Withdrawal Symptoms Caused By the Half-Life of SSRIs

[disenchanted]

2quilt,

Sorry I've been MIA a few days...issues....

To answer your question Nortriptyline is Pamelor (same class as Elavil also called amitriptyline). It's been around since the 50's but doctors don't like it much b/c of heart, liver, and suicidal ideation problems.

My take on this, having compared it to Cymbalta and others, is the real scare is that if you take enough to kill yourself it's difficult to bring you back. The side effects and complications are otherwise the same as the newer drugs. My doc and I had a heart to heart she's freaked my psychiatrist gives me three months worth at a time and she was so afraid that if she even said the 's' word I'd go do it. Silly kitty. Like I hadn't already known about the possibility that I could.

Anyway, it is now causing complications with my other illnesses so it's time to come off it. I'm wondering the same thing with the Cymbalta that you're wondering about Effexor, been on it 8 days and am wondering when it's supposed to work. I've noticed tremor in my hands, that's new, and adrenaline rushes in the morning that do not feel good. Plus I think it's making my gastroparesis worse. Stomach hurts!!!!!

Pamelor is very heavy on the sedative, hard to get up, feel very drugged for an hour, began to add to my exhaustion, swollen glands and not wanting to get up anyway due to depression. Plus, could take three at night and still not sleep at all.

All feels like gamble. I've not tried Effexor. Good luck.

Cat (contemplative)

 

[2quilt]

Disenchanted,
I also have gastroparesis. I just got, as treatment, small amounts of gelled erythromycin to take four times a day---it killed all the flora in my gut and I ended up in the emergency room with a 101 fever because the bad bacteria could easily set up shop there once all the good bacteria were killed by the erythromycin. I was purging violently from both ends at the same time.
What have you taken for gastroparesis that worked, and what didnt work? I want ideas because the gastroenterologists don't have a clue.

 

[disenchanted]

2quilt,
you can call me Cat (it's easier to type than disenchanted :-)

Someone else who has GP! It's so rare I never run across anyone who has it.

Erythromycin is used b/c it can cause stomach contractions. As you found out it can cause vomiting and diarrhea. It can only be used for short periods of time; like you said, good flora dies and some people with GP can't eat yogurt.

The same is true for Metclopramide, also called Reglan (sp). It works on the stomach in several ways one of which is causing contractions. GP is like a paralysis of the stomach I guess caused by an inactive vagus nerve). Much of the digestion that takes place there is through a crunching movement like the heart (you probably know most of this already) . But this medicine is also for short term use. It is dangerous and the side effects scare me to death. I have refused to take it.

Cisapride (Prepulsid) was used as well but it has been banned in the U.S.

Available in Canada is Domperidone, works like Reglan without much of the side effects. Not available in the U.S. Not sure why.

So where does that leave us? My GP is ideopathic, no known cause, which means no real treatment, no cure. I have IBS as well, I was given Tegaserod (Zelnorm) and the movement this caused below my tummy (gross sory) actually relieved my constant nausea. BUT the FDA banned it for heart attacks and I was at square one.

Then we tried Lubiprostone (Amitiza) for IBS. It did nothing but keep me wide awake. As long as I was on it, no sleep. I came back with a long list of meds that help with nausea but they wouldn't give me any of them.

By now doctors are fed up with me. Last doctor (specialist) I saw said "there is no magic pill for you, go home stop being a baby."

I was diagnosed in 2006. In 2007 I went on the GP forum recommendation to see Dr. Hasler in Ann Arbor Michigan (WARNING the GP forum is tough to read. Most of them are very, very sick and it can be scary what they've dealt with). People say he's the best and he is a genius. He gave me a lot of info...lets see what I can remember: fake sugar hurts, specially the intestines if you have to have sweet and can't do honey do sweet n low (I think....I know xylitol is bad it's in gum and stuff). No vegies, no fruit - fiber hurts and you'll puke but only days after you ate. (This happens to me) he said I would never get better but I may not get worse..no way to tell.

He gave me Promethazine (this has lots of names Phenergran, Romergran) it's an allergy drug that helps keep the nausea down but makes me sleepy. He said he'd be my doctor if that's what I wanted, and that we'd do anything we had to to help my symptoms. Even botox shots in the tummy if need be.

Since then I've learned what I can eat, what I can't. Please, see a nutrtionist, I saw one and she helped a great deal with the essentials. If you can't eat fruit and vegetables, you have to get protien and vitamins some way. Sometimes I can handle some strawberries in a blender in a smoothie but not daily. The fiber in fruit helps your intestines stay fit, like a workout. I can eat a small amount of meat and outside of the danger of cholesterol protien is really important. You need the protien to keep your hair and teeth and nails and I could go on.

Peanut butter is okay doesn't hurt and has protien, and there is such a thing as pecanbutter, walnutbutter, hazelnutbutter, choclate almondbutter those are okay and good for protien. If you can do dairy....do it. I can't. Lactose intolerance was my first clue something was wrong. Eggs, milk, cheese it sits at the bottom of my tummy and rots. But for some strange reason I can drink slimfast so for the vitamins I do.

By the by, don't fall for the "you should drink ensure" look at the ingredients and compare that to slimfast. Ensure's frst four ingredients are sugar, sugar, water, sugar. Also, the percentage of vitamines is lower than slimfast.

Liquid vitamins are gross but help. I mix them in the slimfast sometimes. Don't over do it , like I said se a nutritionist. You know too much of a vitamin canbe dangerous.

Also, liquid children's ibuprofen or motrin is good b/c digesting pills takes up to 15 hours in my stomach. For immediate releif of pain of headache or whatever, and no queezy after-effects liquid pain killer is best (though acidic).

I'm sorry I wrote a book. The truth is there is no one thing that works. I'm sick most days. I drink slimfast for breakfast and lunch so I don't get as sick during the day and the less solid food my stomach has in one day the better. I eat a little bit of meat for dinner or when I'm too tired I have some pasta with red suace. Whatch out for wheat flour, grains, soy, those things can really hurt. Drink water if you can, don't get dehydrated, you'll have malabsorption sometimes even with water. I've had a belly full of water and been so thirsty! I drink bottled water b/c we have a well, not good for my stomach. Watch out for vitamin water....it may have minerals. If you can't digest minerals the water may just sit in your stomach and hurt.

How long have you had GP? Did you have a delayed emptying test? Do you have a cause, is this a secondary diagnosis (you don't have to share your primary illlness info). Doctors are clueless aren't they? Not to mention unsympathetic. What can you eat?

You can talk to me about this anytime you want. It sucks in a big way and you're not alone. We can talk privately if you prefer. Anytime you need an ear......

Really, I can't stress it enough, see a nutritionist, get an eating plan. I read about my illness on the Mayo Clinic's website. The GP forum is on yahoo and it's tough, some people there can't even keep down water. I can't read it, my dad used to read it for me and sift out the helpful stuff.

Good luck and hang on. I'm thinking about you.

Cat

 

[skye]

I heard from my a doctor that Effexor is one of the worst ones you can take if you have PTSD. Anyone know why?

 

[2quilt]

(For Cat Off-topic, hijacked thread for the moment)

Yes, I have GP, and I don't have diabetes (yet) but I have another rare diesease called Ehlers Danlos Syndrome, which GP is a part of.

The VA gave me Reglan about ten years ago (but failed to tell me about any warnings...) it didnt work at all.
What are the dangers? (just so I know and can get re-angry at the VA for being poor quality doctors)


Cisapride (Prepulsid) was used as well but it has been banned in the U.S.

Do you know why?

Available in Canada is Domperidone, works like Reglan without much of the side effects. Not available in the U.S. Not sure why.

I can get it in Mexico too, but , why is it banned here?



By now doctors are fed up with me. Last doctor (specialist) I saw said "there is no magic pill for you, go home stop being a baby."

Did you slap the ever-loving sh*t out of him?


I have IBS too. I have gone 28 days without a poop. Can you beat that record? Ha Ha!


fake sugar hurts, specially the intestines if you have to have sweet and can't do honey do sweet n low

So honey and real sugar is okay?


Yes, I eat a solid food meal and 12 hours later I vomit and it looks just like it did in my mouth. No digesting at all.

Slimfast is okay? I have been living on ensure, and boost, but i will stop if it's bad for us.

I'm sorry I wrote a book.
I am glad you did.

Drink water if you can, don't get dehydrated, you'll have malabsorption sometimes even with water.

Yes, I put emergen-C green box of electrolyte.



How long have you had GP?
well, ehlers danlos is a genetic thing, but I didnt start manifesting the disease until I was in desert storm (i was in the war)

Did you have a delayed emptying test? yep, nothing moved at all.

Doctors are clueless aren't they? Not to mention unsympathetic.

YES! I want to smack them.

What can you eat? I do a blenderful of prune juice, spirulina, 'berry green' powdered veggies from whole foods, probiotics, yogurt, 2 nanners and applesauce. then one small solid food meal per day. and I am still obese.


how do I join that GP yahoo group?

Thanks, honey!

 

[2quilt]

I would love to know why because I just started Effexor XR...given to me my the VA, who KNOWS I have PTSD...

call the doc and ask for an explanation. i want to be informed.

 

[disenchanted]

(For 2quilt continued hijack of thread)
“Yes, I have GP, and I don't have diabetes (yet) but I have another rare disease called Ehlers Danlos Syndrome, which GP is a part of.” Eek. This is what I meant about people on the GP board. They have serious illnesses of this sort, so I suppose you won’t be as frightened as I was by their illnesses

“The VA gave me Reglan about ten years ago (but failed to tell me about any warnings...) it didnt work at all.
What are the dangers? (just so I know and can get re-angry at the VA for being poor quality doctors)”
*metoclopramide has serious drawbacks, including side effects such as agitation, depression, severe muscle twitching (tardive dyskinesia) and painful breast swelling in both men and women. It's not intended for long-term use. Domperidone, a drug that's similar to metoclopramide but without many of its side effects, is available in Canada and Europe. from the Mayo Clinic website* A personal friend’s experience; agitation is putting it mildly. Try screaming panic. She had to be subdued. Goes to show meds affect everyone differently.

“Cisapride (Prepulsid) was used as well but it has been banned in the U.S. Do you know why?”
Cisapride was banned for causing irregular heartbeat.

By now doctors are fed up with me. Last doctor (specialist) I saw said "there is no magic pill for you, go home stop being a baby."

“Did you slap the ever-loving sh*t out of him?” No, I cried

“I have IBS too. I have gone 28 days without a poop. Can you beat that record? Ha Ha!” 14 days is my longest. Wish I could say double ha ha! But you got me beat on that one!

“So honey and real sugar is okay?” Honey is natural, better. Sugar’s bad for your teeth and fattening, but only you know what you can eat.

“Yes, I eat a solid food meal and 12 hours later I vomit and it looks just like it did in my mouth. No digesting at all.” Me too!!! But only with fiber; wheat and grains, fruits and veggies, and well, goodbye to eggsalad and French toast and ice cream, pizza, the list goes on

"Slimfast is okay? I have been living on ensure, and boost, but i will stop if it's bad for us.” I’m not saying it’s bad. Some can drink ensure and not slimfast. It’s up to your body. I’m just saying get your vitamins and protein wherever you can. Compare the labels between the two.

"Yes, I put emergen-C green box of electrolyte.” Do whatever works. The citric acid would hurt me. My esophagus is eroding too.

“I didnt start manifesting the disease until I was in desert storm (i was in the war)”
Dr. Hasler said he sees a lot of GP with high stress. He commented that it isn’t unusual in his experience for children traumatized by molestation or sexual assault to develop issues from the mouth all the way down, and indeed, I have one serious gag reflex and trouble swallowing, and the rest.

Did you have a delayed emptying test? “yep, nothing moved at all.” Me neither, two hours on the imaging table and nada. It looked like a big knot of stars in the night sky..kinda cool but it never broke down and swirled away like it was supposed to.

“I do a blenderful of prune juice, spirulina, 'berry green' powdered veggies from whole foods, probiotics, yogurt, 2 nanners and applesauce. then one small solid food meal per day. and I am still obese.” Prune juice might hurt me but doesn’t it taste awful? Maybe I should try it. I got excited about the spirulina until I saw the minerals…but maybe…..probiotics took away all my pain but I swelled to twice my size I couldn’t fit into my work clothes. Getting dressed for work is stressful enough w/o my pants popping buttons. Can’t do nanners unless blended, then only once in a while. Wish I could eat yogurt. Rots in my gut, causes horrible sulpher to build up and then it’s just bad, bad, bad. My tummy and abdomen swell and shrink. I have three sizes of clothes, 8s, 10s, and 12s. Sugar is my main weight gainer. On Pamelor I craved it and I can still eat cake. Not cookies, not brownies, not ho hos or the rest, but cake. I can eat bar-b-que potato chips too but not sour crème or chedder flavor and not fritos for some reason. It’s weird.

“how do I join that GP yahoo group?” You first set up a yahoo e-mail account (free). From there you get access to their groups. Can’t remember but I think it will appear on your yahoo page with weather and mail games etc. From there you ask permission to join. It's a lot like here, with polls, and specfic topics and carers and thiings like that

“Thanks, honey!” You are entirely welcome!!! Anytime!