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razzle: Tiny dose, huge reaction


Razzle

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I went through benzo withdrawal over 20 years ago and thought that was the worst hell on earth. 10 months ago I took two tiny doses of an AD, Doxepin and have been in worse hell than ever. I can't work and am in constant torture.

 

Has anyone else reacted so long or severely to small doses

Thanks for responding

 

razzle

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I went through benzo withdrawal over 20 years ago and thought that was the worst hell on earth. 10 months ago I took two tiny doses of an AD, Doxepin and have been in worse hell than ever. I can't work and am in constant torture.

 

Has anyone else reacted so long or severely to small doses

Thanks for responding

 

razzle

 

Hi Razzle,

 

Welcome.

 

You might want to search posts for someone by the name of Maybe on this board. He is not actively participating right now but maybe you can PM him?

 

Anyway, he took 4 pills of I believe Remeron and had a severe adverse reaction.

 

So yes, sadly, it is possible to react to small amounts of pills.

 

What type of symptoms are you have having? Have you seen any progress?

 

Comp Sports

 

 

Drug cocktail 1995 - 2010
Started taper of Adderall, Wellbutrin XL, Remeron, and Doxepin in 2006
Finished taper on June 10, 2010

Temazepam on a PRN basis approximately twice a month - 2014 to 2016

Beginning in 2017 - Consumption increased to about two times per week

April 2017 - Increased to taking it full time for insomnia

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I am one of the rare people Dr. Heather Ashton speaks of in her latest benzo manual supplement. I went on Xanax in 1989 and immediately started having a paradoxical reaction. The clinic I was going to said to keep increasing the dose and when I get to the proper level I would be fine. Four weeks of total hell and I wound up in the hospital for the paradoxical Xanax reaction. Two months off of and nothing but 24/7 walking and pacing...all night and all day.

 

New doctor – said I had to go back on and taper or I could be this way permanently. Went on Klonopin and was paradoxical – so sick I could not cut, taper or function. many doctors and many tries to get me off over 2 years. Finally rented a hotel room next to an ER and took myself off over 4 weeks. Over 3 years of serious withdrawals but recovered.

 

14 years later with some stress all the original benzo symptoms came back full force. Six months of total hell again and could not work or even leave the house. Over a two week period it all stopped – went back to work and did well for 14 months. Started having tell-tale symptoms again but had responsibilities and could not stop.

 

2007 full blown return to benzo like symptoms again. After 36 months of total disability again and only sleeping every two or three days I gave in an took an AD – tiny dose for 2 nights. This was 10 months ago and in worse hell than any other episode.....no better now and in some ways worse.

 

I met another benzo man who has a similar story. He was recovered and smeared 4 days of steroid cream on poison oak and has been critically ill for 16 months – he was fully benzo recovered before.

 

For some people these drugs are not a problem – for me and a few they are pure poison. I also have a friend who took 5 days of a a fluoroquinolone antibiotic and is worse than I am – almost psychosis and many body blow-outs and she is about 30 months off.

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  • Administrator

[razzle -- I combined your topics, it's one to a customer in the Intros forum.]

 

I've heard -- unfortunately I don't have a citation -- that about 10% of the population is hypersensitive to serotonin, and these are the people, like you and Maybe, who have outsized reactions to just a few doses of antidepressants.

 

You might research that factoid. If you find the sources, I'd very much like to see them in our Journals forum.

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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Welcome, Razzle. I'm so sorry you've had such a horrible experience with these drugs. It does seem like you're one of the people who have to really stay away from them, and try all the other non-medication approaches to healing your body and psyche.

 

We all -- but people like you especially -- are the canaries in the mineshaft, more sensitive to these chemicals. But, they are, in fact, not good for anyone, and not good for the environment. We are serving the community by demonstrating the dangerousness of these drugs and sending up the alarm.

 

I am very confident that you will fully heal, and use this hard journey to learn everything you need to know to become the person you were always supposed to be.

1996-97 - Paxil x 9 months, tapered, suffered 8 months withdrawal but didn't know it was withdrawal, so...

1998-2001 - Zoloft, tapered, again unwittingly went into withdrawal, so...

2002-03 - Paxil x 20 months, developed severe headaches, so...

Sep 03 - May 05 - Paxil taper took 20 months, severe physical, moderate psychological symptoms

Sep 03 - Jun 05 - took Prozac to help with Paxil taper - not recommended

Jul 05 to date - post-taper, severe psychological, moderate physical symptoms, improving very slowly

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A warm welcome to the forum Razzle :)

 

What I do not understand is, why you had benzo symptoms 14 years out? Did you take any other meds inbetween? Or is it possible for us all to even get a wave years out when we thought we had recovered?

End of 2008: Remeron 15mg for around 2 months. Unorthodox taper, no problems.
End of August 2009: Lexapro 10mg for only 4 days. Panic attack after 3 pills. Severe gastro problems in the morning for 3 days after last pill. 2 weeks later strong w/d symptoms set in.

Acute WD lasted around 3.5 years. I am feeling much better today, 5.5 years out, but still have some symptoms left.

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It is hard to access how bad anyone else is suffering so I have a question. I have several friends coming off various psyche drugs and are all still working or doing normal routines.

 

I on the other hand am tormented to near suicide - or at least I think of it often. I rarely sleep more than 3 hours then lay in bed and try to be quiet while my wife sleeps....but it is pure hell. I burn all over, feel frantic, have intrusive thoughts and visions, shake, jitter and all the rest.

 

Once I get up it gest worse........

 

My days are spent trying to breathe 5 more times to live another minute. I never go anywhere because driving or being out in stores or public is too stimulating - I even have to have a lady come to my home to cut my hair. I am so agitated and have 50 symptoms that I walk and pace much of the day along with crying, moaning or near screaming at times.

 

Cant read, watch TV or even talk to my wife about normal things - too stimulating!! I have no concept of external reality...I am so wrapped up in pain and suffering.

 

I know other people must be this tortured but it does not come through on many posts. Am I alone here......my tapering and friends who are off are all getting better or are only slightly suffering. One who is only 5 months off three psyche drugs called last night and is back to work......sorry but I wanted to cry.

 

R

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After I came off benzos I never touched anything - not even an aspirin. We ate organic whole foods, I never smoked or drank. We exercised each day and I meditated. I was getting fatigued with too many responsibilities and some minor stress but nothing to cause this.

 

Dr. Heather Ashton just released her suppliment to her benzo manual and she reports many people that have had this happen. It appears that for some of us the withdrawal left a neurosigniture that can be reactivated with little provocation.

 

These returns were not waves - in 2004 it was 6 horrid months and now it has been over 4 years in this return.....the AD ten months ago just added to it.

 

I have benzo friends that have recovered, smoke and drink and party and no problem.

 

I think we have no idea on how powerful or destructive these chemicals are. I have a friend in Canada that has permanent akathesia from a tricyclic antidepressant he took short term. I think Dave is about 8 years off and still can not sit down all day.

 

My friend Shelly took 5 days of Cipro and has been 100% disabled for 3 years - she was a college president and totally healthy. I have other benzo friends who are from 6 to 12 years out and still not totally well.

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I hear you on this because my situation has been pretty similar. I was on only one psychiatric drug - 10 mg Paxil - and did not have a psycaitric past. But coming off was the ultimate hell for me and now, 3.5 years later I am still homebound due to the remaining symptoms, although many things mave been improved.

We just have to deal with the fact that we are probably a minority having such devasating problems after coming off. And though I am the last one to advocate these drugs or the practices of Big Pharma, being an exception will have confused the doctors too. Doctors are used to think (and maybe forced to act) in protocols and are not able to think beyond it.

So indeed it is just a bunch of bad luck for us... just belonging to this percentage how big or small it may be.

Even the good docs I talked to said that they had never heard of anything like this. So I wonder, are they all liars or are we such a small minority that they indeed have not seen it before?

10 mg Paxil/Seroxat since 2002
several attempts to quit since 2004
Quit c/t again Oktober 2007, in protracted w/d since then
after 3.5 years slight improvement but still on the road

after 6 years pretty much recovered but still some nasty residual sypmtons
after 8.5 years working again on a 90% base and basically functioning normally again!

 

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Do those people have some sorts of waves or are they permanently tortured by these symptoms?

 

I just wonder if having symptoms for such a long time after only 4 pills is a sign of permanent damage. Many seem to have recovered much faster. Whenever I have too much stress, the following wave is as bad as it was 12 months ago. This does not really imply any sort of healing.

End of 2008: Remeron 15mg for around 2 months. Unorthodox taper, no problems.
End of August 2009: Lexapro 10mg for only 4 days. Panic attack after 3 pills. Severe gastro problems in the morning for 3 days after last pill. 2 weeks later strong w/d symptoms set in.

Acute WD lasted around 3.5 years. I am feeling much better today, 5.5 years out, but still have some symptoms left.

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Hi Razzle,

I sympathise with your withdrawal experience, i can feel everything you write as i have been there too.

 

Back in 2002 i cold turkied off seroxat with devastating effects.....unable to eat...unable to sleep even for a minute...body jerking....invasion of thoughts, ie needing to try to hang myself...pacing constantly although totally fatigued...burning skin i couldn't even handle anything on my skin...ect ect ect, at this point i had to go back on.

 

Forward to 2004 i tapered by alternate days as advised by my stoopid doc and would relive all this with every cut in dose. Once off seroxat completely I couldn't even get out of bed for near on 3 months, and continued to experience the symptoms you describe, although eventually I did get relief in the severity.

 

I have lived with all this for 6 years now, things have been easier but every day you wonder just how much more you can take....you dread going to bed only to have to wake up and do it all again the next day ect ect.

 

I am fast approaching 7 years off all drugs and still cannot work, socialise or go out on my own, yes i am in a more comfortable place now but still feel debilitated by the crap I am left with.

 

Unfortunately some of us really do have a hard time of withdrawal and it does make us non-functional, and i agree its so frustrating seeing that for some people coming off meds is a walk in the park.... i am sure there is a link to those of us that suffer so badly maybe a shared chroma zone or the fact we may of had sever adverse effects fromt he drugs to start with i know i had many bad reactions prior to taking seroxat which in fact was one reason for my doc giving me more drugs once i had akathesia he diagnosed " anxious state " mm more like toxic kin poisoning.

 

Hang in there the severity of all this will ease and wishing you some relief very soon

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  • Administrator

Maybe, as we've discussed before, having the reaction to 4 pills does not mean your situation is "permanent."

 

At what point is it "permanent?" If recovery takes 7 years, that's not permanent, it's 7 years. If you worry about its being "permanent" every minute of the 7 years, you're adding to your own distress for no reason.

 

Medicine's term is "chronic" -- symptoms lasting more than 6 months. That still doesn't mean permanent, it's indefinite. People recover from chronic conditions, but you need to learn to cope while you recover.

 

Perhaps it would help you to think of your condition as "chronic"?

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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Well, it is not really about the term, but the thought of this going on for years or more is devastating. Every new wave is bringing me more to my knees. If I could see improvements, but I do not. Only changes. Yes, there are better days and weeks. But when a wave comes, it is as always.

End of 2008: Remeron 15mg for around 2 months. Unorthodox taper, no problems.
End of August 2009: Lexapro 10mg for only 4 days. Panic attack after 3 pills. Severe gastro problems in the morning for 3 days after last pill. 2 weeks later strong w/d symptoms set in.

Acute WD lasted around 3.5 years. I am feeling much better today, 5.5 years out, but still have some symptoms left.

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I understand all those feelings, It is a horrible hell to be in, been there myself.

 

I stopped Paxil(seroxat) in 2005 over 3 months as advised by my doc. BIG MISTAKE!everything crashed, I became severly depressed, could not stand noise, light, tv, other people. I was shaking, crying all the time, had panic attacks,extreme terror, could not sleep,could not eat, had brain zaps, extreme dizziness, felt like things were moving and they were not , could not go out.

 

Things have got much better,but still having balance problems, agitation,fatigue, muscle tension, bad headaches and sometimes the odd thing I thought I had seen the back of like brain zaps.It does get better with time.

Started Seroxat(Paxil) for panic attacks in 1997 stopped the drug in 2005 tapered over 3 months ( doctors advice)

Suffered severe and protracted withdrawl ever since.

No other medication taken.

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It is bad beyond each description. But the good news is, if I will recover, anybody will! I think it is hardly possible to be in a deeper, darker hole than I was during my first WD year, closer to suicide than I would ever imagine.

Now I cope with some pretty nasty remaining symptoms but I have confidence in recovery. And in all misery I learned many things about the world, the system, and myself. So there is even something to gain from this hellish ride...

10 mg Paxil/Seroxat since 2002
several attempts to quit since 2004
Quit c/t again Oktober 2007, in protracted w/d since then
after 3.5 years slight improvement but still on the road

after 6 years pretty much recovered but still some nasty residual sypmtons
after 8.5 years working again on a 90% base and basically functioning normally again!

 

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  • Administrator

I understand, that can be frustrating. But you have better "waves" too.

 

Gradually, almost imperceptibly, the better times will lengthen and worse times will lighten.

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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Yes, i have those better waves. But they are "worse" than one year ago, where I had 2 weeks of 100% normality before doing the acupuncture. Never ever had that again. And this is exactly what terrifies me the most.

Before I did the acupuncture, many symptoms vanished when I felt safe. Eg when the amublance came etc. It seems that many symptoms were very much anxiety related at the beginning whereas now they feel much more physically. It feels as if I am in a worse shape than 12 months before.

 

Sorry Razzle, this is my last post here. I do not want to hijack your thread :)

End of 2008: Remeron 15mg for around 2 months. Unorthodox taper, no problems.
End of August 2009: Lexapro 10mg for only 4 days. Panic attack after 3 pills. Severe gastro problems in the morning for 3 days after last pill. 2 weeks later strong w/d symptoms set in.

Acute WD lasted around 3.5 years. I am feeling much better today, 5.5 years out, but still have some symptoms left.

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  • 4 weeks later...

I am 11 months out from a serious adverse AD reaction and had not had one better day. About three weeks ago I had a two hour "Slight" window then the symptoms got worse. Then 8 days later another slight window. One week ago I had a 4 hour window that brought me from torture to misery but that was welcome.

 

Now this past week I have been in worse hell than ever - it is not my imagination my family sees it and I am in total torture. I lost my sleep, more agitated and everything is turned up on high.

 

Is this common to start to have windows and then get crushed even lower than before.

 

Thanks For Reading

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  • 5 weeks later...

I am having severe movement disorder symptoms and have never taken an antipsychotic that usually causes them. I go into episodes of this where my arms and legs move uncontrollably and I am in horrible psyche pain. It almost looks like I have cerebral palsy. Sometimes my legs lock up and I can move. It lasts from a hour to 3 hours and is like a seizure.

 

It has been a year since the tiny doses of Doxepin.

 

My doctors say they have never heard of this and don’t believe it was from the few doses of Doxepin.

 

Has anyone else had this.

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  • 7 years later...
On 8/13/2011 at 3:42 PM, Razzle said:

I am having severe movement disorder symptoms and have never taken an antipsychotic that usually causes them. I go into episodes of this where my arms and legs move uncontrollably and I am in horrible psyche pain. It almost looks like I have cerebral palsy. Sometimes my legs lock up and I can move. It lasts from a hour to 3 hours and is like a seizure.

 

It has been a year since the tiny doses of Doxepin.

 

My doctors say they have never heard of this and don’t believe it was from the few doses of Doxepin.

 

Has anyone else had this.

Hows life today?

2015june psyc ward due to psychosis

10 days 10mg zyprexa. stopped cold turkey. side effects were blinking eyes, eyes shut down by themself when going to sleep, restless,hunger. I had natural sleep (6hrs) before zyprexa. Slept exact 8hours with zyprexa.

 

2015july one month after cold turkey(had own sleep during this time exact 8hours every night, felt like zyprexa sleep even though i didnt take it) I lost my sleep over a night and it never came back. 0hours for 7-10days before I had to reinstate zyprexa on 5mg first 2days 10mg 1week 5mg 1week and then stopped CT. maybe also had 7.5 and 2.5 some days dont remember.

 

2015sept/october 3weeks Nitrazepam 1w Theralen build of sleep

 

2016may psyc ward psychoziz. Trilafon injection Immovan 3weekz

 

2016june 1week theralen had some extra sleep but realised its just pushing problem forward i guess

 

2019 Ive now been medicine free for almost 2.5 years (I think last Trilafon injection was 2016 October) and still not fully recovered. I believe my overdose on Zyprexa (20mg + injection) did most damage. 

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