4 replies to this topic

[chrissyl]

What's the difference between weaning, withdrawal and discontinuance symptoms or  are they all the same? 

 

[dreamingotters]

Oddly enough, I was looking through what getting off of my other medications would look like (not that I'm planning to at the moment, but I'm past just listening to what my pdoc says and taking it as gospel), and found this:

 

When discussing coming off psychiatric drugs the terms withdrawal and discontinuation will be used interchangeably. Although the term withdrawal is usually associated with coming off drugs to which an individual is addicted to, when an individual comes off Lithium they are not addicted to the drug, they do not consciously crave the drug. The effects an individual may experience when withdrawing/discontinuing/reducing Lithium are not related to addiction but rather to the body struggling to adapt to the absence of a chemical it has become used to being present.

 

'they do not consciously crave the drug' - I'm wondering, is that why doctors seem to have a stick up their butts? If we termed it as bad debilitating symptoms from the discontinuation (even when weaning off the drug slowly) of Cymbalta instead of withdrawal symptoms of Cymbalta, would they be more open to listen and agree? Sigh, probably not, but it got me thinking anyways.

[thismoment]

"What's the difference between weaning, withdrawal and discontinuance symptoms or are they all the same?"

Weaning is reducing the dosage over a period of time.

Withdrawal refers to that period of time wherein the drug is reduced to zero. Weaning is a type of withdrawal as is Cold Turkey.

Withdrawal is followed by Discontinuation which ends when the symptoms end. Sometimes withdrawal and discontinuation are erroneously used interchangeably-- they are technically separate terms.

That's my understanding, although I could be totally misinformed.

[thismoment]

On the difference between misinformed and uninformed, Mark Twain said that if you don't read the newspaper you're uninformed, but if you do read the newspaper you're misinformed!

[chrissyl]

Thanks, TM.  So my weaning was not at all a problem.  Withdrawal is a bit more discomforting.  Nausea any time I eat or drink and sometimes in between.  Body aches.  Off and on headaches but not major like some I've read have.  Mushy brain.  Confusion, that hated, "I'm sorry could you draw a picture for me?" syndrome.  And forgetfulness. I can be doing something repetitious and after one or two times completely forget how to do it and have to re-figure it out. Burning body areas. I mean really burning to the point I want to cry.  And moments of rage and crying.  And I hate to admit this but last night I found myself wondering what's the use in going on. So far I have been able to continue in a semi normal way.  I hate sharing with people what I am going through.  I have always been the go-to person for some many things. So, I almost get the impression they just brush it off.  Maybe always being the strong independent one has it's own punishments.