Advanced Member
Posted 15 December 2015 - 07:12 AM
Woke up in a sweat, uncontrollable crying, shaking, threw up & really don't know how I can do this anymore. I really feel like my Ativan is making it worse, it does not calm me down. Really bad thoughts going through my head, just want it all to stop!!!
My head feels like it is about to explode!!!
Like a Family Member
Posted 15 December 2015 - 12:31 PM
i am really sorry you are having so many problems. i understand that you recently went on wellbutrin, but i can't recall how long you were on the C, how long you've been off it, what your dose was and why you were put on it. i had uncontrollable crying for a good 6 months after quitting. i still cry easily - even from a sappy tv commercial, but i actually like being able to "feel". that was something i couldn't do while on any antidepressant. i rarely cried for 18 years of my life. occasionally, i also suffer from inappropriate uncontrollable laughter.
i still struggle with anxiety after being off this drug for 19 months. but during that time i've learned how to control it. i suffered from depression before taking anti-d's , but nothing close to anxiety as i feel it now. at this point it is not a direct cause of "withdrawal" but due to negative thinking/irrational thought processes developed while in withdrawal. i have shared elsewhere on this forum, many symptoms we experience are actually symptoms of anxiety. there is no "worry" associated with my anxiety - just a general sense of foreboding and the physical sensations such as shaking, terrible intense "butterflies" in my stomach, "the runs"and an inability to concentrate. i get frustrated easily and can have a tough time making decisions. you are taking ativan so i assume that is for anxiety. you mentioned that you think its making it worse or is not calming you down - so your symptoms may be due to anxiety. i have only taken a benzo before getting locked up in an MRI "tube" so i don't have long term experience. however, from what i've learned from others on this forum, benzos poop out. you can build up a tolerance, which is why they are meant for short term use.
i also cannot recall if you are getting any counseling/therapy. i highly recommend it, specifically cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT). it is not a quick fix, it takes regular sessions for months - and a commitment to practice the skills taught by your therapist. it has made a huge difference for me as well as learning other mental "tricks" for addressing anxiety - specifically: accepting it. telling it to "bring it on! give me everything you got!" that helps to de-sensitize me to the anxious feelings. they become less relevant. anxiety can't kill me. it also wont make you go crazy!
you are definitely not alone. anxiety is a very real post-cymbalta condition experienced by many, if not most of us. regardless of its"cause" the treatment is the same because cymbalta withdrawal is serious trauma, both physical and mental. CBT is the most successful treatment for PTSD. i think anxiety developed after the C withdrawal is PTSD.
Like a Family Member
Posted 15 December 2015 - 12:44 PM
Deb,
also, i took wellbutrin for a few years. i had a very difficult time on it - finding the right word, my mind going blank. although, it took awhile before those difficulties developed. i had to go off of it after about a year, maybe a little less. also, it is used to help people quit smoking. i don't doubt it would help with other addictions as well. i quit drinking coffee without even wanting to. i just started not to care for it anymore. within weeks after quitting wellbutrin, i was drinking coffee again. also, there was no withdrawal for me from wellbutrin. a quick taper off. i did not cross taper. i actually was med free for about 6 months.
Site Partners
Posted 16 December 2015 - 10:18 AM
brz and Deb,
I have the same problems - mind going blank and not being able to find the right word. Also, poor concentration and poor memory. I don't think this was caused by the Wellbutrin in my case, as this seemed to appear during the withdrawal from the C. I have resigned myself to this now being part of my life.
Anxiety is seldom a problem any more. The last attack I had was when I was checking flights to Seattle this past summer. Needless to say, I did not go...
0 members, 1 guests, 0 anonymous users
