UnusualRoom: Luvox withdrawal - writing with tears and desperation

January 6, 2022

20 minutes ago, UnusualRoom said:

Did you only take Xanax once per day, or multiple dosages per day?

I took that dosage 3 times a day.

12 minutes ago, UnusualRoom said:

I am terrified I'm going to have a seizure and die from this benzo stuff.

What are the chances of me having a seizure on this low of a dose?

I'm not going to go cold turkey, but in theory, if someone did, is the chance of seizure higher on higher doses and less with these tiny doses?

I just need reassurance.

I'm trying to reassure you as much as I can. I have never heard of anyone having a seizure or dying at the low dose you are taking now. You are going through wd symptoms because you have been up and down in your dosage and your body is reacting to it. Your CNS (Central nervous system) in wreaking havoc right now and that is what you are feeling. You are very smart not to go cold turkey off as you would probably have more symptoms than you are having now.

January 6, 2022

I just had a horrifying new symptom. I've never gotten a brain-zap before but not sure if this is what it is. Nothing "zapped" but I got a feeling where it felt like a wave went through my head, got tinnitus and feels like I'm hearing different.

Is this normal? Or am I having a seizure?

Brain Zaps are very normal wd symptoms:

Brain Remodelling

Brain Zaps

January 6, 2022

20 minutes ago, Frogie said:

@UnusualRoom

I took that dosage 3 times a day.

So at the end where it says you took 0.003g (I've been measuring in grams as well due to scale), you took that 3 times per day, so you jumped off at taking. 0.009g daily?

January 6, 2022

8 minutes ago, UnusualRoom said:

So at the end where it says you took 0.003g (I've been measuring in grams as well due to scale), you took that 3 times per day, so you jumped off at taking. 0.009g daily?

That is correct. I wouldn't suggest jumping off at .009 though. I would get as low as you can

January 6, 2022

Just now, Frogie said:

That is correct. I wouldn't suggest jumping off at .009 though. I would get as low as you can

I'm making a schedule. I'm gong to go lower than 0.009 but I wanted to make sure this is what you meant, as I'm sort of using yours as a timing model.

January 6, 2022

I went exceptionally fast because my dr stopped prescribing it to me. Just be well aware of that.

Once you come up with a schedule, please post it so we can look at it.

Thanks...

January 6, 2022

Just now, Frogie said:

I went exceptionally fast because my dr stopped prescribing it to me. Just be well aware of that.

Once you come up with a schedule, please post it so we can look at it.

Thanks...

Will do. I'm literally writing it down on a printed out calendar, old-school-style.

January 6, 2022

That's fine then write down the dates/doses here like I gave you this morning.

January 6, 2022

This is my schedule. I do want to go faster, seeing as how the paradoxical effects are just as bad, if not worse, than te withdrawal:

Xanax Tapering Schedule

Present Dose: 0.012 AM/0.012 PM

January 6-14: 0.012 AM/0.012 PM

January 15-24: 0.004 AM/0.005 PM

January 25-Feb 3: 0.003 AM/ 0.003 PM

Feb 4-Feb 13: 0.001 AM/0.002 PM

Feb 14: Stop.

January 6, 2022

@UnusualRoom

Can you go just a little slower?

Xanax Tapering Schedule

Present Dose: 0.012 AM/0.012 PM

January 6-14: 0.012 AM/0.012 PM

January 15-24: 0.010 AM/0.010 PM

January 25-Feb 3: 0.008 AM/ 0.008 PM

Feb 4-Feb 13: 0.006 AM/0.006 PM

Feb 14-Feb 23: 0.004 AM/0.004 PM

Feb 24-Feb-Mar 5: 0.002 AM/0.002 PM

Mar 5 Stop.

I just feel a little more comfortable with this. You aren't tapering super duper fast, but it is a rapid taper.

We can always adjust if needed.

January 6, 2022

4 minutes ago, Frogie said:

@UnusualRoom

Can you go just a little slower?

Xanax Tapering Schedule

Present Dose: 0.012 AM/0.012 PM

January 6-14: 0.012 AM/0.012 PM

January 15-24: 0.010 AM/0.010 PM

January 25-Feb 3: 0.008 AM/ 0.008 PM

Feb 4-Feb 13: 0.006 AM/0.006 PM

Feb 14-Feb 23: 0.004 AM/0.004 PM

Feb 24-Feb-Mar 5: 0.002 AM/0.002 PM

Mar 5 Stop.

I just feel a little more comfortable with this. You aren't tapering super duper fast, but it is a rapid taper.

We can always adjust if needed.

I don't think I can. I honestly just want to stop these today. I have gotten close to passing out from taking Xanax due to the side effects. I feel like maybe the severity of the paradoxical effects aren't really getting through, but they're pretty severe. I have violent outbursts when I take Xanax and have bloody knuckles from having to hit the wall and feel like I can't control it. I have tremors and lose feeling in parts of my body. I have had severe akathisia that I don't get from withdrawal. I lose my memory, and often have trouble standing up from the weakness it inflicts on my body, particularly my legs and neck. I get MORE brain zaps ON XANAX than off it.

I don't think a slower schedule is good for me.

January 6, 2022

You are just taking a 75% cut when you go from .012 to .004 which is very drastic! That worries me a lot. The other one's are managable.

January 6, 2022

4 minutes ago, Frogie said:

You are just taking a 75% cut when you go from .012 to .004 which is very drastic! That worries me a lot. The other one's are managable.

Oh! I wrote out it out in mgs. It's SUPPOSED to be:

January 6-14: 0.006 AM/0.006 PM

Sorry! I switched between mgs and grams.

So this is the CORRECT version:

CORRECTED Xanax Tapering Schedule (ALL DONE IN GRAMS PER SCALE)

Present Dose: 0.006 AM/0.006 PM

January 6-14: 0.006 AM/0.006 PM

January 15-24: 0.004 AM/0.005 PM

January 25-Feb 3: 0.003 AM/ 0.003 PM

Feb 4-Feb 13: 0.001 AM/0.002 PM

Feb 14: Stop.

January 6, 2022

Ok, much better.

You can try that. If you feel any major symptoms at all, we will have to re-address it at that point.

Please keep the notes coming though.

January 6, 2022

Just now, Frogie said:

Ok, much better.

You can try that. If you feel any major symptoms at all, we will have to re-address it at that point.

Please keep the notes coming though.

Phew! Ok. My apologies, I have both mgs and grams in my notes because of all the switches.

January 6, 2022

@UnusualRoom

Completely understandable.

Just make sure you don't get them mixed up when weighing out the powder🙂

January 6, 2022

11 hours ago, UnusualRoom said:

I have looked everywhere for liquid Luvox and was told it doesn't exist. How did you get it?

I got the first batch at a compounding pharmacy but it was too expensive so I just mix a 25 mg pill in water and use a baby syringe. I’m sure it’s inaccurate because it doesn’t dissolve perfectly.

Edited January 7, 2022 by ChessieCat
extracted response from quote

January 7, 2022

22 hours ago, UnusualRoom said:

Oh! I wrote out it out in mgs. It's SUPPOSED to be:

January 6-14: 0.006 AM/0.006 PM

Sorry! I switched between mgs and grams.

So this is the CORRECT version:

CORRECTED Xanax Tapering Schedule (ALL DONE IN GRAMS PER SCALE)

Present Dose: 0.006 AM/0.006 PM

January 6-14: 0.006 AM/0.006 PM

January 15-24: 0.004 AM/0.005 PM

January 25-Feb 3: 0.003 AM/ 0.003 PM

Feb 4-Feb 13: 0.001 AM/0.002 PM

Feb 14: Stop.

Hi UnusualRoom,

I'm interested. What does the .006 represent? Is that mgai(milligram active ingredient, the actual dose?), or the mgpw(milligram pill weight).

Or is that what you see on your scale readout?

And then, you decided to taper off the Xanax now, and focus on that?

How much were you on daily, or nearly daily, on arrival?

I also noticed how you had done some 50% drops with it, along the way, since here. Going from .06 to .03 mgai in doses, when you were cutting and estimating.

Here you will see you noted your doses with just two numbers after the decimal point:

On 12/31/2021 at 8:58 PM, manymoretodays said:

And testing copying from your document above:

Sunday, December 26, 2021

10:00 A.M.- 6.25mg at 10 am

11:30 A.M.- 0.03mg Xanax

11:30 Am: half Tylenol

12:40 P.M. -0.03mg Xanax

And now you are noting doses with 3 numbers after the decimal point?? This ^ was before you had a scale, and you stated you were just cutting pills. A 0.5 mgai pill cut in half would be 0.25 mgai, and then that half cut again would be .125 mg, and then a then half again would be, indeed .06 mgai. Or one eight of a .5 mg pill/tablet is .06 mg.

Just want to make sure you have your .00? doses correct.

So, just hoping you will be going a bit more gradual with your tapering in any case.

And that due diligence with the numbers.

It's important, even at lower doses, like the .06mgai, you were reporting, at one time.

** since you are using the scale now, maybe you are reporting what you see for the scale readout? The scale readout is in g or grams.

And I am hopeful, as you do have @Frogieworking with you and your benzo dosing now.

How are you doing with the Luvox 25 mg now? Is your sleep okay? We'd love to see, even if it is written after the fact, how you do both before and after you take your drugs. Looks like you are still getting some sleep.....so that is a yay and hallelujah.

20 hours ago, Warriormaden said:

I got the first batch at a compounding pharmacy but it was too expensive so I just mix a 25 mg pill in water and use a baby syringe. I’m sure it’s inaccurate because it doesn’t dissolve perfectly.

This is what we refer to as a suspension. And so with this, you would have a 1 mg to 1 mL concentration.

I used a suspension method with my last drug, and it worked out great. Mine was not Luvox, but another drug. My Trileptal dissolved itself, and then with some stirring, and gentle swirling, shaking, became a milky looking substance that I dosed from. Just be sure to stir, swirl, shake it a bit right before drawing it up into your dosing oral syringe.

How to make a liquid from tablets or capsules

^ explains this further, but.....for UnusualRoom, I think if you can stay put now, with your 25 mg tablet of Luvox, that would be great. As you are doing all sorts of things with your Xanax now.

I would once again caution you about doing too many drug changes at once, and changing from a solid form to a liquid form of any drug, is considered a drug change.

I think you just got to 25 mg of Luvox on the 5th of January. That is definitely considered a drug change, when you dropped your morning dose too.

In summary, of ^, just work with your xanax right now. Later perhaps, we might consider a slow split to your Luvox before any tapering. Time and notes will tell. Okay?

Again we do aim for the most harm reduction approaches here, the tapering by 10% of each dose, or less. Often members do better, saving their benzo tapers until last(you'll note that's how Frogie did it). Yet, I take it you were clearly feeling affected by your benzo's in a negative way.....and so are now doing it differently.

I know at one time you were certain it was, or your symptoms, were all due to Luvox.

And so I don't know. I for one, have not really gotten a chance to weigh in, when drugs have been consistent, for more than a day or two, and NOTES are posted, and those things together.

Just so you understand that, the difficulties presented. We see many like you, with similar cases. We do. And many or most all, do eventually find good health, and find the patience, and non-drug coping, and support to help.

I wonder if the health anxiety plays a huge part in your drug self management. Is this something you could explore with someone professional or other? I mean the health anxiety AND drug anxiety. That will really be to your benefit I think, in achieving health and wellness one day.

Here's our general link to topic: Health anxiety, hypochondria, and obsession with symptoms

On 1/6/2022 at 10:39 AM, UnusualRoom said:

Update: Tried updating my signature 3 times but it won't upload new version.

Currently: 0.012mg of Xanax (8AM), 0.012mg of Xanax (8PM) and 25mg of Luvox (10PM).

Second day of this and feel a lot better.

Why don't instead of trying to upload a new version, just go in and edit the version you have now.

I don't see a clear date to the ? Jan 5th date of Luvox 25 mg noted.

(I just went in and it does appear that your signature can be edited, just go to AccountSettings/Signature, then don't forget to hit SAVE when done)

Hoping your New Year has started out pretty good, as you become more grounded in your tapering plans and coping.

Best.

L, P, H, and G,

mmt

p.s. good notes, when last posted, and don't forget to add in just a few positives.....like when you try some non-drug coping, what you tried, how much it helped-rate it even. Also thank you for answering questions that I quoted for you. Good, good, if you are getting some basic hygiene in. Make sure and eat at regular intervals too. You can put that stuff in, as that's positive too. Just saying, as the notes are not meant to be a negative experience for anyone, not meant to get you to focus all on symptoms and struggles......they can give a nice idea of what works and what doesn't, more clearly.......and be a great beginning to your budding self care and management skills. They can be about progress too! 💜👩‍🌾

Read what Karma writes in the first post here:

https://www.survivingantidepressants.org/topic/1779-recording-drug-schedule-and-symptoms-to-track-patterns-and-progress/

Edited January 7, 2022 by manymoretodays
minimal, grammar, clarity

January 13, 2022

@UnusualRoom

Just checking in on you.

January 19, 2022

Hi everyone. A lot has happened. The short version: got super sick from taking Xanax, ended up in hospital and am now completely off benzos. There's a medical reason for this I won't bore you with but after a lot of testing, determined I was having an allergic reaction to Xanax. So, done with that. Happy about it.

Part two, which I need help with:

Hold on Luvox for a bit but was also discovered through genetic testing that I metabolize it poorly, so it takes about twice as long for my body to rid itself of the drug. Here's the issue then: I literally cannot take more than about 6.25 (1/4 of a 25 mg tablet). It's not a choice, I just immediately throw it up and it's too much for my stomach post bariatric surgery.

After I got out of the hospital, I travelled to see Dr. Pundy in Chicago. He seriously supported my stopping benzos and feels I should complete my Luvox taper directly, and as quickly as I can. Because I can't tolerate taking the med in large dosages, we (Dr. Pundy and I) came up with a schedule where I take more frequent, lower dosages throughout the day (every 6 hours):

11 AM- 6.25 mg

5 PM-3.125 mg

11 PM-6.25 mg

5 AM (yes, really)-3.125 mg

It oddly has been working but today woke up in severe panic around 2 AM. Not sure if this is due to the schedule or a normal w/d deal I need to tough out.

Does this schedule work? Have other people taken more frequent, smaller doses instead of one or two large ones? I simply can't do it, and anecdotally, have found my w/d is more severe doing one large dose. Doing the smaller doses more frequently also helps fight off some inter-dose withdrawal (which confuses me if I metabolize slower.)

Input?

@Frogie @manymoretodays @Altostrata

January 19, 2022

Part Two: Maybe someone can clarify this, as half-lives confuse me.

Let's say you take a drug dose once per day, and the half-life on that drug is 12 hours.

Wouldn't you eventually build the drug up in your system over time? And could say the same for pretty much all meds?

Obviously I'm not comprehending part of this:

Ex:

50 mg 8 AM

(Half-life at 8 PM-25 mg)

(Another half-life at 8 AM-12.5 mg)

Then:

12.5 (left) plus 50 mg 8 AM=62.5

(HL at 8 PM-31.25 mg)

(AHL at 8 AM-15.625 mg)

Repeat. Wouldn't it eventually build up to toxic levels in your system?

January 19, 2022

Hi there UnusualRoom,

Well here's our topic:

Long half-life, short half-life, metabolites, wash out. What does it all mean?

And generally it takes 4-5 half lives to build up a steady state of a drug. I often look at half lives to determine how low it will take for someone to have a nice even level of a drug in them. Like after a taper change, or updose.

With normal metabolism and elimination, it should not build up to toxic levels in your body...........personally, I would not think that would be the case.

5 hours ago, UnusualRoom said:

Hi everyone. A lot has happened. The short version: got super sick from taking Xanax, ended up in hospital and am now completely off benzos. There's a medical reason for this I won't bore you with but after a lot of testing, determined I was having an allergic reaction to Xanax. So, done with that. Happy about it.

Super-sick with gut issues or obsessions/anxiety stuff or both? And then the date you stopped your Xanax?

Just please add that to your signature: AccountSetting/signature Thankyou.

Any WD symptoms post xanax? Benzo WD symptoms are similar to AD WD symptoms.

I do recall your mention of Gastric Bypass surgery. When was that done? Post surgery complications? Do you throw up food as well?

5 hours ago, UnusualRoom said:

After I got out of the hospital, I travelled to see Dr. Pundy in Chicago. He seriously supported my stopping benzos and feels I should complete my Luvox taper directly, and as quickly as I can. Because I can't tolerate taking the med in large dosages, we (Dr. Pundy and I) came up with a schedule where I take more frequent, lower dosages throughout the day (every 6 hours):

11 AM- 6.25 mg

5 PM-3.125 mg

11 PM-6.25 mg

5 AM (yes, really)-3.125 mg

It oddly has been working but today woke up in severe panic around 2 AM. Not sure if this is due to the schedule or a normal w/d deal I need to tough out.

Does this schedule work? Have other people taken more frequent, smaller doses instead of one or two large ones? I simply can't do it, and anecdotally, have found my w/d is more severe doing one large dose. Doing the smaller doses more frequently also helps fight off some inter-dose withdrawal (which confuses me if I metabolize slower.)

Are you going to continue to work with Dr. Pundy then? Is he a Psychiatrist or Internal Medicine, or GI doctor?

You can do that schedule if you would like......I don't think you need to worry about interdose WD, if you are a slow metabolizer, of a drug with a 12 hour half life. And I don't think you need to worry so much about toxicity. Have I missed something?

I would be very happy to see you sit with one drug schedule AND dose split for at least a couple of weeks, say 2 weeks or even 4 weeks......you might see a ton of improvement with just that.

And then you are weighing or cutting up your Luvox 25 mg pills?

I would strongly encourage you to work toward accuracy of doses now. Whether you'd like to weigh or use a liquid/make your own suspension is up to you. Please review previous posts to work that out now. I think liquid titration might go better than weighing with now your daily dose split into 4.

When did you decrease from 25 mg to 18. 75 mg?

And then you ARE aware that is a 25 % decrease from your previous total dose of 25 mg?

Would you please add that change, and date to your signature as well.

When you do further tapers of 10% or less hopefully, be aware that you'll just take the 10% off of each dose now, each of the 4 you have been taking daily, that make up a total daily dosage of 18.75 mg. That will be the same as the 10% off your total too. It just works out that way.

I hate to see you rush off a drug that you have been on for 7 years, as it does seem that you will need to taper......and that you are not one who can get off it quickly. You may find as you get lower in dosage, you actually do better. And maybe can taper more frequently than once every 4 weeks. You are going to have to pay attention, which I think you have, and can do, as to how each drug change effects you. And then how long after each taper you feel stable enough to taper again. Sometimes we need to tolerate certain symptoms, but at a lessened intensity, or that's what I did.....when I increased my own taper times to just 2 weeks. I found that my WD symptoms peaked at about 1 week, and were better by 2 weeks......and so then would taper again by just 10% of the previous dose.

I mean this is all going to take, I am guessing, longer than you think. Your well planned out taper off of Luvox.

So, I am thinking you probably had a nice cortisol awakening, or insomnia with panic, due to WD symptoms from not only the benzo, but your recent rather large drop in Luvox.

And no, I don't necessarily think you should tough it out all the time. I think you might recognize that it could be benzo WD, or Luvox WD and that you may have to use non-drug coping or find more practices that help to get you through the long haul of tapering, WD, and into healing/recovery.

How did you deal with your severe panic at 2 a.m. today? Were you able to find some coping and eventually calm down enough for a bit more sleep?

Okay, all from me.

Best, L, P, H, and G,

mmt

Go ahead with notes again too, the full notes when you can, with not just drugs and doses and times, but also symptoms on the right. Those will help us to help, as I think we've gone over enough. And so thanks in advance.

Edited January 19, 2022 by manymoretodays
more, clarity

January 19, 2022

I’ll go through and answer all these but I need to know this because I’m freaking out:

I have such a bad reaction to Luvox that every time I take it, it’s like an instants adrenaline rush/fear/panic within an hour. Feels like I’m going to die.

Does anyone else have this with their meds during withdrawal? Am I going to die from taking this drug?

@Altostrata @manymoretodays @Frogie

January 19, 2022

Do you recall this?

On 12/31/2021 at 1:07 PM, Altostrata said:

....

We have only the 2 days of daily notes, helpfully copied by manymoretodays above, and neither show what happens after you take the evening dose of Luvox. Your taking Xanax at about the same times you take Luvox also clouds the issue, as do your recent dosing errors.

We need to make changes in your drug schedule, but there have been so many recent changes, we can't figure out what's causing what.

Please hang in there. The daily notes are very helpful to trace potential adverse drug effects, but we need to see what happens before and after you take each dose before suggesting next steps.

Where are your daily notes?

January 19, 2022

8 hours ago, manymoretodays said:

With normal metabolism and elimination, it should not build up to toxic levels in your body...........personally, I would not think that would be the case.

But like I said, I *don't* have normal metabolism for Luvox. My genetic testing showed poor metabolism and this was explained to me as basically, it's like having double the dosage in my body by the geneticist. It also puts me at risk for serotonin syndrome so it's imperative I get off the drug. Slow tapering is not an option for me.

8 hours ago, manymoretodays said:

Super-sick with gut issues or obsessions/anxiety stuff or both? And then the date you stopped your Xanax?

Just please add that to your signature: AccountSetting/signature Thankyou.

Super sick from taking Luvox and Xanax. Severe side effects. Stopped Xanax on January 14th 2022. Will update.

8 hours ago, manymoretodays said:

Any WD symptoms post Xanax? Benzo WD symptoms are similar to AD WD symptoms.

I can't tell. I had such a severe reaction to Xanax I ended up in the hospital. They took me off of them. So I can't really tell which are benzo withdrawa and which are SSRI. I'm aware it's not ideal but my situation doesn't allow for me to do slow, separate tapers.

8 hours ago, manymoretodays said:

I do recall your mention of Gastric Bypass surgery. When was that done? Post surgery complications? Do you throw up food as well?

July 2020. No post surgery complications besides trouble keeping Luvox down (had to wean down back then from 200 to 100mg in a few months because it was making my stomach bleed. No throwing up of food or most other meds-Luvox is the worst.

8 hours ago, manymoretodays said:

Are you going to continue to work with Dr. Pundy then? Is he a Psychiatrist or Internal Medicine, or GI doctor?

You can do that schedule if you would like......I don't think you need to worry about interdose WD, if you are a slow metabolizer, of a drug with a 12 hour half life. And I don't think you need to worry so much about toxicity. Have I missed something?

I am. He was listed as a therapist here on Surviving Antidepressants, he's a renown psychiatrist who specializes in benzo withdrawal. I worry about toxicity because I metabolize the drug poorly, so it stays in my system longer. So I'm stuck between trying to balance this and not having severe withdrawal. It's a no win situation and I'd like to some help if possible.

8 hours ago, manymoretodays said:

I would be very happy to see you sit with one drug schedule AND dose split for at least a couple of weeks, say 2 weeks or even 4 weeks......you might see a ton of improvement with just that.

Spoke to Dr. Pundy today. We're going to do 4.5mg, four times a day, every six hours.

8 hours ago, manymoretodays said:

And then you are weighing or cutting up your Luvox 25 mg pills?

I would strongly encourage you to work toward accuracy of doses now. Whether you'd like to weigh or use a liquid/make your own suspension is up to you. Please review previous posts to work that out now. I think liquid titration might go better than weighing with now your daily dose split into 4.

Cutting and weighing per the instructions on the website down to the 3rd decimal point. Cannot find liquid Luvox anywhere.

8 hours ago, manymoretodays said:

When did you decrease from 25 mg to 18. 75 mg?

And then you ARE aware that is a 25 % decrease from your previous total dose of 25 mg?

Would you please add that change, and date to your signature as well.

Yes. Like I said, need to get off of these due to serious side effects. That' why I'm on here asking for help. If the side effects are that serious, do I need to stop cold-turkey or just tolerate the side effects and wean off?

8 hours ago, manymoretodays said:

I mean this is all going to take, I am guessing, longer than you think. Your well planned out taper off of Luvox.

Due to the side effects, I don't know if I can afford to have it be "longer". I don't know. Is it normal to have such severe side effects from the original drug?

8 hours ago, manymoretodays said:

So, I am thinking you probably had a nice cortisol awakening, or insomnia with panic, due to WD symptoms from not only the benzo, but your recent rather large drop in Luvox.

And no, I don't necessarily think you should tough it out all the time. I think you might recognize that it could be benzo WD, or Luvox WD and that you may have to use non-drug coping or find more practices that help to get you through the long haul of tapering, WD, and into healing/recovery.

How did you deal with your severe panic at 2 a.m. today? Were you able to find some coping and eventually calm down enough for a bit more sleep?

Eventually fell a sleep and got more things Dr. Pundy suggested, like a weighted blanket. Getting notes together right now. I just need to know if I'm safe despite the horrible side effects when taking Luvox. I'm not even as worried abotu withdrawal right now, but trying to find a balance.

January 19, 2022

8 minutes ago, Altostrata said:

Do you recall this?

Where are your daily notes?

Getting this together. I only got out of the hospital a couple days ago and just got home. Is it anywhere near normal to have such severe side effects now from a drug I was on for so long? Is this serotonin syndrome from being a poor metabolizer of Luvox or is my body just jacked up? Am I safe to continue a taper or is this killing me every time I take it?

If I could just get an answer for that, I'd feel a lot safer. Will post notes now.

January 19, 2022

January 9

-Woke up several times throughout night

-6:50-Woke up with horrible headache, anxiety, disconnected. Took 125mg of Tylenol. Bath. Super dry eyes.

10:45-Head pain, pressure, nerve pain. Ibuprofen 50mg.

11:45-Headache, occipital pain. 25mg Ibuprofen.

12:00: Dry eyes. Feeling wired and can feel heartbeat.

1:00: Dizziness and pain.

1:15: Ate chicken

3:00: Ate rice. Still have a lot of head pressure, squeezing, pain. Worse lying down.

3:30: 125mg Tylenol. Magnesium. Widespread muscle pain.

4:00: White rice. 25mg Tylenol.

4:30-Weird, irritated feeling in chest, muscles, eyes, body. Rocking sensation. Tachy. Can feel beat in head. Akathisia, eye rolling. Now akathisia.

6:30: Head pain, pressure less severe but still exists. Head fullness, feel kind of weird. Had a weird sensation.

*Extreme sense of head fullness, dizzy: rocking.

6:43: Tinnitus.

6:50: Arms and skin feel weird.

6:56: Pressure in face, nose, swaying/rocking sensation.

7:06: Confused. Out of it. Disoriented. Crying. Really scared.

7:30: Eerie sense of calmness. Tightness and tinnitus. Nausea.

7:45: Some hypersensitization

7:52: Bath. Now cold. Ear pop. Tingling

8:30: Ate eggs

8:40: Akathisia. In and out hearing. Anger.

8:54: Feeling sh*tty again. Pain on right side of head, whole body tingles. Feel dizzy and out of it

9:00: 25mg Luvox. Akathisia and tinnitus. Ate.

9:30: Fish oil and magnesium. Dry eyes

9:50: Squeezing, dizzy, nausea lightheaded

10:40-Balanxe issues, dizzy. Mag and 25 mg Tylenol

January 10, 2022

8:15- Woke up 8:15

8:50-Starting to get head/neck pain.

9:00-Up and about. Weak muscles, rocking, tinnitus.

9:30-Doing SIBO test. Severe nausea.

**Awful morning with panic, tremors, dizziness and vomiting.

12:00-Severe dizziness, pressure, tinnitus

1:05-Stinging crotch

1:47: Akathisia. Wound up. Dizzy. Anxious.

2:15-Bath done. Laying down, head pressure, pain, tightness, but a little better than earlier.

2:40-Severe pressure, pain and tightness in head and back of neck. Ate.

2:47: chocolate

3:07-Neck/Occipital pain. Leg/hip jittery bs108

3:51-Anxiety. Must leave house?

4:45-Ate.

4:53-Head pressure, some balance/dizziness, overstimulation

7:10-On and off all day. Got haircut. Ate. Feeling off balance still with neck squeezing/ rocking. Pressure by eyes and bridge. Feeling anxious because of this and off, like mixing with normal is more anxiety inducing than straight weirdness

7:45-Ate Oreos and milk. Feel a little nauseous

Laying down. Pressure, lightheaded feeling, tinnitus

8:10-Rocking when lying down with eyes closed. Weird still, right feeling. Internal vertigo.

8:15: Akathisia

8:30-Dizzy. Rocking. Took mag. Chills. Weird eyelid feeling.

8:50-Luvox 25mg. Cookies and milk

9:30: Akathisia-ish

10:45: Ate. some jitteriness. Took 25mg Tylenol.

11:00-Feeling anxious about taking med. mouth watering

11:45-Ate 2 Oreos

January 11, 2022

9:00-Woke up. Feel anxious. Sides of head hurt. Worse the more I wake up, tinnitus.

10:00-Ate Oreos. Sick and nausea. Sugar doesn’t feel good.

111:10-Ate cheese and crackers

11:30-Not feeling the best. Wired, feel everything, eyes moving feel weird. BS 144. Body vibrating. Not as bad as yesterday.

12;00-BS 100

12:15-Ate TV dinner. Nerve/ muscle pain around eye/ brow area and bridge. Head fullness/ balance.

12:35-Allodynia. BS 151

12:50-Nerve/ muscle pain. BS 142. A lot of inner tension/ tightness.

1:00-Akathisia. Head tightness. Tinnitus. Hot. Head pain. Dizziness. Rocking.

1:08-Oreos and milk.

1:15-Head pressure. Pain. Really nausea from sugar. Pulsing in face/head. Pain.

1:24-BS 161. A bit tachy. Feeling everything. Wave through head, dizziness. Rocking.

1:30-Stomache. Sick. Head fullness. Head pressure. Vision spots. Mouth watering.

1:36: BS 186. Chills.

1:47-Back of head pain. Chest/inner tension.

1:57-BS 124. Chills.

2:07-Dizzy. Out of it.

2:11-BS 105. Akathisia. Rocking, dizzy. Jerking muscles. Extreme anger.

2:24-Feel horrible. Crying. Angry.

3:05-Horrible anxiety/akathisia/panic/anger attack. Magnesium.

3:10-Chills. Tinnitus. Rocking.

3:32-Dizzy. Neck pain laying in tub. Heavy eyelids, tired, out of it. Rocking darting eyes

4:20-Out of bath. Ate chili and cantaloupe. Feels kind of body irritated and **** bs 178

4:30-Mag and fish oil

4:50-BS 115. Less jittery, muscle pain in neck.

5:15-Crackers and cheese

5:52-pickles and milk. Head and ear fullness. Heavy limbs.

6:09-Tinniyus, head fullness but sort of better/ normal

6:42: chocolate. Feel gassy and nausea headache hot sick nerve pain

6:46-super sick bs 122 threw up a bit

7:31-neck heading squeezing bs 83. 8g glucose taken.

7:47-BS 129

8:11-101

9:00-25mg Luvox. Ate a bunch of ****. Milk Oreo TV dinner.

9:19-201 BS magnesium

9:37-Tihhtness. Pressure. Back of head and neck. Tinnitus

9:45-161

10:12-Head pressure. Rocking.

10:19-Hot tired don’t feel good scared

10:26-124. Wired and gross. I hate this med. nausea

10:48-Nerve muscle pain headache feel out of itm108-bridge pain and pressure

1:30 am-Went to bed anxious and pissed

5am-woke up. Panic/scared. Mag. Skin burning nerve pain

**MISSING DAYS DUE TO BEING WITH DOCTOR/HOSPITAL ISSUES**

January 14, 2022

10-12.5mg Luvox and magnesium. Dizzy, fearful, akathisia, crying, weakness.

10:30-Head pressure. Headache but not as bad as this morning. Some jaw pain from earlier. Don’t feel quite as anxious.

10:40-Rocking, dizzy feeling. Some anxiety. Some muscle irritation.

11:30-Sharp pain in right side of neck.

11:45-Ate snickers

12:00-Feeling wired, anxious. Watch the sugar.

12:15-Magnesium

12:45-Feel tired. Took iron. Rocking. Dizzy. Feel warm.

1:00-Ate snickers. Head fullness/pressure.

1:30-Werthers candy piece. Muscle pressure, sure if tightness/anxiety. Skin sensitive.

2:30-Face pain. Pressure. Less jittery. 95 BS.

2:48-80 something BS. Took glucose and a swipe of Xanax. Severe head pressure and pain. Tightness.

3:10-Worse tightness. Dizzy.

4:53-Dizzy. Awful. Scared. Anxious. Out of it. Lack of control. Do not want again.

7:00-Feeling a little better but struggling with BS and dizziness. Trying glucose tabs. 110 and still feeling weird.

7:30-Ate chicken and green beans. And brownie.

9:30-Up and down. Some dizziness, balance, etc. Not as bad as earlier.

10:00-12.5 mg Luvox

January 15, 2022

7-woke up. Head pressure and pain. Magnesium.

8-3.125 mg Luvox. Burning sensation.

9:30-2 Werthers

10-9.375mg Luvox. Brownie.

11-Feel tired, crappy, weak, shaky, vibrating nerves. BS 92. Took 4mg glucose, iron and fish oil.

11:15-Chicken. Iron and fish oil. Anxiety, panic. Jittery/crawly.

12:30-Had sex. Still feeling out of it.

1:15-Brownie.

1:20-Sick

2:30-Less dopey but hot flash. Warm. Tinnitus. BS 85. Took 4g glucose.

3:10-BS 107

3:15-Chips and dip. Feel less tired but just out of it and kind of dizzy.

3:50-Feeling hot

10:00-Awful day full of panic and sobbing. 12.5mg Luvox.

10:50-Anxiety. Body tightening. Tension. Tinnitus.

11:12-Rocking. Dizzy. Gross. Muscle pain.

11:45-Dizzy with eyes closed. Tired but panicky. Hate sensation.

January 16, 2022

8 am- Woke up. Anxious. Mag.

10- Severe fatigue. Dizzy. Took iron.

11-6.25 mg Luvox.

11:30-Head tension. Pain. Headache. Pressure. Rocking. Anxiety.

12:30-Horrible anxiety. Brain fogginess/cognitive issues. Vibrating feet/leg. Fast heart rate.

1-6.25 mg. Xanax dust

2-Took magnesium

3:30-Feel dizzy. Awful.

4:10-Warm, burning

Stopped logging-unsure why.

I think 12.5 at night?

January 17, 2022

-(9:30-12.5 mg Luvox previous night )

Up all night with awful withdrawal and shaking. Took Xanax and made it a billion times worse.

-Started to subside around 10 AM.

-11:30 6.25 mg of Luvox

-2:00 Started to feel some weird symptoms, mainly spacing out and depersonalization. Scary.

-3:00 Possible vestibular migraine. Dizzy. Out of it. Stating to feel muscle and nerve irritation/akathisia. Took bath. Dab of magnesium.

-4:00 Took some magnesium. Having more rocking, akathisia, balance.

-5:30 Still feeling agitated and icky. Not as bad as the meds. Took mag.

-5:30 3.125mg Luvox. Cold.

-7:30 Some muscle aches, rocking, tightness, chest.

-9 Jaw sensations and mouth watering.

-11 Took 6.25 mg Luvox. Some dizziness, rocking.

-5:20 3.125 mg Luvox. Feel anxious and scared.

-5:45 Fatigue, fear panic. Took another 1mg or so of Luvox. Will clarify schedule with Dr. Pundy tomorrow.

January 18, 2022

-8:30 Woke-up

-9:15 Took mag. Feeling withdrawal. Muscle tension/burning/anxiety.

-11 Took 6.25 mg Luvox. Iron and fish oil.

-11:30 Head tension, tinnitus, occipital pain. Dizzy, rocking. Muscle pain in face, headache. Head fullness. Panic. Anxiety.

-12 Horrible headache. Muscle pain, anxiety. Nausea. Hot, burning. Shaking. Leg burning.

-12:20 Crying. Shaking. Dizzy.

-5:10 feeling sick. Low BS. Took 3.125 mg of Luvox

-5:50 Head squeezing, tightness, tinnitus

-9:00 Horrible withdrawal Dizzy, akathisia and balance. Took magnesium. Helped.

-10:00 Took Curamed

-11:30 3.125 mg Luvox

-12:20 Magnesium-12:40 Felt kind of weird. Surge of panic/anxiety/hyperarousal. Head fullness. Didn’t stick around long. -12:45 Some more anxiety/wave/feelings in body

-1:00 Feeling kind of weird and out of it

-1:40 Feel out of it, anxious, panicky. Woke up fast and heart racing. Felt confused

-1:45 Severe panic attack

-2:00 3.125 mg Luvox

-3:00 Head pressure and tinnitus

January 20, 2022

I keep trying to update my signature but it won't save with the new info. My current stats are, and will be for awhile per Dr. Pundy:

01/19/2022: Xanax free 01/17/2011; Luvox (4.5mg at 11 AM, 4.5mg at 5 PM, 4.5mg at 11 PM, 4.5mg at 5 AM).

January 20, 2022

41 minutes ago, UnusualRoom said:

Spoke to Dr. Pundy today. We're going to do 4.5mg, four times a day, every six hours.

This is an important piece of information. If you're under Dr. Pundy's care, he should address any issues or questions you have with his regimen, that's what you've engaged him to do.

January 20, 2022

2 minutes ago, Altostrata said:

This is an important piece of information. If you're under Dr. Pundy's care, he should address any issues or questions you have with his regimen, that's what you've engaged him to do.

I do have a call into him.

All I want to know is if paradoxical reactions are normal/safe during withdrawal or if they signify danger.

January 20, 2022

1 hour ago, UnusualRoom said:

Getting this together. I only got out of the hospital a couple days ago and just got home. Is it anywhere near normal to have such severe side effects now from a drug I was on for so long? Is this serotonin syndrome from being a poor metabolizer of Luvox or is my body just jacked up? Am I safe to continue a taper or is this killing me every time I take it?

If I could just get an answer for that, I'd feel a lot safer. Will post notes now.

Luvox is horrific to come off of I agree. I feel like it acts more like a benzo than any other. I feel for you. I wouldn’t worry about serotonin syndrome since you were able to metabolize it just fine at much higher doses and it didn’t happen then. I imagine you’ve had the same metabolism since 2015 when you started it.

January 20, 2022

2 minutes ago, Warriormaden said:

Luvox is horrific to come off of I agree. I feel like it acts more like a benzo than any other. I feel for you. I wouldn’t worry about serotonin syndrome since you were able to metabolize it just fine at much higher doses and it didn’t happen then. I imagine you’ve had the same metabolism since 2015 when you started it.

That’s true. It just feels so much worse now, like a paradoxical reaction. I hate it.

January 20, 2022

A paradoxical reaction is an adverse drug reaction. This is neither desirable nor normal.

Are you having a paradoxical reaction? I would not assume so. I do not want to spend my time reviewing Dr. Pundy's treatment. That is his job.

January 20, 2022

8 minutes ago, UnusualRoom said:

That’s true. It just feels so much worse now, like a paradoxical reaction. I hate it.

I understand. I just wanted to calm at least that fear. I can’t offer much in the way of advice but sending you healing thoughts.

January 20, 2022

20 minutes ago, Warriormaden said:

I understand. I just wanted to calm at least that fear. I can’t offer much in the way of advice but sending you healing thoughts.

30 minutes ago, UnusualRoom said:

That’s true. It just feels so much worse now, like a paradoxical reaction. I hate it.

Also, my Dr says that Luvox does metabolize more slowly thru that one liver enzyme I can’t recall right now ( I think it’s P450 or something ) and thus you may end up with higher concentrations of other drugs taken at the same time for a short time. Is it possibly it was giving your Xanax dose a boost and you are still experiencing withdrawal effects from the Xanax/Luvox combo?

January 20, 2022

31 minutes ago, Altostrata said:

A paradoxical reaction is an adverse drug reaction. This is neither desirable nor normal.

Are you having a paradoxical reaction? I would not assume so. I do not want to spend my time reviewing Dr. Pundy's treatment. That is his job.

I understand your stance but it's nighttime, I'm alone, I can't get a hold of him, and I'm terrified.

I'm now having a ton of symptoms about an hour after taking my Luvox. (Headache, muscle pain, etc.) Can you please just throw me a bone because I'm terrified? Why would I now be having these reactions; is there a difference between paradoxical reactions and CNS hypersensitivity?

I'm literally sitting here sobbing debating whether it's more dangerous to take my med or go cold turkey if I'm having this reaction.

UnusualRoom: Luvox withdrawal - writing with tears and desperation

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