Colonial: worsening withdrawal symptoms changing from Paxil CR to liquid suspension

[Colonial]

I decided to go with the Epsom Salts in the bath.  All the items had multiple other ingredients I'd never heard of and I'm so sensitive and have food and drug allergies.   It did immediately relax my body and muscles and gave my skin a pleasant feel.  I don't think it did anything for the anxiety yet but I suppose it has to build up.  I'm almost tempted to say it lifted my brain fog but that could be coincidence.  Will see what happens the next time.

 

And I'll look into the fish oil instead, thank you.

[Altostrata]

You can try taking 25mg magnesium several times a day. I found putting magnesium citrate in water and sipping it throughout the day helped me through some rough spots.

[Colonial]

I'm Hoping someone here has experienced this so I can tell the doctor it's not just me.

 

I just had another scary episode of what I refer to as reverse sleep paralysis and I'm wondering if anyone else has had this during withdrawal, as these started in July when my system first started to crash and was smelling colors and tasting numbers  The insomnia is FINALLY letting up and I was able to sleep 9 hours from 1am to 10 am this morning.  I had the bad morning anxiety as usual and some trouble thinking but by noon I was actually feeling like a human being.  In fact I had what I could call almost 5 normal hours until 5pm.

 

I started to get hungry and made some soup, and this is where the episodes are ALL the same.  Within 15 minutes after eating, I become extremely tired.  I go to lay down to rest and before I am actually asleep, I literally fall into a deep coma like state where I can't move but am still conscious and know I haven't fallen asleep yet.  It lasts from 15-30 minutes and then I actually fall asleep.  I woke up 7pm and I was fine.  I had 3 of these episodes in July when I was tapering too fast but they had stopped when I slowed down.  This is the first time it has reoccurred since the Labor day crash again.

 

Has anyone else here reported something like this?  I had a neurological reaction once to prednisone where I couldn't move or talk, but these always happen right after I eat.  It's almost as if my body is so worn out it cant BOTH digest and stay conscious and then I fall into these death like coma states where I'm conscious but can't move I'm so exhausted. It's extremely scary.  I see how people have PTSD by the time they are done withdrawing.

 

I have had episodes of sleep paralysis in the past but they were years ago not during withdrawal and were upon waking.  I'm going to my regular doctor tomorrow at 1pm.  Hoping if someone here has had something like this during their withdrawal I can get a reply before I go see Him.

 

Thanks

[Altostrata]

This is a recognized phenomenon but I can't remember what it's called. What about it is disturbing to you?

 

It sounds like maybe your blood sugar is uneven. Do you eat at regular times?

[Colonial]

The disturbing part isn't the having to nap, its the "sleep paralysis"  part where I cant move even though I'm conscious.  Very scary.

 

My sugars have been fine in the blood works, and I usually have been having eggs for breakfast, but since the anxiety during the withdrawal has been worse during the morning I don't have much other than that until the afternoon.  Later in the afternoon and evening the anxiety is much betterbetter and I can  eat and get the rest of the nutrients I need for the day.

 

But this is pretty normal eating schedule for me and never gave me these "sleep paralysis" type episodes after eating before, only really since I have gotten down to dropping the lower levels of the 2 medications.  

[Altostrata]

Did you see this https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sleep_paralysis

 

Yes, changing drugs can cause changes in your REM cycle.

 

A big hit of protein, such as eggs, can make a person sleepy. You might want to try a complex carb such as oatmeal; this will keep your blood sugar steady until your mid-day meal.

[Colonial]

Thank you for the article, Alto!

 

I got really sleepy again today right after eating my 3 over easy eggs at noon, but since I had to go to the doctor at 1pm I had to fight through it.  Interestingly enough, it is usually upon waking that I have those "psychic- simple partial seizures".

 

The doctor says we aren't changing the Wellbutrin again until I have been on this level of 12.5mgs for 2 of the current prescription cycles, which would be about until November 10th.  That would be a total of abou t9 1/2 weeks.  Then, He only wants to drop it 1.5mgs to 11mgs and see how I do for that month.

 

Also, since I did have Petit Mal seizures when younger He's sending me back to a neurologist with my Brain MRI and seeing if He can do an EEG ad identify any other Seizure disorder that's making these med drops worse.  He said at any time changing a Wellbutrin dose can give you any host of different type of seizures even if you don't have a seizure disorder to begin with and it could be making the withdrawal worse.  He said the sleep paralysis is neurological, and sense I'm only having them after med drops its probably related.

 

I didn't know protein could make you sleepy, thank you Alto.  In one week we are testing my thyroid and Epstein Barr levels again.  Mono complicates this whole thing.  Sometimes when the mono is bad just eating can make me sleepy too.

[Colonial]

Have any of the women noticed that their menstrual cycle restarted or aggravated withdrawal symptoms? I don't know if I'm just having a withdrawal wave or if I'm starting a completely new major depressive episode again.

 

 I had starting feeling better again about Sept. 18th. Most of the rough symptoms from the last Wellbutrin drop had evened out and I was feeling mostly normal, just minor left over symptoms.  Things were ok for about 10 days.  Then starting the 28th I started feeling worse. My period started on the 30th and is just about over but the past 3 days have been hell. I've been having the awful nightmares again for 5 nights. Muscle aches are awful, I cant eat and I'm having those awful emotional mood swings I haven't had in 20 years.  I can't think.

 

I don't know if the Paxil was actually doing more than I thought it was, and now that I've been below therapeutic levels for 4 months it's coming back to bite me or if it's just a nasty round of a withdrawal window, even though I didn't drop anything.

 

It doesn't make sense, I had the bad reaction to the last Wellbutrin withdrawal, but things evened out and I had a pretty good 10 days, now all of a sudden, I get my period, which normally doesn't affect me, and I'm feeling so bad all day for 3 days again i just want to die again. 

 

Has anyone else's menstrual cycle set off an episode like this during the withdrawal process?  If I call the doctor tomorrow all He's gonna say is to go back up to therapeutic levels of Paxil which if I have to then I have if I'm starting another major episode but it would be a shame if that's not the issue.  

 

Thanks anybody-everybody.

[Altostrata]

A lot of women feel worse at times in their menstrual cycles. You'll see several topics on this in our Symptoms and Self-care forum  http://survivingantidepressants.org/index.php?/forum/8-symptoms-and-self-care/

[Colonial]

Thanks Alto, I will go check that out now.  God bless you! 

[Altostrata]

[dalsaan]

This happens to me every time. More so now that I am on a really low dose. It could also be combined with a withdrawal reaction. Your dr is interpreting it as a relapse. It's not. I would not be going up to therapeutic dose. I would wait it out for a week or so. I'm confident you will see a change. If not you could consider a slight up dose to address withdrawal rather than a big increase as a response to a perceived relapse (which takes you away from coming off and has risks of a reaction because it's a major change

 

Hang in there

 

Dalsaan

[Colonial]

Hi Dalsaan!

 

When you say, "THIS HAPPENS TO ME EVERYTIME"  Did you mean, your symptoms get worse again around your menstrual cycle?  Or just dropping in general?  Since my symptoms did seem to get better after some time, and only got worse again 48 hours before and during this current cycle.  So I'm trying to figure out if its cycle related or I'm falling back into a completely new depressive episode.  Normally, the symptoms are bad but they don't make me suicidal like yesterday and today, which is why I was thinking if it was a new episode altogether. 

 

The issue was whether reinstating the Paxil to theraputic levels while continuing to wean of the Wellbutrin would help.  The problem is, I've been on this level of Paxil for almost 4 motnhs now, which could well be past the point of reinstatement.

 

I asked this question in the reinstatement section and am reposting it here, so all my stuff will be on the same thread, I asked: 

 

Colonial:  I have Never dropped below 10mgs of Paxil.  Which is well below therapeutic levels but, as I remember from the SERT curve study, is still enough to re-wire around 75% of your brain receptors.

 

So while I have been at this level almost 4 months do you think that since I never dropped below the 10mgs I may have better luck with "reinstatement" if the doctor wants me back up at higher doses?  I realize these studies are usually done on "virgin" brains, and after dropping down to 10mgs from being at 25 for almost 22 years, what my brain "looks" like may be different, but could there may be some "positive" news to having never dropped below that 10mg level for reinstatement purposes?

 

AND ALTO ANSWERED:

Posted 04 October 2015 - 05:57 PM

If you've suffered withdrawal symptoms at any dosage, your nervous system may be sensitized to all psychiatric drugs.

 

THEN I REPLIED:

 

Posted 04 October 2015 - 07:19 PM

"...So it's basically a crap shoot at this point...

So if I'm starting a new depressive episode, there may not be any hope of getting hold of it? 

I see why people kill themselves trying to get off these pills.

That's the amount of despair I feel at this point..."

 

 

 

According to my DNA-GENETIC testing. The Paxil and the Wellbutrin are the only 2 drugs that would work for me.  BUT I CANT TAKE THEM TOGETHER, For some reason I don't remember, and then the seizures started and the Dr. remembered I've suffered from petit Mal seizures for the last 25 years and never should have been on the Wellbutrin to begin with and realized I had to get off the Wellbutrin ASAP. 

 

 

I also am leery or reinstating the Paxil up higher since it could just be the menstrual cycle throwing my withdrawal for an extra hard loop and not a new major episode, but I usually don't want to kill myself during the withdrawal symptoms either.

 

I don't know what to do.

 

Thanks

[dalsaan]

Sorry, yes I meant my symptoms always get worse around my menstrual cycle.  I feel like I am going into full blown withdrawal even though I haven't changed anything about my taper.   I have to remind myself its my period that is causing the bumps in the road

 

I have difficulty engaging with the rest of your question because I don't believe in the idea of therapeutic doses (that sits alongside the chemical imbalance theory as the basis for depression).   I think what you are experiencing is withdrawal related depressive symptoms exacerbated by your cycle rather than another 'episode of depression' for which your only hope is a much higher dose of an antidepressant.  

 

Working from the perspective of withdrawal, a small increase could see a positive response with much less chance of setting off a sensitivity reaction.

 

I hope this makes sense and I'm sorry you are having a bad time of it

 

Dalsaan

[Colonial]

Thank you, Dalsaan, that helps alot.

 

This is the first month in my withdrawal that symptoms became so bad during my cycle.  Until now, they came only after a drop in dosage.  But as you said like yourself, I am now down to a low dosage, maybe that is the reason.  

 

Thank you again.

[DLB]

I have had the sleep paralysis a few time up until 3 months off. It is scary as hell. For me it feels like I'm drifting into a deep sleep I can't get out of and I am semi conscious and I try to wake myself up and can't. I finally jump up out of breath and scare my wife and she tells me I am hyperventilating when I do this. I have had a sleepless night tonight and am pretty sure it will happen to me tonight when I go to sleep exhausted.

[tgirl]

I have had this too. When it happens I feel paralyzed. I'm totally awake but unable to move. Thought I had a stroke. It's happened to me twice. Hope it stops.

Tgirl

[Colonial]

HI DLB AND TGIRL!

 

I'm so sorry you have that as well, luckily it has stopped for me for a bit. It's strange how many things can happen to us in these withdrawals. 

 

I Went back to the doctor today, He gave me the kit for the 24 hour urine kit to check my Cortisol levels.  Other than upping the Paxil a mg or 2 to see if that helps or starting me back on the Depakote that I had been on for years, he doesn't have much else to offer me. 

 

This morning was the first that I didn't have a bad nightmare so that's hopeful but still waking up way too early with too much anxiety and crying a lot today and my muscle aches are awful. Trouble thinking on and off. It's been 6 hours since the morning Xanax and the anxiety is kicking back in now with some mood trouble. 

 

The plan is to see if i can hold out a few days and see if it gets better and if it's just the cycle.  I'm still cramping and have my period still so maybe that's it.  He took some blood too but I don't know what he's doing with that, if He's doing some test now or holding it to see what the urine shows.

[Altostrata]

Even if that urine test showed your cortisol to be high, there's very little a conventional doctor can do about it other than look for an adrenal tumor (extremely unlikely) and remove it.

 

It could be this is one bad menstrual cycle and next time it won't be so bad. Or, it could be you are suffering exacerbated withdrawal symptoms at menstruation, like so many people here.

 

Yes, if you've suffered an adverse reaction to psychiatric drugs, increasing your dosage of Paxil may not have the effect on you that you expect. The nervous system keeps on changing and can get to a point it rejects the drugs.

[Colonial]

Hi Alto... Thanks for stopping by...

 

I'm hoping it's just this cycle. Especially since it came so soon after the bad reaction to dropping the Wellbutrin too much too soon and since it's the first time this is happening. All day again with the bad flu like symptoms anxiety and difficulty thinking.  I may have had a seizure driving there.  At one point I didn't know where on the road I was in correlation to how to get to the office.  Doctor says now we won't drop the Wellbutrin again as long as the periods exacerbate the symptoms, so He may wait even longer than He had planned before dropping it again.  

 

What I see is that just because your starting to feel better doesn't still mean your still not one more straw on the camels back to crashing again.

 

Thinking about it now, I don't even know if the Paxil would make a difference, I've been at this level of Paxil for almost 4 months now, and these symptoms I'm having now really only started AFTER I got to dropping the Wellbutrin close to zero.

 

I'm not sure what He thinks the Depakote is supposed to do, although it is used for a number of things.  It gave me no trouble before except weight gain but that doesn't mean it would be of any use now the way I currently am.

 

Now I found out I have to wait a few more days before I can start collecting the urine since I still have the tail end of my period. Glad I thought to call and check.

 

It's not that I think he's just humoring me at this point with the extra tests but He just is mystified at it all and really not sure what he can do to help me. 

[Altostrata]

Changing the Wellbutrin dose may have brought in some destabilization. See The rule of 3KIS: Keep it simple. Keep it slow. Keep it stable.

[Colonial]

Yes, dropping about 55% of my remaining dosage in only 20 days is what did me in.  Added to the fact that only God knows how much I was actually getting per day attempting to cut pills into 8ths.  I've been on the compound of exactly 12.5 for 26 days now and I had been better for a week until Tuesday and the period from Hell.

 

We got the insurance to cover the compounding even though they originally had denied it.   He called in and said if you refuse to pay and She's not getting the exact dose right each day I'm sending her to the ER every time She has anything seizure related.  The changed their minds in about 10 minutes. 

[Colonial]

I almost passed out last night.  All I did was get out of bed to use the bathroom.  Barely made it back in and then had the sweats and cold clammys for a bit.  First time ever that's happened to me.  Thought I was gonna die right their on my bed. Now today I feel shaky, like I could pass out.  My blood sugar at 2pm was 94 so, that seems ok. Wonder if it's the withdrawal or something else.

 

I've seen a lot of people talking about the neuro-emotions coming out of nowhere and being a problem for them.  The one I get from the Wellbutrin is anger. And since about all of the strong emotions we talk about here fall under the "psychic seizure" category,  we know its a neurological reaction.

 

http://www.rightdiagnosis.com/p/psychic_simple_partial_seizure/symptoms.htm

 

 

Even the:  

• Inexplicable episodic onset of depersonalization Inexplicable episodic onset of unreality
• Déjà vu and Jamais vu,  are all catagorized as "psychic seizures:.

In one way this helps me, because I know its not just me or us losing our minds, its a recognized neurological condition.

 

One of the emotions listed under the partial seizure is :" inexplicable onset of fear"

 

I have a hard time knowing, for me, where this is different from anxiety per se.  I mean, I have the anxiety in the morning without fear.  But sometimes I get what "seems" to be anxiety during the day, but it does have the fear attached to it.  So my question for myself becomes, do I really need a xanax?  Or is this just something that will pass in half an hour if I wait it out?  The half an hour seems to be how long the anger ones last.

 

Has anyone else restled with knowing if their symptom is a true anxiety attack or just a temporary neuro-emotion? I don't want to keep dosing myself with more xanax than necessary if its a temporary neuro emotion and not a true panic attack but if I try to wait it out sometimes that's just worse in the end.

[Altostrata]

If the "anxiety" comes out of the blue, it's a neuro-emotion.

 

It may take a while for your nervous system to settle down from drug changes. Please be careful getting up from bed -- get up gradually.

[Colonial]

Thanks Alto! 

[Colonial]

Wow, I got my period on the 1st of the month, it lasted 2 days longer than usual and I am still cramping today!  This is also the first time that my cycle reactivated withdrawal symptoms for me.  Usually, I only had symptoms AFTER a med drop.  Once they stopped, they didn't return until I dropped the level again.  That's a bit disconcerting. Thinking positive that its because this cycle is so bad.  I also remember that when I dropped my Wellbutrin in half from 300 to 150, it messed up my cycle for months, I was getting my period every 3 weeks about.  It didn't affect my symptoms, just came more often.  Thinking positive that it will be that it was the large drop in half from 28 mgs to 12.5 mgs that is causing the cycle and symptom problems.

 

I was still feeling like I was going to pass out a lot yesterday and today, so when I dropped off my 24 hour urine they took more blood.  Gonna run some tests for those symptoms.  Since this is the first time this has happened I didn't just want to assume it was withdrawal related.  Bad brain fog and anxiety the first 90 minutes awake the past 5 days, I then get better for a bit, then have a rough patch in the early afternoon both with thinking, anxiety and mood.  Then I usually feel better for a bit in the evening.  Also having trouble regulating my temperature past 3 days, first I'm too hot them I'm freezing.

 

And how is my Sweet Miss Alto today? 

[Altostrata]

I'm okay, thank you.

 

You might want to look into mineral supplements for menstrual cramps.

[Colonial]

I usually don't have cramping but I will so that if I have a repeat performance next month and the doctor says it's ok with the thyroid med. I'll will do that.  Thanks!

[Colonial]

Reposting from the other thread so all my stuff is in one place.  Don't have an answer yet so if anyone has one please reply, thanks.

 

My period started the 1st and I had been having cramps everyday so far. The past 3 nights I'm having pain deeper in my abdomen.  It's not severe enough to go to the ER but its enough that I can't fall asleep.  I can't lie straight on my back. I don't know if it's just muscle contraction from having cramps for 2 weeks or something else.  Now, its all day today.

 

It's a cyst.  At least I have one in the area.  I had to go to the Doctor anyway today and he sent me over to the imaging center ASAP and the CAT scan showed negative for diverticulitis but showed a cyst.  He said it may be bursting.  He said sit tight for a few days and see if it subsides and if it happens again when I'm ovulating next month to see the gyno.  My mother said She used to get something like this:  Mittelschmerz.  But this has been 3 full nights and all day today now.  After the period from Hell.  Well atleast the test showed something. Mittleschmetz is supposed t subside in no more than 48 hours. This will be 3 full days in about 6 hours.

 

Has anyone else experienced  cysts or Mittelschmerts that started during WD?  It's a normal occurance per se, but I was wondering if the Hormonal changes induced from WD raises the percentage chance of we women experiencing this since once again this is yet another issue I never experienced before the final stages of my withdrawal.

 

Thanks everyone.

[tgirl]

C,

Just wanted to say I'm sorry about your cyst I hope all goes well,

Tgirl

[Colonial]

Thank you Tgirl!

 

I'm redoing the 24 hour Cortisol Urine today.  When I did it 10 days ago it was high but He wanted me to redo it when I wasn't drinking a gallon and a half of water a day from being so thirsty.

 

Still in abdominal pain.  So we will see what He says tomorrow since it didn't go away after a few days.  

[Colonial]

Wow, I can't believe it's been over 2 months since my last post.  I have been having neurological issues again.  After 6 months of the same Paxil dose, I dropped the evening dose by what I thought was half a mg on 12/3.  I stayed on that dose for about 24 days and then not wanting to be dosing 2 different levels of med twice a day, I dropped the morning dose as well what I thought was half a mg on 12/27 for a total drop of 1 mg.  But the past few days I was having weird symptoms.  I did get the usual electrical shocks, the crying and the worsening morning depression for an hour or 2 but that was normal for a 10% Paxil reduction for me  

 

The past 3 nights I'm seeing weird shapes under my eye lids at night, and now both last night and today I'm having trouble thinking, like I'm not awake but in a dream and neurological things like my 2 feet looking like they were switched, my hands not looking like they are mine. I've had a slight uptick in anxiety the past 3 days and the insomnia came back last night as well.  Did't fall asleep until 5 am.  Then I was up again after only 4 hours sleep again like when I was having the severe insomnia and "cortisol mornings" like when I dropped the Wellbutrin too fast. I had no idea where I was or what I was doing for the first 45 minutes I was awake today, which is a little scary to be honest

 

Has anyone else had such a severe reaction like this so late after a Paxil drop? It seemed to start around day 10 and it got severe yesterday on day 13.

 

THANK YOU!  I can't get in to see the doctor until tomorrow and it's a bit frightening. 

[Colonial]

Today was not as bad, Not as good as I had been, but only one severe episode lasting 40 minutes, of not being able to think or how I got to the doctors or why I was even there. (at the doctors, of course)  Which was unfortunate since I wasn't able to remember most of what had happened over the past 3 days, but at least he was able to see just how bad it is when these episodes occur.

 

I did remember that since Saturday I had also been having some flu like symptoms and nausea, so He thinks it might be a delayed reaction to the 2nd Paxil drop, even though the 2 drops in December only totaled a 10% reduction over all.  It's disconcerting since normally if I have Paxil symptoms they occur or  at least start no later than the 4th day after the drop.  This really didn't start until late Friday, which was the end of the 11th day of the drop.  

 

He said well maybe that's a good sign, instead of symptoms from day 4 I didn't have them for 11 days.  Why that's a good sign I don't know.  I was still just coming out of the episode. Unless He thought that it meant I would only have symptoms for a few days at the end of the 2 weeks instead of for 2 weeks straight.  

 

All I know is I had no med changes for 3 months, for the past almost 2 months things were much better, although not as good as before the withdrawals, but no major symptoms or neurological issues, and all I do is make 2 tiny 5% dosage drops 24 days apart, and 11 nights later, I start seeing things under my eyelids, flashes of light, pictures changing faces, not being able to recognise my hands as hands, and my 2 feet looking like their on the wrong legs, the lights looking like they were only on half power, and feeling like I wasn't awake and just in a dream for the 24 hours from about 7pm Sunday to 7pm monday.  That was just AWFUL...  And that day of horror didn't even start until day 13 after the drop. 

 

Has anyone else experienced such severe symptoms that late after a Paxil drop?

 

  I remember someone saying symptoms MAY get worse the closer you get to zero (which this was) but I don't remember anything about them being so far out from the drop.

[Petunia]

Thanks for updating Colonial, it sounds like you have a good doctor who is supporting your slow taper and understanding about withdrawal symptoms. Its true that for some people as the dose gets lower, symptoms can increase after making cuts. This is a sign that the taper needs to slow down with smaller cuts and/or longer holds.

 

I've read of people getting a delayed reaction to cuts. Have a look through our thread about it, maybe ask for more responses there:

 

Delayed Onset of Withdrawal Symptoms - Symptoms and ...

[Colonial]

Dear Petunia,

 

Thank you for your prompt reply.  It's good to know that sometimes it is not unusual for reactions to be delayed.  

 

I also want to thank you and Alto and the rest of the staff for not getting annoyed at us when we ask questions that, if functioning normally, we may have been able to hunt down the answer ourselves.  When I don't even remember where I was just 30 minutes ago, hunting through all the info for the correct link is near impossible.  But I know you all have been there as well.  But I want ALL OF YOU to know how utterly GRATEFUL I AM FROM THE BOTTOM OF MY HEART.  The info and links you all provide is just enough to keep people from panicking, and I can only imagine how many lives you all have saved just by bringing relief to readers who are suicidal just because the symptoms are so bad, and then read the links you provide and say, ' Oh, that's what it is  Okay.. I'm not alone, others have been there and gotten though...I can do this!   "

 

I have more info that I'm wondering MAY have played a part in this reaction being so bad, If not being the reason I had it at all...

 

The liquid Paxil I had divided evenly, twice a day. As I said, I made the first drop of just the night dose on 12/3, and the second drop of the morning dose on 12/27, HOWEVER, Starting around 12/21 I was given the antibiotic eye drop GENTAMICIN which I had a neurological and mental reaction to, just like I do to steroids or other antibiotics like Levaquin and Cipro.  Apparently eye drops go straight to the brain, and after being on it a week I noticed the same symptoms when I had the reaction to the steroids, difficulty thinking, dimmed lights, inability to recognize objects, letters on the screen upside down, my 2 feet looking like they were switched on my legs, feeling like I wasn't awake but in a dream, faces in pictures seeming to change, etc.  You get the point.  I knew something was off but since it didn't happen right away I did't realize it was the eye drops until I looked at the product sheet to see how many consecutive days you could take it and it says " TELL YOUR DOCTOR RIGHT AWAY IF YOU NOTICE ANY MENTAL OR MOOD CHANGES OR HALLUCINATIONS."

 

WHAT DO THEY PUT IN THESE THINGS!!!!

 

So I was back in the emergency room on New Year eve day, 12/31, and they took me off the drops.  My last dose had been 12/30 at 11pm.  By the evening of the first I was significantly better and by the 3rd almost back to normal.

 

 So I'm thing either 1 of 2 things, or BOTH..Since I had only dropped one dose at the beginning,  I still had the "regular" dose in my system half the day, that that may have tempered any bad reaction since my dose was only lowered half the time.  Once I lowered the other dose as well on the 27th now my brain HAD TO deal with the lower dose full time.

 

IN ADDITION to the fact that I didn't start the reaction to the seizure and psychosis inducing eye drops until AFTER I made the second drop.

 

What I'm learning from all of you is just because you "feel better" doesn't mean your brain is back to complete normal, your just "recovered" enough to not feel awful, and you can still only be one silly thing from another straw that broke the camels back.  As I learned, something as simple as getting your period can exacerbate your withdrawal symptoms, since in order to get your period, your body and brain have to have a drop in serotonin.  Which is why some people get pms, the drop in serotonin is required to start your period.  So that alone can bring on or bring back symptoms.  Even "happy stress" can deregulate your autonomic system, like getting married can bring on withdrawal symptoms.  

 

So I'm wondering: 1:  If just the reaction to the eye drops would have been enough to throw me off even if I HADN'T dropped the morning dose down to equal the evening dose...

 

Or, 2:  If the delayed reaction is result of only lowering the evening dose at first and still having the  normal dose in my body half the day for over 2 weeks before the second drop.

 

Or that both together provided the perfect storm, because after feeling somewhat better yesterday, after mondays day from hell, I just now had an AWFUL, HELLISH Morning again... Couldn't fall asleep until 5am, lights and geometric shapes flashing under my eye lids from 2am till I fell asleep, up with another "cortisol morning" shudder after only 3 hours at 8am, lying in bed "trying" to sleep from 8am till 10:30,  feeling the color orange and purple burning in the center of my chest, my legs going numb while at the same time my arms felt like they were on fire, dizzy,etc.  I know there was more, but being only semi conscious most of the suffering I can't remember, but add those symptoms to a "cortisol- insomnia" morning after only 3 hours of sleep and you get the general picture.  I wasn't even sure I was fully awake until just an hour ago at 1pm! 

 

The symptoms change through the day and from day to day, like today I am also having a lot of trouble breathing and muscle aches.  Yesterday it gave me a 40 minutes seizure while I was at the doctors, which was a problem because I couldn't remember all I wanted to tell Him but at least He was able to see how bad it can be.  I also have a lot of head "pressure" today, which I remember from dropping the WELLBUTRIN.  

 

SO...(lol).. Any opinions on whether the Gentamicin reaction made this worse?  I think it may have. I also think having my brain at the regular dose half the time for 3 weeks may have held off the symptoms until after the 2nd drop lowered it full time.

 

Thanks

[Colonial]

Day 10;  Another really bad day, Insomnia last night, bad anxiety upon awakening, really bad muscle aches, nausea, trouble swallowing (feels like my throat is numb)  difficulty breathing (lungs feel sore when I exhale), bad head pressure, increased thirst, feel like I'm in a dream.  Not as bad as last Monday and Wednesday were, but close...