serious withdrawl
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Corinna Lee
- Posts: 15
- Joined: Thu Feb 26, 2009 7:39 pm
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Guest
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Guest
thanks theresa. I'm relieved to hear it will get easier because I can't keep anything in my stomach or have no appetite at all. It's kind of scaring me. It's also making sleeping difficult waking up hot or cold etc. I'm gonna tough it out though and hopefully tomorrow it won't be as bad. Thanks for ur encouragement!
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Guest
Can you believe that just a few years ago people who experienced withdrawal symptoms from antidepressants were told by physicians that it wasn't real? I know it doesn't seem like I have a point, but I think that's why you hear of so many horrific stories of withdrawal because going through that and being told it isn't real is like going through chemo and being told that your side effects aren't real.
I've never withdrawn from an anti-depressant, but I have had withdrawal symptoms from another drug where my symptoms of going diarrhea on myself, having burning skin, feeling horribly dehydrated, not being able to eat, drink, or sleep, and having mild hypnogogic auditory hallucinations were ignored by the medical profession. Now, I can easily get validation from any doctor for what happened, but eight years ago, I couldn't:(.
My advice is that as long as you are under the supervision of a doctor and following instructions for withdrawal, you will come out on the other side. If the symptoms become unbearable, you can go back on some and withdraw as slowly as possible. So, that's always an option.
Secondly, really focus on physically self-soothing activities. Can you put a soft robe in your drier and wrap yourself in it when you feel cold? At hospitals, many people who are traumatized are comforted just by having a clean soft blanket placed on them. Can you take as many bubble baths as possible? I just kept getting in the bath tub as much as I could during my withdrawal. Also, warm tea, milk, hot chocolate, or even a slushy or smoothie if you feel hot are good comfort liquids. Anything that you can think of that helps you when you have the flu would also help you now. If you type "grounding techniques" into google, you will find techniques that survivors of abuse use to comfort themselves. You don't have to be abused to use them, but survivors of abuse and trauma who have learned to cope are experts at coming up with techniques to sooth them when their emotional symptoms are so severe that they become physical. So, it's the self-soothing skills that will help you get through this period.
I hope something I said helps. It just took me years to get over going through withdrawal and not knowing that that's what was happening to me. It made me have flashbacks of the withdrawal symptoms long after getting off the drug, but if I would have been told what was happening, it wouldn't have been so traumatic. My heart just goes out to those who have the symptoms of withdrawal, and I just wanted to find someone to offer support:).
Take care,
luvpiggy
I've never withdrawn from an anti-depressant, but I have had withdrawal symptoms from another drug where my symptoms of going diarrhea on myself, having burning skin, feeling horribly dehydrated, not being able to eat, drink, or sleep, and having mild hypnogogic auditory hallucinations were ignored by the medical profession. Now, I can easily get validation from any doctor for what happened, but eight years ago, I couldn't:(.
My advice is that as long as you are under the supervision of a doctor and following instructions for withdrawal, you will come out on the other side. If the symptoms become unbearable, you can go back on some and withdraw as slowly as possible. So, that's always an option.
Secondly, really focus on physically self-soothing activities. Can you put a soft robe in your drier and wrap yourself in it when you feel cold? At hospitals, many people who are traumatized are comforted just by having a clean soft blanket placed on them. Can you take as many bubble baths as possible? I just kept getting in the bath tub as much as I could during my withdrawal. Also, warm tea, milk, hot chocolate, or even a slushy or smoothie if you feel hot are good comfort liquids. Anything that you can think of that helps you when you have the flu would also help you now. If you type "grounding techniques" into google, you will find techniques that survivors of abuse use to comfort themselves. You don't have to be abused to use them, but survivors of abuse and trauma who have learned to cope are experts at coming up with techniques to sooth them when their emotional symptoms are so severe that they become physical. So, it's the self-soothing skills that will help you get through this period.
I hope something I said helps. It just took me years to get over going through withdrawal and not knowing that that's what was happening to me. It made me have flashbacks of the withdrawal symptoms long after getting off the drug, but if I would have been told what was happening, it wouldn't have been so traumatic. My heart just goes out to those who have the symptoms of withdrawal, and I just wanted to find someone to offer support:).
Take care,
luvpiggy
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Guest
Luvpiggy,
Your responce to Corinna interested me concerning antidepressents and withdrawl.
I am on Effexor (75mg) and would like to wean myself off of it too. I was on it for 7 years. I weaned myself off of it without my doctors approval and had mild withdrawl. I had 3-1/2 years of no problems. Well last October I went back on it and had horrible side effects until my body adjusted to being on it. My doctor is telling me that if I go off of it again that my withdrawl could be very difficult and if I ever need to go back on an antidepressent it would be more difficult to treat. She also wasn't very responsive when I told about Lucinda's program. I feel I need to find a doctor that is not only into drug therapy but aware of cognative therapy too. It is like she is poo-pooing any other treatment than antidepressents. Are they're medical doctors out there that support Lucinda's program? I have a feeling I am going to have a tough time finding one. Any suggestions on how to go about doing that?
Kathleen
Your responce to Corinna interested me concerning antidepressents and withdrawl.
I am on Effexor (75mg) and would like to wean myself off of it too. I was on it for 7 years. I weaned myself off of it without my doctors approval and had mild withdrawl. I had 3-1/2 years of no problems. Well last October I went back on it and had horrible side effects until my body adjusted to being on it. My doctor is telling me that if I go off of it again that my withdrawl could be very difficult and if I ever need to go back on an antidepressent it would be more difficult to treat. She also wasn't very responsive when I told about Lucinda's program. I feel I need to find a doctor that is not only into drug therapy but aware of cognative therapy too. It is like she is poo-pooing any other treatment than antidepressents. Are they're medical doctors out there that support Lucinda's program? I have a feeling I am going to have a tough time finding one. Any suggestions on how to go about doing that?
Kathleen
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Guest
Kathleen,
I'm sorry for your situation because I know how difficult it is. First of all, medical doctors look at everything from the medical model which is a theory of treatment devised by human beings. This means that all problems have physical causes such as chemical imbalances for anxiety, and physical solutions through surgery, medications, etc. We can only hope that there are some good doctors somewhere that know that the medical model is a theory of practice that works better for some conditions than others. There are pro's and con's. For example, a stomach pain caused by an inflamed appendix should be treated according to the medical model:)! The medical model has its place and saves lives with clear physical problems that have clear physical solutions.
However, when you get into emotional and mental problems, it's a gray area. There are numerous theories for treatment and the medical model is just one theory. These theories for treatment include cognitive theory, behavioral theory, psychodynamic theory, etc. So, the medical model is just one perspective, and it most certainly doesn't have everything figured out regarding mental illness or emotional symptoms. That doesn't mean that it shouldn't be utilized or that it can't help, but just know that it is a gray area and that it's not your fault when a physician who only believes in the medical model "poo-poo's" on your idea of seeking alternative treatments other than medications. There are also issues involving insurance. Insurance companies like to pay for medications and short doctor visits so people tend to follow the money. In other words, what an insurance company will pay for is what is more likely to be supported by a physician. In fact, at my worst, I had a therapist who wasn't very competent who believed that medication was my only option. I wouldn't take medication because the withdrawal was so traumatic. She wasn't my therapist at the time of withdrawal, and my therapist that was there actually told me that he was sorry that he told me that was the best option because he saw how horrible it was. So, she wasn't good, and her unwillingness to look at options was a sign that I needed to move on. I'm glad I didn't listen to her and started this program and got miraculously better enough to get the heck out of her care!
So, it doesn't mean that it's not in your best interest to look at other options because of her reaction.
The truth is that although in recent years, psychiatrists and general practitioners have been looking at conditions like anxiety as simple conditions with simple solutions of antidepressants, studies are now showing that it's not that simple and that the circumstances and causes of the anxiety really do matter. For example, a recent study showed that psychotherapy was actually more effective for survivors of abuse than antidepressants. There's just so much that is yet to be discovered, so no physician should act like they have all the answers.
My advice for finding a doctor who will work for you is to find a therapist who specializes in trauma and abuse and get their recommendation. Usually, a therapist with that specialty will work with an extremely compassionate psychiatrist who is open to other options besides medication regarding treatment and who knows to go slow and small regarding medications. That's the only thing I can think of not knowing the specifics of your community. Maybe you can contact StressCenter and see if they know of a physician who supports this program as well. Click around and see if that's on this site somewhere.
For my situation, I had to look at all options regarding therapy. I wouldn't call myself a strict believer in cognitive behavioral therapy, but I know that it had its place in my healing, and I know that some people believe that it was the best thing for them to do and that's great:). I just want to say that out of all therapies, cognitive behavioral therapy is the one that tends to line up with the medical model so I'm surprised that your doctor is against it. The author of "The Feeling Good Book" which is a self help book for cognitive therapy shows that there are studies that show that changing your thoughts changes your brain chemicals as effectively as anti-depressants. So, I think you are right to find another doctor.
Take care,
luvpiggy
I'm sorry for your situation because I know how difficult it is. First of all, medical doctors look at everything from the medical model which is a theory of treatment devised by human beings. This means that all problems have physical causes such as chemical imbalances for anxiety, and physical solutions through surgery, medications, etc. We can only hope that there are some good doctors somewhere that know that the medical model is a theory of practice that works better for some conditions than others. There are pro's and con's. For example, a stomach pain caused by an inflamed appendix should be treated according to the medical model:)! The medical model has its place and saves lives with clear physical problems that have clear physical solutions.
However, when you get into emotional and mental problems, it's a gray area. There are numerous theories for treatment and the medical model is just one theory. These theories for treatment include cognitive theory, behavioral theory, psychodynamic theory, etc. So, the medical model is just one perspective, and it most certainly doesn't have everything figured out regarding mental illness or emotional symptoms. That doesn't mean that it shouldn't be utilized or that it can't help, but just know that it is a gray area and that it's not your fault when a physician who only believes in the medical model "poo-poo's" on your idea of seeking alternative treatments other than medications. There are also issues involving insurance. Insurance companies like to pay for medications and short doctor visits so people tend to follow the money. In other words, what an insurance company will pay for is what is more likely to be supported by a physician. In fact, at my worst, I had a therapist who wasn't very competent who believed that medication was my only option. I wouldn't take medication because the withdrawal was so traumatic. She wasn't my therapist at the time of withdrawal, and my therapist that was there actually told me that he was sorry that he told me that was the best option because he saw how horrible it was. So, she wasn't good, and her unwillingness to look at options was a sign that I needed to move on. I'm glad I didn't listen to her and started this program and got miraculously better enough to get the heck out of her care!
So, it doesn't mean that it's not in your best interest to look at other options because of her reaction.
The truth is that although in recent years, psychiatrists and general practitioners have been looking at conditions like anxiety as simple conditions with simple solutions of antidepressants, studies are now showing that it's not that simple and that the circumstances and causes of the anxiety really do matter. For example, a recent study showed that psychotherapy was actually more effective for survivors of abuse than antidepressants. There's just so much that is yet to be discovered, so no physician should act like they have all the answers.
My advice for finding a doctor who will work for you is to find a therapist who specializes in trauma and abuse and get their recommendation. Usually, a therapist with that specialty will work with an extremely compassionate psychiatrist who is open to other options besides medication regarding treatment and who knows to go slow and small regarding medications. That's the only thing I can think of not knowing the specifics of your community. Maybe you can contact StressCenter and see if they know of a physician who supports this program as well. Click around and see if that's on this site somewhere.
For my situation, I had to look at all options regarding therapy. I wouldn't call myself a strict believer in cognitive behavioral therapy, but I know that it had its place in my healing, and I know that some people believe that it was the best thing for them to do and that's great:). I just want to say that out of all therapies, cognitive behavioral therapy is the one that tends to line up with the medical model so I'm surprised that your doctor is against it. The author of "The Feeling Good Book" which is a self help book for cognitive therapy shows that there are studies that show that changing your thoughts changes your brain chemicals as effectively as anti-depressants. So, I think you are right to find another doctor.
Take care,
luvpiggy
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Guest
I was put on anti-depresants in the 70's.
I sure like what you wrote , Lovpiggy.
Because - when I wanted to get off the anti-depressants after a time - believe me , I was told everything by psychiatrists and general practioners. They told me that they could not cause withdrawal. They told me that I would revert back to depression and be worse than ever. There is no limit to how they tried to scare me and induce me to stay on them. They would not help me. Nor listen to me.
So , when I got this program years later. And made some friends on this forum. When the time came , with some help from some supplements to help with withdrawal, I slowly weaned myself off.
I had some withdrawal, yes.
But I'm free now. Have been for a year now.
I will never tell anyone to go off their meds.
Or encourage it. But I'm so glad I did.
There was some years that I needed the help of medication. Because I didn't know of any other way.
But I feel better now , not taking the meds.
There is so much truth in lovpippy's post. I'm glad to see that.
All I know about mostly is my own experience.
Doctor's may have changed a lot down thru' the years. I only go to docs now for my physical health. (because I have diabetes).
Best wishes to everyone.
MJ
I sure like what you wrote , Lovpiggy.
Because - when I wanted to get off the anti-depressants after a time - believe me , I was told everything by psychiatrists and general practioners. They told me that they could not cause withdrawal. They told me that I would revert back to depression and be worse than ever. There is no limit to how they tried to scare me and induce me to stay on them. They would not help me. Nor listen to me.
So , when I got this program years later. And made some friends on this forum. When the time came , with some help from some supplements to help with withdrawal, I slowly weaned myself off.
I had some withdrawal, yes.
But I'm free now. Have been for a year now.
I will never tell anyone to go off their meds.
Or encourage it. But I'm so glad I did.
There was some years that I needed the help of medication. Because I didn't know of any other way.
But I feel better now , not taking the meds.
There is so much truth in lovpippy's post. I'm glad to see that.
All I know about mostly is my own experience.
Doctor's may have changed a lot down thru' the years. I only go to docs now for my physical health. (because I have diabetes).
Best wishes to everyone.
MJ
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Guest
I am on day 4 of coming of the Effexor and I can't believe how junky I still feel. I managed to keep food down today, but I still have a slight headache, diarrhea, mild hallucinations, and lethargy. I'm glad I didn't throw up today cuz hopefully that means things are getting better. I'm thinking it's my body's way of like cleansing/detoxifiying itself.
My doc was pretty good with seeing how I felt with the meds and was actually kind of encouraging me to come off them. She saw that I hadn't had the panic attacks in a while like the ones that put me on the meds. I told her I'd like to try coming off them and to cope on my own and with Lucinda's program. She said it was a good idea because these meds aren't something people should stay on long term unless they are really really anxiety ridden. That's when u should stay on them. So I think she was pretty understanding and helpful with coming off of them. I guess I'm lucky I found one of the good docs!
My doc was pretty good with seeing how I felt with the meds and was actually kind of encouraging me to come off them. She saw that I hadn't had the panic attacks in a while like the ones that put me on the meds. I told her I'd like to try coming off them and to cope on my own and with Lucinda's program. She said it was a good idea because these meds aren't something people should stay on long term unless they are really really anxiety ridden. That's when u should stay on them. So I think she was pretty understanding and helpful with coming off of them. I guess I'm lucky I found one of the good docs!
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Guest
Hi guys,
I just want to let you know about some suppliments that can help get your brain chemistry back to normal after the meds.I had some bad withdrawal after quitting xanex and amitryptaline. I found a website one sleepless night called neurogenesis,they have a patented formula of amino acids that help build the neurotrasmitters naturally. I believe it has helped me along with the program. Just a suggestion. Phyllis
I just want to let you know about some suppliments that can help get your brain chemistry back to normal after the meds.I had some bad withdrawal after quitting xanex and amitryptaline. I found a website one sleepless night called neurogenesis,they have a patented formula of amino acids that help build the neurotrasmitters naturally. I believe it has helped me along with the program. Just a suggestion. Phyllis
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Guest