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


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Dear PoetJester

On 1/30/2018 at 11:21 AM, PoetJester said:

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.

Dear poetjester did remeron made hypnagogic hallucinations completely go away?sleep quality improved?

Cold turkeyed risperidone (1m.g)and trihexyphenidyl combination drug out of ignorance,In August 2016 after one month use.

Withdrawal symptoms settled at dreamful,disturbing sleep.

Thus introduced to olanzapine for sleep.Started using olanzapine out of ignorance.

Tapering olanzapine 10 m.g from February 2017.

May 2018 :Still suffering dreams,Still tapering olanzapine at 0.625.100ml water+2.5 mg olanzapine. June 2018 22.5ml=0.57mg.July 2018 20ml,August 2018-17.5ml,September 2018-15ml,October 2018 10 ml,December 2018 7 ml, BrassMonkey slide method so far at lower doses.2 nd December cold turkeyed , only to reach minure doses as reinstatement to cutshort endless tapering process.4rth December started 1ml.

Almost no symptoms and sleep is better,So started 0.5 ml from 17-12-2018.

"0"from31-12-18.Re birth happened from 10- 2020,as rejuvenation took whole2019.Completely recovered now.

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15 hours ago, rupa said:

Dear PoetJester

Dear poetjester did remeron made hypnagogic hallucinations completely go away?sleep quality improved?

 

Hi Rupa,

 

it did.  the remeron helped with the hypnagogia, but there were all sort of side effects from it.  i had headaches and blurry vision within a day or two of starting the drug.  it also felt like the pill wiped out most of my motivation/will and emotions.  it's a bad trade off, but i was in a bad spot by this summer when i started it.  i would sit at my computer most days this past summer too weak to do much of anything and sweltering in a hot apt without the ability to sleep more than 2 or 3 hours a day  with my bowels hardly working from how depressed i was becoming.  the remeron helped me get past the hypnagogia and sleep about 6-7 hours and even take naps, but it did strange things to my brain/head.  after two months i developed bright red rashes in my armpits that began leaking pus and became very lethargic, unable to leave my apt and run errands or get groceries even though i was sleeping 8-9 hours a day sometimes.  i think i had an allergic reaction to the pill.  there were days i almost didn't feel conscious and two days where i ended sleeping for 20 hours a day,  just continually waking up from 6-7 hours of sleep and after an hour or two going back to sleep.  in a way, it felt good to catch up on sleep considering how little i have gotten the past few years, but the remeron makes me feel a little gross .  i was so lethargic that i couldn't keep up with house chores.  i go between taking it for 4-5 days and then taking a day off because i don't like the way it affects my head.    i even lost the ability to sing after starting it and had voice changes.  i had read of this happening to one other person online, who had been taking the drug and lost the ability to sing high notes.   it's strange. 

 

if i don't take it, i have one day where there is still some of the drug in my body where i can sleep the next day, but after that the hypnagogia comes back and i only get 2 hours of horrible sleep and then have to sit around all day with a severely weakened body.  it' feels like i could fall over at any time.   my body gets so tight from the poor quality of the sleep that i feel like i am in a vice.  i think sleep deprivation can lead to body acidity/toxicity that makes the muscles tighten up.  i get very weak within a day now with these two hour sleep days after doing it for so long.  i have tried to get the doctor/psychiatrist to may be write me a script for something else for sleep, but my psychiatrist demands in office appts and i am usually too weak to bike across town to see her-  either from the remeron causing fatigue even though i can sleep or else if i don't take it i get too weak from poor sleep quality so i am kind of in a predicament over here.  doctors haven't been very understanding.  

 

Derek

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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2 hours ago, PoetJester said:

 

Hi Rupa,

 

it did.  the remeron helped with the hypnagogia, but there were all sort of side effects from it.  i had headaches and blurry vision within a day or two of starting the drug.  it also felt like the pill wiped out most of my motivation/will and emotions.  it's a bad trade off, but i was in a bad spot by this summer when i started it.  i would sit at my computer most days this past summer too weak to do much of anything and sweltering in a hot apt without the ability to sleep more than 2 or 3 hours a day  with my bowels hardly working from how depressed i was becoming.  the remeron helped me get past the hypnagogia and sleep about 6-7 hours and even take naps, but it did strange things to my brain/head.  after two months i developed bright red rashes in my armpits that began leaking pus and became very lethargic, unable to leave my apt and run errands or get groceries even though i was sleeping 8-9 hours a day sometimes.  i think i had an allergic reaction to the pill.  there were days i almost didn't feel conscious and two days where i ended sleeping for 20 hours a day,  just continually waking up from 6-7 hours of sleep and after an hour or two going back to sleep.  in a way, it felt good to catch up on sleep considering how little i have gotten the past few years, but the remeron makes me feel a little gross .  i was so lethargic that i couldn't keep up with house chores.  i go between taking it for 4-5 days and then taking a day off because i don't like the way it affects my head.    i even lost the ability to sing after starting it and had voice changes.  i had read of this happening to one other person online, who had been taking the drug and lost the ability to sing high notes.   it's strange. 

 

if i don't take it, i have one day where there is still some of the drug in my body where i can sleep the next day, but after that the hypnagogia comes back and i only get 2 hours of horrible sleep and then have to sit around all day with a severely weakened body.  it' feels like i could fall over at any time.   my body gets so tight from the poor quality of the sleep that i feel like i am in a vice.  i think sleep deprivation can lead to body acidity/toxicity that makes the muscles tighten up.  i get very weak within a day now with these two hour sleep days after doing it for so long.  i have tried to get the doctor/psychiatrist to may be write me a script for something else for sleep, but my psychiatrist demands in office appts and i am usually too weak to bike across town to see her-  either from the remeron causing fatigue even though i can sleep or else if i don't take it i get too weak from poor sleep quality so i am kind of in a predicament over here.  doctors haven't been very understanding.  

 

Derek

Hi PoetJester ,I am very happy to know that you got rid of hypnagogic after suffering long time.You are very brave. How much m.g of remeron are you taking?Try slow tapering until you reach the dose,where sleep quality will be okay and day time side effects subside.My heart goes out after reading your trouble.Please update your signature.

Cold turkeyed risperidone (1m.g)and trihexyphenidyl combination drug out of ignorance,In August 2016 after one month use.

Withdrawal symptoms settled at dreamful,disturbing sleep.

Thus introduced to olanzapine for sleep.Started using olanzapine out of ignorance.

Tapering olanzapine 10 m.g from February 2017.

May 2018 :Still suffering dreams,Still tapering olanzapine at 0.625.100ml water+2.5 mg olanzapine. June 2018 22.5ml=0.57mg.July 2018 20ml,August 2018-17.5ml,September 2018-15ml,October 2018 10 ml,December 2018 7 ml, BrassMonkey slide method so far at lower doses.2 nd December cold turkeyed , only to reach minure doses as reinstatement to cutshort endless tapering process.4rth December started 1ml.

Almost no symptoms and sleep is better,So started 0.5 ml from 17-12-2018.

"0"from31-12-18.Re birth happened from 10- 2020,as rejuvenation took whole2019.Completely recovered now.

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Hi Rupa

 

i take 15mg of remeron.  i probably need to switch over to something else all together.   My armpits are smelling like pus again after several days back on it (i had taken a week off the drug and my rash had cleared up but then i became too weak to leave the computer after several 1-2 hour sleep days and had to start taking it again)

9 hours ago, rupa said:

Hi PoetJester ,You are very brave. How much m.g of remeron are you taking?Try slow tapering until you reach the dose,where sleep quality will be okay and day time side effects subside.My heart goes out after reading your trouble.

, so i think i am allergic to the med and i wake up without much brain activity.  it's awful, i feel almost brain dead when i wake from remeron.  i feel a little better after some coffee, but its' still not good and getting worse.    it's just hard tor me to see doctors.  they have made everything like jumping through hoops for me even though i am terribly ill these days.  I noticed that you had seen a little improvement sleep wise, has it continued?

 

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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10 hours ago, PoetJester said:

Hi Rupa

 

i take 15mg of remeron.  i probably need to switch over to something else all together.   My armpits are smelling like pus again after several days back on it (i had taken a week off the drug and my rash had cleared up but then i became too weak to leave the computer after several 1-2 hour sleep days and had to start taking it again)

, so i think i am allergic to the med and i wake up without much brain activity.  it's awful, i feel almost brain dead when i wake from remeron.  i feel a little better after some coffee, but its' still not good and getting worse.    it's just hard tor me to see doctors.  they have made everything like jumping through hoops for me even though i am terribly ill these days.  I noticed that you had seen a little improvement sleep wise, has it continued?

 

Poetjester

My sleep deteriorated.I am stuck at 2.5 m.g olanzapine.I don’t know how to taper further as my sleep is not good.I hardly get 4 hours sleep these days.15m.g remeron is too much Derek,why don’t you taper slowly until the dose you feel comfortable.

Cold turkeyed risperidone (1m.g)and trihexyphenidyl combination drug out of ignorance,In August 2016 after one month use.

Withdrawal symptoms settled at dreamful,disturbing sleep.

Thus introduced to olanzapine for sleep.Started using olanzapine out of ignorance.

Tapering olanzapine 10 m.g from February 2017.

May 2018 :Still suffering dreams,Still tapering olanzapine at 0.625.100ml water+2.5 mg olanzapine. June 2018 22.5ml=0.57mg.July 2018 20ml,August 2018-17.5ml,September 2018-15ml,October 2018 10 ml,December 2018 7 ml, BrassMonkey slide method so far at lower doses.2 nd December cold turkeyed , only to reach minure doses as reinstatement to cutshort endless tapering process.4rth December started 1ml.

Almost no symptoms and sleep is better,So started 0.5 ml from 17-12-2018.

"0"from31-12-18.Re birth happened from 10- 2020,as rejuvenation took whole2019.Completely recovered now.

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  • 1 month later...

I'm still very sick .. I'm miserable

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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up 

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 weeks later...
On 1/29/2018 at 8:20 PM, bgoggles1 said:

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.

 

 

Bgoggles1,

 

Head pressure is one of my worst symptoms.  At first,  I had slight pressure in my forehead area that often made me feel like I needed to quint.  Then it evolved into feeling like there was a little animal scurrying around in my forehead area.  Now the pressure is extreme especially in my forehead and temple area.  I also feel like the back of my head is being hit by a sledge hammer.  The pressure in my forehead area feels like it’s physically blocking acces to my cognitive functioning.  This feeling is so weird and disconcerting.  If this would go away and my head would clear I would gladly endure the akathisia, internal vibrations, anxiety, suicidal depression, adrenaline surges, uncontrollable crying, etc.  The head symptoms make me feel like I have cognitive and functional brain damage.  I hope it goes soon, because it’s only gotten worse and i’m 13 months off all meds.

Mid 2014 - June 2016 (~ 2.5 yrs): sertraline 75mg. Under advice of my Pysch NP, weaned off in 1 month

Sept 2017 - Feb 2017 (6 months): Latuda (dose 20mg up to 80mg). Under advice of Psych NP, weaned off in 6 weeks (Jan - mid Feb). Tirtated down 20mg every 2 weeks.

Nov 2017 - Feb 2017 (3 months): lamictal 100mg. Abruptly taken off. This was the "wean": 100mg, 50mg, then off

Feb 2017: sertraline 150mg for 1 week to bring me out of a severe suicidal depression. Abruptly stopped due to serotonin syndrome. Tried to reinstate 50mg a week later, but the serotonin syndrome symptoms came back. Not possible to reinstate sertraline.

March 2017: remeron 7.5mg. Took one dose that knocked me out for two days. Refused to take it again

February 2017 - March 2017: Ativan 1mg. Took 5 pills total spread out over the course of 3 weeks. No longer taking it.

6/16/18 - 6/26: celexa 1.25mg

6/27/18 - 6/29: celexa 2.5mg, 6/29 had burning and agitation within 30min of dose

6/30/18 - present: celexa 1.25mg

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I've had all these head issues for almost 7 years of w/d now and don't seem to be improving.  I've not seen many people complain about the sledge hammer bit, but I have that in the right side and always described it like being hit in the head with a piece of 4 x2.  Lots of head pressure, many headaches each week, migraines, sore heads, head vibrations and the "head bashing".  Now the headache seems to be permanent, sometimes mild but for 10 days in a row moderate to bad with a migraine during that time as well. 

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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On 3/20/2018 at 10:42 AM, a99 said:

I'm still very sick .. I'm miserable

Hello, what's up? How is it going?

November 2014 - September 2015: Zoloft 50 mg, Trilafon 4mg, clonazepam 1mg
October 2015 - September 2016: Effexor 75 mg
September 2016 - January 2017: Effexor 150 mg
Stopped Effexor in March 2017 after tapering under medical supervision
The doctor I've now found is an expert in withdrawal from ADs
Persistent withdrawal syndrome since July 2017: Prozac 10 mg, clonazepam 0.5 mg, to cope with it.
December 2017 -  withdrawing from Prozac, 10 mg every 2 days
Drug free since January (?) 2018
 
Symptoms: pins and needles, burning skin sensations, PSSD, OCD, mood swings (a lot), malaise (a lot), muscle spasms, voice in my conscience. 

Doing not so bad, but I want to be the person I was. 
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  • ChessieCat changed the title to Head pressure and burning brain
  • 2 months later...

Hi All,

 

Can anyone e help with under standing the burning sensation in head while withdrawing from ADs? I feel like my brain is on fire.

 

Thanks

Paxil20mg: Started 2008

First Taper: July 2015 Taper 5 mg/ 2weeks. Taper End: December

Effexor75 mg Started January 2017 Quit: Cold Turkey: April 19th 2017

Reinstated 20mg Efexor 24th August

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  • 3 weeks later...
  • Moderator Emeritus

Glad to find this thread. I have gone through the gamut of head symptoms. These appeared during my acute withdrawal and will come and go (with at least one symptom each day) now that I've reinstated to stabilize.

 

List of my symptoms as well as what I'm doing to cope:

1. Spacey sensation like my head has a hole in the center and it is floating apart. To cope, I press on the head if my hands are free. If I'm eating I wear a tight headband that helps keep the head in place & keep the hole from growing.

2. Constant coldness in my head. Brain freeze, brain chill. At times it feels there is ice water being poured into the brain. Mostly it is cold no matter the external temperature. I wear ski hats during the day and in bed.

3. Buzzing, vibrating sensation. Perhaps this is the brain zaps. It feels as if the synapses are going haywire and buzzing all at once. When it was very painful (during withdrawal) it felt like bombs going off in the head. Very alarming. I've found that hot packs help to minimize this discomfort. I'll lay down with a heating pad or microwavable hot pack.

Apr 2018: Began 10 mg Amitriptyline (for headaches & insomnia from concussion).

Jul - Aug 2018: Fast taper to 5 mg and then 2.5 mg (too fast, hellish withdrawal at 2.5 mg). Sept 2018: Reinstated 10 mg (many symptoms improved). Oct 2018 - Apr 2019: Updosed & stabilized on 11 mg (2 waves at 3 and 5 months post-withdrawal). Apr 2019 - Apr 2020: Tapered 0.5-0.25 mg per month using compounded pills: 11 mg —> 6 mg. (2 waves at 12 and 16 months post-withdrawal.) Apr 2020 - present: Switched to a liquid taper at rate of 0.1 mg per month. Currently: 1.1 mg. No more waves. 

 

Supplements: Omega-3 fish oil, Vit B12, coenzyme Q10, Hawthorn extract (for tachycardia) Tools for insomnia/waves (as needed): Epsom salt foot soaks, 0.5 mg Melatonin, quality time, waves WILL PASS. Lifestyle: Eat real foods, mostly plants; sunlight, walking, yoga; symptom tracking on adapted Glenmullen chart.

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  • 1 month later...

I've been off a benzo a month now but I reinstated one single dose today .

will stopping the reinstatement cancel the healing that my brain has made all this month ?

will I get withdrawal all over again starting from scratch ??

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

a99, I moved your post from the benzo forum to your main intro thread. Please bring us up to speed with what's been going on since you were last active on the site back in March.

 

How long were you on benzos prior to coming off? Taking a single dose is called a "rescue dose" and it is fine to do occasionally. 

 

Are you on any other drugs? 

 

Please update your signature with the name of each drug you are taking, along with the dates you started and the dose. A direct link to your signature is here: 

 

Account Settings – Create or Edit a signature.

 

 

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53 minutes ago, Shep said:

a99, I moved your post from the benzo forum to your main intro thread. Please bring us up to speed with what's been going on since you were last active on the site back in March.

 

How long were you on benzos prior to coming off? Taking a single dose is called a "rescue dose" and it is fine to do occasionally. 

 

Are you on any other drugs? 

 

Please update your signature with the name of each drug you are taking, along with the dates you started and the dose. A direct link to your signature is here: 

 

Account Settings – Create or Edit a signature.

thank you so much .

I updated my signature .

now I wanna know if this rescue dose will set me back and cancel the healing that my brain made all this time I was off benzos .

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
6 minutes ago, a99 said:

now I wanna know if this rescue dose will set me back and cancel the healing that my brain made all this time I was off benzos .

 

One dose is a rescue dose. Taking a rescue dose occasionally is fine.

 

 

 

 

 

 

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  • Moderator Emeritus
Quote

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

 

 

A99, I went through your updated signature and you tapered from 40 mg to 30 mg, which is a 25% reduction. Please note this is a very rapid taper and much faster than the 10% per month rate that SA advocates. And then you reduced that to zero over the coming weeks. 

 

1 hour ago, a99 said:

I've been off a benzo a month now but I reinstated one single dose today .

 

When did you stop taking the lysanxia? You don't have a stop date in your signature. If it was one month ago, that would have been around November 15, but according to your signature, you were on 30 mg on November 14 and dropped to 20 mg on November 26. Please verify your dates. 

 

How severe are your symptoms? You may want to reinstate if they are severe. It's best to reinstate a benzo within 2 - 4 weeks of your last reduction. 

 

Are you taking any other drugs or supplements? 

 

 

 

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On 12/15/2018 at 6:48 PM, Shep said:

 

 

A99, I went through your updated signature and you tapered from 40 mg to 30 mg, which is a 25% reduction. Please note this is a very rapid taper and much faster than the 10% per month rate that SA advocates. And then you reduced that to zero over the coming weeks. 

 

 

When did you stop taking the lysanxia? You don't have a stop date in your signature. If it was one month ago, that would have been around November 15, but according to your signature, you were on 30 mg on November 14 and dropped to 20 mg on November 26. Please verify your dates. 

 

How severe are your symptoms? You may want to reinstate if they are severe. It's best to reinstate a benzo within 2 - 4 weeks of your last reduction. 

 

Are you taking any other drugs or supplements? 

 

I didn't stop the lysanxia . When I siad I've been off  I didn't mean off completely . So sorry for being confusing I'm not a native speaker .

So  here it is on november 14 I dropped to 30 mg then to 20 mg on november 26 . I'm presently on 20 mg I didn't reduce it to zero .

I know it's a very rapid taper  and my symptoms are brutal .

I'm taking an AD called amitriptilyne one pill at night and one pill abilify and a drug called parkidyl the dr says it's used to lessen the effects of the benzo . I'm also taking a drug ( drops) called isotamine to help with my blood pressure .

That's all I'm taking .

What do you suggest as a dose of reinstatement ? Do I have to go back to the whole dose ( 40 mg ) or 30 mg or what ?

Thank you so much in advance .

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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3 hours ago, a99 said:

I didn't stop the lysanxia . When I siad I've been off  I didn't mean off completely . So sorry for being confusing I'm not a native speaker .

So  here it is on november 14 I dropped to 30 mg then to 20 mg on november 26 . I'm presently on 20 mg I didn't reduce it to zero .

I know it's a very rapid taper  and my symptoms are brutal .

 

It's safe to go back up to 20 mg, since you were last on 20 mg on November 26. It's safe to increase a benzo within one month of reducing it. You may be able to go back up to 30 mg, since it's very close to being a month.

 

3 hours ago, a99 said:

I'm taking an AD called amitriptilyne one pill at night and one pill abilify and a drug called parkidyl the dr says it's used to lessen the effects of the benzo . I'm also taking a drug ( drops) called isotamine to help with my blood pressure .

 

A99, when you were last active back in 2016, you were off all drugs. And two years later, you are on an entire cocktail of drugs. 

 

Are you here to come off psychiatric drugs? Please note we are not medical professionals. We cannot help you balance a drug cocktail. For that, you'll need to work with your doctor. 

 

 

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On 12/18/2018 at 10:48 AM, Shep said:

 

It's safe to go back up to 20 mg, since you were last on 20 mg on November 26. It's safe to increase a benzo within one month of reducing it. You may be able to go back up to 30 mg, since it's very close to being a month.

 

 

A99, when you were last active back in 2016, you were off all drugs. And two years later, you are on an entire cocktail of drugs. 

 

Are you here to come off psychiatric drugs? Please note we are not medical professionals. We cannot help you balance a drug cocktail. For that, you'll need to work with your doctor. 

 

I'm not here to come off this cocktail of psychiatric drugs .. I'm here just to come off the benzo .

It's been 38 days since I dropped  .Do you think the reinstatement is likely to work ? 

Thank you in advance .

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 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
On 12/22/2018 at 11:51 AM, a99 said:

I'm not here to come off this cocktail of psychiatric drugs .. I'm here just to come off the benzo .

It's been 38 days since I dropped  .Do you think the reinstatement is likely to work ? 

 

On 12/23/2018 at 12:40 AM, a99 said:

please help !

 

A99, if this is all the information you're able to provide, we're not going to be able to help you. You'll need to work with your doctor. 

 

In order for us to help you, please provide a daily drug and symptoms journal. This is what we need from you each day:

 

On 9/27/2016 at 2:49 PM, Altostrata said:

In the course of discussion in your Introductions forum topic, you may be asked to keep notes on paper of your daily symptom pattern, including when you take your drugs, their dosages, and any symptoms.

 

What we need to see for every single day over several days is what symptoms you get before and after you take your drugs. If you're not taking any drugs, we need to see your symptom pattern throughout the day: Are symptoms worse at any particular times of day?

 

The time of day, dosage, and severity of symptoms are essential information. Include:

- Time and dosage for drugs taken in morning, with time and description of any symptoms in the morning
 
- Time and dosage for drugs taken in afternoon, with time and description of any symptoms in the afternoon
 
- Time and dosage for drugs taken in evening, with time and description of any symptoms in the evening
 
- Time and dosage for drugs taken in middle of the night, with time and description of any symptoms in the middle of the night (such as waking)
 
And so forth. A diary, in chronological order, looking something like this:
 
6 a.m. Woke with anxiety
8 a.m. Took 2.5mg Lexapro
10 a.m. Stomach is upset
10:30 a.m. Ate breakfast
11:35 a.m. Got a headache, lasted one hour
12:35 p.m. Ate lunch
4 p.m. Feel a bit better
5 p.m. Took 2.5mg Lexapro
6 p.m. Ate dinner
9:20 p.m. Headache
10:00 p.m. Took 50mg Seroquel
10:20 p.m. Feeling dizzy
10:30 p.m. Fell asleep
2:30 a.m. Woke, took 3mg Ambien (NOT "took 1/2 tablet Ambien")
2:45 a.m. Fell asleep
4:30 a.m. Woke but got back to sleep

 

 

 

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  • 8 months later...

This is just a loose idea, but I remember a person once talked about cold showers helping him with symptoms from AD withdrawal. Does anyone have experience with this or using cold compression or ice etc to relieve symptoms? I will carefully try to experiment a bit with this myself.

 

My line of thinking goes that since the brain receptors/neurons have become hyper-sensitive due to withdrawal or adverse reactions, maybe cooling the top of your head/brain (maybe entire body?) can help soothe or numb the brain a tiny bit, and thus lower excessive electrical activity / firing of neurons. Basically force the receptors to calm down a bit by cooling them. I like to think of it a bit like the athletes you hear about, that use ice baths after strenous exercise to reduce muscle pain and soreness (and maybe recover faster). Well, my brain feels really sore and like it´s burning some the time, so maybe this could help? Or is it a crazy idea, maybe even counter-productive?

2014: Paxil 20 mg - 1 year - protracted withdrawal that lasted years

2019: Venlafaxine XR 37,5 mg - 1 pill - instant adverse reaction

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  • 1 month later...

I can relate to those. Iam having constant weird feelings in my brain . I get shakes,neck pain, weird electrical things like one part of my head gets relaxed, squeezing  pressure and pain occasionaly. Hypersensitivity iş another problem

I have been like this for a year now. I really want out but cant find a way. Tried reinstating which gave me my first couple of attacks. ı hope this is not permanent

(14 years old)2014-2015 {Prozac,ritalin and concerta} 

2015-2016 {Prozac changed to Zoloft 100 mg kept taking ritalin and concerta occasionaly}

2017-2018 {CTed Zoloft began taking a lot of concerta(72mg sometimes 144mg a day) and ritalin}

2018-sept of 2018 {CT'ed concerta and ritalin.Started Zoloft 50 mg 

sept of 2018-sept 2019 {CT'ed Zoloft. 3 months later after 3 weed usages(my first times) hell started.}

sept 2019- {reinstate 25 mg Zoloft huge derealization and neck numbness and had an attack at night went to ER.Used ativan couple times. Week later cipralex (Lexapro) 12,5 given .Had huge brain shakes and restlessness.Ativan used.No drugs being used  right now.}

Supplements: Nothing

 

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  • Altostrata changed the title to a99 I’m off cold turkey before I found this site
  • Administrator

@a99 how are you doing?

This is not medical advice. Discuss any decisions about your medical care with a knowledgeable medical practitioner.

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