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Urination and bladder issues (male and female)


liannep77

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  • Moderator Emeritus

Urge incontinance! It scared me when it started happening. When it first started happening I didn't know what was going on and assumed it was a bladder infection, but tests came back negative. It did subside off and on for years, then one day, about two years ago, it wouldn't go away. I would rush to the bathroom only to have just a few drops of urine and too many times it won out before I was able to make it to a toilet :(. It was actually one of the reasons that lit the fire under me to try to get off fluoxetine again. I'd read about something about incontinance and... think the article might have been specific to Zoloft, but being that Zoloft is an SSRI, I was pretty sure it could pertain to Prozac too. I am happy to say that once I got down to 40mg (from 60), the symptoms subsided and there has been no reoccurrence.

1988-2012: Prozac @ 60mg (with a few stops and starts)

Fall 2012: Returned to 40mg after discontinuing and horrid withdrawal 

Fall 2013: 40mg Fluoxetine, added 150mg Wellbutrin to treat fatigue 

Winter 2014: Attempting to taper both (too fast)

April 2014: 9mg Fluoxetine + 37.5 Wellbutrin 

Summer 2014: 8 mg Fluoxetine + 0 Wellbutrin (way too fast a drop)

Late summer/Early Fall 2014: Debilitating Withdrawal symptoms 

Fall 2014 - Wellbutrin successfully kicked to the curb but…

Oct- Dec 2014: Panicked reinstatement of Fluoxetine ->30mg - held for 5yrs

Jan 2021: taper to 20mg Fluoxetine  then tapering by 1mg every 2-3 months

Fall 2022 - held at 10mg->December 2022: 9mg->Feb 2023: 8mg ->March 2023: brassmonkey slide begins: 7.8mg -> 7.6 -> 7.4->2 week hold (April)->7.2->7mg->6.8->2 week hold->6.6-> 1-month hold ->(June)-6.5->4-week hold-> (July)-6.4 (discontinued brassmonkey slide and slowed taper)-> (Aug)-6.2->(Sept)-6.0->(Oct)-5.9->(Nov)-5.8->(Dec)-5.7->wave!->(Jan)-5.8->(Feb)-6mg and holding.

 

My 2014 withdrawal experience: https://rxisk.org/antidepressant-withdrawal-a-prozac-story/

 

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That's good to hear, Addax.  So you had this as a side effect, and not withdrawal related. Seems

 

likely then that the bladder can be affected in withdrawal also.

2006-Cymbalta 60mg for lyme disease2009-Quit Cymbalta c/tFeb. 2010-Reinstated 60mg CymMar.2010 to May.2012 tapered Cym to 36mgMay 2012-Crossed over to 30mg CelexaMay 2012-Oct.2013 Tapered Celexa down to 2.5mgOct.2013-Switched to 30 beads CymbaltaDec.4,2013-Stopped Cymbalta at 17 beads<p>Akathisia hit at 6 wks off and continuesNow taking melatonin when needed for sleep.

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  • Moderator Emeritus

I would imagine withdrawal would also produce these types of symptoms. If being on SSRIs affects that part of us, Then going off of them will undoubtably too. More than the message that the urge incontinance stopped at a lower dose, I wanted to communicate that the issue wasn't permanent and that it served as anecdotal evidence that the incontinance was SSRI related.

1988-2012: Prozac @ 60mg (with a few stops and starts)

Fall 2012: Returned to 40mg after discontinuing and horrid withdrawal 

Fall 2013: 40mg Fluoxetine, added 150mg Wellbutrin to treat fatigue 

Winter 2014: Attempting to taper both (too fast)

April 2014: 9mg Fluoxetine + 37.5 Wellbutrin 

Summer 2014: 8 mg Fluoxetine + 0 Wellbutrin (way too fast a drop)

Late summer/Early Fall 2014: Debilitating Withdrawal symptoms 

Fall 2014 - Wellbutrin successfully kicked to the curb but…

Oct- Dec 2014: Panicked reinstatement of Fluoxetine ->30mg - held for 5yrs

Jan 2021: taper to 20mg Fluoxetine  then tapering by 1mg every 2-3 months

Fall 2022 - held at 10mg->December 2022: 9mg->Feb 2023: 8mg ->March 2023: brassmonkey slide begins: 7.8mg -> 7.6 -> 7.4->2 week hold (April)->7.2->7mg->6.8->2 week hold->6.6-> 1-month hold ->(June)-6.5->4-week hold-> (July)-6.4 (discontinued brassmonkey slide and slowed taper)-> (Aug)-6.2->(Sept)-6.0->(Oct)-5.9->(Nov)-5.8->(Dec)-5.7->wave!->(Jan)-5.8->(Feb)-6mg and holding.

 

My 2014 withdrawal experience: https://rxisk.org/antidepressant-withdrawal-a-prozac-story/

 

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  • 6 months later...

I had this once before, about a few weeks ago. And it disappeared. Now it's back. It's like I can't empty my bladde all of the way and feel the need to pee constantly.

 

Both times happened directly after a hot shower.

Strange.

I'm in the middle of a really crappy WD, does this go away?

2005-Zoloft bad reaction.....2006-Lexepro......2012-Upped Lexepro.......2013-Upped Lexepro......2/2014- Attempted Taper Lexepro...2/2014- Updosed Lexepro.......3/2014-Ativan.....5/2014- CT switch from Lexpro to Effexor.....

5/2014-7/2014-Tapered Ativan from 1mg to .25mg.....6/2014-Bad reaction to Effexor........7/2014- Rapid taper Effexor every other day......7/5/2014- Off Effexor.......7/2014-12/2014 - Ativan .25mg.......12/25/2014 -Taper Ativan by 4% due to paradoxical reaction .24mg...11/18/2015-Taper Ativan 1% CURRENTLY ON: .2376mg Ativan taken in 6 .0396mg doses.

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What is the difference between stress incontinence vs. urge incontinence?

 

I've never been to doctor with so many UTIs as I have in last few years. Treating one now. It's mostly urgency and pressure, but some burning.

 

I'm doubling up on probiotics this time to hopefully offset the emotional effects of antibiotics. Nutritionist told me the emotional effects are probably not due directly to antibiotics but the killing off of gut flora. Fingers crossed.

Pristiq tapered over 8 months ending Spring 2011 after 18 years of polydrugging that began w/Zoloft for fatigue/general malaise (not mood). CURRENT: 1mg Klonopin qhs (SSRI bruxism), 75mg trazodone qhs, various hormonesLitigation for 11 years for Work-related injury, settled 2004. Involuntary medical retirement in 2001 (age 39). 2012 - brain MRI showing diffuse, chronic cerebrovascular damage/demyelination possibly vasculitis/cerebritis. Dx w/autoimmune polyendocrine failure.<p>2013 - Dx w/CNS Sjogren's Lupus (FANA antibodies first appeared in 1997 but missed by doc).

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I'm about four months into this.

A couple weeks ago I was really cold, since I am all the time now, and got into a hot shower, felt my bladder want to empty, but it was like whatever muscle did that was just not working anymore and could not empty my bladder. This miraculously disappeared a couple hours later.

 

Well, same deal, cold, got into hot shower a few days ago and wham, it happened again. But this time did not go away. Went to ER and they used a catheter. But there was not that much urine, it felt like there def was. They took it out, I went home.

 

Next day, same problem. Went back to ER. Very very uncomfortable. This time they did a bladder scan. Only 32 cc in my bladder, so they did CT scan to check on kidneys. They came back and said I was really constipated and that it looked like it was pressing on my bladder.

 

Sent me home with magnesium citrate. Drank whole bottle, went a bit. Then that night drank another bottle and nothing yet. That was 9 hours ago.

 

Bladder still feels like I need to go, but it seems to diminish at times, even though I'm pretty sure I'm not emptying all the way. I have to pee every 30 minutes.

 

I'm sure this is nerve related. Anyone else ever heard of this or had similar problems?

 

Do they resolve as we recover?

2005-Zoloft bad reaction.....2006-Lexepro......2012-Upped Lexepro.......2013-Upped Lexepro......2/2014- Attempted Taper Lexepro...2/2014- Updosed Lexepro.......3/2014-Ativan.....5/2014- CT switch from Lexpro to Effexor.....

5/2014-7/2014-Tapered Ativan from 1mg to .25mg.....6/2014-Bad reaction to Effexor........7/2014- Rapid taper Effexor every other day......7/5/2014- Off Effexor.......7/2014-12/2014 - Ativan .25mg.......12/25/2014 -Taper Ativan by 4% due to paradoxical reaction .24mg...11/18/2015-Taper Ativan 1% CURRENTLY ON: .2376mg Ativan taken in 6 .0396mg doses.

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Hi JDM I'm 5 months in and I'm having problems with my bladder there different to yours but it started the day after I stopped my last antidepressant so I feel sure it must be related I have posted about it but I have no reply from anyone the doctor investigated and found that my prostate seemed to be OK but I still have pain I think it must be part of this wonderful journey we find ourselves on let's hope it gets better soon I wish you well mate

I was originally on 350 mils doxepin started in1975 through the years I tapered down to 100 mils

I stayed on this dose for many years

I have now been off for 7 months ago

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  • 1 month later...

Hi the night after I stopped antidepressants I started having to urinate at least 2 or 3 times a night and developed quite a severe pain in my pelvic e area so I went to the doctor .who took a blood sample he said they found no sign of cancer or infection and did a physical examination of my prostate. He said he found it to be fine so he would contact an expert and get back to me but he never did so much for my caring GO any way I have been off ads for nearly 7 months and if I could establish in .my mind that this is a withdrawel pain i can willingly keep going .I wonder if any one else has had a similar experience and would appreciate feedback .thankyou a great full patoski

I was originally on 350 mils doxepin started in1975 through the years I tapered down to 100 mils

I stayed on this dose for many years

I have now been off for 7 months ago

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  • Administrator

I am seeking information on SSRI-related urological issues. For example, some people have mentioned incontinence, difficulty urinating, “weak stream”, etc.

Has anyone had these kinds of problems, either while on the drugs or after stopping? If so, have you had any tests?

 

James (assisting RxISK.org)

Please note that JamesB is seeking case reports. He can be contacted via personal message on this site.

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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  • 2 weeks later...

Just saw the title of this thread and havent read all the posts but i have urinary issues and stool like issues too.

I seem to leak urine after urinating and i hate it esp when going to bed. Also the urinating is weak. This to me seems to be inferring nerve damage imo as they dont seem to be doing the job they should. The cns would be controlling these things right?

 

I also on many occasions in wdl didnt make it to the toilet in time to do to number 2's. Even now i have diarrhea like stools and when i have to go boy do i have to go.

I have had some embarassing accidents in public. This has been going on for 4 yrs now and im beginning to think it is permanent.

Flatulence is beyond excessive ...apparently 90% of the serotonin is in the gut ...we have been messing with the serotonin so is it any wonder we have issues like this. imo

 

Anyone have these issues clear up?

Thought for the day: Lets stand up, and let’s speak out , together. G Olsen

We have until the 14th. Feb 2018. 

URGENT REQUEST Please consider submitting  for the petition on Prescribed Drug Dependence and Withdrawal currently awaiting its third consideration at the Scottish Parliament. You don't even have to be from Scotland. By clicking on the link below you can read some of the previous submissions but be warned many of them are quite harrowing.

http://www.parliament.scot/GettingInvolved/Petitions/PE01651   

Please tell them about your problems taking and withdrawing from antidepressants and/or benzos.

Send by email to petitions@parliament.scot and quote PE01651 in the subject heading. Keep to a maximum of 3 sides of A4 and you can't name for legal reasons any doctor you have consulted. Tell them if you wish to remain anonymous. We need the numbers to help convince the committee members we are not isolated cases. You have until mid February. Thank you

Recovering paxil addict

None of the published articles shed light on what ssri's ... actually do or what their hazards might be. Healy 2013. 

This is so true, with anything you get on these drugs, dependance, tapering, withdrawal symptoms, side effects, just silent. And if there is something mentioned then their is a serious disconnect between what is said and reality! 

  "Every time I read of a multi-person shooting, I always presume that person had just started a SSRI or had just stopped."  Dr Mosher. Me too! 

Over two decades later, the number of antidepressant prescriptions a year is slightly more than the number of people in the Western world. Most (nine out of 10) prescriptions are for patients who faced difficulties on stopping, equating to about a tenth of the population. These patients are often advised to continue treatment because their difficulties indicate they need ongoing treatment, just as a person with diabetes needs insulin. Healy 2015

I believe the ssri era will soon stand as one of the most shameful in the history of medicine. Healy 2015

Let people help people ... in a natural, kind, non-addictive (and non-big pharma) way. J Broadley 2017

 

 

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Just saw the title of this thread and havent read all the posts but i have urinary issues and stool like issues too.

I seem to leak urine after urinating and i hate it esp when going to bed. Also the urinating is weak. This to me seems to be inferring nerve damage imo as they dont seem to be doing the job they should. The cns would be controlling these things right?

 

I also on many occasions in wdl didnt make it to the toilet in time to do to number 2's. Even now i have diarrhea like stools and when i have to go boy do i have to go.

I have had some embarassing accidents in public. This has been going on for 4 yrs now and im beginning to think it is permanent.

Flatulence is beyond excessive ...apparently 90% of the serotonin is in the gut ...we have been messing with the serotonin so is it any wonder we have issues like this. imo

 

Anyone have these issues clear up?

ever try taking a hemocode test? Depending on where you live, you can go to a pharmacist and get it done on the spot. Some insurance companies cover the cost. You can find out what food's your body is intolerant too. And it may help with your farting/diarrhea problems. Please note being intolerant to foods is different then having a food allergy.

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  • 2 weeks later...
  • Moderator Emeritus

OMG......this is an issue for me. Right now I have a UTI that is not responding to the antibiotics that were prescribed.

 

One of the reasons I get UTI's is due to imipramine. It causes urinary retention, so my bladder never empties.

 

Imipramine has ssri and another chemistry in it (I can't remember).

 

The tricyclics cause these kinds of issues.

I am starting to develop bladder problems, which is ironic bc I was put ON tricyclics in the first place bc I got misdiagnosed with a bladder condition. Now, the meds are actually GIVING me the probs I was misdiagnosed with.

 

What happened to me years ago is that I pulled a pelvic muscle and started having bladder problems. Now I know that a special kind of physical therapy exists for people who have injured muscles near their bladder.

 

But, lucky me, my doctors at the time didn't know about that special physical therapy, even though the research DID exist for them to access, so they put me on these meds. And now I'm actually DEVELOPING more complex bladder problems from TCA withdrawal than what I had in the first place!!!

 

The reason I know that my current bladder problems are different from my original pelvic muscle pull is bc these new bladder sensations are accompanied by pins and needle feeling in my private parts, which NEVER happened to me as I suffered from the original pulled pelvic muscle.

 

Here is the problem: who is going to believe me when I try to describe the difference between my bladder problems now versus the bladder problems I had BEFORE the meds? The docs will just say, "Well, we diagnosed you with a bladder disease, so obviously that's why you are having problems now off the medication."

 

I could go blue in the face describing the difference between the bladder problems before meds, versus in withdrawal, but I bet no doctor would believe me. Because even though we LIVE inside our bodies, the doctors never listen to what we have to say about our own symptoms.

 

Can you believe the irony of life? The meds they have me have CAUSED what the docs misdiagnosed me with... but there is no way for me to prove it, other than my METICULOUS symptom notes I have taken for years. But if I sue for malpractice, who will believe one patient's diary of symptoms? Who will believe that I know my body best? A jury would be wooed by the doctors' degrees and authoritarian attitudes. I would get buried by their fancy lawyers.

*I'm not a doctor and don't give medical advice, just personal experience
**Off all meds since Nov. 2014. Mentally & emotionally recovered; physically not
-Dual cold turkeys off TCA & Ativan in Oct 2014. Prescribed from 2011-2014

-All meds were Rxed off-label for an autoimmune illness.  It was a MISDIAGNOSIS, but I did not find out until AFTER meds caused damage.  All med tapers/cold turkeys directed by doctors 

-Nortriptyline May 2012 - Dec 2013. Cold turkey off nortrip & cold switched to desipramine

-Desipramine Jan 2014 - Oct. 29, 2014 (rapid taper/cold turkey)

-Lorazepam 1 mg per night during 2011
-Lorazepam 1 mg per month in 2012 (or less)

-Lorazepam on & off, Dec 2013 through Aug 2014. Didn't exceed 3x a week

-Lorazepam again in Oct. 2014 to help get off of desipramine. Last dose lzpam was 1 mg, Nov. 2, 2014. Immediate paradoxical reactions to benzos after stopping TCAs 

-First muscle/dystonia side effects started on nortriptyline, but docs too stupid to figure it out. On desipramine, muscle tremors & rigidity worsened

-Two weeks after I got off all meds, I developed full-blown TD.  Tardive dystonia, dyskinesia, myoclonic jerks ALL over body, ribcage wiggles, facial tics, twitching tongue & fingers, tremors/twitches of arms, legs, cognitive impairment, throat muscles semi-paralyzed & unable to swallow solid food, brain zaps, ears ring, dizzy, everything looks too far away, insomnia, numbness & electric shocks everywhere when I try to fall asleep, jerk awake from sleep with big, gasping breaths, wake with terrors & tremors, severely depressed.  NO HISTORY OF DEPRESSION, EVER. Meds CREATED it.

-Month 7: hair falling out; no vision improvement; still tardive dystonia; facial & tongue tics returned
-Month 8: back to acute, incl. Grand Mal seizure-like episodes. New mental torment, PGAD, worse insomnia
-Month 9: tardive dystonia worse, dyskinesia returned. Unable to breathe well due to dystonia in stomach, chest, throat
-Month 13: Back to acute, brain zaps back, developed eczema & stomach problems. Left leg no longer works right due to dystonia, meaning both legs now damaged
-7 years off: Huge improvements, incl. improved dystonia

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  • Moderator Emeritus

Also, tricyclics are NRIs, if I understand correctly.

 

Stress incontinence is when you leak if you laugh, sneeze, cough, etc.

 

Urge incontinence means you leak when you have the urge (desire) to void. Like, you feel you gotta pee, but you leak before you can get to the toilet.

*I'm not a doctor and don't give medical advice, just personal experience
**Off all meds since Nov. 2014. Mentally & emotionally recovered; physically not
-Dual cold turkeys off TCA & Ativan in Oct 2014. Prescribed from 2011-2014

-All meds were Rxed off-label for an autoimmune illness.  It was a MISDIAGNOSIS, but I did not find out until AFTER meds caused damage.  All med tapers/cold turkeys directed by doctors 

-Nortriptyline May 2012 - Dec 2013. Cold turkey off nortrip & cold switched to desipramine

-Desipramine Jan 2014 - Oct. 29, 2014 (rapid taper/cold turkey)

-Lorazepam 1 mg per night during 2011
-Lorazepam 1 mg per month in 2012 (or less)

-Lorazepam on & off, Dec 2013 through Aug 2014. Didn't exceed 3x a week

-Lorazepam again in Oct. 2014 to help get off of desipramine. Last dose lzpam was 1 mg, Nov. 2, 2014. Immediate paradoxical reactions to benzos after stopping TCAs 

-First muscle/dystonia side effects started on nortriptyline, but docs too stupid to figure it out. On desipramine, muscle tremors & rigidity worsened

-Two weeks after I got off all meds, I developed full-blown TD.  Tardive dystonia, dyskinesia, myoclonic jerks ALL over body, ribcage wiggles, facial tics, twitching tongue & fingers, tremors/twitches of arms, legs, cognitive impairment, throat muscles semi-paralyzed & unable to swallow solid food, brain zaps, ears ring, dizzy, everything looks too far away, insomnia, numbness & electric shocks everywhere when I try to fall asleep, jerk awake from sleep with big, gasping breaths, wake with terrors & tremors, severely depressed.  NO HISTORY OF DEPRESSION, EVER. Meds CREATED it.

-Month 7: hair falling out; no vision improvement; still tardive dystonia; facial & tongue tics returned
-Month 8: back to acute, incl. Grand Mal seizure-like episodes. New mental torment, PGAD, worse insomnia
-Month 9: tardive dystonia worse, dyskinesia returned. Unable to breathe well due to dystonia in stomach, chest, throat
-Month 13: Back to acute, brain zaps back, developed eczema & stomach problems. Left leg no longer works right due to dystonia, meaning both legs now damaged
-7 years off: Huge improvements, incl. improved dystonia

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  • Moderator Emeritus

Yes--I started having clear bladder symptoms in Nov. and was diagnosed with IC in Feb.  Looking back, I may have had some of them as early as June. 

 

Are you SURE you have IC???  Seriously, DON'T LET THEM MISDIAGNOSE YOU WITH IC IF IT COULD BE A WITHDRAWAL SYMPTOM.  I'm not an IC expert, but I do know a fair amount, because I was misdiagnosed with IC four years ago and THAT'S why I was put on tricyclic antidepressants in the first place.  Turns out, I ONLY had pelvic muscle problems from an injury, which are TOTALLY manageable with physical therapy.  NO MEDS WERE EVER NEEDED.

 

Sadly, my doctors at the time were too STUPID to know the difference between IC and pelvic muscle injury, so they put me on TCAs and actually GAVE me bladder problems while on meds and now in wd.  The medication bladder problems have now complicated my original problem, which ONLY should have been prescribed physical therapy.  Basically, I had a chance for my bladder and pelvis to recover NON-medicinally, but the doctors messed it up.  Now, my body and brain are a mess, and I don't know if my bladder will ever recover.  It used to have a chance.  Now, who knows?

 

Please be careful with the IC diagnosis you had been given.  It is the EXACT diagnosis that ruined my life and led me to be here AND IT WAS THE WRONG FLAMING DIAGNOSIS.

 

You better watch your back.

*I'm not a doctor and don't give medical advice, just personal experience
**Off all meds since Nov. 2014. Mentally & emotionally recovered; physically not
-Dual cold turkeys off TCA & Ativan in Oct 2014. Prescribed from 2011-2014

-All meds were Rxed off-label for an autoimmune illness.  It was a MISDIAGNOSIS, but I did not find out until AFTER meds caused damage.  All med tapers/cold turkeys directed by doctors 

-Nortriptyline May 2012 - Dec 2013. Cold turkey off nortrip & cold switched to desipramine

-Desipramine Jan 2014 - Oct. 29, 2014 (rapid taper/cold turkey)

-Lorazepam 1 mg per night during 2011
-Lorazepam 1 mg per month in 2012 (or less)

-Lorazepam on & off, Dec 2013 through Aug 2014. Didn't exceed 3x a week

-Lorazepam again in Oct. 2014 to help get off of desipramine. Last dose lzpam was 1 mg, Nov. 2, 2014. Immediate paradoxical reactions to benzos after stopping TCAs 

-First muscle/dystonia side effects started on nortriptyline, but docs too stupid to figure it out. On desipramine, muscle tremors & rigidity worsened

-Two weeks after I got off all meds, I developed full-blown TD.  Tardive dystonia, dyskinesia, myoclonic jerks ALL over body, ribcage wiggles, facial tics, twitching tongue & fingers, tremors/twitches of arms, legs, cognitive impairment, throat muscles semi-paralyzed & unable to swallow solid food, brain zaps, ears ring, dizzy, everything looks too far away, insomnia, numbness & electric shocks everywhere when I try to fall asleep, jerk awake from sleep with big, gasping breaths, wake with terrors & tremors, severely depressed.  NO HISTORY OF DEPRESSION, EVER. Meds CREATED it.

-Month 7: hair falling out; no vision improvement; still tardive dystonia; facial & tongue tics returned
-Month 8: back to acute, incl. Grand Mal seizure-like episodes. New mental torment, PGAD, worse insomnia
-Month 9: tardive dystonia worse, dyskinesia returned. Unable to breathe well due to dystonia in stomach, chest, throat
-Month 13: Back to acute, brain zaps back, developed eczema & stomach problems. Left leg no longer works right due to dystonia, meaning both legs now damaged
-7 years off: Huge improvements, incl. improved dystonia

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  • Moderator Emeritus

I just read that Serzone can cause urinary retention.  Imipramine causes urinary retention..

 

I get like two Uti's a year and can never fully empty my bladder.  Just had e.coli - on ab's for three weeks.  It was bad.

Interaction with WD and AB's was bad.

 

My daughter is just coming out of an IC episode.

 

Why didn't psych nurse or me catch that about Serzone before putting me on it along with imipramine.

 

These drugs do affect the urinary system.  I posted a video from a support group on FB about how all  the systems in the body are affected......check it out.

 

It's not in your head.  It's the drugs....they add to whatever problems you may have.

 

What is going on with your daughter?  Who diagnosed her with IC and how?  Does she have a damaged bladder lining?  Does she have food sensitivity?  Have OTHER potential causes of bladder problems been ruled out, such as SIBO, Lyme, or PFD?  

 

I don't mean to intrude in your daughter's healthcare, but an IC misdiagnosis is what RUINED my life, led me to these meds, and complicated my original bladder problems (which WOULD have been easily manageable if I had had EVEN ONE doctor who knew her *ss from her tw*t.)

 

I just don't want to see you or daughter get victimized like I was.

*I'm not a doctor and don't give medical advice, just personal experience
**Off all meds since Nov. 2014. Mentally & emotionally recovered; physically not
-Dual cold turkeys off TCA & Ativan in Oct 2014. Prescribed from 2011-2014

-All meds were Rxed off-label for an autoimmune illness.  It was a MISDIAGNOSIS, but I did not find out until AFTER meds caused damage.  All med tapers/cold turkeys directed by doctors 

-Nortriptyline May 2012 - Dec 2013. Cold turkey off nortrip & cold switched to desipramine

-Desipramine Jan 2014 - Oct. 29, 2014 (rapid taper/cold turkey)

-Lorazepam 1 mg per night during 2011
-Lorazepam 1 mg per month in 2012 (or less)

-Lorazepam on & off, Dec 2013 through Aug 2014. Didn't exceed 3x a week

-Lorazepam again in Oct. 2014 to help get off of desipramine. Last dose lzpam was 1 mg, Nov. 2, 2014. Immediate paradoxical reactions to benzos after stopping TCAs 

-First muscle/dystonia side effects started on nortriptyline, but docs too stupid to figure it out. On desipramine, muscle tremors & rigidity worsened

-Two weeks after I got off all meds, I developed full-blown TD.  Tardive dystonia, dyskinesia, myoclonic jerks ALL over body, ribcage wiggles, facial tics, twitching tongue & fingers, tremors/twitches of arms, legs, cognitive impairment, throat muscles semi-paralyzed & unable to swallow solid food, brain zaps, ears ring, dizzy, everything looks too far away, insomnia, numbness & electric shocks everywhere when I try to fall asleep, jerk awake from sleep with big, gasping breaths, wake with terrors & tremors, severely depressed.  NO HISTORY OF DEPRESSION, EVER. Meds CREATED it.

-Month 7: hair falling out; no vision improvement; still tardive dystonia; facial & tongue tics returned
-Month 8: back to acute, incl. Grand Mal seizure-like episodes. New mental torment, PGAD, worse insomnia
-Month 9: tardive dystonia worse, dyskinesia returned. Unable to breathe well due to dystonia in stomach, chest, throat
-Month 13: Back to acute, brain zaps back, developed eczema & stomach problems. Left leg no longer works right due to dystonia, meaning both legs now damaged
-7 years off: Huge improvements, incl. improved dystonia

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  • Moderator Emeritus

I had issues with night time incontinence (thank you anti psychotics for relaxing my bladder) and had a zillion tests by an urologist. I had many unpleasant physical problems while on psych drugs but they went away after I tapered off them (nausea, headaches, colon spasms, constipation, edema, reflux, choking, racing heart, sweating, dizziness).

 

Hi Aria,

 

I've read your recovery story and it sounds like you and I have some of the same severe physical symptoms in common, such as choking, bladder issues, and tardive dyskinesia.

 

I know you got over it, but you tapered and I did rapid taper/cold turkey.  Still, it makes me hopeful to know that someone as severe as me is recovered.

*I'm not a doctor and don't give medical advice, just personal experience
**Off all meds since Nov. 2014. Mentally & emotionally recovered; physically not
-Dual cold turkeys off TCA & Ativan in Oct 2014. Prescribed from 2011-2014

-All meds were Rxed off-label for an autoimmune illness.  It was a MISDIAGNOSIS, but I did not find out until AFTER meds caused damage.  All med tapers/cold turkeys directed by doctors 

-Nortriptyline May 2012 - Dec 2013. Cold turkey off nortrip & cold switched to desipramine

-Desipramine Jan 2014 - Oct. 29, 2014 (rapid taper/cold turkey)

-Lorazepam 1 mg per night during 2011
-Lorazepam 1 mg per month in 2012 (or less)

-Lorazepam on & off, Dec 2013 through Aug 2014. Didn't exceed 3x a week

-Lorazepam again in Oct. 2014 to help get off of desipramine. Last dose lzpam was 1 mg, Nov. 2, 2014. Immediate paradoxical reactions to benzos after stopping TCAs 

-First muscle/dystonia side effects started on nortriptyline, but docs too stupid to figure it out. On desipramine, muscle tremors & rigidity worsened

-Two weeks after I got off all meds, I developed full-blown TD.  Tardive dystonia, dyskinesia, myoclonic jerks ALL over body, ribcage wiggles, facial tics, twitching tongue & fingers, tremors/twitches of arms, legs, cognitive impairment, throat muscles semi-paralyzed & unable to swallow solid food, brain zaps, ears ring, dizzy, everything looks too far away, insomnia, numbness & electric shocks everywhere when I try to fall asleep, jerk awake from sleep with big, gasping breaths, wake with terrors & tremors, severely depressed.  NO HISTORY OF DEPRESSION, EVER. Meds CREATED it.

-Month 7: hair falling out; no vision improvement; still tardive dystonia; facial & tongue tics returned
-Month 8: back to acute, incl. Grand Mal seizure-like episodes. New mental torment, PGAD, worse insomnia
-Month 9: tardive dystonia worse, dyskinesia returned. Unable to breathe well due to dystonia in stomach, chest, throat
-Month 13: Back to acute, brain zaps back, developed eczema & stomach problems. Left leg no longer works right due to dystonia, meaning both legs now damaged
-7 years off: Huge improvements, incl. improved dystonia

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Bladder recovery stories please, ESPECIALLY from cold turkey cases?

*I'm not a doctor and don't give medical advice, just personal experience
**Off all meds since Nov. 2014. Mentally & emotionally recovered; physically not
-Dual cold turkeys off TCA & Ativan in Oct 2014. Prescribed from 2011-2014

-All meds were Rxed off-label for an autoimmune illness.  It was a MISDIAGNOSIS, but I did not find out until AFTER meds caused damage.  All med tapers/cold turkeys directed by doctors 

-Nortriptyline May 2012 - Dec 2013. Cold turkey off nortrip & cold switched to desipramine

-Desipramine Jan 2014 - Oct. 29, 2014 (rapid taper/cold turkey)

-Lorazepam 1 mg per night during 2011
-Lorazepam 1 mg per month in 2012 (or less)

-Lorazepam on & off, Dec 2013 through Aug 2014. Didn't exceed 3x a week

-Lorazepam again in Oct. 2014 to help get off of desipramine. Last dose lzpam was 1 mg, Nov. 2, 2014. Immediate paradoxical reactions to benzos after stopping TCAs 

-First muscle/dystonia side effects started on nortriptyline, but docs too stupid to figure it out. On desipramine, muscle tremors & rigidity worsened

-Two weeks after I got off all meds, I developed full-blown TD.  Tardive dystonia, dyskinesia, myoclonic jerks ALL over body, ribcage wiggles, facial tics, twitching tongue & fingers, tremors/twitches of arms, legs, cognitive impairment, throat muscles semi-paralyzed & unable to swallow solid food, brain zaps, ears ring, dizzy, everything looks too far away, insomnia, numbness & electric shocks everywhere when I try to fall asleep, jerk awake from sleep with big, gasping breaths, wake with terrors & tremors, severely depressed.  NO HISTORY OF DEPRESSION, EVER. Meds CREATED it.

-Month 7: hair falling out; no vision improvement; still tardive dystonia; facial & tongue tics returned
-Month 8: back to acute, incl. Grand Mal seizure-like episodes. New mental torment, PGAD, worse insomnia
-Month 9: tardive dystonia worse, dyskinesia returned. Unable to breathe well due to dystonia in stomach, chest, throat
-Month 13: Back to acute, brain zaps back, developed eczema & stomach problems. Left leg no longer works right due to dystonia, meaning both legs now damaged
-7 years off: Huge improvements, incl. improved dystonia

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I also have probelms now , it comes and go , weak stream is exactly how to describe it, first i thought i would had an infection but always when i check its no infection so i guess its withdrawing.. but its annoying, have to go up to toilet sooo often to pee and when i pee it dont come much , typical infectiomn but no hadnt.

I have the same. I feel like going to pee, but then it does not really go. I sit and sit, try to get distracted with something else, than I manage, but as you said weak stream...

And I don't have any infection!

- 12.03.2021- doxepin- 50mg

- 6.11.2020- 75mg

- 16.10.2020- 100mg

- 30.09.2020- doxepin- 125mg

- May 2020, omeprazole 40mg switched to esomeprazole 20mg

- 2012 re-started Doxepin 75mg, evening. Increased to 150mg

- 2012, Atenolol 25mg, twice a day

- 2016, Low dose of HRT in evening, Sandrena and Utrogestan 

- Long term of Nasal spray Otrivine

- 2012, PPI Omeprazole 40mg-evening

24.10.2014- Started ESCITALOPRAM-first 5mg and then 10mg; due to the adverse symptoms reduced on 5.01.2015- Escitalopram- 2.5mg 22.07.2016- re-started reduction by 1% at a time. Completed tappering on  19.03.2020 😇

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I had severe bladder problems that improved as I tapered from effexor. I had no feelings of needing to go to the loo, no urge whatsoever so when I stood up after sitting for a while gravity took over and .............. :blush: ! I had to keep going to the loo if I was going anywhere. I wasn't leaking unless my bladder was full. 

It is much better now but still not right, I don't have long to get to a toilet and have to regulate my fluid intake when out. At times I have to 'run' to the loo and it is embarrassing if I am out and have to go upstairs, how many of you tried to get upstairs with legs crossed?  :blush:   :lol: It is getting better, much better but still a way to go. 

**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

 

 

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I find it that all drugs that suppress the Central Nervous System, worsen my stress incontinence issues.  Especially Anticholinergic drugs. Which is ironic since anticholinergics are used to treat urge incontinence.  I only found one Doctor-run website online that said, that treating Stress incontinence (leaking when you sneeze for example) is totally inappropriate.  My stress incontinence started when I started using Pristiq, and has never gone away. But I do notice that it gets worse after I use drugs like Ambien or some other sedating drug. Recently I tried Trazodone, which is highly anticholinergic, and the next day had a couple of bad episodes.

Here's a document I found that details the relationship between drugs and all types of incontinence:

 

http://www.veteransmates.net.au/VeteransMATES/documents/module_materials/M26_TherBrief.pdf

2005-2008: Effexor; 1/2008 Tapered 3 months, then quit. 7/2008-2009 Reinstated Effexor (crying spells at start of new job.)
2009-3/2013: Switched to Pristiq 50 mg then 100 mg
3/2013: Switched to Lexapro 10mg. Cut down to 5 mg. CT for 2 weeks then reinstated for 6 weeks
8/2013-8/2014: Tapering Lexapro (Lots of withdrawal symptoms)
11/2014 -8/2015: Developed severe insomnia and uncontrollable daily crying spells
12/2014-6/2015: Tried Ambien, Klonopin, Ativan, Lunesta, Sonata, Trazadone, Seroquel, Rameron, Gabapentin - Developed Anxiety disorder, PTSD, and Psychogenic Myoclonus
7/2015-1/2016: Reinstated Lexapro 2 mg (mild improvement, but crying spells still present)

1/2016-5/2017: Lexapro 5 mg ( helped a lot, but poor stress tolerance & depressive episodes)

5/20/2017 - Raised dose to Lexapro 10 mg due to lingering depression(Total of 2 failed tapers & severe PAWS)

9/11/2018 - Present: Still on 10 mg Lexapro and mostly recovered.(Anxiety still triggers Myoclonus.)

10/7/2022 - 20 mg Lexapro (brand only) Plus occasional Klonopin for anxiety and Ambien for insomnia.

 

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I had to resort to wearing pads at times when I was on meds. But I also drank gallons of diet soda to stay awake. Both (meds + caffeine) not a good idea.

What happened and how I arrived here: http://survivingantidepressants.org/index.php?/topic/4243-cymbaltawithdrawal5600-introduction/#entry50878

 

July 2016 I have decided to leave my story here at SA unfinished. I have left my contact information in my profile for anyone who wishes to talk to me. I have a posting history spanning nearly 4 years and 3000+ posts all over the site.

 

Thank you to all who participated in my recovery. I'll miss talking to you but know that I'll be cheering you on from the sidelines, suffering and rejoicing with you in spirit, as you go on in your journey.

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I find it that all drugs that suppress the Central Nervous System, worsen my stress incontinence issues. Especially Anticholinergic drugs. Which is ironic since anticholinergics are used to treat urge incontinence. I only found one Doctor-run website online that said, that treating Stress incontinence (leaking when you sneeze for example) is totally inappropriate. My stress incontinence started when I started using Pristiq, and has never gone away. But I do notice that it gets worse after I use drugs like Ambien or some other sedating drug. Recently I tried Trazodone, which is highly anticholinergic, and the next day had a couple of bad episodes.

Here's a document I found that details the relationship between drugs and all types of incontinence:

 

http://www.veteransmates.net.au/VeteransMATES/documents/module_materials/M26_TherBrief.pdf

Why are meds that make bladders worse used to treat bladd problems?

*I'm not a doctor and don't give medical advice, just personal experience
**Off all meds since Nov. 2014. Mentally & emotionally recovered; physically not
-Dual cold turkeys off TCA & Ativan in Oct 2014. Prescribed from 2011-2014

-All meds were Rxed off-label for an autoimmune illness.  It was a MISDIAGNOSIS, but I did not find out until AFTER meds caused damage.  All med tapers/cold turkeys directed by doctors 

-Nortriptyline May 2012 - Dec 2013. Cold turkey off nortrip & cold switched to desipramine

-Desipramine Jan 2014 - Oct. 29, 2014 (rapid taper/cold turkey)

-Lorazepam 1 mg per night during 2011
-Lorazepam 1 mg per month in 2012 (or less)

-Lorazepam on & off, Dec 2013 through Aug 2014. Didn't exceed 3x a week

-Lorazepam again in Oct. 2014 to help get off of desipramine. Last dose lzpam was 1 mg, Nov. 2, 2014. Immediate paradoxical reactions to benzos after stopping TCAs 

-First muscle/dystonia side effects started on nortriptyline, but docs too stupid to figure it out. On desipramine, muscle tremors & rigidity worsened

-Two weeks after I got off all meds, I developed full-blown TD.  Tardive dystonia, dyskinesia, myoclonic jerks ALL over body, ribcage wiggles, facial tics, twitching tongue & fingers, tremors/twitches of arms, legs, cognitive impairment, throat muscles semi-paralyzed & unable to swallow solid food, brain zaps, ears ring, dizzy, everything looks too far away, insomnia, numbness & electric shocks everywhere when I try to fall asleep, jerk awake from sleep with big, gasping breaths, wake with terrors & tremors, severely depressed.  NO HISTORY OF DEPRESSION, EVER. Meds CREATED it.

-Month 7: hair falling out; no vision improvement; still tardive dystonia; facial & tongue tics returned
-Month 8: back to acute, incl. Grand Mal seizure-like episodes. New mental torment, PGAD, worse insomnia
-Month 9: tardive dystonia worse, dyskinesia returned. Unable to breathe well due to dystonia in stomach, chest, throat
-Month 13: Back to acute, brain zaps back, developed eczema & stomach problems. Left leg no longer works right due to dystonia, meaning both legs now damaged
-7 years off: Huge improvements, incl. improved dystonia

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I think my bladd probs now are worse than before meds... It's hard to remember, though.

*I'm not a doctor and don't give medical advice, just personal experience
**Off all meds since Nov. 2014. Mentally & emotionally recovered; physically not
-Dual cold turkeys off TCA & Ativan in Oct 2014. Prescribed from 2011-2014

-All meds were Rxed off-label for an autoimmune illness.  It was a MISDIAGNOSIS, but I did not find out until AFTER meds caused damage.  All med tapers/cold turkeys directed by doctors 

-Nortriptyline May 2012 - Dec 2013. Cold turkey off nortrip & cold switched to desipramine

-Desipramine Jan 2014 - Oct. 29, 2014 (rapid taper/cold turkey)

-Lorazepam 1 mg per night during 2011
-Lorazepam 1 mg per month in 2012 (or less)

-Lorazepam on & off, Dec 2013 through Aug 2014. Didn't exceed 3x a week

-Lorazepam again in Oct. 2014 to help get off of desipramine. Last dose lzpam was 1 mg, Nov. 2, 2014. Immediate paradoxical reactions to benzos after stopping TCAs 

-First muscle/dystonia side effects started on nortriptyline, but docs too stupid to figure it out. On desipramine, muscle tremors & rigidity worsened

-Two weeks after I got off all meds, I developed full-blown TD.  Tardive dystonia, dyskinesia, myoclonic jerks ALL over body, ribcage wiggles, facial tics, twitching tongue & fingers, tremors/twitches of arms, legs, cognitive impairment, throat muscles semi-paralyzed & unable to swallow solid food, brain zaps, ears ring, dizzy, everything looks too far away, insomnia, numbness & electric shocks everywhere when I try to fall asleep, jerk awake from sleep with big, gasping breaths, wake with terrors & tremors, severely depressed.  NO HISTORY OF DEPRESSION, EVER. Meds CREATED it.

-Month 7: hair falling out; no vision improvement; still tardive dystonia; facial & tongue tics returned
-Month 8: back to acute, incl. Grand Mal seizure-like episodes. New mental torment, PGAD, worse insomnia
-Month 9: tardive dystonia worse, dyskinesia returned. Unable to breathe well due to dystonia in stomach, chest, throat
-Month 13: Back to acute, brain zaps back, developed eczema & stomach problems. Left leg no longer works right due to dystonia, meaning both legs now damaged
-7 years off: Huge improvements, incl. improved dystonia

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Plus, now that med wd is interfering with my body, it's impossible to tell if the meds are responsible for spikes in symptoms, or if it is from my original pelvic injury. So this has REALLY messed up my progress in PT.

*I'm not a doctor and don't give medical advice, just personal experience
**Off all meds since Nov. 2014. Mentally & emotionally recovered; physically not
-Dual cold turkeys off TCA & Ativan in Oct 2014. Prescribed from 2011-2014

-All meds were Rxed off-label for an autoimmune illness.  It was a MISDIAGNOSIS, but I did not find out until AFTER meds caused damage.  All med tapers/cold turkeys directed by doctors 

-Nortriptyline May 2012 - Dec 2013. Cold turkey off nortrip & cold switched to desipramine

-Desipramine Jan 2014 - Oct. 29, 2014 (rapid taper/cold turkey)

-Lorazepam 1 mg per night during 2011
-Lorazepam 1 mg per month in 2012 (or less)

-Lorazepam on & off, Dec 2013 through Aug 2014. Didn't exceed 3x a week

-Lorazepam again in Oct. 2014 to help get off of desipramine. Last dose lzpam was 1 mg, Nov. 2, 2014. Immediate paradoxical reactions to benzos after stopping TCAs 

-First muscle/dystonia side effects started on nortriptyline, but docs too stupid to figure it out. On desipramine, muscle tremors & rigidity worsened

-Two weeks after I got off all meds, I developed full-blown TD.  Tardive dystonia, dyskinesia, myoclonic jerks ALL over body, ribcage wiggles, facial tics, twitching tongue & fingers, tremors/twitches of arms, legs, cognitive impairment, throat muscles semi-paralyzed & unable to swallow solid food, brain zaps, ears ring, dizzy, everything looks too far away, insomnia, numbness & electric shocks everywhere when I try to fall asleep, jerk awake from sleep with big, gasping breaths, wake with terrors & tremors, severely depressed.  NO HISTORY OF DEPRESSION, EVER. Meds CREATED it.

-Month 7: hair falling out; no vision improvement; still tardive dystonia; facial & tongue tics returned
-Month 8: back to acute, incl. Grand Mal seizure-like episodes. New mental torment, PGAD, worse insomnia
-Month 9: tardive dystonia worse, dyskinesia returned. Unable to breathe well due to dystonia in stomach, chest, throat
-Month 13: Back to acute, brain zaps back, developed eczema & stomach problems. Left leg no longer works right due to dystonia, meaning both legs now damaged
-7 years off: Huge improvements, incl. improved dystonia

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I was on Zoloft for 20 years and I tapered off very slowly with no withdrawals.  I have been off Zoloft since 2012.  In 2008, I had a bad cough for a month and had to wear diapers.  I was only 45 years old and I had a child in elementary school!  After the cough went away, I was back to normal and could wear underwear.  I decided it was a fluke and put it behind me.  Then, about a year ago, maybe more, I started to notice I had sensations to urinate but hardly anything would come out.  I also noticed if I sneezed or coughed a few drops would come out.  But then, the world came crashing down on me when I got the whooping cough this fall.  A violent cough like no other.  They call it the 100 day cough.  Well, I have had to wear Depends now for three months.  I am only 53 years old.  I am so upset by this.  I am still trying to get rid of the cough and I wonder ... will I always have leaks.  I am off meds yet my urinary system permanently damaged.  What can I do????  I am so distressed. Does anyone have a solution besides meds?  I am med-free and want to stay that way.  Anyone have a success story on how to recover from this?

Zoloft 1991-1997 50 mg

Zoloft 1997-1999 100 mg

Zoloft 1999-2012 50 mg

Tapered slowly and carefully with no noticeable withdrawal

2012 - present, no medication

 

 

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Look into pelvic floor physical therapy where they may be able to help you regain control of your muscles down there. Don't just look up exercises on the internet, though. Make sure to go to a pelvic floor physical therapist in person for an evaluation.

 

The pelvic floor is the group of muscles down there surrounding all our bladder, bowel, and reproductive parts.

*I'm not a doctor and don't give medical advice, just personal experience
**Off all meds since Nov. 2014. Mentally & emotionally recovered; physically not
-Dual cold turkeys off TCA & Ativan in Oct 2014. Prescribed from 2011-2014

-All meds were Rxed off-label for an autoimmune illness.  It was a MISDIAGNOSIS, but I did not find out until AFTER meds caused damage.  All med tapers/cold turkeys directed by doctors 

-Nortriptyline May 2012 - Dec 2013. Cold turkey off nortrip & cold switched to desipramine

-Desipramine Jan 2014 - Oct. 29, 2014 (rapid taper/cold turkey)

-Lorazepam 1 mg per night during 2011
-Lorazepam 1 mg per month in 2012 (or less)

-Lorazepam on & off, Dec 2013 through Aug 2014. Didn't exceed 3x a week

-Lorazepam again in Oct. 2014 to help get off of desipramine. Last dose lzpam was 1 mg, Nov. 2, 2014. Immediate paradoxical reactions to benzos after stopping TCAs 

-First muscle/dystonia side effects started on nortriptyline, but docs too stupid to figure it out. On desipramine, muscle tremors & rigidity worsened

-Two weeks after I got off all meds, I developed full-blown TD.  Tardive dystonia, dyskinesia, myoclonic jerks ALL over body, ribcage wiggles, facial tics, twitching tongue & fingers, tremors/twitches of arms, legs, cognitive impairment, throat muscles semi-paralyzed & unable to swallow solid food, brain zaps, ears ring, dizzy, everything looks too far away, insomnia, numbness & electric shocks everywhere when I try to fall asleep, jerk awake from sleep with big, gasping breaths, wake with terrors & tremors, severely depressed.  NO HISTORY OF DEPRESSION, EVER. Meds CREATED it.

-Month 7: hair falling out; no vision improvement; still tardive dystonia; facial & tongue tics returned
-Month 8: back to acute, incl. Grand Mal seizure-like episodes. New mental torment, PGAD, worse insomnia
-Month 9: tardive dystonia worse, dyskinesia returned. Unable to breathe well due to dystonia in stomach, chest, throat
-Month 13: Back to acute, brain zaps back, developed eczema & stomach problems. Left leg no longer works right due to dystonia, meaning both legs now damaged
-7 years off: Huge improvements, incl. improved dystonia

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  • 4 weeks later...

Well I'm a success story when it comes to bladder issues . . . though mine were related to benzo use. I was diagnosed with pelvic floor disorder in late 2011, at the end of my first year of tapering off clonazepam. I'd had symptoms of pelvic and bladder pain, frequency, and some leaking (which totally freaked me out), and even an ob/gyn exam was very painful--which led to ultrasounds, CT scan, bloodwork, etc. Nothing showed up.

 

I originally self-diagnosed as having interstitial cystitis (IC) and was sure I had a damaged bladder and would be doomed to sitting on an ice pack and eating bland foods forever. Kept researching and realized my symptoms were more in keeping with pelvic floor disorder. My PCP wouldn't consider the possibility, so I found a new PCP and a good urogynecologist. The uro-gyno believes that true cases of IC are very rare--said she sees five women a day in a situation like mine, who have gone from doctor to doctor without relief.

Pelvic floor disorder (PFD) happens when pelvic floor muscles are both too weak and too tense, which is exactly what happens during benzo withdrawal (I have since realized that my initial taper rate of 10 percent a month was too fast for my system to handle). I'd also had longterm problems with lower back pain and misalignment, making for the perfect storm to eventually throw the pelvic area out of whack. In PFD the pelvic floor becomes too tight and puts pressure on internal organs such as the bladder. 

The solution, as WiggleIt notes, is specialized physical therapy. It's a time commitment--in my case it took a year, during which time I held my taper, but then I also had problems with my sacroiliac joint to address. Not everyone would need PT for that long. The end result was like night and day. In the course of the therapy I learned bladder retraining and methods for relaxing and strengthening muscles. And I had an awesome therapist. 

 

This may not apply to all or even most who have posted here, but in case it may help someone, I thought I'd throw in my story. BTW, I eventually had a cystoscopy due to recurrent UTIs a couple of years ago, and I definitely do not have interstitial cystitis. I believe the only way to truly diagnose IC is to look inside.

 


 

1990 - mid-2000s: on and off several ADs, including Prozac, Effexor, Celexa, and Wellbutrin. Many side-effects and hard withdrawals. 

1990 - mid-2000s: Klonopin 0.5 mg per day prn for sleep & anxiety.

mid-2000s - 2011: switched dosing to Klonopin 0.25 twice-daily for the above plus back pain (!) Never increased dose.

2011 - began taper with missteps; then @ 5% of current dose every 2 wks, using combo of pill and compounded liquid.

2012: yearlong hold at 0.165 bid to undergo specialized PT for pelvic floor syndrome, prob triggered by high muscle tone from taper.

2013: resumed taper @ 5% of current dose per month, from 0.165 down to 0.155 bid.

3/2013 - 6/2014: another year+ hold due to bad foot fracture & family trauma (sudden deaths).

6/2014 - 1/2015: resumed taper at 5% month; from 0.155 down to 0.125 bid (half original dose; or 1/4 of 0.5 tab). Held two months.

3/2015: Started 0.125 compounded tablets pure clonazepam, twice a day.

Supplements: fish oil, probiotics, cranberry, Vit C, Vit D, turmeric, magnesium powder, tablets, oil. Also occasional baby aspirin.

Exquisitely sensitive to meds. Working full time. In my late fifties. My intro thread:

http://survivingantidepressants.org/index.php?/topic/8733-brighids-intro-my-slow-mo-clonazepam-taper-hits-a-speed-bump/?p=145214

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I forgot to mention that pelvic floor disorders / pelvic pain syndromes can affect men as well.

1990 - mid-2000s: on and off several ADs, including Prozac, Effexor, Celexa, and Wellbutrin. Many side-effects and hard withdrawals. 

1990 - mid-2000s: Klonopin 0.5 mg per day prn for sleep & anxiety.

mid-2000s - 2011: switched dosing to Klonopin 0.25 twice-daily for the above plus back pain (!) Never increased dose.

2011 - began taper with missteps; then @ 5% of current dose every 2 wks, using combo of pill and compounded liquid.

2012: yearlong hold at 0.165 bid to undergo specialized PT for pelvic floor syndrome, prob triggered by high muscle tone from taper.

2013: resumed taper @ 5% of current dose per month, from 0.165 down to 0.155 bid.

3/2013 - 6/2014: another year+ hold due to bad foot fracture & family trauma (sudden deaths).

6/2014 - 1/2015: resumed taper at 5% month; from 0.155 down to 0.125 bid (half original dose; or 1/4 of 0.5 tab). Held two months.

3/2015: Started 0.125 compounded tablets pure clonazepam, twice a day.

Supplements: fish oil, probiotics, cranberry, Vit C, Vit D, turmeric, magnesium powder, tablets, oil. Also occasional baby aspirin.

Exquisitely sensitive to meds. Working full time. In my late fifties. My intro thread:

http://survivingantidepressants.org/index.php?/topic/8733-brighids-intro-my-slow-mo-clonazepam-taper-hits-a-speed-bump/?p=145214

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Well I'm a success story when it comes to bladder issues . . . though mine were related to benzo use. I was diagnosed with pelvic floor disorder in late 2011, at the end of my first year of tapering off clonazepam. I'd had symptoms of pelvic and bladder pain, frequency, and some leaking (which totally freaked me out), and even an ob/gyn exam was very painful--which led to ultrasounds, CT scan, bloodwork, etc. Nothing showed up.

 

I originally self-diagnosed as having interstitial cystitis (IC) and was sure I had a damaged bladder and would be doomed to sitting on an ice pack and eating bland foods forever. Kept researching and realized my symptoms were more in keeping with pelvic floor disorder. My PCP wouldn't consider the possibility, so I found a new PCP and a good urogynecologist. The uro-gyno believes that true cases of IC are very rare--said she sees five women a day in a situation like mine, who have gone from doctor to doctor without relief.

 

Pelvic floor disorder (PFD) happens when pelvic floor muscles are both too weak and too tense, which is exactly what happens during benzo withdrawal (I have since realized that my initial taper rate of 10 percent a month was too fast for my system to handle). I'd also had longterm problems with lower back pain and misalignment, making for the perfect storm to eventually throw the pelvic area out of whack. In PFD the pelvic floor becomes too tight and puts pressure on internal organs such as the bladder.

 

The solution, as WiggleIt notes, is specialized physical therapy. It's a time commitment--in my case it took a year, during which time I held my taper, but then I also had problems with my sacroiliac joint to address. Not everyone would need PT for that long. The end result was like night and day. In the course of the therapy I learned bladder retraining and methods for relaxing and strengthening muscles. And I had an awesome therapist.

 

This may not apply to all or even most who have posted here, but in case it may help someone, I thought I'd throw in my story. BTW, I eventually had a cystoscopy due to recurrent UTIs a couple of years ago, and I definitely do not have interstitial cystitis. I believe the only way to truly diagnose IC is to look inside.

 

 

 

Brighid, I just sent you a private message because you won't believe me when I tell you... I was also misdiagnosed with IC when in reality I have PFD.

 

And I think my severe withdrawal from a tricyclic AND from a benzo has messed up my pelvic muscles even worse and has possibly even caused signaling problems to my bladder because now my nervous system is messed up, and my nervous system used to be perfectly healthy before the meds.

 

This is unbelievable. I can't believe someone else has a similar story to mine.

 

My withdrawal is so severe. I have myoclonic seizures, leg dragging, swallowing muscles don't work in my throat, one side of body too rigid, other side of body too weak. Legs and arms tremor and flap without my control. Can't swallow solid food or walk without a walker. My former doctors told me to do rapid tapers and cold turkeys off a benzo and a tricyclic antidepressant at the same time and they told me I would be safe. Now, I'm worse than I was before.

 

I am SO messed up. All I ever had originally was a lower back injury that affected my pelvic muscles and now I'm totally disabled from prolonged withdrawal and I'm scared that the meds caused a permanent problem in my bladder, when I originally only had a temporary problem in my muscles.

 

I really hope we can be friends. I almost feel like God put your story here for me to see because he knows I've been despairing.

 

Last night, I woke up every hour to pee. I never got more than two hours' sleep in a row last night and today I am so confused and exhausted and my bladder feels like it is ripping open.

*I'm not a doctor and don't give medical advice, just personal experience
**Off all meds since Nov. 2014. Mentally & emotionally recovered; physically not
-Dual cold turkeys off TCA & Ativan in Oct 2014. Prescribed from 2011-2014

-All meds were Rxed off-label for an autoimmune illness.  It was a MISDIAGNOSIS, but I did not find out until AFTER meds caused damage.  All med tapers/cold turkeys directed by doctors 

-Nortriptyline May 2012 - Dec 2013. Cold turkey off nortrip & cold switched to desipramine

-Desipramine Jan 2014 - Oct. 29, 2014 (rapid taper/cold turkey)

-Lorazepam 1 mg per night during 2011
-Lorazepam 1 mg per month in 2012 (or less)

-Lorazepam on & off, Dec 2013 through Aug 2014. Didn't exceed 3x a week

-Lorazepam again in Oct. 2014 to help get off of desipramine. Last dose lzpam was 1 mg, Nov. 2, 2014. Immediate paradoxical reactions to benzos after stopping TCAs 

-First muscle/dystonia side effects started on nortriptyline, but docs too stupid to figure it out. On desipramine, muscle tremors & rigidity worsened

-Two weeks after I got off all meds, I developed full-blown TD.  Tardive dystonia, dyskinesia, myoclonic jerks ALL over body, ribcage wiggles, facial tics, twitching tongue & fingers, tremors/twitches of arms, legs, cognitive impairment, throat muscles semi-paralyzed & unable to swallow solid food, brain zaps, ears ring, dizzy, everything looks too far away, insomnia, numbness & electric shocks everywhere when I try to fall asleep, jerk awake from sleep with big, gasping breaths, wake with terrors & tremors, severely depressed.  NO HISTORY OF DEPRESSION, EVER. Meds CREATED it.

-Month 7: hair falling out; no vision improvement; still tardive dystonia; facial & tongue tics returned
-Month 8: back to acute, incl. Grand Mal seizure-like episodes. New mental torment, PGAD, worse insomnia
-Month 9: tardive dystonia worse, dyskinesia returned. Unable to breathe well due to dystonia in stomach, chest, throat
-Month 13: Back to acute, brain zaps back, developed eczema & stomach problems. Left leg no longer works right due to dystonia, meaning both legs now damaged
-7 years off: Huge improvements, incl. improved dystonia

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  • 2 months later...

How to control the urinary urgency because in some days its ok and in some days ita severe atleast 70 to 80 times i want to know is it brain healing and detoxing or serotonin deficiency and how long does it last ?? Isany one got cured from urinary problens please let mw know???

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In early withdrawal i went alot and it woke me up at least 10 times a night and has gotten way better. Just bear with it.

Paxil start September 2003 due to Fluoroquinolone adverse reaction that I wish doc. knew what it was. 10mg. most of the time with a few short runs of 20mg. FAST tapered 3 times and finally hit poop out or a reaction to nsaid's in Nov.2013. Started a 10% taper Jan. 2014 and have been ok until Sept 14 and went through a short hell. Now plodding through and looking for the light with unrelenting insomnia and pain, fog, loss of interests....<p>12/20/14 - .8mg.

1/01/15 - .75 mg.

1/15/15 - .42 mg. better sleep now, hope it continues...

2/11-15 - .25 mg. doing really good!! 2 weeks feel 85% of old me!

3/17/15 .14 mg. Knee pain bad!

4/07/15 .05 mg. this is so small now that I am estimating and just licking it off palm small as a "." 

4/13/15 NOTHING !!!! Took my last little micro dose on 4/12/15. 

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In early withdrawal i went alot and it woke me up at least 10 times a night and has gotten way better. Just bear with it.

 

Thanks DLB!  I've noticed my bladder is better in the day than at night, so I hope that I will follow a pattern of improvement like yours!  I am halfway through month seven of a rapid taper/cold turkey.

 

DLB, I hope your taper has been successful!  Looks like you took it slow.  How are you now? 

*I'm not a doctor and don't give medical advice, just personal experience
**Off all meds since Nov. 2014. Mentally & emotionally recovered; physically not
-Dual cold turkeys off TCA & Ativan in Oct 2014. Prescribed from 2011-2014

-All meds were Rxed off-label for an autoimmune illness.  It was a MISDIAGNOSIS, but I did not find out until AFTER meds caused damage.  All med tapers/cold turkeys directed by doctors 

-Nortriptyline May 2012 - Dec 2013. Cold turkey off nortrip & cold switched to desipramine

-Desipramine Jan 2014 - Oct. 29, 2014 (rapid taper/cold turkey)

-Lorazepam 1 mg per night during 2011
-Lorazepam 1 mg per month in 2012 (or less)

-Lorazepam on & off, Dec 2013 through Aug 2014. Didn't exceed 3x a week

-Lorazepam again in Oct. 2014 to help get off of desipramine. Last dose lzpam was 1 mg, Nov. 2, 2014. Immediate paradoxical reactions to benzos after stopping TCAs 

-First muscle/dystonia side effects started on nortriptyline, but docs too stupid to figure it out. On desipramine, muscle tremors & rigidity worsened

-Two weeks after I got off all meds, I developed full-blown TD.  Tardive dystonia, dyskinesia, myoclonic jerks ALL over body, ribcage wiggles, facial tics, twitching tongue & fingers, tremors/twitches of arms, legs, cognitive impairment, throat muscles semi-paralyzed & unable to swallow solid food, brain zaps, ears ring, dizzy, everything looks too far away, insomnia, numbness & electric shocks everywhere when I try to fall asleep, jerk awake from sleep with big, gasping breaths, wake with terrors & tremors, severely depressed.  NO HISTORY OF DEPRESSION, EVER. Meds CREATED it.

-Month 7: hair falling out; no vision improvement; still tardive dystonia; facial & tongue tics returned
-Month 8: back to acute, incl. Grand Mal seizure-like episodes. New mental torment, PGAD, worse insomnia
-Month 9: tardive dystonia worse, dyskinesia returned. Unable to breathe well due to dystonia in stomach, chest, throat
-Month 13: Back to acute, brain zaps back, developed eczema & stomach problems. Left leg no longer works right due to dystonia, meaning both legs now damaged
-7 years off: Huge improvements, incl. improved dystonia

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Is it possible to feel as though you are right back in withdrawal symptoms after a year.   I've just had a bout of cystisis that seemed to soon go with antibiotics.  Now a few days later I feel tingling, troubling nerve symptoms like withdrawal, with frequent urinating, which happened a year ago when withdrawal was severe.  There is no pain when I go to the toilet, like cystisis,  but nothing feels right in my body, just like in withdrawal.   I had the most awful bout of constant need to wee when I was going through the worst before. Don't know if this is the same thing.   Any ideas?

Prescribed 20mg a day of Seroxat on 2001

August 2013 decided to taper.

Reduced by 10mg a week (adjusted over the week small amounts)

Stopped completely in April 2014

Brain and body went haywire.  

Didn't realise it was withdrawal at first.

Have not returned to ad's but can't get my life back.

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It seems that antibiotics can trigger old withdrawal symptoms for some people.

There's thread in this section called "Urination and Bladder Issues" that might help answer your questions.

You might also try searching for antibiotics in the Introductions section.

See Farout's thread - similar situation to yours.

 

Fresh

1987-1997 pertofran , prothiaden , Prozac 1997-2002 Zoloft 2002-2004 effexor 2004-2010 Lexapro 40mg

2010-2012Cymbalta 120mg

Sept. 2012 -decreased 90mg in 6months. Care taken over by Dr Lucire in March 2013 , decreased last 30mg at 2mg per week over 3 months. July 21 , 2013- last dose of Cymbalta

Protracted withdrawal syndrome kicked in badly Jan.2014 Unrelenting akathisia until May 2014. Voluntary hosp. admission. Cocktail of Seroquel, Ativan and mirtazapine and I was well enough to go home after 14 days. Stopped all hosp. meds in next few months.

July 2014 felt v.depressed - couldn't stop crying. Started pristiq 50mg. Felt improvement within days and continued to improve, so stayed on 50mg for 8 months.

Began taper 28 Feb. 2015. Pristiq 50mg down to 45mg. Had one month of w/d symptoms. Started CES therapy in March. No w/d symptoms down to 30mg.

October 2015 , taking 25mg Pristiq. Capsules compounded with slow-release additive.

March 2016 , 21mg

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I was about to post what Fresh just did, yes, antibiotics might have caused this wave, here is the topic:

 

Taking antibiotics

 

and  Urination and Bladder Issues (Male and Female)      topics now merged

Edited by Petunia
updated

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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  • 6 months later...

Has any one got cured from urinary and bladder problems because in some days its ok and in some days ita havoc i m almost 2.5 years quitted paxil i dont know is it brain healing itself or serotonin deficiency how long the brain will take to geal itself

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