56 replies to this topic

[fishinghat]

It sounds like a small relapse. Hopefully you will be good to go and reduce some more soon. You just have to remember that when these happen they are not permanent. They are just a short term unwanted guest.

[sparkybird]

FYI I some research on Zantac and found it was the source of the depression and anxiety I had this morning. This might help others along te way.

I will keep your recent post when I experience another set back. I seek such things out when I’m experiencing withdrawal. Thanks again for your support and encouragement. It is my only source. Gets lonely during those times. Glad I can reach out to you. God Bless You.

[fishinghat]

We are always here for you sparkybird.

 

One should never go through this alone.

[fishinghat]

This is from the FDA website.

https://www.ehealthm...tac/depression/
54,938 people reported to have side effects when taking Zantac.
Among them, 1,859 people (3.38%) have Depression

https://www.ehealthm...zantac/anxiety/
54,938 people reported to have side effects when taking Zantac.
Among them, 2,370 people (4.31%) have Anxiety

[gail]

Hello Sparkybird,

FH is right, you are never alone during this journey. I was also wondering about the pill thing!

Having a hard time myself recently, feeling tired plus pain. It will pass, as does everything else, thank God!

We are all in this together, good or bad. Prayers continues for all, life can be so hard and complex at times. Waiting for the sun to shine. Well, not too much as the temperature has reached 42 Celsius with humidex. The fans keep going on, day and night. Plain awful.

Einstein, 42 Celsius in F is what?

[fishinghat]

Hot, especially where you are at. 107.6. That is an unreal temperature.

Stay cool my friend. Winter is coming. lol

[sparkybird]

Back again. Well depression with anxiety starting AGAIN.

Could it be that at 15 beads (2 mg) the Cymbalta is not causing the problem but I do need an antidepressant?

I was originally put on this hellish drug for anxiety which only made matters worse for me. (My main reason to start on this reduction to begin with.)

Just trying to keep my sanity and think this through.

[fishinghat]

"Could it be that at 15 beads (2 mg) the Cymbalta is not causing the problem but I do need an antidepressant."

Possible. One thing you can try is to go back up one or two beads and see if the symptoms get better (then it is withdrawal).

Is there a pattern to these symptoms? Time of day, day of the week, only after you have exercised, etc.

[gail]

Fishinghat,

Thanks for the farenheit conversion. It's unreal, so many people in the hospital because of this

About adding a few beads and seeing if Sparkybird feels better, it's withdrawal! I didn't know that. We have at least 3 members that are stuck like that.

Sparkybird, I also was put on Cymbalta for anxiety, the result was that it made that so much worse. I remember that while on it, one evening, I said to my friend to bring all my benzos with him, I was scared that I would have taken them all. It happened also once in withdrawal.
Scary drug!

[sparkybird]

Gail, tears come to my eyes because you have experienced the same reaction! Stupid, misinformed doctors!

Fishinghat, tomorrow I will increase by two beads. BACK to 17! UGH!
It’s 2 pm and after an l-theanine I do feel some what better.

I’ve looked over my journal and I see no pattern. I do know that at 16 I started having more difficulty with anxiety. The depression started with 15 beads but only at 4 weeks. Crazy.

My poor mind just races during this time as to what I could do or say to get someone in the medical field to understand me. Faking suicide was an option.

I’ll give it tomorrow and see what 17 will do. There’s always tomorrow, but then is there? Can’t you hear the depression?

[fishinghat]

Don't fake suicide...Those idiots may put you in a psych ward on 23 hour watch and if they think you are a danger to yourself they have the right to give you medicines without your consent.

[fishinghat]

You know your situation is very frustrating. I just don't know why you are having such trouble with the last 15 to 20 beads. I know they are rough but 1 month or more to adjust to a one bead drop? That is slow, too slow. I just don't know what to say.

[sparkybird]

Well I dropped from 15 beads to 16 yesterday and had a pretty good day. But today is another story. Starting one have hour after taking it all started getting BAD. I’m having racing thoughts, horrible anxiety, aches, upset stomach, aggression, and diarrhea. shall I go on? Taking l-theanine about every hour.

What the crap do I do now? Go down one tomorrow? This is pure hell.

Thanks for prayers!

[fishinghat]

You raised it to 16 beads and had a good day. Definitely withdrawal. The only thing I know to do is to go back to 15 and just hold there until.....stability? What do you think?

[sparkybird]

I will give 16 beads one more day. Keep your fingers crossed. It is 1 PM and the Symptoms have lessened. One more day on 16. If they are even worse tomorrow, we’ll see what tomorrow brings.

[AliYogini]

Hi Sparkybird. Think we chatted before. I just hit 16 beads also, and withdrawal symptoms all intensified. Anxiety, edginess, insomnia, muscle spasms in my neck and jaw, headache,.. You would think it would get easier. I have been weaning off my original dose of 30mg since Sept 2017 - almost a yr! Thanks for the reminder to take i-theanine during the day. I take 2 at night but forgot taking them as needed during the day, on bad days, can take that edginess down a couple notches. Hope you feel better. And Gail, you too.

[sparkybird]

Ali, it is so good to know I am not alone . Today I went back to 15 beads. That was after a horrible day on 16. Please keep in touch with me and let me know how you are doing. What part of the country do you live in? Is your medical community oblivious to this horrible drug as mine is?

[gail]

Hi Sparkybird and Ali,

Both of you in the same exact place!

My question is for Fishinghat. What are your thoughts about adding some Prozac to help?

And your thoughts about going back to 18 or 20 beads to stabalize? Thank you love!

[fishinghat]

Normally I would recommend the upper dose and stabilize but, especially sparkybird would do a 1 bead drop and it would take her 4 to 6 weeks to stabilize. The last time she dropped one bead after 6 weeks she still wasn't stable. If I remember right Aliyogini has been a little faster to stabilize but still slow. The small dose of Prozac (5 or 10 mg) might help but it would take 4 to 6 weeks to kick in.

That might be an option but I don't know what they think about that.

[sparkybird]

I back at 15 beads this morning after a night of no rest with headaches and mind racing. The 16 beads had me bouncing off the walls. But I did get the car washed and a bedroom painted. I also took l-theanine every 2 hours for the anxiety.

Today I am still going but just worn out and a bit depressed. I may get an appointment with the doctor for Prozac although it does scare me. I am so sensitive to drugs.

I am so sorry for causing such confusion. I just want to stop suffering. What would happen if I called the 800 help line and told them my situation?

[AliYogini]

I'll tough it out. I'll stay put till I stabilize and use i-theanine to help me cope. Keeping busy with mindless tasks helps. I'm getting that tingling in my hands and feet also. I hate that. Have have felt each 1 bead drop but this drop seems to have had a stronger reaction. Thought I was going to be off of this drug by Oct, but now I'm seeing it's going to be a longer journey.

[AliYogini]

Sparkybird, I'm in Michigan.

[sparkybird]

Ali, i hear you! It’s a bear and lonely......real lonely. Just keep in touch. Hopefully we can support one another.

Fishinghat and Gail have been a big help and I am so grateful for that.

I’ll pray for you Ali. I don’t know your age and that doesn’t matter but I’m 72 getting close to another birthday. I wanted to be off by then but I guess that’s not happening.

[fishinghat]

"What would happen if I called the 800 help line and told them my situation?"

Here they just check to make sure you are not suicidal and then they say talk to your psychiatrist and if it is an emergency go to the ER. Unluckily the ER drs have little knowledge of the in and outs of psych meds and usually they just give you benzos until you calm down and send you home. During my withdrawal I went to the ER once and they kept giving me lorazepam (a benzo) until I finally calmed down some and sent me home. They gave me 10 mg and after I went home I found that is half the amount they use to sedate a horse. Yes, sedate, knock them out, put them to sleep. Not only that but the positive effects only lasted 3 hours and I was back to where I started.

[AliYogini]

I went to ER once, just before I was put on cymbalta, for tingling hands and feet. ER labeled it anxiety and my Blue Cross rejected the bill because of that. Mental health insurance portion of my health insurance picked some of it up. But I was left with a whopping bill all just for ER verifying that I was not dying.

[sparkybird]

I was afraid of that. Well today is ending in a pretty good day (back on 15 beads). Guess I’ll see what tomorrow brings. I’ve stopped looking ahead for date to look forward two for my last pill. Sounds sad but that’s just the way it is. Ali, I hope your recovery goes better than mine. Keep taking l-theanine and if headaches come Aldi’s has an Aqua water for meric acid. Just read the labels because I only found peach and blackberry flavors that have it and it’s 50 cents a bottle. At night if I get a bad headache/brain zaps etc I drink apple cider vinegar and water.

[AliYogini]

SB - I had a projected completion date too. Was in Oct. Then got bumped to Nov. And like you, I think maybe better to get through 1 day at a time. I'll get there when I get there. I have been weaning off this drug for 1 yr) but I was only on it for therapeutic purposes for 9 mos. How ridiculous is that?! Good to have FH reminding us to go slow and to be patient. This long withdrawal really interferes with your life though.