CashmereCat: Cat hasn't landed on her feet

[mstimc]

7 hours ago, CashmereCat said:

I know it's stupid but every spring I feel like I won't make it through another summer. 

Hi Cashmere

 

I can sympathize.  Even though I was born and raised in southern California, I can't stand hot weather, and it does exacerbate my anxiety sometimes.  They say you can always bundle up to stay warm in the winter, but its hard staying cool, even if you have A/C.  And the lockdowns make it seem unrelenting.

 

But its just a season and things will cool down, just as we move from waves to windows.  You may not perceive any improvements, but they do come--maddingly slowly sometimes, but they come.  I, too, felt stuck in WD for many months, until I was able to look back and see where I'd made small improvements.  We all heal in time, and you will too.  

[Greatful]

@CashmereCatI am sitting in a slump right now too.  I have winter around the corner here.  Snow and cold.......Short day's.  In the middle of winter the sun starts to set around 5pm.  For me spring and fall are the best seasons. 

We will have to help each other though the next few months❤️

 

hang in there.

[CashmereCat]

@Greatful

@mstimc

I was growing up in Russia and we had cold winters. I always thought I would love the warmer climate. While I do love the beaches here in Australia, I miss change of seasons and I really miss snow! The heat makes me physically sick - dizzy and faintly. 

Just have to brace  myself mentally!

[holli]

hi cashmere! i hope you don’t mind me commenting on your thread, but i just wanted to stop by and say i experience these exact same symptoms as you. i was actually doing some frantic searching of this site wondering if anyone else has walking and balance problems, so i’m thankful to find your thread (though obviously i’m not happy you’re experiencing them, i know how awful it can be!)

 

it’s relieving to know i’m not alone. i too struggle to get up, even going to my kitchen to fill up my water bottle is an absolute chore, i walk as if im drunk! and i don’t know whether you get this but on bad days, it’s a chore even to just hold my head up because my balance is so bad. it’s awful what these drugs can do to us.

 

anyway, i hope you don’t mind me stopping by. i hope you see some windows and improvements soon! you’re very strong! i wish you lots of luck!

[SandCastle]

@CashmereCat I also have experienced jelly like muscles, more recently in my legs, and sometimes feel like I’m walking like I’m drunk! It’s been nearly a year and a half since my last dose now, and I’m re-experiencing this now. A year ago it would sometimes feel like I was walking on a swaying boat mid-step, but now it feels more like my movements just aren’t very fluid. Do you take daily walks? I just started doing that today (after a whole summer hiatus since I can’t stand humidity!) and I’m hoping this will help. I’m only starting with about ten to twelve minute walks so I don’t overdo it.

[CashmereCat]

@holliThank you for commenting. As I was beginning to think I am the only one who experience these symptoms. This month it has been a year since my last small taper of 10% and I only see some slight improvement. As in I don't feel absolutely awful every day but maybe every other day:-). I do hope that it won't take that long for you to feel better! 

 

[CashmereCat]

@SandCastle For me it's been a year since my last taper of 10%. You would think things should get better! People take days and weeks for stabilising but not months and years. 

I do walk every day but as I have mentioned before it is a struggle every time. I try to keep my balance, not to fall  and generally feel tense. So as you can imagine you can hardly call it enjoyable. But I am afraid to miss even one walk because next day I won't be able to get up and stay straight at all. 

Every minute of my day  is like a fight - to keep off fainting, falling, to stay alert. It's impossible to explain unless you have experienced that which you probably have. 

Try to enjoy your autumn weather. I also hate summer days when it's hot and humid!

[Greatful]

@CashmereCat  How are you doing?

[ChessieCat]

Hi CashmereCat, another CC! just like me and with a feline theme 😊

 

I have some questions to ask you.  I realise that it might seem like I am been nosy/inquisitive, but sometimes we are focused on withdrawal and don't stop to consider what other things might be the cause or contribute to the issues.  I am following your topic so there is no need to tag me.  And I have numbered the questions so it is easier to answer them.  One of the things that I am concerned about is that you might be experiencing side effects from the Effexor and not withdrawal symptoms.  If this is the case, then holding on your dose will not help.  Some of the following questions relate to that specifically, and some are more general.

 

Q1:  Have your fainting, falling, trying to stay alert symptoms improved at all, even by a tiny bit, or for a short period of time, since your last reduction?

 

Q2:  Was Effexor the first/only psychiatric drug you ever took?  If no, please tell us about what else you have taken and when.

 

Q3:  Did you ever have the fainting, falling, trying to stay alert symptoms when you started Effexor?  If yes, did they lessen or go away completely?  What dose of Effexor did you start on and how did you increase (doses and intervals) up to 150mg?  Did the symptoms change as you changed dose?  How did they change?  The reason for asking all of this is because there is a possibility that are you experiencing side effects and not withdrawal symptoms.

 

Q4:  Do you drink alcohol?  If yes, how often?

 

Q5:  During the time you have been taking Effexor have you ever taken supplements?  If yes, please tell us what and when.

 

Q6:  Do you take any other prescription drugs or over the counter drugs (eg hayfever, cold medicine)?  If yes, what are they?

 

Q7:  Have you taken a course of antibiotics in the last 2 years?  If yes, can you tell us what type please and when?

 

Q8:  Have you had your blood pressure checked?  Is it low?

[CashmereCat]

Hi Fellow Cat friend:-). I don’t mind answering your questions at all. The only problem would be that I don’t remember all the details.

1. My symptoms have improved a bit since my last reduction a year ago.

 

2. i had first taken antidepressants (lexapro)in 2010. I had been taking it for 2 years when I first started feeling dizzy.  I thought it could be the tablets but every doctor I saw said it’s not possible. 
3. in 2012 I got off Lexapro fairly easily over 1 month or so. But my symptoms of dizziness and frequent fainting, balance problems were getting worse. My increasing anxiety over the symptoms brought me to the point when I could not eat or sleep and every time I got out of bed I would nearly faint or literally faint. I was feeling suicidal. 
so I was admitted to mental clinic and put on 150mg Effexor and 1mg lorazepam over 3 weeks I stayed there. As you can imagine I was already dizzy and faint anyway so I didn’t notice side effects. But my dizziness had improved and I was ok for a few years till it came back. 
4. I don’t drink or smoke. I ve had a perfectly healthy lifestyle all my life. And what good did it do 😪. 
5 I took omega for a while didn’t notice any difference. 
Answer No to the rest of the questions. 

[ChessieCat]

36 minutes ago, CashmereCat said:

1. My symptoms have improved a bit since my last reduction a year ago.

 

This might be an indication that they are drug side effects, and not withdrawal symptoms.

 

36 minutes ago, CashmereCat said:

2. i had first taken antidepressants (lexapro)in 2010. I had been taking it for 2 years when I first started feeling dizzy.  I thought it could be the tablets but every doctor I saw said it’s not possible. 

 

Please add this information to your drug signature so we can see your drug history at a glance.  Please include the dates and dose/s.  Please add the information for ALL drugs.  Thank you.  Account Settings – Create or Edit a signature

 

Q:  Did the dose get increased prior to this happening?

 

Doctors (not all) don't seem to listen to their patients and they don't seem to bother looking up side effects.

 

If you do a search for side effects and the drug name (search separately Lexapro and Effexor) and dizziness you will find mention of this for both drugs.

 

45 minutes ago, CashmereCat said:

3. in 2012 I got off Lexapro fairly easily over 1 month or so. But my symptoms of dizziness and frequent fainting, balance problems were getting worse.

 

This could possibly have been withdrawal symptoms.  So it looks like there might be 2 different things that have happened.

 

46 minutes ago, CashmereCat said:

4. I don’t drink or smoke.

 

I'm glad that alcohol is not a factor.  It can worsen the effect of the drugs.  And obviously smoking is not good for you.  I was reading a fiction book the other day and he asked whoever thought to take a leaf of tobacco, roll it up, put it in their mouth and set fire to it.  My thoughts exactly.

 

48 minutes ago, CashmereCat said:

5 I took omega for a while didn’t notice any difference.

 

We don't always notice any difference taking an omega, but they can be helpful.  It is one of the supplements (the other being magnesium) that SA recommends.  See Post #1 in both of these topics.

 

51 minutes ago, CashmereCat said:

Answer No to the rest of the questions. 

 

Okay.  Test successfully completed.  Thank you very much.

 

 

Please do update your drug signature as soon as possible, it makes it easier on the staff and helps us to help you.  See what is required:  how-to-summarize-your-drug-history-in-your-signature

 

[ChessieCat]

Okay, from what you have told us it could well be that you are experiencing side effects of the drug, and not withdrawal symptoms.

 

Here are my thoughts:

 

You had similar symptoms when taking Lexapro and they started again when taking Effexor.  As stated in the previous post, the symptoms you experienced after stopping the drug would most likely be withdrawal.  Sometimes side effects and withdrawal symptoms can be the same/similar which can make it hard to work out what is going on.  This is why I asked all the questions and am explaining why I am thinking what I am.

 

You say that your symptoms have improved a bit, but they have not gone after a long hold.  The improvement could be because you have reduced the drug.  If the improvement happened soon after you made the reductions but have then continued being about the same since the improvement happened that is another indication that you are experiencing side effects not withdrawal.

 

Now what to do?  If it was me I would be making a small reduction.  I understand that this might be a bit scary, but it is probably the only way to work out if you are experiencing side effects.  The suggested taper rate is no more than 10% of the current dose.  But you can reduce by any amount less than 10%.

 

If you are feeling brave you could try reducing by 2.5% (however it is a different dose to get, see rest of paragraph), or if you are worried you could make a test reduction first of 1% to see how it goes.  So reducing to 94mg, 93mg or 92mg (more like 3% but close enough and easier to get the dose).  This way there is less chance of you adding anxiety into the mix.  If all goes okay, you could then reduce by a larger percentage the next reduction.  But you still don't have to make a full 10% reduction.  The idea is to go off our drug as slowly as we feel comfortable doing it.  If after a few reductions you find that what I think are side effects are improving, or at least not getting worse, then making larger reductions will help to reduce the side effects.

 

Just to clarify:  side effects are from taking the drug and generally reduce as the dose is lowered; withdrawal effects can happen when the drug is taken away, but generally improve within the 4 weeks after the reduction as the brain adapts to not getting as much of the drug.

 

You will need to keep notes for yourself about what symptoms improve and what worsens.

 

Q:  Do you have any questions?

[CashmereCat]

@ChessieCat

Hi CC and thank you for taking time to write a reply.

I do have questions though. Many times I thought that what I experienced would be side effects of Effexor not WD. But I know the drug had helped me with dizziness in 2014 and made it possible for me to live 4 years almost free of dizziness. How could that be explained? 

Also, is it possible that my brain can't function without that 150mg of Effexor to keep dizziness in bay? And I would need to take it indefinitely. 

I would greatly appreciate your thoughts. 

[ChessieCat]

I will admit that this is getting a quite complicated.  It would be helpful if you could do a timeline of when you started the drugs, when the dose changed, and include when the dizziness symptoms happened?  That might make it easier for us instead of going back and forth asking/answer questions.

 

So an example:

 

2010  - Lexapro xxmg

20xx - Lexapro xxmg (if dose increased)

20xx - dizziness started

2014 - lorazepam 1mg 2 months

date 20xx - Effexor xxmg

date 20xx - dizziness stopped

date 20xx - dizziness returned

date 20xx - Effexor xxmg (this would be a reduction)

 

 

I hope that example helps you to understand what I mean.

 

And something else that needs to be considered.  Was there any time during this period when you went on and off birth control pills? And I need to be a bit more specific here and mention IUDs, some of which I think contain a slow release hormone.

 

Thank you.

[Greatful]

@CashmereCat  Hi stopping by to see how you are doing?