success ☼ MrAnxious: 3 months off Effexor XR (6 years on)

[Altostrata]

Good to hear these improvements, MrA.

 

Please add to our glycine topic in Symptoms and Self-Care.

[MrAnxious]

That's great news, MrA. I'm glad things are starting to look up for you!

 

Do u take omega 3? I've found it very helpful!

 

 

Yes I do take Omega's , high in dha and epa- so they are effective doses.

 

 

and thank you for your kind support Jr. I am definitely in a better state than I was in, but I still remember I am on Buspar, but i don't feel drugged or anything on it which is really nice, i forget that i am on it all the time ,lol..

 

How are you doing?

[MrAnxious]

Good to hear these improvements, MrA.

 

Please add to our glycine topic in Symptoms and Self-Care.

 

 

 

Thanks Alto,

[antoinette]

How are you doing Mr. Anxious?

[MrAnxious]

How are you doing Mr. Anxious?

 

 

Hey thanks for asking,

 

Well I am having my ups and downs but no where near the amount of anxiety I was having before. Lately I have started to see the depression come out. I am taking great strides though in life right now to try and better my well being.

 

1. Light therapy- Yuma lite (visor) been using for 4 days and I like it.

 

2. Eating very healthy , lots of veggies and fruits and whole grains.

 

3.Walking and exercising alot

 

4. Taking a multivitamin and glycine at night and my omega's , 4000iu of vit D daily

 

 

 

----Update---Got accepted into a Psw(personal support worker) 6 month program. Start in Jan 24th...it's a big step but I have to take it, life won't change just sitting around.

 

All in all I am about 40% better since when I first started coming on this site I still have a far way to go...

[antoinette]

That is great! Your doing a good job.

[strawberry17]

You're doing all the right things, great news!

[Skyler]

Merry Christmas Martin. I hope you are enjoying Christmas with your family and the four paws.

[MrAnxious]

Thank you guys @! and thanks for the christmas wishes

 

Update: Days are getting better, im on 25mg of Buspar and that seems to take away the racing thoughts for now, i've decreased 5mg from 30 to 25mg. I have figured out finally that it has been anxiety the whole time rather than depression. It's big time anxiety , the depression hasn't really been around lately which is good.

 

When I was looking over note i was originally prescribed Effexor for Social anxiety disorder. Later i have been feeling that rush through my body, but the good news is I am finally getting tired at night and am sleeping a good 7 hours.

 

 

I have to learn how to deal with this anxiety or atleast minimize it. The buspar seems to stop the huge racing thoughts but it's more physical that I am experience, if anybody has any advice or help that would be great. I'd say i am 40-50% better than from when I was first on here.

 

 

MERRY CHRISTMAS AND HAPPY NEW YEAR TO EVERYONE ! HOPE YOUR ALL GETTING BETTER TOO< I WANNA HEAR SOME SUCCESS STORIES !

[strawberry17]

I'm glad to hear you are doing so much better, I know what a killer that raging anxiety is. I've been feeling a lot better too after a rough withdrawal period.

I believe Alto is gathering some sucess stories on this site in a seperate forum, trouble is, people who have suceeded often just get on with their lives and don't hang round places like this.

There are lots of threads I think in Symtoms and Self Care about different ideas for coping with things like anxiety, might be worth a hunt around.

Happy New Year!

[MrAnxious]

Update :

 

I have reduced to 20mg Of Buspar, this seems to be a nice dose right now. I am not too drugged enough but enough for those extreme racing thoughts to stop(From Effexor W/d). I look forward to the day where I am completely free of drugs.

 

So I am hoping to be fully off medication before the end of next year, that is my goal. I know what it's like to go fast off and do not want to go there. Now I have to find some counselling, once I start working then I will get a therapist that I call mine

 

So far so good though, a big problem I believe is that I am not working and making my own money and living in a house full of negative people (family) no other choice atm.

 

 

 

I hope everyone is doing well in their battles, will keep you updated.

 

 

 

Mr. A

[strawberry17]

Hi Mr Anxious

Glad it's going well for you, and I think it's really good that you're now looking into counselling as we spoke about it earlier upthread, it's good to get to the bottom of things and try to unpick thought patterns and things that happened to land you where you are now. Sounds like you're on the right track!

strawberry

[MrAnxious]

Hi Mr Anxious

Glad it's going well for you, and I think it's really good that you're now looking into counselling as we spoke about it earlier upthread, it's good to get to the bottom of things and try to unpick thought patterns and things that happened to land you where you are now. Sounds like you're on the right track!

strawberry

 

 

Thanks strawberry I really think the most important thing is a support system or a best friend , it's mandatory. Else this all would be terribly hard.

[peggy]

nice to hear a positive update Mr A!

[primrose]

Hi Mr A

 

I skimmed through this thread and saw so much of myself in you.

The anxiety you experienced sounded exactly like the benzo induced anxiety I experienced for three years after c/t valium.

I am so glad this thread has had a happy ending and I wish you all the best for the future.

[strawberry17]

I agree about the support system 100%, I'm married to a rock (not literally LOL but you know what I mean) and I have a best friend in real life who has been a rock as well. I think real life support is important too.

[flower]

I too skimmed your thread and see myself. The anxiety is crippling. My Doc has wanted me to skip over to Buspar. I'm so afraid to make a move at this point. I'm sick of withdrawing and I'm not so strong right now. Your story reminds me I'm not alone in this struggle. Also I was told Buspar helps with pain. Have you noticed any benefit at all. Did I read you had issues with your shoulder? I don't know who to believe any more.

[MrAnxious]

Hi Mr A

 

I skimmed through this thread and saw so much of myself in you.

The anxiety you experienced sounded exactly like the benzo induced anxiety I experienced for three years after c/t valium.

I am so glad this thread has had a happy ending and I wish you all the best for the future.

 

Thanks for reading my posts, oh the anxiety was terrible. I am still find ways to cut it down because i know it's not something that won't go away immediately. So after the 3 years off the Benzo did the anxiety drift away? like did you feel alot better 3 years later ? Tell me what happened please, i'd love to hear it and thank you for your kind words

[MrAnxious]

I agree about the support system 100%, I'm married to a rock (not literally LOL but you know what I mean) and I have a best friend in real life who has been a rock as well. I think real life support is important too.

 

 

lol, well im glad to hear you have the support you need straw It's so essential we have people there for us in these troubling time.

[MrAnxious]

I too skimmed your thread and see myself. The anxiety is crippling. My Doc has wanted me to skip over to Buspar. I'm so afraid to make a move at this point. I'm sick of withdrawing and I'm not so strong right now. Your story reminds me I'm not alone in this struggle. Also I was told Buspar helps with pain. Have you noticed any benefit at all. Did I read you had issues with your shoulder? I don't know who to believe any more.

 

 

Honestly I would only suggest going on buspar if you are off everything. If really takes the racing thoughts away, the anxiety is still there , just not crippling. I have forgotten to take it a few times now and i don't feel anything it's great. I will eventually come off this too. Buspar has like next to no side effects , just makes you dizzy for about 25mins away you take it but that goes away after you get use to it. I highly recommend it, doesn't work for alot of people because it's really less potent. I went up to 30mg , and now am on 20mg. I'd say another 6 months and I will be off and hopefully away from the w/d from effexor lasting effects.

 

 

Talk to me anytime

[Altostrata]

In the midst of withdrawal syndrome, I had a terrible reaction to Buspar; it's one of those things that affect different people differently.

[MrAnxious]

In the midst of withdrawal syndrome, I had a terrible reaction to Buspar; it's one of those things that affect different people differently.

 

 

Your totally right also, it's something they have to try out themselves, but if you are really struggling and feel you need to go back on something cause the w/d is that hard to deal with, it's just a recommendation for my experience that i've had. Definitely consult with your doctor or psychiatrist before making these decisions.

 

 

Buspar has really help me out so far and I am really thankful for that. I have also reduced 10mg's so far and have 20mg left. I feel like I am on no medication at all, no side effects, nothing. Pretty amazing for somebody that was rocked coming off effexor and that is sensitive to this horrific drugs.

 

 

Every medication has side effects, for me this one has had none. To each our own.

[primrose]

Hi Mr A

 

Is your anxeity better now?

Yes, that anxiety was terrible, it was exactly like the anxiety mentioned in neuro emotions.

 

I was taking valium and zolpidem prn with strict dosing instructions from my doctor. I was not allowed to take zolpidem for more than a week and I was only allowed to take valium a few times a week, but not everyday.

I stuck to these instructions as my doc simply would not give me any more than this.

I was pretty good actually, I even had many breaks of one week or even two weeks where I did not take them.

 

Anyway, I was on a drug forum and there was a discussion on benzos. Someone said that they stay in the system three weeks, so, despite me having breaks, I might feel it if I were to stop taking it for three weeks.

 

This scared me off them completely, so I disposed of the valium, I did not know that zolpidem was cross tolerant with valium, I had asked my doctor, and she said it wasn't.

 

Anyway, after about 17 days I got really bad anxiety. I did not know what it was, so I went to my docs and got trazodone.

After coming online and reading up on benzo withdrawal symptoms, everything clicked into place.

Only trouble was, my doc, or my psychiatrist did not believe that I had benzo withdrawal, as I had also been drinking and doing a lot of street drugs at the time.

I knew what the withdrawal was like from street drugs, and I knew that this was definitely benzo withdrawal and it was really frustrating that the medical professionals did not agree or unerstand what I was going through.

 

Shortly after, as a knee jerk to the intense horrible mental state I was in, I decided to up my trazodone and also take seroquel. I regret this now, but what is done is done.

 

As I am on seroquel and trazodone it is hard to say how long the benzo anxiety lasted, as I was also tapering my benzo and struggling after each cut.

Things only started to get better when I followed my instincts and finally decided to do daily cuts with my benzo, after having found out that online people who I had known, switching over to daily cuts and doing better.

 

I was stuck around the 3.5mg mark, and thanks to daily cuts, I have been able to go down to 2.5mg valium without any more problems.

I continue to gently taper the valium doing the daily cuts and I continue to take seroquel.

I am finding it really hard to motivate myself at the moment. I am also constantly in need of reminding myself of the things I am grateful for to stop my mood dipping.

2010 and 2011 were the worst years for me, things started to get better in 2012, and are slowly improving.

I have also had to deal with intense emotional disturbance from family, as I have only just recently realised I could never trust them and, that I really need to minimize contact with them as their influence is highly destructive to my mental health.

 

Having started to see some light at the end of the tunnel, I never saw myself as tough, I always thought I was a soft person who could not cope with the adversities of life, as I am the sort of person who cries easily.

I must be very tough though, because, here I am, with a traumatic past, drug addiction, benzo withdrawal, but here I am.

 

So, I am left with the remains of the benzo anxiety. I effectivelly did a c/t from intermittent and erratic use of benzos and z-drugs, and in my cut-and-hold taper, although I thought I was going slow, some of the symptoms from the cuts, made it more hard for me to heal from the cold turkey in 2009.

I am eternally grateful that the daily tapering is going well for me.

 

Please tell me how your progress has been since your posts above.

 

Thanks

[MrAnxious]

Update : You can always tell a person is progressing and slowly getting better, as they tend to stay away from the exact site that helped them as support for example- Myself.

 

I'd like to say Hello to all my followers and supporters and the people that were here for me, on this journey from hell and back. It hasn't been easy by any means. I am here to tell you though , it does get better. The main keys that worked for myself and are vital to my recovery are/were 1. Support- find as many understanding people you can that love and support you in this journey. 2. Omega's in high potency 3. Exercising daily, no matter rain or shine, snow or hail, walk every day for 20-30mins. 4. Fruits and veggies, chicken and fish 5. Lots of sleep(if you can) 6. Being easy on myself(small steps) 7. Positive attitude as hard as it can be. 8. Buspar got my sleep back on track and has been a life saver 9. Online chat support/This group also. 10. Never giving up

 

 

I have to say that I feel 100 times better than I did when I first started blogging here about my time with Effexor. I am enrolled in a Personal support worker program, have many friends in the class. Taking bus everyday, interacting with classmates, talking in class- If you have followed me you know this is huge ! It does get better over time, time is the big key here. I have noticed the anxiety is fading, I am sleeping great. I am giving myself another 3 months before I go down to 15mg of Buspar. So far I have dropped 10mg no problem with no effect.

 

 

Hope that you can find sunshine in my post, the journey for myself is still long but atleast I can see light at the end of the tunnel and come March 22 it will be 1 year exactly since I weened off Effexor.

 

 

Take care my friends,

 

 

 

Mr. A

[peggy]

Hi Mr A,

so nice to hear how you have progressed - you must be so relieved. It is good to hear that you are getting involved and enjoying life.

 

Onward and upward!

 

My only suggestion would be to do 10% drops every 4 weeks or so rather than a 5mg drop which would actually be 25% - you don't want to end up in the same spot as last year!

[tezza]

That's so good to hear, MrA!!!

[Karma]

Mr.A

 

Thanks so much for dropping in to tell us about your progress. You really have made great progress recently. Your progress gives hope to all.

 

Love and light,

Karma

[strawberry17]

Yay! great news!

[MrAnxious]

Oh yah most definitely will make sure the drops don't hurt me been there done that...and thank you to everyone for the support , it really helped having a outlet to talk to everyone here.

 

I know this sounds silly but I have a hard time looking somebody in the eyes without searing them and making them or myself feel nervous, I do have very blue eyes not sure if that also makes a difference. Just i look at them briefly and then look away, im sure it's still some anxiety, but anybody have any tips or pointers so i can maintain eye contact without looking like a complete moron lol.

 

 

Thanks !

[peggy]

Are you doing therapy? I think CBT (cognitive behaviour therapy) would really help you with this.

[MrAnxious]

Are you doing therapy? I think CBT (cognitive behaviour therapy) would really help you with this.

 

 

I am going to resume doing CBT online, thanks for the reminder, any helpful tips for talking with somebody without making urself nervous, anything that helps ?

[peggy]

i think you have to ask yourself why would you be nervous talking to someone? I think you need to explore this with someone - do you think they are better than you?

I think it is a bit more complex than getting tips online

[MrAnxious]

i think you have to ask yourself why would you be nervous talking to someone? I think you need to explore this with someone - do you think they are better than you?

I think it is a bit more complex than getting tips online

 

 

Hey Peggy, Okay I need your help....Over the past two weeks I have become dazed, withdrawn, hazed. I am in school now for the past 3 weeks and lately this has come over and I can really say much or add to conversations, the words aren't coming to my head and i really have to think super hard and its really frustrating, it doesn't feel like anxiety , but i am trying to see if anybody else has had this. Like all of a sudden I will feel out of it, really withdrawn and just not feel like myself. I did make an appointment with a Naturopath Doctor, its 2 hour assessement and natural medicine he creates, so I hoping this is going to help, but I want to know what I am feeling like this....March 22/2013 will be more 1 year free from Effexor...hard to believe eh.

 

 

Hope you can help me out with this one, it's very concerning as I thought I was really progressing. In school my avg is a 96% over 4 weeks of condensed class its just the words that i can't reach for, almost feel really stoned or sedated.

 

 

 

THANKS ! Mr. A

[peggy]

Hi Mr A, I am not sure why you are feeling like this, however you have done really well to be getting such great scores in class. Your nervous system has been in turmoil for much of the last 12 months, so it could just be that you are exhausted. But don't give up, just keep plodding along - you are progressing.

[MrAnxious]

Okay Update. It's been 11 month's now since being off Effexor. After I went off Effexor everything locked up for 5 months until I couldn't take it anymore and went on Buspar, it's a light anti- anxiety medication. It helped with my sleeping which is really good and took away the racing thoughts that I was getting from the W/D.

 

So long story short I am at 11 months and things have gotten so much better, in school, have met friends. ONE BIG PROBLEM !

 

The past two weeks I have felt spaced out, having trouble gathering words or have the motivation to speak or return words in a conversation. This is really scaring me as I want the words to roll off my tongue or atleast think and then speak. Has anyone has this problem??????????????Would this be because of being on the buspar, I have been on it for say 4 months now.

 

Also it's like intense waves of anxiety at all times of the day over this past two weeks, heart beating through my body, don't know what to say to people, almost a scared feeling. Like my body is in flight or fight response, gah i felt like I was doing so good.

 

Can somebody please help me and tell me what I should do, I do have a appointment with a dr. Naturopath, so I am helping this will help. PLEASE I NEED ALL THE HELP I CAN GET ..11 months off of 6 years of Effexor(250mg) that I came off in 1 month. AM I STILL HEALING ? WHAT SHOULD I DO , ANYTHING I CAN TAKE TO STIMULATE MY BRAIN< FIRE IT BACK UP AGAIN...?

 

 

I FORGOT TO EDIT MY SIGNATURE - LAST BEADS OF EFFEXOR WAS ACTUALLY AUGUST 17/2012 37.5 for a week.

[MrAnxious]

Hi Mr A, I am not sure why you are feeling like this, however you have done really well to be getting such great scores in class. Your nervous system has been in turmoil for much of the last 12 months, so it could just be that you are exhausted. But don't give up, just keep plodding along - you are progressing.

 

 

 

Thanks Peggy Put that in perspective