ladybug99 need help...i switched from 25mg paxil cr to liquid prozac 20mg. Not doing good.

[Flowers]

Hello Lady

 

So pleased you managed to get away - sounds like it did you a lot of good. Hope you were somewhere nice and pampered yourself!

 

It's good to hear you are seeing an improvement in the symptoms. Long may it continue!

 

I am starting my taper in September and am a bit scared but looking forward to hopefully coming off the drugs eventually  and becoming more clear headed and energised!

 

Yes - next year we could be enjoying ourselves on the beach. Yay! You wouldn't want to be here right now - the Spanish have arrived for their summer holidays and there isn't one inch spare on the beaches. It does look pretty with all the coloured parasols lining the shore. It will be busy until September now when they go home, the kids go back to school and we get our town back!

 

xxxxxxx

[AliG]

 Hi LadyB, thanks for your encouraging words on my thread.  You sound really good after your break. Do you mind me asking where you went? You're in New York ? Yes?  My husband and I did a trip over there, last year. Spent a week in New York.   On another note, how are your heart palpitations going? I have also had them, and ended up in "Emergency", a few times.   They have settled a bit, recently though.   Glad you're seeing some improvement.

  Hugs, Ali.

[Flowers]

Hello LadyB

 

Thanks for stopping by my thread and thinking of me. I am doing fine, I am pleased to say and am doing things I wasn't able to a couple of months ago without even thinking about it - Getting out and about in town, shopping and managing the crowds and noise that the summer season brings here! Feeling a lot stronger emotionally too and coping with any day to day stresses. Also managing a bit of work too.

 

So, yes am on track to start the taper in Sept which will be a year since I started coming off the drugs too quickly thanks to my previous Dr! I know people have been suffering for much longer but what a horrible year it's been and I thought I would never get well.

 

I am sure you won't be far behind Dan and I - I truly hope so.

 

As for the beach it is very lively so only go for early morning dips! We are only 100 yards from the shore and up a hill so our terrace  overlooks  the bay.  I love hearing the sea crashing up the shore/rocks especially at night - very therapeutic! Downside is jellyfish this time of year with thousands iof bathers having been stung further along our coastline - can't be doing with anymore problems so am very careful when in the sea! We have been having a heatwave here for weeks now with the temps in mid thirties most days and very humid. Is NY very hot too?

 

Hope you are having a good weekend and are feeling OK.

 

Flowers xxx

[Freeby60]

Hi Ladybug! Last update in July your signature said you were waiting to stabilize. How is that going?

 

Freeby60

[ladybug99]

I'm looking for advice about whether i should do a 5% cut or continue to hold. Ever since i switched to liquid Paxil (April) i haven't been well. Went from Paxil 20mg to liquid Prozac for 6 weeks (adverse reaction) to liquid Paxil 7.5mg.

 

My symptoms:

 

ANXIETY upon waking. Very mild during day.

 

BURNING AND TINGLING in chest and arms upon waking. Subsides immediately.

 

LEFT HIP PAIN. This is constant. Started in August for no apparent reason.

 

FOOT PAIN. This started when i did the switch. My feet burn and feel swollen when walking. Also have achilles tendonitis in both feet--started right after the switch, too.

 

My question is...Should i consider a 5% cut and then assess? I just don't know if my symptoms are from withdrawal or a reaction to the liquid Paxil. Or perhaps i reinstated too high a dose...

 

Any input is welcome!

[apace41]

Hi, LB.  I'm hoping one of the mods jumps in to give you their thoughts.

 

I would seriously consider a 5% drop.  Sometimes signaling to the receptors that they need to start "up-regulating" is enough to start the healing process when you are unstable.

 

You've been through a lot so I'm not sure of the other variables. 

 

Let's see what the mods think.

 

Hope you feel better,

 

Andy

[apace41]

One further question, LB -- you said you hadn't been well since April -- has that been continuous or has it been better then worse, etc.? 

 

Wondering if there might have been anything in the recent past that might have triggered increased withdrawal.

 

Still hoping for someone with more experience to weigh in.

 

Andy

[ladybug99]

Hi Andy! Thank you so much for responding! It means a lot! Well, the month of June was worse. It's better since then ( the anxiety and burning/tingling) but the problems with my feet are ongoing.

 

Still teetering on the fence about whether or not to try a 5% cut. I'm scared of heightened WD. Really hoping a moderator will chime in with their thoughts/opinions.

 

Btw, i stay abreast with some threads ( yours being one of them) and happy to see you are doing a little better. You're smart to hold for a while so you can enjoy the holidays. Very smart!

 

Again, thank you, Andy, for being so sweet in responding...

 

Big hug,

 

Ladybug99

[Petunia]

Hi Ladybug,

It sounds like you are improving. The hip pain may be unrelated. If there has been no real change in your symptom pattern for the last 3 months, perhaps you could try a 5% cut.

 

For most drugs, it takes about 4 days for the change to fully register in your system. Unless you have an IMMEDIATE bad reaction, wait at least 4-7 days to see how the change affects you. (If you have an immediate bad reaction, go back to the dosage you were taking before.)

 

See: The rule of 3KIS: Keep it simple. Keep it slow. Keep it stable.

[ladybug99]

Thank you, Petunia, for your response. Much appreciated! Actually, i did a 5% cut yesterday... so I'm on pins n needles just waiting for the hammer to fall. So far I'm ok. The symptoms i have are tolerable. I'm praying it stays this way. I'll post again to update in about a week.

 

Again, thank you soooooo much!

 

Hugs,

Ladybug99 ????

[Flowers]

Hi LadyB

 

Long time no speak!

 

Thanks for stopping by my thread and it was so good to hear from you.

 

How are  you? I hope your recent cut helps to settle things.

 

xxxxxxx Flowers

[Petunia]

How did you do after the 5% cut ladybug?

[ladybug99]

Flowers: Thanks for stopping by! I posted on your thread.

 

Petunia: Thank you so much for checking in on me! So nice of you. Well, i seem to be doing ok. Got a little nervous last week because of heightened symptoms, but realized it was a reaction to me trying magnesium. I tried this in the past while going off a benzo and had the same reaction. Soooooo...no more magnesium for me! I bounced back in a couple days. So, basically, i think i did pretty good with the cut. I still have very mild symptoms. They are tolerable. I just keep wondering if i should stay in the holding patern until i am symptom free. (Since the whole debacle of switching AD back in April I've never been symptom free.) content://media/external/file/527Any thoughts on this?

 

Regarding my achilles tendonitis...i think i found the culprit! Vitamin d! I realized my feet starting hurting around the time i started the vit d. I stopped taking it this past Monday and the pain has subsided quite a bit. I'm no longer getting out of bed like a cripple! Wow, never thought a vit could do this!

 

Again, thank you Petunia for looking out for me. So apreciated.

 

Hugs,

 

Ladybug99

[Freeby60]

Hello Lady! You had me nervous there for a bit with your symptoms. Glad you have found the culprit. I wouldn't have thought about vitamins as causing stuff like that either! {{{hugs}}} Free

[ladybug99]

Hi Freebyy60! Thanks for stopping by! Well, i don't really know what yo make of the vit d. I noticed the pain lessened some after stopping the vit but the pain is still hanging around. I'm going to give it two/three months and then re-assess.

 

How are you doing?

[AliG]

 Ladybug, 

 

Just stopping by to say Hi.  Keep up the good work !         ( don't forget Flower's beach ! ) .     Dan's update , reminded me  . LOL .   

[ladybug99]

Awww. Thanks, AliG. So sweet of you to stop by. Yes, count me in for Flower's Beach! I'll be there for sure to toast everyone's healing!

 

I posted on your thread...

 

Hugs n more hugs,

 

Ladybug99

[Freeby60]

Hi Freebyy60! Thanks for stopping by! Well, i don't really know what yo make of the vit d. I noticed the pain lessened some after stopping the vit but the pain is still hanging around. I'm going to give it two/three months and then re-assess.

How are you doing?

I am doing well. A little addle-brained and a little emotional - OMG- feelings!! I am about to go down from 100 mgs of Wellbutrin (originally at 200). Just not sure it is necessary to cut by 10% or maybe do a little more, since I have gotten off Wellbutrin easily in the past.

[JanCarol]

Hey Ladybug!

 

So - the mag and vitamin D got you!  It just shows to go you how sensitive withdrawal folks are to supplements!

 

Have you had Vitamin D levels done?  (it is a proto-hormone, not a vitamin, really)

 

Sometimes we have extreme reactions because we are so deficient that our body goes quite crazy trying to get these supplements to where we need them most.  The best way to find this out is taking tiny amounts, and finding out what amount is best for you.

 

You need to have good magnesium levels to fully benefit from the vitamin D, so magnesium is a good place to start. Try taking 1/4 or 1/8 of a tablet/capsule of magnesium, or - count the number of topical magnesium chloride drops you put on your skin - or dissolve mag citrate in water and sip throughout the day (good for anxiety) - and gradually increase your tolerance.  After you've been on a good dose of Mag (even Alto could not tolerate a "full dose" for years, and may still be on only a partial dose) for awhile, then you can experiment with the D in the same way.  You are north of Atlanta (the Vitamin D line) and in winter, so outside exposure won't help you much.  The best way to "titrate" Vitamin D is, of course, the sun.  But, not an option for you, or anyone above the 34th degree latitude)

 

OF COURSE, in withdrawal, all the "normal" processes are offline, so the Mag and D may have been firing around your system like a pinball machine, not really able to land where it needs to.  It is your call as to whether you feel the need for these supplements is worth fiddling with.  I like your idea of waiting a few months before considering these supplements again.

 

It's good to see you are doing so well!  You stabilized, started your taper, and are listening to your body to see what helps and what gets in the way!  In just a few months, you went from desperate, to "In Charge."  Well done!

 

So are you also planning on waiting a few months before next taper?

[ladybug99]

JanCarol...i owe you a huge apology for not responding to your beautiful post to me. I haven't been on my thread in ages. I've had WAY too many challenges in my life this past year, it's a wonder I'm even functioning. It turns out the vitamin d had/has nothing to do with my achilles tendonitis. My only conclusion is it's all Paxil withdrawal related. I've accepted it and I'm just "floating" with it now waiting for the day when I'm AD free.

 

Wondering if anyone would have any suggestions:

 

Background

 

1994-2015. On Paxil (around 4 years), then Lexapro (around 11 years), back to Paxil 20 mg (on now for about 6 years).

 

August 2013. Rapid tapered (6weeks!) off a benzo i was on for 5 years. (Didn't know any better and listened to my Dr). Unbearable symptoms. Took about 20 months (April 2015) to feel better.

 

April 2015. Exactly a year ago tried to switch over to liquid Prozac. Bad reaction. Not sure if it was from Paxil withdrawal or adverse reaction to Prozac...or both.

 

May 2015. After four weeks on Prozac, stopped and reinstated Paxil 7.5mg (liquid) down from 20mg.

 

End of Sep 2015. Took about 4 months to start feeling better. Started reducing 5% every 4 weeks. Seems i would do ok with each cut, but noticed every time a stressful event happened it would trigger intense symptoms. I found myself bouncing back after a few days to a week.

 

Present. Currently on 5.66mg (2.83ml). Been holding this dosage for 3 weeks now due to revved up symptoms -- life stressors are out of control. I am not bouncing back anymore.

 

I'm about to go through even more stress in the near future, which is another reason for me deciding to hold at my current dose.

 

Question: (if anyone would be kind enough to give me their input) Should i updose? My symptoms are becoming too uncomfortable. Should i go back up to 2.9ml, which is where i was 5 weeks ago? Or maybe higher?

 

My plan is to updose and hold for a VERY long time, being the tumultuous events taking place in my life.

 

Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated!

 

Thank you to anyone who took the time to read this...

[apace41]

LB,

 

As I told you, I think going up to 2.9 is a good place to start. Let's try to get you stable and then the idea of holding through the upcoming stressors makes a lot of sense.

 

Hoping some others jump in to add their thoughts.

 

Hang in there, LB. You will be ok. You are incredibly strong having made it thru a benzo cold-turkey. This will pass with time.

 

Best,

 

Andy

[JanCarol]

Oh Lady, you've done so well with your taper so far!

 

It's fine if you feel your symptoms and situation call for an updose - as Andy suggested, please make it a tiny one - maybe just up to your last taper point - and then, as you planned, HOLD, HOLD, HOLD.

 

You're brave and strong - you've come this far.  Remember, it's not a race to the finish - instead - it's about managing your symptoms, taking care of yourself, and still living your life while loosening the control of the drugs.

 

From here it looks like you are in charge of your drugs, not the other way around, and that's amazing (well done!).

 

I swear, it seems like a lot of people are in "the thick of it" right now.  My personal life is exploding (it's good - but demanding!), I have a friend in hospital - and it just seems like this is a really intense time.  So much so - I checked the geomagnetic storm page:  http://www.tesis.lebedev.ru/en/magnetic_storms.html

 

to see if solar flares and geomagnetic stuff is affecting us.  It's not - it looked mostly green for the past few weeks.

 

So - storms in the collective unconscious?  Who knows!?  But do what you need to do to face what is happening in your life, by all means. 

[Freeby60]

Hello Ms. Bug!!

 

Sounds like you are getting some consistent advice. I hope you know how strong you are, even though we all wish we didn't have to be sometimes. Between your own instincts and support from this team, I think you are doing the right thing.

[ladybug99]

Thank you so much for your replies. So much appreciated!

 

Andy: You're so sweet to chime in and give me your thoughts. I took your advise and updosed to 2.9. It's been three days now and, unfortunately, not feeling any better...but this could be because of all the current upheavel in my life. If my symptoms don't get better, how long do you think i should stay at 2.9 before i consider updosing again.

 

JanCarol: Thank you so much for your input. As you see i updosed and "patiently" waiting to feel better. I'm so sorry to hear about your friend in the hospital. I hope he/she will be ok. It's not easy when a loved one is sick, and it's doubly harder when going through withdrawal. I will certainly say some prayers for you and your friend. Later today i will look at your thread to see how you are doing.

 

FB60: I am thankful for your input as well. Very sweet of you. I'll catch up on your thread as well. I hope you're feeling better these days! It's a long road...but i consider all of us on SA the lucky ones because we're educated on the Big Pharma scam and damn well doing something about it!

 

Thanks again, all, for your input! Not one word of it goes unappreciated.

 

Wishing and hoping healing for all.

[JanCarol]

Hey Ladybug - 

 

I would say hold for maybe 3 months!

 

You are on a small dose - would it be so bad to hold for that long?  

 

If, at the end of 3 months, you still feel rocky - then - hold some more!  I'm a big fan of holds, I believe that's where the healing takes place - the tapers are destabilizing, the holds are when and where we repair.

 

You've had several months of tapering, take a break.  Be kind to yourself.  

 

I hope you see the sun today.