Who's Healing??? "No Benzos"

[[Pa...]]

Hi Drad,

 

I noticed you are on Zoloft and Gabapentin as needed. I've been on Zoloft 150mg for 6 months and I'm close to switching to Effexor. I also take Gabapentin 100 or 200mg in a day as needed but usually not more than 2 or 3 times a week. This weeks has been hell and I've taken it 3 times. Monday I took 300mg and it did not hep me. Wednesday I took 100mg and it did seem to help. Today I took 100mg and it helped as well.

 

The problem is that it makes me feel like a zombie. It reduces my heart rate and anxiety but makes me sleepy and twitchy some times. Not a great feeling but better than feeling anxious.

 

I wanted to know how it makes you feel and how often you take it. Also, how has the Zoloft been for you?

[[Ca...]]

I'm at almost 18 months and just feeling the passion for healing and life nowadays.

 

Benzo syndrome is an unnatural human event. I don't believe it can sustain itself past organic processes of the body given time.

 

I love this statement.

[[dr...]]

Hi Drad,

 

I noticed you are on Zoloft and Gabapentin as needed. I've been on Zoloft 150mg for 6 months and I'm close to switching to Effexor. I also take Gabapentin 100 or 200mg in a day as needed but usually not more than 2 or 3 times a week. This weeks has been hell and I've taken it 3 times. Monday I took 300mg and it did not hep me. Wednesday I took 100mg and it did seem to help. Today I took 100mg and it helped as well.

 

The problem is that it makes me feel like a zombie. It reduces my heart rate and anxiety but makes me sleepy and twitchy some times. Not a great feeling but better than feeling anxious.

 

I wanted to know how it makes you feel and how often you take it. Also, how has the Zoloft been for you?

 

I have been on the SSRI for almost 15 years. When I went inpatient the Dr swapped me from 30 prozac to 100 zoloft, in a day basically. You can do that. I don't know what that says exactly.

 

I wonder what it's done to me. I just can't tell.  I have been energetic and productive so I can't discount the positives. I look forward to getting off cause I think it will be a freer mental state.

 

Gabapentin was the med of choice to deal with anxiety in the inpatient setting.  I took 300 a few times later and it knocked me out for a nap. So I went to 100. I use it at bedtime, and not much else. If you get into "as needed" you will be thinking, worrying, and calculating a lot, gauging your state of mind in various moments. I found it's better to keep it low and regular and not rely on it to be the solution in itself. 

 

I was on Effexor for a week during the time when I was trying to find the right thing. You know that deal. I was a zombie but I can't blame the effexor. I have just heard bad things about it and I was glad it didn't work for me. It's not an SSRI is it?

[[Pa...]]

Effexor is a SNRI. I used it for three years up to Feb 2016 and while I wasn't great on it, I was much better than on Zoloft. The big difference is that at the time I was on it I had a lot of stress in my life and was also taking lorazapam a lot. Now I'm off benzos and have very little stress but my nerves are hyper sensitive and I go into a panic so easily which then could last all day.

 

I took 100mg Gabapentin this morning at 10:30am and it helped a little but now I feel like a basket case. About 2 months ago, when I first got off of Valium I tried to take it 5 days straight and it worked the first three days but afterwards I felt worse. I want to take another 100 to see if it will help.

 

Some days I feel like at the end of my rope!

[[dr...]]

Effexor is a SNRI. I used it for three years up to Feb 2016 and while I wasn't great on it, I was much better than on Zoloft. The big difference is that at the time I was on it I had a lot of stress in my life and was also taking lorazapam a lot. Now I'm off benzos and have very little stress but my nerves are hyper sensitive and I go into a panic so easily which then could last all day.

 

I took 100mg Gabapentin this morning at 10:30am and it helped a little but now I feel like a basket case. About 2 months ago, when I first got off of Valium I tried to take it 5 days straight and it worked the first three days but afterwards I felt worse. I want to take another 100 to see if it will help.

 

Some days I feel like at the end of my rope!

 

How do you feel when you use it before bed? Your day will be better if you get a better night.

[[Pa...]]

I tried it twice at night time and both times I didn’t sleep well and the next I felt horrible. It’s 8pm and I still haven’t been able to relax. It feels like the Gabapentin may have made me worse. At this point I’ve pretty much decided I will switch back to Effexor. I’m hoping with less stress in my life I’ll respond better. The big unknown is what will withdrawal of benzos do to me during this time.

 

I created a new post to see if anyone has experience switching Zoloft to Effexor whole in withdrawal but no one has responded yet.

[[Rr...]]

I was on Klonopin 4 mg.  On Benzos about 9 years.  My mom gave me .25 of Xanax and I felt more calm.  I wasn't as tremulous, but it felt the same as alcohol.  I've been off for over 1.5 weeks.  Since I was forced into rapid taper I'm thinking about going on low dose and trying to see how I can get off without torture.  Sleep has been awful.  I'm still having withdrawal symptoms.  This crap drags.  I had tiny bit of vodka to help the shaking and I feel better than I have in a long time.  I know this is bad, but I was suffering so long and taken off at stressful time.  I think people would be more successful in going off the med if it is done in a more comfortable way.  Psych staff should work together with patient and listen.  There was a saying pain is what the patient says.  Well, my experience should've been looked at like this.  I think my psychiatrist is quite old and stuck in his ways.  He has the attitude he's always right and actually snapped about only having 15 minutes.  I think it's important that we have a good doctor in this process.  There was no positive feedback, that's great you are not taking.  Instead, so nothing I prescribed you is working.  I told him it's impossible to tell what is and isn't working during a nasty taper.  Yes, I have my comments back. 

[[...]]

I was able to exercise today...first time in like a month I had energy and actually kind of wanted to train. For the past 2 months ...I felt nothing when I thought about training, Zero motivation. It was the first time I’ve had motivation in awhile. I’ll take it.

 

Watch...tomorrow I’ll probably feel like I have the Ebola virus, cry three times, and have my right knee or some shit go numb... 

 

How you all doing?

[[2t...]]

I was able to exercise today...first time in like a month I had energy and actually kind of wanted to train. For the past 2 months ...I felt nothing when I thought about training, Zero motivation. It was the first time I’ve had motivation in awhile. I’ll take it.

 

Watch...tomorrow I’ll probably feel like I have the Ebola virus, cry three times, and have my right knee or some shit go numb... 

 

How you all doing?

 

Betcha feel fine tomorrow, great that you exercised, I went for a 4 mile walk but as I have been lazy for a while I am a bit stiff and achy this evening.

 

2trusting

[Guest [ba...]]

I was able to exercise today...first time in like a month I had energy and actually kind of wanted to train. For the past 2 months ...I felt nothing when I thought about training, Zero motivation. It was the first time I’ve had motivation in awhile. I’ll take it.

 

Watch...tomorrow I’ll probably feel like I have the Ebola virus, cry three times, and have my right knee or some shit go numb... 

 

How you all doing?

 

Hopefully, you'll feel better than if you had Ebola.  Isn't it great to feel a bit more alive again?  Even if you pay a small price tomorrow, I think it's a very good sign to have days like today.

[[...]]

Thanks for chiming in , today I have very bad akathesia...like I want to scream and rip my skin off. My symptoms keep changing day to day. I have no idea what to expect. I had anxiety all day yesterday and by dusk I felt like I was going to collapse with that flu/sickness feeling. Almost went to the ER as I thought my body was shutting down. Did your symptoms ever wave like that Bad? Brutal stuff.

[[...]]

Sorry for screwing up this thread with that last post guys...I’ll keep it strictly positive here out. And Bad is going to reply with some inspirational positive stories of recovery too. 

[Guest [ba...]]

Sorry for screwing up this thread with that last post guys...I’ll keep it strictly positive here out. And Bad is going to reply with some inspirational positive stories of recovery too. 

 

Yes, I'll be positive.  I think it's pretty common to kind of overdo it when one has a good day.  That definitely happened to me several times.  But I was usually better pretty quickly - within a day or two.  Here's the inspiration pic/quote...

 

[[vi...]]

Small improvements here.

 

I drove my cousins 2011 BMW N54 335i. Was it fun, no. Did I manage, yes. A month ago I would not have managed that. I can't wait for that to be fun again! I drove about 50 miles.

[[...]]

That's progress Virek. 

[[2t...]]

Small improvements here.

 

I drove my cousins 2011 BMW N54 335i. Was it fun, no. Did I manage, yes. A month ago I would not have managed that. I can't wait for that to be fun again! I drove about 50 miles.

 

Wonderful progress, So happy for you. I sometimes find myself driving and singing along to the radio, not often but when it happens it feels so great.

 

2trusting

[[vi...]]

Thanks guys, just so annoyed with my ear!  Tempted to get myself into hospital to have the Decompression surgery done.

 

The fear and anxiety is just overwhelming at present to go in for such complex surgery.

[[Ca...]]

I had a great weekend and have not had a crash in about 2 weeks. I ate out, played with grandson and daughter, shopped, walked my dogs, and had friends over. All in 2 days!!!! Still some anxiety at night, but this is progress and I am thinking it is good to keep holding...

[[Ca...]]

2trusting - 50 miles?!!! That's awesome.

 

Callydex , also so awesome! You sound excited and proud, too! so great!

 

[[Ca...]]

Not gonna lie it was pretty nice - but I remember a doc who gave me good advice: "don't get attached to your good days, and know the bad ones won't last forever"

 

[[Ca...]]

Good question - not really a one size fits all type of answer though. I'm into 15 mo. and just now starting to get shed of this wretched stuff. Has just been an abject nightmare the whole damn time. But that's just my case in particular.

[[Ca...]]

I ate at a few restaurants (mainly one story at odd hours so it wasn't TOO loud) - but I look for the exits, I want to be on the patio if possible so I can be outside. WTF is that about?

 

I've also been a bit more functional cognitively - my short term memory is better - and I don't seem to be at down right stupid as I was last month. I've been driving a lot, too. The market still makes me feel like I'm going to drop though. ha.

 

Anyone else???

 

[[To...]]

Definitely feeling better today than I have recently. Able to get out to multiple places driving and walking around the mall. Obviously nowhere near perfect but it’d be a great baseline!

[[...]]

Definitely feeling better today than I have recently. Able to get out to multiple places driving and walking around the mall. Obviously nowhere near perfect but it’d be a great baseline!

 

are you able to exercise yet Tommy? I remember you where at the beginning of this shit.  I was too, then the bottom fell out and I was cooked for months 4 and 5.  i recently started to have some energy and ride my bike and swing some kettlebells

[[To...]]

Not yet but if I stay at this baseline i should be able to do some light stuff soon.... haha yes I had a couple windows and joined CrossFit to power my way through this.... bad idea! !