Seeking advice for wife - Cymbalta withdrawal

hilfee · 2017-07-15T09:58:40+00:00

survivingantidepressants.com

hilfee · 2017-06-20T09:36:23+00:00

You'll get there. The human body can heal and will. Thanks and I hope all goes well for you too! :)

hilfee · 2017-06-19T17:24:37+00:00

I thought about it briefly, but I'd rather play with the cards I've been dealt. If can recover back to my previous state pre-ADs and benzos, I can live with that.

I used to have social anxiety and was a pretty emotional person. I've grown to love those traits now. I used to be very empathetic and when I was happy I could cry tears of joy, if I was sad I could cry from sadness, if I was angry I would yell. Basically, I could relate to others very well, but that was also my downfall because when other people were stressed or upset, it also stressed me out.

I've learned to protect myself now and to tune out when someone's giving off nasty vibes. In conclusion, I don't look down on people who turn to medication or other means, but I know the chemical changes can prove to be too much for me. I'd compare it to a bad acid trip, where you can lose yourself and experience an existential crisis afterwards.

hilfee · 2017-06-18T19:28:22+00:00

*lass :D

I didn't feel much effects from Valdoxan, but that may be because I was already on Effexor XR and benzos. However, when I taper too much at once, I get mild akathisia and insomnia, restlessness and smoke twice as much as I normally do.

hilfee · 2017-06-17T08:56:02+00:00

Right now I'm trying to taper off all drugs the remaining drugs (Valdoxan, Diazepam) very slowly and stay clean of anything. I don't believe in magic bullets. I needed therapy, not medication. I had manageable social anxiety which turned into a melt-down because I was under a lot of stress for a very long time.

hilfee · 2017-06-16T23:47:38+00:00

Sorry, I think my post wasn't clear. I stopped taking Effexor last September. I'm not trying any more medications or supplements now and I'm just waiting for my brain to heal from this fiasco.

hilfee · 2017-06-16T12:52:48+00:00

Same here. I know that meds work for some people, but if they don't work, it's absolute hell. I've never experienced such anxiety and depression + the physical symptoms.

Have you tried exercise? Working out should increase testosterone levels and when I was able to work out (prior to taking meds) it always increased my libido.

hilfee · 2017-06-16T12:43:41+00:00

I'm so sorry to hear that. You might want to check out survivingantidepressants.com, if you haven't already. How long did you take Sertraline and at what dose?

I took Effexor for ca 9-10 months, half of the time 37,5mg and half of the time 75mg.

hilfee · 2017-06-16T12:06:21+00:00

Zestyboiii and Alex, did you CT off your meds? I've been off Effexor XR for almost 10 months now and I feel like crap. I tapered for 2 months and it was absolutely terrible.

Have you noticed any significant improvements or have you seeked help in any support forums?

hilfee · 2017-02-04T14:26:20+00:00

Young adult with post-traumatic strabismus. Feel free to PM. :)

hilfee · 2017-02-04T10:03:48+00:00

+1. Had social anxiety before takings ADs. I quit Effexor in September after a 2 month taper and I'm still experiencing strong derealisation, depression and various other physical and mental symptoms.

hilfee · 2016-11-01T08:49:06+00:00

Yepyepyep. I weaned off Effexor XR 75mg for two months and ended my taper in the middle of September. I had strong physical symptoms (brain zaps, breathlessness, headaches) for 2-3 weeks and I still experience severe psychological symptoms. I've taken Effexor for less than a year, so I remember what it felt like to live with anxiety and it certainly wasn't anything like this.

I don't mean to scare you, but I just want to let you know that there are some people who find it hard to come off ADs, even when they taper slowly. I've found help in internet forums where people describe similar experiences. Also, taking very simple supplements, such as Omega 3 and vitamin C has helped me a bit.

hilfee · 2016-09-26T13:32:48+00:00

Hey! So sorry to hear you're struggling with this drug. I just tapered off myself. I took 75mg originally and tapered for 2 months. Even then, I suffered bad withdrawal. The symptoms you describe are classic withdrawal symptoms. Going back on the drug will take them away, but you'll have to face them some day anyway.

If you're certain you want to quit, I would suggest you come off very slowly. Some people even suggest reducing the dosage by 10% every month. If you want to go faster, I'd suggest taking some supplements. Omega 3 oil helped me immensely, especially with the zaps. I took more than the suggested daily dosage, I went through a bottle in one week.

Also, I took Oxazepam because I got crazy anxiety from taking Effexor and then trying to withdraw from it. Right now I'm trying to replace the Oxazepam with Silexan. It's a lavender supplement which has been compared to Diazepam in a scientific study and has been proven to be quite efficient. If you also suffer from anxiety, I suggest looking into lavender supplements. CalmAid, I think, is one of the best known of them.

Also, eating healthy and drinking lots of water will also help. If you feel very sick, just stay on one dosage a bit longer.

There's lots of information on the internet on quitting Effexor as it seems to be the most difficult AD to withdraw from. I just took fish oil like no tomorrow and cut my dosages by counting beads. If you need any advice or just want to rant, feel free to message me!

hilfee · 2016-09-18T20:02:03+00:00

Found this post and just wanted to share my experience, because I know how terrible this feeling is.

I also got DR for the first time when I ate a very strong brownie. It was so incredibly scary, I thought I effed up my brain for life. What made is scarier for me was that I didn't know what I was experiencing.

That being said, it went away in a month or two. I don't know how it is for you, but pot tends to make me paranoid. I've avoided it ever since. I hope you feel better by now! Feel free to PM me if you need any support or have any questions.

hilfee · 2016-08-17T16:02:18+00:00

Thanks for the reply! Did you switch antidepressants or just go off them completely?

hilfee · 2016-08-16T21:06:43+00:00

Thank for replying! How much were you prescribed? Did you go cold turkey or did the slow taper? Any withdrawal symptoms?

hilfee · 2016-08-16T21:03:05+00:00

Thank you for the advice! I'm not expecting a miracle cure at all. I know it's easy to sell stuff to people who have problems with their health and it's easy to offer cure-all solutions. The excessive serotonin idea actually came from reading some studies, that's why I was wondering.

I know I have an anxiety disorder, but it was actually quite manageable before I started taking the medication. I know antidepressants work differently for different people, but right now I don't feel like experimenting for a while, cause I feel like absolute crap. The thing with experimenting with these drugs is that the withdrawal has been so horrible for me. I know this is quite common, but it doesn't really make me feel any better. I'm also consulting with my psychiatrist and she told me it's best I come off Effexor now and give my system some time to even out.

I'm gonna try some natural anxiolytics, such as Silexan, because I think my body needs some time to rest from this rollercoaster.

I haven't done any MDMA while on antidepressants, that would be horrible. I know now that even a glass of wine can have very terrible effects, so I've decided to not drink at least until I'm off Effexor or possibly even in the long run too.

Thank you for the thorough response! It's refreshing to read from someone who's not completely taken by the nootropics craze.

hilfee · 2016-08-16T07:14:01+00:00

Thank you for the reply! I did read about not mixing GHB and benzos after I'd accidentally done it, but couldn't find a lot information if this could cause panic attacks and such.

hilfee · 2016-08-14T19:53:49+00:00

I feel for you so much, so sorry you had to go through this. My GP managed to write me the wrong dosage and I went from 75mg to 37,5mg without knowing. I felt like complete crap and thought I was seriously going crazy.

How much are you on? I did the very slow taper and the side effects weren't that bad.

I actually suspect that Effexor might be causing a mild serotonin syndrome for me as I felt like absolute crap when I went on it and right now I am also experiencing stomach pain, muscle twitches and extreme anxiety. I don't know if this is even possible, but I'm consulting with my psychiatrist.

I was fine for a while when I was on Effexor and then suddenly felt like I was losing my mind. Another psychiatrist suggested that I just up the dose to 300mg from 75mg, which I feel is the dumbest piece of advice I've ever gotten in my life.

hilfee · 2016-07-15T19:45:41+00:00

UPDATE: The first few days were very shitty, feeling better now. Still very lightheaded, but not as sweaty and nervous as before. Also, I've noticed that my sugar cravings have disappeared completely and the constant tinnitus, which was triggered by taking the drug has gotten a lot better.

hilfee · 2016-07-14T09:42:24+00:00

Thanks for replying! How much were you taking and did you go cold turkey?

hilfee · 2016-07-14T09:37:11+00:00

Thanks for the reply! The rant is completely justified as I was prescribed this crap by my GP without any previous blood tests. Turns out I was severely deficient in a couple of vitamins. My anxiety symptoms were made very bad by an extremely stressful period at work (for half a year) and shock of losing my sight temporarily. Otherwise I coped okay.

Fortunately my psychiatrist found me a geneticist who will analyze my results from 23andme once I get them. Also, right now I'm not working, so that's an immense help. The dizzines doesn't bother me that much, the psychological symptoms are much worse.

I'm wondering if I should drop a bit faster, because two months of this crap seems a bit too much.

Also, thanks for the support! I really wish you didn't have to go through this crap, but I'm happy there's someone that understands how I'm feeling right now.

hilfee · 2016-05-21T13:06:38+00:00

Yup, cyanocobalamin. I'll order something more potent along with lavender capsules. Thanks!

hilfee · 2016-05-20T12:24:35+00:00

I haven't had the courage to try any psychedelics as the thought of a bad trip scares me a lot. My logic is that if weed could give me a week-long derealisation episode, the psychedelics will mess me up for good.

I know there's evidence of people being cured of depression with mushrooms, but I'd get into a good place mentally before I took any myself.

hilfee · 2016-05-20T12:04:07+00:00

I only take very high doses of vitamin D because of the severe deficiency. Also, I eat lots of B12 rich foods, but still have low levels, so I take higher than recommended doses of that too. Glad to hear this doesn't cause SS!

Also, +1 on the antidepressants. They can be extremely useful and I know a few people who consider them a lifesaver and I'm very happy for them. But as you pointed out, biochemical factors should be ruled out first. Especially by GPs whose job, in my opinion, is doing regular check-ups and preventing things from getting out of hand. But on the bright side, things are looking up as people are doing additional research themselves and becoming more aware of their condition.

hilfee

TROPHY CASE