WarriorPrincess: Sertraline withdrawal severe anxiety

[WarriorPrincess]

On 6/10/2021 at 2:37 PM, Shep said:

What "natural and non medical" things are you taking? Please list any supplements or herbs in case that may also be contributing to the paradoxical reaction you're having - the more you dampen down the nervous system (even with things that are "natural," the more your nervous system fights to stay alert. That is the paradoxical reaction). 

Thanks for your reply. I’m doing Epsom salt baths with lavender, magnesium spray and lavender oil, walks in the countryside, deep breathing exercises and lying down a lot. The only extra supplements I take are vitamin c supplement and iron spray because my iron levels are low, although I think they’re above baseline now. I daren’t take anything else at the moment in case it creates a reaction. I’ve tried a bit of L-theanine recently, but stopped that too in case it was causing issues. 

I think even my Sertraline is causing issues now. I’m still on 62.5mg and really don’t want to drop anymore because I’m bad enough without reducing more. It’s hard to tell because I react to nearly everything. I eat as late as I can in the day because as soon as I eat I’m fighting back the anxiety! I took the Sertraline before dinner tonight, so it was hard to tell if it was that or dinner I was reacting to. As I get earlier taking it in the daytime it might be easier to tell. 

That being said the last 2 days have been a walk in the park compared with the few days before. I’m praying this continues. 

[arbor]

Wow @WarriorPrincessThank you for 

On 6/13/2021 at 11:51 AM, WarriorPrincess said:

I watched Spider-Man: Far from home last night with my family. I was pleased I managed to watch it all as watching anything as long as a film is difficult right now. It spoke to me about my situation. Spiderman becomes friends with another so called superhero called Mysterio. Spider-Man has just been given Tony Stark’s EDITH glasses with which he has control over a satellite in space containing thousands of drones. Spider-Man decides to give the glasses to Mysterio because he doesn’t feel like he’s up to the job and thinks that Mysterio would be a better person for it. Mysterio turns out to be a bad guy and ends up causing a lot of problems. He can also create illusions with some technology he has which makes everyone think he’s a hero. It spoke to me because when I was very young I put my trust in medication to help me out of a difficult situation. Since then I’ve put my life in it’s hands and that’s not turned out to be a very wise decision. My eyes have now been opened to the reality of this medication but I’ve now got a big fight on my hands to wrestle back the control from the tablets, which is obviously what Spider-Man has to do in the film with the glasses. 

Also the fear and anxiety created by the withdrawal from the tablets is a bit like the illusions created in the film by Mysterio. The monsters he creates are big and scary looking, but if you dive right into them you just see lots of drones creating the illusion. The anxiety and fear I feel, are not really real. 

 

Next time I sense anxiety overwhelming me, I'll refer to this--

Hugs to you,

Arbor

 

[WarriorPrincess]

Really struggling today after a bad night and the last few days have been horrendous. I need to find a way through this but it’s so hard. The akathisia is the worst today. Very hard to focus on anything. I’ve managed to get up, get dressed, do some school work with my daughter and walk to the post office to post some letters, so I guess that’s good, but inside I feel like I’m dying and every activity feels like a marathon. I’m so tired but it’s hard to sit still and rest because my body is buzzing. I’m sure I’ll make it through this day like any other but I wish it weren’t so torturous. Please let this end soon as I don’t know how much longer I can cope. 

[mstimc]

Hi Warrior.  Healing thoughts going out to you.  When I was in WD, there were days when, on my way to work, I prayed just to make it through till I could go home, and then after work I prayed to make it through the night.  It will end and you will recover.

[Phoenixmama]

@warriorprincess sending you light 🌞 love ❤️ strength 💪 and clarity 🧘‍♀️ 

[WarriorPrincess]

Things have improved a little bit. After reducing my Quetiapine to 37.5mg and taking my Sertraline earlier in the day I am actually sleeping without any other help. I can sleep from around 11pm until about 5.20 am when I usually wake up for some reason. This is a real step forward because no matter how awful the day is I know I can switch off at night for a few hours. The last few days have also been more manageable anxiety wise, but today it’s back full force. Just trying to get through hour by hour again today. I am hoping that in time things will settle down and if I can just hold on things will get better. I can keep going if I know that it’s not for too much longer but if I think it’s going to go on to long I start to get suicidal thoughts. 

 

[mstimc]

Hi Warrior

Great news about your sleep patterns.  I think as your sleep improves so will your outlook on everything else.   One thing I learned is that we are going to have great days, good days, and bad days as we recover.  Its just not a linear progression. Don't let a single day of higher anxiety define your recovery.  Overall, you sounds like you are doing better with your sleep and handling your feelings.  Focus on that overall improvement.  You will recover!