'm tapering paroxetine and going through withdrawal syndrome. My tapering was not   stable and that's probably the cause of a lot of acute symptoms i had .

Currently at 0.8 mg of paroxetine

Trying now a micro-taper of 0.02 cuts

15/07/2017 tapered to 0.74  (having waves and windows. Cognitive impairment, akathisia, apathy, anxiety, vision problems, depression, paranoia, obsessive toughts, extreme fatigue,  and some more: all comes in waves except vision problems wich are persistent)

08/09/2017 0.72 mg 28/09/2017 0.70 mg

 

 

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  • 2 months later...

I have this too in benzo withdrawal. These sensations stopped for a while until they started again. I have burning sensation in my head and feeling of head pressure sometimes 24/7. It feels awful and scary! I am so scared it will be permanent after psych meds and is some kind of brain damage.  I haven't felt these sensations before meds, ever. The worst part is I don't know what causes it. I know that sleeping enough helps with it. Sleep deprivation makes these sensations come back

 

I haven't used fish oil for a long time but I am thinking if I start using it again.

 

I have experienced brain zaps in AD and benzo withdrawal but this feels different.

2005-2009 Lexapro 10-20mg & Remeron 7,5mg: cold turkey

2010 tried Venlafaxine (month),

2011-2012 Seroquel 25mg (few months)

2014 6 days Cipro(antibiotics) adverse reaction

2011-2015 Lexapro 10-20mg (tapered off during 4 months) 

2015-2016 (all these drugs during 9 months during SSRI wd,did not tolerate most of them ) : tried Remeron, Temazepam. Reinstatement of Lexapro 3 months after stopping it: fail. Akathisia, insomnia. Zyprexa10mg, Sodium Valproate, Temazepam(20mg), Oxazepam 30-45 mgs. Switching meds: Seroquel 50-100mg, Oxazepam  30-45mg , Temazepam 20mg. Then back to Zyprexa 10mg, Temazepam20mg, doctor took me off Oxazepam fast. Then Zyprexa 20mg, Temazepam 20mg, melatonin10mg ( sometimes very rarely Valium 10 mg.) Zyprexa: cold turkey because 20 mg Zyprexa made akathisia intolerable after every dose. After it insomnia, 24/7 akathisia, adverse reactions to supplements.

2016 spring daily  Valium 15mg (for akathisia)>0mg (used for 4 months and during that time slowly tapered off), tried Betablockers (shortly), Temazepam 40 mg > 25 mg (tapered in 3 months)

2016 summer Temazepam 25 mg > 20 mg, melatonin 2,5 mg

2016 november Melatonin 0,5 mg, Temazepam 20 mg.  Started tapering again.

2022 july (microtapering) 3,0 mg Temazepam Supplements: Probiotics, magnesium oil occasionally, melatonin 0,5 mg

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  • 3 months later...

Can anyone relate? My doctor took me off Zoloft 7 months ago and tried to cross taper me over to Lexapro. I had a pretty bad reaction. I was unable to reinstate any SSRI. Since then, I have experienced extreme anxiety. That is getting better however; the head symptoms are unbelievable. I'm experiencing extreme head pressure, brain fog, terrible headaches that go from the back of my head to the front. I'm still also experiencing intense brain zaps. It feels as if my head has been hit with a sledgehammer. is it normal for the head symptoms to last this long?. They tried to put me on Lexapro 2 months ago at a very low dose but I did not do well at that. I had a kindling reaction. I also to experience intense, weird brain sensations such as intense dizziness and almost like a falling sensation when I walk. Seems as if my brain is bouncing up and hitting the sides of my head. Is this normal with withdrawal? Do you think I need to be concerned about something else. Will this eventually subside? Also, does anyone experience flashes of light in the morning when waking up? It says almost if a flashlight is going off in my head. This is also pretty scary.

 

 

Here it goes

 

March 2015- started 5mg Lexapro

November 2015- switched over to Cymbalta 30mg

August 2016- stopped Cymbalta cold turkey

Early December 2016- took Zoloft 25mg 

Tried to then cross taper over to Lexapro 5mg then up to 10mg for a week

 Aug 2017- Stopped lexapro- not sure if seratonin toxicity was present. Er prescribed klonopin- currently tapering .25mg. 

 Sept 2017-Tried resperidal 1mg for two weeks

November 2017- Tried Lexapro again 2.5 mg then to 5mg for two weeks then stopped

 

 

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hey bgoggles,

 

i have some of the things you mentioned.  i was on zoloft and zyprexa for 14 years and stopped it cold turkey in 2014.  i only had the brain zaps for about 2 months after quitting the drugs, but since then, my sleep has been awful and i do often have the feeling like there is no buffer for my brain inside my head.  it's almost like it rattles around in there sometimes.  Also, on really bad stretches of days,  it's like my whole body vibrates with every step i take., especially on sidewalks.   it's kind of hard to explain.  i have had the sledgehammer to the head feeling quite a bit, too, which for me, anyways, coincides with really poor quality of sleep the night before.  i had days in 2015 and 2016 where my sleep was so shallow and depressed that it felt like i hadn't been breathing during the night for my 4-5 hours of sleep.   it felt like i had run head first into  a wall to put myself asleep for the night.  hang-over like.  i would have a very hard time getting breakfast and coffee made the next morning.  the hangover feeling is pretty common in wd.   it's usually referred to as "dead head".   it makes havoc with short term memory and other cognitve functions.   there have been plenty of mornings where it feels like pieces of my frontal lobe are actually missing due to just how depressed and poor my sleep is.   i also occasionally have the sensation of falling into the floor some days when i walk.  it's pretty concerning.   

 

 

i  tried remeron this past year because my sleep had been so bad to the point i couldn't really function anymore   after starting the remeron, i have been having intense feelings of brain swelling.  it seems to be related to constant bloating and constipation cycles that i am going through now.   about everything other day, it feels like my brain is swelling against my skull.  i get highly irritable and feel miserable and have difficulty concentrating.   its awful.  i was thinking it could be a gluten sensitivity or also possibly a build up of ammonia in the blood.   i am not really sure, but the brain swelling is terrible on days when i am backed up. 

 

i have had a lot of strange visual disturbances inside my head as my health and sleep deteriorate.  they are pretty difficult to explain sometimes.  i  do suffer severely from hypnagogic hallucinations which are brought on by sleep deprivation and depression.    it's just instantaneous dreaming as soon as i close my eyes to try to sleep.  Usually it's nightmarish stuff i see and have to pull myself awake after about  a minute or two of "sleep" .   like  as soon as i close my eyes, i will  start to dream i am walking up to the side of a deep bottomless hole or the edge of a cliff or i am walking down a road and a semi truck with headlights is bearing down on me.   these dreams start within a few minutes of closing my eyes and more often than not keep me out of sleep.  it's been pretty horrible. 

 

poetjester.

Court committed to take Prozac, Paxci, and Respiradol from 8/95 to 3/96.   developed severe akithisia and brain damage.  Was unable to speak and walking in circles 15 hours a day.  Went in for 5 sessions of ECT during a 10 day period in March of '96 and my forced medication was discontinued at that time.  My akithisia and brain damage cleared up within a few days of stopping the meds.

 

On Zoloft (200 mg) and Zyprexa (17.5 mg) March 1998- Feb 2014

In between was placed on Effexor 200 mg and Abilify for six months in 2004.  Developed mild akithisia which went away once I stopped the Abilify.  Developed severe GI issues in Dec 2001 and from that time on suffered from fatigue and hypersomnia where I would sleep between 12 and 20 hours a day and rarely ever left my apartment. 

 

Had tapered to 100 mg of Zoloft and 7.5 mg of Zyprexa at the time of going cold turkey Feb. 2014

Went 5 days without sleep at the beginning while vomiting all over my apt.  Had brain zaps for a number of weeks and also lightheadedness which both eventually went away.  However 2 1/2 yrs later I still struggle with insomnia, depression, and fatigue.

 

 

 

 

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sorry to hear about your trauma and head issues and yes it is very frightening, to say the least.  Yes, I have had intense head pressure all the way through w/d, along with vibrating heads, brain fog, sore heads(very painful to touch scalp), headaches, pain from my right shoulder up my beck and up into my head, migraines, "head banging" sensation.

 

Irritability, not being able to focus and not sleep are also w/d symptoms.

 

I went from Paxil to Lexapro with disastrous results.  Doctors have no idea that "switching" you to a different a/d helps.  THEY DON'T ALL WORK THE SAME.   I was then "switched" to two others with same results and then I CT and went into hell.  I went back on the original drug, full dose I had been on for 17/18 years and was amazingly recovered within several days.  That was when the penny dropped and I knew I was addicted to this poison.

 

It sounds like you are in w/d from your CT.  You might want to re-instate to lexapro and do a 10% taper after you have stabilised.  I had been off my original drug for at least 6 months when I re-instated.  Read up about re-instating and doing a slow taper.  It is much easier on the brain.

 

I have never heard anyone have the same trauma I experienced with the "sledgehammer" until these two posts.  I call it "headbanging" and it is like someone bashing you in the side of the head with a piece of 4x2 (timber) - excruciating and frightening.

 

Hopefully a moderator will be along soon to advise you also.

1995-2007      20mg Aropax/Paxil for pain.  Years of up and down doses

2008                Endep, Lexapro and then Esipram (hell!) CT (oh dear!)

2009                20mg Aropax.  Tried skipping doses for a year (more hell!)

                        2010                10mg.  10% taper.  Lasted 4 months. Crashed again

2011                5% taper. 9mg-7mg (hell got even worse!)

2012                2.5% taper.  6.6mg – 5.6mg (worser still & unbearable)

2013                5% taper.  Big mistake.  5.5mg – 4.6mg  (even worserer)

2014                2.5% taper.  4.9mg – 4.5mg;    2015 2.5% taper 4.4 - 4.0mg

2016                2.5% taper.  3.9mg  Feb 3.8   Mar 3.7  May 3.6   Jul 3.5

2017                2.5% taper.  Jan 3.4;   Mar 3.35;  Apr 3.3; Oct 3; Dec 2.9;

2018                2.5% taper. Jan 2.8; Mar 2.7; Mar: 2.75; Jun 2.7; Aug 2.6; Oct 2.5; Nov 2.4; Dec 2.3

2019                Jan 2.2; Feb 2.1;

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Thank you for the replies. I was originally on Zoloft, not Lexapro. But they tried me on Lexapro after the Zoloft. If I was to reinstate anything it would be the Zoloft. However. Because of my reaction to Lexapro. I'm pretty scared to start any other SSRI at this point. I think my nervous system took a pretty hard hit.I just feel like I need to endure this for more time. I've noticed things have improved but the head symptoms are still there pretty badly. I get a lot of head rushes in the morning, dizziness in the brain. And that head banging sensation. I am hoping and positive that this will improve in time. If there's anyone else that has had this experience with the head symptoms, please explain. It's so encouraging to hear other people's stories in regards to head symptoms during withdrawal. 

Here it goes

 

March 2015- started 5mg Lexapro

November 2015- switched over to Cymbalta 30mg

August 2016- stopped Cymbalta cold turkey

Early December 2016- took Zoloft 25mg 

Tried to then cross taper over to Lexapro 5mg then up to 10mg for a week

 Aug 2017- Stopped lexapro- not sure if seratonin toxicity was present. Er prescribed klonopin- currently tapering .25mg. 

 Sept 2017-Tried resperidal 1mg for two weeks

November 2017- Tried Lexapro again 2.5 mg then to 5mg for two weeks then stopped

 

 

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Boggles, my apology, I meant Zoloft, the original drug! 

 

You could persist, and especially if you were not on Zoloft for very long, you would have more success.  In my case I was on the original drug for 17 years.

1995-2007      20mg Aropax/Paxil for pain.  Years of up and down doses

2008                Endep, Lexapro and then Esipram (hell!) CT (oh dear!)

2009                20mg Aropax.  Tried skipping doses for a year (more hell!)

                        2010                10mg.  10% taper.  Lasted 4 months. Crashed again

2011                5% taper. 9mg-7mg (hell got even worse!)

2012                2.5% taper.  6.6mg – 5.6mg (worser still & unbearable)

2013                5% taper.  Big mistake.  5.5mg – 4.6mg  (even worserer)

2014                2.5% taper.  4.9mg – 4.5mg;    2015 2.5% taper 4.4 - 4.0mg

2016                2.5% taper.  3.9mg  Feb 3.8   Mar 3.7  May 3.6   Jul 3.5

2017                2.5% taper.  Jan 3.4;   Mar 3.35;  Apr 3.3; Oct 3; Dec 2.9;

2018                2.5% taper. Jan 2.8; Mar 2.7; Mar: 2.75; Jun 2.7; Aug 2.6; Oct 2.5; Nov 2.4; Dec 2.3

2019                Jan 2.2; Feb 2.1;

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