DJones: Celexa kindling reaction

[Djones1984]

Just had my birthday and felt like I don't even belong in this world anymore what is the **** in point.

[Djones1984]

This is the worst symptom since my adverse reaction almost 2 years ago. I have it to some degree everyday. I am down to 2mg of Celexa but still take klonopin .5mg daily and just wondering if this will ever go away while still on the meds or even when I am fully off?

[Skyler]

You might want to check out this thread.  I pulled it up by entering akathisia in the Symptoms and Self-Care Sub Forum, and you can pull up more information by doing same.  I merged this thread with your intro topic as it relates to your personal journey.  Thanks

[Djones1984]

Good read thank you! I am still on 2mg Celexa after I reinstated 5mg 2 years ago. I am just wondering if this very slow taper back to 0 is cousing the Akathesia to stay or if I would have been better off staying off all of it all together if I would be cured by now.I never fully stabilized and maybe it did more damage than good reinstating. Before I knew what was going on I got put on the klonopin a few years ago aswell. Just want off all this stuff and am daily wondering if I could have recovered if I was off everything.

[Skyler]

Perhaps you could update your recent taper history to help the AD mods give you a more comprehensive answer.

[Djones1984]

reinstated 5mg 2 years ago after rapid taper and withdrawl tried to go back to 40mg and had an adverse reaction. Started tapering about a year ago from 5mg and currently down to 2mg from 5 and going slower than 10% per month. Have not tapered and klonopin yet and take .25mg once in the morning and once in the evening everyday.

[Altostrata]

Dj, have the symptoms lessened as your dosage decreased?

 

What is your daily symptom pattern relative to when you take the drugs? At what time does a particular symptom happen?

 

When you say akathisia, what do you mean? Does this come in waves?

[Djones1984]

Alto, The Akathesia does come in waves but it is there pretty much everyday. I usually feel better mid morning until I eat lunch than akathesia Ramps up. I feel a little better mid afternoon by 5pm I am a wreck and than evenings are better. I take the Celexa 2mg at 7am and take .25mg klonopin at 7am and at about 6-7 pm everyday.

[Djones1984]

The Akathesia feels like tension in my whole body,like I want to crawl out of my own skin, terror, anxiety, pain in legs, restless, hard time sitting still or concentrating, like I am going mad but I see it all so clear than it goes away for awhile and then returns.

 

The klonopin definitely cuts it but that probably isn't good either.

[Djones1984]

My symptoms have probably got a little worse lately with the cuts but it's really hard to till becouse of all the stress I been under too.

[Altostrata]

The akathisia is worse after meals?

 

You might want to go on an elimination diet http://www.precisionnutrition.com/elimination-dietfor a week or two and see if it helps. It could be you are reacting to something you're eating, such as smoked or preserved meats.

[Djones1984]

Yes the Akathesia is worse after meals and there is no doubt that I am reacting negatively to the stuff I eat. But I really enjoy eating everything haha.

 

I had akathesia type symptoms well before my reaction and this whole ordeal started but I belive it's all becouse of the drugs that I am sensitive to dang near everything.

 

I have been trying to ear salads for lunch which helps a lot and I feel better than when I go out for a big meal.

 

Honestly I just wish somebody could tell me if this akathesia is a permenint condition or if it fades at some point becouse I would wait but I can't go on like this for ever.

[Djones1984]

Wow thought it could not get much worse and now I hit my head and got a minor concussion I think and feel like I am at square one. Anyone know how that could happen? Did I loose all my progress I made? Man what a bummer.

[Djones1984]

Hi friends! I am down to .85mg of Celexa and don't really feel well at all. Alot of stress in life still and I think that the klonopin is not helping either. Still on .25mg twice a day. I feel like I am in withdrawl from that aswell. Is there anything I can do about the benzo? Is the benzo prolonging my recovery from adverse reaction and withdrawl? Should I start tapering off the klonopin? Updose? I have no idea what to do.

[Gibby]

Hi friends! I am down to .85mg of Celexa and don't really feel well at all. Alot of stress in life still and I think that the klonopin is not helping either. Still on .25mg twice a day. I feel like I am in withdrawl from that aswell. Is there anything I can do about the benzo? Is the benzo prolonging my recovery from adverse reaction and withdrawl? Should I start tapering off the klonopin? Updose? I have no idea what to do.

 

What kinds of stress are affecting you in life? It's probably not a good idea to taper when your life is in upheaval. Is this stress from things you can control?

 

What was the last dose you felt okay at?

[Djones1984]

Well have not really felt ok since it all began but it's all waves and windows and new syptoms come and go. Occasionally I feel normal but than right back in the thick of it. I am moving to a new house in a new city and there is alot of stress with running my business.

[Gibby]

Well have not really felt ok since it all began but it's all waves and windows and new syptoms come and go. Occasionally I feel normal but than right back in the thick of it. I am moving to a new house in a new city and there is alot of stress with running my business.

 

This is just my advice, which you are free to disregard, but I wouldn't do any more tapering until your life is a little more stable and not as stressful. 

 

It is my understanding that eventually windows and waves will become less extreme and more tolerable as you hold at a stable rate. Have you been still going down in dose this whole time while you have been stressed and not feeling well?

[Djones1984]

Thank you for the advice I have been tapereing very small drops of like .25mg if that so hardly anything.

[Altostrata]

I agree, this might be a time for a good long hold.

 

At your level of Celexa, decreases of .25mg are considerable. If you're taking .85mg, a decrease of .25mg is 29.4%.

 

We recommend decreases of 10% per month based on the last dosage: The amount of decrease keeps getting smaller. See Why taper by 10% of my dosage?

[Djones1984]

Ya I would have to agree a long hold would be good I just want off this poison. I just relized I have gone down from 3mg this year in may to around 1mg now so I was probably going to fast. Do you think I should Updose a little or just hold a good long time? Did I really mess up badly?

[Djones1984]

So that's a 2mg drop in 7 months

[Petunia]

A 2mg drop in 7 months might not sound like a lot, but its the percentage which is important, especially as the dose gets lower. At the very low doses, cuts of 10% can be too much for some people and they need to go even slower.  Without realizing it, you have been doing the opposite, speeding up your taper.

 

I don't think you've messed up badly, but it makes sense why you are not feeling well.

 

If you do a long hold now, your NS will eventually catch up with the cuts. But if your current symptoms are intolerable, you might want to consider a small updose.

 

Please would you update your signature, it looks like you're still taking 5mg.

[Djones1984]

I am on 1 mg Celexa right now been there for 2 weeks. I don't think staying on this med is doing me any good and might be hurting me a I still have extreme akathesia 2.5 years out. I have waves and windows though I just want off this Celexa don't know what to think I am almost three years out since reaction and still suffering akathesia. Should I just do a rapid taper and get off the Celexa?

[nz11]

Hi Djones sorry you are in this difficult position.

Wishing you strength and healing.

[Djones1984]

Thank you just been too long with this akathesia.

[Vonnegutjunky]

Read your thread - I have a similar Story - went to get off Paxil, had an adverse effect after reinstatement - that was a year ago- I get good windoes but even in those windows I have symptoms, that are just not 24/7 like they are in the waves -

 

I had very mild akathisia and it came and went I consider myself lucky I didn't have it worse and I didn't have it 24/7

 

It's now starting to let up- haven't really felt it for about 14 days now -

 

Alto posted a great read on the symptoms and self care page "what's happening in my brain." I think it's the name of the thread- it's very informative - you should check it out

 

 

Take care and stay strong - it will get better - ❤️

[Djones1984]

Thanks for the reply I am glad it dident last to long for you. I just don't understand how u could be somewhat manageable and now I am back to where I was 2.5 years ago. Could I be in tolorance withdrawl from the klonopin? Don't know what happened all of the sudden I am almost house bound again just shaking with Akathesia and dp.

 

If anyone has anymore advice on what to do I am really struggling here.

[Djones1984]

This is just ridiculous how screwed up I feel from .15mg cuts guess I should have held out longer but got moved into new house and figured I would start cutting again.

[Petunia]

I'm sorry you are feeling worse again, when did your symptoms start increasing? Did this happen after you updosed or before?

 

This may just be a wave. Moving house can be very stressful. Are you still having a lot of business stress?

 

I read through the last part of your thread several times and I'm still confused about what you've been doing with your dose.

 

In early November you were at .85... then you started cutting again? Or did you mean previous cuts?

 

Now you have been back at 1mg for 2 weeks. What dose did you updose from?

 

When did you start taking Klonopin? Have you made any changes to this?

 

Please would you update your signature, it makes it easier for us to see your situation and offer some advice, its really difficult knowing what to say when I'm not sure what you've been doing.

 

It sounds like you have been getting windows and waves, and were holding for a while. But then you moved house and started cutting again then felt much worse so you updosed but haven't had any improvement... have I got this right?

[Vonnegutjunky]

D- listen to petunia and update your signature - no one can really advise you unless you give an exact story of what your currently doing with your Meds -

 

I know that I had an adver reaction to Paxil and I feel better each time I decrease, but I also know I will eventually begin to feel the windows and waves of withdrawal - because as I understand it the Windows and waves have nothing to do with increasing or decreasing per se, they have to do with your cns destabilizing and then trying to get back to normal and this occurs in a non linear fashion.

 

So to answer your question, your worse because somewhere in 2.5 years you increased or decreased Meds - it will take months to years for you to settle down- but you need to take a stable dosage for an extended period of time so your cns can heal.

[Djones1984]

Thanks for the replys! In early November 2015 I made a cut on my celexa from 1mg down to .80 or .85mg. I felt pretty bad and had alot of stress at the time so I went back up to 1.10mg.

 

In early Dec I was feeling better and settled into my new house so I made another cut down to .85mg which was probably to much and have really been bad in the last 2 weeks with severe withdrawl. I Updosed again 3 days ago back to 1.10mg to see if I can stabilize and I guess I will just stay here for at least a few months now.

 

I just want off this stuff though but I guess it's doing something. I am afraid I really messed myself up now and maybe back to square one.

 

As for the klonopin I have been on .25mg twice a day since my adverse reaction with drawl started almost 3 years ago. I feel maybe I am in tolorance withdrawl or something from it aswell since it's not to effective anymore.

[Djones1984]

Another bad day again today I feel as bad now as when this all started. I just can't figure it out but I was under alot of stress with holidays and driving. I had kind of a breakdown than all these symotoms started again.

 

I feel like I am back to square one. I am lonely, lost and wish there was some explanation to why I an worse off 3 years out.

[AliG]

A 2mg drop in 7 months might not sound like a lot, but its the percentage which is important, especially as the dose gets lower. At the very low doses, cuts of 10% can be too much for some people and they need to go even slower.  Without realizing it, you have been doing the opposite, speeding up your taper.

 

I don't think you've messed up badly, but it makes sense why you are not feeling well.

 

If you do a long hold now, your NS will eventually catch up with the cuts. But if your current symptoms are intolerable, you might want to consider a small updose.

 

Please would you update your signature, it looks like you're still taking 5mg.

 

Hi D,

In reading back over your thread a little, trying to work out what would cause this destabilization , I noticed this post from Petunia.  I think it could be the reason  that you're not doing as well as you would like to . I can understand your impatience, but it might be a good idea to do a micro - taper, from here on , as it can get tricky on the lower dosages, and some people need to go more slowly , as their C.N.S. is  extremely  sensitive.  

http://survivingantidepressants.org/index.php?/topic/2878-micro-taper-instead-of-10-or-5-decreases/

 

Also , maybe if you reread this as well  :   http://survivingantidepressants.org/index.php?/topic/6632-the-rule-of-3kis-keep-it-simple-keep-it-slow-keep-it-stable/

 

I would reiterate what has been said previously, regarding updating your drug history signature. It is easier to help, with an up to date picture of what is going on with the tapering , and dosage.

 

You're not back to square one, in my opinion. You just need a little time, patience and stability. I would hold for a good while, until your symptoms settle.

Ali.

[Djones1984]

Thank you Ali, I am relizing now that i should have held in Nov for longer. I Dident give it enough time and now I am in the state I am now. I am not sure how I update my signiture?

[ChessieCat]

Hi there,

 

Instructions:   Withdrawal History in Signature OR Complete your Signature from Phone or Tablet

 

I hope you start to feel more stable soon.  CC

[AliG]

Thanks  C.C .  You are  "On Point".      LOL.

D. Now it's up to you !

Ali