Longroadhome: think I may be tapering Seroxat / Paxil too fast

[Altostrata]

Please put your questions here in your Introductions topic.

 

2 hours ago, Longroadhome said:

I have put myself up to 4.25ml equivalent to 8.5mg. This was 11 days ago  . I’m not feeling any steadier however I am managing . I have 3 questions 

1. Can I wait it out on this dose and will I eventually stabilise ? 

1. I hit poop out in August of last year hence the taper . Will I still be healing while I’m waiting to stabilise despite poop out ? 

3. When can I continue my taper? 

 

Have you felt any benefit from the updose to 8.5mg? Have any symptoms reduced?

 

You will not want to taper again until your nervous system settles down. Don't worry about poop-out, your nervous system will continue to move towards normal if you treat it gently.

[Longroadhome]

Thank you for your reply. No I can’t say I have felt any benefit at the moment and new symptoms seem to come on and off like muscle twitching and spasms, numbness in toes and an indigestion type pain that also comes on and off . Are these all known withdrawal symptoms?

i don’t want to up my dose again any suggestions? 

[Longroadhome]

I have been keeping a daily symptom diary how many days shall I post ? 

[Longroadhome]

Posting last three days:

friday 8th March

6:30am awake (sleep disrupted during night )

7:10am got up 4.25ml seroxat 50mg pregabalin 

8am work tense nervous but maneagable

scary on yr own going through WD

1:40pm left work met daughter anxious and depressed feeling flat

5:10pm gym always makes me feel I’m doing something to help myself 

7:40pm walked dog makes me feel a little more able to cope with anxiety and depressiv symptoms 

8:30pm dinner / magnesium and omega tablets skin on arms and legs crawling feeling (get this often) tinnitus too

10pm bed 

forgot to take progabalin 50mg (have cut back from 3x pregabalin 50mg per day to 2 x 50mg per day one morning one evening for the last 6 weeks) 

 

saturday 9th March 

 

6:30 am woke up (sleep disrupted during night) 

7:50am got up

4.25ml seroxat and 50mg pregabalin 

neck feels numb and odd skin on arms and legs crawling 

9:30am gym coping with symptoms headache threatening, skin crawling flat feeling

11:30am brunch / magnesium and omega 3 

Feel tense palpitations and anxiety but I’m managing as out and about with friends

5pm walking dog symptoms msneagable

7:30pm out for meal felt calmer even with symptoms of anxiety present and skin crawling and threatened headache all calmed a little 

didnt take pregabalin as had glass of wine

11pm bed

 

sunday 10th March

woke up all through the night on and off

7:10am got up 4.25ml seroxat 50mg pregabalin 

9am gym anxiety present fast heart rate tremor burning skin and numb big toe!  ( new symptom on and off for last week)  also indigestion pain that lasts few minutes has been happening the last week  too along with muscle tics

10:30am brunch anxiety particularly bad today and depression fast beating heart sweating etc tremors but I’m carrying on with my day shopping

2:30pm walking dog anxiety still present

 

My day today so far hope this has been helpful 

[Longroadhome]

On 3/10/2019 at 2:51 PM, Longroadhome said:

Posting last three days:

friday 8th March

6:30am awake (sleep disrupted during night )

7:10am got up 4.25ml seroxat 50mg pregabalin 

8am work tense nervous but maneagable

scary on yr own going through WD

1:40pm left work met daughter anxious and depressed feeling flat

5:10pm gym always makes me feel I’m doing something to help myself 

7:40pm walked dog makes me feel a little more able to cope with anxiety and depressiv symptoms 

8:30pm dinner / magnesium and omega tablets skin on arms and legs crawling feeling (get this often) tinnitus too

10pm bed 

forgot to take progabalin 50mg (have cut back from 3x pregabalin 50mg per day to 2 x 50mg per day one morning one evening for the last 6 weeks) 

 

saturday 9th March 

 

6:30 am woke up (sleep disrupted during night) 

7:50am got up

4.25ml seroxat and 50mg pregabalin 

neck feels numb and odd skin on arms and legs crawling 

9:30am gym coping with symptoms headache threatening, skin crawling flat feeling

11:30am brunch / magnesium and omega 3 

Feel tense palpitations and anxiety but I’m managing as out and about with friends

5pm walking dog symptoms msneagable

7:30pm out for meal felt calmer even with symptoms of anxiety present and skin crawling and threatened headache all calmed a little 

didnt take pregabalin as had glass of wine

11pm bed

 

sunday 10th March

woke up all through the night on and off

7:10am got up 4.25ml seroxat 50mg pregabalin 

9am gym anxiety present fast heart rate tremor burning skin and numb big toe!  ( new symptom on and off for last week)  also indigestion pain that lasts few minutes has been happening the last week  too along with muscle tics

10:30am brunch anxiety particularly bad today and depression fast beating heart sweating etc tremors but I’m carrying on with my day shopping

2:30pm walking dog anxiety still present

 

My day today so far hope this has been helpful 

Altostrata can you please look at my three day symptom recording and tell me what I need to do having updosed and not feeling any relief from symptoms . Don’t want to increase again can I wait it out ?

[Altostrata]

Yes, withdrawal symptoms commonly come and go, move around, and transmute into other kinds of symptoms. They can be very odd.

 

On 3/10/2019 at 7:51 AM, Longroadhome said:

forgot to take progabalin 50mg (have cut back from 3x pregabalin 50mg per day to 2 x 50mg per day one morning one evening for the last 6 weeks) 

 

Did you notice any difference in your symptom pattern since you reduced from 3x pregabalin 50mg per day to 2 x 50mg per day?

 

Skipping a pregabalin dose on Friday may have caused odd symptoms on Saturday and Sunday. How often do you have skin crawling and palpitations?

 

How have your symptoms changed over the last month? How's your sleep?

[Longroadhome]

 Thank you for your reply 

It’s been nine weeks since I decreased my seroxat to 7.5mg and just over 2 weeks since increasing it to 8.5mg. Withdrawal still the same no better. Can’t say whether reducing pregabalin may have made symptoms a little worse can’t tell as it has all coincided . 

Should I increase pregabalin back to three tablets a day stick at my dose of 8.5mg seroxat and see how I go? 

[Longroadhome]

9 hours ago, Altostrata said:

Yes, withdrawal symptoms commonly come and go, move around, and transmute into other kinds of symptoms. They can be very odd.

 

 

Did you notice any difference in your symptom pattern since you reduced from 3x pregabalin 50mg per day to 2 x 50mg per day?

 

Skipping a pregabalin dose on Friday may have caused odd symptoms on Saturday and Sunday. How often do you have skin crawling and palpitations?

 

How have your symptoms changed over the last month? How's your sleep?

Sleep not good intermittent throughout the night but I’m coping 

I say skin crawling but sometimes it feels hot and this seems to be a symptom that sticks with me on and off all the time .

anxiety not good so palpitations when I’m feeling particularly anxious so could be two or three times daily . 

[Longroadhome]

Were you on seroxat / Paxil and how was your withdrawal altostrata ?

did my calculations last night and it’s going to take me 4 years 5months to completely come off Paxil decreasing by 10% every month from 8.5mg does this sound right to you ? 

[ChessieCat]

6 minutes ago, Longroadhome said:

Were you on seroxat / Paxil and how was your withdrawal altostrata ?

 

 

[Longroadhome]

Thank you for your reply 🤤

[Altostrata]

I need answers to these questions, point being: How did the gabapentin reduction affect you?

 

19 hours ago, Altostrata said:

....

 

Did you notice any difference in your symptom pattern since you reduced from 3x pregabalin 50mg per day to 2 x 50mg per day?

 

Skipping a pregabalin dose on Friday may have caused odd symptoms on Saturday and Sunday. How often do you have skin crawling and palpitations?

 

How have your symptoms changed over the last month? How's your sleep?

 

[Longroadhome]

I’d only been on it since November and reduced beginning of Feb . Also for the first month the Dr put me on 25mg x 3 times daily. So was only taking 50mg x3 for 8 weeks . I don’t feel the reduction has affected me . I feel it was the quick taper down to 7.5mg from 20mg of seroxat that has brought about increased symptoms. 

Having said that I spoke with my Dr Monday and she said 2x50mg of pregabalin daily is not a therapeutic dose and to put it back up to 3x 50mg daily and if I still have the symptoms then I can always decrease it down again knowing it hasn’t been caused by the reduction of pregabalin. 

Sleep not good I’m waking up a couple of hours after dropping off then on and off the rest of the night . 

Skin crawling with me every day most of the day . Palpitations 2/3 times a day. Anxiety /depression constant. 

Symptoms over the last month have increased in intensity . 

[ChessieCat]

I have just realised that you and another member longestroadhome with a very similar name both have very similar automated green L avatars.

 

Because you both have a similar name and also green, it would be helpful if one, or both of you, change your avatar so the mods and members don't get confused.

 

Click on the drop down arrow next to your name (top right).  Click on Profile.  You will see your avatar at the top of the page.  Just beneath the avatar there is a picture icon.  Click on the icon. 

[Longroadhome]

Hi all so glad I found this site ! Wanted to ask a few questions as I taper down. 

I originally tapered too fast down to my GP from 20mg to 7.5mg from November 18 to Feb 19. 

On the advice of moderators on this site I went back up by 1mg to 8.5mg on 26th Feb . 2wks 4days ago and think I’m starting to feel a little easier . Well at least the last couple of days !!! 

Anyway to get onto my questions : 

1. In November 2018 I was given pregabalin to help with coming off Paxil. That was when I was doing fast taper . Now I’m going to do slooooow taper brass monkey style all the way home . I don’t want to be taking the pregabalin as  otherwise I will be taking it for a long time to come . So do you think I could start to come off slowly . I’ve slready decreased 6 weeks ago from 50mg 3xdaily to 50mg 2xdaily ?

2. Is it really going to take me 4yrs 5 months to come off the Paxil completely from here from 8.5mg . Just done my calculations at 10% per month reduction . My maths has never been good could I possibly be wrong ?? 

3. When do you advice I should start to decrease again? 

Thsnk you for your help 🤗

[DeterminedAnna]

Hi Longroadhome,

 

I'm just saying hello because it looks like we have both got decades of Paxil behind us. And we're both currently at a similar dosage. And I too have recently updosed, and believe the updose has started to properly ease withdrawal symptoms in the last few days.

 

It's great you discovered this site and quickly realised your taper was way too fast. So a pat on the back to you, you've probably dodged a bullet.

 

I did a quick (9 month) taper from 40mg to 0mg in 2013 and crashed badly after reaching 0 (in hindsight there were warning signs all throughout that taper). I reinstated 20mg Paxil by end of 2013 and stabilised within a few months. But the experience was so bad I didn't have the courage to try reducing my dose again until I started my latest taper last February, 2018.

 

I can't answer your questions regarding Pregablin. I'm sure somebody else can though. You really are in good hands here.

 

Regarding your projected plan and its length, you probably need to list a breakdown of doses so the moderators can review properly. But, what I'd say is this: the more longer and slower, the better. And I say this having tried to stop Paxil three times in my life now.

 

Please keep in mind that the goal is to 'get off Paxil', NOT 'get off Paxil quickly'.

 

... Actually the real goal is to get off Paxil while maintaining your health and life. Slow, gentle tapering is the only way this can be achieved in my opinion.

 

Don't look at the time it takes to come off, just look at the end aim.

 

(And yes, I can truly empathise with wanting to get off Paxil quickly... if you read my intro thread you'll see I have my own urgency because I want to start a family and at 39, time is running out for me. But.. I'd rather get off Paxil over a long time with less suffering, than a quick time with hellish suffering and much more chance of having to backtrack).

 

Hugs to you, Anna

 

 

[DeterminedAnna]

PS.

My intro thread: https://www.survivingantidepressants.org/topic/19556-determinedanna-long-time-seroxat-paxil-paroxetine-user/

[DeterminedAnna]

PPS.

 

A great analogy from @ChessieCat about time and getting to our desired destination:

 

"Use the image of waiting in a queue, the line gradually gets shorter. When you are in a queue you can't make it move any quicker than it does. You have no control over it. All you can do is wait in the line. How you wait is what is going to make a difference. You can either be impatient and start getting irritable and think bad things and complain to the other people who might start swearing at you which makes you feel worse or you can try to be patient and calm and try and think of nice things and look at the things around you. It's going to take the same amount of time for you to get to the head of the queue but you can either make the experience of waiting pleasant or unpleasant."

[ChessieCat]

On 3/10/2019 at 6:29 AM, Altostrata said:

Please put your questions here in your Introductions topic.

 

I've merged the new Intro topic you created with your original intro topic.  SA works differently to many other forums.  Each member has only 1 Introduction topic where they can ask questions about their own situation and journal their progress.  This keeps the history in one place and also becomes a case study which can be viewed by any medical professionals visiting SA.  Please do not create any more introduction topics, but continue to post in this topic.

[ChessieCat]

4 hours ago, Longroadhome said:

2. Is it really going to take me 4yrs 5 months to come off the Paxil completely from here from 8.5mg . Just done my calculations at 10% per month reduction . My maths has never been good could I possibly be wrong ?? 

 

Comparison starting on 1 April 2019:

 

BrassMonkey Slide 2.5% (10%/month) with additional hold:  June 2023 = 0.48mg 

 

10% reduction every 4 weeks:  May 2021 = 0.49mg

 

4 hours ago, Longroadhome said:

3. When do you advice I should start to decrease again?

 

5 hours ago, Longroadhome said:

I originally tapered too fast down to my GP from 20mg to 7.5mg from November 18 to Feb 19. 

On the advice of moderators on this site I went back up by 1mg to 8.5mg on 26th Feb . 2wks 4days ago and think I’m starting to feel a little easier . Well at least the last couple of days !!! 

 

It may be best to hold on 8.5mg until at least the end of April to give yourself a good foundation before commencing to taper.  Depending on what you do with the Pregabalin.

 

5 hours ago, Longroadhome said:

1. In November 2018 I was given pregabalin to help with coming off Paxil. That was when I was doing fast taper . Now I’m going to do slooooow taper brass monkey style all the way home . I don’t want to be taking the pregabalin as  otherwise I will be taking it for a long time to come . So do you think I could start to come off slowly . I’ve slready decreased 6 weeks ago from 50mg 3xdaily to 50mg 2xdaily ?

 

I will ask the other mods for their thoughts about Pregabalin.

 

 

 

[Altostrata]

On 3/13/2019 at 1:15 PM, Longroadhome said:

I’d only been on it since November and reduced beginning of Feb . Also for the first month the Dr put me on 25mg x 3 times daily. So was only taking 50mg x3 for 8 weeks . I don’t feel the reduction has affected me . I feel it was the quick taper down to 7.5mg from 20mg of seroxat that has brought about increased symptoms. 

Having said that I spoke with my Dr Monday and she said 2x50mg of pregabalin daily is not a therapeutic dose and to put it back up to 3x 50mg daily and if I still have the symptoms then I can always decrease it down again knowing it hasn’t been caused by the reduction of pregabalin. 

Sleep not good I’m waking up a couple of hours after dropping off then on and off the rest of the night . 

Skin crawling with me every day most of the day . Palpitations 2/3 times a day. Anxiety /depression constant. 

Symptoms over the last month have increased in intensity . 

 

Since you decreased pregabalin from 150mg per day to 100mg per day about a month ago, your symptoms have increased in intensity. What makes you think the pregabalin reduction is not involved?

 

You had been taking 7.5mg paroxetine consistently since January, increasing to 8.5mg on Feb. 26. is that correct? At the same time each day, no skipped doses?

 

5 hours ago, Longroadhome said:

On the advice of moderators on this site I went back up by 1mg to 8.5mg on 26th Feb . 2wks 4days ago and think I’m starting to feel a little easier . Well at least the last couple of days !!! 

 

This is inconsistent with what you said 2 days ago: "Symptoms over the last month have increased in intensity." Are you feeling better or worse since increasing to 8.5mg paroxetine?

 

How long has your sleep been fragmented? Has it gotten better or worse since the increase in paroxetine to 8.5mg?

 

Do not go up and down in any of your drug dosing. Any time you change the dosage of anything, it can take weeks before you know the result. Skipped doses can throw another spanner into the works.

 

Please keep daily notes on paper with times of day for when you take your drugs, their dosages, and your symptoms. You can post them in this topic with a simple list format with time of day on the left and notation (symptom, drug and dosage) on the right. Post your notes here in your Intro topic.

 

"Therapeutic dosage" is irrelevant and your doctor is wrong besides. Whatever works, works.

[Longroadhome]

Thank you for your reply altostrata . Yesterday and today have been slightly better and I think this has been partly down to my attitude towards my symptoms . I’m starting to feel acceptance  of how I am feeling therefore my anxiety feels a little less intense. And had two better nights sleep. It’s the anxiety that throws me into a panic so apologies for misleading info. 

Just assume that my Paxil was to blame for symptoms getting more intense as I had just altered my dose to 7.5mg and reduced my pregabalin about a week later  but as you say it could be the pregabalin reduction. 

Yes you are correct about the dosage 7.5mg consistently since January increasing to 8.5mg February 26th  at the same time each day no missed doses. Always take both medicine at the same time every day Paxil when I first get up with 50mg pregabalin and then another 50mg pregabalin before I go to bed. Never miss my Paxil dose but sometimes miss pregabalin dose on the night time if I’m going out. Maybe once a week at most. I really don’t want to be taking the pregabalin which was prescribed to me to alleviate symptoms in my fast taper at the time in November 2019. I don’t want to be taking it for the next few years while I taper off Paxil . 

I will post notes in the intro topic going forward as requested .

Thank you  

  

[Altostrata]

Thanks. Have you found pregabalin makes you sleepy?

[Longroadhome]

Yes maybe  a little at certain points in the day. 

[Altostrata]

Those daily notes will help a lot.

[Longroadhome]

2 hours ago, ChessieCat said:

 

Comparison starting on 1 April 2019:

 

BrassMonkey Slide 2.5% (10%/month) with additional hold:  June 2023 = 0.48mg 

 

10% reduction every 4 weeks:  May 2021 = 0.49mg

 

 

 

It may be best to hold on 8.5mg until at least the end of April to give yourself a good foundation before commencing to taper.  Depending on what you do with the Pregabalin.

 

 

I will ask the other mods for their thoughts about Pregabalin.

 

 

 

Thank you for your reply and support ChessieCat. 

[Longroadhome]

2 hours ago, ChessieCat said:

 

I've merged the new Intro topic you created with your original intro topic.  SA works differently to many other forums.  Each member has only 1 Introduction topic where they can ask questions about their own situation and journal their progress.  This keeps the history in one place and also becomes a case study which can be viewed by any medical professionals visiting SA.  Please do not create any more introduction topics, but continue to post in this topic.

Will do thank you 

[Longroadhome]

5 hours ago, DeterminedAnna said:

Hi Longroadhome,

 

I'm just saying hello because it looks like we have both got decades of Paxil behind us. And we're both currently at a similar dosage. And I too have recently updosed, and believe the updose has started to properly ease withdrawal symptoms in the last few days.

 

It's great you discovered this site and quickly realised your taper was way too fast. So a pat on the back to you, you've probably dodged a bullet.

 

I did a quick (9 month) taper from 40mg to 0mg in 2013 and crashed badly after reaching 0 (in hindsight there were warning signs all throughout that taper). I reinstated 20mg Paxil by end of 2013 and stabilised within a few months. But the experience was so bad I didn't have the courage to try reducing my dose again until I started my latest taper last February, 2018.

 

I can't answer your questions regarding Pregablin. I'm sure somebody else can though. You really are in good hands here.

 

Regarding your projected plan and its length, you probably need to list a breakdown of doses so the moderators can review properly. But, what I'd say is this: the more longer and slower, the better. And I say this having tried to stop Paxil three times in my life now.

 

Please keep in mind that the goal is to 'get off Paxil', NOT 'get off Paxil quickly'.

 

... Actually the real goal is to get off Paxil while maintaining your health and life. Slow, gentle tapering is the only way this can be achieved in my opinion.

 

Don't look at the time it takes to come off, just look at the end aim.

 

(And yes, I can truly empathise with wanting to get off Paxil quickly... if you read my intro thread you'll see I have my own urgency because I want to start a family and at 39, time is running out for me. But.. I'd rather get off Paxil over a long time with less suffering, than a quick time with hellish suffering and much more chance of having to backtrack).

 

Hugs to you, Anna

 

 

Hello Anna thank you so much for your reply so sorry to hear you’re  going through Paxil wd its so awful isn’t it . I didn’t have a problem with it until I hit poop out last August . How I wished I’d found this site and tapered before hitting tolerance . 

Reading your thread you seem to be getting there it’s the lower doses where you have to tread  careful and be extra cautious with the tapering regime . 

How are you doing now and what dose are you on ? 

You are right about not looking at the length of time it takes to wd. It will take as long as it takes and no short cuts . 

I’m  sure you will get your wish and have a baby of your own one day soon.  

My daughter is expecting her first child and my first grandchild in July which is very exciting.  

 

[Longroadhome]

13 hours ago, DeterminedAnna said:

PPS.

 

A great analogy from @ChessieCat about time and getting to our desired destination:

 

"Use the image of waiting in a queue, the line gradually gets shorter. When you are in a queue you can't make it move any quicker than it does. You have no control over it. All you can do is wait in the line. How you wait is what is going to make a difference. You can either be impatient and start getting irritable and think bad things and complain to the other people who might start swearing at you which makes you feel worse or you can try to be patient and calm and try and think of nice things and look at the things around you. It's going to take the same amount of time for you to get to the head of the queue but you can either make the experience of waiting pleasant or unpleasant."

I like this analogy it just seems hard to do at times 

Anna you mentioned in your previous post about the syringes you have where did you get the one with under 1ml measures from  ? 

Thank you 

[DeterminedAnna]

Hi Longroadhome,

 

Thank you for replying. You are very right about being more careful at the lower doses. If you look at this thread, it offers some theories why...

 

The original paper, I think, is here: https://ajp.psychiatryonline.org/doi/pdf/10.1176/appi.ajp.161.5.826

 

Essentially, as I understand it, from a certain dose upwards there's barely any more effect on serotonin transporter (the thing that carries the serotonin around our nerves). So for example, for paroxetine – the graph with orange dots – between 20mg and 60mg (a big jump in dose size) the occupancy of the transporter only increases from about 80% to 90%.

 

However, going downwards, there's much bigger jumps between occupancy of the serotonin transporter – so for example, at 10mg, there's between 65% and 68% occupancy,  but jump down to 5mg, and there's about 45% occupancy. The lower the dose, the bigger the jump down in the occupancy of the serotonin transporter.

 

I'm sure someone with much more knowledge can correct me on this, but occupying the serotonin transporter is one of the ways SSRIs 'work'. Effectively, by doing this, they allow serotonin levels to build up in certain spaces in the nerves and brains (synapses), which over time leads to an elevated level of serotonin. But by doing this, the brain and nervous system says 'hold on a minute, there's too much serotonin here' and so it turns off or destroys the serotonin receptors to prevent them from receiving excess serotonin. It does this because our bodies are always trying to achieve balance, called homeostatis. I've massively simplified this, and serotonin does not work in isolation. So if serotonin is too high, other chemicals too can be too high or low, which relate to other bodily processes.

 

Interestingly, none of the medical professionals I've ever seen will outwardly acknowledge SSRI withdrawal problems. I suspect they don't want to, because it would for them amount to admitting they got it wrong. But there was one line a psychiatrist once said to me, almost like he had a moral duty, which stayed with me: 'be careful as you get to the lower doses'. He said that to me in 2013, in my last appointment with him before I relocated. It was as if he thought 'I'm never going to see Anna again after today, so I can afford to lower my professional guard'. 

 

So yes, as you reach the lower doses – perhaps below 10mg for Seroxat (Paxil or paroxetine) – the reductions often need to be smaller as a percentage of the last dose. When I restart my taper, I'm going to reduce by 5% of the last dose, not the previous 10% reduction I was doing to get down from 20mg to 5.96mg.

 

And on that point – and because you asked – I got to 5.96mg in late December, but it prompted strong withdrawal symptoms. I stayed at 5.96mg until the middle of February, but the symptoms got unbearable, with no signs of improvement. So by end of February, I'd updosed to 7mg. That's about a 17% increase from 5.96mg. I may not have needed to go up by such an amount, but I got desperate.

 

In the past few days, having updosed to 7mg on 25 February (I tapered up to this dose from 13 February, going from 6.16mg to 6.8mg between 14 and 24 February), I have been feeling decidedly better. The constant, low-level anxiety, panic attacks, intrusive, obsessive thoughts and crying spells have abated, and my sleep and daily diarrhoea have settled down.

 

My latest, since December 2018, experience of withdrawal symptoms and subsequent updose has taught me a few things:

 

• Non-drug coping techniques are essential. Search this site for 'non-drug coping techniques'. I discovered Michael Sealey on YouTube. The hypnosis for sleep tracks are excellent.
• I can survive on less than eight hours' sleep a night. Eight hours might be championed in the media as being optimum (and as a result I'm conditioned to think that way), but my body is more resilient than I imagine, even if it's a horrible experience.
• Thoughts aren't reality.
• Playing around with supplements and other OTC or prescription drugs is only going to confuse matters. Keep it simple, slow, steady is the best way – there is a thread on here about these three 'S's, but I can't find it. It's good.
• Eating small and often, with nutrient-rich, low sugar foods is good for me.
• Cutting out caffeine reduced the jitters.
• Drinking loads of water is especially important with diarrhoea and probably prevented dehydration headaches.
• If, when I resume my taper, I notice those distinct withdrawal symptoms emerging, then they'll probably do so within days of reducing my dose. If they emerge, I should return to the previous dose sooner rather than later.
• There's no guarantee that updosing works, but in my case, it seems to have. Based on my latest episode, a 10% updose might be sufficient for me in the future if my symptoms become unbearable.
• Listen to the veterans on this site.

 

Hope this helps. As you can see from my thread, I'm on 7mg (as 3.5ml) Seroxat daily, and will be staying there for some months.

 

Also, I got my 1ml oral syringes from here – they're broken into 0.02ml increments. I order them in bulk, so code PMC3078 is what I used: https://www.medisupplies.co.uk/Syringes-Needles/Syringes/BD-Oral-Syringes

(I also have 10ml syringes from the same place – code PMC3084).

 

I know the queuing analogy seems hard, but it's the truth. It's fact. It doesn't have to be easy for it to be true.

Another hug to you, Longroadhome. WE CAN DO THIS!

 

PS. My parents tell me that being a grandparent is wonderful. I'm sure it will be for you too.

Edited March 16, 2019 by DeterminedAnna
More accuracy and clarity, extra detail

[Longroadhome]

Hi Anna I know the site I’ve been on it and yes you are right it binds to more receptors on lower doses once you get down and think that’s why I hit severe symptoms when I reduced from 10mg to 7.5mg. Also when I came to increase I found that I’d actually been taking 7mg.  a mistake on my part due to incorrect measurement so that shook me even more . 

Ive ordered the syringes today so thank you for that information.

You are right with the survival list: supplements and caffeine  and good food choices and  analogy the whole lot !! 

It’s so kind of you to send me all the info Anna 

double hugs for you  we will do this !!! 

We are on one of the hardest ADs  to come off so it’s no wonder we are getting such unpleasant symptoms . This site has given us a wealth of information and is where our strength to go the distance will come from going forward. 

 

Ps what supplements do you take I’ve been taking magnesium and omega 3  but max strength so could be aggravating my symptoms. 

Pss. I’ve waited so long to be a grandparent. daughter always career minded and my son also. The best things in life are worth waiting for Anna and one day your parents will be blessed with another grandchild.  

[Longroadhome]

Tuesday 12/03/19

awake on and off from 2am

6:30am got up Paxil 8.5mg pregabalin 50mg 

7.30am work high level anxiety low mood 

9:30am breakfast anxiety still high concentration  poor 

2:30pm home and walked dog . Slightly  elevated mood when walking my dog Georgie 

5:30pm anxiety spiking because of low mood 

7:30pm dinner magnesium tab and omega 3 50mg pregabalin 

10:30pm

bed 

no headache today 

However hot / crawly skin and dry eyes have been my “companions”since poop out 

Is dry eyes a withdrawal symptom that anyone else has ? 

 

 

Wednesday 24/03/19

Woke up on and off all night

6:30am got up 8.5mg Paxil 50mg pregabalin (predictive text now..!!)

7:45am work flat feeling but not too bad

9am breakfast low level anxiety 

1:45pm lunch magnesium tablet and omega 3 

3:10pm walked dog depression maneagable 

6pm gym slight headache but very tired

7:20pm dinner headache omega 3 tab 

9:30pm bed pregabalin 50mg

this was not a bad day for me 

 

thursday 14/03/19

good sleep 💤 

6:30am woke up 50mg pregabalin 8.5 Paxil 

low level anxiety slightly elevated mood so rolled with it

8:30am work.  flat but very manageable low level anxiety 

1pm costa coffee jitters (note to self : order de caff) always have decaf at work and home but forget to order at costa 

3pm walked dog low level anxiety and depression was there but I didn’t let it frighten me so it didn’t escalate 

7:30pm family for dinner . Anxiety crept up a bit but I distracted myself and it subsided 

8:30pm watched film felt ok 

10:30pm pregabalin 50mg bed 

This was a better day for me . Don’t get me wrong symptoms were there but a tiny spark of courage and a slightly elevated mood has definitely helped me cope better the last couple of days.

 

 

 

[Gridley]

 

6 minutes ago, Longroadhome said:

Is dry eyes a withdrawal symptom that anyone else has ? 

Dry eyes are a common antidepressant withdrawal symptom.

Vision symptoms: floaters, snow, blurred/dimmed vision, twitching, dry ...

[Longroadhome]

Friday 15:3:19

6:30am woke up good sleep 😴 

7:45am work low level anxiety flat feeling but manageable 

9am breakfast burning arms medium anxiety level dry eyes 👀 the usual stuff

1pm lunch medium level anxiety but bringing this on myself because of the weekend ahead and coping on my own 

3pm walked Georgie  

5pm gym good session 2 hours mood ok

7pm dinner forgot to take pregabalin

8pm daughter round mood  ok  (mine not hers..)  

11pm bed 🛌 

Im writing this Saturday and today is an ok day too 

[Longroadhome]

7 minutes ago, Gridley said:

 

Dry eyes are a common antidepressant withdrawal symptom.

Vision symptoms: floaters, snow, blurred/dimmed vision, twitching, dry ...

Thank you for info Gridley  

[Altostrata]

Please be sure to include when you take your drugs and their dosages in your daily notes. You did take your morning Paxil and pregabalin on Friday?

 

Forgetting those evening pregabalin doses may be causing your problems. Taking drugs inconsistently can trigger withdrawal symptoms and other upsets.

 

It appears you may be sensitive to caffeine, which has effects for many hours. If I were you, I'd taper off it.

 

To see the effect of your morning drugs, you'd have to take Paxil apart from pregabalin. Why are you taking a morning dose of pregabalin?