DazzlingCold: 20 years on AD

[DazzlingCold]

Date: May 20, 2022

 

Slept 6 hours. Been sleeping that much since my first taper starting April 2022. Used to sleep 8-9 hours before.

 

6am woke up

6:30am: breakfast, Wellbutrin 37.5mg, liquid Lexapro 7.5mg, Zyrtec 10mg, Montelukast 10mg

7:30am: work

9:00am: feeling hungry, appetite huge

10:39 am: overwhelmed, I an clearly not doing taper right. I look for answers so I know which direction to go to, but don’t know what to make with all the different perspectives and info.

12pm: lunch, wellbutrin 37.5mg, guaifesin 400mg

12:30-4:30 pm: work

4:30 pm: wellbutrin 37.5mg

6:30pm: dinner, guaifesin 400mg, fish oil 2,600mg (i had posted that I take more so I will change it as I had not done the math correctly) probiotics, lactium

8 pm: overwhelmed, not doing taper right, car not working, financially in the negatives, work gets more and more demanding and my cognitive abilities don’t improve.

9:15pm: bed, melatonin 1.5mg, magnesium Glycinate 400mg, l theanine 400mg, getting restless legs at night despite magnesium. Magnesium used to help with that before.

 

Hoping to be asleep by 10/11pm.

 

Is L theanine recommended during withdrawal or not? Ive read conflicting info. 

Can I add My B caps by Legere for sleep? Or will that throw my system off?

I wish someone could give me a straightforward answer to things. But I respect they can’t because most of us are not Doctors. I wish I found more direction as I read threads and try to adjust according to what I learn and still don’t get it right. I do read everything people write to me. I didn’t read all the links provided at the beginning. i am gettin g to them as I can

 

I may be missing things and it’s not because I am going fast. My brain is very slow since first (last) dose cut. I have a hard time comprehending. Add to that that I don’t own a computer and rely on my phone to navigate this website and write, and that English is not my first language and it makes things more complicated. My phone keeps changing words and I don’t catch all of them. Im surprised sometimes people can understand me with all the wrong words here, the poor grammar, and my seemingly poor translation skills and abilities to form ideas at the moment. 

 

Should I not take supplements like ginger when i foresee acidity or indigestion? I thought it was better than omeprazole.

 

What does one do with the meds and supplements we take “as needed”? Do I stop them or do I keep taking them? Which will confuse my nervous system less?

 

I live a life reducing exposure to allergens to avoid allergy complications and asthma flare ups. And yes, my asthma is due to allergies. I park away from cars, i do the neti pot, i change as soon as I get home. i have been tested. I have tried immuno therapy when I could afford it. I know what I am allergic to. I eat healthy and started eating more fruits and choosing cleaner foods according to the EWG’s website. 

 

Most of what I am allergic to is out here in Texas almost all year. Winters is mainly trees which affect me bad. If i don’t keep taking antihistamines or maintenance inhalers, I end up with infections taking antibiotics and steroids. From what i know, those are worse than the meds to maintain. Right now, hickory and ragweed are out there and Im allergic to both. Ragweed less than hickory.

 

We are expecting a wave of Saharan dust this weekend. It affects my throat and lungs A LOT. When the ozone is high, I am affected. I have had a sort of cough for a month that won’t go away. I am taking Guaifesin. Doctor wanted me to take a sh*t load of meds such as steroids, guaifesin extra strength. And I won’t take them as the cough is getting better and the steroids are a big deal. I have read a lot about steroids as my inhaler, and nasal spray have them and then they want to give me pills like prednisone that affect me more than other things I may take as needed or daily.

 

I don’t want to take so many meds. And I would love to find a Doctor that will continue to prescribe lexapro and Wellbutrin knowing I am tapering. But so far, they want to stop working with me when I have suggested or asked for help tapering or getting to “the lowest therapeutic dose”. They say the lowest therapeutic dose is what I take. They want to change meds AGAIN or push for TMS I cannot afford even if I gave it thought.

 

I read a thread in here about how to taper Wellbutrin XL and as much as id love to be able to have the IR and SR versions suggested, no Doctor wants to change the XL version as that is what I have been prescribed and they dont want to help me get to the “lowest therapeutic” dose. I was always aware of how the xr/xl worked. I knew not to cut pills as they loose the extended release part of them. I read a thread about making liquid out of Wellbutrin IR for those of us tapering. But If XL pills turn into IR when cut or crushed, and I can peel the coating off, and there is a thread explaining how to make liquid wellbutrin from IR version, my reasoning was that I could make liquid Wellbutrin to take a more calculated and precise dose every day as we all know cutting pills is never going to be precise. I can peel the coating of Wellbutrin XL with my nails. Or what are my options if I don’t have wellbutrin IR for my next dose cut? (Whenever it happens-no sooner than August for sure)

 

I don’t find cut Wellbutrin xl pills activating after I take them by the way. At least not while lexapro is also in my system. It was very activating when I didn’t have lexapro. 

 

I am confused as to the reason behind journaling to know how psych drugs affect us. What I have read in my years of taking many ADs say that the drugs reach a certain level and “remain” “stable” in the blood for sometime. That’s what affects the half-life, or viceversa, is it not?

Is that not the reason they take days to leave our system? Or how can they affect us right away when they have built up in our system? I also don’t understand, then, why to change them hour by hour per day if they reach a certain plasma level remaining for days. Im not quedtioning anyones knowledge. I am honestly confused with the information I have read through the years. I am just wondering with this one last thing I just typed but if anyone has answers, they are appreciated. 

 

What do people that take Wellbutrin XL do when they dont have other forms of the drug? Because that is my situation as much as I’d like it to be different.

 

Finally, what should my drug situation look like? Should I stop taking multi vitamins? Can I add My B caps? Can I remove L theanine? What do I do with “as needed meds”? Do I remove them or do I create a stable routine for them? What will affect my nervous system less? How long do I hold for until next taper?

 

These are all the answers I keep looking for to keep my drug routine stable. Stories are shared (bc advise can’t be given, understandably) to not do x or y, but it is still not clear to me as to how to actually go about these things I wrote in the paragraphs above. I am trying to prepare every day as I read. But the more I read threads, the less clear things are to me. I need help. Thank you. Good night! 

 

Edited May 21, 2022 by ChessieCat
reduced font size

[ChessieCat]

24 minutes ago, DazzlingCold said:

Can I add My B caps by Legere for sleep?

 

If they contain Vitamin B then I would not be using them.  B vitamins can be activating, especially B6.

[ChessieCat]

The more stuff you add to the mix the more difficult it is to know what effect the drugs are having on you.

 

AND you should only make ONE CHANGE AT A TIME.

 

If you are moving the time you take Lexapro you should not be changing anything else at the same time.

 

There are no quick fixes when it comes to psychiatric drugs.  Patience is needed.  It is important to learn and use NON DRUG coping techniques to get through the difficult times and try to keep things as consistent as possible; eg when you take your drugs.

 

Non-drug techniques to cope

 

Sleep problems - that awful withdrawal insomnia

[DazzlingCold]

16 minutes ago, ChessieCat said:

 

If they contain Vitamin B then I would not be using them.  B vitamins can be activating, especially B6.

It’s called My B Tabs, not Caps as I had written. Label says they contain “Ingredients: Each flavored tablet contains – Adenosine (AMP) 25 mg, B12 (Cyanocobalamin) 50mcg, Folic Acid 10 mcg” 

I read in a thread a moderator used them for sleep. 

[DazzlingCold]

14 minutes ago, ChessieCat said:

The more stuff you add to the mix the more difficult it is to know what effect the drugs are having on you.

 

AND you should only make ONE CHANGE AT A TIME.

 

If you are moving the time you take Lexapro you should not be changing anything else at the same time.

 

There are no quick fixes when it comes to psychiatric drugs.  Patience is needed.  It is important to learn and use NON DRUG coping techniques to get through the difficult times and try to keep things as consistent as possible; eg when you take your drugs.

 

Non-drug techniques to cope

 

Sleep problems - that awful withdrawal insomnia

By drugs, do you also mean supplements (outside of prescription drugs)?

[ChessieCat]

16 minutes ago, ChessieCat said:

AND you should only make ONE CHANGE AT A TIME

 

21 minutes ago, ChessieCat said:

If they contain Vitamin B then I would not be using them.  B vitamins can be activating, especially B6.

 

[savinggrace]

Thank you for receiving my post graciously. I am sincerely trying to help. I will try to make more specific suggestions and not make such general statements when I write. The biggest thing to remember is THERE IS NO ONE SIZE FITS ALL. What your brain/body can handle doesn’t fit someone else. Melatonin gave me worse insomnia. If you know it works for you, stay with it. I just was wanting you to consider not taking a remedy for every symptom because you just don’t know what it will do. Believe me, I have spent thousands of hours looking for an answer for me. No one can give me one. I have had to figure it out. I have had to accept what I let the drugs do to my body and how sensitized I became. (Between age 20 and 50 I was on a ton of other drugs, OTC, etc) all the time for constant infections so I got damaged by those too) I understand. I was you once. There was no SA back then. The internet was just becoming a resource. I trusted doctors. I didn’t know better. 

I wish I could help you sort this out. Please don’t ever feel judged by me. I am still on my drugs though I will die trying to lower the doses. If you ever read any of my thread, you will find out why but basically, I have chosen to live a very small life as opposed to being bed-ridden. I have and am shortening my life span but I can still live life in a severely limited way. 
 

I continue to seek help with therapy and alternative medicine. Maybe you can too. First, I suggest you take a good long look at everything you take and try to decide what you absolutely need and what you might be able to cut out. But don’t cut out too many things at once!!!  Meanwhile just leave the Wellbutrin and lexapro as they are for a while, until you feel way more like your old self. The cumulative effect is real and harsh. Time is on your side. 
 

I will pray for you and root for you and try to help when you feel overwhelmed. You do need to accept that there is conflicting information and opinions and experiences so it is you who ultimately chooses your path.  Try to be calm, practice gratitude and acceptance and keep faking it until you make it. That is what we all do. 
 

Every day is different. If a day is particularly bad, rest assured that tomorrow will be better. I have lived this way for 20 years. 
 

Sorry so long. I feel your pain as though it is mine. I get it. You will get past this. Time is on your side. 
 

Grace

[ChessieCat]

Just now, savinggrace said:

I just was wanting you to consider not taking a remedy for every symptom because you just don’t know what it will do.

 

This is an excellent comment.

[savinggrace]

Me again…

I meant to say earlier that vitamin B  is super activating for me, so I avoided it all these years and then became seriously deficient. I now have malabsorption problems but if you can get the B vitamins through food do so. B vitamins support your nervous system but supplements don’t always get absorbed properly. I agree with Chessie. B6 is super activating. Folic acid, even the methylated kind, can be a problem for many. If you are not deficient in the B’s and even vitamin D I would not supplement now. Get out in the sun for D instead. 
 

I will write tomorrow about  allergies. I have suffered since birth with them. I use nothing but a neti pot and environmental control but it severely limits my life. Sounds like you are doing these things. I would just pay attention to if the supplements/drugs are really easing your symptoms. I had 20 years of shots; they did no good. My allergies did not get worse when I quit the nasal steroids and anti-histamines but I never had asthma. I am now wearing a mask outside because the tree pollen is so bad so I get it. I always try the non-drug stuff first; always. I give up a lot to control my allergies. 
 

Just more food for thought. Only you can decide what is helping, what may be unnecessary. 
 

By the way, your writing, language, grammar, spelling are all excellent. Do not worry about errors. We all understand how garbled our brains get but I had no idea you were struggling to communicate. 
 

Hope you go to sleep easily. Time for me to start my bedtime regimen. It’s a process!

 

Grace

[DazzlingCold]

9 hours ago, savinggrace said:

Thank you for receiving my post graciously. I am sincerely trying to help. I will try to make more specific suggestions and not make such general statements when I write. The biggest thing to remember is THERE IS NO ONE SIZE FITS ALL. What your brain/body can handle doesn’t fit someone else. Melatonin gave me worse insomnia. If you know it works for you, stay with it. I just was wanting you to consider not taking a remedy for every symptom because you just don’t know what it will do. Believe me, I have spent thousands of hours looking for an answer for me. No one can give me one. I have had to figure it out. I have had to accept what I let the drugs do to my body and how sensitized I became. (Between age 20 and 50 I was on a ton of other drugs, OTC, etc) all the time for constant infections so I got damaged by those too) I understand. I was you once. There was no SA back then. The internet was just becoming a resource. I trusted doctors. I didn’t know better. 

I wish I could help you sort this out. Please don’t ever feel judged by me. I am still on my drugs though I will die trying to lower the doses. If you ever read any of my thread, you will find out why but basically, I have chosen to live a very small life as opposed to being bed-ridden. I have and am shortening my life span but I can still live life in a severely limited way. 
 

I continue to seek help with therapy and alternative medicine. Maybe you can too. First, I suggest you take a good long look at everything you take and try to decide what you absolutely need and what you might be able to cut out. But don’t cut out too many things at once!!!  Meanwhile just leave the Wellbutrin and lexapro as they are for a while, until you feel way more like your old self. The cumulative effect is real and harsh. Time is on your side. 
 

I will pray for you and root for you and try to help when you feel overwhelmed. You do need to accept that there is conflicting information and opinions and experiences so it is you who ultimately chooses your path.  Try to be calm, practice gratitude and acceptance and keep faking it until you make it. That is what we all do. 
 

Every day is different. If a day is particularly bad, rest assured that tomorrow will be better. I have lived this way for 20 years. 
 

Sorry so long. I feel your pain as though it is mine. I get it. You will get past this. Time is on your side. 
 

Grace

Thank you @savinggraceI really appreciate you! I will pray for you as well. I don’t have your experience but if I can be of support, please reach out. 

[DazzlingCold]

PLZ DISREGARD THIS….

 

 

I have both, MTHFR heterozygous and higher activity COMT

[DazzlingCold]

I have a MTHFR 677T heterozygous mutation. According to this… I am assuming vitamin b’s that are not methylated may possibly be  somewhat contributing to depression and anxiety. I am going to be more aware of how I feel after taking my high quality, 40% of full a dose , of prenatal vitamins that contain methylated vitamin Bs. 
I started taking this about 1 year ago for hair and skin issues before I knew better what to put in my body. I read that prenatal vitamins are better and more carefully produces as they are affecting a baby. I am not saying this is true. This is the information I used back then that motivated me to take them back then when I knew little.

 

Now that I am learning more, I will pay more attention on how my body reacts after taking them. 

[DazzlingCold]

I trued uploading pics of the multi vitamin and mineral information but they are too big…

 

I only been taking 40% of the “recommended dose” in the bottle. i started them about a year ago with the info I had back then. Because I want to know how they affect me, im going to pay more attention now after taking them to see how i feel.
 

https://www.xymogen.com/formulas/products/17066
 

 

[Altostrata]

Withdrawal syndrome is not depression. If you want to take B vitamins and other supplements that make you feel worse, that's your decision. We don't have any fix for it other than to suggest you stop anything that makes you feel worse.

 

MTHFR is not relevant to withdrawal syndrome or going off psychiatric drugs.

[savinggrace]

Hi Dazzling Cold,

 

I too have multiple methylation genetic defects for which many supplements are recommended.  The trouble is they interact with my medications and actually inhibit them, so I feel like I am in more intense withdrawal very quickly.  I have been forced to now inject B12 because I developed some dangerous conditions from a severe deficiency but it took me decades of NOT supplementing for this deficiency to happen, and btw, the deficiency improved almost immediately after I started low dose injections.  If there is not a problem you know about, you don't need to fix it.  It may help other people sleep but I can almost guarantee these supplements are affecting your prescription drug levels and affecting homeostasis.   If I were you, I would not pay attention to how I feel taking only a 40% dose; I would stop taking them completely for quite a while and see if you feel less stimulated.  These things you copy and pasted might all be true for someone else, but are not necessarily true when taken with other medications and supplements.

 

MTHFR is relevant to withdrawal syndrome if you take all the stuff they tell you you need to remedy the genetic defect.  I feel confident telling you these vitamins mess with our drug levels and worsen withdrawal.  Again, try getting your B vitamins from food.  Perhaps, if you are really worried about it, get your B levels (B12 and folate checked) but I think you indicated you were not deficient.  You will be fine without them if you eat meat, dairy and green vegetables, especially leafy greens.

 

I am really gently trying to emphasize that taking so many things along side some powerful drugs makes t is almost impossible to figure out what is going on.  Stuff that knocks people out for days, keeps me up for days.  Paradoxical reactions are common once we are sensitized. 

 

I hope all this feedback you are getting is helping you sort things out into the "must have" and "need" and "will try to go without" category.  I think if you write it all down and evaluate each thing you take, you will find that you can eliminate some interactions that are liking making you feel worse.

 

Grace

[Ninabird]

@DazzlingCold

@Altostrata

 I have always taken supplements as an athlete. When I went into WD my symptoms my supplements made my symptoms so much worse.I don’t take ANY supplements now. It’s like adding gasoline onto an inferno. One day when this is behind me, I might slowly start adding one at a time to see how my body reacts. This process is brutal enough. Just my personal experience. 
 

Best of luck to you dazzlingcold. I’m sending hugs and positivity your way. 🙏🏻❤️🌺
 

[DazzlingCold]

1 hour ago, Ninabird said:

@DazzlingCold

@Altostrata

 I have always taken supplements as an athlete. When I went into WD my symptoms my supplements made my symptoms so much worse.I don’t take ANY supplements now. It’s like adding gasoline onto an inferno. One day when this is behind me, I might slowly start adding one at a time to see how my body reacts. This process is brutal enough. Just my personal experience. 
 

Best of luck to you dazzlingcold. I’m sending hugs and positivity your way. 🙏🏻❤️🌺
 

I appreciate it! I was taking this before and honestly don’t know how they affect me. Im trying to find out as starting/removing drugs  snd supplements isn’t encouraged during withdrawal. But if I become aware that it affects me negatively, I will remove it. 
Thank you! Hugs and positivity for you to.  🙏🏼 ✨ 

[DazzlingCold]

1 hour ago, Ninabird said:

.I don’t take ANY supplements now. It’s like adding gasoline onto an inferno.

Did you stop the supplements CT?

[DazzlingCold]

 

2 hours ago, savinggrace said:

Hi Dazzling Cold,

 

I too have multiple methylation genetic defects for which many supplements are recommended.  The trouble is they interact with my medications and actually inhibit them, so I feel like I am in more intense withdrawal very quickly.  I have been forced to now inject B12 because I developed some dangerous conditions from a severe deficiency but it took me decades of NOT supplementing for this deficiency to happen, and btw, the deficiency improved almost immediately after I started low dose injections.  If there is not a problem you know about, you don't need to fix it.  It may help other people sleep but I can almost guarantee these supplements are affecting your prescription drug levels and affecting homeostasis.   If I were you, I would not pay attention to how I feel taking only a 40% dose; I would stop taking them completely for quite a while and see if you feel less stimulated.  These things you copy and pasted might all be true for someone else, but are not necessarily true when taken with other medications and supplements.

 

MTHFR is relevant to withdrawal syndrome if you take all the stuff they tell you you need to remedy the genetic defect.  I feel confident telling you these vitamins mess with our drug levels and worsen withdrawal.  Again, try getting your B vitamins from food.  Perhaps, if you are really worried about it, get your B levels (B12 and folate checked) but I think you indicated you were not deficient.  You will be fine without them if you eat meat, dairy and green vegetables, especially leafy greens.

 

I am really gently trying to emphasize that taking so many things along side some powerful drugs makes t is almost impossible to figure out what is going on.  Stuff that knocks people out for days, keeps me up for days.  Paradoxical reactions are common once we are sensitized. 

 

I hope all this feedback you are getting is helping you sort things out into the "must have" and "need" and "will try to go without" category.  I think if you write it all down and evaluate each thing you take, you will find that you can eliminate some interactions that are liking making you feel worse.

 

Grace

Thank you 🙏🏼🌸 

[DazzlingCold]

Date May 21,2022

 

Slept 7 hours last night 

 

7:30am woke up, breakfast, wellbutrin 37.5, Lexapro liquid 7.5, Singulair 10mg, Zyrtec 10mg

 

8am feeling very very on edge, Lactium 167mg

 

9 am reading, feeling a lot better

 

11 am still reading, still feeling ok, i feel so hungry!! Thinking of snacking/eating every 3 hours as my body wants food that often.

 

12:30 pm lunch, Wellbutrin 37.5, multi vit & min, guaifesin 400mg

 

1:50 trigerred by sisters words, hard to calm down, going to find a distraction

 

3 pm took a 5 min nap, woke up because palpitations

 

4:30 pm Wellbutrin 37.5mg, picked up car, feel lonely, stressed about finances, want to cry

 

5pm noticed that when I stared at trees, the creases of the trunks looked like they were moving in a fast intermittent/blinking way. Im wearing glasses and not contacts today. But haven’t experienced this before that I remember. 

 

6:30pm dinner, feeling good after being outside, seeing my sister and her dog for a bit, guaifesin 400mg

 

9pm feeling anxious, tightness in throat, acid reflux, headache, probiotics 5billion, lactium 167mg, magnesium glycinate 200mg, melatonin .75mg, l theanine 200mg

 

(Is that too much magnesium? I know women only need around 300mg. I don’t know how much I get in my diet. Hmmm… I used to take 600mg several months ago and it kept restless leg away but it sounded excessive and thought maybe such large dose may be unsafe and block absorption of other minerals even if i take it before bed without food or other minerals. I reduced it, several months ago, to 200-400mg as I felt my legs that day.)

 

Restless legs are getting worse at night and during the day despite magnesium. It’s not bad though. They don’t jerk just feel a little like tingly. A long time ago I was prescribed anticonvulsants for that. It sounded like way too serious of a drug for a small inconvenience. I did my research back then and learned about mineral deficiency due to soil having been exploited for so long and how that may cause a lot of conditions. Started with magnesium glycinate and BAM! Relief! with no side effects. Im grateful I didn’t start that stuff they prescribed. 

 

This week i have showered more, printed the symptoms checklist to start in June and borrowed my sister’s computer! Yay! I remembered I used to not stress about my job. They try to implement things but only half are really implemented and less than that monitored. Feel relieved. I like this job because it’s low stress. It’s a matter of time before the things they do implement more, which cause more work, start making it more demanding though. At the end of the day, in this job, people don’t get rated according to their work effort. So why do I even stress? 

 

My cog fog has really slowed me down in ways I can’t predict. During PMS weeks/PMDD, i was able to be more patient and compassionate with myself before taper as I could leave more work for the days I felt better and things would get done. I worked with my cycle, or made the cycle work for me. Cog fog is unpredictable and there’s nothing I can do. So, I will make this work evaluation system, that in reality works to discourage employees, work to my advantage. I will not stress. If it gets done, it gets done. If it doesn’t, too bad. At least I will get the score That reflects my true work, not the mediocre score I still get considering how hard I work. Watch me stress again during waves. That’s part of this journey so… oh well. 

 

I am learning how to manage things as I go. More of a reason for me to hold longer after my last abrupt cut. I think if I was new to this, I would tell myself to do the first drop very very small (10% or less obviously but a lot of us come here already having done a mess with our meds until we learn from this community). I would tell myself to hold longer than 6 weeks the first couple of drops as Im learning how tapering is affecting me and as I go through learning curves. Thought to consider for the future.

 

Those of us going through PMDD may find it beneficial to hold longer at first as its a double whammy for us those days (in my case almost two weeks). I thought, for some odd reason, I needed to go on with the taper the next 4-6 weeks. Maybe im used to pushing through too much, in general? Maybe in a way that’s not beneficial for me. Ok, thought placed in the back of my mind for future consideration. The thought of holding longer didn’t even cross my mind until i read the words of a member here. I find relief in that holding, and going slower, can only help

 

Edited May 22, 2022 by ChessieCat
reduced font size

[DazzlingCold]

3 hours ago, savinggrace said:

I would stop taking them completely for quite a while and see if you feel less stimulated.

They may be contributing to the anxiety I feel. I think i won’t take them tomorrow to see. 
Did you feel a difference right away? I know we are all different  just curious as to what your experience was.

[DazzlingCold]

23 hours ago, savinggrace said:

Me again…

I meant to say earlier that vitamin B  is super activating for me, so I avoided it all these years and then became seriously deficient. I now have malabsorption problems but if you can get the B vitamins through food do so. B vitamins support your nervous system but supplements don’t always get absorbed properly. I agree with Chessie. B6 is super activating. Folic acid, even the methylated kind, can be a problem for many. If you are not deficient in the B’s and even vitamin D I would not supplement now. Get out in the sun for D instead. 
 

I will write tomorrow about  allergies. I have suffered since birth with them. I use nothing but a neti pot and environmental control but it severely limits my life. Sounds like you are doing these things. I would just pay attention to if the supplements/drugs are really easing your symptoms. I had 20 years of shots; they did no good. My allergies did not get worse when I quit the nasal steroids and anti-histamines but I never had asthma. I am now wearing a mask outside because the tree pollen is so bad so I get it. I always try the non-drug stuff first; always. I give up a lot to control my allergies. 
 

Just more food for thought. Only you can decide what is helping, what may be unnecessary. 
 

By the way, your writing, language, grammar, spelling are all excellent. Do not worry about errors. We all understand how garbled our brains get but I had no idea you were struggling to communicate. 
 

Hope you go to sleep easily. Time for me to start my bedtime regimen. It’s a process!

 

Grace

I just read this. Thank you @savinggrace I like reading what you and everyone else writes. I’d love to hear more about what you said you would share on allergies. Didn’t think of wearing a mask for allergies haha. After years of having to wear them 😂. I can try that too. I’m glad I am making sense when i type. Sometimes my brain feels so foggy. Hope you sleep ok. Bedtime routines are important. Good night! 

[savinggrace]

12 hours ago, DazzlingCold said:

They may be contributing to the anxiety I feel. I think i won’t take them tomorrow to see. 
Did you feel a difference right away? I know we are all different  just curious as to what your experience was.

Hi Dazzling,

With supplements I usually take very low doses to begin (like 25%) and I usually notice symptoms, which for me are drug interactions for the most part, right away. So I quit within a few days so I don’t have to titrate off anything. Seldom has my connection between a supplement effect and destabilization not been right. The undesirable side almost always involves sleep.   If you have been on something for a long time, maybe it would be a good idea to “back off” instead of jumping off but I would absolutely stay off for quite some time before making a decision whether the supp was helping/hurting. These things interact so you need to give things time to re-balance and settle down. 
 

Hope you are less anxious today. 
Grace

[DazzlingCold]

3 hours ago, savinggrace said:

Hi Dazzling,

With supplements I usually take very low doses to begin (like 25%) and I usually notice symptoms, which for me are drug interactions for the most part, right away. So I quit within a few days so I don’t have to titrate off anything. Seldom has my connection between a supplement effect and destabilization not been right. The undesirable side almost always involves sleep.   If you have been on something for a long time, maybe it would be a good idea to “back off” instead of jumping off but I would absolutely stay off for quite some time before making a decision whether the supp was helping/hurting. These things interact so you need to give things time to re-balance and settle down. 
 

Hope you are less anxious today. 
Grace

Yeah, I actually thought about going down on my vit and min at munch today so I took 1 instead of two. I have been very restless today but I came to the gym to feel better, then going to pool with a friend to get sun and relax. Hope the rest of your day goes as good as it can. Hope you slept well. 

[savinggrace]

This is a good start.

 

As far as allergies go,  years ago we did everything inside the house needed to be done to avoid dust/mold.  We have all wood floors and no curtains.  I also avoid chemicals at all costs, eat organically and whole, non-process food and am gluten, dairy, corn, soy, low histamine....etc. free as a diet.  I have an air cleaner running in my bedroom and we have a high-efficiency whole house air-cleaner on our furnace/air conditioner.  As stated earlier I do nasal irrigation every single day; symptoms or not.  We wash all the bedding weekly; basically have a pretty clean house.  I got rid of "old stuff" (such as books, magazines, memorabiia) because, although it was stored away it smelled like mold.  We make sure to keep the house on the drier side (but not too dry) with a whole house de-humidifier.

 

If I think of anything else I do to control my allergies/chemical sensitivites, I will write.  Don't let this over-whelm you.  It didn't just happen overnight.  We started by ripping out the carpet in one bedroom 25 years ago and proceeded to put wood or ceramic floors in the entire house over the next 15 years.  I am by no means symptom-free but I take no drugs for my allergies. (after a couple decades of steroid nasal spray and other remedies and 3 sinus surgeries and a ton of antibiotics)

 

Sounds like you had a great day...the gym and the pool.  I also think cutting your supplement dose in half is a good start.  Eat well and you can throw away food supplements.

 

Grace

[DazzlingCold]

16 minutes ago, savinggrace said:

This is a good start.

 

As far as allergies go,  years ago we did everything inside the house needed to be done to avoid dust/mold.  We have all wood floors and no curtains.  I also avoid chemicals at all costs, eat organically and whole, non-process food and am gluten, dairy, corn, soy, low histamine....etc. free as a diet.  I have an air cleaner running in my bedroom and we have a high-efficiency whole house air-cleaner on our furnace/air conditioner.  As stated earlier I do nasal irrigation every single day; symptoms or not.  We wash all the bedding weekly; basically have a pretty clean house.  I got rid of "old stuff" (such as books, magazines, memorabiia) because, although it was stored away it smelled like mold.  We make sure to keep the house on the drier side (but not too dry) with a whole house de-humidifier.

 

If I think of anything else I do to control my allergies/chemical sensitivites, I will write.  Don't let this over-whelm you.  It didn't just happen overnight.  We started by ripping out the carpet in one bedroom 25 years ago and proceeded to put wood or ceramic floors in the entire house over the next 15 years.  I am by no means symptom-free but I take no drugs for my allergies. (after a couple decades of steroid nasal spray and other remedies and 3 sinus surgeries and a ton of antibiotics)

 

Sounds like you had a great day...the gym and the pool.  I also think cutting your supplement dose in half is a good start.  Eat well and you can throw away food supplements.

 

Grace

Well, it sounds like you have done a lot to help yourself. Im glad to hear you don’t take allergy meds anymore! Your story and knowledge inspired me to look more into foods since yesterday or two days ago and the rabbit hole took me to low histamine foods which I am currently trying yo buy. I researched my genetics more and I don’t know if Ive mentioned this but I am a little prone to inflammation because my body doesn’t get rid of histamines as much/easy and I can’t remember right now but there was another gene that didn’t work for me in regards to histamines and inflammation. 
if I may continue to pick your brain… what do you eat on hard days that you don’t want to cook with a low histamine diet?
Your info is helpful, as always. Thanks @savinggrace

[savinggrace]

Dazzling Cold,

 

I hesitate to post what I eat because of all my allergies and my histamine intolerance (which I never had, food-wise, until serious withdrawal kicked in)...

 

Here is what I eat primarily...it is boring and monotonous and all has to be prepared at home.  I am averse to eating in restaurants any more (even pre-COVID)  as the food is likely very low quality, not organic and not likely to be handled in a friendly histamine way.  (FRESH AS POSSIBLE)

 

So, with all my allergies and sensitivities, and considering everything I listed in an earlier post, there are more considerations for me...

 

I get a lot of calories from "bread" we make out of organic ground flax seeds, organic gluten-free oats, two eggs for a dozen pieces (eggs are high histamine but less so if baked), olive oil and baking powder and water.  I get good fat, protein, some carbs and most importantly calories and fiber from this as I weigh 88#.  It keeps my motility moving because of the flax.  I eat it twice a day with a little bit of organic sunflower seed butter.

 

My other meals include shredded and gently cooked organic chicken (we cook a lot of servings and freeze it in jars for a month at a time so we don't have to cook every day).  I also eat butternut and acorn squash, summer squash, broccoli, and brussel sprouts.  Lately I have been indulging in about 1/4 of an apple/day, but I am not sure my gut is liking this.  I used to eat berries and citrus every day but became intolerant to both.

I realize I am missing many nutrients here.  I am doing the best I can.

 

I would caution you NOT to eat too carefully by limiting yourself too much because you may become sensitized to the foods you eat over and over.  That has happened to me.  I just don't know what else to eat.  I have a casein allergy so that eliminates milk and test positive for eggs but find I tolerate them baked in something.

 

I only drink water.  My biggest histamine indulgence is dark chocolage (no sugar) which i eat sparingly and in extreme moderation.  It is the only thing that I enjoy but I know I shouldn't eat it.  Cutting out coffee was super hard.

 

I am underweight and malnourished and can't seem to find a way out of this.  I experiment with new foods often and always come back to these safe(r) foods.  I do not recommend that anyone eats this way.  I have a lot of gut dysfunction...gastroparesis, SIBO, IBS and Barrett's esophagus.  There is a reason for every food I don't eat.  I am trying to control symptoms from all these conditions.  I take no medication for any of them but am sure they were all caused by my psych meds.

 

By no means do I recommend this diet to anyone.  These are just ideas for you.

Grace

[DazzlingCold]

2 hours ago, savinggrace said:

Dazzling Cold,

 

I hesitate to post what I eat because of all my allergies and my histamine intolerance (which I never had, food-wise, until serious withdrawal kicked in)...

 

Here is what I eat primarily...it is boring and monotonous and all has to be prepared at home.  I am averse to eating in restaurants any more (even pre-COVID)  as the food is likely very low quality, not organic and not likely to be handled in a friendly histamine way.  (FRESH AS POSSIBLE)

 

So, with all my allergies and sensitivities, and considering everything I listed in an earlier post, there are more considerations for me...

 

I get a lot of calories from "bread" we make out of organic ground flax seeds, organic gluten-free oats, two eggs for a dozen pieces (eggs are high histamine but less so if baked), olive oil and baking powder and water.  I get good fat, protein, some carbs and most importantly calories and fiber from this as I weigh 88#.  It keeps my motility moving because of the flax.  I eat it twice a day with a little bit of organic sunflower seed butter.

 

My other meals include shredded and gently cooked organic chicken (we cook a lot of servings and freeze it in jars for a month at a time so we don't have to cook every day).  I also eat butternut and acorn squash, summer squash, broccoli, and brussel sprouts.  Lately I have been indulging in about 1/4 of an apple/day, but I am not sure my gut is liking this.  I used to eat berries and citrus every day but became intolerant to both.

I realize I am missing many nutrients here.  I am doing the best I can.

 

I would caution you NOT to eat too carefully by limiting yourself too much because you may become sensitized to the foods you eat over and over.  That has happened to me.  I just don't know what else to eat.  I have a casein allergy so that eliminates milk and test positive for eggs but find I tolerate them baked in something.

 

I only drink water.  My biggest histamine indulgence is dark chocolage (no sugar) which i eat sparingly and in extreme moderation.  It is the only thing that I enjoy but I know I shouldn't eat it.  Cutting out coffee was super hard.

 

I am underweight and malnourished and can't seem to find a way out of this.  I experiment with new foods often and always come back to these safe(r) foods.  I do not recommend that anyone eats this way.  I have a lot of gut dysfunction...gastroparesis, SIBO, IBS and Barrett's esophagus.  There is a reason for every food I don't eat.  I am trying to control symptoms from all these conditions.  I take no medication for any of them but am sure they were all caused by my psych meds.

 

By no means do I recommend this diet to anyone.  These are just ideas for you.

Grace

Oh no @savinggrace Im sorry to hear the struggles. Thanks for sharing your experiences. Ok, so definitely not eating too carefully. Glad to know that.  hope you get nourishment you need. Praying praying 🙏🏼 

[DazzlingCold]

Date May 22,2022

Slept 7 hours last night

 

7:00am woke up with anxiety 

7:30am breakfast, lexapro liquid 7.5mg, wellbutrin 37.5, zyrtec 10mg, singulair 10mgmoving helps anxiety, but felt anxious again 

8:00am anxiety brings about this elevated mood with lower inhibition and more impulsiveness around this time the past week 

12pm wellbutrin 37.5, guaifesin 400mg, 1 vit and min (lowering as it may be harming more than helping) 

2pm tired of palpitations/restlessness/anxiety so worked out for 1st time again in 2 months 

4pm pool with friend 

7pm dinner, fish oil 2600mg

9:30 pm bed, magnesium glycinate 200mg, melatonin 0.37 mg, probiotics 5billions, lactium 16mg 

10pm anxious, seems like unless I am active I start noticing more (or getting) anxious

 

Despite the anxiety and overstimulation I felt, today was a good day. I was able to accomplish a lot more than I have in 1 day this past month. Didn’t take as much magnesium or melatonin and no l theanine as working out, being outside and connecting helped me wind down. The days I’ve woken up with anxiety I’ve experienced elevated mood with lower inhibition and more impulsiveness around 30min-hour after waking up. It’s uncomfortable. I feel out of control. At least through the last couple of years, I’ve noticed i get like that at times. 

 

I am slowly getting into cleaner foods. I have incorporated some fruits regularly on my diet the past two weeks. Today, I lowered the multi vitamin and mineral I take to half what I take as it may contain vitamins I don’t need more of and that may be making me feel worse. I wonder if Im waking up with more anxiety when I take l theanine. 

 

Been reading on low histamine things as my genetics point to proneness for inflammation due to histamine issues and trying to look for options to help my allergies to avoid steroids and antibiotics in the future. I read stories of people tapering or completely off psych meds that developed a lot of intolerances. I wonder if that is most people or just a few. Or if intolerances were always there just exacerbated by WD. Just curious as it would be great to know what to expect since I am already prone to inflammation.

 

Edited May 23, 2022 by ChessieCat
Resized font

[Altostrata]

2 hours ago, DazzlingCold said:

7:30am breakfast, lexapro liquid 7.5mg, wellbutrin 37.5, zyrtec 10mg, singulair 10mgmoving helps anxiety, but felt anxious again 

8:00am anxiety brings about this elevated mood with lower inhibition and more impulsiveness around this time the past week 

 

Does this anxiety with elevated mood occur at any other times of day?

[DazzlingCold]

4 minutes ago, Altostrata said:

 

Does this anxiety with elevated mood occur at any other times of day?

Sometimes evenings, sometimes not at all. Sometimes it happenned almost all day, looking back. I think it’s happened less since my med drop in April 2022. But I’ve noticed this elevated mood happens after anxiety, as if my mind turns to some ideal happiness (not real, but ideal) in hopes to avoid anxiety. Like it goes the opposite way in an attempt to avoid. Except I feel I don’t have control once it happens. Or I have to tell myself to center, focus, remember what’s important, be aware and don’t act ir decide when in that state.

[DazzlingCold]

On 4/17/2022 at 11:27 PM, divegrl said:

Just stopping by to say hi as I was on Wellbutrin 150 for many years. 
 

Wishing you the best. 

Hello! Im not sure if ive reached out but wanted to see how your taper was going? I think you are done right? In your signature I see you went from Wellbutrin 150mg XL to 75mg IR. How did you feel?

[DazzlingCold]

Date May 23,2022

 

Slept 7 hours last night with half the supplements I take before bed. Woke up at 3 am. Wondering if related to histamine dump. I did have dinner “late”. That affects my sleep. 

 

6:30am woke up

7:am some palpitations, breakfast, wellbutrin 37.5mg. Lexapro liquid 7.5mg, Singulair 10mg, Zyrtec 10mg, 1 puff spiriva respimat

8:30am working, light sensitivity, feeling a little nauseous, some reflux

10:30 hungry. I get hungry at this time I’ve noticed. Tired

12pm lunch, wellbutrin 37.5mg, 1/5 dose of vit and min, itching after food and vitamins, palpitations 

1:30pm nausea, dizziness, anxiety, light sensitivity

3:30pm dizziness, nausea

4pm wellbutrinXL 37.5mg, pain from workout yesterday 

5:30pm dinner, fish oil 2600mg

6:30pm nauseous, queasy 

8pm Neti pot, palpitations all day

9:15pm  in bed, magnesium glycinate 200mg, 0.75mg melatonin, lactium 167mg, probiotics 5billion

10:30pm sleep, have been getting scared at night like when young

 

Noticed itching/flushing sensation on face and upper body today and yesterday after eating chicken, collagen powder, cabbage, celery, onion, yogurt, spices, beef bouillon, dill weed, 1vit and min.

 

 Does portracted withdrawal, aside from AD symptoms, from tapering fast and changing drugs in the past accumulate with current WD?

[Altostrata]

2 hours ago, DazzlingCold said:

 Does portracted withdrawal, aside from AD symptoms, from tapering fast and changing drugs in the past accumulate with current WD?

 

Serial compilation of drug withdrawal doesn't do your nervous system any good, if that's what you're asking.

 

Please indicate those periods of elevated mood in your daily notes.

[DazzlingCold]

2 hours ago, Altostrata said:

 

Serial compilation of drug withdrawal doesn't do your nervous system any good, if that's what you're asking.

 

Please indicate those periods of elevated mood in your daily notes.

Thank you, will do.

i mainly want to know how long would be for me to hold after my big reduction April and May 2022 considering the jumping around drugs for about 13 years before. Thoughts?

[Altostrata]

I have no idea. I am not able to predict the future.