5 replies to this topic

[brzghoff]

if there is anybody here who has been off the C and is not currently using other ant-d's, anti-anxiety meds, etc i would like to know how it is going for you - especially if you've been off the C for at least two months as have i. i know if i took another anti-d or anti-anxiety med i'd feel better. however, my whole point of getting off C was to get off drugs!! if i have to use another drug to get off the drug i'm on, then what have i accomplished? i've learned horror stories about every single other drug i hear mentioned on this website - why do i want to take one of those instead?  its been 18 years and i don't even know if my body is capable of functioning off a drug. thats why i want to hear from folks who have stopped/weaned off cymblata and aren't taking other drugs right now. i am not getting the impression its possible. 

 

i hate to be discouraging to others just initiating their attempts to withdrawal, but i am not sure this is for everybody. i've been positivie, i've been phsyically active, i've been taking care of myself and nothing is working anymore. i feel worse now then i did during the first few weeks after being off C. i keep hearing it starts to get better at 6 weeks. well, not for me. i don't want to go back on C but even if i did i can't afford it, the generic will still cost me over $200 a month. my anxiety is through the roof i am paralyzed and i am destroying my marriage to a husband who has been very supportive but cannot be my rock when he doesn't have a wife who can be mutually supportive. someone has to make money, clean the house, do maintenance , etc etc etc

 

i quit C because i felt like i had the mental "tools" where i didn't need drugs. however, the anxiety makes it impossible to use those tools. if i take something for the anxiety in order to implemenet those tools, i'l still need to get off the anxiety med - and then what? thats what i thought would happen when i went off the C. i had the skills, but i guess i need drugs too. F all of this

[Clara]

brzghoff, I am one who is taking no meds at all. I cannot say it's easy, as we all react so so differently to withdrawals, life experiences, etc. I still have issues, being off C. for almost 8 months now. Memory is shot, creativity is shot, sensitivity to noises, light, have a tough time writing out just what I want to say. I've always been able to put my feelings in writing better than speak them, but no more. Thismoment has spoken about meditation and mindfulness training. I haven't looked into that, but I feel it would be helpful. Also, if it's affordable, you may try a good counselor, not a psychiatrist that is just going to write scripts for more meds. My heart goes out to you! I wish I had a magic wand to "fix" us all, but alas, no, I don't! Others will jump in soon with their thoughts. I pray you find peace and healing. I hope this helps in some small way! Remember you are not alone! Keep us posted! Hugs and prayers for you as well as all my friends here on the forum!

[FiveNotions]

Brzghoff, if I recall, it was right about the 2 month off mark that I came very close to going back on the crapalta... the anxiety hit me so darn hard, along with huge doubts that all the effort was worth it, etc etc etc ...

 

Fishinghat and the others here talked me back of the ledge, and gave me the courage to wait it out .... they also encouraged me to get something from the doc to help with the anxiety ... I got some lorazepam...just a few pills ... and that took enuf of the edge off that I was able to keep going ... and I didn't go back on the poison... and more recently, the first week in June, I had another anxiety meltdown... was put on diazepam (valium) and clonidine ... it did the trick, and got me stabilized again ... now I'm pretty much off the diazepam, and am just using a low dose of clonidine ... non addictive....

 

I apologize, but I don't remember, and I've checked your earlier messages, but didn't see ... are you taking anything to help with the anxiety currently? If not, I urge you to get something ... don't worry about getting addicted ... the point is to stabilize the anxiety so your brain can continue with its healing ... don't anticipate the negatives that haven't happened ... deal with the negative that's on your plate today ...

 

As I read back through your earlier posts, it's so easy to see how much good, solid progress you've made .... I think what you're dealing with now is one of the "dips" in the process.... and it's got you sucked into negative thinking .... you do tend to push yourself a bit too hard, too fast ... and I saw that this has happened to you before during your process ... when you expect perfection, drive yourself to do too much, you get a backlash, a relapse ... and then you start beating up on yourself for not being perfect ...

 

You're making steady, solid progress forward ... you aren't perfect, you are not supposed to be perfect .... perfect is for God alone...

 

Check with your doc/therapist about something for the anxiety.... and be gentle with yourself ... 8 weeks is a huge accomplishment ... just take it one day at a time, an hour, even a minute ... and before you know it, you'll be at 8 months off!

 

Keep us posted!

[Carleeta]

brzghoff, if you need something to stabilize your anxiety, please try and not fear doing so.  If you need it for a short time to help, it is well worth getting off from as it will most likely be temporary and much easier to slowly wean off of with very little noticeability.  When working with your doctor on a schedule of a anti anxiety and knowing its just temporary; as soon as you are on it you will be working to get off of it at the same time.  This is the route I would advise you discuss with your doctor.....

[gail]

I am on valium. I could not have done this without it, Even still, it is not easy.

 

Starting clonidine tomorrow am.

 

I agree with FN and Carleeta. Like the doctor said to me this morning, anxiety is like trying to live or work with a bear standing by your side. Exactly what I feel. Can hardly see anything but this bear.

[brzghoff]

thank you all for your response and support. yes i have a therp - i'm setting up an appointment with him this week. i meditate, have for years but the anxiety really messes with it.  i want to change p-docs and am going to find out if there is one my therp would recommend. i picked up some ginkgo biloba today, i read about a study where it actually demonstrated NRI properties (the NRI of SSNRI)

 

i cannot find the link right now (i think its in history on other computer) but it was on a gov't web site - not nat'l inst. of health, but something similar. but i started my search based on what i found here:

from wiki: " These extracts are shown to exhibit reversible, nonselective monoamine oxidase inhibition, as well as inhibition of reuptake at the serotonin, dopamine, and norepinephrine transporters, with all but the norepinephrine reuptake inhibition fading in chronic exposure"

 

i also picked up some kava kava. i took it before years ago, just before i went on zoloft, my firs anti-d. i stopped taking it since i didnt want to mix them. for tha handful of times i took it - seemed to work. 

 

thanks again i'll kepp you posted