Susu: New Here In Need of Help!

[susu]

Thanks, I already looked it up and might order some Lactium. I don't know about the Seriphos. I wonder which one works more effectively? Guess it must be an individual thing.

 

God bless everyone and I will report back tomorrow, luv, susu

 

P.S Tomorrow will have been my oldest daughter's birthday. She would be 39 now. I lost her to suicide on Mother's Day 1990. I pray that I will be ok 2morrow because my emotions are so fragile. I miss her so much!

[Barbarannamated]

Susu,

 

I am so sorry about your daughter. I cannot imagine that pain.

 

Sending you healing and peaceful energy.

 

B

[Jemima]

Well, I am keeping the paxil at 2mg, I had awful night, high anxiety!

 

GOOD NEWS ---- I am having I guess what is called a window cause for more than an hour I have not felt w/d pains, and can breathe and think.. I got out of bed and walked on treadmill 15 min. I emptied the dishwasher and listened to music and enjoyed it. WOW WOW This just came out of nowhere. I don't think that updose last night could have done this. Do you, Jemima?

 

I have found that when I went to the counselor, I got extremely stressed and it affected the whole day. I'm just going to be careful how long I expose myself to situations that stress me which is basically everything outside my house.

 

Anyhow, I'm enjoying this break no matter how short it is. It will give me hope that I can get better.

 

 

Good to hear. The improvement may have been caused by any number of things - stabilizing on Ativan, the updose - heck, for all I know, the weather or a butterfly flapping its wings in Zimbabwi.

 

You may have read this topic before, but here's more on the 'Waves and Windows' pattern of recovery: http://survivingantidepressants.org/index.php?/topic/82-the-windows-and-waves-pattern-of-recovery/

 

If you're able to have a good day or even an hour now, that's very promising. It may take a while, but I'd bet that you will recover in time. No, I don't have any idea how long it will take. I am sure, however, that what it will take will be a lot of patience.

 

Hoping for the best,

 

Jemima

[susu]

Ok, today I just bombed out. Emotionally unstable, tried to get out with my husband and did too much and I got stressed out, crying, etc. He has no understanding about any of this. I hope he will be able to endure this. It is hard on him that I am no longer able to be the way I was. Now that I am this invalid. Everytime I go out, I start to have panic attacks. I hate the way that I am now. He hates it too.

[Jemima]

Try wearing sunglasses when you go out. Withdrawal from antidepressants can cause extreme sensitivity to light (and sound) because withdrawal elevates cortisol levels. It helped me to go out and run my errands at twilight, after the sun went down but before dark, when people start driving with headlights on.

 

And don't overdo it. Maybe run one errand or two short errands at a time. Postpone extensive shopping trips or social events until you feel better.

 

Be easy on yourself. Maybe your husband could sign onto this forum and do some reading? It might help him understand that other people are suffering from withdrawal too, and that you will eventially get better.

[susu]

Due to the unsettling day I had Sat. I find my w/d symptoms worse than ever. I don't understand any of this. Thanks for the suggestions, Jemima. Hey where is Skyler? Still around, I hope.

 

Hope you are having a great day and I'll check in later. Susu

[Skyler]

Due to the unsettling day I had Sat. I find my w/d symptoms worse than ever. I don't understand any of this. Thanks for the suggestions, Jemima. Hey where is Skyler? Still around, I hope.

 

Hope you are having a great day and I'll check in later. Susu

Overall, how have you felt since you started to take the .75 to 1 mgs ativan. Are things better, same, worse? Has there been any change at all. Do you find the more frequent dosing helpful, as would be expected? There should be less fluctuation during the course of your day, but is there improvement from day to day.

 

Be Specific, Alto, Jemima and the 'crew' can help best this way, yes? And you are to be congratulated for the clarity of your more recent posts.. GOOD GOING!

 

Susan, I'm still reading but I opted to fall into the background as there are too many professional real world responsibilities in my life at present. This is why I"m not responding as usual.

[Barbarannamated]

Susu,

 

All of the emotion on the anniversary of the tragic loss of your daughter are likely intensified, also. I'm sorry you had such a rough day although it is understandable under the best of circumstances.

 

Hugs.

 

B

[susu]

Lost my reply twice, so I have nothing to say, except little overall improvement.

 

Good to see you back on Skyler, missed you.

 

Been in bed all day.

 

Lots of anxiety and poor sleep.

 

 

Thanks for your concern, Barb

[susu]

QUESTION??

 

What can I take for a cold? I have avoided all medicine until now, but my cold n congestion has not gone away. I use saline rinses for my nose and tonight I will use a humidifier. This has been going on for a couple of weeks now. I had it before Christmas.

 

What about antibiotics? Can you take those? Also, can you take pain medicine?

 

Thanks for your reply.

[Jemima]

To the best of my knowledge, there is no cure for the common cold. You just have to tough it out.

[susu]

What about antibiotics? Can you take those? Also, can you take pain medicine?

 

[susu]

When will this overwhelming depression lift? I feel like the rest of my life is ruined and that this is all hopeless.

 

Is there any hope or encouragement that I will finally feel like I can live. Right now everything is so very dark and hopeless.

[Sparrow]

Susu, antibiotics won't do anything for a cold virus. As for pain, acetaminophen (Tylenol) or ibuprofen (Advil) should be fine if you normally tolerate them.

 

I can't tell you when the depression will lift, but I can tell you that your life is not going to be ruined. You're going to experience ups and downs, better days and worse days. The apparent randomness of the windows-and-waves pattern in recovery can be extremely frustrating, and I understand your sense of hopelessness well.

 

Please try to hang on to the knowledge that it WILL get better eventually. Because it will. It's really, really hard right now, but it won't be like that forever.

 

Sparrow

[Wingbatty]

Hi Susu - I've read through most of this thread & I don't know enough about your medications to give you any advice about that.

 

All I can say is that I've been there, and I totally know what you are feeling right now (more or less!) and my heart goes out to you. I hope you have a good day today, and I'm so sorry.

 

I did skip a couple of pages because I didn't understand the meds discussion, so I'm wondering - how is your nose?

 

Are you exercising at all, even just walking every day? I saw you are in bed a lot. I know how sick you feel, but the more you can make yourself walk, the better. Especially outside, in the sunshine. I know this is hard because you just had skin cancer surgery :'-( but being outside helps me so much.

 

Also, are you eating frequently, every couple of hours? I have no idea why this helps, but it helps me so much when I'm tapering. Lots of good fats & proteins (no vegetable oils or trans fats), low carb. Now I'm on this diet by medical insistence, but when I tapered before it helped SO much with the nausea and icky feelings. I saw another reference to this here somewhere & it reminded me how much it helped. I think that having your blood sugar wrecked just makes everything else so much worse. I once went cold-turkey by mistake, on a trip (forgot the pills), and I remember the only relief I got was during meals.

 

I will watch your progress - hoping for the best for you -

[susu]

Thanks Sparrow and Wingbatty,

 

I really need the encouragement. The Dr. said that I have an URI and I am starting on antibiotics. I kinda thought this was different from a usual cold.

 

I've been reading on Dr. Healey's website about different meds being used to treat SSri disc. syndrome. The following were mentioned as helping, donepezil, varenicline, and sumatriptan. Has anyone ever tried these?

 

I would love to walk and enjoy nature. But, where I live it is very limited,major road construction. The weather has not been conducive to walking. Lots of cold and rain.

 

I do eat frequently to keep my blood sugar stable. thx for the suggestion wingbatty.

 

And Sparrow thx again for the encouragement. I truly hope that I start having better days!

[Altostrata]

I've been in contact with Dr. Healy, all of those drugs are experimental, he has not found reliable treatments yet.

 

Don't count on a silver bullet.

 

I believe I've mentioned several times that depression may be a SIDE EFFECT of your benzos. You are in a tough place because you need to stabilize on them and then probably very gradually go off.

 

In the meantime, you need to manage the depression as best you can.

[Sparrow]

Donepezil (Aricept) is an acetylcholinesterase inhibitor used in Alzheimer's disease.

 

Varenicline is the smoking-cessation drug Chantix.

 

Sumatriptan (Imitrex) is a triptan used to treat migraines and cluster headaches.

 

All three are powerful brain-affecting drugs, and all (particularly Chantix) have formidable side-effect profiles. I haven't read the Healy site, but I wouldn't touch any of these with a ten-foot pole while withdrawing from psych drugs.

 

There's not much on the subject of "What helps?" that Alto and the other capable members here haven't exhaustively researched. If there were a pill we could safely take that eased the misery of withdrawal, we'd all be taking it and there'd be no need for this forum.

 

Sparrow

[susu]

thanks alto for your reply

 

Why is this depression so much worse than the original depression? Is this depression from the benzos?

 

I do not feel that I am stabilizing on the ativan, what can I do? Taking more ativan would not be effective. Ativan has never worked on me as far as being sedating. It had more of energizing feeling w/o anxiety than anything. Could I crossover to valium and see if it is more sedating for me?

 

I know there is no magic answer, but there has to be someway I can be able to breathe and exist without being in agony.

 

Thank you, so much for your help!!! I am truly grateful. I wish that I had more upbeat comments, but this is reality for me now.

[Altostrata]

I believe I said up above and a number of times before that, yes, the depression could be from the benzos.

 

Aside from the depression, what are the symptoms you have that make you think you are not stabilizing?

[susu]

Alto, I still have extreme anxiety, restlessness, tension,tingling, inability to focus, hard to breathe, to just mention a few.

 

I was reading on this site under Healey about the use of St. Johns' Wort, and imipramine. Would St Johns Wort help the depression some?

 

Thanks

 

Also I cry a lot everyday.

[Jemima]

Susu, exactly what medications are you taking now, how much, and how often? If you're still changing your doses or failing to take some of them you'll be in a continual state of withdrawal.

 

St. John's Wort is an herb with unpredictable results. It's not a good idea for anyone going through withdrawal. Imipramine is just another antidepressant with its own side effects and it would also have to be tapered eventually.

 

THERE IS NO MAGIC BULLET.

[Altostrata]

Susu, this is an online support forum. None of us are doctors.

 

In my experience, and from what I've seen, there is no defined treatment for benzo or antidepressant withdrawal syndrome.

 

Dr. Healy has speculated about some treatments, but unless you can see him and discuss them with him, if I were you I would not grasp at them as solutions. Other than Dr. Healy, you will be unable to find a doctor who has a slightest shadow of a clue about treating your condition.

 

If the drugs themselves weren't dangerous, an ignorant doctor surely would be.

 

You've had a severe reaction, it will take a while for your nervous system to recover, and in all likelihood, you will have odd reactions to any other psychiatric drugs.

[Wingbatty]

With walking out, have you tried vinyasa yoga? I mention this one specifically because of the breathing. It has been HUGE for helping me manage anxiety.

 

I've been doing it long enough that in a really stressful situation (such as turbulence on an airplane - we fly a lot & I hate it) I can picture myself doing the vinyasa, force the breathing, and completely calm down. It's like a miracle. I would suggest it so much. My stepmother was a counselor for a state mental health facility for many years. She talked a lot about breathing for managing anxiety - the yoga helped me to learn how to do this.

[Wingbatty]

Adding - I just read a posting on this site within the past few days where someone said St Johns Wort actually made her depression worse during withdrawal... personally I never felt anything from taking it. What it might do in a withdrawal situation I just don't know and this probably depends on your system.

 

Magnesium is helping me feel calmer at night, so I'm sleeping better. If you can tolerate melatonin (take it 2 hours before you want to sleep) it helps me a lot, too. I don't know how you are, but I get into a terrible cycle where I'm too anxious to sleep (or sleep well) and I get more & more exhausted to the point where I can't manage my emotions at all. It's really important not to get to that point. You need to be well rested to fight this.

[susu]

Thank you all for your replys

 

I am taking my meds steadily and correctly with no variation. .25 ativan, 8,1 6,bed

2mg paxil 10am, at night melatonin and Trazodone 50mg. Also am taking amoxicillin twice a day. I do fish oil and mag but can't tell it helps. Epsom salt baths do help.

 

Thanks wingbatty, I will look into that yoga!!

[susu]

Taking 1000mg amoxicillin is too stimulating for me. I can only take 500mg a day. Has anyone else had the problem?

 

Thanks for your thoughts on this. susu

[susu]

So, is tramodal bad to take for pain during SSRi withdrawal. I may have to have serious Dental work done. Is tylenol with codeine better to take during W/D?

[flower]

Susu coming off tramadol was a nightmare for me..Don't take it for long and it was activating for me at first. Very addictive med.

[susu]

This is an interesting drink!!! Not available everywhere though and it is expensive.

 

Good ingredients

 

http://www.shop-vitalitybrands.com/products/chillax-1lt

[susu]

Hello everyone, I've missed hearing from you.

 

Update on me

 

Still on same dose of everything. Still having suicidal ideations, awful anxiety, insomnia, etc , etc. blah

 

Got some milk peptides, help some. Will get some niacinamide or glycine, trying to find something to help w/sleep. Melatonin, chamomille, not working. How much Mag should I take at night? Need to find something to help the sleep patterns.

 

On a good note, my upper respiratory infection is better. Not so much coughing and congestion. Still taking half the antibiotic a day. 500mg instead of 1000mg amoxicillin.

 

Does anyone have several suggestions for sleep supplements that worked for them. I've read about them in search.

 

Here's a big HUG to all of you for doing such a great job of helping us!!!!!!!!!!!!! Susu

[Sparrow]

No suggestions about supplements, but these things helped me:

 

1. A totally dark bedroom. Get light-blocking curtains if you need to; this is really important to help regulate your sleep/wake and cortisol/melatonin cycles. Add a sleep mask if necessary. (Keep a little flashlight on your nightstand for when you need to get up during the night.)

 

2. Running a small fan for a continuous, even background of "white noise."

 

3. Magnesium-salt baths.

 

4. Eating a light snack an hour or so before bedtime.

 

Sparrow

[flower]

Susu doesn't that trazadone even make you sleepy? Do you have any noise in your ears? I hope you get some rest soon and recharge your batteries ,so to speak. I wish you some peace..Actually, I wish all of us some peace.

[susu]

Thanks Sparrow and Flower for your replies

 

A special Hello to Jemima, Dalsaan, Skyler and Alto, well and everyone!

 

As far as sleep goes; I

 

1.Have dark shades

2.Have white noise machine

3.Use earplugs

4.Have Flashlight by bed

5.Do Mag. salt bath or foot soak

 

The trazodone gives me 3 hours or so sleep. Sleepy time tea helps some. But like I've read in the posts, what works one night might not work another night. Milk peptides help some too.

 

This morning was better than others in that I didn't wake up with extreme dread/depression So, yea for that!!!

 

Still looking for a window to appear! HELLO window are you out there or what?

 

OH,btw, I have jury duty, I will have to get a Drs note on that one this week. I couldn't even make an appearance. I don't think they'd want someone who feels they had a prefrontal lobotomy.

 

The nose cancer spot is healing, maybe bandages another month or two. I have lost weight and lost some hair so there's no telling what I will look like when I come through on the other side of this rabbit hole.

 

Luv to all, Susu

[susu]

FOR WOMEN ONLY

 

Ok, Here's the story and I hope some female can respond to this!

 

I had been doing Epsom salts baths which have really helped, but now I have a problem. After 2 nights of doing them, I awoke and have had pain in my urethra for 3-4 days. I think that it is irritated and inflamed from the bath salts. So, only foot soaks for me. Now, I may have to go to the gynecologist. There certainly can't be an infection because I'm taking antibiotics for the URI I had.

 

SO, has anyone had something like this happen from bath salts or anything else?

 

Appreciate your help on this, Susu

 

I wish my body would just shut up!

[flower]

uh oh..I never gave that a thought but I could see that happening to me. I was a little itchy down there for a few days this last time but didn't put it together. It went away after a few days. I do get dizzy if I do the baths to often. I now measure a half cup for only a 10 minute soak. One time I swished it around in my mouth and got really dizzy..We can't seem to win..Maybe a shower for a day or 2 will ease that up? Easy on the salts.