SSRI support group - tapering while on benzo's or after recovery

[[Co...]]

Since coming off SSRIs I've had unrelenting muscle problems which expresses itself in extreme tenseness and tightness and various forms of tendinitis... although this could simultaneously due to bento w/d as I came off of both at around the same time..

 

I have the same. I hate it.

[[ni...]]

Since coming off SSRIs I've had unrelenting muscle problems which expresses itself in extreme tenseness and tightness and various forms of tendinitis... although this could simultaneously due to bento w/d as I came off of both at around the same time..

 

I have the same. I hate it.

 

This is logical considering benzos are muscle relaxants, hopefully with time it eases up

[[bc...]]

Has anyone come across this situation......I have been wondering about tapering the venlafaxine (effexor) I am on...maybe not right away.  My AD is extended release and the pill is in capsule form.  So hubby and I measured out the contents of the capsule to see how much they weigh....on a mg scale.  According to another website, you can take out the little beads for tapering or weight them out.  We were quite surprised to find a difference in weight among the  capsules....from .095mg. to .104 mg. We didn't weight them all but this was just a few.  Now these are all in the same bottle....and are supposed to be the same weight pill.  So every time you take a pill, you could be taking a different dose each time.

 

Has anyone else ever found that with their pills? 

 

Sending healing thoughts to all.......

[[Ki...]]

Hi bcalm - this is quite common.....I found the same with my benzo and my SSRI. I'm not sure of the science behind it but it's been discussed here many times. I'll see if I can find one of the threads and send you the link 

[[bc...]]

Thanks Kiddo....that would be great....We have started to weigh each one and get one weight to stabilize on and then when I taper it will be a bit more even.  Of course the number of beads in each capsule is a different number and they are not all the same size.  I would think that weighing them  would be better than taking out one or so beads at a time. 

 

Thanks for your prompt reply.....sending healing thoughts to you......

[[bc...]]

So anyone else out there that has tapered an AD during benzo withdrawal or is tapering one now.  Any info would be greatly appreciated. 

 

Thanks and healing thoughts to all......

[[Pe...]]

Hi B

I'll throw in my 2 cents.  When I c/t benzo, I stayed on my AD drug dose, and I still am.  I know that before my benzo use, I was happy enough, so I figured once the s/x of benzos subsided, I would be fine again, and that is the case.

During benzo w/d I was terrified of upsetting any other medication, and frankly I still am scared.  I believe I have a little ptsd from my last c/t and since I feel fine now, I don't plan on tapering the AD meds any time too soon.

But we're all different and handle medication uniquely.

I would wait it out if I were you.  I didn't check your use history before posting but 3 months out is not a long time for longer term users.

All that aside, the choice is ultimately yours.

Healing prayers for you today.

Dave

[[bc...]]

Thanks Dave.....I am a short time user....when I was prescribed the ativan and effexor XR, I started to have these symptoms....anxiety, depression, headaches, etc. etc. and continuously asked drs if the meds were causing these symptoms and the answer was always NO....you are a very anxious person....which I am not.  I was prescribed the meds because I had a panic attack over a misdiagnosed health issue.  So I have tapered the benzo but am still experiencing the same symptoms and that is why I am thinking that maybe the AD is causing some of them.  That is why I would like to start a very slow taper off the AD to see if some of the symptoms let up.  It could be that the AD was causing problems all along.....?

 

Trying to figure this all out and it is really hard to know what to do?  Sending healing thoughts......

[[Pe...]]

Ahh, I see.

Yes, no road map for the trip we're on.

I'm sure you know this but will say it anyway, the AD drug takes longer to start and stop, so you may not feel any w/d for a week or two after tapering it.

Side note - I'm in treatment now, and when I hear these fellow patients say they're talking this and that it breaks my heart.  A few of them just flat out refuse to take meds, but the counselors urge the patients to talk to the pdoc, and end up on some other crap which doesn't work either.  Perhaps they need to get clean off ALL drugs and just suffer through or use OTC stuff for sleep.    Anyway, just venting but we were born without these drugs, there's GOT to be some way to get healthy without them.

Have a great  day!

[[mu...]]

i was pretty much cutting my X dose at the same time I was trying to cut out Lexapro as my signature below kinda shows a timeline.

 

looking back i was really dizzy, sensitive to light and emotional at times.  sleep sucked then and still sucks now. 

 

just glad i was able to kick 2 of the 3 things so far.  such a crazy ride that is for sure!

[[Sh...]]

Murph, you said hi to me on the introductions board.  You told encouraged me and told me not to overthink. Great advice I keep remembering.  And

Dave, your signature makes me smile!

 

Happy New year! 

 

[[mu...]]

Murph, you said hi to me on the introductions board.  You told encouraged me and told me not to overthink. Great advice I keep remembering.  And

Dave, your signature makes me smile!

 

Happy New year! 

 

Hi Shadow so glad you are doing well!!  Happy NY as well.  Deff a roller coaster of a year for 2015, hoping 2016 is smoother

 

 

[[bc...]]

Thank you all for your replies on the AD taper.  I know that I need to taper the AD at some point....haven't quite decided when and how.  Will have to do some more thinking about it.  Still dealing with wd from the benzos.

 

Sending healing thoughts to all......

[[Sh...]]

[[do...]]

Hello everyone I was on a combination of klonopin anderson anti d fo r almost twenty years I did a fast taper off klonopin in feb 2014 only to have a break down tapering off of anti d I December 2014 had to reinstate klonopin and anti d in January 2015...tapered off of .25 klonopin one tine a day in March 2015 tapered off of anti d in late September 2015 did really really well until 4 days ago withdrawal hit big time can't sleep a wink without hydroxyzine...naturo dr wants me to try taurine and l theanine but don't they affect gaba?  Anyone use them ?  I am really surprised by the delayed onset of anti d withdrawal...hi am so disappointed I had registered to go back to college later this month.  Should I reinstate a low dosage if the antidepressant?

[[Ki...]]

Hi Downtown,

 

Can you provide a little more information? How long did you taper your SSRI for?

[[do...]]

Well I have been on several different ones over 20 years but I was on 150 mg of Effexor Sr. Until late July and used 10 mg of Prozac to help wean off...in late August I was just on 10 mg of Prozac and September 30 I quit the Prozac.

[[Ki...]]

Downton,

 

That is considered a rapid taper and is likely why you're feeling the way you do. I know most of the literature would suggest reinstatement because you are within the 4 month window. BUT if you were to reinstate there is no guarantee that it would work AND you'd ideally need to hold for about 6 months and do a very slow taper.....10% of your dose per month.

 

If you were to reinstate, I would try the lowest dose possible and not make anymore changes. You've been on a lot of different meds and had quite a few abrupt tapers and your CNS is trying to recover. It can't do that if you continue to introduce and take away more meds, IMO.

[[do...]]

I had to reinstate 10 mg last night and 5 mg this morning....I am planning to try to stabilize at 5 mg then do a very slow taper...I am using liquid prozac

[[Va...]]

Hello! 

 

 

I've been off of Valium almost 8 months and off Sertraline 5 months.My Dr. had me get off of Sertraline/Zoloft in a quick taper.  I know that I tapered too close to jumping from Valium and too fast to come off of Sertraline.  It was not 10%.  So now I'm still dealing with symptoms.  I don't know which is from which drug.  Seems like I'm getting better but it is very slowwww.  I don't want to go back on anything!!!  I think I want someone to let me know that it will just take time and I will be healed.  This double whammy is not fun! 

 

 

I was previously on this thread but for some reason I'm not getting updates. Must have to stay active with you all!

 

 

V

[[Wi...]]

Val

 

What kind of symptoms? I was on benzos for 10 years and zoloft/prozac for probably 20 years. Off both and lived to tell the tale.  I went on Paxil 8 months ago to deal with menopause/hormones/hotflashes etc and just finished a quick taper. I"m now about 8 days off and doing ok. The head zaps continue but not nearly as much as before so that tells me i'm still in w/d but that things are improving. My mood isn't great but odds are some of that is just how I am since I've had mood issues for a good while.

 

I was one of the hard cases here with benzos and while stress kicks my ass and morning surges still get me, for the most part I'm pretty much healed. So for what it's worth, things improve for even the hardest cases and it doesn't appear you are a hard case, so you can feel pretty confident that healing is happening.

 

WWWI

[[Be...]]

Hi buddies,

 

Currently 17 mos off Ambien and almost 3 months Trazodone. I'm not sure but I might have hit a late withdrawal from Traz. I've had a stomach bug/digestive issues for 1 1/2 mos. I was treated w/ antiobiotic and finished Wednesday. No longer weak, but still had nausea w/ no appetite until today. The nausea is gone and my appetite is back. My stomach still doesn't feel right tho.

 

It's hard to figure out what it's from--stomach bug or withdrawal. If it doesn't continue to improve I might reinstate 1 mg Trazodone. Hope I don't have to! This is a rough road we all have to walk.

 

Becky 

[[Va...]]

WWWI!  Love the name by the way!

 

 

My biggest symptoms I've been dealing with are Gi issues.  I'm on a very clean diet.  Stomach seems to be improving but very slowly.  Stomach issues started the first time I tapered off of Zoloft in 2014.  But I thought it was from taking Doxycycline antibiotics 4 months after my taper. Then I was reinstated back on Zoloft June 2015 and given Ativan...switched to Valium for taper.  Then I tapered off of Zoloft again in a month directed by Dr.

 

 

  Symptoms are nerve stinging/a slight burn through my arms mainly forearms.  Sometimes just one arm.  I'm having them mostly in the morning.  Anxiety in the morning that is just about gone. Maybe about 15 minutes.  That hits around 11:00. I walk during that time for about an hour. And just last week I started running when it happens.  I read from another BB AlwaysFrantastic from a book called Spark the brain produces BDNF when exercising.  So I'm trying fight that symptom by being active. The anxiety seems to be closing the gap.  Then I have in the evenings tinnitus that is now coming and going.  I felt off today, almost like I was drunk, and I think it's because yesterday I ate some cool whip over strawberries and angel food cake and then some hershey kisses. 

The stomach issues have run the gamut and were awful in the beginning but are now to just occasional gas and spasms here and there. Still have to be very clean with a whole food low acid diet. 

 

 

After the morning anxiety thing happens at 11:30  or so the symptoms go away  and I have a nice window everyday and I feel pretty clear in the head. I feel fairly normal.

 

 

I think the morning anxiety stuff is from the Valium and the GI issues are from the Zoloft but the Benzo withdrawal made the stomach issues worse.

 

 

My Dr. wanted me to go on Paxil but I said no.  I will just push through as best as I can.  Thanks for responding to my cry for reassurance!!!  

 

 

Becky123 

Sorry you are experiencing stomach issues.  It may be from withdrawal.  I'm realizing my stomach issues may be related to my Zoloft AD withdrawals that I've gone through twice over a period of a year and a half.  I would hold out and not reinstate the Traz.  It sounds like it's coming around.  Make sure you're taking a good probiotic.  That might help. 

Val

[[Be...]]

Hi Valgirl1. Yes be as active as you can. Walking, running, anything. During all of my tapers I went to the gym as much as I could. It helped so much. I haven't been so much lately but now I'm feeling better so I'll start up again.

 

I am taking culturelle probiotic along with stoneyfield yogurt. I'm going to order cocokefir. It has helped a few buddies with their tummies.

 

Becky 

 

[[Va...]]

Hello again!  Just a quick add on to my symptoms I posted below ...I have brain zaps first thing when I wake up and I believe those are from the sertraline withdrawal.

 

Happy and smooth healing to you all!!