Stopping Meds Advice?

[Sterre]

[DLMURL]http://www.psychologytoday.com/blog/side-effects/201107/antidepressant-withdrawal-syndrome-findings-recommendations-and-resources[/DLMURL]

Here is a good article about withdrawal symptoms that may occur, altough it is about AD's, the withdrawal symptoms for anti psychotics are pretty similar.

Some psychological WD symptoms can pop up after 6 weeks after quitting, dont mistake it for a relapse.
Anxiety attacks and insomnia are pretty common after quitting or tapering psychiatric meds.Even people who didnt suffer anxiety attacks efore they started taking meds, find themselves having anxiety attacks when they quitt or taper down the medication.
It is commonly mistaken for relapse, wich mostly it isnt.

 

[PTSD sufferer]

Thank you Sterre. Well worth a read.

Insomnia, increased anxiety, memory problems and one that's not on the list....over heating/ heat rash on the face.

Popping down to my chemist to pick up some zinc and herbal sleeping tablets, as P suggested that I do that if I find I am not sleeping. I am hoping these symptoms won't last long...

...mind over mood, as they say in CBT!

 

[Srain]

Great job, PTSDSufferer! :tup:

 

[PTSD sufferer]

Getting a little sleep now at nearly 2 weeks off the meds. T says it may take 4 weeks to adjust my sleep properly.:( My muscles ache more than usual.

Anxiety fluctuating quite a bit, have trouble with breathing properly because of feeling faint / light headed - increased potential for panic attacks even without environmental triggers. I might be self sabotaging somewhat with my thinking about frustrations...breath in, breath out. Lost my grounding rock somewhere which is upsetting (that I think I need it again after so much time).

Energy is low and out of breath easily. Trying to raise my my blood pressure in the mornings with olive oil and balsamic vinegar on soft bread. :confused: Seems to help for a few hours. Then I feel I might pass out from constipation :eek:. What on earth is my body doing???

A little more jumpy than usual, feel the need to isolate.

Feeling a little shaken but not stirred, grateful I have not completely lost it. ;)

...mind over mood mantra running through my head. I will beat this thing!!!

 

[Sterre]

Hey PTSD sufferer,

Hang in there! WD symptoms can be very hard,and from what I read you tapered down really quick, wich may increase the WD symptoms.
I tapered my AD's down for over a year, and with every little taper I suffered WD symptoms. I had dizzy spells, crying spelles, outburst of rage, irritability, insomnia, and anxiety. After some weeks it stabalized itself, wich was the sing for me to taper again.

The fatigue and exhaustion can be really hard and intens, but it is not very unusual after quitting psychmeds.

I take some high dosed fish oil amongst some other herbal supplements to give my body a boost. I think it is working some.

Give it some time, and try to remember that your body and brains all of a sudden have to cope without the chemicals.

I am not sure if I read correctly for how long you took the meds? Some WD symptoms mimic your original symptoms, and that makes it very hard to distingius if it is a relapse or symptoms of WD.
You can however do a small test. If you feel unwell, and you then take a small amount of the original medicine you took, it may be that your symptoms dissapear within no time. If that is the case than you will know it is WD symptoms you suffer.

Good luck!

 

[PTSD sufferer]

Thanks Sterre,

I was on a super high dose of 300mg antipsychotics for years, then managed to dropped that down to 50mg, which I was on for about 5 months and doing ok. Then cold turkey from that.

I could have dropped to 25 mg, then 10mg but that would have taken another 5 months each time until I stopped all together. If I had the time, I would maybe reassess that and tapper down even lower, until it was nothing. I would definitely recommend others do more tapering than I have.

I am glad that you mention that you had dizzy spells, I did not expect this to be a side effect. Dizzy spells are a source of anxiety for me and I quickly end up with a panic attack if dizzy. If only I could just sit with a tub of icing and a spoon and do nothing...I know sugary and greezy food is not good for the mood, so probably should not do that. Eating a banana now, more potassium might help.

I take a multi vitamin mix that is good for the brain (B, Fish oil, Zinc combo). And, the herbal sleeping tablets at night. Maybe I should try taking more fish oil. I have to say I have been tempted to take a quarter tablet of the meds so I can get a good nights sleep :(.

Thank you for your advice Sterre, I am so glad I have you by my side through this. You are a fountain of wisdom and strength. It means so much to me that you are looking out for me. Thank you.

 

[Sterre]

Thanks PTSD suffer!
The dizzy spells can be quite scary. Maybe it can help you if you remind yourself of the fact that it has to do with the WD?
I am med free since three weeks now, afer a long period of tapering, and some days I still experience dizzy spells. Maybe it will be hopefull to hear that I never fainted and the dizzy spells just go away after some time.
It is very inconvinient and unpleasant though!

The WD symptoms I suffered varied from lightheadedness, a metal taste in my mouth, dizzy spells, nausea, obstipation,sudden pain in my body ( sort of pins and needles pain like thing) to a whole range of symptoms.
WD symptoms are commonly denied by most doctors, but there is more and more information to be found of people who tried to quitt their meds and suffered the most bizzare symptoms.( "brain zaps" are the most well know of those bizzare symptoms, and they are still denied by the medical world)

You are doing great considering your quick taper, PTSD Sufferer! It is my experience that the insomnia will balance itself out, and the dizzy spells will go away after some time.

 

[PTSD sufferer]

I am med free since three weeks now,

Oh wow Sterre, sorry I didn't realise that you are going through this too at the moment! Well done! It gives me so much hope to know that you're three weeks med free. And, you are doing so well!

They are 'ignored' by medical world. I asked my P, my T, my GP and my Pharmacist about what to expect and what I can do to smooth out the transition. And, I feel you have been the most honest with me. It is such as good thing. I am so glad you are sharing.

How are you coping with all these side-effects?

Sorry to hear about your dog passing. That is hard.

 

[Srain]

The one thing I had found helped me while getting off some of the meds I was on, especially when I experienced "brain zaps" or this weird sense of falling, was to take a low dose of benedryl. Oddly it did help me through the worst parts of it, I discovered this through other clients that had gone through similar experiences that I was going through.

Continued good success!
((((((((Sterre)))))))))))))
(((((((((((PTSDSufferer)))))))))))

Rain

 

[Sterre]

I read about benedryl to counter some WD effects. Apperantly there is some chemical in benadryl that resembles theone in AD's or benzo's.


I have tapered down really, really slow. I tookme more than a year to taper down from 150 mg, to zero.
I did it in small steps, but suffered the WD symptoms troughout the whole year, because every time I felt stable again I would taper down some more, and then had to go trough the WD thing again.

Even when I was on the smallest dose, right before quitting, I suffered WD symptoms. I think my body is very sensitive to SSRI's and other medicine. I took AD's for 16 years! And I am sooooo happy to be off of them.
It takes quitte some adjustment to get used to living without the medication. My body had to adjust, but also my brain and emotions had to adjust, and I am still not there yet.

At first I did not know that what I expierenced was in fact WD. My previuos P doc told me that I was relapsing ( wich seemed very odd to me, because there were no signs for a relapse whatsoever). Then I started reading and searching for articles and medical journals about quitting AD's and what to expect, because I did not believed I was relapsing. The symptoms, although they resembled my original problems, where to illogical and not like they ever been. I found a lot of helpfull information about WD symptoms and their course.

After a while of slow tapering I noticed a pattern in my symptoms. I read about the test somewhere and tried it on a day when my symptoms were worse ( for one day I switched back to the previuos dose). Whitin 1 hour my symptoms where totally gone, and I was feeling good.
Then I got convinced that it was in fact WD.

Now, I am off the meds for three weeks, and I feel good. Innitialy I suffered the physical WD symptoms after my last dose, but they lasted only 8 days. Because I know what to expect I know that it may be possible that I start to feel a bit depressed and irritable for the coming days, but I learned that it will dissapear very quickly. It will last for a couple of hours or so, nothing like a real depression.

I think I dont suffer severe WD symptoms now, because I did a realy slow tapering. I cannot tell you how glad I am to be off the meds.
16 years is way to long, and in the long run the meds I took caused chemical depression, in my opinion. They didnt work anymore, and the side effects where really bothering me.

My P-doc did not believe me, and did not support me in wanting to go of the meds. It caused a break up ( amongst other things) between her and me. My normal doctor doesnt believe me as well. He never heard of emotional WD symptoms, and believed that I was relapsing also.

My pharmacist was the one that provided very usefull information. He knew about the WD symptoms and the way they can appear. He knew because he had seen and spoke to his customers, and heard many story's like mine, from people who where quitting their AD or AP meds.

Like you I use herbal sleeping pills on days that I really cannot fall asleep.They help some. If I cant sleep I try not to worry, and let my body find it's own natural course and rhytme again. I certanly slept more than enough in the last 16 years due to the side effects of my meds.

So this is a part of my WD story, I hope it gives you some support. WD is different for everybody, and it doesnt mean that you will expierence the same symptoms or duration I did.

You did very well, and I wish you all the best!

Thanks for your compassion about the loss of my dog, I appriciate it very much!

 

[PTSD sufferer]

The one thing I had found helped me while getting off some of the meds I was on, especially when I experienced "brain zaps" or this weird sense of falling, was to take a low dose of benedryl.

Thanks Srain! Benedryl, who would have thought that could help!

I have tapered down really, really slow. I tookme more than a year to taper down from 150 mg, to zero.
I did it in small steps, but suffered the WD symptoms troughout the whole year, because every time I felt stable again I would taper down some more, and then had to go trough the WD thing again.

Wow Sterre, you are so very strong and brave. It is so good that you were able to notice a pattern, and that they were not the same symptoms. I think that sometimes we need to listen to ourselves more closely, because we know more about what it is like to have the symptoms of the illness vs something else. I'm glad that you stood your ground and you are such an inspiration to have endured this time and time again without giving up hope.

Now, I am off the meds for three weeks, and I feel good. Innitialy I suffered the physical WD symptoms after my last dose, but they lasted only 8 days. Because I know what to expect I know that it may be possible that I start to feel a bit depressed and irritable for the coming days, but I learned that it will dissapear very quickly. It will last for a couple of hours or so, nothing like a real depression.

I notice the shortness of the emotional responses too now. I was feeling quite down yesterday, and almost had myself convinced that it was not worth it. Then I remembered what you said and set a timeline on the feeling..if its still here tomorrow then I call my P kind of thing. It passed thank goodness.

I don't know whether my fibomyalgia is adding to my physical symptoms...it sure does feel like it. Hubby ''high fived'' me the other day for doing so well, and my hand tingled and hurt for quite some time after. I do feel very physically and mentally weak, which makes me feel vulnerable. So I have to do more on telling myself that it is ok to be a bit vulnerable at the moment.

 

[Srain]

(((((((((((((((PTSDSufferer))))))))))))))))))