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JenT: Intro Post.. JenT newbie and just looking for advice :)


JenT

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Hi all. Found this site looking for advice yesterday and seems like a godsend!

Medical Background: Struggled for years with hormonal issues, last year finally got diagnosed with PMDD. (Premenstrual Dysphoric Disorder) Basically 3 weeks out of every 4 I have depression, panic attacks, extreme rage, self harm ideation, catastrophic thinking, insomnia.  The only known 'cure' (which isn't 100% guaranteed) is a total hysterectomy which so far the docs have refused due to my age (34) and the fact I don't have any kids. To work towards getting a hysterectomy I'm having to jump through all the hoops and try everything else first.. this includes trying every form of contraception (I've tried them all), and the next step were antidepressants to try and help the rage/anxiety. 
First one I tried was sertraline. I admit I probably didn't give this one long enough to work..I think I took it for 3 days but I was so bombed out I couldn't function, drive, work and it scared  me, so I stopped. I didn't touch any meds for quite a while after that until I had a massive breakdown last winter.

Escitalopram has seemed to work for a lot of ladies with PMDD, so doc agreed to try me on it. Started on 10mg and eventually went up to 15mg. It seemed to be working really well at first, once I'd got past a few months of horrible jaw clenching and gurning. I realised though that it was exacerbating certain obsessive compulisve traits..spot/nail picking, overeating. Piled weight on. Still getting bad insomnia, anxiety came back, so I decided to come off them. Doc advised me to drop from 15mg to 10 for one week, the one week at 5mg before stopping. This, as I found out, was waaaaay too fast. I was a sobbing mess and so bad my OH called 111 for advice. I couldn't function, I was getting electric shocks that zapped all over my skin..it wasn't fun. Doc said to maybe start back on it, but I decided to ride it out and after the crisis day things settled down a little although it took a while for the electric shocks to stop.

2 weeks after I stopped escitalopram, doc started me on 30mg Duloxetine.
I've been on Duloxetine for 3 months now. My jaw is aching so bad I feel like it's going to fall off. My cognitive function is massively imapared... I can't do simple maths, I'm forgetting words/names, long periods of zoning out. Conversations are really hard as I foget what I'm saying half way through, or if the other person is talking I zone out and have no idea what they're saying. Anxiety is through the bloody roof, I have extreme fatigue and lethargy...I have a few things I usually do at home to help when I'm having a bad head day and I haven't managed to do any of them for months. Needless to say I want to come off them, can't get a doc appt till next month! Which is when I went on google and found you guys.
I guess my main question is...does how long you've been on a certain medication effect how bad the withdrawals are? I've only been on duloxetine for 3 months, but the thought of it taking 2 years to taper off by reducing 10% dose each month..quite honestly scares the crap out of me. Any advice or help would be much appreciated. :)

Edited by Shep
added username to title
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  • Administrator

Welcome, Jen.

 

I am sorry you got withdrawal syndrome from escilatopram and your doctor did not reinstate perhaps 2mg escilatopram or its gentler sibling, citalopram, rather starting you on duloxetine instead.

 

The symptoms you're getting indicate you are taking too high a dosage of duloxetine for your nervous system, which may have been sensitized by the prior escilatopram withdrawal.

 

When was the last time you changed duloxetine dosage?

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

"It has become appallingly obvious that our technology has surpassed our humanity." -- Albert Einstein

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Thanks Altostrata :) The doc did mention restaring me on escitalopram again when my withdrawal was so bad, but to be honest I couldnt face going through withdrawal twice so I just rode it out after some really gnarly days, the day when my OH called 111 for advice being the worst. I only started cutting down my duloxetine last thursday after reading a lot of the info on here, I opened up the capsules and theres about 152 tiny pellets in one, so I've just been taking out 15 of them each night when I take it. I do feel slightly clearer headed although the jaw clenching is still here and my anxiety seems to be manifesting as mania...on the plus side I'm finally redecorating the house..but I'm really struggling.

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  • Administrator

Reduction of duloxetine dosage seems to be going in the right direction. Whatever dosage you're taking now might still be too much for you. The mania symptoms is not good. I might request 20mg capsules.

 

Some of your symptoms may be from escilatropram withdrawal as duloxetine may not be an effective substitute. Please let us know how you're doing.

 

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.

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

"It has become appallingly obvious that our technology has surpassed our humanity." -- Albert Einstein

All postings © copyrighted.

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