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Strange sensations while falling asleep - surges, zaps, jerks


Maybe

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Thanks, everyone. Sorry for the delayed response. I've been struggling badly the last few weeks. My taper was rushed and very messy, and I was on multiple drugs from age 13-22, so I'm sure my situation might be different from some of yours. Ladybug, what a slow and disciplined taper! I got scared and tried to cold turkey from 80 mg of Paxil. NO!

 

Anyway, I'm dealing with the original "symptoms," which are mostly caused by trauma, grief, and other very concrete reasons for "depression." My problems were extreme to begin with. Adding drugs to a recovering child's brain was disastrous (and monstrous, but that's another story). Now I also have the fallout of the drugs and WD, and my brain still trying to deal with the original problems...yeah, it's so hard I'd be dead if God if ever left me alone.

 

I'm seeing a new counselor tomorrow, though, and praying this works out and that I'm onto the road to recovery at last. I started seeing her just last week, and it's been a tremendous help, but things have been really rocky.

 

I'm not having this symptom, but I've been thinking that food might be the cause of its return. Food affects me strangely these days, sometimes restarting WD symptoms, years later. Too much sugar, for example, does not help me.

Age 13 - Prozac, 20 mg. On and off.

14 - Paxil. 2 months.

15 Effexor. 2 weeks. Toxic reaction, panic, never the same since. Back to prozac. Increased to 80 MGS! I weighed less than a 100 lbs!

18-20. Drug-free! So much of me came back, emotion, memories. But my brain was affected. Panic, no coping skills...

20-22. Hell. Cocktails + Paxil back up to 80 mgs. Hell.

Terrible, messy withdrawal in isolation, most of my 22nd year.

Now 31. Never the same since.

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  • Altostrata changed the title to Hypnic Jerks When Falling Asleep
  • 4 weeks later...

Hi All.   I got off Wellbutrin 6 weeks ago (and serzone about a year or two ago).  The last few nights I have had really bad hypnic jerks literally every time I fall asleep.  I am worried this will continue for a while.  I am only able to sleep an hour or two each night due to the shaking.

 

Is this normal for someone who got off an anti-depressant?  Should I go to a sleep doctor?  Should I take any supplements?  Should I be worried?  Or will this pass?  Thanks.

Serzone (Nefadazone) and Wellbutrin (Buoproprin) for over ten years
Nefazadone Starting Point 150 mg
12/2 135 mg, 12/16 130 mg, 12/21 125 mg, 12/24 120 mg, 1/5 110 mg, 1/26 100 mg, 2/9 90 mg, 3/1 80 mg, 3/22 70 mg, 4/12 60 mg
5/3 50 mg, 5/15 55 mg, 8/15 70 mg, 10/15 90 mg, 11/1/12 100 mg, 10/1/13 90 mg, 10/15/13 85 mg, 10/20/13 90 mg, 3/29/15 16 mg

Buproprin Starting Point 300 mg

5/1/13 270, 5/15/13 240, 6/1/13 230, 6/15/13 200, 7/1/13 185, 7/20/13 170, 8/20/13 185, 3/29/15 170

Completely off Serzone: 10/1/17; Completely off Buprioprion 5/21/18

 

 

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  • 1 month later...

Hi  @greenwell3977. I had the same jerks for several weeks several months after I got off of Wellbutrin too. They only come

back very rarely now. How are you now? Are you still dealing with them? 

 

It can can be a common symptom of getting off of AD, as I have read around here. The two most popular supplements to try are magnesium and Omega-3, though some say it made their problems worse, but you can try them at a really low dose and one at a time to see if they will work for you.

March 2016: Strattera

June 2016: Nothing

October 2016-April 2017:Wellbutrin SR

Mid-March 2017-March 2017 Adderall (9 days)

April 2017: Wellbutrin and Ritalin (7 days)

Mid-April to mid-June: nothing 

early June 2017: Wellbutrin XL

mid-June 2017: Wellbutrin XL, Adderall, and Hydrochlorothiazide (blood pressure); took for two days

Late August: Allegra for two days, then Propranolol

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Hi @Wellbutrinsucks

Thank you for your response.  I am doing a little better now.  I was getting the jerks every night and barely sleeping at all.  The magnesium seemed to help in the beginning but I wasn't getting deep sleep since it's sedating and my hunch is that the magnesium just made things worse in the long run.  So I stopped taking the magnesium.

 

Today, I still get the jerks but not as often.  I am trying to attack it by working on my stress and anxiety. 

 

The jerks are one of the worse things I've had to deal with in my life.  Hopefully they don't come back too often.  I'm glad to hear they don't come back too often for you.

Serzone (Nefadazone) and Wellbutrin (Buoproprin) for over ten years
Nefazadone Starting Point 150 mg
12/2 135 mg, 12/16 130 mg, 12/21 125 mg, 12/24 120 mg, 1/5 110 mg, 1/26 100 mg, 2/9 90 mg, 3/1 80 mg, 3/22 70 mg, 4/12 60 mg
5/3 50 mg, 5/15 55 mg, 8/15 70 mg, 10/15 90 mg, 11/1/12 100 mg, 10/1/13 90 mg, 10/15/13 85 mg, 10/20/13 90 mg, 3/29/15 16 mg

Buproprin Starting Point 300 mg

5/1/13 270, 5/15/13 240, 6/1/13 230, 6/15/13 200, 7/1/13 185, 7/20/13 170, 8/20/13 185, 3/29/15 170

Completely off Serzone: 10/1/17; Completely off Buprioprion 5/21/18

 

 

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Yeah I know the feeling @greenwell3977. It was so terrifying and I barely got a few hours of sleep a day, if any. I’m thinking of trying magnesium for muscle twitches and hopefully it helps, because that has been the most distressing and enduring symptom of this whole ordeal that started last June.

March 2016: Strattera

June 2016: Nothing

October 2016-April 2017:Wellbutrin SR

Mid-March 2017-March 2017 Adderall (9 days)

April 2017: Wellbutrin and Ritalin (7 days)

Mid-April to mid-June: nothing 

early June 2017: Wellbutrin XL

mid-June 2017: Wellbutrin XL, Adderall, and Hydrochlorothiazide (blood pressure); took for two days

Late August: Allegra for two days, then Propranolol

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  • ChessieCat changed the title to Hypnic jerks when falling asleep
  • 1 month later...

Dear All,

I am currently on 10 mg of Paxil and occasionally use lexotanil (6-7 times a month in very small doses). My basic issue is an SSRI induced sleep disorder and hypnic jerks (with ocassional bouts of depression that makes me weepy). But My jerks are  MY CORE ISSUE.  They occur cyclically (mostly at sleep onset) and worsen during my periods. Sometimes, they keep startling and waking me all night. I have made good progress in a year but I still have to use lexotanil (a benzo) as needed. On 20 mg of paxil, I did not need to use a benzo for two months, but since I want to taper off my AD eventually the jerks returned when I reduced paxil. My jerks  are, however, less vicious than before but some nights are still terrible (snorting, heart palpitations, sweating...) However, in this situation in which I use a benzo 6-7 times a month (0.25 mg to 1.25 mg depending on how bad my jerks are), how should I taper off a benzo? Or should I wait to get off Paxil first? I understand benzos are very addictive and this can backfire or I can get kindling effect so I am very confused how to move further. I want to move forward cautiously. And would very much appreciate an advice from fellow sufferers. I tried Vitamin B 12 and melatonin (these supplements don't suit me. I also use probiotics for my intestinal issues that occurred because of tapering)

30 July 2017- 20th October 2018:  40 mg Paxil. Current dose is 10 mg (I roughly reduced  2-5 mg or less per month. Initially had no significant issues because I was on another meds that I started and stopped quickly . But things started to go bad after 15 mg)

30th July 2017- Jan 2018.  My initial dose of lexotanil (a benzo very much like valium ) was 6 mg. I tapered .25 every month. There was a 2-month window when I was completely off it. But when my Paxil tapered hit 15mg, I started having issues and took lexotanil as needed (between 3 mg and .25 mg for my hypnic jerks). 

 

C/T Prozac in 2016 (after 2 years resulting in hypnic jerks and horrendous sleep issues)

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  • Moderator Emeritus

teePeer,

I've moved your post here, as well as copied it over to your main introduction page......which is here  teePeer1

 

Late 2023- gone to emeritus status, inactive, don't @ me, I can check who I've posted on, and I'm not really here like I used to be......thanks.

Started with psycho meds/psychiatric care circa 1988.  In retrospect, and on contemplation, situational overwhelm.

Rounding up to 30 years of medications(30 medication trials, poly-pharmacy maximum was 3 at one time).

5/28/2015-off Adderal salts 2.5mg. (I had been on that since hospital 10/2014)

12/2015---just holding, holding, holding, with trileptal/oxcarb at 75 mg. 1/2 tab at hs.  My last psycho med ever!  Tapered @ 10% every 4 weeks, sometimes 2 weeks to

2016 Dec 16 medication free!!

Longer signature post here, with current supplements.

Herb and alcohol free since 5/15/2016.  And.....I quit smoking 11/2021. Lapsed.  Redo of quit smoking 9/28/2022.  Can you say Hallelujah?(took me long enough)💜

None of my posts are intended as medical advice.  Please discuss any decisions about your medical care with a knowledgeable medical provider.  My success story:  Blue skies ahead, clear sailing

 

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  • 1 month later...

Hello Everyone! I seem to be suffering from this hypnic jerks. I was on 30mg paroxetine for about the last 3 years. I started tampering in January 2018 and completely stopped taking it after 7 months in August 2018. After 3 months since the last dose, I started having more often sleeping problems. It usually was panic attacks and irritation during the night, but I also had this hypnic jerks in my entire body. I feel them in my eyes, my head, my chest, and my legs and toes. They happen during the day, but they are worse during the night. In some rare cases, they might feel actually quite pleasant. During the night time, they are a nightmare though.

 

On 2/21/2016 at 7:13 PM, Skylark said:

when I'm falling asleep, I'll suddenly jerk awake as if something happened, but nothing did. No nightmares, either. It's a violent seizing up of my whole body. A bit like falling and catching yourself. Getting more frequent.

This seems to be exactly what I'm experiencing. What's even stranger is that the last night that I had them I was pretty relaxed, didn't worry too much and they were as strong as never before.

 

I'm on 15mg mirtazapine for about 4 years now. It always helped me to fall asleep but now I have to sometimes increase it to 30mg. I was taking supplements like lutein, omega 3 and magnesium but when my problems with sleep started I stopped all of them. I think in a few days I'll start with either omega 3 or magnesium. One at the time and see if it helps or makes things worse.

 

On 7/10/2011 at 9:04 AM, Maybe said:

when I was lying down to sleep yesterday, I saw some kind of strange lights when I closed my eyes. As if there was lightning inside my brain. It happened every 15 seconds or so.

It happens to me too from time to time. 

December 2009 - February 2012:  Paroxetine (Seroxat), occasionally Clorazepate || February 2012 - November 2012: Escitalopram || November 2012 - May 2013: Venlafaxine, also benzodiazepines, mostly Xanax || June 2013 - December 2013: only benzodiazepines Xanax, I'm starting to become addicted to it. || December 2013 - March 2014: again Paroxetine, very often Xanax || March 2014 - June 2014Fluoxetine. Changed Paroxetine to Fluoxetine. I was practically addicted to Xanax at this point. || I had an unpleasant accident in June 2014. Abruptly Stopped taking SSRIs but was still addicted to benzos. || August 2014 I started taking Clomipramine and in September 2014 Mirtazapine 10 mg. This was the time I stopped taking benzos for good. The withdrawal was pretty hard for more than half a year.  || October 2014: Stopped Clomipramine and for month tried Sertraline

September 2014 to Present DayMirtazapine 15mg 
December 2014 to August 2018 I was on 30 mg Paroxetine.  Started tapering in January 2018
. Going twice from 30mg to 20mg in a matter of 2-3 days. Didn't work. Started again in February 2018.

Generally every 2 months I was making a big drop by 10mg in a matter of two weeks. I stopped taking it completely in August 11th, 2018.  My Symptoms include depression, anxiety, sleeping problems, apathy, anhedonia, photophobia, afterimages, other vision problems (hard to vocus my eyes), tinnitus, brain fog. The problems with my eyesight are especially annoying and scary.  After four months they have become more severe.

 

Currently: 15mg mirtazapine (since September 2014), 0 paroxetine

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  • ChessieCat changed the title to Hypnic / hypnagogic jerks when falling asleep
  • 2 weeks later...
  • Administrator

Stretching exercises may help twitches or jerks in your legs.

 

Playing very soft music while you're sleeping may calm the hypnic jerks, see


Music for self-care: Calms hyperalertness, anxiety, aids relaxation and sleep

 

Tips to help sleep -- so many of us have that awful withdrawal insomnia

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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  • 3 months later...

My boyfriend has commented recently that I have been twitching and shaking a lot at night.  Its not waking me up and I don't even know im doing it.  I will sometimes notice it right before I fall asleep but nothing major.   It seems to be a more recent, worsening occurance.   Can someone tell me what might be the cause.    Could this be a side effect of one med that is just now worsening?  I know its a side effect of the Seroquel and that luvox interacts with Seroquel by making muscle spasms worse.   Im not currently tapering.  I held on my luvox for 8 weeks now and continuing to do so.  Just starting gabapentin taper today of 5%.   Anyone else experience this suddenly or find it worsen?

 

Maybe just something I have eaten? 

 9/2018- lexapro low dose few days.11/3/2018- zoloft 2 days

11/7/18  - 11/15/18 - Prozac 9 days, from 10 mg for week, to 20

11/16  inpatient put on Lexapro for a few days, Cymbalta, 2 days

11/24-12/8 - gabapentin 100 mg 3xs per day - a very fast taper

1/7 - tbuspar for  three days- blurry vision, jerky eye

1/17/19 - 2/15/19- mirtazapine 15 mg - started taper on 1/30 

2/20/19 gabapentin 600 mg. .  12/20-  taper finished

2/20/19 - seroquel 25 mg current - taken  10 pm

2/20/19- luvox (generic) 25 mg.  4/6/19  to 18.75 mg .held  . Started taper again  1/7/21- 15 mg, 2/7/21- 12.5 mg, 3/7/21 -10 mg, 4/1/21- 9 mg, 5/1/21- 8.1 mg, 5/27/21- updose to 10 mg,  6/21-  in patient updose to 50 mg,  6/25/21- reduce to 10 mg (current) .  9/5- split dose 5mg am/5 mg pm.  9/20- 4 mg am/5 mg pm . 

9/1/21-  took one dose of vistril 50 mg.   

9/1/21-accidental double dose of seroquel- 50 mg 

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  • 11 months later...

So, I wanted to share this as a means of coping with my symptoms and I am hoping to get some input to put my mind at ease. I am sure that many of you have experienced these things if you have anxiety as bad as I do.

 

A couple weeks ago I started binge drinking again and I woke up one morning with really bad heart palpitations, and general malaise. This freaked me out. I figured my electrolytes were messed up and I drank a bunch of coconut water and ate really good, and went on a hike. After a few days of not drinking the palpitations stopped and I felt fine again. Mistakenly I had one more drinking binge which was one week ago today. For me a binge is about 5-6 sugar drinks with a mixer. I don't get "drunk" per say but I usually just get a buzz and then get tired and go to bed early.

 

Anyways, I went to bed around 10pm last Thursday and as I closed my eyes to rest, my body started to feel really odd and I developed a severe case of tremors and also had a minor diarrhea. The tremors lasted about an hour and I did fall asleep after that, but it was a restless sleep... I woke up feeling malaise again. I have been on a healthy diet and exercising since.

 

For the next 3 nights the same thing happened, though it progressively got better each night until Sunday night I finally fell asleep without tremors.

 

Since then I have still been having issues with anxiety at night time. I seem to have developed some kind of phobia of just going to bed and relaxing. Although, when I do sleep it is relaxing and deep, but I wake up in the middle of the night with extreme panic and anxiety. I have to tell myself to calm down and after a few minutes I can go back to sleep. Also, I have panic attacks as I am falling asleep, a weird but strong butterfly feeling in my stomach just as I am falling asleep and it jolts my body awake and I panic.

 

I feel like I am just stuck in a loop now. I have improved my diet drastically and also cut out the alcohol for good. (Have a phobia of that now, too).

 

But I am worried that I will never feel "normal" again. No matter how many hours of sleep I get, I still feel like something just isn't right with me. This morning by body felt borderline achy and I anticipated another tremor coming on but it never did thankfully. But today I just feel yucky. 

 

I have no idea if this is 100% anxiety or what the deal is. I am not in ANY pain at all. I just feel weird, like you feel when you are starting to come down with a cold or flu.

 

I'm hydrated. I am getting all of my nutrition. I am active. But my body seems to still think something is wrong.

 

Of course I am scared that I will never get better -- this happens any time I get sick as I am also a hypochondriac, of course that never helps.

 

Has anyone had anything like this happen? How did you cope? Did it go away eventually?

Effexor XR:

July 2008: 150mg | June 24 2015: 145mg | July 28 2015: 130.5mg | Sept 4 2015: 117mg | Nov 10 2015: 105mg

Jan 24 2016: 94.5mg | Feb 28 2016: 85mg | Mar 27 2016: 76.5mg | Apr 28 2016: 69mg | Aug 14 2016: 62mg

Jan 19 2017: 56mg | Feb 21 2017: 50mg | Mar 30 2017: 36mg | Apr 2 2017: 45mg | Sep 1 2019: 27.5mg

April 9 2020: 25.2mg | Oct 30 2021: 16.9mg | Apr 1 2023: 15.2mg | May 1 2023: 13.7mg | May 31 2023: 12.3mg

July 1 2023: 11.1mg | Aug 1st 2023: 10mg | Sep 25 2023: 9mg | Oct 25 2023: 8.1mg

 

Vitamins & Supplements:

MegaFood Women's Postnatal Vitamin | Metagenix D3 5000 IU | Floradix Liquid Iron

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Hi Buggedout,

What we know from our collective experience is that this does get better, so you will get better too. You're young and resilient!  Effexor is an awful drug but you have been careful and doing ok with your tapering overall. Can you try mindfulness when you get in the anxiety loops? Maybe that will help. Are you using non drug techniques to help with the anxiety? Properly done CBT can be great for it, meditation, deep breathing.

 

What you describe - the jolts as you fall asleep  are quite normal for withdrawal. I often described my experience as a yucky feeling for lack of better words. It is also not surprising that things are getting harder - the lowest doses are the worst and there is a good Lancet article on why that is the case, let me know if you'd like a link. It has to do with the fact that most of the drug's power on the brain is achieved at the lower doses and adding more adds proportionally less effect. So you've peeled off the less powerful looser layers and you're going down to the duct tape layers. And peeling that off is going to be tough. I tapered fast (5 months) from 40mg citalopram to 0 and didn't feel much until the last cut from 5 to 0 which was about 60% of the drug effect even though it was only 12.5% of the original dosage.

 

Be careful at the low doses and take your time. You might even cut less than 10% a month or hold longer. Slow and steady wins THIS race.

 

Good luck and take care of yourself.

OMW

 

 

"Nothing so small as a moment is insurmountable, and moments are all that we have. You have survived every trial and tribulation that life has thrown at you up until this very instant. When future troubles come—and they will come—a version of you will be born into that moment that can conquer them, too." - Kevin Koenig 

 

I am not a doctor and this should not be considered medical advice. You can use the information and recommendations provided in whatever way you want and all decisions on your treatment are yours. 

 

In the next few weeks I do not have a lot of capacity to respond to questions. If you need a quick answer pls tag or ask other moderators who may want to be tagged. 

 

Aug  2000 - July 2003 (ct, 4-6 wk wd) , citalopram 20 mg,  xanax prn, wellbutrin for a few months, trazodone prn 

Dec 2004 - July 2018 citalopram 20 mg, xanax prn (rarely used)

Aug 2018 - citalopram 40 mg (self titrated up)

September 2018 - January 2019 tapered citalopram - 40/30/20/10/5 no issues until a week after reaching 0

Feb 2019 0.25 xanax - 0.5/day (3 weeks) over to klonopin 0.25 once a day to manage severe wd

March 6, reinstated citalopram 2.5 mg (liquid), klonopin 0.25 mg for sleep 2-3 times a week

Apr 1st citalopram 2.0 mg (liquid), klonopin 0.25 once a week (off by 4/14/19- no tapering)

citalopram (liquid) 4/14/19 -1.8 mg, 5/8/19 - 1.6 mg,  7/27/19 -1.5 mg,  8/15/19 - 1.35, 2/21/21 - 1.1 (smaller drops in between), 6/20/21 - 1.03 mg, 8/7/21- 1.025, 8/11/21 - 1.02, 8/15/21 - 1.015, 9/3/21 - 0.925 (fingers crossed!), 10/8/21 - 0.9, 10/18/21 - 0.875, 12/31/21 - 0.85, 1/7/22 - 0.825, 1/14/22 - 0.8, 1/22/22 - 0.785, 8/18/22 - 0.59, 12/15/2022 - 0.48, 2/15/22 - 0.43, 25/07/23 - 0.25 (mistake), 6/08/23 - 0.33mg

 

Supplements: magnesium citrate and bi-glycinate

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  • 2 weeks later...

Hello all,

 

I would really appreciate some help on this.

I was on a range of antidepressants for a problem that I was having while falling asleep. Initially it started of as an adrenal surge just while falling asleep

I was on citalopram, mirtazapin and sertraline. I am currently only on sertraline + propanolol and the surge has dissapeared completely.

Now the issue is something funny happens in my head as i fall asleep. Its almost like a sensation of falling but now its like a sudden bolt or reaction in the head that lasts a few seconds and only happens when i am falling asleep. What is this and how can i avoid it? Its v annoying. I was also getting some hypnic jerks but they have reduced quite a bit but i am fed up of this head reaction.

I am also not satisfied with my gps suggestion and he just says its not serious and something i picked along the well.

Can someone please tell me what this is? Yes this could be due to anxiety but what is it? I dont hear any sounds or see flashes of light while it happens.

 

Any helps is super appreciated

February: 10 mg citalopram - for anxiety related to sleep ( getting adrenal surges on sleep onset )

March : Mirtazapine 15 mg as citalopram side effects unbearable - Mirtazapine prescribed for sleep. Stopped Citalopram cold turkey

April: Anxiety around sleep still bad put on Sertraline 50 mg - continued with Mirtazapine - 15 mg

June: Anxiety around sleep in good control and able to sleep well most nights. Stopped Mirtazapine 15 mg cold turkey based on Doctors advise

May 31st 2022 started 15 ml mirtazapine for sleep onset anxiety

june 30 2022 started paxil 25 cr stopped mirtazapine

dec 2022 reduced paxil to 12.5 cr based on advise from psych 

currently on paxil 12.5 cr tried to quit cold turkey with really bad symptoms reinstated at 12.5 cr 

 

 

 

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  • Altostrata changed the title to Strange sensations while falling asleep
  • 2 months later...

Hypnic jerks right before drifting off to sleep

 

Hello all

 

I'm a WD survivor. I've been on Nortriptyline for 3 years now for what was initially diagnosed as vestibular dysfunction of my inner ear. I now know that at the time of perscription, there were much better and safer alternatives to the Nori poison such as Betaserc and Betahistine. After experiencing horrible side effects from the 10 mg dose, my doc mistook my sypmtoms for depression and as you can imagine upped my dose to 25, 50, 75 and finally 100. It wasn't until 2 years ago (a year past from my first use of Nori) that I realized through gathering info from other sufferers' experiences that I never had depression from the first place and what I was experiencing was a horrid myriad of withdrawal symptoms. I felt terribly sorry for myself having to go through hell to make up for the wrong diagnosis of my perscriber and his total disregard to and possibly ignorance of the nasty world of withdrawal. I began my tapering path from the moment I figured out what the whole story was about. After 2 years I'm now down to 22 mg which of course have been on this amount for the past 4 months with no progress made due to my infection to the confounded Covid 19 and a whole tough time I had on that battlefield of fighting it. After I recoverd from Covid 19 fully almost 45 days ago, I began to experience sudden jolts right before I'm about to step into the dream land. I had the experience of Hypnic jerks before as a part of WD symtoms but they would happen in the middle of my sleep time, I actually had no experience of not being able to fall asleep due to the invulantary movements of body (mainly hands, feet and shoulders), besides the condition I am in grips with shows no sign of abating and is not happening as a WD symptom as I haven't been cutting down on my dose for the past 4 months. It's quite disturbing and is causing a great deal of sleep deprivation for me and has deterred me from continuing my taper. Is this something I have to bear with for a long time or is a temporary thing like WD symptoms? I truly appreciate the much needed help and advice on this.

 

Edited by ChessieCat
added topic title

-2015 september zoloft (20 mg updosed to 125) plus clonazepam for anxiety and panic attacks

2016 Jan replaced clonazepam with chlorodiazpoxide 20 mg

-2016 April cold turkeyed both after a urinary retention surgery with no withdrawal symptom at all

-2018 Jan perscribed Nortriptyline 10 mg for vestibular vertigo 

-2018 Feb due to the horrible side effects which my psychiatrist took for depression and anxiety, Nortriptyline began to be updosed to reach 100 in June

-2018 Oct noticed I wasexperiencing no pleasure in life and decided to taper(zombie-style kind of life)Tapered to fast to reach 50 mg in 2019 Feb

-Terrible withdrawal symtoms began to creep up, had to updose to 75 in June 2019

-Began to make changes in diet and lifestyle and tapered again to reach 30 by 2020 Jan

-(using Brassmonkey method from here on)By May 2020 reached 22.5 when my whole taper process hit the wall due to infection to God-damned Covid 19. Late Sep 2020 restarted my taper 16 mg in Jan 2021, Jan 2021 to Feb down from 16mg to 14.5mg,Feb to March 13mg,March to July had to hold on 13mg due to being sold counterfeit drugs, took me a while to find out and get a new batch and get back on track again,July to August 11.5 mg,August to Sep 10.5 mg,Sep to Oct 9.5 mg, Jan 2022 started the water solution Nori, had to hold for a few months due to the horrible side effects of Covid shots, restarted taper on June 2022, March 2023(now) 1.8 mg (deem myself 60 to 70 percent recovered and functional)

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  • 3 weeks later...

It took me forever to find the technical definition of what I suffer from time to time. Yes! Hypnic (Hypnagogic) / Myoclonic jerks as I drift off to sleep. Thank God, I'm NOT CRAZY!!! After a 2 year taper off of 2 decades of Lexapro addiction, I'm 3 weeks free and clear. Unfortunately, my really bad waves have always involved these Myoclonic jerks that drive me absolutely bonkers. Last night is a good example. I'm under a ton of emotional stress and suffering a bad wave. I went to sleep quickly but woke with a jolt a touch past midnight. I suffered probably ~100 of these jerks, and wasn't ever able to fall back asleep again.

 

Do they stop completely in time after completely withdrawaling? Is there anything I can do to get rid of them? As it stands now, I only get them in bad waves, but they are brutal.

 

My neck and back are loaded with a ton of tension and my calves are achey for the first time in my life currently. Both also Lexapro withdrawal symptoms. Lovely. Thanks in advance, Iowan

1999: Paxil ?? mgai (Paroxetine Hydrochloride) - stopped cold turkey
2001-03: Celexa ?? mgai (Citalopram Hydrobromide) - switched to Lexapro
2003-August 2015: Lexapro 20 mgai (Escitalopram Oxalate) - rapid 5 mgai increment taper down to 0 mgai
December 2015 - January 2016: Short hospital stay for unknown acute AD WD due to rapid taper
January 2016-February 21, 2016: Prozac ?? mgai (Fluoxetine Hcl) and Wellbutrin ?? mgai (Bupropion Hcl) - switched to Lexapro
February 21, 2016-July 22, 2018: Lexapro 10 mgai  - rapid 5 mgai increment taper down to 5 mgai
July 22, 2018-March 17, 2019: Lexapro 5 mgai - endured horrible waves due to rapid taper
March 17, 2019-April 7, 2019: Lexapro 3.226 mgai - endured horrible wave due to rapid taper
April 7, 2019-April 28, 2019: Lexapro 3.548 mgai - updosed to level out
April 28, 2019: Implemented Brass Monkey Slide taper method (2.5% weekly reduction) - IT’S WORKING!!!
September 2, 2020: Lexapro 0.000 mgai / 0 mgpw / 100% Taper COMPLETE!

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  • Moderator Emeritus

  

On 7/10/2011 at 5:04 PM, Maybe said:

Playing very soft music while you're sleeping may calm the hypnic jerks, see


Music for self-care: Calms hyperalertness, anxiety, aids relaxation and sleep

 

* NO LONGER ACTIVE on SA *

MISSION ACCOMPLISHED:  (6 year taper)      0mg Pristiq  on 13th November 2021

ADs since ~1992:  25+ years - 1 unknown, Prozac (muscle weakness), Zoloft; citalopram (pooped out) CTed (very sick for 2.5 wks a few months after); Pristiq:  50mg 2012, 100mg beg 2013 (Serotonin Toxicity)  Tapering from Oct 2015 - 13 Nov 2021   LAST DOSE 0.0025mg

Post 0 updates start here    My tapering program     My Intro (goes to tapering graph)

 VIDEO:   Antidepressant Withdrawal Syndrome and its Management

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  • 2 weeks later...

So I've tried to search the forums before posting this and so far I've only seen topics on adrenaline surges and cortisol spikes. So I'm not sure if what I am about to explain is really that?  I've been experiencing these weird energy surges (like electrical shocks) that happen in my upper body when I'm trying to relax in bed and close my eyes. I'm not asleep yet but just trying to close my eyes and clear my mind when these happen. I've read elsewhere someone describing it like starting off as that butterflies feeling you get in your stomach and then a rush/surge of energy to the brain which gives you a 'jump' and an electric feeling.  These definitely aren't brain zaps as I've experienced those before. This one is more the entire upper body and only during relaxed states. 

 

This keeps me from settling down and actually falling asleep because when it happens it literally feels like electricity. It hangs on for a bit until I find myself alert again then it will fade. Almost like it's saying "oh no you don't! Don't you dare fall asleep!" So it's a vicious cycle of relaxing, getting electrocuted, relaxing, getting electrocuted etc. I'm sure by now lack of sleep makes this worse. So I'm wondering if there are any remedies that may help lesson the severity of these energy surges so that they aren't so disruptive to sleep?

Effexor XR 37.5mg (1st time 2003-2004 / 2nd time 2007-2008 / 3rd time 2010-current) Attempted to get off again in July of 2015 and did a year long taper only to reinstate by June 2016 due to failed taper. By July 2017 started to give this another try.

 

7.01.17 - 37.5mg fast forward to 3.25.18 - 26 mg  / 4.27.18 - 23.4 mg  / 5.20.18 - 21 mg  / 6.24.18 - 18.9 mg / 9.7.18 - 17 mg  / 10.13.18 - 15 mg / 11.10.18 - 13.5 mg 12.24.18 - 12 mg / 2.10.19 - 11 mg  / 3.6.19 - Updose to 13 mg and was better only for a month so decided to continue with tapering process. / 5.18.19 - 12 mg / 6.12.19 - 11 mg  / 7.7.19 - 11 mg  / 8.22.19 - 10 mg  / 10.4.19 - 9 mg   / 11.29.19 - 8.5mg / 12.16.19 - 8 mg / 1.24.20 - 7.5mg / 3.15.20 - 6.5mg / 3.29.20 - 6 mgs / 5.9.20  - 5.5 mgs / 5.23.20 - 5 mgs / 6.29.20 - 4.5 mgs / 7.10.20 - 4.25mgs / 7.24.20 - 4 mgs / 8.18.20 - 3.75mg / 9.1.20 - 3.5 mgs / 9.29.20 - 3 mgs but Horrendous insomnia suddenly appear preventing further tapering.

 

10.9.20 - Effexor Updose to 3.5mg

10.18.20 - Effexor Updose to 4 - 4.5 mg but no relief and insomnia got worse so.....

11.04.20 Effexor jump! with direct switch to Prozac 10mg.

12.4 - prozac 7.5mg 

12.20 - prozac 4mg 

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  • ChessieCat changed the title to Energy surge / body zaps when trying to drift off
  • Moderator Emeritus

It might be related to this:  hypnic-hypnagogic-jerks-when-falling-asleep

 

* NO LONGER ACTIVE on SA *

MISSION ACCOMPLISHED:  (6 year taper)      0mg Pristiq  on 13th November 2021

ADs since ~1992:  25+ years - 1 unknown, Prozac (muscle weakness), Zoloft; citalopram (pooped out) CTed (very sick for 2.5 wks a few months after); Pristiq:  50mg 2012, 100mg beg 2013 (Serotonin Toxicity)  Tapering from Oct 2015 - 13 Nov 2021   LAST DOSE 0.0025mg

Post 0 updates start here    My tapering program     My Intro (goes to tapering graph)

 VIDEO:   Antidepressant Withdrawal Syndrome and its Management

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1 hour ago, ChessieCat said:

It might be related to this:  hypnic-hypnagogic-jerks-when-falling-asleep

 

Thank you ChessieCat for the response. It might be a variation of it but I would say completely different feeling all together. 

 

I get those hypnagogic jerks also so i am able to differentiate between that and these so call "energy surges/body zaps" that I'm referring to. It's like a shiver of electric current in the upper body.

Effexor XR 37.5mg (1st time 2003-2004 / 2nd time 2007-2008 / 3rd time 2010-current) Attempted to get off again in July of 2015 and did a year long taper only to reinstate by June 2016 due to failed taper. By July 2017 started to give this another try.

 

7.01.17 - 37.5mg fast forward to 3.25.18 - 26 mg  / 4.27.18 - 23.4 mg  / 5.20.18 - 21 mg  / 6.24.18 - 18.9 mg / 9.7.18 - 17 mg  / 10.13.18 - 15 mg / 11.10.18 - 13.5 mg 12.24.18 - 12 mg / 2.10.19 - 11 mg  / 3.6.19 - Updose to 13 mg and was better only for a month so decided to continue with tapering process. / 5.18.19 - 12 mg / 6.12.19 - 11 mg  / 7.7.19 - 11 mg  / 8.22.19 - 10 mg  / 10.4.19 - 9 mg   / 11.29.19 - 8.5mg / 12.16.19 - 8 mg / 1.24.20 - 7.5mg / 3.15.20 - 6.5mg / 3.29.20 - 6 mgs / 5.9.20  - 5.5 mgs / 5.23.20 - 5 mgs / 6.29.20 - 4.5 mgs / 7.10.20 - 4.25mgs / 7.24.20 - 4 mgs / 8.18.20 - 3.75mg / 9.1.20 - 3.5 mgs / 9.29.20 - 3 mgs but Horrendous insomnia suddenly appear preventing further tapering.

 

10.9.20 - Effexor Updose to 3.5mg

10.18.20 - Effexor Updose to 4 - 4.5 mg but no relief and insomnia got worse so.....

11.04.20 Effexor jump! with direct switch to Prozac 10mg.

12.4 - prozac 7.5mg 

12.20 - prozac 4mg 

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Hi @whatshappening

If you read through the forum topic that ChesdieCat pointed out I think there is a theory proposed there on the activation of the alerting response. I think it was by altostrata. It could have possibly been in another forum as well, unsure. Maybe search for alerting response. Your symptoms seem consistent with that explanation.

 

Some suggestions for what might help including weighted blankets and background music while sleeping were given, afaik.

 

Hope it helps

OMW

"Nothing so small as a moment is insurmountable, and moments are all that we have. You have survived every trial and tribulation that life has thrown at you up until this very instant. When future troubles come—and they will come—a version of you will be born into that moment that can conquer them, too." - Kevin Koenig 

 

I am not a doctor and this should not be considered medical advice. You can use the information and recommendations provided in whatever way you want and all decisions on your treatment are yours. 

 

In the next few weeks I do not have a lot of capacity to respond to questions. If you need a quick answer pls tag or ask other moderators who may want to be tagged. 

 

Aug  2000 - July 2003 (ct, 4-6 wk wd) , citalopram 20 mg,  xanax prn, wellbutrin for a few months, trazodone prn 

Dec 2004 - July 2018 citalopram 20 mg, xanax prn (rarely used)

Aug 2018 - citalopram 40 mg (self titrated up)

September 2018 - January 2019 tapered citalopram - 40/30/20/10/5 no issues until a week after reaching 0

Feb 2019 0.25 xanax - 0.5/day (3 weeks) over to klonopin 0.25 once a day to manage severe wd

March 6, reinstated citalopram 2.5 mg (liquid), klonopin 0.25 mg for sleep 2-3 times a week

Apr 1st citalopram 2.0 mg (liquid), klonopin 0.25 once a week (off by 4/14/19- no tapering)

citalopram (liquid) 4/14/19 -1.8 mg, 5/8/19 - 1.6 mg,  7/27/19 -1.5 mg,  8/15/19 - 1.35, 2/21/21 - 1.1 (smaller drops in between), 6/20/21 - 1.03 mg, 8/7/21- 1.025, 8/11/21 - 1.02, 8/15/21 - 1.015, 9/3/21 - 0.925 (fingers crossed!), 10/8/21 - 0.9, 10/18/21 - 0.875, 12/31/21 - 0.85, 1/7/22 - 0.825, 1/14/22 - 0.8, 1/22/22 - 0.785, 8/18/22 - 0.59, 12/15/2022 - 0.48, 2/15/22 - 0.43, 25/07/23 - 0.25 (mistake), 6/08/23 - 0.33mg

 

Supplements: magnesium citrate and bi-glycinate

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I found this in the Tips to Help Sleep topic:

 

 

* NO LONGER ACTIVE on SA *

MISSION ACCOMPLISHED:  (6 year taper)      0mg Pristiq  on 13th November 2021

ADs since ~1992:  25+ years - 1 unknown, Prozac (muscle weakness), Zoloft; citalopram (pooped out) CTed (very sick for 2.5 wks a few months after); Pristiq:  50mg 2012, 100mg beg 2013 (Serotonin Toxicity)  Tapering from Oct 2015 - 13 Nov 2021   LAST DOSE 0.0025mg

Post 0 updates start here    My tapering program     My Intro (goes to tapering graph)

 VIDEO:   Antidepressant Withdrawal Syndrome and its Management

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9 hours ago, ChessieCat said:

I found this in the Tips to Help Sleep topic:

 

 

 

Hi ChessieCat,

 

I type this at 4.25am in the morning as I was jolted by that surge of energy at 2am and the tightness and vibrations in my chest still have not abated. Thank you for the link to the above post. It makes sense. I will try some of cymbaltawithdrawal5600 suggestions. And report back.

Effexor XR 37.5mg (1st time 2003-2004 / 2nd time 2007-2008 / 3rd time 2010-current) Attempted to get off again in July of 2015 and did a year long taper only to reinstate by June 2016 due to failed taper. By July 2017 started to give this another try.

 

7.01.17 - 37.5mg fast forward to 3.25.18 - 26 mg  / 4.27.18 - 23.4 mg  / 5.20.18 - 21 mg  / 6.24.18 - 18.9 mg / 9.7.18 - 17 mg  / 10.13.18 - 15 mg / 11.10.18 - 13.5 mg 12.24.18 - 12 mg / 2.10.19 - 11 mg  / 3.6.19 - Updose to 13 mg and was better only for a month so decided to continue with tapering process. / 5.18.19 - 12 mg / 6.12.19 - 11 mg  / 7.7.19 - 11 mg  / 8.22.19 - 10 mg  / 10.4.19 - 9 mg   / 11.29.19 - 8.5mg / 12.16.19 - 8 mg / 1.24.20 - 7.5mg / 3.15.20 - 6.5mg / 3.29.20 - 6 mgs / 5.9.20  - 5.5 mgs / 5.23.20 - 5 mgs / 6.29.20 - 4.5 mgs / 7.10.20 - 4.25mgs / 7.24.20 - 4 mgs / 8.18.20 - 3.75mg / 9.1.20 - 3.5 mgs / 9.29.20 - 3 mgs but Horrendous insomnia suddenly appear preventing further tapering.

 

10.9.20 - Effexor Updose to 3.5mg

10.18.20 - Effexor Updose to 4 - 4.5 mg but no relief and insomnia got worse so.....

11.04.20 Effexor jump! with direct switch to Prozac 10mg.

12.4 - prozac 7.5mg 

12.20 - prozac 4mg 

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9 hours ago, Onmyway said:

Hi @whatshappening

If you read through the forum topic that ChesdieCat pointed out I think there is a theory proposed there on the activation of the alerting response. I think it was by altostrata. It could have possibly been in another forum as well, unsure. Maybe search for alerting response. Your symptoms seem consistent with that explanation.

 

Some suggestions for what might help including weighted blankets and background music while sleeping were given, afaik.

 

Hope it helps

OMW

Thank you Onnyway. If you happen across the link or post would you mind posting it. As you know this site is extremely huge and lots of content to read. For Someone lacking sleep, all the words and posts start to look all the same.

Effexor XR 37.5mg (1st time 2003-2004 / 2nd time 2007-2008 / 3rd time 2010-current) Attempted to get off again in July of 2015 and did a year long taper only to reinstate by June 2016 due to failed taper. By July 2017 started to give this another try.

 

7.01.17 - 37.5mg fast forward to 3.25.18 - 26 mg  / 4.27.18 - 23.4 mg  / 5.20.18 - 21 mg  / 6.24.18 - 18.9 mg / 9.7.18 - 17 mg  / 10.13.18 - 15 mg / 11.10.18 - 13.5 mg 12.24.18 - 12 mg / 2.10.19 - 11 mg  / 3.6.19 - Updose to 13 mg and was better only for a month so decided to continue with tapering process. / 5.18.19 - 12 mg / 6.12.19 - 11 mg  / 7.7.19 - 11 mg  / 8.22.19 - 10 mg  / 10.4.19 - 9 mg   / 11.29.19 - 8.5mg / 12.16.19 - 8 mg / 1.24.20 - 7.5mg / 3.15.20 - 6.5mg / 3.29.20 - 6 mgs / 5.9.20  - 5.5 mgs / 5.23.20 - 5 mgs / 6.29.20 - 4.5 mgs / 7.10.20 - 4.25mgs / 7.24.20 - 4 mgs / 8.18.20 - 3.75mg / 9.1.20 - 3.5 mgs / 9.29.20 - 3 mgs but Horrendous insomnia suddenly appear preventing further tapering.

 

10.9.20 - Effexor Updose to 3.5mg

10.18.20 - Effexor Updose to 4 - 4.5 mg but no relief and insomnia got worse so.....

11.04.20 Effexor jump! with direct switch to Prozac 10mg.

12.4 - prozac 7.5mg 

12.20 - prozac 4mg 

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  • Altostrata changed the title to Strange sensations while falling asleep -- surges, zaps, jerks
  • Administrator

Merged similar topics.

 

This reaction when relaxing into sleep is paradoxical alerting from your sensitized nervous system. Playing soft music in the background can help reassure your nervous system you don't need waking up, you're not going into a coma.

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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  • 2 months later...

Hello all,

 

I was initially taking 50mg zoloft which i self reduced to only half a pill. I have started feeling a lot better and was also sleeping better.

All funny strange feelings in my head had gone. Did not have many hypnic jerks and could sleep easily and when woken up could sleep again.

Until a couple of days ago where i am only getting around 4 hours or sleep. I am so upset as i cant go back to sleep. Its like my body is waking me up through a sensation in the chest

head and small toe or arm movements. I really need some help as i am so distraught about this. I thought i had conquered this. It seems to have come back and i dont know what to do.

Is there also an element of TV in here? I watch a movie and then read and go to bed.

Any help is so much appreciated.

February: 10 mg citalopram - for anxiety related to sleep ( getting adrenal surges on sleep onset )

March : Mirtazapine 15 mg as citalopram side effects unbearable - Mirtazapine prescribed for sleep. Stopped Citalopram cold turkey

April: Anxiety around sleep still bad put on Sertraline 50 mg - continued with Mirtazapine - 15 mg

June: Anxiety around sleep in good control and able to sleep well most nights. Stopped Mirtazapine 15 mg cold turkey based on Doctors advise

May 31st 2022 started 15 ml mirtazapine for sleep onset anxiety

june 30 2022 started paxil 25 cr stopped mirtazapine

dec 2022 reduced paxil to 12.5 cr based on advise from psych 

currently on paxil 12.5 cr tried to quit cold turkey with really bad symptoms reinstated at 12.5 cr 

 

 

 

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  • Mentor

Hi. I was also on Zoloft and quit very fast. Too fast. I had 3 months where I felt great, then the insomnia started. It got worse and was at its worst 12-18 months after stopping plus I had all the other WD symptoms. I’m at 26 months now and for the last month my sleep has been good and symptoms better. 

 

So from my experience your insomnia is probably from WD and it is part of healing. There is likely nothing wrong - just healing. Unfortunately you have a journey ahead of you. I found little help in supplements other than Magnesium Glycinate, sleep hygiene and lavender. It was miserable but did improve. 

 

Admins may may have some advice on reinstatement and slower tapering. For me I decided to ride it out. There’s a topic on insomnia in this site which you may find useful. 

 

From my experience the drug has gone and you’re healing. Insomnia is an unfortunate side effect. 

 

 

50 mg Sertraline Nov 2016 to Dec 2016

100 mg Sertraline Jan - March 2017

50 mg Sertraline April - June 2017

25 mg Sertraline July 2017 - Sept 2018

12.5 mg Sertraline Oct 2018

0 mg Nov 1 2018

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Hello Dabro,

 

Thank you for your very very kind words and help but i may have given u a wrong idea sorry. I am still taking sertraline and now back upto 50mg with propanalol as and when i need it.

Also i am being given extended release propanalol. I only get these sensations when i drift off to bed. Can you please help get rid of these? i am very desperate and cant stop crying. i was lying in bed from 10 to 3 and its not that i am not able to fall asleep. i can easily fall asleep but this horrible feeling wakes me up and then my sleep is gone until it happens again. I was doing so well just taking half a sertraline for around 2 months. Guys please help. What can i do to avoid this horrible thing that happens.

 

Thank you thank you in advance

 

 

February: 10 mg citalopram - for anxiety related to sleep ( getting adrenal surges on sleep onset )

March : Mirtazapine 15 mg as citalopram side effects unbearable - Mirtazapine prescribed for sleep. Stopped Citalopram cold turkey

April: Anxiety around sleep still bad put on Sertraline 50 mg - continued with Mirtazapine - 15 mg

June: Anxiety around sleep in good control and able to sleep well most nights. Stopped Mirtazapine 15 mg cold turkey based on Doctors advise

May 31st 2022 started 15 ml mirtazapine for sleep onset anxiety

june 30 2022 started paxil 25 cr stopped mirtazapine

dec 2022 reduced paxil to 12.5 cr based on advise from psych 

currently on paxil 12.5 cr tried to quit cold turkey with really bad symptoms reinstated at 12.5 cr 

 

 

 

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5 hours ago, zen81 said:

Hello Dabro,

 

Thank you for your very very kind words and help but i may have given u a wrong idea sorry. I am still taking sertraline and now back upto 50mg with propanalol as and when i need it.

Also i am being given extended release propanalol. I only get these sensations when i drift off to bed. Can you please help get rid of these? i am very desperate and cant stop crying. i was lying in bed from 10 to 3 and its not that i am not able to fall asleep. i can easily fall asleep but this horrible feeling wakes me up and then my sleep is gone until it happens again. I was doing so well just taking half a sertraline for around 2 months. Guys please help. What can i do to avoid this horrible thing that happens.

 

Thank you thank you in advance

 

 

I’m sorry to hear. I can’t help other than to say if you never experienced these things before medication then it’s probably caused by the medication. Withdrawal has been tough for me but I’m leaving these symptoms behind 

50 mg Sertraline Nov 2016 to Dec 2016

100 mg Sertraline Jan - March 2017

50 mg Sertraline April - June 2017

25 mg Sertraline July 2017 - Sept 2018

12.5 mg Sertraline Oct 2018

0 mg Nov 1 2018

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Hi @zen81I suffered with non epileptic seizures (PNES) for several years due to extreme stress. You can find many articles regarding symptoms by researching PNES.

Just based on the symptoms you stated I it doesn't sound like non epileptic seizures.  I do believe your symptoms are WD based on other posts I've read on SA. I hope you feel

better very soon.

 

On 12/28/2020 at 8:33 AM, zen81 said:

Its like my body is waking me up through a sensation in the chest

head and small toe or arm movements.

 

 

Paxil  07/1997 - 10/1998 Quit CT  

Neurontin, topamax, trazadone,  ssri AD (don't remember which one) 12/1998 - 06/1999 CT everything

Eflexor Xanax  04/2000 -08/2000 CT  ***01/2008-05/2013 on/off lexapro, lamictalseroquelsaphris, pristiq  Start/Stop CT at intervals 

Zoloft 200 mg 07/2013  WD 04/3/20 - 04/8/20 Quit

Seroquel 800 mg 07/2013 2013 *400 mg 07/2019  *** WD 04/15/2020 - 06/19/20 Quit

Ambien 10 mg 07/2013  WD 5 mg 04/29/2020, 2.5 mg 12/24/20, 1.66 mg 01/21/2021, 1.25 mg 02/16/2021 *** 02/22/2021 Quit

Xanax  2 mg prn 07/2013 - 04/23/20 Quit CT

Lamictal 150 mg 07/2013 WD 05/06/20 -06/11/2020 Quit

Propranolol 03/21/2020 - 04/20/2020 Quit CT

Hydroxyzine  12/14/2020 - 12/27/20 Quit

Allegra 24 hr 01/11/21 Flonase Nasal Spray 01/11/21

Magnesium Glycinate 100mg x3 daily D3 5000iu daily 

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  • 2 weeks later...
On 10/7/2020 at 11:57 PM, whatshappening said:

So I've tried to search the forums before posting this and so far I've only seen topics on adrenaline surges and cortisol spikes. So I'm not sure if what I am about to explain is really that?  I've been experiencing these weird energy surges (like electrical shocks) that happen in my upper body when I'm trying to relax in bed and close my eyes. I'm not asleep yet but just trying to close my eyes and clear my mind when these happen. I've read elsewhere someone describing it like starting off as that butterflies feeling you get in your stomach and then a rush/surge of energy to the brain which gives you a 'jump' and an electric feeling.  These definitely aren't brain zaps as I've experienced those before. This one is more the entire upper body and only during relaxed states. 

 

This keeps me from settling down and actually falling asleep because when it happens it literally feels like electricity. It hangs on for a bit until I find myself alert again then it will fade. Almost like it's saying "oh no you don't! Don't you dare fall asleep!" So it's a vicious cycle of relaxing, getting electrocuted, relaxing, getting electrocuted etc. I'm sure by now lack of sleep makes this worse. So I'm wondering if there are any remedies that may help lesson the severity of these energy surges so that they aren't so disruptive to sleep

I have these symptoms every night when I go to sleep that seem to be completely similar to what you're describing. I've tried to research them and can't seem to find anything. They're scaring me so badly. They happen when I'm initially lying down and trying to fall asleep - when I'm between being awake and asleep. It's like as soon as I'm about to drop off into sleep I get this rush of what I can best describe as anxious energy throughout my upper chest, over my heart and into my arm. A few times I have even felt like my air is being cut off and like my heart has stopped beating and I jump up and gasp for air. They're terrifying and now each night I anticipate them happening, which they always do. If I wake up in the night however (which I do constantly) and try to go back to sleep, they are no longer there and I am able to fall asleep without feeling these awful rushes of warm anxious energy. I'm trying to convince myself this is from withdrawal but I keep thinking that something is wrong with me heart or something else and that I'm going to have a heart attack and die in my sleep. I'm so frightened of them and want them to stop.  

Prozac: 20-40mg from 2006-2019. Zoloft: 2003-2005 off and on. Adderall XR: 20-50mg (abused so took more than prescribed often) 2006-2016. Amphetamine Salts 2006-2016 10-20mg (abused). Ativan: 2009-2010 1mg. Suboxone 16mg sublingual strips 2013-2016. Vyvanse: mg? (abused) 2014-2015. Alprazolam: December 2018- June 2019 1-2mg (abused). Diazepam: June 2019-November 2019 mg? (used to taper me off of Xanax). Lexapro: 2018-September 2020 10-20mg. Mitrazapine 30mg: Nov 2019-May 2020 (tapered off over 3 months) Trintillex: May 2019-December 2019 (mg?). Hormonal birth control 2003-2019.

Lexapro: 11/30/21- 12/2/21 - .5mg; 12/11/21 - 12/12/21 - 2.5mg 

Ativan: 12/11/21 - .5mg; 12/12/21 - .25mg 

supplements (current):

Morning: 400mg L-Theanine, 375mg magnesium.

Night:  450mg Valerian Root, 2.5mg Melatonin

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So Mary Moo

 

I know exactly where you are coming from and this has happened to me so there are two stages to this and trust me it will go away. You might feel it is permanant just like i did.

thats what anxiety does to you. there is nothing wrong with either your brain or heart.

i have been lucky to be in this forum to get all the support i have needed and finally i have found what it all is.

it stems from anxiety

Anxiety has various stages, first it starts with small flutters in the heart and butterflies Then with persistent anxiety it spreads to arms and fingers causing coldness and tingling.

then it goes to head in form of tingles and sensations. Post that it is what you have described above. the surges while trying to sleep.

It is as if your body does not want you to sleep and wakes you up just as you are about to drift. two things do that 1. The surges and the rush in the heart 2. A feeling of falling down caused by something in the head. Both wake you up.

Apparently i spoke to a doctor and the 2nd is due to migrane cause by anxiety.

The first one is just anxiety at its worst.

The thing that really helped me was to start sertraline 50mg. I am still on it but dont take it everyday. Its more alternate day now. I tried to come off it too fast and the 2nd thing started at night with jerks. For this the doc gave me 80mg propanolol and within 3-4 days i was getting proper sleep without head jerking me.

Sertaline helped me get over the 1st symptom. I dont take propanolol and quite cold turkey. it does take a few days to fully have effect. once you start sleeping well the subconcious knows nothing will happen and you  dont think of the feeling.

There is another thing that helped me. There are massagers electric ones on amazon. I now read a book with the massager doing its thing to my legs and feet.

its like something is going on and tricks the body thinking you are not sleeping. these wonderful massagers have a heat function also and switch off after 15min.

reading a book will take your mind complimented with the massager. this will help you drift off to sleep v quickly. its more about getting into the habit. Nothing is wrong with you trust me. it all eventually goes away. 

Hope this helps you and i know where you are coming from and totally understand. Please try the above if things are v bad. 

You can always taper the sertraline.  Take care and hope you feel better and dont feel afraid. 

 

zen81

February: 10 mg citalopram - for anxiety related to sleep ( getting adrenal surges on sleep onset )

March : Mirtazapine 15 mg as citalopram side effects unbearable - Mirtazapine prescribed for sleep. Stopped Citalopram cold turkey

April: Anxiety around sleep still bad put on Sertraline 50 mg - continued with Mirtazapine - 15 mg

June: Anxiety around sleep in good control and able to sleep well most nights. Stopped Mirtazapine 15 mg cold turkey based on Doctors advise

May 31st 2022 started 15 ml mirtazapine for sleep onset anxiety

june 30 2022 started paxil 25 cr stopped mirtazapine

dec 2022 reduced paxil to 12.5 cr based on advise from psych 

currently on paxil 12.5 cr tried to quit cold turkey with really bad symptoms reinstated at 12.5 cr 

 

 

 

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@whatshappening Hi. I read your posts from October that I found when I did a search for the symptoms you are describing.

On 10/7/2020 at 8:57 PM, whatshappening said:

I've been experiencing these weird energy surges (like electrical shocks) that happen in my upper body when I'm trying to relax in bed and close my eyes. I'm not asleep yet but just trying to close my eyes and clear my mind when these happen. I've read elsewhere someone describing it like starting off as that butterflies feeling you get in your stomach and then a rush/surge of energy to the brain which gives you a 'jump' and an electric feeling.  These definitely aren't brain zaps as I've experienced those before. This one is more the entire upper body and only during relaxed states. 

I am dealing with the same as I try to fall asleep. 
Did you find anything that helped with this or any explanation? Or, hopefully, did it resolve?

Nardil 1985-1988
Paxil ?-1998

Effexor150  1998-November 2018 

Bupoprion150 2002-November 2018

Fluoxetine approximately 1/4 mg trial for WD symptoms December 2020. Took for 3 days but  it seemed to compound the dizziness significantly so I had to discontinue the trial. 

 

Current Medications: Levothyroxine, Acyclovir 

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@MaryMoo429 How are you doing with the sensations you describe when falling asleep? I am going through the same thing and can’t help but be frightened. 

Nardil 1985-1988
Paxil ?-1998

Effexor150  1998-November 2018 

Bupoprion150 2002-November 2018

Fluoxetine approximately 1/4 mg trial for WD symptoms December 2020. Took for 3 days but  it seemed to compound the dizziness significantly so I had to discontinue the trial. 

 

Current Medications: Levothyroxine, Acyclovir 

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@Patti2057I am still having them just about every night. Some nights they are very extreme and while other nights they are mild. There seems to be no rhyme or reason as to what intensifies them. Like you, they really freak me out and cause further distress. What eases them for me, however is to try to tell myself that they are just a result of my nervous system being over sensitized and to try my best to allow them to be there and not react to them so intensely. I also fall asleep each night with a television program on low volume and a sleep mask over my eyes to block the light. Something about hearing people talking in the background allows me to feel less alone, safer and more relaxed. For me, these sensations scare me into thinking that my heart is going to stop, or I am going to stop breathing, so anything to promote safety, security and relaxation seems to be key to making them less severe. What do the sensations feel like for you, exactly?   

Prozac: 20-40mg from 2006-2019. Zoloft: 2003-2005 off and on. Adderall XR: 20-50mg (abused so took more than prescribed often) 2006-2016. Amphetamine Salts 2006-2016 10-20mg (abused). Ativan: 2009-2010 1mg. Suboxone 16mg sublingual strips 2013-2016. Vyvanse: mg? (abused) 2014-2015. Alprazolam: December 2018- June 2019 1-2mg (abused). Diazepam: June 2019-November 2019 mg? (used to taper me off of Xanax). Lexapro: 2018-September 2020 10-20mg. Mitrazapine 30mg: Nov 2019-May 2020 (tapered off over 3 months) Trintillex: May 2019-December 2019 (mg?). Hormonal birth control 2003-2019.

Lexapro: 11/30/21- 12/2/21 - .5mg; 12/11/21 - 12/12/21 - 2.5mg 

Ativan: 12/11/21 - .5mg; 12/12/21 - .25mg 

supplements (current):

Morning: 400mg L-Theanine, 375mg magnesium.

Night:  450mg Valerian Root, 2.5mg Melatonin

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@zen81Thank for your recommendations here. I'm still experiencing these sensations but am trying my best to accept them rather than let them freak me out even further. I have been trying to remind myself each night that these are normal responses for a sensitized nervous system and to assure myself that I am safe and that they wont kill me. I'm hoping that by not feeding into these, my anxiety will lessen and the symptoms themselves wont be as severe...As far as the Sertraline goes I'm just so hesitant to go back on SSRI's as I feel so damaged from them and really don't want to go on a new med or reinstate at this time. I feel like I've passed this time frame being off of meds now for 5 months but I honestly don't really know. The massager and reading a book is something that I am interested in checking out, however. Let me know if you have any other tricks for dealing with this terrifying symptom as I'm open to most.  

Prozac: 20-40mg from 2006-2019. Zoloft: 2003-2005 off and on. Adderall XR: 20-50mg (abused so took more than prescribed often) 2006-2016. Amphetamine Salts 2006-2016 10-20mg (abused). Ativan: 2009-2010 1mg. Suboxone 16mg sublingual strips 2013-2016. Vyvanse: mg? (abused) 2014-2015. Alprazolam: December 2018- June 2019 1-2mg (abused). Diazepam: June 2019-November 2019 mg? (used to taper me off of Xanax). Lexapro: 2018-September 2020 10-20mg. Mitrazapine 30mg: Nov 2019-May 2020 (tapered off over 3 months) Trintillex: May 2019-December 2019 (mg?). Hormonal birth control 2003-2019.

Lexapro: 11/30/21- 12/2/21 - .5mg; 12/11/21 - 12/12/21 - 2.5mg 

Ativan: 12/11/21 - .5mg; 12/12/21 - .25mg 

supplements (current):

Morning: 400mg L-Theanine, 375mg magnesium.

Night:  450mg Valerian Root, 2.5mg Melatonin

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Thanks for answering and I’m so sorry that you are going through this. For me, as I drift off to sleep, within a couple of seconds I am jolted awake by the turbulence of fear in my stomach, electric like zaps in my legs, a vague wooziness in my head and a heaviness on my chest. Then it takes me awhile to calm back down with self talk and slow breathing in order to fall back asleep.  But it can happen again during the night. 

Nardil 1985-1988
Paxil ?-1998

Effexor150  1998-November 2018 

Bupoprion150 2002-November 2018

Fluoxetine approximately 1/4 mg trial for WD symptoms December 2020. Took for 3 days but  it seemed to compound the dizziness significantly so I had to discontinue the trial. 

 

Current Medications: Levothyroxine, Acyclovir 

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