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☼ Outdoorsman15 intro and experience with Effexor w/d


OutdoorsMan15

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Today was the worst I've felt in months and I am not sure why, I'm guessing this is a wave...

 

I am now living back at home again because it's the summer and I've also started my summer job.  This morning I got up feeling pretty okay and decided to have a coffee before work.  After I took my first gulp I felt all of my symptoms begin to creep up, the dizziness, the numbness, the inability to talk, etc.  This was totally strange because I've been pretty okay with caffeine for the past month but for whatever reason today was different.  My job also requires a decent amount of physical exertion some days which also could have "sparked" my symptoms.  However, the strangest part about all of this is that it hasn't gone away all day.  For the past month or so whenever my symptoms have crept up they usually go away within 10 minutes but today was completely different.  I couldn't think straight, couldn't remember things, couldn't carry a conversation and it felt as if a weight was hanging from my face. I haven't felt this way in months and it is unbelievably frustrating to have a day like this after seeing some progress.  It just makes that almighty question pop back into your head: "Will I really ever be myself again?"

 

Today was like hopping in a time machine and going back a few months to when I would beat myself up for how stupid and socially awkward I had become.  I know that it's out of my control but it's so hard to think back to when I felt like old confident self and see what I've become.  Sometimes I worry that I am going to lose some of my friends because I just can't do some of the things I usually do.  Playing sports, going out on long weekends, staying up all night, all of these things just make me feel sick now.  It's tough to decide if I should just go out and do these things anyway even though I know that it's going to make me feel like garbage. 

 

This has been insanely scary and frustrating.  7 weeks of taking this poison and now 5 months of being drug free and there is still something seriously wrong with my body.... insane.

All coffee is not = first off and this can happen regardless of coffee sad to say. Good old fashioned wave there were times I was so sure I was better only to have it come back sometimes even new symptoms I had never had before would emerge just ti keep things interesting. I know people never believe it when we say how complex this process is but it is complex it is not like there is one thing to get use to to learn to over come to manage... like you said there are many.  

What i have found is once I learned to deal with one set of "symptoms" there would be a shift in the cube and other things would drop in one of the things on the cube is a window... some times you get them. 

If you not familiar with the rubics cube analogy I suggest you do a search here if you want to see the video it is true as far as I can tell and worth watching. 

This too will pass for awhile 

WARNING THIS WILL BE LONG
Had a car accident in 85
Codeine was the pain med when I was release from hosp continuous use till 89
Given PROZAC by a specialist to help with nerve pain in my leg 89-90 not sure which year
Was not told a thing about it being a psych med thought it was a pain killer no info about psych side effects I went nuts had hallucinations. As I had a head injury and was diagnosed with a concussion in 85 I was sent to a head injury clinic in 1990 five years after the accident. I don't think they knew I had been on prozac I did not think it a big deal and never did finish the bottle of pills. I had tests of course lots of them. Was put into a pain clinic and given amitriptyline which stopped the withdrawal but had many side effects. But I could sleep something I had not done in a very long time the pain lessened. My mother got cancer in 94 they switched my meds to Zoloft to help deal with this pressure as I was her main care giver she died in 96. I stopped zoloft in 96 had withdrawal was put on paxil went nutty quit it ct put on resperidol quit it ct had withdrawal was put on Effexor... 2years later celexa was added 20mg then increased to 40mg huge personality change went wild. Did too fast taper off Celexa 05 as I felt unwell for a long time prior... quit Effexor 150mg ct 07 found ****** 8 months into withdrawal learned some things was banned from there in 08 have kept learning since. there is really not enough room here to put my history but I have a lot of opinions about a lot of things especially any of the drugs mentioned above.
One thing I would like to add here is this tidbit ALL OPIATES INCREASE SEROTONIN it is not a huge jump to being in chronic pain to being put on an ssri/snri and opiates will affect your antidepressants and your thinking.

As I do not update much I will put my quit date Nov. 17 2007 I quit Effexor cold turkey. 

http://survivingantidepressants.org/index.php?/topic/1096-introducing-myself-btdt/

There is a crack in everything ..That's how the light gets in :)

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It came from here originally I thought the rubix cube video

https://www.youtube.com/user/IAWProject?feature=mhee/

WARNING THIS WILL BE LONG
Had a car accident in 85
Codeine was the pain med when I was release from hosp continuous use till 89
Given PROZAC by a specialist to help with nerve pain in my leg 89-90 not sure which year
Was not told a thing about it being a psych med thought it was a pain killer no info about psych side effects I went nuts had hallucinations. As I had a head injury and was diagnosed with a concussion in 85 I was sent to a head injury clinic in 1990 five years after the accident. I don't think they knew I had been on prozac I did not think it a big deal and never did finish the bottle of pills. I had tests of course lots of them. Was put into a pain clinic and given amitriptyline which stopped the withdrawal but had many side effects. But I could sleep something I had not done in a very long time the pain lessened. My mother got cancer in 94 they switched my meds to Zoloft to help deal with this pressure as I was her main care giver she died in 96. I stopped zoloft in 96 had withdrawal was put on paxil went nutty quit it ct put on resperidol quit it ct had withdrawal was put on Effexor... 2years later celexa was added 20mg then increased to 40mg huge personality change went wild. Did too fast taper off Celexa 05 as I felt unwell for a long time prior... quit Effexor 150mg ct 07 found ****** 8 months into withdrawal learned some things was banned from there in 08 have kept learning since. there is really not enough room here to put my history but I have a lot of opinions about a lot of things especially any of the drugs mentioned above.
One thing I would like to add here is this tidbit ALL OPIATES INCREASE SEROTONIN it is not a huge jump to being in chronic pain to being put on an ssri/snri and opiates will affect your antidepressants and your thinking.

As I do not update much I will put my quit date Nov. 17 2007 I quit Effexor cold turkey. 

http://survivingantidepressants.org/index.php?/topic/1096-introducing-myself-btdt/

There is a crack in everything ..That's how the light gets in :)

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It really gets to me sometimes when I can't find something that I thought was outstanding and I thought this video was just that outstanding in explaining what wd is like... for those of us who struggle for words this is worth a million bucks... I could never tell you as well as this does

WARNING THIS WILL BE LONG
Had a car accident in 85
Codeine was the pain med when I was release from hosp continuous use till 89
Given PROZAC by a specialist to help with nerve pain in my leg 89-90 not sure which year
Was not told a thing about it being a psych med thought it was a pain killer no info about psych side effects I went nuts had hallucinations. As I had a head injury and was diagnosed with a concussion in 85 I was sent to a head injury clinic in 1990 five years after the accident. I don't think they knew I had been on prozac I did not think it a big deal and never did finish the bottle of pills. I had tests of course lots of them. Was put into a pain clinic and given amitriptyline which stopped the withdrawal but had many side effects. But I could sleep something I had not done in a very long time the pain lessened. My mother got cancer in 94 they switched my meds to Zoloft to help deal with this pressure as I was her main care giver she died in 96. I stopped zoloft in 96 had withdrawal was put on paxil went nutty quit it ct put on resperidol quit it ct had withdrawal was put on Effexor... 2years later celexa was added 20mg then increased to 40mg huge personality change went wild. Did too fast taper off Celexa 05 as I felt unwell for a long time prior... quit Effexor 150mg ct 07 found ****** 8 months into withdrawal learned some things was banned from there in 08 have kept learning since. there is really not enough room here to put my history but I have a lot of opinions about a lot of things especially any of the drugs mentioned above.
One thing I would like to add here is this tidbit ALL OPIATES INCREASE SEROTONIN it is not a huge jump to being in chronic pain to being put on an ssri/snri and opiates will affect your antidepressants and your thinking.

As I do not update much I will put my quit date Nov. 17 2007 I quit Effexor cold turkey. 

http://survivingantidepressants.org/index.php?/topic/1096-introducing-myself-btdt/

There is a crack in everything ..That's how the light gets in :)

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I have seen this video before actually. I feel better every time I watch it because it matches what I'm going through perfectly.

September-December 2012: 10mg Paxil and no long term W/D symptoms

July-August 2013: 10mg Celexa for anxiety-based(?) insomnia, no W/D symptoms

October-December 2014: 37.5 and then 75mg Effexor XR

December 18, 2014: Last dose of Effexor after ~ 3 week taper

 

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Hi! I was just reading through your post and cannot believe how much you are going through I can relate to.  In Dec I started having some panic attacks after my 5 yr old's brain cancer diagnosis.  So, my med go round started.  I tried 4 within 2 months (see my signature to see which ones) and each one affected my nervous system way too much and ended up in the hospital where they told me to go off cold turkey.  I was EXTREMELY agitated, angry, and full of anciety (yet functional) for about a month when I started getting really really dizzy and getting the brain freezes you were talking about.  I had a weird attack in my brain a few days after (like it was building up) like my brain did not know what to do with itself.  Scared the poop out of me so I do not go shopping and hardly leave the house.  I can't drive anymore.  My head feels like it is crosseyed and thinking is so hard.  That was about 2 weeks ago.  I have been off  7 weeks (almost 8).  I got the numbness on the left side of my face for a few days and left upper lip for about a week.  I noticed it came on more after eating.  I also had some numbness in my fingers.  The numbness has passed.  I still have very bad akathisia, or whatever that electric-like current is going through my body.  Forget about trying to rest or nap...it just revs up.  I believe it is high cortisol surges brought on by withdrawal.  I cry everyday and get quite angry because I never seem to get a break.  I am supposed to go to Disney late July for 7 days....that will be 3.5 months off but am afraid I still won't be well.  I cannot believe these drugs are even legal!!!!!   And we were on them for such a short amount of time.  My cognitive issues are so bad.  I am now light/motion sensitive since that weird head crash episode, too.  And just full of anxiety all day.  I find it unreal the drs tell us it will only last 1-2 weeks!!!!!!

Dec 2014 I tried Zoloft 25mg for one week (adverse reaction - extreme anxiety and felt like I was on an amphetamine). Dr. said to quit cold turkey, so I not only quit Zoloft but also 2 weeks of Xanax .25mg -- extreme dizziness, hyperarousal and anxiety began! On Jan. 29, 2015 my psychiatrist put me on new stuff and this is how my next 2 months and 7 days looked like (I was having the same bad reactions to all of these):Effexor XR 37.5mg (3 days) - throwing up, heart palpations, night tremors/convulsions or something where whole body shakes for a second, Prozac 10mg (15 days), Prozac 20mg (7 days) - internal restlessness, electric current through body/brain (not zaps), agitation, intense fear and could no longer nap at this point (still can't today because of this), Lexapro 5mg (4 days) - same as Prozac, a horror show...extreme internal agitation, Lexapro 7.5mg (2 days), Lexapro 10mg (16 days), Zoloft 12.5mg (3 days)...she said try it again since my blood relative does well on it, Zoloft 25mg (7 days) - same as before and getting worse!! Zoloft 50mg (6 days), Zoloft 25mg (4 days and then came off cold turkey on April 8, 2015). I used Xanax .25mg about 7 times per month through all of this until June 30, 2015 (my last benzo dose). Extreme anxiety, nervous system traumatized, mental akathisia, anger triggered by nothing but the brain totally going off on its own, feeling of a pressurized electric current going through me like my brain and body are trying to explode, stress reaction x10000 to everything, waking in terror lasting all day, fear, very sensitive, brain can't keep up, don't know what to do with myself, feeling like everything is going too fast and I can't keep up, helium head, deep depression like something is ripping out my soul, out of my mind, can hardly drive or be alone, cognitive issues, simple tasks are so complex and straining, feel disturbed because the brain can't process anything right even though your brain tries so hard and it makes you go mad, episodes of deep anguish with a sick toxic poison feeling (like you have some unknown virus).

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KT38,

 

It's disgusting how so many doctors are clueless about the complications that these drugs can cause. I am sure that if I went to go see the doctor that prescribed me this poison and told him that I haven't been right for 6 months he would probably try to put me in a psych ward. He is a part of the majority of the medical field that believes withdrawal, if it exists at all, only lasts 1-2 weeks. Thank god for this site because then we'd all truly be alone in this. My best advice for you is to not expect any miracles and to try to stay busy to take your mind off of symptoms. My cognitive issues cleared up for awhile buthave come back during this wave that I'm currently in. This means that it's only a matter of time before it goes away for good and the same will be for you. Patience, what other choice do we have?

September-December 2012: 10mg Paxil and no long term W/D symptoms

July-August 2013: 10mg Celexa for anxiety-based(?) insomnia, no W/D symptoms

October-December 2014: 37.5 and then 75mg Effexor XR

December 18, 2014: Last dose of Effexor after ~ 3 week taper

 

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Been in this wave now for almost 2 weeks and things seem to slowly be getting better but I can't get this question out of my head: should I go have an MRI done? My most prominent symptom that I've had for the past 6 MONTHS has been this numb/tingly feeling in my face, which could suggest MS or some other neurological problem. I know it's probably a long shot but the thought keeps popping up in my head. Keep in mind that I've never felt this before in my life and it only started happening after I stopped effexor. Would it be worth having one done given my situation? It would be awesome to hear a story of somebody's numbness/tingling that persisted for so long but eventually went away. -OM

September-December 2012: 10mg Paxil and no long term W/D symptoms

July-August 2013: 10mg Celexa for anxiety-based(?) insomnia, no W/D symptoms

October-December 2014: 37.5 and then 75mg Effexor XR

December 18, 2014: Last dose of Effexor after ~ 3 week taper

 

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I wouldn't bother with the MRI if I were you. It's withdrawal, it started after you quit the meds. Don't stress yourself thinking it's MS or something else. I think it will go away in time, just like all the other symptoms. 

I suffer from depression, anxiety, pure-o ocd, and panic attacks since 2004. Been on multiple different psychiatric drugs since 2006. Never had a significant WD problem before, only brain zaps for a month and then I'd be fine...............Been on Cipralex (escitalopram) 15 mg and Fluanxol (flupentixol) 1 mg since Sep 2014. Stopped taking the Cipralex after a fast 20-day taper.Took the last 5 mg Cipralex on Feb 5th, 2015. Then took Seroxat (paroxetine) 10 mg for a week, and stopped it too. Severe WD started suddenly on Feb 16th. RI 5 mg Cipralex on Feb 18th, 2015. RI worked and was relatively stable for a while................April 7 - decreased Fluanxol from 1 mg to 0.5 mg and took it at this dose for a week. - BIG MISTAKE; April 13 - WD starts creeping in; April 14 - RI full dose of Fluanxol 1 mg => severe muscle twitching and jerking when trying to relax and fall asleep, overwhelming sense of doom, dread, terror, and horror, insomnia, hoping to stabilize.
Tried doing a 10% cut off Fluanxol in the end of May for a few days, but quickly updosed to full dose because the twitching returned.
Experiencing waves and windows in the following months.
Unsuccessful brief taper attempt of Fluanxol by 5% on November 1st. Symptoms hit the next day. Too scared to continue tapering, reinstate full dose.
Severe crash in November after stupidly trying a barbiturate on November 9th. Grave mistake. Sense of unshakable inescapable internal torture, like my soul is in hell being tortured, terror/horror/dread/doom (probably akathisia?) that gets especially bad when trying to relax and fall asleep, muscles twitch, jerk and move on their own, shaking, insomnia, can't eat, confusion, disorientation, brain not working normally. Never felt so bad in my entire life. Never experiment with other meds while in WD! Praying to God I stabilize and get back to my baseline.
December - things getting even worse.

January - unbearable suffering

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Numbing/tingling anywhere and everywhere on the body is so commonly reported on here by people going through SSRI WD.

 

For me, I had left side body numbness and scalp numbness upon waking during months 10 - 15 of Lexapro WD, and it has gone away. 

 

Similar tingling/paresthesia is occurring inside my brain and causing the typical Lexapro tinnitus, that is my worst symptom.

 

All of the damage to my nerves from using Lexapro is slowly but surely healing, in waves and windows. 

 

It seems so common that people get the MRI to rule out MS when they get SSRI WD paresthesia, so far the few folks on here who got the MRI done came back revealing no other causes.

 

But I guess getting the MRI can help to put your mind at ease, and I guess you never know what might turn up by taking a look inside there. 

 

Two other recent tingling/paresthesia cases - one from Effexor, one from Lexapro; I think they got MRIs done:

 

http://survivingantidepressants.org/index.php?/topic/8885-naturegirl-please-help/

 

http://survivingantidepressants.org/index.php?/topic/8627-someday-random-tingling-pin-prick-burn-y-sensations-around-my-body-face-anyone/

Hell hath no fury as an SSRI scorned.....

 

Prozac:   20 mg 1996 – May 2003 CT to 0 mg; by Aug 03 CRASH then protracted WD 3 yrs

Zoloft:    2004 few weeks;, CT to 0 mg

Effexor:  2005 few months CT to 0 mg; bad withdrawal. 

Lexapro:  10 mg from 2009 – 2011; cut dose in half to:

Lexapro:    5 mg from 2011 – Feb. 2014; CT to 0 mg; 2 months of fatigue, followed by:
Aug - Oct 2014 Lexapro WD Insomnia Wave; sleeping very good from Nov 2014 - Nov 2015; broken sleep pattern Dec 2015 - Jan 2016

Dec 2014 - present: Brutal Lexapro WD ear ringing/head ringing/head pressure lasting for 14 months now.

 

24 months SSRI-free  

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I am planning on seeing the psychiatrist thst I saw back in March to discuss the w/d I was going through. She generally understands what I am going through and it at leasts gives me somebody to talk to. Last time I saw her she mentioned that I get this genetic testing done that could shed light on the possibility that I just had a vad reaction to effexor. She told me that people who have a specific gene have a hard time metabolizing effexor, which could very much be tbe case for me since I have been having issues for so long even though I only took the drug for about a month and a half.

 

Last week I felt the wave that I am in beginning to lighten only to have it get way worse this week. These past 4 days have almost been the worst I've felt since stopping tbe drug and I'm terrified. I can't focus, have a hard time speaking, dizzy and feel pins and needles in my face. Each morning I wake up hoping to feel the end of this wave but it just hasn't been coming. Feeling this terrible has made me question if I'm really getting better. I know this probably isn't the case but it is hard to get the thought out of my head

September-December 2012: 10mg Paxil and no long term W/D symptoms

July-August 2013: 10mg Celexa for anxiety-based(?) insomnia, no W/D symptoms

October-December 2014: 37.5 and then 75mg Effexor XR

December 18, 2014: Last dose of Effexor after ~ 3 week taper

 

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There are a few stories on here of people who took SSRI/SNRIs for only a month or so and wound up in protracted withdrawal - for a year or so -

 

Because of genetics, there is a spectrum of tolerance for these drugs. Some people are very sensitive, others moderately so, and others aren't hurt too badly after being on these drugs for years and then stopping. Same goes for all drugs; some people can handle a lot of alcohol, others get very affected after a drink or two.

 

Sounds like you are in waves and windows recovery, typical for most of us here. Just like the video a few posts back says, often it will feel like it is getting worse, but this is an expected part of the healing pattern most of us experience - that is a great video and the points in it are spot-on - 

 

During the bad waves, like you are in now, we all despair and wonder if we'll ever get better - I have certainly been at that point a few times in the last year.

 

But as the windows and waves come and go, and time passes, over months, I have certainly gotten much better. It's been a tough road. 

Hell hath no fury as an SSRI scorned.....

 

Prozac:   20 mg 1996 – May 2003 CT to 0 mg; by Aug 03 CRASH then protracted WD 3 yrs

Zoloft:    2004 few weeks;, CT to 0 mg

Effexor:  2005 few months CT to 0 mg; bad withdrawal. 

Lexapro:  10 mg from 2009 – 2011; cut dose in half to:

Lexapro:    5 mg from 2011 – Feb. 2014; CT to 0 mg; 2 months of fatigue, followed by:
Aug - Oct 2014 Lexapro WD Insomnia Wave; sleeping very good from Nov 2014 - Nov 2015; broken sleep pattern Dec 2015 - Jan 2016

Dec 2014 - present: Brutal Lexapro WD ear ringing/head ringing/head pressure lasting for 14 months now.

 

24 months SSRI-free  

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Yes, it's really a trick that our mind is playing on us. In April and May my revovery seemed to be getting consistent to the point that I thought that I'd be done with this in June. Now this intense wave has come on and I feel back at square one. Throughout this I have been looking at future dates of events that I have and telling myself that I should be feeling considerably better by then but it really hasn't been working that way. I guess I should stop that habit

September-December 2012: 10mg Paxil and no long term W/D symptoms

July-August 2013: 10mg Celexa for anxiety-based(?) insomnia, no W/D symptoms

October-December 2014: 37.5 and then 75mg Effexor XR

December 18, 2014: Last dose of Effexor after ~ 3 week taper

 

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I am in a strong wave right now. Yet it is the first strong wave that isn't as intense as all my past waves. I'm 16 months off the drug.

 

So, my waves are finally reducing in intensity. My windows are getting longer each time (as my journal shows). I am very optimistic -

 

My recovery has been completely unpredictable until now. I always said to myself  "Maybe I'll be better in six months, maybe a year", trying to guess, based on how I felt, based on how others recovered on here -

 

But in the end, my body is healing at its own pace, it knows exactly what is must do to heal, in its own time - 

 

I'm physically active, I do some strenuous sports, and overall I can function very well -

 

But I assume I won't feel "right" for at least another year, and I wouldn't be surprised if it might take 2 years.

Hell hath no fury as an SSRI scorned.....

 

Prozac:   20 mg 1996 – May 2003 CT to 0 mg; by Aug 03 CRASH then protracted WD 3 yrs

Zoloft:    2004 few weeks;, CT to 0 mg

Effexor:  2005 few months CT to 0 mg; bad withdrawal. 

Lexapro:  10 mg from 2009 – 2011; cut dose in half to:

Lexapro:    5 mg from 2011 – Feb. 2014; CT to 0 mg; 2 months of fatigue, followed by:
Aug - Oct 2014 Lexapro WD Insomnia Wave; sleeping very good from Nov 2014 - Nov 2015; broken sleep pattern Dec 2015 - Jan 2016

Dec 2014 - present: Brutal Lexapro WD ear ringing/head ringing/head pressure lasting for 14 months now.

 

24 months SSRI-free  

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Yes, definitely get the DNA testing.  I had that done and all of the drugs I was on were on my bad list.  I wish I could sue my psychiatrist for putting me on them when it clearly showed they were poison for me. 

Dec 2014 I tried Zoloft 25mg for one week (adverse reaction - extreme anxiety and felt like I was on an amphetamine). Dr. said to quit cold turkey, so I not only quit Zoloft but also 2 weeks of Xanax .25mg -- extreme dizziness, hyperarousal and anxiety began! On Jan. 29, 2015 my psychiatrist put me on new stuff and this is how my next 2 months and 7 days looked like (I was having the same bad reactions to all of these):Effexor XR 37.5mg (3 days) - throwing up, heart palpations, night tremors/convulsions or something where whole body shakes for a second, Prozac 10mg (15 days), Prozac 20mg (7 days) - internal restlessness, electric current through body/brain (not zaps), agitation, intense fear and could no longer nap at this point (still can't today because of this), Lexapro 5mg (4 days) - same as Prozac, a horror show...extreme internal agitation, Lexapro 7.5mg (2 days), Lexapro 10mg (16 days), Zoloft 12.5mg (3 days)...she said try it again since my blood relative does well on it, Zoloft 25mg (7 days) - same as before and getting worse!! Zoloft 50mg (6 days), Zoloft 25mg (4 days and then came off cold turkey on April 8, 2015). I used Xanax .25mg about 7 times per month through all of this until June 30, 2015 (my last benzo dose). Extreme anxiety, nervous system traumatized, mental akathisia, anger triggered by nothing but the brain totally going off on its own, feeling of a pressurized electric current going through me like my brain and body are trying to explode, stress reaction x10000 to everything, waking in terror lasting all day, fear, very sensitive, brain can't keep up, don't know what to do with myself, feeling like everything is going too fast and I can't keep up, helium head, deep depression like something is ripping out my soul, out of my mind, can hardly drive or be alone, cognitive issues, simple tasks are so complex and straining, feel disturbed because the brain can't process anything right even though your brain tries so hard and it makes you go mad, episodes of deep anguish with a sick toxic poison feeling (like you have some unknown virus).

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KT38, what was the explanation when you got the results back? What did it mean by certain drugs being on the bad list? That you would have a reaction? That you can't metabolize them normally? I am curious to hear what the conversation was when you got the results back and if it explains what you are going through

September-December 2012: 10mg Paxil and no long term W/D symptoms

July-August 2013: 10mg Celexa for anxiety-based(?) insomnia, no W/D symptoms

October-December 2014: 37.5 and then 75mg Effexor XR

December 18, 2014: Last dose of Effexor after ~ 3 week taper

 

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  • Moderator Emeritus

Hi ODM ,   effexor is metabolized by the genes in the CYP family.  

Short answer:  if these genes are compromised or "turned off" or not working properly , the effexor was not being

metabolized , and was building up to a toxic level.  There are threads on genetic 

testing on here somewhere.  

See the video in "Dr Yolande Lucire" page in In The Media - she explains it.

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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Yes, something about certain enzymes or something that I have that won't metabolize the meds correctly.  There is a list of ones that are ok to take (Effexor was the only one, which is why I tried it but stopped after 3 days because I was throwing up and knew it was a bad bad drug) and there are a list that say "Proceed with caution and/or monitor dosage".....Essentially I was being poisoned for 2 months because even the small doses were way over the top for my system.

Dec 2014 I tried Zoloft 25mg for one week (adverse reaction - extreme anxiety and felt like I was on an amphetamine). Dr. said to quit cold turkey, so I not only quit Zoloft but also 2 weeks of Xanax .25mg -- extreme dizziness, hyperarousal and anxiety began! On Jan. 29, 2015 my psychiatrist put me on new stuff and this is how my next 2 months and 7 days looked like (I was having the same bad reactions to all of these):Effexor XR 37.5mg (3 days) - throwing up, heart palpations, night tremors/convulsions or something where whole body shakes for a second, Prozac 10mg (15 days), Prozac 20mg (7 days) - internal restlessness, electric current through body/brain (not zaps), agitation, intense fear and could no longer nap at this point (still can't today because of this), Lexapro 5mg (4 days) - same as Prozac, a horror show...extreme internal agitation, Lexapro 7.5mg (2 days), Lexapro 10mg (16 days), Zoloft 12.5mg (3 days)...she said try it again since my blood relative does well on it, Zoloft 25mg (7 days) - same as before and getting worse!! Zoloft 50mg (6 days), Zoloft 25mg (4 days and then came off cold turkey on April 8, 2015). I used Xanax .25mg about 7 times per month through all of this until June 30, 2015 (my last benzo dose). Extreme anxiety, nervous system traumatized, mental akathisia, anger triggered by nothing but the brain totally going off on its own, feeling of a pressurized electric current going through me like my brain and body are trying to explode, stress reaction x10000 to everything, waking in terror lasting all day, fear, very sensitive, brain can't keep up, don't know what to do with myself, feeling like everything is going too fast and I can't keep up, helium head, deep depression like something is ripping out my soul, out of my mind, can hardly drive or be alone, cognitive issues, simple tasks are so complex and straining, feel disturbed because the brain can't process anything right even though your brain tries so hard and it makes you go mad, episodes of deep anguish with a sick toxic poison feeling (like you have some unknown virus).

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Well, I'm curious to see what my results are. Having something on paper would help my family understand what I'm going through a bit better

September-December 2012: 10mg Paxil and no long term W/D symptoms

July-August 2013: 10mg Celexa for anxiety-based(?) insomnia, no W/D symptoms

October-December 2014: 37.5 and then 75mg Effexor XR

December 18, 2014: Last dose of Effexor after ~ 3 week taper

 

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Yes, it's really a trick that our mind is playing on us. In April and May my revovery seemed to be getting consistent to the point that I thought that I'd be done with this in June. Now this intense wave has come on and I feel back at square one. Throughout this I have been looking at future dates of events that I have and telling myself that I should be feeling considerably better by then but it really hasn't been working that way. I guess I should stop that habit

"In April and May my revovery seemed to be getting consistent to the point that I thought that I'd be done with this in June"

 

It looks to me like your in the 18 month range now.  I thought I was getting a lot better and would be done by the 2 year make until around the 18th month when I had a big set back.  I wrote about it at the time on another site I was scared too.  The site bosses at the time poo pood the idea of the situation taking a bad turn that far out but it really was happening to me.  I gave up talking about it in the thread but had several private messages from other people saying they had the same thing around the same time. I of course reported this in the thread as I thought we were trying to sort out the reality of the situation tell the truth about how healing was going.  I am not sure why nobody wanted to talk about except us going thru it... but it remained just a theory of mine since that time.  I wrote about on yet another wd site tho I am not sure if I ever posted about it here at SA. 

I am curious about your mood... how is it?

 

PS 

I checked SA I don't see a post titled 18 months .. though I have talked about this here a few times before.  Not exactly sure about my computer or search skills I can generally find what I need but am self taught so it is a bit sketchy

WARNING THIS WILL BE LONG
Had a car accident in 85
Codeine was the pain med when I was release from hosp continuous use till 89
Given PROZAC by a specialist to help with nerve pain in my leg 89-90 not sure which year
Was not told a thing about it being a psych med thought it was a pain killer no info about psych side effects I went nuts had hallucinations. As I had a head injury and was diagnosed with a concussion in 85 I was sent to a head injury clinic in 1990 five years after the accident. I don't think they knew I had been on prozac I did not think it a big deal and never did finish the bottle of pills. I had tests of course lots of them. Was put into a pain clinic and given amitriptyline which stopped the withdrawal but had many side effects. But I could sleep something I had not done in a very long time the pain lessened. My mother got cancer in 94 they switched my meds to Zoloft to help deal with this pressure as I was her main care giver she died in 96. I stopped zoloft in 96 had withdrawal was put on paxil went nutty quit it ct put on resperidol quit it ct had withdrawal was put on Effexor... 2years later celexa was added 20mg then increased to 40mg huge personality change went wild. Did too fast taper off Celexa 05 as I felt unwell for a long time prior... quit Effexor 150mg ct 07 found ****** 8 months into withdrawal learned some things was banned from there in 08 have kept learning since. there is really not enough room here to put my history but I have a lot of opinions about a lot of things especially any of the drugs mentioned above.
One thing I would like to add here is this tidbit ALL OPIATES INCREASE SEROTONIN it is not a huge jump to being in chronic pain to being put on an ssri/snri and opiates will affect your antidepressants and your thinking.

As I do not update much I will put my quit date Nov. 17 2007 I quit Effexor cold turkey. 

http://survivingantidepressants.org/index.php?/topic/1096-introducing-myself-btdt/

There is a crack in everything ..That's how the light gets in :)

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I'm not even a full 6 months out from my last dose yet. I get the whole "expect the worse and hope for the best thing" but I think the biggest thing we've all learned from this site is that no two people heal the same way.

 

So by me hitting a typical wave 5 months out, that means I'm somehow going to have a major crash at 18 months? That's a bit ridiculous, or you just have the timeline of my story wrong.

September-December 2012: 10mg Paxil and no long term W/D symptoms

July-August 2013: 10mg Celexa for anxiety-based(?) insomnia, no W/D symptoms

October-December 2014: 37.5 and then 75mg Effexor XR

December 18, 2014: Last dose of Effexor after ~ 3 week taper

 

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I'm not even a full 6 months out from my last dose yet. I get the whole "expect the worse and hope for the best thing" but I think the biggest thing we've all learned from this site is that no two people heal the same way.

 

So by me hitting a typical wave 5 months out, that means I'm somehow going to have a major crash at 18 months? That's a bit ridiculous, or you just have the timeline of my story wrong.

I had your timeline wrong sorry.  Wrong year in my head or could not compute the date .. I once posted on here how many years I had off I know that likely sound ridiculous and impossible to you but it is true.  One good thing about adapting I am real good at owning up to my mistakes as I have had a lot of practice.  So skip the 18 month things not every one get it some do. 

WARNING THIS WILL BE LONG
Had a car accident in 85
Codeine was the pain med when I was release from hosp continuous use till 89
Given PROZAC by a specialist to help with nerve pain in my leg 89-90 not sure which year
Was not told a thing about it being a psych med thought it was a pain killer no info about psych side effects I went nuts had hallucinations. As I had a head injury and was diagnosed with a concussion in 85 I was sent to a head injury clinic in 1990 five years after the accident. I don't think they knew I had been on prozac I did not think it a big deal and never did finish the bottle of pills. I had tests of course lots of them. Was put into a pain clinic and given amitriptyline which stopped the withdrawal but had many side effects. But I could sleep something I had not done in a very long time the pain lessened. My mother got cancer in 94 they switched my meds to Zoloft to help deal with this pressure as I was her main care giver she died in 96. I stopped zoloft in 96 had withdrawal was put on paxil went nutty quit it ct put on resperidol quit it ct had withdrawal was put on Effexor... 2years later celexa was added 20mg then increased to 40mg huge personality change went wild. Did too fast taper off Celexa 05 as I felt unwell for a long time prior... quit Effexor 150mg ct 07 found ****** 8 months into withdrawal learned some things was banned from there in 08 have kept learning since. there is really not enough room here to put my history but I have a lot of opinions about a lot of things especially any of the drugs mentioned above.
One thing I would like to add here is this tidbit ALL OPIATES INCREASE SEROTONIN it is not a huge jump to being in chronic pain to being put on an ssri/snri and opiates will affect your antidepressants and your thinking.

As I do not update much I will put my quit date Nov. 17 2007 I quit Effexor cold turkey. 

http://survivingantidepressants.org/index.php?/topic/1096-introducing-myself-btdt/

There is a crack in everything ..That's how the light gets in :)

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No worries btdt.

 

I had a streak of 5 or 6 days this past week where I felt really well. The pins and needles/numbness and my face was almost completely gone. However today it has come back a bit but it is not nearly as strong as it was before. I started a new job a few days ago which has required a shift in my sleeping schedule and a lot more physical labor, which may have been the reason why my symptoms have crept up again today. I am a little worried that the extra physical exertion could set me back but I think that it is just another change that my body will get used to.

 

Overall, the past month has been about a 50/50 split of good days and bad days.  About every other week my symptoms are letting up which, to me, is a sign that the light is beginning to shine through.  I am hoping that my streaks of  good days continue to get longer.

September-December 2012: 10mg Paxil and no long term W/D symptoms

July-August 2013: 10mg Celexa for anxiety-based(?) insomnia, no W/D symptoms

October-December 2014: 37.5 and then 75mg Effexor XR

December 18, 2014: Last dose of Effexor after ~ 3 week taper

 

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  • 2 weeks later...

I've been doing this labor job for about 2 weeks now and things have actually been going pretty well. I'm surprised at how much physical exertion I can handle now, months ago it would've been miserable.

 

However, on tough days I noticed that I will get this hangover feeling the next morning. It's a mix of my usual withdrawal symptoms and intense fatigue. It certainly isn't a normal tired feeling that you would get after a hard workout. My question is if doing all of this physical exertion and labor all of a sudden will be bad for ny recovery. I know exercise is good in withdrawal but is really pushing it going to set me back in recovery?

September-December 2012: 10mg Paxil and no long term W/D symptoms

July-August 2013: 10mg Celexa for anxiety-based(?) insomnia, no W/D symptoms

October-December 2014: 37.5 and then 75mg Effexor XR

December 18, 2014: Last dose of Effexor after ~ 3 week taper

 

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  • Moderator

I wouldn't worry about it.  The distraction is a great thing, and pushing your limits should help as long as you listed to your body.  If it's talking back to you go ahead and push, but if it's screaming at you better cut back.  Take what breaks you can and keep hydrated.  I've had to do some real pushes during my taper and always came out the better for having done them.  Best of luck.

20 years on Paxil starting at 20mg and working up to 40mg. Sept 2011 started 10% every 6 weeks taper (2.5% every week for 4 weeks then hold for 2 additional weeks), currently at 7.9mg. Oct 2011 CTed 15oz vodka a night, to only drinking 2 beers most nights, totally sober Feb 2013.

Since I wrote this I have continued to decrease my dose by 10% every 6 weeks (2.5% every week for 4 weeks and then hold for an additional 2 weeks). I added in an extra 6 week hold when I hit 10mg to let things settle out even more. When I hit 3mgpw it became hard to split the drop into 4 parts so I switched to dropping 1mgpw (pill weight) every week for 3 weeks and then holding for another 3 weeks.  The 3 + 3 schedule turned out to be too harsh so I cut back to dropping 1mgpw every 4 weeks which is working better.

Final Dose 0.016mg.     Current dose 0.000mg 04-15-2017

 

"It's also important not to become angry, no matter how difficult life is, because you can loose all hope if you can't laugh at yourself and at life in general."  Stephen Hawking

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It has been a mixed bag for me it depends on what you have to do.  I can get thru a funeral because I have to... or such things.  Physically I hit a wall and can't move it can be caused by too much work or too much of anything. I just can't. I can't get up I need an extended time to recover and there is not saying how long it will take as it seems to take as long as it takes.  The only thing this state reminds me of is labor I did 26 hours then hemorrhaged after I could not get up. If I over do physically this is what I get.

I don't mean to scare you in any respect but this is how you will know if you hit a wall and can't do it anymore you will know it has hurt your recovery and you need to find a different type of work.

If your like Brass and can push thru you will know just keep going try to be sensible about it as suggested.

I hope you don't have trouble.

peace 

WARNING THIS WILL BE LONG
Had a car accident in 85
Codeine was the pain med when I was release from hosp continuous use till 89
Given PROZAC by a specialist to help with nerve pain in my leg 89-90 not sure which year
Was not told a thing about it being a psych med thought it was a pain killer no info about psych side effects I went nuts had hallucinations. As I had a head injury and was diagnosed with a concussion in 85 I was sent to a head injury clinic in 1990 five years after the accident. I don't think they knew I had been on prozac I did not think it a big deal and never did finish the bottle of pills. I had tests of course lots of them. Was put into a pain clinic and given amitriptyline which stopped the withdrawal but had many side effects. But I could sleep something I had not done in a very long time the pain lessened. My mother got cancer in 94 they switched my meds to Zoloft to help deal with this pressure as I was her main care giver she died in 96. I stopped zoloft in 96 had withdrawal was put on paxil went nutty quit it ct put on resperidol quit it ct had withdrawal was put on Effexor... 2years later celexa was added 20mg then increased to 40mg huge personality change went wild. Did too fast taper off Celexa 05 as I felt unwell for a long time prior... quit Effexor 150mg ct 07 found ****** 8 months into withdrawal learned some things was banned from there in 08 have kept learning since. there is really not enough room here to put my history but I have a lot of opinions about a lot of things especially any of the drugs mentioned above.
One thing I would like to add here is this tidbit ALL OPIATES INCREASE SEROTONIN it is not a huge jump to being in chronic pain to being put on an ssri/snri and opiates will affect your antidepressants and your thinking.

As I do not update much I will put my quit date Nov. 17 2007 I quit Effexor cold turkey. 

http://survivingantidepressants.org/index.php?/topic/1096-introducing-myself-btdt/

There is a crack in everything ..That's how the light gets in :)

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Thank you for the replies guys, I feel better about my work situation now.  I have not reached a point where I can no longer move and I actually feel like I'm in pretty good physical shape from doing this type of work the past few weeks. I was more worried about aggravating my w/d symptoms but I will continue to push through as long as things don't get too crazy.  Who knows, maybe this could actually speed things up..... there's no way to tell.

September-December 2012: 10mg Paxil and no long term W/D symptoms

July-August 2013: 10mg Celexa for anxiety-based(?) insomnia, no W/D symptoms

October-December 2014: 37.5 and then 75mg Effexor XR

December 18, 2014: Last dose of Effexor after ~ 3 week taper

 

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I think if you have a few wks under you belt already your likely home free :) this makes me think you may just be on your way to bigger and better things so happy for you :) Be sure to eat well and still do some relaxations to be on the safe side. 

peace

WARNING THIS WILL BE LONG
Had a car accident in 85
Codeine was the pain med when I was release from hosp continuous use till 89
Given PROZAC by a specialist to help with nerve pain in my leg 89-90 not sure which year
Was not told a thing about it being a psych med thought it was a pain killer no info about psych side effects I went nuts had hallucinations. As I had a head injury and was diagnosed with a concussion in 85 I was sent to a head injury clinic in 1990 five years after the accident. I don't think they knew I had been on prozac I did not think it a big deal and never did finish the bottle of pills. I had tests of course lots of them. Was put into a pain clinic and given amitriptyline which stopped the withdrawal but had many side effects. But I could sleep something I had not done in a very long time the pain lessened. My mother got cancer in 94 they switched my meds to Zoloft to help deal with this pressure as I was her main care giver she died in 96. I stopped zoloft in 96 had withdrawal was put on paxil went nutty quit it ct put on resperidol quit it ct had withdrawal was put on Effexor... 2years later celexa was added 20mg then increased to 40mg huge personality change went wild. Did too fast taper off Celexa 05 as I felt unwell for a long time prior... quit Effexor 150mg ct 07 found ****** 8 months into withdrawal learned some things was banned from there in 08 have kept learning since. there is really not enough room here to put my history but I have a lot of opinions about a lot of things especially any of the drugs mentioned above.
One thing I would like to add here is this tidbit ALL OPIATES INCREASE SEROTONIN it is not a huge jump to being in chronic pain to being put on an ssri/snri and opiates will affect your antidepressants and your thinking.

As I do not update much I will put my quit date Nov. 17 2007 I quit Effexor cold turkey. 

http://survivingantidepressants.org/index.php?/topic/1096-introducing-myself-btdt/

There is a crack in everything ..That's how the light gets in :)

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  • 2 weeks later...

As I sit here a bit frustrated because I cant go to any holiday parties, I am also hopeful in that I truly feel that this is the last major holiday that I will have to endure while struggling through withdrawal.  To ease my anger and distract myself I decided I would write a nice long update.

 

We are now into July and I am approaching my 7th month of being free of Effexor.... wow.  Wow in that I can't believe that I am still dealing with this and wow because I have also come such a long way and have grown so much.  May and June were wild, I went from feeling almost completely recovered to getting absolutely smacked by the worst wave of symptoms that I have experienced throughout this entire process. Today, I am certainly past that wave. The facial numbness is now down to a few pins and needles in the bridge of my nose, my speech and liveliness is returning without a doubt and I can endure a ton of physical exertion now without my symptoms flaring up. I know earlier in the spring I said that my speech was getting better but now it's on another level, I can tell stories and use some articulate vocabulary now.  Alcohol is really the only thing bothering me at the moment; I feel like an absolute zombie if I drink, which is pretty odd considering this A) was never a huge problem over the past 6+ months and B) because my other symptoms have been improving so much, you would think my tolerance to substances would too.  However, if I take a step back and think about this my healing process really epitomizes the whole Rubik's Cube pattern meaning certain symptoms improve while others get worse.  For example, exercise was pretty tolerable back in February and then once April came around I could barely do it without feeling sick.  But as of late June and early July I can exert myself to the max while barely exacerbating my symptoms.  The same goes for alcohol and my speaking issues.  Certain things get turned on while others get turned off, each symptom goes through its own process. I feel pretty strong now that we are into July, I'm especially happy that my memory and concentration are almost back to normal because I start grad school in the Fall.

 

Talking about the improvement of symptoms is nice and all but it really only describes half the picture. Navigating through life while dealing with these problems is another story all in itself. I've had to adjust my lifestyle big time while going through withdrawal. I oftentimes isolated myself, avoided parties, avoided playing sports and participating in other events.  Now this may seem depressing, awful and counterproductive but my gut told me that these were the things that I needed to do in order to survive and grow during withdrawal.  It wasn't the type of deal where I believed I was this strange, dull person because of my symptoms only to realize it was all in my head once I finally got out and mingled again.  It was the opposite, I really had become this quiet, odd, awkward person ESPECIALLY when I went out and did things.  It wasn't in my head it was very real. The w/d symptoms physically made me someone very far from my true self, somebody that I was not comfortable with flaunting to the world.  I was all for pushing myself when I felt uncomfortable, I really was.  But my gut was telling me that I had far more to lose than I had to gain by throwing myself out into parties and drinking, etc.  Now that I am beginning to feel more like myself I am starting to do more and more socially/physically and I feel I haven't missed a beat.  I work full time now and am actually one of the loud mouths at work.  Do I feel that I wasted all that time being a hermit and avoiding people? Not at all. I needed time to myself, to take a few steps back from my life and heal, I have zero regrets.

 

Through this experience I have learned what it is truly like to be alone, but in a good way.  Nobody out there is going to believe in your protracted withdrawal besides these online communities and the handful of doctors that are mentioned on these websites.  I was warned by other people on this site that if I saw a doctor about my symptoms that I would leave disappointed and upset, boy was that true. "Anxiety" "Depression" "Underlying anxiety." Oh you're feeling pins and needles in your face and trouble making conversation? "It must be anxiety just manifesting itself in a different way, you'll have to be put back on a drug of some sort."  I feel fine, I have never felt more confident in my life about my mental health.  I finished up one of the hardest semesters of my life and now I am working a healthy, low-stress job that I enjoy. I am more than happy with my life and what I have accomplished in college and was also accepted to my number one grad school so mentally, I am flying high. To think that what I am struggling with is some kind of underlying mental health problem is actually insane.  But nobody believes me, even my parents who have done their best to understand still try to convince me that it is just anxiety somehow.  Anxiety should be relieved by exercise and after having a few drinks, not worsened.  The point is that we are generally on our own with this ailment but protracted withdrawal is very, very real.  

 

I don't take anything for granted anymore.  Each activity that I regain the capacity to do as I heal fills me with joy.  I have also given up caring what anyone else thinks.  I dont need anyone by my side to understand this illness (because there isnt anyone who does) and I dont care what anyone thinks.  If im not feeling all happy and cheery somedays because of the pins and needles in my face, I dont care.  My family likes to make me aware of my bad days and Ive given up caring about that.  I am going to do what I am comfortable doing and act myself.  I feel very strong because of all this, I dont need anyones approval anymore.

 

I can't say for sure that I will be 100% in a few months but I feel I am approaching recovery..  Withdrawal is so unpredictable and hard that it's silly to give yourself a timeline.  All we can do is accept and take the punches.  Go with your gut, dont let anyone steer you away from what you feel is right because nobody understands yourself like you do.  What this website fights to make known is very real.  The UK seems to have a nice organization fighting for awareness in cepuk.org, it would be great to see something like that in the states.

 

The fireworks are beginning to calm down and there is a bit of a smile on my face as I hope that this is my last (somewhat!) ill-spent holiday.

 

- Outdoorsman

September-December 2012: 10mg Paxil and no long term W/D symptoms

July-August 2013: 10mg Celexa for anxiety-based(?) insomnia, no W/D symptoms

October-December 2014: 37.5 and then 75mg Effexor XR

December 18, 2014: Last dose of Effexor after ~ 3 week taper

 

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I am so impressed that you can sit down and write what you are feeling.  Everytime I try to do that I get sad and think about how insane this all is and how the medical community does not recognize it. I found a psychiatrist who does get it.  "I don't take anything for granted anymore.  Each activity that I regain the capacity to do as I heal fills me with joy.  I have also given up caring what anyone else thinks." -- I looooove that!!  That is right on.  After all this we will not take anything for granted.  You and I both tried a few ADs within a 2-3 months period and we were polydrugged, so our brains are really messed up right now.  Each AD works a little differently, so there are multiple parts of the brain affected by these drugs.  That is what my new psychiatrist said.  She said I will get better, but because I had an adverse reaction it may take me longer than a person who was able to take the drugs (and taper, which I did not).  She described withdrawal as everything being heightened....noises, thoughts, etc.....  She prescribed me Xanax XR, which I tried 2x but didn't make too much of a difference with most of the symptoms and don't really want to get addicted to a benzo.  Last night during the 4th of July fireworks I walked down the street to see people lighting them off and I ran back to my house in tears.  I could not handle the sounds.  It was so overwhelming.  I am starting to feel a little happier in my mood.  We will get through this!!!

Dec 2014 I tried Zoloft 25mg for one week (adverse reaction - extreme anxiety and felt like I was on an amphetamine). Dr. said to quit cold turkey, so I not only quit Zoloft but also 2 weeks of Xanax .25mg -- extreme dizziness, hyperarousal and anxiety began! On Jan. 29, 2015 my psychiatrist put me on new stuff and this is how my next 2 months and 7 days looked like (I was having the same bad reactions to all of these):Effexor XR 37.5mg (3 days) - throwing up, heart palpations, night tremors/convulsions or something where whole body shakes for a second, Prozac 10mg (15 days), Prozac 20mg (7 days) - internal restlessness, electric current through body/brain (not zaps), agitation, intense fear and could no longer nap at this point (still can't today because of this), Lexapro 5mg (4 days) - same as Prozac, a horror show...extreme internal agitation, Lexapro 7.5mg (2 days), Lexapro 10mg (16 days), Zoloft 12.5mg (3 days)...she said try it again since my blood relative does well on it, Zoloft 25mg (7 days) - same as before and getting worse!! Zoloft 50mg (6 days), Zoloft 25mg (4 days and then came off cold turkey on April 8, 2015). I used Xanax .25mg about 7 times per month through all of this until June 30, 2015 (my last benzo dose). Extreme anxiety, nervous system traumatized, mental akathisia, anger triggered by nothing but the brain totally going off on its own, feeling of a pressurized electric current going through me like my brain and body are trying to explode, stress reaction x10000 to everything, waking in terror lasting all day, fear, very sensitive, brain can't keep up, don't know what to do with myself, feeling like everything is going too fast and I can't keep up, helium head, deep depression like something is ripping out my soul, out of my mind, can hardly drive or be alone, cognitive issues, simple tasks are so complex and straining, feel disturbed because the brain can't process anything right even though your brain tries so hard and it makes you go mad, episodes of deep anguish with a sick toxic poison feeling (like you have some unknown virus).

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Thanks KT.  That's incredible that you were able to find a psychiatrist who understands withdrawal.  Receiving validation from somebody in the field must be an awesome feeling. Did he/she mention an estimate on how long withdrawal could possibly take? When I saw a psychiatrist at 3 months out she was pretty understanding but now that Im at 6 she doesnt believe it could still be withdrawal.

September-December 2012: 10mg Paxil and no long term W/D symptoms

July-August 2013: 10mg Celexa for anxiety-based(?) insomnia, no W/D symptoms

October-December 2014: 37.5 and then 75mg Effexor XR

December 18, 2014: Last dose of Effexor after ~ 3 week taper

 

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She didn't give a timeframe and just said it could take longer for me because I wasn't metabolizing the drugs well.  She said I should have never been put on any SSRIs for a few situational panic attacks and could have just taken the Xanax when one struck. 

Dec 2014 I tried Zoloft 25mg for one week (adverse reaction - extreme anxiety and felt like I was on an amphetamine). Dr. said to quit cold turkey, so I not only quit Zoloft but also 2 weeks of Xanax .25mg -- extreme dizziness, hyperarousal and anxiety began! On Jan. 29, 2015 my psychiatrist put me on new stuff and this is how my next 2 months and 7 days looked like (I was having the same bad reactions to all of these):Effexor XR 37.5mg (3 days) - throwing up, heart palpations, night tremors/convulsions or something where whole body shakes for a second, Prozac 10mg (15 days), Prozac 20mg (7 days) - internal restlessness, electric current through body/brain (not zaps), agitation, intense fear and could no longer nap at this point (still can't today because of this), Lexapro 5mg (4 days) - same as Prozac, a horror show...extreme internal agitation, Lexapro 7.5mg (2 days), Lexapro 10mg (16 days), Zoloft 12.5mg (3 days)...she said try it again since my blood relative does well on it, Zoloft 25mg (7 days) - same as before and getting worse!! Zoloft 50mg (6 days), Zoloft 25mg (4 days and then came off cold turkey on April 8, 2015). I used Xanax .25mg about 7 times per month through all of this until June 30, 2015 (my last benzo dose). Extreme anxiety, nervous system traumatized, mental akathisia, anger triggered by nothing but the brain totally going off on its own, feeling of a pressurized electric current going through me like my brain and body are trying to explode, stress reaction x10000 to everything, waking in terror lasting all day, fear, very sensitive, brain can't keep up, don't know what to do with myself, feeling like everything is going too fast and I can't keep up, helium head, deep depression like something is ripping out my soul, out of my mind, can hardly drive or be alone, cognitive issues, simple tasks are so complex and straining, feel disturbed because the brain can't process anything right even though your brain tries so hard and it makes you go mad, episodes of deep anguish with a sick toxic poison feeling (like you have some unknown virus).

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Right, mine said the same thing about the fact that it was unnecessary to take SSRIs.  Did you ever have genetic testing done to see how you would react to the drug?  I was considering it to hopefully shed some light on things but it costs about $300 =0

September-December 2012: 10mg Paxil and no long term W/D symptoms

July-August 2013: 10mg Celexa for anxiety-based(?) insomnia, no W/D symptoms

October-December 2014: 37.5 and then 75mg Effexor XR

December 18, 2014: Last dose of Effexor after ~ 3 week taper

 

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Yes, the psych who put me on the 4 drugs did the DNA test (swab inside cheek) and all the meds she put me on were on my bad list.  Either there was gene or enzyme variants or poor metabolizer.  I have been looking into sueing her.

Dec 2014 I tried Zoloft 25mg for one week (adverse reaction - extreme anxiety and felt like I was on an amphetamine). Dr. said to quit cold turkey, so I not only quit Zoloft but also 2 weeks of Xanax .25mg -- extreme dizziness, hyperarousal and anxiety began! On Jan. 29, 2015 my psychiatrist put me on new stuff and this is how my next 2 months and 7 days looked like (I was having the same bad reactions to all of these):Effexor XR 37.5mg (3 days) - throwing up, heart palpations, night tremors/convulsions or something where whole body shakes for a second, Prozac 10mg (15 days), Prozac 20mg (7 days) - internal restlessness, electric current through body/brain (not zaps), agitation, intense fear and could no longer nap at this point (still can't today because of this), Lexapro 5mg (4 days) - same as Prozac, a horror show...extreme internal agitation, Lexapro 7.5mg (2 days), Lexapro 10mg (16 days), Zoloft 12.5mg (3 days)...she said try it again since my blood relative does well on it, Zoloft 25mg (7 days) - same as before and getting worse!! Zoloft 50mg (6 days), Zoloft 25mg (4 days and then came off cold turkey on April 8, 2015). I used Xanax .25mg about 7 times per month through all of this until June 30, 2015 (my last benzo dose). Extreme anxiety, nervous system traumatized, mental akathisia, anger triggered by nothing but the brain totally going off on its own, feeling of a pressurized electric current going through me like my brain and body are trying to explode, stress reaction x10000 to everything, waking in terror lasting all day, fear, very sensitive, brain can't keep up, don't know what to do with myself, feeling like everything is going too fast and I can't keep up, helium head, deep depression like something is ripping out my soul, out of my mind, can hardly drive or be alone, cognitive issues, simple tasks are so complex and straining, feel disturbed because the brain can't process anything right even though your brain tries so hard and it makes you go mad, episodes of deep anguish with a sick toxic poison feeling (like you have some unknown virus).

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Jeez. Yeah I'm going to take a wild guess and say that Effexor would fall into my "bad" category as well.

September-December 2012: 10mg Paxil and no long term W/D symptoms

July-August 2013: 10mg Celexa for anxiety-based(?) insomnia, no W/D symptoms

October-December 2014: 37.5 and then 75mg Effexor XR

December 18, 2014: Last dose of Effexor after ~ 3 week taper

 

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Decided to try some caffeine the other day- a can of coke.  The last time I had caffeine it sent me into an awful wave that lasted nearly a month.  So I tried it again the other day because I was extremely tired at work and yep, I'm in a wave again. My face is droopy, I have no emotions, no desire to talk to people, it's really a punch in the gut.  I was doing extremely well the past few weeks and now boom, all that progress is erased.

 

Things like this have been so hard psychologically, to go from making great strides to falling back to square one, its driving me insane.  I am almost at 7 months off and I am so tired of this....it's been so long since I have felt anything like myself.  It is setbacks like this that put awful thoughts in my head, like the possibility of never becoming myself again.

 

And the other thing that doesnt make sense is that caffeine didnt do this to me when I was only 2 or 3 months off but now it does.  This whole "recovery process" makes no sense, there are no patterns. I feel like bashing my head through a wall today, hopefully I can restrain myself.

September-December 2012: 10mg Paxil and no long term W/D symptoms

July-August 2013: 10mg Celexa for anxiety-based(?) insomnia, no W/D symptoms

October-December 2014: 37.5 and then 75mg Effexor XR

December 18, 2014: Last dose of Effexor after ~ 3 week taper

 

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Yes, stay away from caffeine.  My first month off I was eating ice cream and baked goods and now I can't have that much sugar.  My CNS is in overdrive and I just started 4 months off. My thoughts are all over the place and every 5 min. I feel like I'm in a different state and ready to lose it.  Nervousness and fear are my biggest problem.  My new psychiatrist said I should probably start to see some improvement around the 6-8 month mark.  Hang in there and no more caffeine (for now)!

Dec 2014 I tried Zoloft 25mg for one week (adverse reaction - extreme anxiety and felt like I was on an amphetamine). Dr. said to quit cold turkey, so I not only quit Zoloft but also 2 weeks of Xanax .25mg -- extreme dizziness, hyperarousal and anxiety began! On Jan. 29, 2015 my psychiatrist put me on new stuff and this is how my next 2 months and 7 days looked like (I was having the same bad reactions to all of these):Effexor XR 37.5mg (3 days) - throwing up, heart palpations, night tremors/convulsions or something where whole body shakes for a second, Prozac 10mg (15 days), Prozac 20mg (7 days) - internal restlessness, electric current through body/brain (not zaps), agitation, intense fear and could no longer nap at this point (still can't today because of this), Lexapro 5mg (4 days) - same as Prozac, a horror show...extreme internal agitation, Lexapro 7.5mg (2 days), Lexapro 10mg (16 days), Zoloft 12.5mg (3 days)...she said try it again since my blood relative does well on it, Zoloft 25mg (7 days) - same as before and getting worse!! Zoloft 50mg (6 days), Zoloft 25mg (4 days and then came off cold turkey on April 8, 2015). I used Xanax .25mg about 7 times per month through all of this until June 30, 2015 (my last benzo dose). Extreme anxiety, nervous system traumatized, mental akathisia, anger triggered by nothing but the brain totally going off on its own, feeling of a pressurized electric current going through me like my brain and body are trying to explode, stress reaction x10000 to everything, waking in terror lasting all day, fear, very sensitive, brain can't keep up, don't know what to do with myself, feeling like everything is going too fast and I can't keep up, helium head, deep depression like something is ripping out my soul, out of my mind, can hardly drive or be alone, cognitive issues, simple tasks are so complex and straining, feel disturbed because the brain can't process anything right even though your brain tries so hard and it makes you go mad, episodes of deep anguish with a sick toxic poison feeling (like you have some unknown virus).

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