Hannahe: Leean's daughter - tapered Wellbutrin now on Buspar

[Hannahe]

7 minutes ago, puthappinessfirst said:

I take vitamin D and have/had akathisia, it hasn't done me any harm.

My level was 12. Pretty low, and I was trying to get outside in the sun as much as possible. 

The only advice I got was to take it during the day. I take mine in the morning. 

No harm so far. 

 

B12 is trickier, maybe try a liquid b12 supplement so you can control dose vs a pill. 

Just in case it ramps you up.

Thank you Happiness! 

 

Thats good info to know 🙂 

 

I just added raw vitamin C that also has a probiotic in it. Upping the dose very very slowly. So maybe it’s best to wait until my body is acclimated to that before starting another. I’m not sure though.  

 

Yes B12 is a scary one for us in withdrawal. I’ve never been one to eat much animal product, so I guess it’s to be expected /: trying to eat more fish and eggs. I don’t know if getting the vitamins from your food is good enough being this low though. 🤷🏻‍♀️

[ChessieCat]

7 hours ago, Hannahe said:

Topic title:  Exploding Head Syndrome (EPS)

 

Anyone experience this in WD? I have had small episodes throughout my life, but this has been intensified in WD to the point I will wake up screaming for help. 

 

 

There are many existing topics on this site.  Before creating a new topic please do a search to see if there is already a topic on that subject.  SA likes to keep similar information in one place so it is easier for members to find.

 

You can either use the site search function or use google and add survivingantidepressants.org.  I used google and searched for survivingantidepressants.org exploding head syndrome  and easily found the existing topic for this subject.

 

Your new topic has been moved to that topic.  So that you can practise finding things for yourself I'll leave it for you to do the search.

 

 

[Shep]

22 hours ago, Hannahe said:

The neurologist I seen wants to do a ton of tests because he believes I may be having seizures. I don’t want to do any tests with contrast and therefore things have been pushed back. I don’t know if I even see a point in going to the doctors anymore. 

 

My symptoms seem to escalate around my monthly and I will still experience some symptoms that may be worrisome, but other than that things seem to have gotten better. 

 

At the beginning there were times I would get dizzy, confused, nauseous and stare off into space for a while. Then minutes later I could resume. 

 

 

This sounds like absence seizures, Hannahe. Please see this article for a description: 

 

Epilepsy Foundation - Absence Seizures

 

Wellbutrin lowers the seizure threshold and you also have a history of using a benzo, so if you're experiencing this, it's not uncommon with your drug history. 

 

The good news is they won't hurt you unless you're driving or if you fall. So you may want to take precautions regarding driving and be very mindful and careful when you're walking. There's evidence that the ketogenic diet (a diet high in fat and low in carbohydrates) can be helpful and you can google and find information on that. 

 

Please consult your doctor if you feel unsafe, but from what you're describing, this sounds like a side effect or withdrawal effect. 

 

 

[Hannahe]

Is this something you think will pass for me? Or could I be dealing with it beyond withdrawal? 

 

This is sounds like something I may have been dealing with on Wellbutrin as well. 

 

Edited July 18, 2019 by ChessieCat
removed quote

[Shep]

You may have these episodes for awhile, even after you come off the drugs. Recovery can last a very long time, but eventually, these symptoms fade out.

 

Please see:

 

Are We There Yet? How Long is Withdrawal Going to Take?

[Hannahe]

3 hours ago, Shep said:

You may have these episodes for awhile, even after you come off the drugs. Recovery can last a very long time, but eventually, these symptoms fade out.

 

Please see:

 

Are We There Yet? How Long is Withdrawal Going to Take?

Okay as long as it’s not serious or brain damaging I can deal, because it has gotten better. 

[Hannahe]

So as you guys already know, I’m about 5-6 months out from my Wellbutrin cold turkey withdrawal and I have dramatically reduced my buspar from when I was prescribed it in the hospital from 20 mg daily down to 2.5 mg at night time only. 

 

I feel very raw, and so I stopped tapering it a month ago. I am currently in tolerance with my Zoloft being at 50 mg and I doubt the buspar is really doing much for me at the dose it is either. 

 

Will there ever ever come a time where I feel well enough to taper off the rest of these drugs being in tolerance? 

[Altostrata]

What do you mean by "being in tolerance"?

 

Are you seeing your therapist again?

[Hannahe]

23 minutes ago, Altostrata said:

What do you mean by "being in tolerance"?

 

Are you seeing your therapist again?

I don’t feel as if the Zoloft is doing anything. I don’t think I would be having as many problems as I am if it was still working. I spent ten years on 100-150 mg and I’m now at 50 mg trying to stabilize. 

 

[Altostrata]

That is not tolerance. The drug simply is not solving your problems. It's only a drug, it doesn't work miracles.

 

Think very carefully about whether you want to spend the rest of your life looking for a chemical cure instead of doing the work yourself. You need to see a therapist to get coaching in solving your problems yourself. It's your life, you need to take care of it.

[Hannahe]

6 minutes ago, Altostrata said:

That is not tolerance. The drug simply is not solving your problems. It's only a drug, it doesn't work miracles.

 

Think very carefully about whether you want to spend the rest of your life looking for a chemical cure instead of doing the work yourself. You need to see a therapist to get coaching in solving your problems yourself. It's your life, you need to take care of it.

I understand that a drug will not solve my problems. What I’m saying is I believe the I am also in tolerance withdrawal from the Zoloft along with the CT from the Wellbutrin. I am wondering how to get out of this mess. According to others, I will have tolerance symptoms until I am completely off all the drugs. I don’t know if there will be a grey area where I feel well enough to start tapering the rest of them. 

[Altostrata]

In my opinion, you do not seem to be in tolerance withdrawal. You seem to be hanging around the house worrying. As long as you do this, you'll be feeling crummy.

 

You need to get out more and you need to make some changes in your habits of mind so you don't continue to make yourself sick.

 

We've gone over whether you can taper. You can taper when you feel like tapering. You can go off Buspar when you feel you can go off Buspar. In the recent past, you've expressed so much anxiety about changing your drugs, it seemed better that you stay put. It's your decision.

 

I don't think we can help you resolve how you feel right now, that's beyond our peer support capabilities. We cannot change your habits of mind, you have to make the decision to do that.

 

If your therapist doesn't offer Acceptance and Commitment Therapy or Dialectical Behavioral Therapy, I highly recommend that you look for a therapist who does and take your sessions seriously. I feel this is so important for you as a young person, I'm going to put your posts into moderation.Your posts will not be published until you report you are seeing a therapist regularly.

[puthappinessfirst]

I'm not a mod, so take what I have to say with a grain of salt, but maybe you're still experiencing WDs from cutting your zoloft and wellbutrin in half and then CTing the wellbutrin. Then you added xanax and came off that as well.  That's a lot to be changing in a year. 

 

Either way, the only way off, whether you're in tolerance or not, is tapering off slowly and safely. Or you hold tight for several months more in hopes of stabilizing a bit. I wish there were more options than that. It's really hard. 

[Dejavu]

Hannahe, for what it's worth, I completely concur with Alto. You have way too many years ahead of you to spend them in misery. I think you will find DBT or ACT very helpful. You need help to stop obsessing on your symptoms. You must learn how to accept and distract, and while I'm sure that seems impossible to you right now, it is a skill that can be learned. That's why we believe therapy will be so beneficial to you. We very much want you to recover, but we cannot want it more than you do. 

 

"If you do what you've always done, you'll get what you've always gotten." - Tony Robbins

 

"Insanity is doing the same thing over and over and expecting a different result." - Albert Einstein