luvkids: What do I do now?

[ChessieCat]

Q:  So your sleep has got worse since you started reducing?

 

If yes, then combining that with the changing in how you feel during the day, seems to indicate that it's the reductions causing the symptoms.

 

You could either do a long hold or make a tiny updose.

[bijay]

I've had this feeeling in the past too, when sleeping at night would make me feel more drugged in the daytime, and a night with no sleep made me feel wired the next day.   Maybe our bodies metabolize drugs more slowly during sleep. 

 

On nights when you do sleep, do you sleep in?  If so, try limiting your sleep to a minimum amount, say 5-6 hours or even less, whatever you think you could get by on.  This can help get you back to sleeping every night.

[luvkids]

I can't really see any pattern to my sleep since my sleep has been all over the map.  Since the 2nd reduction I have been sleeping fairly well (7-8 hours) every other night, with NO sleep on the alternate nights.  Prior to that I averaged about 4 hours per night, with nights of 0-7 hours. Question: what type of syringe do you use for liquid medication? The one from the pharmacy has a tip on it, as do most I see online, which is not included in the measurement of med in the syringe.  So while the measurement lines begin above the tip, the tip

 itself also has a bit of liquid in it when I measure out a dose.  So how do I account for that amount in the tip? Does that make sense? Is there a different type of syringe?

[ChessieCat]

Don't worry about the tip or whether there is liquid left in the syringe.

 

The most important thing is to do everything the same way every time.  That is called being consistent and gives the best accuracy.

 

With regards to whether you should hold or reduce again, that is up to you.  However, if you do decide to reduce again you also have the option of reducing by less than 10%.

[luvkids]

Thanks.  Doctor told me to reduce dose by 1mg to see if that would stop the sedation feeling, but that would have been a 20% drop from where I was, and I had only been there for 1 week.  I tried .5 mg drop for 2 nights and today feel like I am having withdrawal symptoms: head feels hot, it is spinning and pulsing and lots of dizziness, plus increased anxiety.   My plan is to go back to the dosage of 2 days ago.  I assume that will eliminate those symptoms since it's only been 2 days.

[ChessieCat]

48 minutes ago, luvkids said:

My plan is to go back to the dosage of 2 days ago.  I assume that will eliminate those symptoms since it's only been 2 days.

 

Unfortunately there is no guarantee but hopefully it will work.

[luvkids]

When the term "stabilize" is used here, what exactly does that mean?  Does it mean that your symptoms have stopped getting worse?  Or you are having no new symptoms?  How long should you hold at a particular level to insure stabilization?  If taking a med drop after a month seems to increase the symptoms, what do you do?  Do withdrawal symptoms usually start the day after you take a drop?

Edited February 25, 2021 by Gridley

[Gridley]

Welcome to SA, luvkinds.

 

"Stabilize" as used here means your symptoms are pretty much (but not totally) the same from day to day, without big swings or changes.  Another way to describe "stabilized" is that you feel more or less the same degree of "blah" (not great or even good but tolerable)from day to day.

 

 Stability

 

How long i takes to stabilize varies from person to person and situation to situation.  See the information on dose change events in the above link.

 

6 hours ago, luvkids said:

If taking a med drop after a month seems to increase the symptoms, what do you do?

Hold until you stabilize.  Do not continue tapering.

 

6 hours ago, luvkids said:

Do withdrawal symptoms usually start the day after you take a drop?

Again, it varies.  It could start the next day or take longer.  It takes a bit more than a week for a dose change to register in the brain.

 

We don't recommend a lot of supplements on SA, as many members report being sensitive to them due to our over-reactive nervous systems, but two supplements that we do recommend are magnesium and omega 3 (fish oil). Many people find these to be calming to the nervous system. 

 

Magnesium, nature's calcium channel blocker 

 

Omega-3 fatty acids (fish oil) 

 

Add in one at a time and at a low dose in case you do experience problems. Get supplements that ae single ingredient (not mixed with other types of supplements).

 

This is your Introduction topic, where you can ask questions and connect with other members.  We're glad you found your way here.

 

 

Edited February 25, 2021 by Gridley

[ChessieCat]

Your Introduction topic is here:  luvkids-what-do-i-do-now

 

Only one Introduction topic per member which keeps your history in one place and is the best place to ask questions about your own situation and journal your progress.

 

[Shep]

@luvkidsI've merged your two introductions. As ChessieCat wrote, only one intro per member. Please continue posting here. 

[Sebas]

 

"However, I think you should consider some things before reinstating. 

 

Paxil, 20 mg. daily for last 20 years

Began tapering October 2018.  Took last dose May 2019.

 

You did a very fast taper of 7 months after being on Paxil for 20 years."

 

This just summarizes my problem analyses. That was way (!!!) to fast to taper paxil after 20y. So that's definitely what backdrafted very heavily on you. 

 

Hope you will regain your balance. Wish you strenght.