[Martinelv]

I know I keep banging on about this, but my withdrawal has hit new heights of madness today. I don't want to scare anyone by the way, as you can withdraw from SSRI's safely and without withdrawal symptoms, but I've cold turkied Cipramil (20mg, for about six months, last took one about two weeks ago) and I feel absolutely crazy. I find it weird that it's taken me two weeks to feel this bad. I thought it would have hit me straight away. :shock: I dunno, perhaps it was the Remeron that was staving it off. I'm tempted to take some now, but seeing as I am at work and seeing as it virtually knocks you out, I can't really do that.

To add to the list of withdrawal symptoms - here is todays list:

I keep flinching for no apparent reason.

I'm squinting all the time, again - for no apparent reason.

Mega-ultra-super anxiety.

I feel like I can't walk properly - my movements are kind of jerky.

Pouring with sweat.

Whenever I have a conversation it's like I'm completely detached from what I'm saying.

DR/DP - like symptoms.

:twisted: :evil: :twisted: How long do I have to put up with this?

 

[widescreened]

The high stool of a bar for you 2nite.Or a couple of glasses of wine.Might be fools advice but a couple of drinks may be enough to take the hard edge off things,providing you can walk away from overdoing it!More footie on as well,not a bad distraction.Im never doing benzos after reading your posts 2day and yday.

 

[mcsiegs]

Martin -

I am sorry you are going through this hell. I am not going to lecture you on going cold turkey because you are a smart guy and I'm sure you had your reasons.

Although I would never stop cold turkey, I also think that most of these drugs produce the same side effects even when you do try and ween off of them. I took Paxil down by 2.5 mg a week, and my side effects were still bad.

The only thing I can tell you is that the side effects will go away, and you will look back on this as necessary hell.

Keep us posted.

 

[berlin]

why have you stopped?

I did the same a couple of months ago and was smug for the first couple of weeks. I experienced a couple of days with dizzy spells but that appeared to be all...

Couple of weeks ago and I was back to the Gp, I knew I couldn't see it through (if there ever was a 'through'). I asked not to be put on them again, asked for my old AD, Amytriptiline instead. I'm climbing the dose slowly as we speak. I did manage to reduce this AD to a non medicinal dose previously and felt ok on it.

I don't know whether to say hang in there or not, don't torture yourself :twisted:

ang

 

[Martinelv]

Thanks for the replies everyone.

I stopped taking Cipramil because I didn't feel that I needed it anymore. I'm not depressed (that I know of), no DR/DP, just mild 'background' anxiety. I didn't really need the benzo's anymore either - I just took them when I first started chemo, to get to sleep afterwards because I felt so rough, but I continued taking them afterwards for the hell of it. I haven't had a single benzo for three weeks (I kinda tapered off them) or a single Cipramil (cold turkey) for two weeks. Why did I cold turkey ? You know what, I really don't know. Maybe bravado that I could take it (I have before, with no real problems, which is what puzzles me). Perhaps I just couldn't be arsed to renew my prescription. At this moment I can't remember!!!

Anyway, I hope to christ i've reached the pinnacle of torment today. If it gets any worse I really doubt whether I'll be able to stop myself gettng another prescription. I have a tiny bit of resolution left.....but not much. Hanging on by my finger-tips. What really annoys me is that I only started taking the Cipramil to get off bloody Efexxor !! :evil:

And yeah Widescreened, a little snifter is always good. Especially after a hard day at work doing bugger all except fret about my symptoms. Grrr..

 

[agentcooper]

wow! who woulda thought that withdrawal from an antidepressant would be as bad as from heroine? i just had a friend go through a heroine withdrawal and it almost seemed to be easier than what you are going through right now.

 

[Dreamer]

Dear Martin,
As someone else here said you have your reasons for the cold turkey, but for the love of God man, it seems to have driven more people wild than a lot of things here on the Board.

I am currently weaning off a tricyclic I feel I don't need anymore. I'm too medicated and my Celexa will serve me well I think. I want to get down to Lamictal at minimum, probably boosted by less Celexa and Klonopin.

The million dollar question for any of us is ... are these meds necessary. I know they change brain chemistry and going off of them can mess us up two-fold. Symptom increase could be due to the fact that:

1. There has to be a change, an adjustment. There's no other explanation for that and/or
2. We actually need the med, or something like it.

My sense is I will be on some med or another for the rest of my life. Just as many need insulin, cholesterol drugs, etc. Hopefully there will be other treatments in the future, better ones, but for now this is my POV.

My current weaning off of my tricyclic has been SLLLLLLLOOOOOOW. I haven't wanted to take one chance of feeling worse, and I've been on it for some time. I am going 10mg decrease every THREE WEEKS. So far I have no withdrawal symptoms at all save some leg cramps. No headshocks, no increase in the DP/DR etc.

Again, I know you want OFF, but I am strongly against cold turkey... just my two cents. And adding other meds randomly only adds to the confusion of is causting your symptoms. One med at a time, very slowly, unless that med is causing you to feel horrible after a good try.

When I decrease any of my other meds, I will go one at a time, and VERY slowly.

It's all I can say. Don't torture yourself man, for the love of God! :shock:

Take Care,
D 8)

 

[qbsbrown]

Considered taking Benadryl? I've heard that it helps in the withdrawal stage.

I've had brutal withdrawal from paxil (im a cold turkey man like yourself)(and wild turkey). Just came to a point to where i acted like it was, and knew going in to it, i would have a terribe flu for 1-2 weeks.

 

[widescreened]

these withdrawal stories are an eyeopener.is there no other way in the wide wide world,it being 2005?surely the pharmacutical companies could come up with something,it would certainly be in their interests to,or maybee they just want to move the current batch from the shelf.when you are strong enough again,try going swimming.just sitting in the sauna in the beginning would be a start.i dont believe in desperate head first leigionaire regiemes of fitness,gradual is a much more sensible way of building up.

 

[Martinelv]

Thank you once again everyone. I'm sure I'll be fine (once I get home and get smashed out of my face on cheap wine). I think it's just cold-turkey + new job + the physical health of roadkill = mega-withdrawal.

And these goddam fluorescent lights down help either. :evil: See you all back here tomorrow, when I'll have not only withdrawal symptoms, but almost certainly a stupendous hangover as well.

 

[Homeskooled]

Martin,
There are a couple of recommended ways to avoid Paxil-esque withdrawal. The most commonly accepted is to taper with Prozac. The next most commonly accepted is incredibly easy. Eat a good deal of chocolate and drink Gatorade. Trust me. It works. Your zaps and dizziness will subside shortly. DONT drink wine. It will just deplete more of the things your neurons are craving. You can also buy 3 over the counter things that replenish serotonin : L-tryptophan, 5htp, and a B vitamin complex. Taking any of those will help as well. I recommend using the chocolate and Gatorade first.

Peace
Homeskooled

 

[bat]

hi

what's gatorade?

 

[Sojourner]

It's an "energy" drink formulated by researchers at my alma mater, the University of Florida back in the last century, when I was a student there. See http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gatorade.

Martin -- a little wine, not a lot. Same basic chemical ingredient as benzos, my doctor says (a variety of the alcohol molecule is what is in benzos).

 

[Martinelv]

Thanks guys. I'm tempted to eat loads of chocolate but apparently it's not good for my lipids. Fatty globules or something. I've tried 5-HTP before with no effect. I quadrupled-up my dose of multi-vitamins last night, and stayed away from the booze. I feel OK-ish today, but it seems to get worse as the day goes on.

Last nights journey home was a nightmare. The train was half an hour late, so I had to sit on the freezing cold plaftorm, twitching, jerking, feeling as I was just about to go insane (yawn). I was OK when I got home and lay very still on my bed. I still don't understand why I don't feel depressed. It's bizarre. I never have done. I would have thought that now, of any time, I would feel miserable. But I don't. Last night I had strange and rapid emotional shifts, feelings of rage one minute, uncharacteristic optimism the next (literally, one second later)...bizarre. Oh, and a smell of burning rubber all the time. :roll:

 

[agentcooper]

that just sounds absolutely terrifying! i'm glad you're going to see your doctor.