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Dream while awake? Sleep paralysis, hypnogogic hallucinations, sleep-state misperception


Phil

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  • Moderator Emeritus

As Alto said above, hallucinations are a known, "acceptable" withdrawal symptom.  Not everyone gets them in psychiatric drug withdrawal, but they're not uncommon either.

 

As for whether or not to hold on your taper, I'd guess that if the hallucinations aren't interfering with your daily functioning it would be okay to continue the taper.  If you're seeing things that aren't there while driving or doing other activities of daily living, for example, then it would probably be a good idea to hold until the hallucinations stop.  But please keep in mind that this is only a guess.

 

I would also guess that hallucinations come from the brain repairing itself in the haphazard way it does when recovering from psychiatric drug withdrawal. 

Psychotropic drug history: Pristiq 50 mg. (mid-September 2010 through February 2011), Remeron (mid-September 2010 through January 2011), Lexapro 10 mg. (mid-February 2011 through mid-December 2011), Lorazepam (Ativan) 1 mg. as needed mid-September 2010 through early March 2012

"Never attribute to malice that which is adequately explained by stupidity." -Hanlon's Razor


Introduction: http://survivingantidepressants.org/index.php?/topic/1588-introducing-jemima/

 

Success Story: http://survivingantidepressants.org/index.php?/topic/6263-success-jemima-survives-lexapro-and-dr-dickhead-too/

Please note that I am not a medical professional and my advice is based on personal experience, reading, and anecdotal information posted by other sufferers.

 

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Bellismo is much better now -- see her Intro topic.

This is not medical advice. Discuss any decisions about your medical care with a knowledgeable medical practitioner.

"It has become appallingly obvious that our technology has surpassed our humanity." -- Albert Einstein

All postings © copyrighted.

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  • 1 year later...

You people who have been having hallucinations during w/d

What did you see/smell/felt or doing now?

 

I saw alot of patterns on my wall, also spiders and animals. 
I heard big sounds like a bomb sometimes (but it wasnt there) 
I also had taste different, it felt like I had soil in my mounth and everything i ate tasted like that ><

 

happily it didnt stay for long but a few months atleast! 

2007 - 2013: was on citalopram (tried to quit a few times, never worked, always went back on. max dose 40mg)

2012-2013: was tapering my citalopram all down to 2,5 mg then quit.
2013/aug: Took  my last pill 

W/D hit me bad after a few weeks off my medicine.

2014/August: 12 months off (much improved)

2015/April: 20months off. ( much improved, still some symtoms comes in waves, but not so intense.)

2015/june: 22months off. FELT different than before, all shakings suddenly stopped, feel much better. a fantastic feeling!

2016/Feb : 2 years and 6 months off, END of my suffering. I feel perfectly fine and back to normal. 
2018/Oct: Iam still feeling great. It is hard to believe my own story when I read back, what I went through!

 

 

 

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I never actually thought of them as true 'hallucinations', but more like sensory or perception disturbances. Visually, I was seeing shadow animals, mostly cats. I got some loud head noises, things like a door slamming, an explosion and some trains going through my room. I got a metallic taste in my mouth and phantom smells.

 

For a while, especially when I went out and my DP/DR got particularly bad, it would seem like things were moving (when they weren't), or changing shape, it was like everything was being reflected in one of those distorted mirrors, and colors were not right.

 

I'm not sure what its called but I also had episodes where my senses were getting mixed up, I was tasting smells and feeling sounds.

 

Most of this has settled down for me now, but I've had a few loud head sounds lately, not as bad as they were a few years back though.

I'm not a doctor.  My comments are not medical advise. These are my opinions based on my own experience and what I've learned. Please discuss your situation with a medical practitioner who has knowledge of tapering and withdrawal...if you are lucky enough to find one.

My Introduction Thread

Full Drug and Withdrawal History

Brief Summary

Several SSRIs for 13 years starting 1997 (for mild to moderate partly situational anxiety) Xanax PRN ~ Various other drugs over the years for side effects

2 month 'taper' off Lexapro 2010

Short acute withdrawal, followed by 2 -3 months of improvement then delayed protracted withdrawal

DX ADHD followed by several years of stimulants and other drugs trying to manage increasing symptoms

Failed reinstatement of Lexapro and trial of Prozac (became suicidal)

May 2013 Found SA, learned about withdrawal, stopped taking drugs...healing begins.

Protracted withdrawal, with a very sensitized nervous system, slowly recovering as time passes

Supplements which have helped: Vitamin C, Magnesium, Taurine

Bad reactions: Many supplements but mostly fish oil and Vitamin D

June 2016 - Started daily juicing, mostly vegetables and lots of greens.

Aug 2016 - Oct 2016 Best window ever, felt almost completely recovered

Oct 2016 -Symptoms returned - bad days and less bad days.

April 2018 - No windows, but significant improvement, it feels like permanent full recovery is close.

VIDEO: Where did the chemical imbalance theory come from?



VIDEO: How are psychiatric diagnoses made?



VIDEO: Why do psychiatric drugs have withdrawal syndromes?



VIDEO: Can psychiatric drugs cause long-lasting negative effects?

VIDEO: Dr. Claire Weekes

 

 

 

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"episodes where my senses were getting mixed up"

I could hear my eyeballs move... they made a sound it came when brain zaps hit me every time I moved my eyes. 

 

Shadows out of the corner of my eye always moving there was never anything there.  Blobs of transparent colour on top of any visual picture but often on paper or the sky or yellow balls floating in the air on the wall... just floating around or over some part of my visual field. 

 

Sudden fear so believable I reacted to it jumped fences ran ect...

 

A sense that something was in a place like an animal was under a shrub ect I could not hear or see it but I knew it was there so I would check....  and there actually was an animal... that was freaky. 

WARNING THIS WILL BE LONG
Had a car accident in 85
Codeine was the pain med when I was release from hosp continuous use till 89
Given PROZAC by a specialist to help with nerve pain in my leg 89-90 not sure which year
Was not told a thing about it being a psych med thought it was a pain killer no info about psych side effects I went nuts had hallucinations. As I had a head injury and was diagnosed with a concussion in 85 I was sent to a head injury clinic in 1990 five years after the accident. I don't think they knew I had been on prozac I did not think it a big deal and never did finish the bottle of pills. I had tests of course lots of them. Was put into a pain clinic and given amitriptyline which stopped the withdrawal but had many side effects. But I could sleep something I had not done in a very long time the pain lessened. My mother got cancer in 94 they switched my meds to Zoloft to help deal with this pressure as I was her main care giver she died in 96. I stopped zoloft in 96 had withdrawal was put on paxil went nutty quit it ct put on resperidol quit it ct had withdrawal was put on Effexor... 2years later celexa was added 20mg then increased to 40mg huge personality change went wild. Did too fast taper off Celexa 05 as I felt unwell for a long time prior... quit Effexor 150mg ct 07 found ****** 8 months into withdrawal learned some things was banned from there in 08 have kept learning since. there is really not enough room here to put my history but I have a lot of opinions about a lot of things especially any of the drugs mentioned above.
One thing I would like to add here is this tidbit ALL OPIATES INCREASE SEROTONIN it is not a huge jump to being in chronic pain to being put on an ssri/snri and opiates will affect your antidepressants and your thinking.

As I do not update much I will put my quit date Nov. 17 2007 I quit Effexor cold turkey. 

http://survivingantidepressants.org/index.php?/topic/1096-introducing-myself-btdt/

There is a crack in everything ..That's how the light gets in :)

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I never actually thought of them as true 'hallucinations', but more like sensory or perception disturbances. Visually, I was seeing shadow animals, mostly cats. I got some loud head noises, things like a door slamming, an explosion and some trains going through my room. I got a metallic taste in my mouth and phantom smells.

 

For a while, especially when I went out and my DP/DR got particularly bad, it would seem like things were moving (when they weren't), or changing shape, it was like everything was being reflected in one of those distorted mirrors, and colors were not right.

 

I'm not sure what its called but I also had episodes where my senses were getting mixed up, I was tasting smells and feeling sounds.

 

Most of this has settled down for me now, but I've had a few loud head sounds lately, not as bad as they were a few years back though.

I had it too , seeing shadow animals. I have two cats at my home , and sometimes I thought I saw them moving in the corner of my eye , but they weren't. It think it was WD related , I don't have it anymore. Another thing i had was hypnagogic hallucinations , like waking up thinking someone was calling my name. One time i had explosion head syndrome while falling asleep. All very weird.

 

I recall also hearing my cellphone tone for a message at times when in fact I didn't got any messages.

 

Hm not thought of that in a long time. In retrospect it really sounds strange. But this all passed.

Effexor free for 36 months. Still on 25mg of Solian.

Tapering Xanax and on a dose of 0,15mg , splitted in four doses.

Last reductions:
9/06: 1.875%
7/07: 2.5%

22/07: 1.96%

 

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"hypnagogic hallucinations , like waking up thinking someone was calling my name"

 

I have had that did not know it had a name and always found it difficult to shake a dream when I woke up ... this reminds me of a being on the drugs more then wd... 

line from a song

woke but the dream did not end ... Crow 

 

when I awoke

The dream didn't end

http://www.azlyrics.com/lyrics/sherylcrow/ordinarymorning.html

 

I wonder if people who took acid or LDS had these things... I don't know anyone who took it so I can't ask... but I wonder

 

There were tons of people seeing things out of the corner of their eyes at the effexor site and once one person said it everyone else was so relieved it is very common with Effexor at least

WARNING THIS WILL BE LONG
Had a car accident in 85
Codeine was the pain med when I was release from hosp continuous use till 89
Given PROZAC by a specialist to help with nerve pain in my leg 89-90 not sure which year
Was not told a thing about it being a psych med thought it was a pain killer no info about psych side effects I went nuts had hallucinations. As I had a head injury and was diagnosed with a concussion in 85 I was sent to a head injury clinic in 1990 five years after the accident. I don't think they knew I had been on prozac I did not think it a big deal and never did finish the bottle of pills. I had tests of course lots of them. Was put into a pain clinic and given amitriptyline which stopped the withdrawal but had many side effects. But I could sleep something I had not done in a very long time the pain lessened. My mother got cancer in 94 they switched my meds to Zoloft to help deal with this pressure as I was her main care giver she died in 96. I stopped zoloft in 96 had withdrawal was put on paxil went nutty quit it ct put on resperidol quit it ct had withdrawal was put on Effexor... 2years later celexa was added 20mg then increased to 40mg huge personality change went wild. Did too fast taper off Celexa 05 as I felt unwell for a long time prior... quit Effexor 150mg ct 07 found ****** 8 months into withdrawal learned some things was banned from there in 08 have kept learning since. there is really not enough room here to put my history but I have a lot of opinions about a lot of things especially any of the drugs mentioned above.
One thing I would like to add here is this tidbit ALL OPIATES INCREASE SEROTONIN it is not a huge jump to being in chronic pain to being put on an ssri/snri and opiates will affect your antidepressants and your thinking.

As I do not update much I will put my quit date Nov. 17 2007 I quit Effexor cold turkey. 

http://survivingantidepressants.org/index.php?/topic/1096-introducing-myself-btdt/

There is a crack in everything ..That's how the light gets in :)

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  • Mentor

CT from god knows what,  EVERYTHING,  3 weeks drugged to the eyeballs, sent home on nothing......... Hallucinations?  A sign side of the road, it said  "Your dad loves you"........ he suicided 40 years before................  our brains play tricks on us, to help us survive, I am sure................ no one else saw this mythical sign, but god, it helped me, stay sane enough, in my horrific, beyond belief withdrawals,  yep from everything given to me against my will, for three damn weeks, to CT............................  god they were cruel,  but they didnt know in the 90s, apparently these things arent addictive, remember? 

 

I have had the radio talking just to me....................... and only I knew they were talking just to me..........  anything happens in WD!!~!!      stay well, ignore the voices, ignore the signs,  and if the hallucination is fun, go with it! :)  Just make sure you are safely at home  :)

1992 Dothiepin 375mg 8 weeks, exhaustion/depression.  Serotonin syndrome, oh yes!  seizures . Fell pregnant, 3rd baby, Nitrous Oxide, 3 weeks mental hospital pp psychosis. zoloft tegretol.

Feb 1996 ct tegretol, tapered Zoloft 8 weeks. as (unexpectedly)  pregnant. Steven died after 3 days.(Zolft HLHS baby).  98 had run in with Paxil, 2 tablets, 3 weeks taper, survived.
2005..menopause? exhausted again. Zyprexa, mad in three days, fallout....  Seroquel, Effexor, tegretol,   and 8 years of self destruction. Failed taper.
Damn 1/4 valium... nuts again! .fallout, zoloft 100mg  seroquol 400mg mirtazapine 45 mg  tegretol 400mg.  Mid 14 3 month taper. Nov 14 CRASH.
Mid 15 ....   75mg  seroquel,  3 x 1800mg SJW  2 week window end of December followed by 6 week wave
5/2 68mg seroquel, 2.5 x 1800mg SJW::::20/2 61mg seroquel, 2.5 x  SJW::: 26/2 54mg seroquel, 2 x SJW::::21/3 43mg seroquel, 1 x 2700SJW :::: 23/4 36mg seroquel 1 x 1800 SJW
15/5 33mg seroquel, 1 x SJW::::   28/5 30mg seroquel, 1 x SJW::::;  18/6 25mg seroquel 1/2 SJW::::, 11/7 21mg seroquel 1/2 SJW::, 26/7 18mg seroquel 1/2 SJW:::, 9/8 12mg seroquel :::, 16/8 6mg seroquel ;;;;, 12/9 0 jump.

23/9  3mg.....,  27/9 0mg.  Reinstated, 6mg, then 12mg.............  LIGHTBULB MOMENT,  I have  MTHFR 2x mutations.  CFS and issues with MOULD in my home. So I left home, and working 150km away during week, loving it.

Oh was hard, panic attacks first week, gone now, along with the mould issues.

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  • Mentor

Now if you give me 1/2 a valium, wow, hallucinations!  space ship coming down to get me, and save me,  CIA coming through my wardrobe to rescue me............... helicopters above,  brainwaves linked between me and my rescuers,  good god, how I was sane enough to feed and look after my poor little bub,  god knows what my milk, was doing to my poor little baby!!!!!!!!!!    I was totally sane, before that damn valium!!!!!!

1992 Dothiepin 375mg 8 weeks, exhaustion/depression.  Serotonin syndrome, oh yes!  seizures . Fell pregnant, 3rd baby, Nitrous Oxide, 3 weeks mental hospital pp psychosis. zoloft tegretol.

Feb 1996 ct tegretol, tapered Zoloft 8 weeks. as (unexpectedly)  pregnant. Steven died after 3 days.(Zolft HLHS baby).  98 had run in with Paxil, 2 tablets, 3 weeks taper, survived.
2005..menopause? exhausted again. Zyprexa, mad in three days, fallout....  Seroquel, Effexor, tegretol,   and 8 years of self destruction. Failed taper.
Damn 1/4 valium... nuts again! .fallout, zoloft 100mg  seroquol 400mg mirtazapine 45 mg  tegretol 400mg.  Mid 14 3 month taper. Nov 14 CRASH.
Mid 15 ....   75mg  seroquel,  3 x 1800mg SJW  2 week window end of December followed by 6 week wave
5/2 68mg seroquel, 2.5 x 1800mg SJW::::20/2 61mg seroquel, 2.5 x  SJW::: 26/2 54mg seroquel, 2 x SJW::::21/3 43mg seroquel, 1 x 2700SJW :::: 23/4 36mg seroquel 1 x 1800 SJW
15/5 33mg seroquel, 1 x SJW::::   28/5 30mg seroquel, 1 x SJW::::;  18/6 25mg seroquel 1/2 SJW::::, 11/7 21mg seroquel 1/2 SJW::, 26/7 18mg seroquel 1/2 SJW:::, 9/8 12mg seroquel :::, 16/8 6mg seroquel ;;;;, 12/9 0 jump.

23/9  3mg.....,  27/9 0mg.  Reinstated, 6mg, then 12mg.............  LIGHTBULB MOMENT,  I have  MTHFR 2x mutations.  CFS and issues with MOULD in my home. So I left home, and working 150km away during week, loving it.

Oh was hard, panic attacks first week, gone now, along with the mould issues.

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  • 2 months later...

Hi, I tried searching to see if anyone else had had something similar but couldn't find anything.

 

Lastnight I was in bed trying to sleep, I was lying still thinking. I was thinking of a weird dream I'd had the previous night, then all of a sudden I was in that dream but while I was awake and there was a goblin and blood, then I kind of came too. It frightened the hell out of me.

I don't know if it was a weird hallucination or a dream while I was awake.

 

I'm so worried.

2001 - Prozac 20mg for a week weeks   2001- Venelaxafine 37.5 mg  2006 - Ciptralex 10mg I think   2008 - Mirtazipine (not sure of dose, was the lowest though).  2008 - Citalopram (standard dose)  2009 - Prozac 20mg until 29 Feb 2016  2016 - Setraline 25mg for 3 days (from March 3rd until March 5th).  2016 - 11th March Reinstated 5mg prozac. 26th May 2016 down to 4.5mg Prozac. 26June 2016 down to 4mg prozac. Back up to 5mg on 3rd July 2016.

Supplements - B- Complex, Flaxseed oil, L-lysine 1000mg, Iron 20mg. Spirulina 500mg. Quest Synergist Magnesium 150mg, Salmon oil 1000mg twice a day, Evening Primrose oil 500mg. 

Cipralex 10mg 17th July 2016.

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  • Moderator Emeritus

Hi moonstoneblue, 

 

I've had similar happen though very rarely.  I've read of others having such things, like they were dreaming before they fell asleep.  Just really strange stuff.  Try not to let it frighten you; it isn't anything permanent and is just another sign that your nervous system is trying to reorganize itself.  I don't know if it's a dream while awake or a hallucination, but it doesn't really matter other than to know it won't harm you, though unpleasant, and won't be a permanent fixture in your life :-)

 

SG

Started ADs back around 1995 after bad break-up, starting with Prozac.  Switched to Wellbutrin, and then to Effexor in 2002
Effexor XR 2002-2014 up to 225 mg at one point, down to 37.5 mg towards end but back up to 75 mg in 2014; now realize I had W/D as I dropped down, memory very poor about history.  Extreme emotions, poor concentration as I stepped back down, didn't connect the dots!
Summer 2014 reduced to 0 very quickly, was sick of anhedonia/sexual dysfunction due to meds, depression never controlled if not worse. Didn't recognize WD since symptoms built slowly (thought I had ADD! and menopausal on top of it), starting with severe sweats, very bad cog-fog and memory issues, culminating in weight loss, severe anxiety and depression, panic, severe apathy and insomnia by eight months off.  Saw p-doc who put me on Remeron, increased from 7.5 mg/day to 37.5 mg by May 22, 2015; still doing very badly though able to sleep.

June 1. 2015 Reinstated Effexor XR 37.5 mg, Remeron dropped to 30 mg PM. Immediate relief of symptoms, like nothing had ever happened!  Joined SA and began on advice of friend who recognized it was WD all along! Began tapering in July 2015.

Been tapering both meds ever since, focusing on one more than the other or doing no more than 5% of each per month.

12 mg Effexor and 5.8 mg Remeron (mirtazapine SolTabs to make a solution with OraPlus) as of 5/4/2017 

Update 3/14/18: 2.9 mg Remeron and 6 mg Effexor; 6/10/18:  2.6 mg Remeron and 4.9 mg Effexor

 

My intro: http://survivingantidepressants.org/index.php?/topic/9313-squirrellygirl-effexor-withdrawal-etc/page-2#entry196679

This is not medical advice. Discuss any decisions about your medical care with a knowledgeable medical practitioner.

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Hi squirrelly :)

Oh that's a relief I was scared I was slowly losing it or something. I've never in my life had such an experience, it was really scary.

I'm about to sleep now, so fingers crossed it won't happen again.

2001 - Prozac 20mg for a week weeks   2001- Venelaxafine 37.5 mg  2006 - Ciptralex 10mg I think   2008 - Mirtazipine (not sure of dose, was the lowest though).  2008 - Citalopram (standard dose)  2009 - Prozac 20mg until 29 Feb 2016  2016 - Setraline 25mg for 3 days (from March 3rd until March 5th).  2016 - 11th March Reinstated 5mg prozac. 26th May 2016 down to 4.5mg Prozac. 26June 2016 down to 4mg prozac. Back up to 5mg on 3rd July 2016.

Supplements - B- Complex, Flaxseed oil, L-lysine 1000mg, Iron 20mg. Spirulina 500mg. Quest Synergist Magnesium 150mg, Salmon oil 1000mg twice a day, Evening Primrose oil 500mg. 

Cipralex 10mg 17th July 2016.

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  • Moderator Emeritus

I've had two experiences like that since being in w/d, each as I was waiting to go to sleep.  Scared the heck out of me.  In one I was a little white box and I had come apart from the rest of the universe - it didn't recognise me anymore, like all my connections to existence had been cut.  Can't remember the details of the other one now, but I remember thinking they were some sort of hallucination. 

 

They were months ago now, and I've had no more.  You can put your feet in cold water to help get you out of the 'dream' state.  And over the next few days it'll probably feel less scary.

 

Hope you have sweet dreams now,

Karen

2010  Fluoxetine 20mg.  2011  Escitalopram 20mg.  2013 Tapered badly and destabilised CNS.  Effexor 150mg. 

2015 Begin using info at SurvivingAntidepressants.  Cut 10% - bad w/d 2 months, held 1 month. 

Micro-tapering: four weekly 0.4% cuts, hold 4 weeks (struggling with symptoms).

8 month hold.

2017 Micro-tapering: four weekly 1% cuts, hold 4 weeks (symptoms almost non-existent).

2020 Still micro-tapering. Just over 2/3 of the way off effexor. Minimal symptoms, - and sleeping well.
Supplements: Fish oil, vitamin C, iron, oat-straw tea, nettle tea.

2023 Now on 7 micro-beads of Effexor. Minimal symptoms but much more time needed between drops.

 'The possibility of renewal exists so long as life exists.'  Dr Gabor Mate.

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  • Moderator Emeritus

I've also had similar experiences earlier in my recovery process. It mostly happened to me in the mornings when I would wake up. I would be awake, but still dreaming. Its like my brain took longer to recognize that I was awake and needed to stop the dreaming process. Very early, while I was in acute withdrawal it would also happen when I was trying to go to sleep.

 

I agree that it can be very frightening if you don't understand what's happening. I didn't and was imagining all kinds of things were wrong with me.

 

This eventually stopped happening as my sleep system recovered. As SG noted, its not anything permanent and even if it does happen again, there's no need to worry.

I'm not a doctor.  My comments are not medical advise. These are my opinions based on my own experience and what I've learned. Please discuss your situation with a medical practitioner who has knowledge of tapering and withdrawal...if you are lucky enough to find one.

My Introduction Thread

Full Drug and Withdrawal History

Brief Summary

Several SSRIs for 13 years starting 1997 (for mild to moderate partly situational anxiety) Xanax PRN ~ Various other drugs over the years for side effects

2 month 'taper' off Lexapro 2010

Short acute withdrawal, followed by 2 -3 months of improvement then delayed protracted withdrawal

DX ADHD followed by several years of stimulants and other drugs trying to manage increasing symptoms

Failed reinstatement of Lexapro and trial of Prozac (became suicidal)

May 2013 Found SA, learned about withdrawal, stopped taking drugs...healing begins.

Protracted withdrawal, with a very sensitized nervous system, slowly recovering as time passes

Supplements which have helped: Vitamin C, Magnesium, Taurine

Bad reactions: Many supplements but mostly fish oil and Vitamin D

June 2016 - Started daily juicing, mostly vegetables and lots of greens.

Aug 2016 - Oct 2016 Best window ever, felt almost completely recovered

Oct 2016 -Symptoms returned - bad days and less bad days.

April 2018 - No windows, but significant improvement, it feels like permanent full recovery is close.

VIDEO: Where did the chemical imbalance theory come from?



VIDEO: How are psychiatric diagnoses made?



VIDEO: Why do psychiatric drugs have withdrawal syndromes?



VIDEO: Can psychiatric drugs cause long-lasting negative effects?

VIDEO: Dr. Claire Weekes

 

 

 

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  • Moderator Emeritus

"It mostly happened to me in the mornings when I would wake up."

 

I'm fairly certain I've had this happen a few times.  When it happened I just thought I was trying to stay in a dream that I had been having but what has been mentioned makes more sense.  I think one of them might have been a little bit scary, but all have definitely been weird.

* NO LONGER ACTIVE on SA *

MISSION ACCOMPLISHED:  (6 year taper)      0mg Pristiq  on 13th November 2021

ADs since ~1992:  25+ years - 1 unknown, Prozac (muscle weakness), Zoloft; citalopram (pooped out) CTed (very sick for 2.5 wks a few months after); Pristiq:  50mg 2012, 100mg beg 2013 (Serotonin Toxicity)  Tapering from Oct 2015 - 13 Nov 2021   LAST DOSE 0.0025mg

Post 0 updates start here    My tapering program     My Intro (goes to tapering graph)

 VIDEO:   Antidepressant Withdrawal Syndrome and its Management

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I get this in the morning or when I wake up in the middle of the night and try to go back to sleep. It was scary in the beginning but now I realize it's just my weird brain. I was even having one the other morning where I was going to be attacked by a dog and in the dream/awake dream the dog growled but it was so loud in my head that it sounded real and freaked me out. I try not to obsess about them since I have enough symptoms I obsess about already :/

Panic attacks-Prozac 20mg 4 years

Effexor 75mg approx 9 years

Effexor to Zoloft 25 mg approx almost 2 weeks

Also used very low dose of Valium 1 mg sometimes 2x a day for anxiety for a month during medication changes.

Zoloft to Celexa 10 mg approx a week

Celexa to Prozac 10 mg for approx 5 weeks

Weaned off Prozac 10-5-2.5 mg

As of 1-8-2016 off everything

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These are called hypnagogic/hypnopompic hallucinations (hypnagogic are the ones you have when falling asleep and hypnopompic are the ones you have while waking up) and they are quite common, even among people who have never taken meds, so try to not let it frighten you. I remember I once had one where I saw a HUGE spider coming down a web from the ceiling straight toward my face. It was very scary since my eyes were wide open! Some pretty strange things can happen in that limbo in between sleep and being fully awake. And of course given how these meds interfere with our sleep process, it's no wonder why these hallucinations are more frequent in WD.

 

ETA: Kind of off topic, but one very interesting thing I discovered when researching this was that spiders are the #1 sleep hallucination people have. It really makes you wonder about the idea of a "collective unconscious."

a.k.a JMarie

Paxil since Mar.1998

2006-2007:40-20mg
2009: 20mg to 14mg 2010: 14mg to 10.5mg 2011: 10.5 to 7.6mg  2012: 7.5 to 6.8mg

2013: 6.7-6.3mg 2014: 6.2mg-5.8mg 2015: 5.7 to 5.15mg 2016: 5.1-4.6mg

1/19/17: 4.5mg 3/17/17: 4.4mg

6/15/17: 4.35mg 8/10/17: 4.3mg

1/29/18: 4.1mg 5/07/18: 4.0mg

7/31/18: 3.9mg

 

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  • Administrator

You are actually lightly asleep but think you're awake.

 

Merged related topics.

This is not medical advice. Discuss any decisions about your medical care with a knowledgeable medical practitioner.

"It has become appallingly obvious that our technology has surpassed our humanity." -- Albert Einstein

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Thank you for all your replies you've put my mind at rest. I'm sorry you've all been through similar things though. I probably over worry and that doesn't help.

2001 - Prozac 20mg for a week weeks   2001- Venelaxafine 37.5 mg  2006 - Ciptralex 10mg I think   2008 - Mirtazipine (not sure of dose, was the lowest though).  2008 - Citalopram (standard dose)  2009 - Prozac 20mg until 29 Feb 2016  2016 - Setraline 25mg for 3 days (from March 3rd until March 5th).  2016 - 11th March Reinstated 5mg prozac. 26th May 2016 down to 4.5mg Prozac. 26June 2016 down to 4mg prozac. Back up to 5mg on 3rd July 2016.

Supplements - B- Complex, Flaxseed oil, L-lysine 1000mg, Iron 20mg. Spirulina 500mg. Quest Synergist Magnesium 150mg, Salmon oil 1000mg twice a day, Evening Primrose oil 500mg. 

Cipralex 10mg 17th July 2016.

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  • 5 months later...

Has anyone woke up unable to move or speak ? I had this happen to me this morning. I was wide awake unable to move or speak for what seemed an enternity desperately thirsty, it was so frightening.

Started Fluoxetine 40mg In 2010

Switched to citalopram 2011.Fluoxetine made me very drowsy.

Came off citalopram 2014 over 2 weeks tapering as advised by GP. Mild WD symptoms, brain zaps.

Almost 2 years med free, happy and less anxiety.

June 2016 start 20mg citalopram for anxiety, experince akathisa, intrusive harming thoughts, hallucinations, hypermania, negative ruminations, insomnia, no appetite, dioreah, racing thoughts/mind chatter.

Droped to 10mg for 1 week after 10 days on 20mg, then 1 week at 15mg by alternating doses then 1 week at 20mg before dropping to 10mg again for 1 week then 5 days at 5mg. Quick taper due to reaction.

Started .5mg lorozepam/ 2.5mg diazepam every other day from week 2 on cit sometimes daily for about 2 weeks stopped CT as was put on 25mg quetiapine.

Stopped cit 01/8/16. Stopped quetiapine 3/8/16

Taking fish oil

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  • ChessieCat changed the title to Nightmare while awake? Sleep paralysis, hypnogogic hallucinations, etc.
  • 3 months later...

Daisy sounds like sleep paralysis! 

No prior history

2018 -

July - 3 x 5 mg tablets of Diazepam halved into 2.5mg at a time as needed

August - 5 x 5 mg tablets of Diazepam halved into 2.5mg at a time as needed

September - 17 x 10mg doses of Escitalopram before ct

October - 10 x Roxithromycin antibiotic for a 3 week flu

November - fish oil, magnesium, flax-seed oil, Coq10 supplements

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  • 2 months later...

okay this is very weird...

 

when i got up and took my 8am meds and supplements, fed the dogs and talked to my Hubby getting ready for his workday, i went to grab a pistachio muffin (i'd beeing dreaming of it right before i woke up, as i used to do when i was younger dreaming of the sugary froot loops lol) and i knknew there was only 2 left because i ate one yesterday for breakfast and on tuesday i ate one soon as we got home from grocery shopping cause i was starvin! anyways they come in a plastic blister package with 4 muffins. so i was keeping mental tabs on how many were left!

bear with me i know this seems random and unimportant...

 

i got up and there were 3 muffins there,  so what happened to the delicious green pistachio muffin i distinctly remember eating esterday for breakfast? a waking dream? a fantasy filled with taste smell sound in my head?

 

ok so a couple of days ago when i was keeping the 3 day log here for the mods to see my symptoms before making any changes in my  drug dose/tapering schedule, on one day, i believe it was day 2,

i had woken up and( no clock then to look at in my room)🕗 , got up and took my 8am dose and gone back to sleep. then woke up thinking it was much later, due to my "alarm" of the dogs running into my room after my Hubbs leaves for work and jumping on me in my bed, and went in the other room and took what i thought was my 2nd dose of daytime meds. then i glanced at the clock -shocked it said 8:05am! 🕗

i panicked thinking oh no i took my 8am and later dose too close together but the medication box showed i was right on schedule, having just actually only swallowed my 8am dose at 8:05am and never having taken 2 doses as i thought. 

 

it was so profound to me that i had told my Hubbs that day and even had written it incorrectly the first time i wrote on my log the time i took my 8am and 2nd daytime doses, so that i had to go back and correct them. another waking dream?

 

how is it i had two different "waking dreams" where i got up and performed functions that involved walking into another room, feeding my dogs, eating drinking and swallowing meds, even typing my log out. and "went back to sleep" somehow it was all a dream?🌙

 

this is really messing with my head. 

 

is this also a "thing" in withdrawals? does anybody else have rather complex "waking dreams" where it makes you question reality because during the dream things seem exactly as real as the rest of the waking day? is this a "normal" part of the brain damage? 

 

i seriously feel like i am in an episode of the Twilight Zone.  i told my Hubbs that this morning after the muffin incident. 

UPDATED: 9/01/2019

Quetiapine:  2000-2005: 50mg;  2005: 100mg;   2008: 400mg;   2011: 100mg;   2014: 300mg;   2014-2017: 400mg;  7/2018-2/2019: 75mg;  1/2019: 68.75mg;  4/2019: completed switch to 3x daily dosing (25mg 8AM, 18.75mg 4PM, 25mg MIDNITE);  5/2019: 68.75mg (switched to all liquid taper using HUMCO suspension agent)  8/2019: 61mg       

Clonazepam:  2008: 2mg then 0.25mg;   2012: 0.5mg;   2014: 1mg;   4/2019: 1mg ~completed switch to 3x daily dosing (0.25mg 8AM, 0.25mg 2PM, 0.5mg 8PM);   8/2019: 1mg (switched to all liquid taper using propylene glycol as solvent)    

Gabapentin:   2011: 100mg;   2011: 200mg TID    2014: 300mg;  2017: 600mg;   2019: 900mg PM;   3/2019: completed switch to 3x daily dosing (300mg q8h)

Prior drugs: Please see this link:    (the remaining dates & meds records will be updated as i receive my complete medical files.)

Suppl's: Deva Vegan Multi & Mineral Supplement w/Greens 1x, Magnesium Lysinate Glycinate Chelate 100mg 4x, vit c 1000mg  2x, zinc gluconate 50mg 1x q.o.d., Allicin Max 180mg TID,  chlorella/spirulina 50/50 blend 2tabs 5x daily

HRT:  300mg oral progesterone h.s., 0.1mg estradiol transdermal patch 2x week

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  • ChessieCat changed the title to Nightmare / dream while awake? Sleep paralysis, hypnogogic hallucinations, etc.
On 6/23/2012 at 9:48 AM, Barbarannamated said:

Had hallucinations last night - very similar to febrile hallucinations I had as kid - I was stuck on ceiling looking down, things looked far away that are in the room. Ive never had this since I was a kid and didnt have a fever. Still scary. I'm very dizzy and disoriented this morning ( more than usual).

 

No people or hearing voices involved. Husband is at sister's about hour away. I texted him and told him, but no response.

 

Any thoughts?

 

i did this a s a child also, and later as an adult (before psych meds) rarely tho...i call that astral projection/leaving the body! didn't know it was a drug/meds thing!

UPDATED: 9/01/2019

Quetiapine:  2000-2005: 50mg;  2005: 100mg;   2008: 400mg;   2011: 100mg;   2014: 300mg;   2014-2017: 400mg;  7/2018-2/2019: 75mg;  1/2019: 68.75mg;  4/2019: completed switch to 3x daily dosing (25mg 8AM, 18.75mg 4PM, 25mg MIDNITE);  5/2019: 68.75mg (switched to all liquid taper using HUMCO suspension agent)  8/2019: 61mg       

Clonazepam:  2008: 2mg then 0.25mg;   2012: 0.5mg;   2014: 1mg;   4/2019: 1mg ~completed switch to 3x daily dosing (0.25mg 8AM, 0.25mg 2PM, 0.5mg 8PM);   8/2019: 1mg (switched to all liquid taper using propylene glycol as solvent)    

Gabapentin:   2011: 100mg;   2011: 200mg TID    2014: 300mg;  2017: 600mg;   2019: 900mg PM;   3/2019: completed switch to 3x daily dosing (300mg q8h)

Prior drugs: Please see this link:    (the remaining dates & meds records will be updated as i receive my complete medical files.)

Suppl's: Deva Vegan Multi & Mineral Supplement w/Greens 1x, Magnesium Lysinate Glycinate Chelate 100mg 4x, vit c 1000mg  2x, zinc gluconate 50mg 1x q.o.d., Allicin Max 180mg TID,  chlorella/spirulina 50/50 blend 2tabs 5x daily

HRT:  300mg oral progesterone h.s., 0.1mg estradiol transdermal patch 2x week

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On 9/18/2012 at 4:36 PM, Shanti said:

I just ordered a book called "Sleep Paralysis; A Dreamers Guide". It's about how to turn the crazy and terrifying sleep disorders such as Sleep Paralysis, Hypnogogic Hallucinations, Head Noise, Vibrations, etc. into a positive journey of Lucid Dreaming or Out of Body Experiences (OBE) It looks like a very good and practical book. I've had sleep disorders like this all of my life, and it's been magnified terribly since the w/d.

 

I'm going to stop fighting things and try to turn them positive. I feel like these things are "Dwellers on the threshold", that I need to stop fighting. Even before I had w/d syndrome, I had many experiences with symptoms upon falling asleep that remind me of the w/d symptoms (minus the zaps). The "whooshing" and "Buzzing" sound is known to happen before an OBE, or "Atral Traveling". I may be stepping out of the Symptom topics into the Finding Meaning area. But this discussion can be anything dream related, scientific or spiritual. Any thoughts?

 

 

Here is a website that gives good advice on how to turn these experiences into something positive. How To Stop Sleep Paralysis and Turn it Into a Lucid Dream.

 

I feel that if I can get a handle and an "allowed" control over these things, then it will help me get out of the emotional and anxiety dreams as well. I still have to take Stramonium every night before bed to keep me from the anxiety dreams. Truly, I feel that I have PTSD from a few of the anxiety dreams I had at the very beginning of my w/d experience. Even when the dreams at face value weren't scary or nightmarish, they had a very strong emotion, dread and doom feeling to them that still scares me when I think about it. I've never had dreams traumatize me so much.

 

good lord are you talking about datura stramonium aka devil's thornapple or jimsonweed? i hope not that stuff is toxic and deadly pisonous...a few of the seeds swallowed have killed people before!:o

UPDATED: 9/01/2019

Quetiapine:  2000-2005: 50mg;  2005: 100mg;   2008: 400mg;   2011: 100mg;   2014: 300mg;   2014-2017: 400mg;  7/2018-2/2019: 75mg;  1/2019: 68.75mg;  4/2019: completed switch to 3x daily dosing (25mg 8AM, 18.75mg 4PM, 25mg MIDNITE);  5/2019: 68.75mg (switched to all liquid taper using HUMCO suspension agent)  8/2019: 61mg       

Clonazepam:  2008: 2mg then 0.25mg;   2012: 0.5mg;   2014: 1mg;   4/2019: 1mg ~completed switch to 3x daily dosing (0.25mg 8AM, 0.25mg 2PM, 0.5mg 8PM);   8/2019: 1mg (switched to all liquid taper using propylene glycol as solvent)    

Gabapentin:   2011: 100mg;   2011: 200mg TID    2014: 300mg;  2017: 600mg;   2019: 900mg PM;   3/2019: completed switch to 3x daily dosing (300mg q8h)

Prior drugs: Please see this link:    (the remaining dates & meds records will be updated as i receive my complete medical files.)

Suppl's: Deva Vegan Multi & Mineral Supplement w/Greens 1x, Magnesium Lysinate Glycinate Chelate 100mg 4x, vit c 1000mg  2x, zinc gluconate 50mg 1x q.o.d., Allicin Max 180mg TID,  chlorella/spirulina 50/50 blend 2tabs 5x daily

HRT:  300mg oral progesterone h.s., 0.1mg estradiol transdermal patch 2x week

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  • 1 month later...

When I was young, I experimented much with this whole Lucid Dreaming thing. I managed to become quite good at lucid dreaming, creating dreams and keeping awerness in them. I experienced every falling asleep stage and learned how to manage any unwanted symptoms. Sleep paralyses accompanied my sleep since then and I figured out how to immidiately stop them or any dream in which I became aware. It is really simple and worked for many people that I advised it to. You have to TURN YOUR HEAD TO THE LEFT with full force. I don't know why head and why to the left, but non other move worked.

16th February 2019 - 27th February 2019:

Fluoxetine 20mg

 

7th April 2019 - 11th April 2019:

10mg paroxetine

 

11th April 2019 - 16th April 2019:

20mg paroxetine

 

21st March 2019 - now:

0,5mg alprazolam

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  • Altostrata changed the title to Dream while awake? Sleep paralysis, hypnogogic hallucinations, sleep-state misperception
  • 1 year later...

So I've been waking up too early the past few days and when I try to go back to sleep, I transition into a weird sleep-like state where I'm still awake but I can still see dreams and remember them, and I can still hear everything in my room/open my eyes on command/get up if I wanted to.

 

In a nutshell, I feel like I'm in a phase between falling asleep and being fully conscious but I can't seem to fall back asleep. This can go on for like three or four hours before I finally give up on trying to go back to sleep and get out of bed.

 

The dream-like experiences/imaginations? doesn't feature nightmares or anything negative so far, but it's disturbing because I feel like my brain has been so active and tired. It's like intense daydreaming, but with my eyes closed.

 

I don't necessarily feel sleep-deprived but I also feel like I'm lacking that deep, deep refreshing sleep upon waking up. Its like I took a 6-7hour nap as opposed to getting actual REM sleep. My brain also feels tired, like it's been active all night.

 

I wear an apple watch which confirms I do have a sleeping heart rate thru some of the night. But the time period where I'm trying to go back to sleep shows a higher heart rate, as if I'm awake.

 

Online searches tell me it could be Sleep State Misperception? Any information, tips, or guidance is much appreciated.

9/03/2021 25mg Sertraline

9/04/2021 25mg Sertraline

9/05/2021 25mg Sertraline

9/06/2021 25mg Sertraline

9/07/2021 12mg Sertraline

9/08/2021-Present 0mg Sertraline

Supplements: Fish oil, Magnesium body wash

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  • Administrator

See above. It sounds like you are in a state of lighter sleep.

This is not medical advice. Discuss any decisions about your medical care with a knowledgeable medical practitioner.

"It has become appallingly obvious that our technology has surpassed our humanity." -- Albert Einstein

All postings © copyrighted.

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