SoMuchGrace: so tired of the panic and anxiety

[SoMuchGrace]

Hello I tried to put in a signature but was told that there were too many lines even when it was reduced to one.  Here ia a brief history:

Took 20 mg of Celexa for 8-10 years for what my doctor said was seasonal affective disorder

Retired from teaching a year ago last in May 2014, and tried to taper from med at that time, unsuccefully

Tapered for 2 months again last April and May

Developed flu like pain a week or so after off all Celexa

Took Tylenol with codeine for the pain for about 10 days before I realized it was making me sicker than original illness

 

Immediately developed extreme worry, anxiety with lot of crying, panic, feeling of heart palpitations for which my doctor prescribed .25mg of Xanax which is not being used everyday.

 

I've read a book by Claire Weeks and am trying to stay calm when these episodes occur.  There are some days when there is little feeling of panic or isolation.  I've had nightmares of being locked away from everyone and that starts the misery all over again.

I'm eating a ketogenic diet in order to facillitate weight loss and  reduction of medications.  This is successful. (One author said that a diet can sometimes cause anxiety, but eating this way is best for me.)

 

Is there any chance of ever living anxiety free?  Would the 20mg of Celexa for 8-10 years be enough to cause these miserable symptoms?  Do you have advice?  Is the Xanax every few days making it al worse?

 

Thank you!

[Petunia]

Welcome SoMuchGrace,

 

It sounds to me like you are experiencing withdrawal symptoms from coming off Celexa too fast. I did the same thing by tapering off lexapro over 2 months back in 2010. I had been on SSRIs for 13 years.

 

Doctors don't understand withdrawal syndrome. They often want to add or increase drugs, which can make it worse. The xanax you are taking may actually be making your condition worse.

 

We suggest reducing by no more than 10% of the current dose every 4 weeks, this reduces the risk of withdrawal symptoms arising. Please read through this which will explain why:

  

Why taper by 10% of my dosage?

 

Reinstatement of a small amount of the drug can often work well to alleviate withdrawal symptoms. According to medical knowledge, reinstatement is the only way to alleviate withdrawal symptoms. Reinstatement is best done immediately upon appearance of withdrawal symptoms. The more time that passes, the less likely it is to work. Once someone has stabilized on a low dose of the drug, then a slower, safer taper can be started. Here is some information about reinstatement to help you decide if its something you would like to try:

About reinstating and stabilizing to stop withdrawal symptoms

 

Also see:

Tips for tapering off Celexa (citalopram)

 

What is withdrawal syndrome?

 

 

I’m glad you found us, you will find a lot of friendly help and support here.

 

You can use this thread as your ongoing journal to track progress, write about symptoms, ask questions and communicate with the community, add to it whenever you want.

 

Petunia.

 

 

[oskcajga]

Hello I tried to put in a signature but was told that there were too many lines even when it was reduced to one.  Here ia a brief history:

Took 20 mg of Celexa for 8-10 years for what my doctor said was seasonal affective disorder

Retired from teaching a year ago last in May 2014, and tried to taper from med at that time, unsuccefully

Tapered for 2 months again last April and May

Developed flu like pain a week or so after off all Celexa

Took Tylenol with codeine for the pain for about 10 days before I realized it was making me sicker than original illness

 

Immediately developed extreme worry, anxiety with lot of crying, panic, feeling of heart palpitations for which my doctor prescribed .25mg of Xanax which is not being used everyday.

 

I've read a book by Claire Weeks and am trying to stay calm when these episodes occur.  There are some days when there is little feeling of panic or isolation.  I've had nightmares of being locked away from everyone and that starts the misery all over again.

I'm eating a ketogenic diet in order to facillitate weight loss and  reduction of medications.  This is successful. (One author said that a diet can sometimes cause anxiety, but eating this way is best for me.)

 

Is there any chance of ever living anxiety free?  Would the 20mg of Celexa for 8-10 years be enough to cause these miserable symptoms?  Do you have advice?  Is the Xanax every few days making it al worse?

 

Thank you!

 

I had a really horrible reaction to adderall and marijuana plus SSRI withdrawals.  I ended up in a severely depersonalized state with severe panic attacks and anxiety that made my live an absolute living hell.  Amazingly, most of those symptoms disappeared after 9 months.  I endured absolute and utter hell for about 3 months, and then hell continued for the next 6 months or so, and then thing started to be somewhat tolerable and I didn't have an urge to kill myself every day to make the pain go away.

 

So long story short:  If I can recover from my horribly miserable state, you'll recover from your less awful state - probably much much quicker than I did.  Just stay drug free and be patient.  The brain will rewire itself if you give it enough time.

 

I'd reevaluate after 3 months of waiting, and then 6 months.  The brain typically takes months not weeks to rewire itself, so set your expectations low and hunker down and wait this out.  You can totally do it, as long as you realize it's NOT going to suddenly happen over night.  It takes time, but in most cases by 3 months from today you'll see substantial improvements.

[SoMuchGrace]

 Your replies are so appreciated.  Since, I tapered too fast, but have had some good days here and there, would it be wise to start taking the Celexa again to affect a more drawn out withdrawal?  Should I just ride it out?

 

I'm going to move the Xanax out of my purse to a drawer.  It's a baby step.  Thanks for pointing out the possibility of withdrawal interference with that drug.

 

This experience in addition to taking prescribed meds for type 2 diabetes have really made me aware of how little some doctors know.

[Petunia]

 Since, I tapered too fast, but have had some good days here and there, would it be wise to start taking the Celexa again to affect a more drawn out withdrawal?  Should I just ride it out?

 

 

No one can tell you with any accuracy what you should do, because everyone's experience with coming off these drugs and withdrawal is different. Its possible that you may be feeling a lot better in a couple of months, on the other hand, you could be feeling worse than you are now.

 

When I tapered too fast, I went through a period of acute flu-like withdrawal symptoms, but then felt like I was getting better for several months. Then I started experiencing new symptoms, which at the time, I didn't connect to withdrawal. By the time I found this site and figured out what was going on, I was well into being in a state of protracted withdrawal and it was too late for me to reinstate.

 

Reinstatement has a better chance of working when done sooner rather than later. Read through the reinstatement topic again, it will help you decide.

 

Periods of feeling better are called 'windows'. When symptoms return, these are called 'waves'. Recovery happens in a pattern of increasing windows and decreasing waves. If you are noticing already that your windows are increasing and waves decreasing, then that's a sign you are starting to recover.

 

See:  The Windows and Waves Pattern of Recovery

 

Reinstatement and slow tapering gives you the opportunity to control the rate at which you experience withdrawal symptoms and maintain the functionality of your life. Going cold turkey and leaving the healing process completely up to your nervous system takes away your ability to control the process. You are probably at a place where you still have that choice.

 

I don't want to scare you, but the reality is that there are many of us here who are suffering with significant withdrawal symptoms months and years after going CT or tapering too fast.

 

 

I'm going to move the Xanax out of my purse to a drawer.  It's a baby step.  Thanks for pointing out the possibility of withdrawal interference with that drug.

 

I'm glad you have decided to do this. There are 2 potential problems with benzos, like xanax. One is that in a nervous system sensitized by withdrawal, its very easy to experience rebound, interdose withdrawal from the benzo. This means that you may experience some relief when you take it, but as it leaves your body, a few hours later, your symptoms return even worse than before, which causes more stress on the nervous system, slowing your recovery.

 

The other issue is that its possible to become physically dependent on a benzo in as little as two weeks if taken regularly (more than 1 -2 times a week). Then this drug will also need to be tapered to avoid a secondary withdrawal syndrome.

[SoMuchGrace]

 

 Since, I tapered too fast, but have had some good days here and there, would it be wise to start taking the Celexa again to affect a more drawn out withdrawal?  Should I just ride it out?

 

 

No one can tell you with any accuracy what you should do, because everyone's experience with coming off these drugs and withdrawal is different. Its possible that you may be feeling a lot better in a couple of months, on the other hand, you could be feeling worse than you are now.

 

When I tapered too fast, I went through a period of acute flu-like withdrawal symptoms, but then felt like I was getting better for several months. Then I started experiencing new symptoms, which at the time, I didn't connect to withdrawal. By the time I found this site and figured out what was going on, I was well into being in a state of protracted withdrawal and it was too late for me to reinstate.

 

Reinstatement has a better chance of working when done sooner rather than later. Read through the reinstatement topic again, it will help you decide.

 

Periods of feeling better are called 'windows'. When symptoms return, these are called 'waves'. Recovery happens in a pattern of increasing windows and decreasing waves. If you are noticing already that your windows are increasing and waves decreasing, then that's a sign you are starting to recover.

 

See:  The Windows and Waves Pattern of Recovery

 

Reinstatement and slow tapering gives you the opportunity to control the rate at which you experience withdrawal symptoms and maintain the functionality of your life. Going cold turkey and leaving the healing process completely up to your nervous system takes away your ability to control the process. You are probably at a place where you still have that choice.

 

I don't want to scare you, but the reality is that there are many of us here who are suffering with significant withdrawal symptoms months and years after going CT or tapering too fast.

 

 

I'm going to move the Xanax out of my purse to a drawer.  It's a baby step.  Thanks for pointing out the possibility of withdrawal interference with that drug.

 

I'm glad you have decided to do this. There are 2 potential problems with benzos, like xanax. One is that in a nervous system sensitized by withdrawal, its very easy to experience rebound, interdose withdrawal from the benzo. This means that you may experience some relief when you take it, but as it leaves your body, a few hours later, your symptoms return even worse than before, which causes more stress on the nervous system, slowing your recovery.

 

The other issue is that its possible to become physically dependent on a benzo in as little as two weeks if taken regularly (more than 1 -2 times a week). Then this drug will also need to be tapered to avoid a secondary withdrawal syndrome.

 

I've read most of the links given to me and will continue to read.  I seem to experience a pattern on most days of feeling like myself until late afternoon or early evening, and then it starts.  I feel a tightness in my chest and the tears come easily.  I'll call my family physician in the morning to see about reinstating at a 10 mg dose.  I'll probably have to do the tapering on my own by using the liquid, made by dissolving in water.  This is totally beyond the understanding of my husband and friends, except for one. I feel alone and covet the conversation with any of you. Right now, it wouldn't bother me if it took 2 or 3 years to taper.  I've been duped by Big Pharma and the medical professionals, but have hope that I can come out a winner anyway.

[Altostrata]

Welcome, Somuchgrace.

 

If I were you, I'd start at perhaps 2.5mg Celexa. Your nervous system may have adapted somewhat to a lower dose. Also, withdrawal symptoms mean your nervous system is very sensitive -- too high a dose of Celexa can make it a lot worse.

 

So starting low and cautiously is the better way to test the waters.

[SoMuchGrace]

Welcome, Somuchgrace.

 

If I were you, I'd start at perhaps 2.5mg Celexa. Your nervous system may have adapted somewhat to a lower dose. Also, withdrawal symptoms mean your nervous system is very sensitive -- too high a dose of Celexa can make it a lot worse.

 

So starting low and cautiously is the better way to test the waters.

[SoMuchGrace]

Altostrata, thank you over and over for that bit of advice.  Since my physician would be of little to no help, I depend on others who have been through these circumstances.  (This reminds me of other diabetics who were the ones that taught me how to reverse the high blood glucose and decrease all the med.)  I'm paying attention to everything you and others have said to me.  This has been my worst day in a few weeks.  The sky is gray and overcast and my legs are really hurting for no explainable reason.   But, no Xanax or codeine.   Hopefully, tomorrow will be better