Jump to content
SurvivingAntidepressants.org is temporarily closed to new registrations until 1 April ×

Designgirl732: Hello and Thanks for having me. Confused about AD's and what I should do.


Designgirl732

Recommended Posts

  • Moderator Emeritus

Hi Stace, I've moved your latest topic to your introduction, it is one topic per

person in the introductions forum.

 

I agree with Jemima, very few doctors know about withdrawal and how to taper. They have 

people tapering far too fast then tell them they obviously need the drug, usually for life.

Please read the link Jemima posted about tapering 10%.   You may be ok but I would hate

to see you  in withdrawal like so many people here who tapered too fast!

**I am not a medical professional, if in doubt please consult a doctor with withdrawal knowledge.

 

 

Different drugs occasionally (mostly benzos) 1976 - 1981 (no problem)

1993 - 2002 in and out of hospital. every type of drug + ECT. Staring with seroxat

2002  effexor. 

Tapered  March 2012 to March 2013, ending with 5 beads.

Withdrawal April 2013 . Reinstated 5 beads reduced to 4 beads May 2013

Restarted taper  Nov 2013  

OFF EFFEXOR Feb 2015    :D 

Tapered atenolol and omeprazole Dec 2013 - May 2014

 

Tapering tramadol, Feb 2015 100mg , March 2015 50mg  

 July 2017 30mg.  May 15 2018 25mg

Taking fish oil, magnesium, B12, folic acid, bilberry eyebright for eye pressure. 

 

My story http://survivingantidepressants.org/index.php?/topic/4199-hello-mammap-checking-in/page-33

 

Lesson learned, slow down taper at lower doses. Taper no more than 10% of CURRENT dose if possible

 

 

Link to comment
  • Replies 144
  • Created
  • Last Reply

Top Posters In This Topic

  • Designgirl732

    76

  • Altostrata

    34

  • Rhiannon

    6

  • mammaP

    6

Top Posters In This Topic

Thanks you guys! I am hoping this isn't too fast of a taper. Being that I was only on these for 2 months (10 mg in january) 20 mg feb - I'm PRAYING that going back to 10 mg for 2 weeks is OK. I'm tempted to do 15 mg for a week but i'm going to talk to my pharmacist when I pick up the meds today. I also think that if I got off effexor OK and was on it longer, i may be ok? I also have a bunch of homeopathic stuff to try and get me through-i pray I really don't miss a beat as I have to little ones at home (5.5 and 2.5) 

 

I also noticed when I go to the sauna at the gym and sweat a lot it really helps me feel relaxed. Of course, I hope i'm ok to GET to the gym..I'll keep you guys posted.

Link to comment
  • Administrator

Is this the same psychiatrist who prescribed Effexor and Celexa together to a patient who had an irregular heartbeat?

 

Stace, you need a new doctor. Also, a prescription for liquid Celexa so you can taper much, much more gradually.

 

I hope your quick exit from Effexor has no repercussions. Please do not assume you can do the same with Celexa. When we go on and off these drugs, it makes our nervous systems more susceptible to bad reactions.

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.

Link to comment

Hey Alto - YUP - same guy  :(

 

I asked him for the liquid based on what i've learned here and he just shoved his hand like 'you don't need that, you've only been on it 2 months' - SO i bookmarked a link from here, where you can make your own liquid from a pill..? I also asked the pharmacist if he can make me a liquid and he said I needed a specific script FOR the liquid.

After 5mg, I'll probably make a liquid for 2.5, etc..

I'll also listen to my body most of all and not taper until i'm comfortable.

I've been off Effexor now exactly a week and I actually feel better to be honest. I am not having horrific nightmares. But now that i've been on Celexa I gained 20 lbs in 2 months..sometimes you really can't win. 

Thank you guys and I'll stay in touch and keep everyone posted. I hope you guys are feeling good. 

-Stace

 

Link to comment

Hi SD....

 

I am off Celexa (have been since mid November)  I did get slammed shortly after I finished with depression.  It stopped eventually.

 

Effexor and any ssri should not be mixed together.  Take you time with the Celexa.  You just finished one nightmare ^_^ give yourself some time to gently get off of it.

 

Stacie right off the bat a doctor will prescribe the newer drugs, and they can have debilitating side effects.  I am currently tapering off serzone and I have been on Imipramine (older than dirt tricyclic) which I am increasing slightly.  It never 'hurt' me so for now my plan is to stick with the older than dirt drug while getting off the serzone.  The serzone exacerbated anxiety for me.  And yes these drugs can cause HBP.

 

Nikki

Intro: http://survivingantidepressants.org/index.php?/topic/1902-nikki-hi-my-rundown-with-ads/

 

Paxil 1997-2004

Crossed over to Lexapro Paxil not available

at Pharmacies GSK halted deliveries

Lexapro 40mgs

Lexapro taper (2years)

Imipramine

Imipramine and Celexa

Now Nefazadone/Imipramine 50mgs. each

45mgs. Serzone  50mgs. Imipramine

Link to comment

Nikki funny you said that because I asked if the Celexa could still be causing my high BP and he said flat out NO. We'll see what happens once i'm off, drop the weight...and i have to go off birth control b/c of the high bp. I'm basically a stroke waiting to happen. My poor husband...LOL

Glad you're off celexa and on something that seems to be working for you!

 

Link to comment
  • Administrator

Any doctor can prescribe liquid Celexa, it doesn't have to be a psychiatrist.

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.

Link to comment
  • 2 weeks later...

Hey guys! how are you doing? I think i'm supposed to just keep adding an update here, right? So, tomorrow I'm down to 5mg of citalopram (past 2 weeks was 10) - I also cut my 5mg diazepam (on it for 4.5 months nightly) to 2.5 last night along with an L-theanine which is a natural 'gaba' to help. Today it was the warmest it's been in months so I got outside. I joined a gym. I joined Weight Watchers..

What's so amazing is that NOW i'm feeling more like myself. I'm literally the other half of the (hidden) or reported people who just didn't react well to AD's. In a strange way I feel grateful because I don't want to look back in 10 years and THEN want to get off of it. 
 

So, so far so good with how i'm feeling. I've been off the Effexor xr for a while now.

 

As for the diazepam, i'm going to stay on the 2.5 mg for a couple of weeks at least and see how I feel before the next taper. I'm on the 5 mg of citalopram for the next 2 weeks and then I discontinue. I heard you can do every other day after that but I may just be done at that point. 

So that's my update! I'm also sleeping better and actually feeling tired and feeling hungry...like a normal human! you all know what I mean-if i said this to anyone else they'd say 'what do you mean 'feeling' tired and 'feeling' hungry..

Link to comment
  • Moderator Emeritus

Whoa Stace please be careful and think about slowing down a bit! I would give it

another couple of weeks before  cutting and make it small.  I know you are feeling

great and feel ready to drop again but your body really needs time to stabilise. 

Enjoy feeling good  while it lasts, cutting too soon can lead to withdrawal  and is so

disappointing after a good period. I andmany others found this out the hard way! 

 

Same with diazepam, I am really concerned you are going too fast and would hate

to see you crash after doing so well.  We all want off this stuff NOW but patience really

is a virtue when tapering. 

**I am not a medical professional, if in doubt please consult a doctor with withdrawal knowledge.

 

 

Different drugs occasionally (mostly benzos) 1976 - 1981 (no problem)

1993 - 2002 in and out of hospital. every type of drug + ECT. Staring with seroxat

2002  effexor. 

Tapered  March 2012 to March 2013, ending with 5 beads.

Withdrawal April 2013 . Reinstated 5 beads reduced to 4 beads May 2013

Restarted taper  Nov 2013  

OFF EFFEXOR Feb 2015    :D 

Tapered atenolol and omeprazole Dec 2013 - May 2014

 

Tapering tramadol, Feb 2015 100mg , March 2015 50mg  

 July 2017 30mg.  May 15 2018 25mg

Taking fish oil, magnesium, B12, folic acid, bilberry eyebright for eye pressure. 

 

My story http://survivingantidepressants.org/index.php?/topic/4199-hello-mammap-checking-in/page-33

 

Lesson learned, slow down taper at lower doses. Taper no more than 10% of CURRENT dose if possible

 

 

Link to comment

Hey MammaP! 

 

I know it seems fast..but I really haven't been on these meds long. I know dr.'s don't always know but I think a month to taper a drug i was only on for a month and a half isn't terrible, is it? 

 

Taking a benzo every night scares me but I know I have to be slow with that. I hope I continue to feel good. 

Link to comment
  • Moderator Emeritus

You could be fine going so fast Stace, but with all you have been through with the effexor 

and switching it could go pear shaped.  You can continue to feel fine by going slowly, but

could suffer from going too fast. Once withdrawal rears it's ugly head it could be quite a

while to settle again. There is no way of knowing if you will get withdrawal from going fast,

but why take the chance if you can feel well going more slowly?

**I am not a medical professional, if in doubt please consult a doctor with withdrawal knowledge.

 

 

Different drugs occasionally (mostly benzos) 1976 - 1981 (no problem)

1993 - 2002 in and out of hospital. every type of drug + ECT. Staring with seroxat

2002  effexor. 

Tapered  March 2012 to March 2013, ending with 5 beads.

Withdrawal April 2013 . Reinstated 5 beads reduced to 4 beads May 2013

Restarted taper  Nov 2013  

OFF EFFEXOR Feb 2015    :D 

Tapered atenolol and omeprazole Dec 2013 - May 2014

 

Tapering tramadol, Feb 2015 100mg , March 2015 50mg  

 July 2017 30mg.  May 15 2018 25mg

Taking fish oil, magnesium, B12, folic acid, bilberry eyebright for eye pressure. 

 

My story http://survivingantidepressants.org/index.php?/topic/4199-hello-mammap-checking-in/page-33

 

Lesson learned, slow down taper at lower doses. Taper no more than 10% of CURRENT dose if possible

 

 

Link to comment

I agree-and it makes complete sense what you're saying. But where to go from here? Continue with the 10mg..? Until when? I don't expect you to answer-no pressure of course! Just asking in general perhaps. If I did the 10% taper, for example, I'd be taking citalopram for the next 10 months. That sounds completely irrational to me considering how long I was on the med for. 

Link to comment
  • Moderator Emeritus

I agree-and it makes complete sense what you're saying. But where to go from here? Continue with the 10mg..? Until when? I don't expect you to answer-no pressure of course! Just asking in general perhaps. If I did the 10% taper, for example, I'd be taking citalopram for the next 10 months. That sounds completely irrational to me considering how long I was on the med for. 

 

I agree that in theory, it doesn't sound necessary to take 10 months to taper off a drug your were only taking for several weeks, but we are all concerned that your nervous system has been stressed by the other drugs, changes, withdrawals along with this current taper.  Its a complex situation and there are no obvious answers.

 

No one knows your body like you do, so it really comes down to you making the best decision you can and paying very careful attention to how you are feeling from day to day.  If it were me, I would aim for 10% cuts, but more frequently and at the first sign of symptoms I would hold.

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

 

 

 

Link to comment
  • Administrator

stace, I'm worried that you're changing 2 drugs at once. Either could cause terrible withdrawal symptoms.

 

Can you hold on the diazepam reduction and focus on tapering Celexa?

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.

Link to comment
  • 2 weeks later...

Hey guys..happy Spring!

 

Just checking in..hope you're all feeling good. I keep trying to change my signature but it never refreshes. 
Anyway, all is well here. I'm OFF citalopram and feel better everyday actually. I feel like ME. I think behavioral 'tools' i never had before help. B vitamins, turmeric, etc.

I am still on 2.5 mg of diazepam at night but this week i'm going to start going every other day or just half of that-not sure. 

Exercise has been a HUGE help to me-i'm also getting a shiatsu massage this week-very excited. And I went to my first Buddhist Meditation class this week. 

Oh-and my BP dropped about 20 points since being off anti depressants and my birth control-

 

Link to comment
  • Moderator Emeritus

I am still on 2.5 mg of diazepam at night but this week i'm going to start going every other day or just half of that-not sure.

Diazepam needs tapering, and as with ADs, or any psychotropics, every other day is a BAD idea. You would be best to do some reading in the benzo sub forum. http://survivingantidepressants.org/index.php?/forum/29-members-only-benzo-tapering-discussion/

 

I can't see the benzodiazepine in your sig line, so I don't know how long you have been on. Are you getting a message that the changes you make are not being saved?

As always, LISTEN TO YOUR BODY! A proud supporter of the 10% (or slower) rule.

 

Requip - 3/16 ZERO  Total time on 25 years.

 

Lyrica: 8/15 ZERO Total time on 7 or 8 yrs.

BENZO FREE 10/13 (started tapering 7/10)  Total time on 25 years.

 

Read my intro thread here, and check the about me section.  "No matter how cynical you get, it's almost impossible to keep up." Lily Tomlin

 

 

Link to comment

Hey Skyler-

 

Thanks! Yes, i just fixed it. I did have that message coming up before.

I was on 5 mg for 4.5 months nightly and the past 2 weeks i have been taking 2.5 mg nightly-this monday will be 2 weeks exactly. I was going to start tapering more then. 

another thing I wanted to note was I realized looking back all my suicidal thoughts and panic attacks were AFTER i started my anti depressants..how crazy!?? i'm so glad to be off them.

Link to comment

stacedesign

 

How are your doing?  Did you go see the psychologist/nutritionist?

 

I just read your intro and I can relate to you in that I was started on Effexor for 6 weeks on and then I cut my dose in half due to severe anxiety as a side effect.  I became sensitized to it i believe for two reasons:  1) I cant take antidepressants- Dr put me 3 other meds each for a week and had awful side effects and allergic reactions.  2) by cutting my dose in half.

 

Im wondering if you stopped the Effexor and if so how is it being off?

Started Effexor August 2012 Sept'12-150mg=extreme anxiety Oct'12 cut half-75mg severe wds

Feb 2013 68.5mg. Mar'13- 65mg. Apr'13-59mg. May'13-57mg. June '13-52mg Aug'13 49.75mg.

Sep'13-48.75. Nov'13-47mg Dec'13-45..5mg

May 2014 42mg. Jun'14 40mg (depressive mood started). Aug'14 -40mg/ started brintellix 2.5mg

Oct '14 -39 Nov'14 36.89 Dec'14 34.45

Jan 2015- 31 Feb'15 29mg. Mar'15 26.72. Apr'15 24.48. May'15 22.31mg. Jun'15 20.30mg

Aug'15-18.89. Oct'15 16.96. Nov/16- 16.10. Dec/15- 15mg

Jan 2016-14.22. May'16 11.45. Aug'16-9.60. Sep/16- 8.88mg. Oct/16- 8.39mg. Nov/16- 8.13. Dec/16- 7.89

Link to comment

Hey Lexy! Reading from your description you sound a lot like me in terms of how you reacted to AD's..i'm so done with them and grateful to be off and feeling really good. They made my depression worse, my anxiety worse and I gained about 15l-20 lbs in 5 minutes :)

 

I'm also off my birth control-we weren't sure what was causing my high BP but it's normal now.

The nutritionist/psychologist I met put me on phosphadityl choline which effects a neurotransmitter and helps with worry/anxiety as well as B-vitamins for the nervous system, etc. 

Tapering effexor wasn't bad because I bridged it with Celexa and then weaned off of that. 

How are you feeling?

Link to comment
  • Administrator

Very happy to hear you're feeling better, stace. Sounds like you're one of those people who just don't get along with antidepressants.

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.

Link to comment

Yes Alto, I am..I had to learn the hard way though. I think i'm the reason pharma companies write that huge product insert you get with your perscription-ha! 

Thanks for your well wishes..

Link to comment
  • 2 weeks later...

Hey all!

 

Just to update..i'm completely off ALL meds .. yay! I feel better than ever and like myself. I realized i'm the reason product inserts for medications were invented. I'm just very sensitive to everything.

My BP is also back to normal since off all of my meds.

 

I personally did a great job with my psych's weaning schedule but I also bridged that with vitamins, supplements (choline, inositol and L-theanine) - so I ended up also seeing a natural/holistic psychologist as well.

I hope everyone is doing well..sending strength and hugs to all.

Link to comment
  • Administrator

Good to hear, stace. Please keep in touch and let us know how you're doing.

 

I merged your 2 topics so we have the whole story in this Intro topic.

 

Which supplements did you find most useful? Please add to the threads in the Symptoms and Self-care 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.

Link to comment

Hey Alto..thanks!

 

The supplements I found the most useful were the phosphatidyl choline and L-theanine. I will add to the threads as well.

I will definitely keep in touch..

Link to comment
  • 1 month later...

Hey everyone!

 

Just checking in. I wanted to say that I've been having ups and downs and realized that even though things were really bad last year and I went on meds, and they made me worse and suicidal, that even though my anxiety is reaching a high again, i WON'T go down that road. 

 

I also realized TRUE anxiety is what I have. I found a few websites with lists of symptoms people feel when certain neurotransmitters aren't working correctly (I know this is a lamens way of saying this-sorry i'm not very technical). There were lists under 'serotonin' then 'dopamine' then 'GABA' - under GABA i checked off ALL of them. They ALL apply to me. 

 

Sounds strange, but this gave me hope. I'm not losing my mind. Things on the list were 'feeling fearful and out of control for no reason' 'overwhelmed' 'in a state of panic' - while i'm not like this all the time, i have a week where all is well, i'm centered and feel like 'me' - then I have a few weeks like lately (started after I went on that no carb/no sugar diet) and I feel shaky and all of the symptoms I mentioned. It's like i'm walking around having a panic attack. I know i'm not psychotic because if I was, i wouldn't be aware of what's going on.  My whole body and spine feel kind of 'numb' it's hard to explain verbally.

 

I've been doing a lot of reading and speaking with my psychologist/nutritionist I go to and he 1) said I should stay away from st john's wort types of things and 2) L-theanine is really, really great. 

 

I have been taking L-theanine for months now, but I had run out a week or so ago. I had no idea that it was working until I ran out. I started taking it again and I don't feel great still but I know these things take a few weeks to build up again in your system (patience is hard for someone with OCD tendencies and anxiety!).

 

This can also be placed in the supplements category but I thought i'd share it here too. Here's something on l-theanine. There are a ton of things: 

 

http://heavencanwaitcardsandgifts.blogspot.com/2012/05/health-benefits-of-l-theanine.html?m=1

 

I'm also taking inositol, but again, it may be weeks before I feel it's full effect. In the meantime i'm reading again, going to start journaling and meditating and just keep saying 'this too shall pass' 

 

I'm not sure if anyone here can relate to this but i'd love to hear from you if you have so I don't feel like i'm the only one who feels like this!

 

all the best-stave

Link to comment

hi stace,

you described what i've been experiencing with anxiety as well. I'm trying to be mindful about it but it can be persistent. I'm attributing the current severity of it to withdrawals with hopes of it lightening up as i heal.  if this is new to you it may be withdrawal.

these anxiety issues are why i went on zoloft 18 years ago. it feels so familiar so i thought it was my underlying anxiety coming back. my first 9 months off i didn't have it this severe until i reached a deeper withdrawal in january. it goes in waves. i really hope its withdrawal. :)

 

how much l-theanine do you take?

 

thanks!

trouper

on 37.5 - 50mg zoloft/sertraline for GAD from 3/1996 to 4/2013 (17 years) 

too fast taper from 1/13-4/13

Link to comment
  • Moderator Emeritus

Hi Stace, I would say these are classic withdrawal symptoms  :( . They come 

in windows and waves as you are experiencing. Some time feeling fine and getting on 

with life, better than ever, that is a window that is great while it lasts but is replaced by waves 

when it rakes great effort to keep going.   The good news is that the waves are there because

the nervous system is healing.  I'm glad you found that l-theanine is helping, but agree with your

psychologist that St. Johns wort is best avoided.   

 

This thread explains the windows and waves  http://survivingantidepressants.org/index.php?/topic/82-the-windows-and-waves-pattern-of-recovery/

 

This one explains withdrawal syndrome and symptoms http://survivingantidepressants.org/index.php?/topic/603-what-is-antidepressant-withdrawal-syndrome/

 

I was the same as you and affected badly by antidepressants. I became suicidally depressed after

 I started to take them, when I anxious and stressed. Those drug companies have a lot to answer for!

**I am not a medical professional, if in doubt please consult a doctor with withdrawal knowledge.

 

 

Different drugs occasionally (mostly benzos) 1976 - 1981 (no problem)

1993 - 2002 in and out of hospital. every type of drug + ECT. Staring with seroxat

2002  effexor. 

Tapered  March 2012 to March 2013, ending with 5 beads.

Withdrawal April 2013 . Reinstated 5 beads reduced to 4 beads May 2013

Restarted taper  Nov 2013  

OFF EFFEXOR Feb 2015    :D 

Tapered atenolol and omeprazole Dec 2013 - May 2014

 

Tapering tramadol, Feb 2015 100mg , March 2015 50mg  

 July 2017 30mg.  May 15 2018 25mg

Taking fish oil, magnesium, B12, folic acid, bilberry eyebright for eye pressure. 

 

My story http://survivingantidepressants.org/index.php?/topic/4199-hello-mammap-checking-in/page-33

 

Lesson learned, slow down taper at lower doses. Taper no more than 10% of CURRENT dose if possible

 

 

Link to comment

Thanks for responding Trouper and Mammap! I was hoping it wasn't withdrawal as I was doing well right afterwards..but great to know my nervous system is healing and YES staying way from the st john's wort/5Htp type of things.

 

L-theanine and Inositol (vitamin B8) is helping. It takes time though, and as you know someone with anxiety, patience isn't our friend-ha!

 

Will the waves stop eventually? 

Link to comment

Oh Trouper sorry-I take 2-3 capsules a day spread out-I think they're 100 mg each? I'm not sure. 

 

I also started taking inositol. And magnesium at night. and the OCCASIONAL diazepam when nothing else works.

 

Crazy how I could be going through w/d only being on AD's a total of 6 months but maybe that's it.

Link to comment
  • Administrator

Anyone taking a psychiatric drug for more than a month is at risk for withdrawal problems.

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.

Link to comment
  • 1 month later...

I know someone wrote about this but i'm not sure where it is so perhaps Alto you can add this to what already exists?

 

Just to recap i went off my AD's / Valium around March of this year. Looking back that was only 3 months ago. I was doing GREAT. Functional, stable, participating in life. Then the occasional obsession or bad anxiety day would hit, but I'd bounce back quickly. Then around the end of April I got hit badly. I could almost feel my brain falling into a deep depression. The anxiety about never getting better makes me suicidal. I get scared. Then I read about a a natural herb that can help anxiety. I look at all the positive reviews on Amazon.

 

Hope is what always gets me through. So in the past few months i've taken: L-tyrosine, L-Theanine, Rhodiola Rosea, Inositol (in HIGH doses for about a month then stopped b/c of GI upset). Then when I thought I was at my wit's end I bought SAM-e. I just wasn't feeling like 'ME' anymore-I was getting social anxiety, feeling depressed, really high anxiety-i had to to something. this was all BEFORE the SAM-e. 

 

It's been 3 days and I haven't been able to leave the house except pick up the kids from camp. I feel pathetic.  And unproductive. And worthless.

 

I'm stopping SAM-e mainly b/c I feel the same way I felt when I've started AD's..very anti social, etc. But then again, i felt that a few days ago not on anything..so what gives?

 

Maybe my nervous system was still adjusting after being on the AD's but these are just herbs! I know they cross the blood-brain barrier but still. 

 

In a state of utter desperation, I called my GP and have an appointment with him on Friday. He's going to want to give me Lexapro or something when I tell him i'm feeling worthless and suicidal but I know at the end of the day I'll have too much anxiety about it. EVEN THOUGH if you go on drugs.com, or webmd there are a gazillion people who have said that Lex "changed their life" for the better.

I just want to feel hope. That i'm not going to be like this forever. Because if i am I can't live this way. But i'm too scared to take anything. Such an awful place to be. Any advice is appreciated.

 

Thanks!

Link to comment
  • Administrator

Stace, I moved your post here.

 

Not sure what you're asking. Recovering from withdrawal syndrome takes time, potentially many months or years. Please read what mammaP wrote about waves and windows again.

 

You need to learn how to manage your symptoms by taking care of yourself and listening to your body. There is no silver bullet, no supplement or combination of supplements that will fix you up instantly (and some will make you worse). The best they can do is help you feel a little better.

 

If you found a combination that helped, your best bet is to stay with it until it stops working. Withdrawal syndrome is constantly changing; you need to listen to your body to figure out what it needs.

 

Taking another antidepressant to feel better is a gamble. Generally, when someone has anxiety as a withdrawal symptom, taking another antidepressant makes it a lot worse as they tend to be stimulating. If you try this, be sure to try only a very small amount, for example 1mg or 2mg, to see how it affects you.

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.

Link to comment

Thanks Alto!!

 

You're right..if i do take anything it would be SUPER small. Part of me is thinking the SAM-e is working and I should stick with it, the other part is the side effect of no eating all day. Of course i'd love to lose some weight but then I have no energy, which means I can't workout, which makes me feel bad, so it's a vicious cycle. I know things with serotonin effect appetite and i'm obviously really sensitive to it. So then what would 1-5 mg of lexapro do, who knows?

 

I'm not sure what combo works. I don't understand the few weeks great, 1 week suicidal/depressed, then i'm good again..it's quite debilitating. Thanks so much.

Link to comment
  • Administrator
Please read what mammaP wrote about waves and windows again.

 

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.

Link to comment

Please sign in to comment

You will be able to leave a comment after signing in



Sign In Now

×
×
  • Create New...

Important Information

Terms of Use Privacy Policy