wantrelief

[Rabe]

  You are moving in the right direction WR...even if you miss a cut at times.  Better to do that then really upend things.  Take care!!!💜

[wantrelief]

Thanks, @Rabe.  As always, I really appreciate your kindness and support.  I am sorry you are going through such a rough time.  It will get better, for both of us. 

[neroli]

Hello Wantrelief

 

Yes, you are right, you are making progress in the downwards direction and 10 out of 10 for holding at times when you really want to get off as soon as possible.  I learn from others and I will bear you in mind when I am getting frustrated at the length time it will take to taper.  There really isn't a fast fix in this situation.

 

Today has been better - less fatigue and anxiety.  Almost "normal" (I think I'm referring to a new "normal", cos it sure isn't like the old "normal" I used to know).  I will see how the rest of the week goes and then make a choice as to whether I take another 2.5mg off next week, or play it safe.  It''s all part of learning how my body responds and what is too much of a push for it, or whether I can endure a day of worsened symptoms if I know that the days after will improve.

 

Anyway, thanks for being a support, I really appreciate it.  

 

Out of interest, I tired magnesium a couple of times and seemed to get more wired on it.  It's a natural marine elemental magnesium with no oxide (I don't know if that is good or bad).  You are taking mag glycerinate - what benefits do you get from it?  What dose do you take?

 

Fish oil I'm getting from  eating as many sardines as I can take in a week - capsules didn't seem to do anything.

 

wishing you all the best

 

Neroli 💜

[wantrelief]

Hi @neroli - Yes, unfortunately, there isn't a fast fix in this situation.  It is really hard to realize this when something is harming rather than helping, but, alas it is true.  I am so happy to hear you felt better yesterday - it sounds like this is a good sign you are stabilizing from your recent cut.  I am still trying to figure out this whole tapering thing too so understand how you feel.  It is a different situation for us since we are having symptoms whilst tapering and have to figure out how to balance a taper with the symptoms.

 

Regarding the magnesium I take - I am taking a total of 400 mg spread throughout the day/evening.  It is supposed to be helpful for anxiety.....I am not sure if it is helping me or not in this regard but I seem to be tolerating it fine so continue to take it. Magnesium glycinate is supposed to be easier on the stomach than other forms so that is why I chose that one to try. I don't know if it would be worth your trying a different type since you felt like it made you more wired in the past.....that would definitely not be a desired reaction!

 

Thank you for all of your support, Neroli.  💗

 

[Rosetta]

Hi, Wantrelief,

I really appreciate your kindness these past few days.  It has helped me so much to have t he support of my friends here.  Thank you. -R

[wantrelief]

35 minutes ago, Rosetta said:

I really appreciate your kindness these past few days.  It has helped me so much to have t he support of my friends here.

Thank you for your sweet message, @Rosetta. I am so appreciative of your support and kindness...I couldn't do this without my friends here either.  I hope you are doing ok - I am thinking about you. 

[Rabe]

You are right want relief...such a challenge as to how to move forward when feeling so unwell most of the time.  Heres to all of us finding our way!💜

[Carmie]

Hi wantrelief, 

 

Ive just been trying to read over some of your thread again but I’m so braindead. If I didn’t get this right please correct me. Are you going down by 2.5% every fortnight? I’m gathering you have a little hold after that? Have you ever tried going down by 1.25% a week and seeing if that works better?

 

When I taper again I’ll be going down by 5% too as I can’t tolerate 10% either. I will be trying 1.25% a week for a month n then have a two week hold. I’ll probably tweak things here n there as I go along. 

 

Wishing you all all the best in your continued tapering. I’m so sorry you’re in tolerance.

 

Sending hugs🤗

 

 

[wantrelief]

Hi @Carmie,

 

Yes, I am decreasing when I can by 2.5% every two weeks so aiming for a total of 5% a month.  I then hold for 3 weeks.  I may change my mind and do the weekly cuts but wasn't sure if my brain could handle a cut every week, even a small one, and also it seemed a bit of a pain to figure out a new dose every week.  I am still working out my taper though so may try this in the future.

 

I hope you are doing ok and wish you all the best when you restart your taper.  You've already done such an amazing job of getting so low on Seroquel!

 

 

[wantrelief]

1 hour ago, Rabe said:

You are right want relief...such a challenge as to how to move forward when feeling so unwell most of the time.  Heres to all of us finding our way!💜

It sure is a challenge.....so scary!  I hope you are feeling a bit better, Rabe.  We will all find our way through this together.

[Hibari]

Hi WR,

 

I saw in your thread that you have had headaches during your taper.  

 

I too have had headaches and lately more as I get lower.  

 

Have you taken anything for them?  Sometimes I use Alka Seltzer Gold for my nausea and head pressure (got that from Julia Ross's book, The Mood Cure)  but it doesn't have aspirin.  

 

Was curious if you found something that worked. Like most people here I am hesitant to take anything due to sensitivity but also dont want ro suffer unnecessarily.  

[wantrelief]

Hi @Hibari - I am really sorry you've been getting headaches.  I get a lot of headaches associated with my hormonal cycle (always have).  I have also gotten headaches with reducing ADs in the past and maybe presently.  I have a prescription medication (Maxalt) for the hormonal headaches but for other ones I try not to take anything if I can.  If the pain becomes too intense, I will take Ibuprofen. 

[Hibari]

Ok.  Thanks so much. 

[wantrelief]

Hello SA friends,

 

I made my 2nd drop of the month last night of 2.5%; I am now at 17.84 mg of citalopram.  I will hold here until December.  I have had days where my symptoms worsen but then make it back to my baseline. I am curious how holding goes.  It would be wonderful to have a better baseline but I am grateful to not have anything worsen significantly.  I am also so grateful, as always, to have the support here as I go through this difficult time/journey. 

[Altostrata]

Hello, wantrelief.

 

How do your symptoms worsen? Does this happen right after a decrease? How long does this last?

[wantrelief]

2 minutes ago, Altostrata said:

How do your symptoms worsen? Does this happen right after a decrease? How long does this last?

Hello Alto,

 

Thanks for stopping by!  When I say my symptoms worsen, I mean I might have more anxiety on a particular day or feel more teary.  I think it only happened one time a day or so after a decrease but otherwise not. The worsening is short lived (like a day or two). I think more than anything I've noticed my symptoms are worse in relation to my cycle.  Unfortunately I am peri-menopausal and my cycle has been a bit irregular so it is difficult to plan decreases around it.  

 

[Altostrata]

Could be a wave or could be hormones. See The Windows and Waves Pattern of Stabilization

 

Daily notes may reveal a symptom pattern. Otherwise, your taper is going well?

 

Many people do better with fish oil and magnesium supplements, see

http://survivingantidepressants.org/index.php?/topic/36-king-of-supplements-omega-3-fatty-acids-fish-oil/
http://survivingantidepressants.org/topic/15483-magnesium-natures-calcium-channel-blocker/

 

A lot of people find them helpful. Try a little bit of one at a time to see how it affects you.

[wantrelief]

Thanks @Altostrata.  Yes, it is always so hard to know if it is a wave or hormones!  The taper does seem to be going well so far, thankfully.  I do take cod liver oil as well as magnesium throughout the day.

[Rabe]

SO grateful to hear things are going so well!  Does it seem the lower you go the less symptoms or is it just a more structured taper?  

In any case to have it going as smooth as it is is heartening for you and for all of us.   Thank you for sharing! Take care!💜

[wantrelief]

11 minutes ago, Rabe said:

SO grateful to hear things are going so well!  Does it seem the lower you go the less symptoms or is it just a more structured taper?  

In any case to have it going as smooth as it is is heartening for you and for all of us.   Thank you for sharing! Take care!💜

Thank you for your kind message, Rabe.  Unfortunately, no.....I have not experienced fewer symptoms since I started tapering.  I do so hope they lessen at some point along the way but so far they have stayed the same.  As much as I would like a better baseline, I am grateful that the taper doesn't seem to have greatly impacted the symptoms I have.  I am still on a large dose of citalopram so do have quite a bit of fear as to what the future may bring as I get lower....but trying not to think that way as I recognize it isn't a helpful mindset. I hope you are doing ok, Rabe, and have had some improvements.

[Rabe]

Im sorry I misunderstood your post...guess it was hope springing forth.  But to have tapered 7mg since Feb and have symptoms pretty much same I think it also amazing though I know that's easy for me to say.  You are so strong and determined and I am here cheering for you!  Take care!!💜  

[wantrelief]

Thank you for your sweet message of encouragement, @Rabe.  I am cheering for you too!  

[neroli]

💜Cheers from me, too.  You've done so well, Wantrelief.  It's not easy by any means and to have kept going is tremendous.  I hope your reduction continues to be smooth-ish (ie not rattling you too much, though your baseline as you say is lower than you'd like it to be).  

 

Neroli 

[wantrelief]

Thank you so much for the encouragement and for your sweet message, @neroli. What you said is so true -  it really isn't easy to keep going. Every time I make a cut, I fear what may come......that is why I appreciate the support so very much from you and others in this journey.  It really helps to have friends who understand how difficult this all is. 💗

[Gridley]

You're doing great, WR.  Slow and steady.

[wantrelief]

Thank you so much, @Gridley - I really appreciate your support!

[Hibari]

I totally understand the fear around the drops.  I had that with both my Remeron and Lamictal taper.  

 

It seems like you know or are  getting to know your pattern.  I found that really helpful when I would get scared because I would remind myself that it had happed the same way the month before and the month before that.  

 

You are doing really well.  As BrassMonkey once said to me, wd normal is not without anxiety because its medication induced. 

 

Combined with our own anxiety, it can be intense.  

 

You will make it through.  

 

[wantrelief]

Thank you for your kind and supportive message, @Hibari.  I really appreciate it, especially as I know you are going through such a rough time at the moment.  I like how you said "you will make it through"....you will too!

[neroli]

Hello Wantrelief

 

Hoping things are ok for you.  Think I've realised my 5mg cut in two weeks from Nortriptyline is bringing the withdrawal results now - first 2.5mg cut nearly 3 weeks ago, then 2.5mg the following week - getting more anxiety, felt a bit flu-ish today.  So, like you, I am going to have to get to know my own pattern.  Which is probably go slower - which makes it a long, long taper. I'd hoped it could be faster (although I knew it wouldn't be super-fast). Sigh.

 

So good to have people like you around to share and support where we can. 

 

By the way, what is r/t stress?

 

Neroli  💜

[wantrelief]

Hi @neroli - I am sorry to hear you are experiencing an increase in symptoms since your last cut.  I hope these symptoms pass soon and you get back to your baseline. I am still trying to figure out what works best too and think it may be a continuous adjustment.  

 

8 hours ago, neroli said:

By the way, what is r/t stress?

 

When I wrote r/t, I meant related to....so something stressful would happen and I would end up feeling like I was in full withdrawal mode, always derailing my tapers because I would panic and then increase my dose.  Ugh.

 

8 hours ago, neroli said:

So good to have people like you around to share and support where we can.

 

I feel the same way, Neroli!  💗

 

[Rabe]

If we could take stress out of the equation somehow that would be quite wonderful, wouldn't it?  Thinking about you WR!  You are a true trooper!!!  💜

[wantrelief]

11 minutes ago, Rabe said:

If we could take stress out of the equation somehow that would be quite wonderful, wouldn't it?  Thinking about you WR!  You are a true trooper!!!  💜

 

Yes, it would be wonderful if we could take stress out of the equation!  Thank you for your kind words. You and everyone on here are true troopers! 

[neroli]

16 hours ago, wantrelief said:

so something stressful would happen and I would end up feeling like I was in full withdrawal mode, always derailing my tapers because I would panic and then increase my dose.  Ugh.

Exactly, wantrelief.  The reductions cause increased symptoms, then I have a strenuous week at work and experience anxiety and near-on panic, insomnia etc. and I go back up again.  I just cannot bear life to get even more restricted.

 

However, I am very proud of myself because yesterday I upgraded my operating system on my laptop and when it had finished installing I was faced with a screensaver asking me to put in a password - I couldn't even remember having one in the first place.  So I had to get my mobile phone and find the contact number for technical support (ever tried to find a phone number to talk to an actual person?) but I eventually got through and followed the technician's instructions and got back into my computer.  I'm proud because I kept my stress under control and told myself repeatedly not to get hot under the collar about it, just take it step by step.  thank goodness the solution was fairly painless - I'd be lost without this little laptop, it provides me with communication, Netflix to help me calm down at night and meditation talks (Jack Kornfield) to listen to when I wake in the early hours and try to doze again.

 

I'm going to updose the Nortriptyline by 2.5mg, hope it helps with the insomnia and anxiety.  When I've, hopefully, reached baseline I'm gong to stay on the same doses for a while - it's been a heck of a year trying reduction, then going back up again and it doesn't help the depressive feelings.  Hoping I can "stabilise" and feel reasonable, then maybe try much smaller cuts.

 

All the best with your trials and learning...

 

Neroli 💜

 

 

[Rosetta]

Thinking of you, Wantrelief.

[Rabe]

Just checking in to say 'hi' and that I am thinking about you WR!!💜

[wantrelief]

Thank you for stopping by to say hi, @Rabe.  I am thinking about you too!