I'm in withdrawal

[Ladybird]

I can't believe it, I've mostly kept away from illegal drugs, and yet here I am suffering withdrawal from a prescribed medication.

For the last 5 years, I've been taking 300mg Effexor XR daily to combat the depressive side of Bipolar Disorder.

Then guess what, a change of life style, some very positive thinking and the support of good friends, and I haven't had a depressive break thru for 8 months. My psych is almost as happy as I am about this, and decides to gradually withdraw the Effexor.

Every fourth day I reduced my dosage by 75mg until last Sunday 9th when I tool my very last tablet. What a sense of freedom, and I was feeling great. My mood was just as good as ever, and not one single suggestion of withdrawal.

But within 3 days I found myself....

* Itching from head to toe,

* giddy and dizzy,

* having hot flushes,

* with abnormal dreams that would wake me shaking and agitated, up to 3 times a night,

* a continual metalic noise in my head

* my feet and ankles so swollen it hurts to walk on them

* frequently waking at night because I'd stopped breathing.

So I phoned my psych, who wasn't at all surprised at the withdrawal effects, in fact he said they will probably continue for another 6 weeks. And if it becomes very uncomfortable (I'm way beyond that already) he'll prescribe a hypnotic drug form me. Wow.. a new drug to help me off the old one. No thank you.

So my question is... has anyone else here suffered similar withdrawal symptoms? If so.. how long did this misery last, and what did you do to make it easier?

Any help from anyone would be appreciated. These symptoms are hell. I can't even leave the house because I'm too fuzzy headed to drive.

 

[MercyMia]

i'm not qualified to answer your posted question because i haven't experienced withdrawal symptoms from chemical substances, only from emotional addiction.

but are there alternative health solutions to your withdrawal symptoms? accupressure, accupuncture, reflexology, herbal treatments, naturopathy might be long-term but effective options to restore balance to your internal energies (chi).

i wish you the best in this journey.

hug,
mia

 

[Ladybird]

Thanks Mercy. You know if I could think straight, that's probably something I'd have thought of. But my minds in such a muddle at the moment it's hard enough deciding what to wear each day...

 

[k¡tty]

I have absolutely no experience with something like this, all I can offer is support and well wishes. ((hug))

 

[Ladybird]

Kitty thank you.

At least I don't feel quite so alone now... so thank you for that.

 

[k¡tty]

Kitty thank you.

At least I don't feel quite so alone now... so thank you for that.

It isn't much I know.. but all I have hon.

 

[melligrl]

Being that I work for an agency the prescribes that often . . .all I can say is depends.

For some people it doesn't last long at all. FOr others it is more of a pain.

Still 6 weeks seems like an over estimate. The first week or 2 is bad and then it will get better.

Ive never had anyone complain for more then a month and at the end it was mild headaches and such

 

[glamorilla]

*hugs* ladybird.

all i can say is tough it out and it'll get better a little day by day.

this is actually a good thing...

 

[BgMma]

With me, when I am off my medication, I get irritable very quickly. So, I wil run down what happens to me

Quick temper

Loss of rational thought on occasion

Short bouts of missing time

Raised blood pressure

Headaches

Dizziness

Violent dreams

Restlessness OR extreme sleepiness

So, you aren't alone, for sure.

Of course, I don't go off my meds since I don't have a shinker who likes to actually work, but I feel better while I am taking them and that's what matters.

I am 110% behind you. Keep trying, if you know you can do it and you feel it's worth it, then you go for it!

 

[eagleyez]

*hugs* ladybird.

all i can say is tough it out and it'll get better a little day by day.

this is actually a good thing...

ah, I dont have first hand knowledge, but I agree with glam...you'll be ok!!

and drink tons of pure water(unless, due to the swelling they dont want you to)

and resist taking more meds if ya can...

it will ease up.

 

[Georgia Girl]

Hugs to you LB

(Love the hair btw)

There have been times when we have tried to come down with the dosage on my medicine but the symptoms when we do are so rough it increases my stress level so we have given up and leave it alone.

Congratulations on coming off of yours, I wish I could.

 

[Ladybird]

Thank you for your kind thoughts, my friends.

This itching is almost unbearable, it feels as though my skin is alive.

BgMma, I had't realised that I was having small blackouts until you mentioned them in your post. I should have, I've had them before. Actually this is my third attempt to write this post, each time I tried, I'd black out and lose what I'd written.

Georgia Girl, you poor thing hon. I've read that some people have to continue with their medication indefinatly, as to be without it is unbearable. Chin up sweetlady, something good will happen, I'm sure.

I've just realised that I haven't mentioned alread that I''m still taking Lithium daily. So I'm not enntirely out of the woods yet. But grateful to be where I am now.

 

[Cleopatra]

Thank you for your kind thoughts, my friends.

This itching is almost unbearable, it feels as though my skin is alive.

BgMma, I had't realised that I was having small blackouts until you mentioned them in your post. I should have, I've had them before. Actually this is my third attempt to write this post, each time I tried, I'd black out and lose what I'd written.

Georgia Girl, you poor thing hon. I've read that some people have to continue with their medication indefinatly, as to be without it is unbearable. Chin up sweetlady, something good will happen, I'm sure.

I've just realised that I haven't mentioned alread that I''m still taking Lithium daily. So I'm not enntirely out of the woods yet. But grateful to be where I am now.

I have no experience with this firsthand, and I know you wouldn't want to get addicted to another drug, BUT...

Do you think your doctor might be able to prescribe a drug that is non-addicting that might help? Periods of missing time and blackouts just sounds too dangerous to "tough out".

Good luck in whatever you do.

 

[sweet soft kiss]

Good luck to you Lady Bird.... I know it isn't easy but it can be done....

Cortisone cream may help with the itching...

Remember its one day at a time...

Huggs...

 

[Ladybird]

Cleo I've spoken to my psych, and he's said that if the withdrawl continues to be distressing, he'll prescribe me with Clonazepam. Having had it before, I really don't want to go down that road again.

Thanks for your interest though, I really do appreciate it.

 

[Ladybird]

Good luck to you Lady Bird.... I know it isn't easy but it can be done....

Cortisone cream may help with the itching...

Remember its one day at a time...

Huggs...

Oh course, I should have thought of cortisone cream. Thank you a million times for the suggestion... I have some in the bathroom now.

 

[Aussiescribbler]

Ladybird : I've also been diagnosed as having Bipolar Disorder. And I was once on Effexor. (I've been on a number of anti-depressents, both during the times I was diagnosed as suffering from simple, but severe, depression and later after being diagnosed as Bipolar.) I was much luckier than yourself though in that I had no withdrawal effects when I came off of it several years ago. (The only side-effect I had when on it was a dampening of sexual feelings to the extent that I often gave up in the middle of a wank due to lack of interest. )

I was on Lithium for a number of years too, but am now on Sodium Valproate, which has less side-effects for me while working just as well.

Anyway, the point is that, while I haven't ever experienced the side-effects you mention, I have had periods in the distant past when I had to wean myself off of Serepax (which is very similar to Clonazepam), and I found that reminding myself repeatedly that any side-effects would not last, helped me through it. (The same is true with periods of depression, either when I was waiting for the pills to kick in, or when I was doing without them.)

The consolation that something, no matter how unpleasant, won't, in itself, kill you, and that, if you simply plow ahead regardless, it will pass away within a few weeks, is a very strong one.

Hope this helps. And, remember, we're all pulling for you. (Errr, so to speak.)

 

[curious59]

Oh course, I should have thought of cortisone cream. Thank you a million times for the suggestion... I have some in the bathroom now.

hey sorry to hear of your prob with meds--- give me a pm when you are blue and itchy and ill try my best to be a good talker/listener

i do pretty good at makin people laugh.. even with my pants on

 

[bknight2602]

All I can offer is a big hug, and hope it goes away and soon.

 

[tulip2lipservice]

Hugs Ladybird

Take it one day at a time. You know you have my support. Oh as of now it looks like I will be about first week of July. Email.

Peace,
Tulip

 

[Ladybird]

Hope this helps. And, remember, we're all pulling for you. (Errr, so to speak.)

Thanks so much Aussiescribbler, I know the symptoms will pass, but for the moment it' s hard to see that far ahead when they are as consuming as they are.

I think what really pisses me off, is that I was never warned that this may happen. Not when Effexor was first prescribed for me, and not when my psych suggested that I come off it.

I know we all have to take responsibility for ourselves, and I always have, so I've spent a lot of time reading about my meds and the side effects. But surely as a duty of care, I should have been warned by my psych.

He didn't even tell me that my dosage ...300mg is highter than was ever tested by the drug maker for side effects during treatment. In other words, when I would tell my psych of a possible side effect.. I was doing the work of the drug maker.

 

[ksmybuttons]

My heart goes out to you. The shitty part is that you really have no recourse.

Take care of yourself.

 

[ClaudiusMaximus]

My dose of venlafaxine (Effexor, not the XR kind) has just gone up to 337.5mg - I asked the psych doc specifically about any withdrawal symptoms and he said you don't need to worry about that now, what's important is you take the meds now and they will start to work for you soon. To be fair to him, the drugs are working for me now, and coming off them is in the distant future for me, it may never happen.

I hope it gets better for you soon.

 

[Georgia Girl]

he'll prescribe me with Clonazepam

Interesting.........thats seizure medication.

I take phenobarbital.

 

[Ladybird]

hey sorry to hear of your prob with meds--- give me a pm when you are blue and itchy and ill try my best to be a good talker/listener

i do pretty good at makin people laugh.. even with my pants on

I don't know who you are, or where you've come from.... but I'm mighty glad you've found me. We've had a little fun in PM, haven't we..

Thanks hon, fortunately I have a pretty easy going nature, so I don't get the blues too often, but this itch is killing me. I have broken the skin all over my body, scratching myself.

Not sleeping well is wearing thin too. I sleep for about an hour a time at night, then get up for another hour, and on it goes. I feel dreadful, and I know I look dreadful. My face is puffy from lack of sleep.

And to add to my misery, a blood test I had for Lithium levels has left me with a bruise never to be forgotten..

Than you curious for your interest and care...