Frankgrimes: Paxil withdrawal and reinstatment

[Frankgrimes]

Hi all -

 

so so I tried to withdraw from 2.5 paxil while increasing my zoloft from 25 to 50.  What a disaster!  The 50 zoloft made me manic so I went back down to 25 but went off the 2.5 paxil in two weeks.  Pure chaos ensued with crazy agitation and insomnia and practically convulsions!

 

then I went down to 12.5 zoloft and after 5 days the crying began.  Reinstated to 25 and feeling the reinstatement effects.  Just wanted to connect with others!

[Altostrata]

Welcome, Frankgrimes.

 

Were you trying to switch from Paxil to Zoloft? Why were you doing this and what method were you using?

 

How long have you been taking 25mg Zoloft this round?

 

To help us out, follow these instructions Please put your drug and withdrawal history in your signature You may need to use a computer to do this.

 

[laydefish]

Hi @Frankgrimes & Welcome to the group! you came to the right place for great advice & support! Stay Strong!

[Frankgrimes]

For the past 16 years, I had been on a super random combination - 10mg lexapro and 150 Wellbutrin xl in the morning, 2.5 paxil and 25 Zoloft at night.  For OCD and depression.

 

I started getting breakthrough depression and my Dr. thought the Paxil was doing more harm than good and we should get me off that and increase the Zoloft.  So we did - from 2.5 paxil to 1.25 and 25 zoloft to 50 zoloft.  That night I had the most intense sex and it was unreal.  Like I had never felt before.  Then I fell asleep and woke up early and with energy.  My pupils were huge though - I was high and I felt sexually like a 16 year old.  I told my doc and a day or two later we dropped the Zoloft down to 37.5.  What a productive week of work and gym and dating.  The next week I couldn’t tolerate the increased Zoloft so we went down to 25 zoloft and he said sure go off the Paxil.  

 

So I went from 2.5 paxil to 1.25 to 0 in 2 weeks.  And 25 to 50 to 37.5 to 25 zoloft in 2 weeks.  This all happened between February 18 and March 4.

 

On I believe Wednesday the 6th I called the dr. crying and he said to take 1.25 paxil cuz I was in withdrawal.  Eventually I went back to 2.5 but the hell was done.  I didn’t sleep.  I would wake up screaming.  I paced for hours straight. Advil PM every night.  I went to a urologist and he gave me Levaquin and naproxen and said I had a prostate infection.  I didn’t eat the next 10 days.  I started having pains.  My left left foot went numb.  I had pins and needles.  My left hand was numb.  Pushups hurt my left elbow.  Could the Levaquin have caused my pains?  Was it the withdrawal?  I don’t know.  I think it was the withdrawal because now it comes and goes.  I had electric shocks.  Acupuncture was brutal - so much electricity.

Paxil withdrawal - I need hope!!

 

During this, one time after sex i felt an electric volt up and down my entire left side - the worst pain I have ever felt.  My left hand was numb.  My left foot was numb (my left leg still hurts).  I thought I was floxed from the Levaquin.  It’s still possible - everything hurt - joints, trigger points.  But can be from the withdrawal. 

 

At one point my new doc tried to add deplin.  It got me high.  And then deplin with 12.5 zoloft.  5 days later horrible crying and pain on my left side and withdrawals.  I had the chills again.  Like the flu.  That went away when I restarted the Zoloft.

 

Now 3 months later - I am feeling withdrawal again (or startup effects).  I have switched brands of generics thinking maybe that was the issue that caused the depression and I switched from generic lexapro to brand name.  Since then I’ve been sweating profusely - first night i was waking up with the sweats.  Now I’ll just start sweating like crazy anywhere.  I don’t sleep and I can’t sit still.

 

I have a new doc who wants me to take l-methylfolate and lamictal. He wants me off the SSRIs.  ’m scared.  I can’t take this much more.  My doc said I’ll get better. He said I’m not on what I should be on based on my genetics.  But I feel it’s too late to change now that I went through and felt withdrawal.  Surprisingly I feel pretty good every day from 6 pm - 10 pm.  But then sleep happens.

 

Whenever I think about the stress and permanent damage my leg hurts.  Please give me hope!!

 

Edited June 12, 2019 by ChessieCat
reduced font/added topic title

[ChessieCat]

merged 2 intro topics

[Frankgrimes]

Tingling/numbness in foot - from name brand lexapro to generic

 

Switched from generic lexapro (17 years) to brand name lexapro and the name brand was way too strong (was on it for 14 days and it made me manic) - 3 days back on generic now and have tingling in my left foot/numbness.  I have had this from withdrawal before but in those cases I reinstated.  

 

Will this go away once my body adjusts to the generic lexapro that I took for 17 years?

 

Edited June 15, 2019 by ChessieCat
added topic title

[ChessieCat]

2 topics merged.

 

Please create your drug signature using the following format.   Keep it simple.  NO diagnoses or symptoms please - thank you.

• details for last 2 years - dates, ALL drugs, doses
• summary for older than 2 years - just years and drug/s

Account Settings – Create or Edit a signature

[Altostrata]

Hello, Frankgrimes.

 

What is your daily drug schedule? Do your symptoms follow any daily pattern?  Please keep daily notes of times of day 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.

 

How does your new psychiatrist propose to get you off the antidepressants? How did he ascertain that l-methylfolate supplementation would be right for you? (Deplin is l-methylfolate.)

 

[Frankgrimes]

Hi @Altostrata - He did a genetic assessment and I’m homozygous Mthfr.  He said if this was from scratch he would never have put me on ssri.  It would have been deplin and lamictal if needed.

 

i put my regimen in my signature.

 

When I went off the paxil i also went took Levaquin so my nervous system went through hell!

 

he plans to titrate up the lamictal and when stable taper down the SSRIs very slowly.  The crazy thing is I’m so sensitized now - I never ever had a problem from brand name to generic and today is day 5 brand name to generic so starting to feel the withdrawal in my left foot (that’s where it always is - tingling, numbness - and then crying)

 

does the “withdrawal” eventually stabilize?  Like will my mind (and my body/foot) adjust to the generic lexapro after some time?  I can’t go back to brand name as it made me hypomanic.  Thank you!

[Altostrata]

Having a heterozygous MTHFR variation, I've done a lot of reading about it. The most effective way to assure folate absorption with a theoretical MTHFR problem is to eat leafy green veggies. Deplin is not necessary. You seemed to have a bad reaction to it before, some people find even methylfolate supplements to be activating.

 

There are long, elaborate discussions about genetic variations and complex remediations (which I've found to be nonsensical) for those who have  adverse reactions to methyl- supplements, but the fix is: Eat green leafies.

 

If you absolutely must take a methyl- supplement, you can start with a tiny chip off a sublingual tablet and gradually work your way up in dosage.

 

However, the MTHFR issue is probably barking up the wrong tree, and Deplin is an expensive placebo to which you have already reacted badly.

 

Did this psychiatrist tell you to take Lamictal 12.5mg every other day? That's really dumb, half-life is to short to reach steady-state on that schedule. 5mg tablets are available by prescription.

 

When did you start taking Lamictal? (Starting dates for each of the drug dosages in your signature would be helpful.) How do you feel after taking 12.5mg?

 

56 minutes ago, Altostrata said:

What is your daily drug schedule? Do your symptoms follow any daily pattern?  Please keep daily notes of times of day 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.

 

 

Thanks for the information in your signature. I need to know TIMES OF DAY for all your drug doses with your symptom pattern, 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

[Frankgrimes]

Thanks I couldn’t fit this in my signature - I will be more detailed with time of symptoms tomorrow.

 

17 years prior, various brands

 

Am:  10 escitalopram, 150 bupropion xl

Pm:  25 Sertraline, 2.5 paroxetine

 

2/18 

Am: 10 escitalopram, 150 buproprion xl

50 Sertraline, 1.25 paroxetine

 

(Caused mania - didn’t realize it at the time)

 

2/20 

Am:  10 escitalopram, 150 Buproprion xl

Pm:  37.5 Sertraline, 1.25 paroxetine

 

2/27 

Am:  10 escitalopram, 150 buproprion xl

Pm:  25 zoloft, 0 paxil!!

 

Crying started 

 

3/4 

Am:  10 escitalopram, 150 Buproprion xl

25 sertraline, 1.25 paxil (to try to stop withdrawal - but it made me hypomanic as well as I shouldn’t be on SSRIs)

 

Slowly added back paroxetine up to 2.5 over a while

 

3/21 Levaquin 500 mg 10 days, naproxen 10 days

 

4/19 liquid Paxil - 2.5 mg

 

5/5 tried to taper the Sertraline and took 12.5 Sertraline and 15mg deplin as part of my cocktail (horrible crying and foot numbness and electric shocks after 5 days, went back on 25 Sertraline)

 

5/10 switched the Sertraline to aurobindo version - definitely stronger

 

5/30 switched to brand name lexapro - definitely too strong - induced some hypomania but took it for 14 days because I wasn’t aware

 

6/11 25 mg lamictal at night

 

6/12

back to aurobindo escitalopram from brand name

 

6/13 12.5 lamictal at night

 

Current regimen

 

Am:  

150 Buproprion xl (lupin)

10 escitalopram (aurobindo)

Omega 3

Nasonex, eye drops

 

Claritin at 4 pm

 

Pm:

2.5 paxil liquid

25 Sertraline (aurobindo)

Nasonex, eye drops

 

Lamictal taper schedule - 12.5 every other day for first two weeks

 

 

 

 

 

[Frankgrimes]

Leafy green vegetables are no good because I can’t break down the folic acid in them.  I have homozygous.  In any case for now I’m not taking it or any other vitamins other than omega 3s.

 

Started lamictal 25 - they have a starter pack where it is 25 every other day first two weeks, then 25 per day for 2 weeks, then 50 every day.

 

i felt side effects immediately - although those could have been from withdrawals  - some spaciness - so he said to be safe do 12.5 every other day for first two weeks, then 12.5 per day for 2 weeks, then 25 every day.

 

My biggest challenge is every time I even adjust an ssri - from brand to generic - or from generic to generic - where one is weaker - my ocd kicks up a little which is okay and my left side gets aggravated.  Whether it is some shocks on my left side or an ache in my lower left leg or tingling/pins and needles in my left foot.  Nothing on my right side.

 

My question is whether these not so little annoyances (aches and pains and numbness) typically go away (in a couple weeks) so that I can continue a taper (go from 10 lexapro to 9 lexapro to 8.1 lexapro, etc).

 

 

 

[Altostrata]

TIMES OF DAY, please, 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

[Frankgrimes]

Day 5 of 10mg generic escitalopram rather than brand name lexapro - day 5 is the day withdrawal usually kicks in for me

 

6/16 evening

 

8:00 pm a bit up and down - crying during a conversation with a friend - 3/10

 

9:00 pm exhausted, can’t stop reading these message boards, fell asleep on couch - numbness and tingling left foot - 5/10

 

9:25 pm woke up from falling asleep - left side burning - left hand pins and needles, almost like I’m on fire with electricity 6/10

 

9:30 pm 

12.5 lamictal

1.25 ml Paxil liquid

25 Sertraline (aurobindo)

[Frankgrimes]

Rest of day 5

 

10pm - bed no problem

 

11:30pm I think - intense awakening, electricity type feeling all over, particularly genitals, my left arm and left hand tense up like in a permanent flex/state of defense 5/10

[Frankgrimes]

Topic title:  Long term facilities/hospital

 

Anyone know of any facilities in the US for care/help with protracted withdrawal?  Thank you.

 

Edited August 26, 2019 by ChessieCat
added topic title

[Frankgrimes]

Fast forward a while and I ended up not sleeping for 2 weeks and ended up inpatient for 18 days.

 

they said I was in a mixed state and put me on lithium.  They then discontinued my 2.5 paxil and 5 days later my 25 zoloft (tried taking 12.5 but I wasn’t hypersensitive to it and couldn’t handle it - it made me hypomanic and then crash) - left hospital on lithium 300 and Wellbutrin xl 150 in morning and 10 lexapro and 600 lithium at night.

 

2 weeks ago upped my lexapro to 12.5 because I was having panic attacks from the Paxil and Zoloft withdrawal.  It’s impacting my vision and I’m having chest tightness.  

 

Still having numbness and tingling in extremities, crying spells, sour stomach, body pain, orgasms that make me nauseous or where my body can’t release and I end up tense and in pain, issues with noises and temperature changes, issues with eating food and panic attacks.

 

i don’t know what to do.  Any thoughts or ways to help?

[ChessieCat]

This site exists, and has done so since 2011, because there are very few medical professionals who know about and understand tapering, withdrawal, adverse reactions to psychiatric drugs.

 

alternative-to-meds-center-in-sedona-arizona

 

inpatient-center-clinic-or-retreat-for-detox-rehab-recovery

 

[ChessieCat]

recommended-doctors-therapists-and-clinics

 

[ChessieCat]

An inpatient facility may use supplements:

 

dont-waste-your-money-on-these-supplements

 

important-topics-about-tests-supplements-treatments-diet

[Frankgrimes]

Thank you.  Unfortunately no doctors in New York that understand this.

 

What would a tapering plan be like for the lithium?  Should I get off it before it’s too late?  Will I ever stabilize?

 

my doc upped my lexapro from 10 to 12.5 and I couldn’t handle after 14 days - chest pains in my sternum and vision that although clear didn’t work - it was like if I bounced or moved my head the images couldn’t catch up.

 

currently:

AM 150 Wellbutrin XL (16 years), 300 lithium liquid

PM: 10mg lexapro (16 years), 600 Lithium

 

56 days no Paxil 2.5

50 days no zoloft 25mg

 

symptoms:  noise sensitivity (like I can hear a truck 3 blocks away), crying bouts, morning depression, food sensitivity, numb/tingly feet and hands, temperature sensitivity, panic attacks, inability to focus, sour stomach, orgasms that make me sick or make my body tense up and not release, body/muscle pains

[ChessieCat]

7 hours ago, Frankgrimes said:

What would a tapering plan be like for the lithium?  Should I get off it before it’s too late?  Will I ever stabilize?

 

Please add this to your drug signature.

 

From your current drug signature:  every other day lamictal 12.5 to titrate up

 

Q:  Are you still taking lamictal?  If yes, are you still taking it on alternate days?  Why?  Lamictal has a half life of about 29 hours.  It should be taken daily so that you don't experience interdose withdrawal.

 

Please check your drug signature and update it so that it is current.  This is the preferred format:

 

Keep it simple.  NO diagnoses or symptoms please - thank you.

• details for last 2 years - dates, ALL drugs, doses
• summary for older than 2 years - just years and drug/s

Account Settings – Create or Edit a signature

 

[Frankgrimes]

Signature is too long

 

Prior to 2/18 (16 years!)

-    AM: 10mg escitalopram, 150mg buproprion XL
-    PM: 2.5mg paroxetine, 25mg sertraline

 

2/18 at night (got very high, large pupils, blood – maybe manic – I was still sleeping so I don’t know)
-    1.25mg paroxetine, 50mg sertraline

 

2/21 (I think – lower the sertraline due to discomfort/agitation/hyperactivity)

-    AM: 10mg escitalopram, 150mg buproprion XL
-    PM: 1.25mg paroxetine, 37.5mg sertraline 

 

3/4 (body vibrating at doctor’s office, decide to go back to 25 sertraline and go off paroxetine)

-    AM: 10mg escitalopram, 150 mg buproprion XL
-    PM: 0 paroxetine, 25mg sertraline

 

3/6 (started crying – attempt to reinstate paroxetine – could not sit still, could not sleep – maybe hypomanic?)

-    AM: 10mg escitalopram, 150mg buproprion XL
-    PM: 1.25 paroxetine, 25 mg sertraline

 

3/20 

-    levaquin 500mg 2x per day, 10 days (unsure what caused issues – withdrawal or med – but shock through body issue)

 

4/18 or so (worked way back up to 2.5 paroxetine but then got liquid paxil because I wanted exact amount as I was getting body zaps)

-    AM: 10mg escitalopram, 150mg buproprion XL
-    PM: 2.5mg paxil, 25mg sertraline

 

4/30 (Switched to Deplin and halved my sertraline, 5 days later my left foot went numb and I couldn’t stop crying)

-    AM: 10mg escitalopram, 150mg buproprion XL
-    PM: 2.5mg paxil, 12.5mg sertraline, 15mg deplin

 

5/6 (back to no Deplin and back to 25 sertraline)

-    AM: 10mg escitalopram, 150mg buproprion XL
-    PM: 2.5mg paxil, 25mg sertraline

 

5/22 (switch brand of sertraline to aurobindo, felt high immediately, eventually sweating)

-    AM: 10mg escitalopram, 150mg buproprion XL
-    PM: 2.5mg paxil, 25mg sertraline (aurobindo)

 

5/28 (switch brand of escitalopram to Lexapro – felt high immediately, sweating ensued)

-    AM: 10mg lexapro, 150mg buproprion XL
-    PM: 2.5mg paxil, 25mg sertraline (aurobindo)

 

6/10 (tried methylfolate – bad reaction to only 400 – tingling)

-    AM: 10mg lexapro, 150mg buproprion XL
-    PM: 2.5mg paxil, 25mg sertraline (aurobindo)

 

6/11 (switch to generic escitalopram again, add lamictal 25mg, at first daily then every other day – body felt like it was plugged into an outlet with electricity, stomach aches, extreme difficulty sleeping if at all - insomnia)

 

6/30 go into emergency room (horrible glute pains and then agitation)

-    50mg Seroquel to go to sleep

 

7/1 

-    Off paxil 2.5 to 0
-    Ativan to sleep

 

7/2 Start titrating lithium

 

7/7 off sertraline

Went up at one point to 1200 lithium but down to 900 at night

 

7/19 leave hospital

-    AM: 10mg escitalopram, 150mg buproprion XL
-    PM:  900mg lithium

Not sure when but we switched escitalopram to evening because mornings were very rough

 

8/7/19 (switch to liquid lithium)

-    AM:  150mg bupropion xl
-    PM:  10mg escitalopram, 600 mg lithium

 

8/12/19 (increase escitalopram to 12.5 – chest pain and vision issues started)

-    AM:  150mg bupropion xl, 300mg lithium
-    PM:  10mg escitalopram, 600mg lithium

 

8/26/19 (decrease escitalopram back to 10 due to chest pain and vision issues)

-    AM:  150mg bupropion xl, 300mg lithium
-    PM:  10mg escitalopram, 600mg lithium, ½ benadryl

 

Edited September 15, 2019 by ChessieCat
reduced font

[Altostrata]

2 hours ago, Frankgrimes said:

Prior to 2/18 (16 years!)

-    AM: 10mg escitalopram, 150mg buproprion XL
-    PM: 2.5mg paroxetine, 25mg sertraline

 

This is a profoundly stupid drug cocktail. Whoever prescribed this does not know what they're doing.

 

2 hours ago, Frankgrimes said:

8/26/19 (decrease escitalopram back to 10 due to chest pain and vision issues)

-    AM:  150mg bupropion xl, 300mg lithium
-    PM:  10mg escitalopram, 600mg lithium, ½ benadryl

 

Did one doctor prescribe all these drugs?

 

Did you feel better after lithium was added in July?

 

What times of day do you take each drug, at what dosage? Do you feel better or worse after each dose? Please keep daily notes of times of day you take your drugs, their dosages, and your symptoms throughout the day, including your sleep pattern. You can post 24 hours of notes at a time in this topic, with a simple list format with time of day on the left and notation (symptom or drug and dosage) on the right.

 

Very few doctors understand psychiatric drug withdrawal syndrome or appropriately diagnose any adverse effects from the drugs. That is why this site exists. If we knew of doctors or clinics who could help you, we would send you there.

 

Please be considerate, summarize your drug history in your signature so we can see at a glance how long you've been on each drug.

[Frankgrimes]

I don’t know if the lithium does anything to help but it might.  My mood sucks but it is usually due to distress - like the air is freezing more than normal, I get anxious, I then eventually get distressed and distraught. Lithium definitely makes impulsive behavior slow down (impulsive shopping and other behaviors)

 

one doc prescribed the 3 ssri’s and the Wellbutrin.  It worked for 16 years with almost no side effects.  My depression eventually got worse and I got dumber but I also had some concussions.  Trying to change the meds was the beginning of the hell.

 

There is no specific time for any feelings and withdrawal symptoms.  Morning is generally worse and night generally better.  Shaking or numbness in hands or burning in my left foot just happens without cause.  I’ve cut out sugar for the most part to a paleo/primal diet.  No coffee at this point.

 

My new doc understands my predicament and says he has dealt with cases of severe withdrawal.  The plan is to start taking low dose of klonopin for a short period of time to calm my nervous system.  While this is not ideal and may only provide immediate temporary relief, I have to try it.  Then he wants to do rTMS for anxiety/ocd and depression.

 

currently on 10 mg lexapro and 150 mg Wellbutrin xl in the mornings, 900 mg lithium at night

[Frankgrimes]

Hi @Altostrata I just read your bio on patientlikeme and about how Wellbutrin doesn’t help.  What if I’m already on it?  My goal to be honest is to stabilize.  If I don’t get off the lexapro 10mg and Wellbutrin xl 150 and somehow stabilize I will consider that a win.  Ideally I’d like to get off the lithium but we have to make sure I don’t have a manic reaction to rTMS.  Thanks.

[Altostrata]

On 8/27/2019 at 7:50 PM, Altostrata said:

What times of day do you take each drug, at what dosage? Do you feel better or worse after each dose? Please keep daily notes of times of day you take your drugs, their dosages, and your symptoms throughout the day, including your sleep pattern. You can post 24 hours of notes at a time in this topic, with a simple list format with time of day on the left and notation (symptom or drug and dosage) on the right.

 

I need to see this before I can figure out anything.

 

It is utterly irresponsible for any doctor to put a patient on 3 SSRIs. You might be a fast metabolizer, but the overdrugging is hard on your liver and kidneys. As far as that goes, lithium is the most dangerous drug you're currently taking. Are you getting regular liver and kidney function tests?

 

I see you've visited here infrequently and despite repeated requests, never consistently posted daily drug and symptom notes that might have identified drug adverse reactions leading to your hospitalization in August.

 

23 hours ago, Frankgrimes said:

My new doc understands my predicament and says he has dealt with cases of severe withdrawal.  The plan is to start taking low dose of klonopin for a short period of time to calm my nervous system.  While this is not ideal and may only provide immediate temporary relief, I have to try it.  Then he wants to do rTMS for anxiety/ocd and depression.

 

Benzos can help with withdrawal but if your symptoms are due to adverse reactions to the drug cocktail you're taking, adding a benzo just adds to the drug burden and makes it more complicated. Plus, you can get physiologically dependent on a benzo within a few weeks, meaning you are at risk for withdrawal from that, too, not to mention side effects.

 

Since you say you MUST do this, not sure what we can say here. If I were you, I'd take a good look at whether the drugs you're taking now are causing your symptoms, rather than presuming it's withdrawal syndrome. Prior adverse reactions and withdrawal symptoms make the nervous system hypersensitive to normal dosages of drugs that formerly were not a problem.

 

The way to identify current adverse drug reactions is with daily notes, as repeatedly requested. If you don't want to do this, we can't help you.

 

Any really good doctor would want to check out potential adverse drug reactions before adding a drug. For your and your doctor's information, please put ALL your drugs in the Drug Interactions Checker https://www.drugs.com/drug_interactions.php
and copy and paste the results or a link to them in this topic.

 

[Frankgrimes]

@Altostrata does this help?

 

Woke up 7:00ish with some wanna die feelings/stomach ache 

 

Watch tv and hear happy music/dance scenes and start crying because I can’t anymore

 

Raw almonds

 

8:30 Take morning meds (lexapro, Wellbutrin, 300 lithium) and immediately feel more anxious after and have chest pain

 

9 am took klonopin

 

Drank Muscle milk

 

Left toes under foot a bit tingly

 

Stomach ache

 

Increased anxiety around 9:20 - it’s probably from the morning pills unsure though

 

9:25 Body just really hurts and aches

 

Left upper toes tingly

 

9:35 think of things I miss and start getting teary eyed

 

9:45 right calf trigger point pain, body getting cold

 

10:04 right glute pain when I laid down

 

Not really anxious - an under vibration

 

10:50 Left ear tinnitus

 

11:00 withdrawal like chest pains, left arm feels tight to my chest in fear 

 

11:40 walked around to get peanut butter and felt horrible chest pains

 

Sat down right glute pain

 

11:55 ears and jaws hurt

 

Right hand trembly

 

12:06 really tired

 

12:20 stomach ache with erection

 

Pounding headache when I sit up 

 

Thinking about going to mtg and imagining experiencing akthisia not anxiety while there

 

2:08 looked at forum, left top of foot started tingling

 

2:21 it’s warm in my apt and I open the fridge and it’s too cold for me

 

P feels more sensitive

 

Sad because I can’t eat what I want anymore - 

 

Had delicious salad

 

Heart started to beat a little faster for whatever reason and it scared me

 

3:35 left hand went numb

 

4:30 took half hour nap - woke up in panic, woke up freezing cold

 

Fell back to sleep until 6:45 - woke up left hands numb

 

Eating peanut butter - 

 

left toes tingly, left fibula tingly, left hand tingly

 

8:35 snacking on almonds

 

Stomach a mess, sexual arousal makes me nauseous 

 

9:00ish ate dinner, mood isn’t horrible, left hand numb, chest tightness/pain. 

 

Thought about a girl and started feeling sick - neuroemotion

 

Right glute hurts

 

Shower

 

10:00 took lithium

 

Left toe a little tingly

 

Took klonopin - ate a couple almonds - stomach hurt

 

fell asleep on couch - woke up at 2 am as normal and got into bed

 

 

note that my mood is usually better in the evening

 

Edited September 15, 2019 by ChessieCat
reduced font

[Altostrata]

Please include DRUG DOSAGE in your daily notes.

 

5 hours ago, Frankgrimes said:

Take morning meds (lexapro, Wellbutrin, 300 lithium) and immediately feel more anxious after and have chest pain

 

What do you think is going on here?

 

It looks to me like you're having an adverse reaction to one of these drugs or the drug combination. Why did your doctor add the Wellbutrin to Lexapro?

 

You've been taking 150mg Wellbutrin XL since August 26? If so, if I were you, I'd cut the Wellbutrin dosage in half in preparation for going off it completely.

 

Pick a tablet form from Tips for tapering off Wellbutrin, SR, XR, XL (buproprion)

Quote

 

• Immediate release (IR): 3 times a day dosing Available in generic in 75 mg, 100 mg tablets
• Sustained release (SR): 2 times a day dosing Available in 100 mg, 150 mg, 200 mg sustained-release tablets
• Extended release (XR or XL): Once a day dosing Available in 150 mg, 300 mg capsules (brand-name only); 450mg generic

 

 

You could tell your doctor you're having an adverse effect from the Wellbutrin and want to reduce your dosage.

 

Please put ALL your drugs in the Drug Interactions Checker https://www.drugs.com/drug_interactions.php
and copy and paste the results or a link to them in this topic.

[Frankgrimes]

Sorry I thought it was all in my signsture

 

i take 10 mg lexapro and 150 mg Wellbutrin xl - I’ve been taking them since 2003 along with the Paxil 2.5 and zoloft 25 which I stopped 

 

I think they gave me the Wellbutrin to reverse the sexual side effects of all the ssris - it was in 2003.  I wish I knew then what I knew now.  I also wish I knew in February what I knew now!!

 

worst issues are tingling in my toes, temperature sensitivity, chest pressure/pain, and despair and crying 

[Frankgrimes]

@Altostrata just a follow up - you had asked if lithium helps withdrawal.  I don’t know.  But I tried to lower it from 900 to 780 and it was very bad.  First okay, then a little hypo, then extreme liability and crying and SI.  Also my chest got extremely tight and my body started burning while I couldn’t warm up and felt freezing cold.  Also got dizzy and aching pains.  So it may have been masking the Paxil and Sertraline withdrawal symptoms.  I reinstated with a little improvement so far.

[Altostrata]

We suggest a 10''% per month reduction of lithium, as with other psychiatric drugs. Sorry you've had this upset.

[Frankgrimes]

Recently tried to lower my lithium from 900 to 780 - 13%.  After 2 days I started to feel a bit hypo and got some tinnitus.  Then I felt freezing cold, my body was burning, and my chest got extremely tight - like squeezing to death in my sternum.  Anyone experience this?

[Frankgrimes]

I was on 300 liquid in the morning and 600 at night.  I reinstated.  After 4 days switched to 900 mg extended release at night.  It has been about 10 days and I have some sort of stabilization.  I woke up today and my hands were not numb.  Tinnitus from the withdrawal has gone away as has the hypomania and cold issues along with burning.

 

i still have lot of pain in my right glute (which I’ve had for months) and some numbness tingling in my left foot.  Still have headaches (musculature headaches), assorted pains.

 

today is 100 days cold turkey 2.5 paxil, 94 days cold turkey 25 zoloft (reinstating to 12.5 had horrible adverse reaction).

 

still on 10mg lexapro (went to 12.5 for a couple weeks but had to go back down), 150 Wellbutrin xl, and 900 lithium

 

unsure what is next.  Feel truly in limbo.  I sleep like a log from lithium but not restorative.  Have an inner tremor and unsure if it is from the lithium or the withdrawals.  Still have chest pains and unsure if it is lithium or withdrawal.  can’t workout because of pain.  Sexual issues as orgasms make me sick to my stomach.

I’m thinking to sit with this another 3 months and see where I am as hard as that is.

[Altostrata]

Please post your updates here in your Intro topic.

 

I'm confused -- are you changing more than one drug at a time? Please put ALL your drugs in the Drug Interactions Checker https://www.drugs.com/drug_interactions.php
and copy and paste the results or a link to them in this topic.

 

[Frankgrimes]

Not changing more than one drug - I was on 3 ssris and Wellbutrin all at once.

 

became manic and mixed mood and was put on lithium and taken off Paxil and Zoloft.

tried to increase lexapro for relief and it was a disaster - was kinda manic and super sensititive.  Went back to 10.

 

my stomach was rough so they thought maybe it was the lithium carb and gave me liquid lithium.  We then tried to taper and I became hypomanic.

 

i feel the lithium definitely protects the withdrawal.  My lexapro Generic brand just changed unfortunately and it feels like withdrawal that I had when I went from brand name lexapro to generic.  That time though I could not sleep and felt extremely manic and in distress And my whole body had electricity in it.  Days without sleeping.  Now the lithium knocks me out at night and I can “manage” working and life.  I am starting to have some pssd.

 

i think I do have to get off the lexapro eventually because I can’t handle these brand changes.  And I want to heal without it.  

 

current symptoms:

pssd

spaciness

indigestion/Sick every time I eat

left foot tingles/burbs

Constipation

right glute pain

crying jags

ocd

chest tightness
sensitivity to sounds sometimes (has improved)

sensitivity to car rides (has improved)

inability to warm up at time and temperature confusion (is it cold or is it me)
No dreaming

sensitivity to vitamins

Im starting rTMS on Wednesday - I will keep you all posted.

also taking turmeric and tart cherry, omega 3.  Tried Coq10 but had immediate panic attack - probably not related to the Coq10 but rather related to me instead.