misza: Anafranil / clomipramine has wasted my life

[misza]

(mmt, mod note) First post, new member, original Introduction Titled:

Euphoria combined with insomnia, probably the Omega3 guilty acids.  Help needed. (SIC)

 

 

Dear Forum Members,

 

first sorry for my poor english. Secondly, I apologize for putting this post out of sequence without first introducing myself to the correct place in the forum. I do so because I need possible quick help.

 

When the withdrawal syndrome started for me, I started looking for information on the Internet and found this forum. Initially, the advice and suggestions posted here helped me a lot.

 

The problem started when I started taking Omega-3 tablets. Before that, I ate fish often and 3 teaspoons of chia seeds daily. I did not react badly to such foods.

 

On the first day, when I took the Omega-3 pill, I had strong bouts of anxiety and feelings that I think here are called wired. I only took the omega-3 supplement for 4 days because I figured it made my withdrawal symptoms worse.

 

However, nothing improved after I stopped taking the supplement. I found that maybe I was allergic to omega-3 fatty acids and gave up fish, chia seeds and nuts completely. I persevered in my resolution for one month, but nothing improved.

 

Eventually I went back to one teaspoon of chia seeds. I felt incredibly good. I ate the seeds in the morning for a few days and felt fine until around 3pm. In the evenings, the terrible symptoms returned. I figured I'd try one extra teaspoon in the evening - and it got worse. The next day I was barely on my feet, I was in such a mental depression.

 

For the following days, I ate only one teaspoon of seeds in the morning. Then I decided to increase my morning dose by half a teaspoon. I felt relatively well, but at the end of the day I started experiencing short-term euphoric states.

 

On my last day of use, I woke up in the middle of the night with terrible sinus pain and a runny nose. The pain was unbearable, so I took a painkiller even though I knew it would hurt me. Earlier attempts to take painkillers ended with bouts of irritability and additional physical symptoms. I had to take 2 days off at work (it was the last Thursday and Friday).

 

I work as a part-time cashier, also on weekends. Additionally, on the first day I had a temporary bout of insomnia which scared me a lot. Since last Friday, I have cut off my omega-3s again.

 

The last ones: Friday, Saturday, Sunday and Monday were days spent in constant euphoria. I didn't have any bad thoughts, I was happy all the time. Last night I got worse - insomnia joined the euphoria symptoms. I haven't slept for one minute! I'm in a panic! I am very exhausted and I do not feel like sleeping at all.

 

Being desperate, I ate half a teaspoon of chia seeds this morning - maybe it will help me get some sleep. Today I have a day off, but tomorrow I have to go to work for 8 hours. At work they will not give me any time off, I will probably have to quit. Anyway, I have been thinking about quitting my job all the time since hell started. Please help. Any suggestions are welcome - should I go back to Omega-3 fatty acids (chia, fish) or give them up?

 

Greetings from Poland,

Misza

Edited June 29, 2021 by manymoretodays
spacing for ease of reading, title change for main topic, added title to this post about Omega-3's only

[misza]

Dear Forum Members,

 

at first sorry for my terrible English. Since childhood, I have been struggling with obsessive compulsive disorder. In high school, I developed severe panic attacks and severe depression as a result. At the age of 19, I came to the Mental Health Clinic without being forced by anyone. My doctor prescribed me 37.5 mg of Anafranil SR 75 (half a tablet to be exact). I took the drug very occasionally (not longer than one, two days) because it made me very sleepy.

 

However, at the end of my sophomore year, I found myself unable to complete my studies, still struggling with recurring panic attacks.

 

At 22 (June 2007) I started taking Anafranil regularly (dose 37.5 mg). Taking the drug I felt very well, the panic attacks completely disappeared, I started to deal with depression. Unfortunately, there were also side effects associated with taking the drug - terrible sleepiness, problems with bowel movements and weight gain.

 

In September 2016, after starting work in the new location, panic attacks began to recur in a moderate form. In consultation with the doctor, I increased the dose of the drug to one and a half tablets (112.5 mg). I held this until March 2019 because I started having very serious gastric problems, including blood defecation. I reduced the dose to one tablet (75 mg). More problems started soon after. I started having severe bouts of sleepiness and weakness.

 

I went to the doctor, started testing blood, urine and feces - but the tests showed that I was absolutely healthy. As my sleepiness began to disturb me from going to work, I decided to reduce the dose of Anafranil and perhaps stop the medication altogether. I assumed that by discontinuing Anafranil, I would be able to reduce my drowsiness at least a little, which I did not know why it was.

 

The narrowing began in May 2020, in consultation with a psychiatrist. The doctor did not give me any advice on dose reduction, nor did he warn me about the possibility of withdrawal syndrome. The taper was very successful. Only by taking the final dose (10 mg) I started to have very rare bouts of irritability.

 

I stopped taking the drug on September 1, 2020. Hell started two weeks later. I had total anhedonia, weekly night ejaculations, trembling hands, tingling in the back, constant bouts of irritability. I immediately figured it must be a drug addiction effect, and assumed that if I endured the initial bad period, things would get better quickly - it didn't.

 

I lasted for 3 months and 10 days without Anafranil. Then I got an emergency Xanax prescription from my GP. I was on Xanax for less than 2 weeks - it did not help.

 

On the evening of December 23, I took 10 mg of Anafranil. I was awake all night and my heart was pounding. In the morning I fell asleep for one hour and then woke up with a feeling of ecstasy. The ecstasy kept me until 1pm. Then I also felt strange and told my mother that something was wrong with me. After a short time, I felt a "swelling" in my body and got an akathisia attack. We called an ambulance.

 

After the note arrived, my symptoms began to subside. The paramedics themselves did not know what happened to me. They ruled out withdrawal syndrome after an antidepressant - there is no such thing in Poland. They suspected it might be a consequence of taking Xanax.

 

They offered me a psychiatric consultation at the Specialist Emergency Department - to which I agreed. A psychiatrist from SED interviewed me extensively and explained that withdrawal symptoms may last up to one month. He suggested I had relapses of depression and neurosis and prescribed me Mozarin (Escitalopram). I bought the drug and wanted to start taking it, but on the attached leaflet I read that the manufacturer of the drug warns that withdrawal symptoms may appear for several months or even longer with long-term use!

 

A red light has come on! I started looking for information on the Internet and found this forum.

 

I tried to restore Anafranil (10 mg) on Jan. 2, but for 4 days I suffered from total insomnia. I thought I would pass out, die of exhaustion. Sleep returned to normal after the drug was discontinued.

 

In the meantime, I was at my psychiatrist, who by keeping me on Anafranil for years ruined my life. I told her about all my problems - heard there was no such thing as antidepressant withdrawal syndrome and was diagnosed with bipolar disorder. I got a prescription for Lamotrix and one more time for Mozarin (Escitalopram). I had free prescriptions, so frightened I went to the pharmacy and chose my medications - but I didn't take anything.

 

I started to heal myself by browsing through this forum and using the advice posted on it. Ever since my withdrawal problems started, people at work and outside of work started treating me like a freak. I have ruined health and reputation among people. However, worse times are probably just to come ... More stories in an earlier post.

 

Best wishes,

 

misza

Edited June 29, 2021 by manymoretodays
spacing only, for ease of reading

[misza]

Dear Moderators,

 

please kindly move this post to my introductory thread.

 

Thank you,

 

misza

[Gridley]

Welcome to SA, misza.  Thank you for completing your drug signature.

 

This is your Introduction topic, where you should do all your future posts.

 

In your signature, you describe stopping the Anafranil due to allergic reaction.  What were your symptoms?

 

Regarding the chia seeds, omega-3's and fish, I would stop taking/eating them and see how you do.  The supplement and the foods may or may not be causing your symptoms.  

 

Your taper of Anaframil in 2019 and 2020 was very fast, and your symptoms may be due to withdrawal from the Anafranil.  The brief reintroduction of in January, 2021, could have destabilized you further.  You will heal, but it will take some time.  Here is some information on withdrawal and the healing process.

 

What is withdrawal syndrome.

 

Daily Checklist of Antidepressant Withdrawal Symptoms (PDF) 

 

The Windows and Waves Pattern of Stabilization

 

When we take psychiatric medications, the CNS (central nervous system) responds by making changes over the months and years we take the drug(s). When the medication is discontinued, the CNS has to undo all the changes it made. Rebuilding the neurotransmitter production and reactivating the receptor and transporter cells takes time -- during that rebuilding process symptoms occur.  

 

These explain the healing process really well.

 

Brain Remodelling 

 

Video:  Healing From Antidepressants - Patterns of Recovery

 

This is your Introduction topic, where you ask questions and connect with other members.  We're glad you found your way here.

 

 

[manymoretodays]

Merged Introduction posts together.  Retitled topic.

@misza@Gridley

Edited June 29, 2021 by manymoretodays
added @ notification, for misza and Gridley

[misza]

Hi Gridley,

 

created a new message in which I described myself and my medication history.

 

2 hours ago, Gridley said:

In your signature, you describe stopping the Anafranil due to allergic reaction.  What were your symptoms?

The first time it was akathisia. In the second, total insomnia.

 

2 hours ago, Gridley said:

Regarding the chia seeds, omega-3's and fish, I would stop taking/eating them and see how you do.  The supplement and the foods may or may not be causing your symptoms. 

Every time I increased my Omega-3 dose (supplement or food), new symptoms appeared for me. The withdrawal of Omega-3 fatty acids did not help, the new symptoms remained. After I hadn't eaten anything that might contain omega-3s for one month, I stopped experiencing "windows". As if I stopped healing myself. This morning I ate half a teaspoon of chia seeds and fell asleep during the day for less than an hour - so I guess it helped.

 

However, what I fear most is that my doctor may yet turn out to be right and I do indeed suffer from bipolar disorder. For several days I have been in constant euphoria. Now there is also insomnia. These symptoms coincide with what I read about this disease on the internet. On the other hand, people from this forum also report that they have been diagnosed this way. I have an UNUSED Lamotrix at home all the time, just in case.

 

I am afraid of insomnia, when I had it for 4 days, when I tried to restore Anafranil then I thought I would die of exhaustion.

 

Previous posts were written quickly, under the influence of high emotions, now looking at the headline - "Anafranil wasted my life" - I can see that it is very inadequate. There are people in this forum in a much worse situation.

 

I was supposed to go to work tomorrow, but I already called the manager that I have health problems and probably quit. I am afraid for my health and future.

 

Thanks for any help,

 

misza

[Wim1952]

Hello misza,

Sorry to read About your problems

chia seeds are small but can cause all kinds of Health issues

See :https://www.bustle.com/wellness/88621-5-chia-seed-side-effects-that-you-probably-were-not-aware-of-because-its-possible-to

[misza]

Hi Wim1952,

 

thank you for submitting your article on the possible side effects of chia seeds.

 

I slept with my problems last night, but I'm refreshed. They went hand in hand at work and today I have another day off. I cannot count on sick leave in such cases. The GP does not recognize such a thing as antidepressant withdrawal syndrome and considers me a hypochondriac. In turn, the psychiatrist said that if I did not want to take Lamotrix, I should not even show up to him and waste his and my time.

 

Omega-3s seem to be making my symptoms new, but stopping them makes me even worse. At some point on the forum, one of the people said that in order to recover, you have to go through all these unpleasant ailments, e.g. insomnia, akathisia, etc. Perhaps in my case, Omega-3 stimulates the repair of the brain and the entire nervous system, which as a side effect there are symptoms arising from insomnia, euphoria or wired. When it stops taking them, the brain stops healing itself, stops at the stage of e.g. euphoria and stands still. Then I go back to Omega-3 and, for example, insomnia disappears and a new symptom appears - yesterday I experienced numbness in my limbs for the first time. This is my hypothesis.

 

Greetings,

 

misza

[misza]

Dear Community,

 

I wanted to update my health information and ask You for help again.

 

First thing - I took a chance and started taking foods containing omega-3 fatty acids (mainly chia seeds) again. This decision turned out to be correct. I was able to suppress euphoria / mania for a while. Sleep has improved as well, but it's still not perfect.

 

I stopped at two teaspoons of chia seeds for the morning and ¼ teaspoon for the evening. My plans were to increase the evening dose to one full teaspoon.

 

This is where the problem begins. I don't know why, but it is enough for me to take only half a teaspoon of seeds for the evening and I feel very bad the next day. Symptoms include irritability, anxiety attacks, and wired. But I get great sleep then.

 

Could it be that the time of taking omega-3s, in the form of food or supplements, makes them help or harm?

 

It would be a strange thing. But I am beginning to come to such conclusions, at least in my case. So far, the gradual increase in the amount of seeds I take in the morning has not caused any discomfort.

 

Now I wanted to move on to the second, more important point. I am starting to experience euphoria / mania again and sleep quality deterioration and I am very afraid of it.

 

I plan to increase my intake of omega 3 fatty acids at breakfast time. Maybe it will allow me to stifle those horrible fits again. What is Your opinion, is my decision right? Please help.

 

Thank You and best regards,

 

misza

 

PS Dear Community, do You have any ways to deal with euphoria / mania? m.

 

Edited August 10, 2021 by misza
Adding an additional question

[misza]

Dear,

 

I NEED YOUR HELP URGENTLY!

 

Yesterday evening I went to my friends for a barbecue. I don't usually like this type of meeting, but I found it helpful to forget about my daily struggle with withdrawal symptoms. I decided, due to my food allergies, to be careful with my food, and if you do, try to cost something carefully and in small amounts.

 

But it happened! Yesterday, something hurt me a lot! I felt very bad at the meeting and from that moment on, I stopped eating and drinking anything. It struck me terribly and only didn't notice any improvement after about 3 hours. It was very late in the evening that I noticed an improvement, so around 11pm.

 

Today, I woke up at 3:00 am in a very bad shape. The last time I felt so bad was about a year and a half ago when I was trying to get my antidepressant back on. Very strange symptoms that I didn't normally experience, e.g. incoming waves of very strong anxiety combined with physical symptoms. Such a wave lasted about 5 minutes, then I had 1 minute of calm and the wave returned. Over and over again. As a precautionary measure, I then took 5 tablets of medicinal charcoal to neutralize the effects of a harmful compound that may still be in my stomach. After a long time, I fell asleep.

 

I woke up around 9:00, even in good shape. However, after about 15 minutes of lying down, the bad things came back. This time I experience disturbing euphoric states with only one strong wave of anxiety. I am giving up on activated charcoal, I think that now it won't do anything - I wish I had taken it right after coming home.

 

As for the things I tried yesterday evening, the main suspect for me is the ARTIFICIAL kindling that was used to light the grill, or possibly the grape juice, homemade, that might have been contaminated with something.

 

Have any of you had similar experiences? Is there any other way I can help myself, apart from taking medicinal charcoal? As I write these words, I am still having distressing and severe symptoms.

 

I am angry with WD and my lack of caution. Now I think that if I go to visit someone again, I will not touch anything except boiled water ...

 

I am asking for any advice!

 

[ChessieCat]

It might not have been something you consumed.  It might have been plain old anxiety, or your system being overwhelmed.

[misza]

Hi @ChessieCat,

 

thank you for your response. Such meetings have never hurt me, and definitely helped. Some of the people present at the meeting knew about my problem with the withdrawal syndrome - it gave me additional comfort.

 

At the moment, on my watch, it's been 12:00 and my symptoms are getting stronger 😞

[misza]

My dear,

 

another day and another hell. Now I'm sure some chemicals must have damaged me. Again, the last time I felt so tragic was when I tried to get this hapless drug back into action.

 

On July 7, I was to celebrate 18 months after quitting the drug - another milestone. It looks like I will have to add another "penalty" year to my treatment and recovery regimen.

 

I still feel very bad, so I will update my health on a regular basis.

 

In the end, all I have left is this and the prayer.

[misza]

Dear comrades in misfortune,

 

it is still very bad ☹ Elsewhere, I received suggestions for an antihistamine diet as a potential help in solving my problem. I am following this diet for the fourth day and it brought some improvement.

 

Today, exactly one and a half years have passed since the last dose of Anafranil was taken. The morning was remarkably good, and I took it as an unexpected gift from fate. The afternoon was a bit worse, but the evening and night are already tragic. For about 4 hours I have been shaking with fear and panic, I am also incredibly cold. I have had waves more than once, but what is happening to me now worries me a lot ☹ For dinner, I didn't eat anything uncertain, so I have no idea what is wrong with me now.

 

I am asking for any HELP or ADVICE!

[misza]

Dear community,

 

because it may be helpful for you, I decided to list here the drugs and supplements that I am currently taking:

 

*******************************************************************************************************************************

 

Magnesium (34 mg) + Potassium (108 mg) - Taken three times a day. Daily dose of 102 mg of Magnesium and 324 mg of Potassium.

 

Vitamin C (100 mg) - taken twice a day. Daily dose of 200 mg.

 

Melatonin (2 mg) - immediately before going to bed

 

*******************************************************************************************************************************

 

Additionally:

 

Chia seeds - 2 teaspoons in the morning and 3/4 teaspoons in the evening.

 

From Monday (July 4), I started on the antihistamine diet.

[misza]

Dear community,

 

I decided to add a description of my symptoms from the last days:

 

Saturday (July 2)

 

Barbecue with friends late in the evening. I was eating grilled sausage (I didn't finish it because it made me feel very bad). I drank white grape juice - homemade (I didn't drink it completely either). I came home, ate yogurt sprinkled with chia seeds, took magnesium + potassium + vitamin C. I felt good and found that I was over.

 

Sunday (July 3)

 

I woke up at 3am in a terrible panic attack. I felt an unpleasant tension and tingling throughout my body. The last time I had such an action was over a year ago as I was trying to get Anafranil back into action. I was so scared that I had to wake up my mother with whom I live. I took 5 tablets of activated charcoal. In the early hours of the morning I took Magnesium + Potassium + Vitamin C. I felt so good that I fell asleep. I woke up at 9:00 am feeling fine, but only for the first 15 minutes. Then the trouble came back. About one hour after eating my breakfast and probiotic yogurt with chia seeds, I even felt good. But this state of affairs did not last long. Around noon, the nightmare returned. In the evening it was a little better, I started to live with the hope that tomorrow I really should get better.

 

Monday (July 4)

 

I woke up gorgeous and brisk. Thought the worst was over - I was wrong. Already while preparing breakfast, I started to feel uncomfortable. And with breakfast consumed, it gets worse. An hour after breakfast I started to get better, then I ate one bar of dark chocolate and hell returned. The day before, I read that it could be the histamine intolerance that many people suffer from during WD. As there were tomatoes for breakfast (rich in histamine), and chocolate also worsened my symptoms (cocoa is a histamine trigger), I decided to introduce an antihistamine diet. In the evening it was getting better, but it got worse when I had a mint tea after dinner.

 

Tuesday (5th July)

 

I woke up in a bad shape. For breakfast, I decided not to eat tomatoes, but I still felt bad eating. With the meal, I swapped the wheat, whole grain, to the whole grain, but rye bread - and felt better. I figured the problem was histamine and I had to stick to my diet. Until the evening, I felt very good when I decided to eat probiotic yoghurt for dinner instead of plain yogurt - I got a strong shock, and at night I suffered and couldn't sleep.

 

Wednesday (6th July)

 

I woke up in a bad shape. I found probiotic yogurt to be guilty. So far, day after day, I have eaten one small probiotic yogurt in the morning, and in the evening the same, just plain, natural. Now, for breakfast, I only ate half of the little probiotic yogurt as I had a lot of anxiety. Around noon, I felt very well and this condition lasted until the evening.

 

Thursday (July 7)

 

I woke up in very good shape. For breakfast I ate plain yogurt, got rid of the probiotic. All day, I felt fine. I felt bad in the evening, after dinner (rye bread + chives + natural yoghurt). Previously, such a meal did not hurt me at all. It was getting worse and worse, even melatonin was not helping me sleep. I took a risky step and gave myself a quarter teaspoon of chia seeds - they make me sleep well, but if I take too much, I have unpleasant symptoms of WD. However, I was desperate. After the seeds, I immediately felt better and fell asleep.

 

Friday (July 8 ) 

 

I woke up in an hour with terrible tension and unpleasant symptoms. I also took 1 mg of melatonin - I fell asleep for an hour. I woke up again, another 1 mg of melatonin - fell asleep. I wake up in the morning, I take magnesium + potassium + vitamin C. I eat yogurt - probiotic this time - and chia seeds. I fall asleep and wake up in a deplorable state. This state of affairs continues until now.

 

Beloved, I can't do it anymore! If there is anyone here who can help me at least a little, or guide me somehow - Please write here! If I don't get better, I don't know how I'm going to get through it.

 

Desperate

[Altostrata]

Hello, @misza

 

I don't think we can tell you what happened at the barbecue. It could be that the grape juice was slightly fermented. We see that alcohol can revive withdrawal symptoms. Or maybe the sausage was bad.

 

It appears you are feeling better than a week ago. This is a good sign. We would expect you to gradually recover.

[misza]

Dear @Altostrata,

 

thank you for pointing out my problem and leaving a comment. The recent incidents, which I have not yet written about, have shown a certain tendency. Unfortunately, I think I already know what's wrong with me and what the consequences may be for the future.

 

CAUTION:  Friend, if you are going through a hard time of withdrawal now, for your good, stop here reading this post.

___________________________________________________________________________

 

In recent days, I've been able to connect with a person, who is struggling with a drug withdrawal syndrome (tricyclic antidepressant), who has symptoms very similar to mine. According to her, it is MCAS (Mast Cell Activation Syndrome) or MCS (Multiple Chemical Sensitivity), and even both at the same time.

 

And in fact - from my menu, almost every day, I have to remove more and more new foods. Last Wednesday, I could eat cream without any problems, now even one spoon is "deadly" for me. Radish and parsley, low histamine foods - I can't eat it without symptoms. Interestingly, these reactions are often immediate - you just need to put something in your mouth and I have a symptom.

 

Last night, I noticed that the melatonin that I had been taking for over a year was causing my symptoms to worsen. Today, I have the impression that the same is true of magnesium and potassium. The time when I can feel good is when I don't eat anything or take any medications.

 

I will now list NEW symptoms that I started experiencing from a disastrous event:

- burning sensation in the esophagus and chest

- the image at the edge of my field of view seems to be moving.

- POTS (Postural Tachycardia Syndrome).

 

Again - I have never had this type of symptom before. In addition, all the withdrawal symptoms that have been with me since the beginning of this "adventure" have worsened, such as insomnia, "burning brain feeling", internal akathisia, etc.

 

The person I talked to has been struggling with this problem for six months - there is no improvement, and with time it only gets worse ...

 

My humble opinion:

 

Most people struggling with withdrawal syndrome have problems with normal levels of histamine or suffer from an intolerance to this hormone. Perhaps in the case of too strong or even extreme exposure to the allergen, our constantly healing bodies are not able to cope with it and the MCAS or MCS is triggered. The person I spoke to suspected that it was the contact with the fungus - mold that caused them these problems.

 

This is my hypothesis.

 

I am afraid of how this will end. I guess I have reached a place where no one will be able to advise or help me anymore.

 

I am looking for more people, also on this forum, who are struggling with WD and MCAS at the same time. Or maybe they've even recovered! If such a person is reading this thread, please comment.

 

Dear friends, I know how such posts can ruin your mood, which is why I put an appropriate warning at the beginning. I would like to write something positive, but the last good day for me was Saturday, July 9th. Since Sunday, I feel terrible 😥 I don't know what the next days will bring and I would not like to write such negative posts anymore. However, at present, I have no influence on my health ...

 

Thank you

 

Edited July 13, 2022 by ChessieCat
changed formatting of warning

[Altostrata]

One incident does not mean you have MCAS or or MCS.

 

You may have developed histamine intolerance. See 

 

Elimination or exclusion diets for reactions to food (food intolerance)

 

Histamine intolerance

 

If you find you react poorly to melatonin or any other substance, reduce it or discontinue it.

[ChessieCat]

I was also going to suggest an elimination diet.

 

Sometimes it is quicker to start with a restricted diet and then introduce a new food one at a time.

 

Many years ago, unrelated to ADs or WD, I had to do a food challenge and had to go on a restricted diet leading up to the challenges.  And it can be very hard to do.  But for me it was worth the effort.  I suggest that you look for online forums / support groups which might provide information and support whilst you go through this process.  Obviously they will probably not have much / any knowledge of ADWD but I think it would help to discuss your dietary situation and receive support and encouragement from people who understand how hard it can be to work out what food/s are causing issues.

 

Edited July 13, 2022 by ChessieCat

[misza]

As things get more and more complicated, and I would not like my specific problems to have a demotivating effect on other people going through a difficult withdrawal period - I kindly ask the Forum Administration to include a relevant warning in the topic of my introductory thread.

 

Thank you

[misza]

Dear @Altostrata,

 

thank you for the material sent regarding food intolerances. I will be familiar with them on a regular basis.

 

Now I will describe what my current situation is. I have recently experienced severe allergic reactions to the following foods / drugs:

- apple,

- carrot,

- vitamin C.

 

I need to supplement the list of new symptoms with:

- sudden changes in mood when eating (panic / euphoria),

- momentary visions / delusions *

 

* Since English is not my native language, and I use Google's translator to communicate on this forum - I will describe this symptom in detail. For example: I am sitting at the computer now and it seems to me that an insect is walking on the curtain, but when I look at it, I notice that it is not an insect, only a specific moving shadow. Such things happen to me notoriously. My nervous system must be seriously damaged 😞

 

On the positive side - I bought a very good drug - a probiotic, thanks to which I was able to remove yogurt from my daily diet. As a result, the last two days have not been that hard. Yesterday I introduced raw beetroot to my diet to reduce the risk of anemia.

 

Things started back to square one yesterday evening (Friday, July 15). Internal akathisia returned, this time without the feeling of "brain burning". These unbearable symptoms persist until now. I don't know what to do and how to relieve myself 😞

 

Additionally, at night I had gastric problems - abdominal pain and a lot of flatulence. I blame it on the probiotic, I'll try to cut it down a bit - from three to two capsules, and if that doesn't help, then to one.

 

For over a week now, I've also had diarrhea, alternating with loose stools. I don't know if this is due to a low-histamine diet or some other disturbing symptom.

 

I was checking the information about SIBO (Small Intestinal Bacterial Overgrowth) and Gastrointestinal Candidiasis symptoms, maybe I got it yet. After Sunday, if I can, I will try to see my GP to clear up these concerns. However, if I do it at the National Health Fund, it will take several months before I go to a specialist and do the appropriate tests.

 

Dear Altostrata, if you have time and can focus on my problem, please comment.

[misza]

Update # 1

 

I reacted badly to boiled chicken, zucchini, and corn flakes milk. Good God, what's going on?! The inner tension / fear is hard to handle. Additionally, gastric problems persist from last night.

 

I reduce the number of probiotic capsules I take from three to one. I also give up the beetroot, maybe he is also guilty.

[Altostrata]

Sorry, I'm not going to be able to counsel you about your difficulties with food intolerance. Please join a specialized Facebook group or other site to discuss this.

[misza]

Dear @Altostrata,

 

anyway, I wanted to thank you for noticing my problem and for trying to help me somehow.

 

Thank you so much!

[Lilly998]

I feel ur pain Misza 

I also stopped Anafranil since a year and half and still can't function and struggle wiz many problems and symptoms 

 

What I have found is that these drugs have caused genetic modification (genetic silencing ) to our genes .. and in our case (protraceted cases) the genes are not flipping/reverting back to normal 

While in most cases when they stoop this hellish drugs they return normal in very short time 

 

And that is the main cause for different timelines of recovery it depends mainly on the strength of your genes to revert back ( I have seen cases who were on drugs for decades and recover within a year or so and others who was on a drug for a year and hadn't recovered in 3 years)

 

 

And the evidence for that there is no damage done by drugs is that in Windows people feel some of their old self 

Also these Windows in most of cases are triggered by some changes in diet,exercise,supplement 

 

 

There is a cure for this 

And God created our genes to revert back any changes than its normality 

We just want to discover how to help our genes and bodies to heal 

 

 

There is hope

 

 

Edited October 30, 2022 by ChessieCat
removed quote

[misza]

@Lilly998, Thank You!

[Lilly998]

On 10/30/2022 at 3:17 PM, misza said:

@Lilly998, Thank You!

U are welcome 

 

U are not alone 

[FeralCatman]

On 7/13/2022 at 11:08 AM, misza said:

Dear @Altostrata,

 

thank you for pointing out my problem and leaving a comment. The recent incidents, which I have not yet written about, have shown a certain tendency. Unfortunately, I think I already know what's wrong with me and what the consequences may be for the future.

 

CAUTION:  Friend, if you are going through a hard time of withdrawal now, for your good, stop here reading this post.

___________________________________________________________________________

 

In recent days, I've been able to connect with a person, who is struggling with a drug withdrawal syndrome (tricyclic antidepressant), who has symptoms very similar to mine. According to her, it is MCAS (Mast Cell Activation Syndrome) or MCS (Multiple Chemical Sensitivity), and even both at the same time.

 

And in fact - from my menu, almost every day, I have to remove more and more new foods. Last Wednesday, I could eat cream without any problems, now even one spoon is "deadly" for me. Radish and parsley, low histamine foods - I can't eat it without symptoms. Interestingly, these reactions are often immediate - you just need to put something in your mouth and I have a symptom.

 

Last night, I noticed that the melatonin that I had been taking for over a year was causing my symptoms to worsen. Today, I have the impression that the same is true of magnesium and potassium. The time when I can feel good is when I don't eat anything or take any medications.

 

I will now list NEW symptoms that I started experiencing from a disastrous event:

- burning sensation in the esophagus and chest

- the image at the edge of my field of view seems to be moving.

- POTS (Postural Tachycardia Syndrome).

 

Again - I have never had this type of symptom before. In addition, all the withdrawal symptoms that have been with me since the beginning of this "adventure" have worsened, such as insomnia, "burning brain feeling", internal akathisia, etc.

 

The person I talked to has been struggling with this problem for six months - there is no improvement, and with time it only gets worse ...

 

My humble opinion:

 

Most people struggling with withdrawal syndrome have problems with normal levels of histamine or suffer from an intolerance to this hormone. Perhaps in the case of too strong or even extreme exposure to the allergen, our constantly healing bodies are not able to cope with it and the MCAS or MCS is triggered. The person I spoke to suspected that it was the contact with the fungus - mold that caused them these problems.

 

This is my hypothesis.

 

I am afraid of how this will end. I guess I have reached a place where no one will be able to advise or help me anymore.

 

I am looking for more people, also on this forum, who are struggling with WD and MCAS at the same time. Or maybe they've even recovered! If such a person is reading this thread, please comment.

 

Dear friends, I know how such posts can ruin your mood, which is why I put an appropriate warning at the beginning. I would like to write something positive, but the last good day for me was Saturday, July 9th. Since Sunday, I feel terrible 😥 I don't know what the next days will bring and I would not like to write such negative posts anymore. However, at present, I have no influence on my health ...

 

Thank you

 

@misza I went through the same issues and process a year ago. I am recovering from Seroquel. At one point I was reacting to water and many other foods. Originally my immunologist suspected MCAS. I went through a battery of testing to confirm and it turns out I don't have MCAS. What I ended up with is withdrawal induced dysautonomia and a pretty wicked histamine intolerance and now have a gluten intolerance as well as possible allergies to soy and corn which I have not yet tested. A whole food, low histamine diet has been very helpful. It's been 18 months since I stopped the Seroquel and many of those initially severe reactions are gone. I still have a gluten intolerance and am still on a strict low histamine diet but many of the foods I reacted to I have been able to re-introduce. This does get better. It takes a long time as these meds not only mess with the CNS / ANS but they mess with the immune system as well. It is all connected in ways not yet fully understood. I posted a list of healing foods that also indicate whether they are low histamine or antihistamine as well. I will attach it to this post along with another one I made called 'A Path To Healing'. It is just a place to get started and is not comprehensive but there is quite a bit on it and it may give you some ideas of directions to go in based on your own situation. I can't claim to have answers for anyone but myself because everyone is different and have different needs but hopefully you will find some of it helpful. I was also diagnosed with gut dysbiosis by using a GI MAP stool test through my nutritionist so gut healing is a big part of this process. I also have a DAO deficiency which means I cannot fully process dietary histamine even though my overall histamine levels are normal. These drugs do a lot of damage to the gut micorbiome which causes many problems.

 

A Path To Healing.docxFoods To Heal.docx

[FeralCatman]

On 7/16/2022 at 2:29 PM, misza said:

Update # 1

 

I reacted badly to boiled chicken, zucchini, and corn flakes milk. Good God, what's going on?! The inner tension / fear is hard to handle. Additionally, gastric problems persist from last night.

 

I reduce the number of probiotic capsules I take from three to one. I also give up the beetroot, maybe he is also guilty.

Personally I found that pro biotics did not help and actually caused problems early on so I stopped them. I use pre-biotic foods instead to help the gut recover. It is slow but sometimes slow is the way to go. I don't know what you may have available for nutrition help in Poland but a nutritionist that specializes in food intolerance's, histamine intolerance's, etc. may be helpful. The one I use here in the USA teaches food as medicine and she specializes in many of the dietary issues people experience while in withdrawal. In my case she has been very helpful.

[FeralCatman]

@misza What I have found is that this is a long and convoluted process that can change on a daily basis. It can be very confusing and sometimes frightening. The only thing I can say for sure is that it does get better with time. The most frustrating thing about all of this is that there is no way to tell what the timeline will look like for you. There is just now way to compare one person to the next with this process. I keep a spreadsheet that I made for myself that tracks my symptoms, vitals, mood, sleep, anxiety, irritability, exercise, etc. I update it every morning. It allows me to see patterns of symptoms and patterns of improvement over time. I have found that to be very helpful for myself and maintaining my motivation. Hang in there. It does get better. 😉✌️😺😺😺

[FeralCatman]

I need to add to that last post that those documents have words that are blacked out but if you just change the highlighting color you'll be able to read the text underneath. I forgot to change it before I posted it.

[misza]

Hi @FeralCatman!

 

I wanted to thank you for your extensive post and uploaded materials.

 

There is still no improvement for me, however, I became interested in Neural Retraining methods - they are said to be able to improve food intolerance. Looking for information on this topic, I came across your entries about Gupta Program. I'm about to buy this program myself. On the official website of this method, I read about a free 28-day version. For now, I plan to use this form.

 

I follow your thoughts related to the use of the Gupta Program on an ongoing basis. Since it is not free, your insights may prove helpful to those who decide to purchase it. Of course, we are all unique and what works for one person may not work for another. However, I follow your posts and cheer you on your recovery.

 

Cordiality!