Alan1234: desperately seeking help

[Alan1234]

Hi 

im taking 1.75mg of Mirtazapine since approx March of this year after delayed horrific withdrawal symptoms from Venlafaxine (too fast taper) which I had been on for 6yrs and paroxetine for 9yrs before that. 
 

in June I was taken into hospital with heart problems because of starting to experience VT. in hospital they wouldn’t give me the Mirtazapine as they said it wasn’t a therapeutic dose (3.75mg) so I had to reinstate it 5 days later when I was discharged at 1.75mg. After about 2wks on this dose I didn’t fully stabilise but I did improve a little. Since this time I’m having a nightmare again with insomnia, anxiety, fatigue, loss of memory, Akathisia, brain fog feeling drunk to the point I was pulled into the office in work and asked if I was drunk. 
 

I have just reduced it again to 1.5mg as I have been on 1.75mg for 10wks. 
I was just wondering if I can stay on 1.5mg for the next 10wks before tapering further or if I can even just stop the medication. My system hasn’t stabilised since originally coming off the Venlafaxine in June 2020 my life has been a living hell. I think my only options are to commit to either to give in to the psychiatrists and take a new drug and what they call a therapeutic dose or stop this little dose I’m on because atm I’m caught in living hell and don’t know how much longer I can continue on with my life like this. I never have a window of more than a day and probably a stretch to say one lasts a day. I might get a few hours 2/3 times a week at best if one 

[getofflex]

Previous post moved to your intro topic to keep your history all in one place.  Please post questions and discussion about your situation in this one thread, to avoid confusion and duplication of efforts.  Thank you.  

 

13 hours ago, Alan1234 said:

I have just reduced it again to 1.5mg as I have been on 1.75mg for 10wks. 

Being as how you were still having a lot of WD symptoms, It would have been better if you had stayed at the 1.75 mg.  We at SA use a harm reduction approach, and that entails listening to our bodies, and not a calendar, to determine when is the best time to reduce a dose for a taper.  I would suggest you go back up to 1.75 mg and stay there for a while.  Please do not jump off the medication at this point.  These drugs are very powerful at even very low doses.  Whoever told you it was not a therapeutic dose in the hospital and took you off of it was misinformed.  That was proven by the symptoms you have had since this happened. See this link for information about that.  Pay special attention to the chart, and see how many receptors in your brain are still down regulated from even a very low dose.

 

SERT Transporter Occupancy Studies

 

13 hours ago, Alan1234 said:

I think my only options are to commit to either to give in to the psychiatrists and take a new drug and what they call a therapeutic dose or stop this little dose I’m on because atm I’m caught in living hell and don’t know how much longer I can continue on with my life like this.

You have other options.  One is to see how you feel when you go back up to 1.75 mg, and possibly do an updose after that to help decrease your symptoms, which is what I would suggest.  I would stay on the 1.75 mg for at least a couple of months or longer.  It can take many months for the nervous system to stabilize after a shock like that.   Please keep us posted. 

Edited September 4, 2021 by getofflex

[Rosetta]

I’m sorry you are feeling so bad.  What I think is happening is that you are having a stronger wave right now.  When that happens we get panicky and think of trying something, anything, different. That is human nature, but with this syndrome it is counterproductive.  From personal experience I can tell you that additional drugs will make the situation worse.  With both Xanax and Trazodone, the severity of my symptoms worsened.  It scares me to think what your boss would think if you had an adverse reaction to a new drug.

 

Rosetta

[getofflex]

@Alan1234one of our other staff just wrote this brilliant post.  Please read the first paragraph, it sums it up quite well.  

 

https://www.survivingantidepressants.org/topic/21457-erell-struggling-with-paroxetine/?do=findComment&comment=549199

[Rosetta]

Hi Alan, just checking in.  I hope your day is going well. -Rosetta

[Alan1234]

2 hours ago, Rosetta said:

Hi Alan, just checking in.  I hope your day is going well. -Rosetta

Hi Rosetta 

thank you for your message it means a lot. I’m afraid I’m probably in my longest worst wave since March. 
 

I’m suffered horrific fatigue I can’t barely hold a conversation and keep getting my words mixed up at times and don’t realise until people tell me.

I’m having awful headaches which i have never suffered headaches before and my neck is really stiff and the my glands are up. 
I have a butterfly rash on my face and my lips are full of cold sores. I sent the pics of my face to my GP. Perhaps I’m just really run down and it’s a bug. A couple of days ago out of the blue my whole body suddenly starting shivering uncontrollably and I felt so cold but I had a high temp and fast heart rate for about 12hrs. The symptoms are the most bizarre and i can’t imagine how long I can manage to deal with them. My mother fell last night and triple fracture dislocated her wrist and has to have surgery in two days.

 

Mentally she is in such a better place than me and I feel so exhausted and Ill that I feel guilty feeling so disabled like this. I literally can’t believe what I’ve become. I’m not suicidal but really feel ashamed how I’m of no use to anybody and when I try to explain people just say I’m crazy. 

my daughter and my ex wife moved house I went down to try and put my daughters furniture together in her new house for her. I couldn’t even manage that I feel such a failure and no one can understand what is wrong with me. 
 

Hopefully this is just a bug on top of withdrawal. I only wish God will help me get better, I feel so selfish and want to be their for my daughter but I’m barely surviving.

 

Rosetta God bless for your messages. I am so sorry for offloading all this doom and gloom in you. I have to  try and hide how I am and wear a mask with everyone else. 
 

thank you for taking your precious time to message me 

[getofflex]

37 minutes ago, Alan1234 said:

I feel so exhausted and Ill that I feel guilty feeling so disabled like this. I literally can’t believe what I’ve become. I’m not suicidal but really feel ashamed how I’m of no use to anybody and when I try to explain people just say I’m crazy. 

Please try not to feel guilty and ashamed.  This illness that we have is just as valid and legitimate an illness as cancer or heart disease.  What makes it so difficult is that so many people discount and invalidate this condition.  It is primarily a condition of the nervous system, so it is easy for people to dismiss it, because it can't be seen with the eyes.  However, it is just as real, and can be very debilitating.  Alan, my heart goes out to you.  I can see you are in so much pain and suffering. I find your drug sig confusing.  Have you changed your meds recently?  Did you cold turkey off mirtrazapine in June and then reinstate it to 1.5 mg? It would help if you listed each med and the history of that med in a separate section of your sig, in a list format, so we could see what is going on better.  

[Alan1234]

39 minutes ago, getofflex said:

Please try not to feel guilty and ashamed.  This illness that we have is just as valid and legitimate an illness as cancer or heart disease.  What makes it so difficult is that so many people discount and invalidate this condition.  It is primarily a condition of the nervous system, so it is easy for people to dismiss it, because it can't be seen with the eyes.  However, it is just as real, and can be very debilitating.  Alan, my heart goes out to you.  I can see you are in so much pain and suffering. I find your drug sig confusing.  Have you changed your meds recently?  Did you cold turkey off mirtrazapine in June and then reinstate it to 1.5 mg? It would help if you listed each med and the history of that med in a separate section of your sig, in a list format, so we could see what is going on better.  

I was taken into hospital with VT with my heart for a week. They wouldn’t give me the mitazepine in there because they said it wasn’t a therapeutic dose. So I had to miss it while I was in hospital as I wasn’t allowed visitors because of Covid. I started it again 1.75mg when I was discharged. 
 

im sorry I’m not very good on technology. I’ve tried it update my signature and it always says it’s too many lines so I have to edit and delete lots of it 

[getofflex]

In that case just list the drug History for the past 12 months or so.

[Rosetta]

(((Alan)))

 

It is okay to be sick.  You should not be expected to be there for everyone else all the time.  There should be give and take.  At least you tried to help your daughter with her furniture.  I’m glad you did that.  
 

I hope your mom will be ok.  Bad timing!  
 

I’m very happy you are not feeling suicidal.  That’s improvement.  It’s going to get better.  
 

You probably caught a virus.  That seems to be over.  
 

Hold on.  You will keep healing!

 

-R

[Anya324]

On 9/15/2021 at 5:15 PM, Alan1234 said:

im sorry I’m not very good on technology. I’ve tried it update my signature and it always says it’s too many lines so I have to edit and delete lots of it 

Me tooo!!! And I see others on here with signatures a mile long 🤨

[Alan1234]

3 hours ago, Anya324 said:

Me tooo!!! And I see others on here with signatures a mile long 🤨

Ha ha at least it’s not just me but I was thinking exactly the same thing 🤷🏻

[Alan1234]

On 9/17/2021 at 12:26 PM, Rosetta said:

(((Alan)))

 

It is okay to be sick.  You should not be expected to be there for everyone else all the time.  There should be give and take.  At least you tried to help your daughter with her furniture.  I’m glad you did that.  
 

I hope your mom will be ok.  Bad timing!  
 

I’m very happy you are not feeling suicidal.  That’s improvement.  It’s going to get better.  
 

You probably caught a virus.  That seems to be over.  
 

Hold on.  You will keep healing!

 

-R

Hi Rosetta 

I’m falling off a cliff, my bladder issues are at an all time worse and I’ve had a few Incontinence problems so I’m having to wear a bag. I’m getting a numb tingling hand and both my legs are tingling all down the back and making me unsteady on my feet and the fatigue is awful. I am feeling suicidal and can’t cope. I am now waiting for scans to look for MS as the Doctors think that is the most likely cause of all my symptoms. 
 

I know this forum doesn’t advocate anti depressants and I would certainly warn anyone not to take them but I can’t cope with my life like this anymore the physical problems are causing all my physiological and emotional problems. I literally can’t go on anymore. I don’t trust the doctors and I have nowhere else I can turn to. My mother had Parkinson’s and had fell and had dislocated her wrist and is having an operation and I’m not physically upto looking after her and I can’t even work now again to be able to support us. I think my only hope is to go on a new anti depressant and try and stabilise my nervous system for a period of time. The Doctors want me to try Vortioxetine can you please let me know if any experienced moderators can give me their opinion here even if it’s privately. 

[getofflex]

20 hours ago, Alan1234 said:

The Doctors want me to try Vortioxetine can you please let me know if any experienced moderators can give me their opinion here even if it’s privately. 

This is a forum for getting off drugs, not going on drugs.  You will need to discuss this with your doctor.  You could research this yourself on google. 

[Anya324]

21 hours ago, Alan1234 said:

The Doctors want me to try Vortioxetine

When I’m curious about a drug, the first thing I do is type it into the search bar on here and see what comes up. If I see anything about withdrawals or tapering I know to run for the hills.
 

[[Recently a neurologist wanted to put my 10yo daughter on  Nortriptyline for migraines. it took me less than 15 seconds to say no. I told her my story and she said “they’re not like SSRI’s. Not as potent. But I immediately saw threads of people having to taper and being in WD. That tells me that the Doctor doesn’t completely know about the drug she’s prescribing (to a CHILD).]]
 

Adding in anything during wd is a dangerous game. Doctors are famous for “switching” and “bridging” and will try to convince you it will

make you better but they don’t know that. They don’t understand the drugs enough to know. That’s what I’ve found anyway.  And what I continue seeing here over and again (read signatures) it is makes people worse over time. The more you take, the longer you take, the more overlap…it just makes it harder in the long run. 
 

getofflex is right, do your own research. Educate yourself thoroughly about the drug. Research it here. Make a personal and well-informed decision. 

Best of luck! 

[Rosetta]

Alan,

I want to provide support so you can get through this wave to the other side.  Thank you, @Anya324 for that post.  Very thoughtful.  
 

You have so much on your plate right now!  Your mom having problems must be very stressful.  

 

Alan, you are having a wave, and it’s not permanent.  Your symptoms will lessen in severity.  I would be very, very surprised if you have MS.  I’m pretty sure there are tests for that, and the doctors will discover that you do not have it.  I had similar numbness and pain, and no doctor could diagnose it either.  The symptoms were caused by misdirected signals, phantom signals, due to withdrawal.  I suspect it is the same for you.  My bladder problems were rather mild and not as bad as yours.  This syndrome affects each person differently, but the overall dysfunction is the same — random, bizarre, and often incompatible with normal life.

 

My experience has been that adding a new drug exacerbates the symptoms, sometimes by a lot, rather than helping.  V is never recommended as a possible reinstatement drug on SA.  Never.  If Alto recommends a reinstatement, she never recommends that one.  That is reason enough to say no.  

Feeling suicidal while I’m withdrawal is unfortunately common, but it always passes. Every time.  Please wait and see.  Once it passes, the re-evaluate how you feel about taking V.  Meanwhile, please call a hotline. Ok?

[Rosetta]

Hi, Alan, I hope you are doing all right.  Have there been any hours that were easier?

[Alan1234]

11 hours ago, Rosetta said:

Hi, Alan, I hope you are doing all right.  Have there been any hours that were easier?

Hi Rosetta 

yes there’s been the odd hour here and there. Thank you

[Rosetta]

That’s good!  If you can recognize that it means you are improving.  The back and forth is very difficult emotionally.  Falling back or feeling worse when you don’t feel good in the first place is demoralizing.  Once you start to see that you have ups and downs and that things will always go up again, you can persevere.  Slowly, the good times will increase in length and frequency even while you are holding on the dose.

 

I’m thinking of you and hoping you have a better day tomorrow.

 

Rosetta

[Alan1234]

On 9/25/2021 at 4:24 PM, Rosetta said:

That’s good!  If you can recognize that it means you are improving.  The back and forth is very difficult emotionally.  Falling back or feeling worse when you don’t feel good in the first place is demoralizing.  Once you start to see that you have ups and downs and that things will always go up again, you can persevere.  Slowly, the good times will increase in length and frequency even while you are holding on the dose.

 

I’m thinking of you and hoping you have a better day tomorrow.

 

Rosetta

I’m having a really bad day again and now anxiety has dropped a little I just have headaches and feel tearful and depressed. I wish I wasn’t like this and could just be happy especially for any people I come into contact with. I haven’t taken any of the Vortioxetine. I will see how I am over the next couple of weeks. I don’t want to take it but after so many years on these drugs I’m just not sure that they haven’t destroyed and damaged me to the extent I can never manage without them. It’s 17mths since I came off Venlafaxine when I last felt stable and happy and healthy 

[Rosetta]

I know, and 17 months is a very long time.  I lived through very similar 17 months.  You will have doubts.  I hope you find a way to believe me that taking V could, and very likely will, mean that you live those 17 months over.  If you try it, you will want to take a tiny dose so that any adverse reaction is slight.  However, you would be much better off trying a safer option — maybe you take magnesium or fish oil?  I don’t remember.  

 

It is truly absurd how long it takes to recover from quitting ADs too abruptly.  I will always regret it, but I regret more taking two other drugs that were prescribed to me after ADs because they exacerbated my condition immensely.  
 

V is a particularly risky option.  I can’t tell you which one would be safer, but maybe a mod could.  For reinstatement, if you decide to do that, the mods recommend a very different one, at times, if they recommend one.  Please, please don’t take V.  That really worries me.

 

I was told that I would see a lot of improvement in the third year, and that came to be true. You are about 7 months away.  I’m not saying that on the day of your two year anniversary an immediate change will happen.  It’s always slight and gradual, but there will be days when you suddenly feel normal for a few hours.  After that it will be easier to believe you are healing.  Maybe you have those moments now sometimes.

 

Are you taking walks.  It was often during or after a walk that I feel somewhat normal.  Hang in there.

 

Rosetta

[Alan1234]

5 hours ago, Rosetta said:

I know, and 17 months is a very long time.  I lived through very similar 17 months.  You will have doubts.  I hope you find a way to believe me that taking V could, and very likely will, mean that you live those 17 months over.  If you try it, you will want to take a tiny dose so that any adverse reaction is slight.  However, you would be much better off trying a safer option — maybe you take magnesium or fish oil?  I don’t remember.  

 

It is truly absurd how long it takes to recover from quitting ADs too abruptly.  I will always regret it, but I regret more taking two other drugs that were prescribed to me after ADs because they exacerbated my condition immensely.  
 

V is a particularly risky option.  I can’t tell you which one would be safer, but maybe a mod could.  For reinstatement, if you decide to do that, the mods recommend a very different one, at times, if they recommend one.  Please, please don’t take V.  That really worries me.

 

I was told that I would see a lot of improvement in the third year, and that came to be true. You are about 7 months away.  I’m not saying that on the day of your two year anniversary an immediate change will happen.  It’s always slight and gradual, but there will be days when you suddenly feel normal for a few hours.  After that it will be easier to believe you are healing.  Maybe you have those moments now sometimes.

 

Are you taking walks.  It was often during or after a walk that I feel somewhat normal.  Hang in there.

 

Rosetta

Yes I’m currently taking both magnesium which helps me get some sleep and fish oil in the morning time. 
I’m trying to keep the faith. Other than the improvement in Akathisia and anxiety not as bad I don’t feel like I’ve made much progress. I’m still very mentally fragile. Physically I think I’ve had all the symptoms I can have then something new and odd pops up. My face keeps coming out in a rash every 3/4wks and just recently as soon as I go to bed I get a few hours of intense full body itching. 
 

ill persevere but if things don’t start to show signs of improvement over the next few months I will have to ask the moderators what I could potentially take. My waves are so dark I genuinely fear that I might not be strong enough to make it through. 
 

thanks for your kind support 

[getofflex]

8 hours ago, Alan1234 said:

I haven’t taken any of the Vortioxetine. I will see how I am over the next couple of weeks. I don’t want to take it but after so many years on these drugs I’m just not sure that they haven’t destroyed and damaged me to the extent I can never manage without them

@Alan1234when we feel really bad due to WD, this is what our anxious and depressed thoughts tell us.  You've been on and off quite a few drugs in the past several years.  I personally seriously doubt that jumping onto yet another psych drug is going to help your situation.  It will just keep you on the drug merry go round.  I'm very sorry you are in this situation.  

 

1 hour ago, Alan1234 said:

if things don’t start to show signs of improvement over the next few months I will have to ask the moderators what I could potentially take

 

By "potentially take", do you mean a medication? We at SA never suggest going on a psych med to try to deal with withdrawal.  That is like robbing Peter to pay Paul, in my personal opinion.  

 

I'm having a hard time figuring out your mirtazapine history from your drug sig.  It would help a lot if you made a separate section just for the mirtazapine, as well as a small section for each of your other drugs over the past 2 years or so, with the dates and dose amount of each dose change.  Now they are all run together with various drugs and it's hard to tell what is what.  Please put spaces or periods between each block of info, instead of running them together, thank you.

[Alan1234]

11 hours ago, getofflex said:

@Alan1234when we feel really bad due to WD, this is what our anxious and depressed thoughts tell us.  You've been on and off quite a few drugs in the past several years.  I personally seriously doubt that jumping onto yet another psych drug is going to help your situation.  It will just keep you on the drug merry go round.  I'm very sorry you are in this situation.  

 

 

By "potentially take", do you mean a medication? We at SA never suggest going on a psych med to try to deal with withdrawal.  That is like robbing Peter to pay Paul, in my personal opinion.  

 

I'm having a hard time figuring out your mirtazapine history from your drug sig.  It would help a lot if you made a separate section just for the mirtazapine, as well as a small section for each of your other drugs over the past 2 years or so, with the dates and dose amount of each dose change.  Now they are all run together with various drugs and it's hard to tell what is what.  Please put spaces or periods between each block of info, instead of running them together, thank you.

Hi @getofflex

thank you for the reply

yes I mean take a medication to try and stabilise. I was really down yesterday and now the anxiety is raging again today and my heart is racing as it does with occasional VT episodes. 
 

yes I’ve tried to write my drug history on a number of occasions but I have to write it so condensed as when I come to change the signature it says it’s too many lines. Not sure what I can do here otherwise it will miss the bigger picture of my drug history.

thank you 

[ChessieCat]

Hi Alan,

 

(If you wish to keep the current drug signature, be sure to copy it before changing it because it gets overwritten.)

 

The idea of the drug signature is to enable us to see your drug history at a glance.  It is a summary, with details for the last 2 years.  If possible it is better to have all the dates and doses information for one drug in one line, eg:

 

drug:  date, dose; date, dose

drug:  date, dose; date, dose;

 

This means that you do not repeat the drug name and therefore take up extra space.

 

You can make a summary for the drug signature and include a link to a post which contains your comprehensive drug history.  You create a post and post it then click on the elipsis (...) top right of post and click on the share icon.  Then copy the URL which you can then paste in your drug signature so that we can easily find it if we need more information.

 

See:  how-to-summarize-your-drug-history-in-your-signature

 

[Rosetta]

Alan, you can link to this, and hopefully, you can cut and paste it into your signature.  Let us know if you need help figuring out how to do this.  If it’s too long, you can cut out the beginning to the 75 mg of Venlafaxine and start with Venlafaxine/ Effexor 37,5 mg 2018-2019.

Alan’s signature:

 

Paroxetine/Paxil: 20 mg 1996-99, CT, 20 mg 2003-2014, CT; Venlafaxine/Effexor: 150 mg 2014-2016, 75 mg 2016-2018, 37,5 mg 2018-2019,18,5 mg 2019-May 2020, CT (withdrawal problems begin); Tried Sertraline/Zoloft, Prozac, buspirone/Buspar: May-Aug 2020; Mirtazapine: 15 mg Aug-Nov 2020, 30 mg Nov-Dec 2020, 15 mg Jan 2020 to 23 Mar 2021, CT; Trazodone: 150 mg Mar 2021 (one week); Paroxetine: 10 mg, 23-29 Mar 2021; Mirtazapine: 3.75 mg, 29 Mar to 13 Jun 2021, forced CT in hospital; Zopiclone: 7.5 mg, 13 June 2020 (4 nights); Bisopropol fumarate (beta blocker): 1.75 mg, 16 June to 30 July 2021; Mirtazapine/Remeron: 1.75 mg, 16 June to 31 Aug 2021, 1.5 mg, 1 Sept 2021-present; Solifenacin succinate (colinergic receptor agonist): 10mg, 16 Aug 2021-present

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Edited September 29, 2021 by Rosetta

[Alan1234]

56 minutes ago, Rosetta said:

Alan, you can link to this, and hopefully, you can cut and paste it into your signature.  Let us know if you need help figuring out how to do this.  If it’s too long, you can cut out the beginning to the 75 mg of Venlafaxine and start with Venlafaxine/ Effexor 37,5 mg 2018-2019.

Alan’s signature:

 

Paroxetine/Paxil: 20 mg 1996-99, CT, 20 mg 2003-2014, CT; Venlafaxine/Effexor: 150 mg 2014-2016, 75 mg 2016-2018, 37,5 mg 2018-2019,18,5 mg 2019-May 2020, CT (withdrawal problems begin); Tried Sertraline/Zoloft, Prozac, buspirone/Buspar: May-Aug 2020; Mirtazapine: 15 mg Aug-Nov 2020, 30 mg Nov-Dec 2020, 15 mg Jan 2020 to 23 Mar 2021, CT; Trazodone: 150 mg Mar 2021 (one week); Paroxetine: 10 mg, 23-29 Mar 2021; Mirtazapine: 3.75 mg, 29 Mar to 13 Jun 2021, forced CT in hospital; Zopiclone: 7.5 mg, 13 June 2020 (4 nights); Bisopropol fumarate (beta blocker): 1.75 mg, 16 June to 30 July 2021; Mirtazapine/Remeron: 1.75 mg, 16 June to 31 Aug 2021, 1.5 mg, 1 Sept 2021-present; Solifenacin succinate (colinergic receptor agonist): 10mg, 16 Aug 2021-present

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Great I’ve copied and pasted it and updated my signature. 
im having a really bad day anxiety wise today. I had an episode of VT which hasn’t happened for around 6wks. 
Im amazed how badly these drugs have screwed up my system. I’m assuming it’s the Venlafaxine Which is a SNRI that has caused all these VT episodes which possibly has screwed with my endogenous norepinephrine. Even more worrying is how my GP and the specialists Endocrinologists and Cardiologist don’t think it’s Venlafaxine related. I’m really getting quite angry that I was never ever reviewed on this medication when they clearly aren’t designed or probably even licensed for long term use. It feels like negligence for me that this can happen when you trust these so called educated people 

[Rosetta]

100% true.  Never tested for long term use.  No follow up from doctors.  No monitoring.  Nothing.  You should feel angry.

 

The doctors are not going agree that VT was caused by Venlafaxine, but you can’t worry about that.  It will correct itself.  These drugs affect the muscles — a lot.  Withdrawal affects the muscles.  Fortunately, our bodies can heal, our brains can change into organs that do not need ADs, and we can get our lives back.  I will never blindly trust another doctor again.

 

[Alan1234]

18 hours ago, Rosetta said:

Alan, you can link to this, and hopefully, you can cut and paste it into your signature.  Let us know if you need help figuring out how to do this.  If it’s too long, you can cut out the beginning to the 75 mg of Venlafaxine and start with Venlafaxine/ Effexor 37,5 mg 2018-2019.

Alan’s signature:

 

Paroxetine/Paxil: 20 mg 1996-99, CT, 20 mg 2003-2014, CT; Venlafaxine/Effexor: 150 mg 2014-2016, 75 mg 2016-2018, 37,5 mg 2018-2019,18,5 mg 2019-May 2020, CT (withdrawal problems begin); Tried Sertraline/Zoloft, Prozac, buspirone/Buspar: May-Aug 2020; Mirtazapine: 15 mg Aug-Nov 2020, 30 mg Nov-Dec 2020, 15 mg Jan 2020 to 23 Mar 2021, CT; Trazodone: 150 mg Mar 2021 (one week); Paroxetine: 10 mg, 23-29 Mar 2021; Mirtazapine: 3.75 mg, 29 Mar to 13 Jun 2021, forced CT in hospital; Zopiclone: 7.5 mg, 13 June 2020 (4 nights); Bisopropol fumarate (beta blocker): 1.75 mg, 16 June to 30 July 2021; Mirtazapine/Remeron: 1.75 mg, 16 June to 31 Aug 2021, 1.5 mg, 1 Sept 2021-present; Solifenacin succinate (colinergic receptor agonist): 10mg, 16 Aug 2021-present

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I’m having the worst anxiety again, my whole body is shaking and it won’t stop and I haven’t slept again for 2days and I had another episode of VT. I really want to stabilise as I can’t go on like this as I can’t function to do anything it’s unbearable. Is there anything I can take that might stabilise  my system that the moderators can recommend I can’t continue like this 

[Rosetta]

Oh, my.  That is a very tough wave.  I do not think that the 0.25 reduction on September 1st is working out for you at all.  From 1.75 to 1.5 was a reduction of 1/7th of your dose. You were not feeling well enough to try a reduction.  Perhaps a Moderator would recommend an updose?  

I’m not sure you should go back to 1.75 or something in-between. I don’t know enough to say, but you could try to increase by 0.1 to 1.6.  Do you have the ability to measure that?

[getofflex]

23 hours ago, Alan1234 said:

I’m having the worst anxiety again, my whole body is shaking and it won’t stop and I haven’t slept again for 2days and I had another episode of VT. I really want to stabilise as I can’t go on like this as I can’t function to do anything it’s unbearable. Is there anything I can take that might stabilise  my system that the moderators can recommend I can’t continue like this 

@Alan1234I'm sorry you are going throught this intense suffering.  My suggestion is to try updosing your mirtazapine back up to 1.65 mg.  (This is assuming you haven't had severe adverse reactions to mirtazapine in the past)  From your drug sig, you have been on quite a drug carousel for the past year or two.  I suspect that your symptoms now are probably a cumulative effect of this.  I believe that the Mirt updose should help to lessen the symptoms.  Please give it time.  It takes from a week, to even month or two for a reinstatement or updose to fully settle in your system.  Please, whatever you do, do not add any other psych meds, no matter what these godforsaken doctors tell you to do.  They don't understand this withdrawal situation that we are in, at all.  Be sure and take a precise dose, at the same time each day, and don't miss a dose.   Stay on this for a very long time.  Your system is screaming for stability.  It really needs a good, long hold, like for at least 6 months or a year, in my opinion.  

 

Keep it Simple, Slow, and Stable

 

Considerations About Stability - Stop Jumping Around

 

 

Have you tried magnesium and omega 3?  These can help calm your system.  Try them one at a time, in small amounts, to see how they affect you.  

Magnesium

 

Omega 3 Fish Oil

 

Please hang in there.  I know you are in pretty rough shape now, but this is not permanent! You can and will recover, if you take proper care of yourself, and give it plenty of time and have patience.  You are in my prayers right now.  

 

 

 

 

[Alan1234]

9 hours ago, Rosetta said:

Oh, my.  That is a very tough wave.  I do not think that the 0.25 reduction on September 1st is working out for you at all.  From 1.75 to 1.5 was a reduction of 1/7th of your dose. You were not feeling well enough to try a reduction.  Perhaps a Moderator would recommend an updose?  

I’m not sure you should go back to 1.75 or something in-between. I don’t know enough to say, but you could try to increase by 0.1 to 1.6.  Do you have the ability to measure that?

The trouble is I haven’t had any relief or a real window since being on 15mg of Mirt upto March of this year and even then I was really struggling. So I don’t think 0.1 will really make a difference when 1.75 or the 3.75mg Reinstated after the Doctor advised I drop the 15mg mirt and switch to paroxetine for a week in March. 

so I’m lost as to what to do. I’m currently experiencing really sensitivity to the temperature and shivering all the time even though the temp is 14degrees Celsius which isn’t particularly cold. It’s just another weird symptom I’m having. My nerves down all my legs and arms constantly feel like their shivering inside it’s bizarre   

[Alan1234]

30 minutes ago, getofflex said:

@Alan1234I'm sorry you are going throught this intense suffering.  My suggestion is to try updosing your mirtazapine back up to 1.65 mg.  (This is assuming you haven't had severe adverse reactions to mirtazapine in the past)  From your drug sig, you have been on quite a drug carousel for the past year or two.  I suspect that your symptoms now are probably a cumulative effect of this.  I believe that the Mirt updose should help to lessen the symptoms.  Please give it time.  It takes from a week, to even month or two for a reinstatement or updose to fully settle in your system.  Please, whatever you do, do not add any other psych meds, no matter what these godforsaken doctors tell you to do.  They don't understand this withdrawal situation that we are in, at all.  Be sure and take a precise dose, at the same time each day, and don't miss a dose.   Stay on this for a very long time.  Your system is screaming for stability.  It really needs a good, long hold, like for at least 6 months or a year, in my opinion.  

 

Keep it Simple, Slow, and Stable

 

Considerations About Stability - Stop Jumping Around

 

 

Have you tried magnesium and omega 3?  These can help calm your system.  Try them one at a time, in small amounts, to see how they affect you.  

Magnesium

 

Omega 3 Fish Oil

 

Please hang in there.  I know you are in pretty rough shape now, but this is not permanent! You can and will recover, if you take proper care of yourself, and give it plenty of time and have patience.  You are in my prayers right now.  

 

 

 

 

Yes I’m an try updosing but I haven’t had any real stability on mirt until I was on 30mg in Dec 2020 but then I developed Akathisia off this so had to drop it to 15mg under the doctors orders. I think this is the time I found this site when I realised what a state I was in and started researching when it realised that something was seriously not right. The Doc then tried to switch me to paroxetine in March so CT me in a week and my symptoms on paroxetine went through the roof. I then went back in mirt but at 3.75mg after a week on paroxetine. Since then I have never been well. I have had a long list of disabling symptoms that have resulted in the loss of my wife and daughter as such the change in me and the pressure it out on them seeing me like that. So I highly doubt a slight updose will be affective such is the ferocity of symptoms I have experienced since then. I literally other than possibly an odd hour here and there not had any windows. 
 

I am already taking magnesium and omega 3s. Again such is the volume and intensity of my symptoms I can’t notice any appreciable benefits of fish oils or the magnesium. I have continued to take them as I’m that paranoid that I could get even worse if I stop them now if that’s even possible. My insomnia isn’t quite as bad as it was back in March where I do get a 3/4hours sleep on 3/4 nights a week now whereas before it was only twice per week. 
 

I don’t ask the questions about taking drugs lightly I really am just afraid for my life as I don’t know how much longer I have the strength to hang in here and deal with this. Without people’s support on here I would be dead by now. I try to tell health professionals and a therapist who I saw about what is going on and what these drugs have done to me but they look at me like I’m a crazy insane person.  I’m useless to my mother and daughter like this and literally only considering the drug option to stabilise my system and keep me alive because some part of me wants to live again for them. I’m so angry about how I am and can’t believe that it can be legal that I was started on these drugs for Irritable bowel symptoms and left on them for over 20yrs without once ever being reviewed by the prescribing doctor. 
I would do anything to prevent the same thing happening to anyone else and this needs to get in the mainstream media the dangers of these drugs. 

[getofflex]

5 minutes ago, Alan1234 said:

can’t believe that it can be legal that I was started on these drugs for Irritable bowel symptoms and left on them for over 20yrs without once ever being reviewed by the prescribing doctor. 

Oh my. this is unconscionable.  I am conferring with the other mods, and one of us will get back to you soon.  I'll be praying for you today.  I'm glad that you are hanging on for your wife and daughter.  

 

6 minutes ago, Alan1234 said:

I would do anything to prevent the same thing happening to anyone else and this needs to get in the mainstream media the dangers of these drugs. 

I completely and wholeheartedly agree! If I were well, and had the time, I would do something about this. 

[Alan1234]

3 minutes ago, getofflex said:

Oh my. this is unconscionable.  I am conferring with the other mods, and one of us will get back to you soon.  I'll be praying for you today.  I'm glad that you are hanging on for your wife and daughter.  

 

I completely and wholeheartedly agree! If I were well, and had the time, I would do something about this. 

Thank you for taking your time to reply to me. I don’t say this likely but without peoples support on here I wouldn’t be here. Yours and everyone’s support here has given me hope and given me the strength to keep going so far 

[getofflex]

@Alan1234I'm really glad to hear this.  This is probably the hardest most painful thing you will ever go through, and it requires huge amounts of patience, and time.  You will get through this.  Just try to take this one day at a time, or even one moment at a time.  Have you tried reading some of the success stories?  Here are 2 really good ones. 

 

Shep Leaving Plato's Cave

 

Tao of the Brass Monkey