thinkpink: hello - former PPer

[thinkpink]

Thanks Alto, appreciate the links. These symptoms are physical and so unpleasant, never had them pre paxil and since Feb Ive felt a general feeling of weakness and fatigue although thank god it isnt there every day. Alto do you have any advice for my taper? I havent done a drop since Dec so maybe if withdrawal related its a delayed reaction. My plan is just to hold at this dose for the next few months and see what happens. I really want to do another drop as havent done one this year yet but guess I need to stabilise first? Do people get worsening symptoms with every drop? Pink

[stan]

hi Thinkpink,

 

my opinion: your taper seems me ok and not the culprit in actual situation, in future you can delay it more regular,

what plays in this is maybe:

duration on med: more than 10 years[brain do not like long time taken nerve toxic] 

you tried a cold turkey on one month and reinstated [brain do not like moving high doses and remember it definitively]

after 10 years, you would tell me all is fine, i would be surprised...

so, you will suffer, it is normal for me, try to minimize it by not making mistakes such as reinstating, in your case i do not see a problem for needing reinstate

you can make a better taper from now, 10% of last dose every 3 or more weeks...and pause when too bad...

[LoveandLight]

omg..10 yrs..ive reinstated so many times at high dose..there is no hope..i will be 90 maybe before i feel remotely ok

[LoveandLight]

need to come to some sort of peace with the thought/feeling above..

 

either accept that i may not be ok for a long long while or try and not think about it..cant seem to do either.

[thinkpink]

Thanks Silver Star, I didnt quite understand but I think what you are you are saying is that because I have taken this drug so long it will be really hard to get off. I have been following the 10% taper since the start and I think its inevitable that I will suffer some adverse effects.Its strange how this drug affects us.I dont want to reinstate if I can help it as I think Im going pretty slow already. I would rather hold here for longer. Gold star, you are the same age as me. This journey is so tough. If the symptoms I am describing are related to withdrawal then hopefully with time and stability the symptoms may ease. Alto, I know you are not a doctor but I would appreciate your thoughts. Thankyou so much. Pink.

[ladybug]

omg..10 yrs..ive reinstated so many times at high dose..there is no hope..i will be 90 maybe before i feel remotely ok

 

L&L, I don't believe Stan was saying that it will take at least 10 years to heal after a taper. WD is unpredictable, NO ONE knows how long it will take for any us to heal. Every case is different. Where there is life, there is hope and if you just take it slow and steady you will get there. I promise you, I have seen some amazing success stories. You will be one too.

[thinkpink]

Great post JMarie and very true. We all heal differenly and each journey is different.Time and patience are big factors in this although I know how hard this process can be. Its encouraging to know that people do succeed coming off med. Love and Light you are stronger than you know. We're all in thid together. And just to make you all laugh at me, Ive just realised Ive been calling people gold star and silver star thinking that was their names, doh! My brain is frazzled that's my excuse ;-) pink.

[ladybug]

 And just to make you all laugh at me, Ive just realised Ive been calling people gold star and silver star thinking that was their names, doh! My brain is frazzled that's my excuse ;-) pink.

 

Hahaha! That put a much needed smile on my face so thank you.

[LoveandLight]

Lol xx

[LoveandLight]

Thank you..member lol

[thinkpink]

Ha! Yeah how dumb do I feel :-) ive just come back from a little run and and my symptoms have flared up, Ive noticed this is happening a lot after I exercise now which makes me worry more I have an issue with my heart (it beats so fast) I know thsts supposed to happen when you work out but I feel really weird like a bit dizzy and strange. Why would exercise worsen symproms in wd? Does anyone know?

[thinkpink]

*Topic moved from symptoms forum

 

Can anyone help? Is this MS or withdrawal?

I am so confused right now by the range of frightening and disabling symptoms Ive had in recent months. (mainly weakness, fatigue, tingling and waves of numbness. Also feelings Im going to collapse and changes in heart beat.The scary thing is when I look up these symptoms, Im convinced im ill and that something is really wrong. Ive had symptoms similar to stroke, MS and heart arrhythmia and Im terrified! I am hoping seeking a neurologist soon for some checks. How do people know the difference between withdrawal andca physical illness? Most of my synptoms look just like MS, fatigue and tingling- like someone stabbing little needles in to me - this affects my whole body. I understand withdrawal but I havent done a reduction since before christmas so surely its unlikely to be withdrawal?? Withdraw lasts a few weeks, this all started nearly two months AFTER my reducrion. Is this even possible? Would love some thoughts about this. Thankyou pink.

Edited June 1, 2015 by Petunia

[manymoretodays]

I am only guessing here, but probably not.  I mean most likely, most definitely not!!  I had a Dr. who once thought that was a possibility for me after a med. switch way back when.  I believe she did a fairly simple, not costly blood test to rule it out.  And it wasn't MS.

 

So.......wishing the same for you and also sending good vibes that it won't be. 

 

Meantime.......try to distract from the thoughts of it.........once in awhile I can forget the rest and think of myself as well........on a beach somewhere, playing guitar(lol....I am an amateur).  So just put your mind elsewhere as much as you can.

 

Singing......no MS for thinkpink.......and the chorus goes like this......dompadubaoohooohah......lol.

[manymoretodays]

Anyway.....not even sure what Seroxat is.  But if it is like escitalopram/Lexapro(US)........apparently anything goes and W/D keeps on coming for a long time for some.....not all......but many.

 

Hopefully the experts will weigh on in soon.

[someday]

I am so confused right now by the range of frightening and disabling symptoms Ive had in recent months. (mainly weakness, fatigue, tingling and waves of numbness. Also feelings Im going to collapse and changes in heart beat.The scary thing is when I look up these symptoms, Im convinced im ill and that something is really wrong. Ive had symptoms similar to stroke, MS and heart arrhythmia and Im terrified! I am hoping seeking a neurologist soon for some checks. How do people know the difference between withdrawal andca physical illness? Most of my synptoms look just like MS, fatigue and tingling- like someone stabbing little needles in to me - this affects my whole body. I understand withdrawal but I havent done a reduction since before christmas so surely its unlikely to be withdrawal?? Withdraw lasts a few weeks, this all started nearly two months AFTER my reducrion. Is this even possible? Would love some thoughts about this. Thankyou pink.

 

Withdrawal symptoms are known to begin any time after you stop taking your tablets. The patient information leaflet that came with my Escitalopram Actavis (generic version of Lexapro) even acknowledges this, stating that withdrawal symptoms can start 2/3 months or more after you discontinue the tablets.

 

A lot of people going through withdrawal worry that they have MS. I did, too, so like a lot of people I got a brain and neck MRI and they both came back clear.

 

The symptoms you are describing are very common withdrawal symptoms. It's always smart to get checked out anyway. (Blood tests cannot tell you if you have MS or not, btw, as the previous poster was suggesting.)

 

Your symptoms began two months after your reduction, so it would be a huge coincidence if your symptoms were not withdrawal symptoms.

[akakoom]

Anyway.....not even sure what Seroxat is.  But if it is like escitalopram/Lexapro(US)........apparently anything goes and W/D keeps on coming for a long time for some.....not all......but many.

 

Hopefully the experts will weigh on in soon.

 

seroxat is paxil, paroxetine

[thinkpink]

Thank you to everyone for your replies, I really appreciate you all taking the time to respond. Manymoretodays love your little song, I will have to remember that!  :-) Yes sorry, I should have been clearer Paxil is Seroxat, I guess maybe Seroxat is the british name? Someday yes you are right about getting checked, I will tell the neurologist all this when I see him/ her and we'll go from there. The fatigue is such a b****, excuse my language. I just dont feel 'right'. I used to be so active and whatever this is makes me feel weak and tired, like all my physical strength is gone. You make a really good point someday about when all this started- two months out from a drop so yes I guess it would be a coincidence if these symptoms were unrelated to withdrawal. The problem is until I understand whats causing all this, I cant really move forward. Do these symptoms ease? Ive been holding at this dose for nearly 5 months and Im getting new symptoms which is really disturbing! Im hoping with time these sensations/ fatigue are going to ease but as yet nothing. I should probably mention here that back in March I was having some pretty horrific thoughts which were really distressing to me but thank god those have now gone. Now Im left with physical discomfort. I really dont want to reinstate, do these kind of wd symptoms ease? Im stuck about how to move forward (asumming its related to the Paxil)  Pink.  

[Addax]

Hi think Pink

Withdrawal symptoms are known to begin any time after you stop taking your tablets. The patient information leaflet that came with my Escitalopram Actavis (generic version of Lexapro) even acknowledges this, stating that withdrawal symptoms can start 2/3 months or more after you discontinue the tablets.

 

A lot of people going through withdrawal worry that they have MS. I did, too, so like a lot of people I got a brain and neck MRI and they both came back clear.

 

The symptoms you are describing are very common withdrawal symptoms. It's always smart to get checked out anyway. (Blood tests cannot tell you if you have MS or not, btw, as the previous poster was suggesting.)

 

Your symptoms began two months after your reduction, so it would be a huge coincidence if your symptoms were not withdrawal symptoms.

I agree with what someday wrote. When I was experiencing a horrible go of withdrawal last fall I had most of the symptoms you describe. MS crossed my mind as well, but then I thought I might have had a stroke. In fact i had so many weird symptoms that any cluster of them seemed consistent with any number of illnesses. Other than MS and having a stroke I thought I might have Lyme disease, mono, menopause, some kind of neuro muscular disease... I'm sure there were others. It was horrible, scary, and crazy making! All labs were normal. I didn't/don't have any of them. None. I'm stable now after having to reinstate, and all those nutty symptoms have resolved.

 

I'm not saying you should have things checked out, but if nothing is found by docs, don't be surprised.

 

I'm sorry your experiencing this hell, but hopefully you'll find at least a little comfort in knowing your experience is shared and not uncommon.

[btdt]

I have to answer this one as I know how scary it is. 

I had MS symptoms when I was still taking effexor that is what finally got me off my wonder drug I swore I would never give up.  I had some of what you say before and after I went off effexor. 

Long story short it was a neurologist I was sent to for head drops and foot dragging that said I had to get off E... and I did while I had all the symptoms you mention and others I did not have MS.  To rule it out a mri of the brain is done. 

 

There were times in wd I thought we should still be looking for something else like Lyme disease or lord only knows what... I spent endless hours online looking up my symptoms star of the wk.. and so far now 7+ years in nothing.  I didn't have MS I did have drug wd some of the issues like the heart rate they tried to drug away but the drugs seemed to not work well for me as my system was fluctuating all the time I know it is a miserable way to live.  I got thru it mostly by letting my body be boss and doing only what it would allow there was no choice really as it really was boss. 

 

I hope this helps to ease your mind some certainly be checked by a doctor but keep in mind this is likely wd. 

[thinkpink]

Hi Addax thank you for your reply, yes its comforting to know that others have experienced similar. Like you I've thought everything over the last few weeks, I too thought perhaps I had experienced a mini stroke or that I may have epilepsy or some kind of heart problem. Its really frightening when withdrawal symptoms mimic symptoms of other illnesses. What checks did you have done? Did you get an MRI? How much did you reinstate? You're on 20mg Prozac now is that right?

[thinkpink]

Btdt, I might PM you if thats ok? Thanks for your post. Pink. 

[thinkpink]

Hey Btdt, thanks for your reply to my post, good to know Im not alone although sorry of course to hear others have gone through similar.(couldnt PM you for some reason so just writing this here...)  You mentioned about your heart- did you get it checked out? What symptoms did you have? Im worried my heart beat is irregular, sometimes my chest doesnt feel right and my heart beat goes crazily fast sometimes. Its really interesting that your Neurologist advised you to come off your meds. Im not expecting my neurologist to know anything about Paxil withdrawal but I could be proved wrong. So you kept on doing reductions even though you were suffering withdrawal? Did your symptoms get worse with each drop?

[Lovofsun]

I'm going through the same.... I have all the symptoms and they come in waves of intensity.

 

This month after the cut I was more or less ok then it hit me... I was worrying about MS as I have a weak bladder at the same time of the symptoms...

[thinkpink]

Hey LovofSun, from sunny Birmingham, I know it well   You've done really well to get to 10mg Paxil from your starting dose.   Do you have these numb/ tingling feelings and fatigue too? I always worry that something is really wrong but I think until I know otherwise Im going to have to assume its related to the Paxil. MS has so many symptoms and it can be difficult to diagnose. Have you seen your GP? Mine accepts that symptoms could be related to the meds but I'm having some checks done to rule other stuff out.  

[manymoretodays]

"The symptoms you are describing are very common withdrawal symptoms. It's always smart to get checked out anyway. (Blood tests cannot tell you if you have MS or not, btw, as the previous poster was suggesting.)"

 

 

I was kind of thinking that costwise, as MS is thought to be an autoimmune disease, that any medical practitioner could do a simple blood test, before ordering the more expensive MRI's.  I think it was a ESR test I got done way back.......hey who knows might have even been when I came off Effexor.

 

I was really wanting a MRI/and or CT scan after when my first major stressor of grief, came on last summer, with a subsequent hospitalization.  With my current insurance though my co-pay, would be $500.00.  I had wanted to see if my brain showed dementia changes.  I don't even want to know though now.......going through what could be WD or could just be my bodies learned response to stress......high cortisol and the like........from 27 years of the multi psych med game.

 

Maybe in London and Canada folks don't face the health care constraints by insurance companies that we do here in the US.  It is pretty bad.......

 

Was responding more to the poster below me and thanks.......I did look up MS symptoms and such.......good to keep the mind engaged..........so thanks, gratitude.

[Lovofsun]

Thinkpink here are my symptoms:

 

Fatigue

Pains in my left arm and little finger

Numbness in left arm and little finger

Pains in both legs (achey and cramps)

Tingling in both feet and numbness

Twitching in legs and sometimes in arms

Dizzyness/vertigo

Anxiety

Irritable

Ibs

Needing the toilet (wee) a lot!

 

All these increase 100 fold after eating a big meal and exercise....

[Addax]

What checks did you have done? Did you get an MRI? How much did you reinstate? You're on 20mg Prozac now is that right?

I had blood tests done: Hormones, electrolytes, vitamin deficiencies, mono, Lyme Disease... They considered thyroid function... I think there may have been one or two other things. I was going to schedule with a neuropsychologist if reinstatement didn't work. I didn't get an MRI.

 

I am at 20mg right now. I had gotten down to about 8mg then made a couple errors in making my Prozac solution. That coupled with multiple stressors lead to crash into a world of hell. I reinstated to 10mg, then 20mg, then panicking that the symptoms weren't resolving fast enough I bumped to 30mg. I have little doubt that had I waited I would have been able to stabilize at 10, but I was just so scared and freaked out I didn't wait to see. The whole thing is in my thread or you can read it here: http://wp.rxisk.org/antidepressant-withdrawal-a-prozac-story/

 

I'm back at 20 and have been stable on 20 for about a month and a half.

[WiggleIt]

I got MRI and other neuro tests to rule out MS, epilepsy, etc. Deep down in my heart, I knew it was medication withdrawal, and that diagnosis was confirmed.

[btdt]

Hey Btdt, thanks for your reply to my post, good to know Im not alone although sorry of course to hear others have gone through similar.(couldnt PM you for some reason so just writing this here...)  You mentioned about your heart- did you get it checked out? What symptoms did you have? Im worried my heart beat is irregular, sometimes my chest doesnt feel right and my heart beat goes crazily fast sometimes. Its really interesting that your Neurologist advised you to come off your meds. Im not expecting my neurologist to know anything about Paxil withdrawal but I could be proved wrong. So you kept on doing reductions even though you were suffering withdrawal? Did your symptoms get worse with each drop?

my inbox must be full again I hate deleting as I forget who said what ... but I will see to it... 

 

i don't recall mentioning my heart other than those up down bp things.. I did have a few heart tests and an untra sound of my heart and blood vessels going to my head... 

I had a mri to rule out ms

I went to emerg in an ambulance once for what seemed close enough to a stroke the tele health nurse insisted I go then I had to walk home cause I was too disoriented to take my purse and nobody answered my calls home... 

 

I am thinking it all panned out I am not dead it has been 7+ years still hear. 

 

All for nothing I guess as no cause for any of these symptoms ever showed on any of the tests I had and I look more and more crazy ever time I go. 

I resent that but what can I do about it suffer it I guess. 

[clarabella79]

Hi thinkpink,

 

It's been suggested (I'm not sure where, sorry! It might've been an article published or linked to on this site, though) that the reason we sometimes feel worse when/after we exercise is because of changes in our cortisol levels. I believe the theory is that intense cardio (such as running) stimulates cortisol release, which has a positive effect on our mood and sense of wellbeing, but puts a lot of stress on our destabilised (by withdrawal) nervous systems at the same time. I think that's only part of the explanation, though.  

 

It's very annoying because I like to go running, too!

[DazedNConfused]

I don't know if this is relevant to you or not, but I went through a similar thing about 12 months ago. I was Googling my symptoms (bad, BAD idea, I know), and a lot of the results came up with MS. I was skeptical that I had MS, but decided to look in to it anyways. Turns out that the artificial sweetener, Aspartame can cause MS-like symptoms. At the time I was drinking at least 1-2 cans of caffeine free diet coke per day, and about 50% of the time the cans had been sitting in the heat of the boot of my car for days on end before being brought inside, which apparently changes the molecular structure and makes it even worse.

So, I decided it wouldn't kill me to cut out the coke and see what happens. I got no withdrawal symptoms (which I discovered after the fact that many people suffer from aspartame withdrawal - and I'm surprised I didn't, considering my physical and emotional state at the time). Well, waddayaknow... After about 3 months most of my symptoms had either disappeared or dramatically reduced.

 

Could this be an 'aha' thing for you? Apparently it doesn't take much to get aspartame poisoning, so if you do injest any diet/low cal/sugar free products (even gum), it might be worth cutting them out and see what happens.

 

TL;DR, Aspartame is bad

[thinkpink]

Hey DazedNconfused, thankyou for sharing your post, thats really intruguing.. I used to consume a lot of artificial sweetners (going back a few years) but Im pretty healthy now so unfortunately I dont think thats the root cause for me, but Im glad you found out what was causing your symptoms and you managed to get better. Its amazing how what we eat can have such a detrimental effect on our health. Glad you are better now. Pink :-)

[Meimeiquest]

A former member was found to have massive issues with aspartame. She had to taper off.

 

Taurine really helped me with heart symptoms, 400-500mg. There's a thread on it.

 

In the end, my heart irregularities were from food allergies aggravated by adrenaline/withdrawal. I think gut health is huge in "psych" patients. There are several diets to look at food sensitivities. I used the paleo autoimmune diet, which is probably the easiest, but there are many approaches.

 

And, FWIW, I had a random (based off car accident) MRI that did show changes consistent with early MS, but it can be many things and the dr. said early MS would normally occur in the 20's and I was in my early 40's.

[btdt]

I don't know if this is relevant to you or not, but I went through a similar thing about 12 months ago. I was Googling my symptoms (bad, BAD idea, I know), and a lot of the results came up with MS. I was skeptical that I had MS, but decided to look in to it anyways. Turns out that the artificial sweetener, Aspartame can cause MS-like symptoms. At the time I was drinking at least 1-2 cans of caffeine free diet coke per day, and about 50% of the time the cans had been sitting in the heat of the boot of my car for days on end before being brought inside, which apparently changes the molecular structure and makes it even worse.

So, I decided it wouldn't kill me to cut out the coke and see what happens. I got no withdrawal symptoms (which I discovered after the fact that many people suffer from aspartame withdrawal - and I'm surprised I didn't, considering my physical and emotional state at the time). Well, waddayaknow... After about 3 months most of my symptoms had either disappeared or dramatically reduced.

 

Could this be an 'aha' thing for you? Apparently it doesn't take much to get aspartame poisoning, so if you do injest any diet/low cal/sugar free products (even gum), it might be worth cutting them out and see what happens.

 

TL;DR, Aspartame is bad

I never touched artificial sweeteners of any kind even before all this started I was very health conscious more so then now as I don't have the energy for all that now or the exercise I use to do to stay fit.

I did not google it was the neurologists idea to check me for MS I did not have a computer before all this started maybe that was a blessing.  

[btdt]

My MRI showed changes to the white matter... I could look it up but it is likely posted here some place already good luck finding it bet I couldn't if I had to.... changes that are odd for a person of my age at the time... Alzheimer Migraine or some other thing should be ruled out... the other thing was drawing a blank... hm... but I have migraines so they did not look any further... with my memory issues now I would not doubt there is some azheimer crap going on...I have told the doctor who did the MRI seen him a few months ago... he just writes down what I say and sends it in a letter to my gp... like it is a writing exercise or something he does nothing. Bet he collects the cheque I wonder what it pays to write a letter about our little talks... sure doesn't help me one bit.

 

I am talking 7 years and now the memory is getting worse in incremental steps... it is really bad if I get ill with anything or have to take a drug. Really bad it was like this before quitting E too I would put clothes in the washer and not turn on the machine a lot of things like that now it is back coming and going at will.   

[thinkpink]

Its hard because so many of these symptoms are present in other conditions so its really hard not to worry! Btdt, im sorry you have been through so much with your symptoms, the memory problems must be pretty horrible. For me I hate this weak fatigue feeling- its so unlike me, I feel drained.I have started taking omega 3, have no idea if it will work but meant to be pretty good for heart and brain health.