☼ itslistmonster: having a rough time coming off my meds

[UnfoldingSky]

Hi itslistmonster,

 

I read your comment on the akathisia/agitation thread and thought I should comment here since you are in a rough spot.  All of what you describe here on your thread is common for withdrawal.  One thing to remember, symptoms like akathisia and muscle spasms aren't part of the diagnoses of "mental illness" so know truly this isn't you. 

 

Re hallucinations, I had what Alto mentioned, visual distortions and also had some spots in my eyes.  I had blue dots.  They came sometimes but not that often then went away, for good.  Some people also get what is called visual snow, or black spots like floaters in their eyes. It is common and will go away.  I don't think any of these are true hallucinations--but even if you have those the key with any withdrawal symptom is to just remember it will pass.  Very hard to do when you are getting so beat up by them but they honestly do.  I used to have severe akathisia and now I can sit here just fine and type, no problem. 

 

Take care of yourself and do keep posting as often as you need to, we are here to help.

 

Unfolding Sky

[UnfoldingSky]

Itslist,

 

I am sorry this is still ongoing.  Do you mean it has been two days of akathisia or two days since you last took a psych drug? 

[itslistmonster]

Unfoldingsky, its been 3 days of it counting today. I feel like im losing my mind. I feel this neverousness inside me. I feel like i ha ve to keep moving

[UnfoldingSky]

I am sorry it has been so long for you, itslist.  It is awful, no doubt about it.  It will resolve though, as hard as that will be to believe right now.  I feel for you.

[itslistmonster]

Does it ever settledown?

[primrose]

I think that a lot of mentally ill peoples' illnesses are exacerbated by psych drug withdrawal and niether they, nor thier psychiatrist knows it.

I know loads of people on psych medication, who's psyches take them off one med too fast and move them onto another, while the body is showing wd symptoms from the last lot of meds being ripped off them.

I think it sounds like a good idea to reinstate a tiny dose to see if relieves wd symptoms.

Why lose more time in your life in wd's when you can take a small dose, taper off safely, and feel better much sooner?

[UnfoldingSky]

Yes, itslist, it will.  I know it doesn't seem like it will right now, but it will. 

[Jemima]

Yes, the akathisia will settle down, although I can't tell you exactly when that will happen.

[itslistmonster]

I dont want to take anymore drugs. I had enough of them. They messed me up bad. The last thing i want is to reinstate the drugs that have been giving me problems.

[itslistmonster]

During the akathisa i get moments where i can sit and feel calm. But then it goes right back to the terrible feeling: (

[btdt]

Make good use of the better times... relax all you can when they come.  I might suggest a relaxation video on utube if you like those or a bath.  Take advantage to lower the bar a bit more if you can...I think it helps healing to feed the body all the calm you can find. whatever sooths you do it... but if it turns into stress to do it just rest... no sense defeating the purpose do it if you want to and it feels right... 

peace

[Petunia]

I dont want to take anymore drugs. I had enough of them. They messed me up bad. The last thing i want is to reinstate the drugs that have been giving me problems.

 

I can completely understand this, but the problems you are having now are being made worse by coming off the drugs too fast.  Its possible that by reinstating a small dose, you will get some relief from these awful withdrawal symptoms.  Then, when your nervous system has settled down for a few weeks, you can begin a slow, safe taper, but still be able to function and feel reasonably ok.  Eventually you will be medication free again, but just without so much suffering.

 

Please think about it, akathisia is one of the worst feelings a person can ever experience. It will go away eventually, but its impossible to say when.

 

Magnesium can sometimes provide a physical calming effect in the body, many people in withdrawal find this supplement helpful.  Here is some information about it:

 

http://survivingantidepressants.org/index.php?/topic/1300-magnesium-natures-calcium-channel-blocker/

[itslistmonster]

Jw is there any sucess stories from people who been on meds for a long period of time?

[Petunia]

We have several members who have successfully tapered from long term medication use, I don't know of anyone who has successfully CT or fast tapered from long term use, but if that had happened, they probably wouldn't be posting here.

 

jmim was on medication for over 15 years and has a story in our success section, here is the link:

 

http://survivingantidepressants.org/index.php?/topic/2404-jmim-my-recovery-story/

 

There are many members here who are slowly and safely tapering from long term use

 

areyouthere  and Hudgens  are two.

[itslistmonster]

I woke up today feeling confused and scared. The night before I was having panic attacks.. today I 've been crying a lot. Over little things. Idk if this is depression or if it's my brain healing, but for about I say 5 mins today I felt happy and my mind felt a little clearer. But then I started crying all over again. I'm really shakey right now. I feel trapped in my mind. As if I will never be free

[Petunia]

I woke up today feeling confused and scared. The night before I was having panic attacks.. today I 've been crying a lot. Over little things. Idk if this is depression or if it's my brain healing, but for about I say 5 mins today I felt happy and my mind felt a little clearer. But then I started crying all over again. I'm really shakey right now. I feel trapped in my mind. As if I will never be free

 

I would say that this is withdrawal from stopping your medications too fast.  Please consider reinstating a small dose of Lamictal and then tapering properly.  There is no known cure or treatment for withdrawal, apart from reinstatement and slow tapering, if you don't want to try this, then you are going to have to learn how to manage your withdrawal symptoms until they go away, and they will eventually, but it could take a while.

 

Have a look through our symptoms and self care section for some ideas to help you manage your symptoms:

 

http://survivingantidepressants.org/index.php?/forum/8-symptoms-and-self-care/

[Petunia]

While reading through posts I came across this one which Addax posted on someone elses thread.  Addax has reinstated and is now doing much better.

 

Anon, I am so sorry you are having to go through this. During the attempted to discontinue Prozac prior to this attempt I experience that horrible feeling of restlessness and discomfort and inability to sit still along this anxiety that felt like it would kill me. I often describe it as feeling like I was losing my mind and that my body was breaking in half.... And that unrelenting fatigue when all I wasn't to do was sleep. Like think, "I just need to lay down for a minute" every 3 minutes... And it didn't start until a few months after my last dose of Prozac. Your post brought those moments back to the forefront of my memory... Again, I wish you weren't experiencing what you are now. What helped me during the worst moments when sleep wouldn't come to me was to rock my body or bounce on one of those exercise balls. I'm sure I looked crazy, and it maybe sounds crazy, but it helped.

I ended up having to reinstate some of my meds, but I now know I had tapered much too quickly and have since taken on a snail pace taper.

 

Addax's intro thread is here:

 

Addax 25 years of prozac and trying to quit

[itslistmonster]

I just don't know what med to reinstate.

[Petunia]

From my experience, lamotrigine is one of the very few drugs that might help withdrawal symptoms. Even 5mg or 10mg might help. After you stabilize for a few months, you can taper off by very small amounts.

 

Do you have any left?

 

For information about titrating lamotrigine, see http://survivingantidepressants.org/index.php?/topic/1122-tips-for-tapering-off-lamictal-lamotrigine/

 

Is it possible that you could go back to your doctor and get a new prescription?

[primrose]

I dont want to take anymore drugs. I had enough of them. They messed me up bad. The last thing i want is to reinstate the drugs that have been giving me problems.

Hi.

 

I can fully understnd you not wanting to take more drugs, but to me  you have two choices.

Suffer a longer period of withdrawal with no drugs, or, shorter your withdrawal time, by going on a much smaller amount, and safely tapering off.

Just staying as you are, may mean you are in pain longer.

I want to come off my meds and go on others but before i see my doctor to request new meds, I am weaning off my current ones, even though I hate it. It means that I am minimizing withdrawals and willl be tickety boo when ready to start my new ones.

As to what med to reinnstate, you could speak to someone here, because there are loads of people who have been on multiple meds and they should know what to do.

[Rhiannon]

IL, reread your own thread. Alto and I both suggested a reinstatement on a small dose of Lamictal back when you first arrived.

 

I suggested something like 25 mg, she suggested more like 10 mg. Probably either dose would help you. You will need to talk to your doctor.

 

Usually they are not too unwilling to put people back on meds if they're suffering bad withdrawal. They might insist on giving you a higher dose, but you can cut it down yourself, or make it into a liquid. 

 

The idea is to stabilize on a low dose, get to feeling better, then taper off safely and carefully.

[UnfoldingSky]

Hi itslist, I hope you are doing better.

 

I just wanted to add this in case it might help you, a non-drug support that might help a bit with akathisia.  I have never tried it so I don't know if it is effective, but it can't hurt to try:

 

http://survivingantidepressants.org/index.php?/topic/2941-weighted-blankets-for-restlessness-akathisia-insomnia-and-anxiety/

[itslistmonster]

Hey everyone. I haven't been on here in a while, but thank you to everyone who has helped me this year. I have been  doing good for the past couple of months. I don't have akathisa anymore, which is really great! I been going to therapy for my PTSD. before when I came on this website. I was having so many withdraw symptoms and majority of them have cleared up. It will be a year next month that I have been off anti depressants. I don't wake up with panic attacks anymore. I don't have the hallucinations anymore. The depersonalization has stop I feel like Im getting back to my self. I never went reinstated any meds. Before I wouldn't leave the house because I would have weird thoughts that I wasn't in real life and I was in this big dream, a.k.a "depersonalization" it was hell. But 3 months ago I went outside for the first time. It felt so great. Now I hate being inside, Im always trying to go out with my friends, I been looking for a job lately. I been working on my self esteem, and trying to boost it, also been trying to switch my thinking around for negative to positive thoughts. Im on the way to recovery and it feels so amazing! Thank you everyone for all your help! I will be back on here in another couple of months to check up with you guys. Thanks everyone!

[chicken]

itslist,

Great news. I love to hear stories like this.

[Altostrata]

Wow, thanks for that update, itslist! Was there anything in particular that helped you along the way to feeling better?

[Rhiannon]

Great to hear! 

[Altostrata]

I added our cheerful "here comes the sun" symbol ☼ to be added to the title of your Intro topic, to show you're recovering.

 

I hope you continued to feel better. Please come back and add your story to our Recovery Success Stories

 

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