1636 replies to this topic

[TryinginFL]

Just want to mention here that I have suffered RLS for over 30 years.... Way before I was on any medication. My mother also suffered and was on no medication

Usually occurred during the night and woke me up... Miserable

I am now taking ropinirole which is extremely helpful

[invalidusername]

Hmmm - it is known to be hereditary. That really sucks - my every sympathy.

[ForLyla]

I've had rls on and off for about 12 years but it's never been quite this bad. When I take multivitamins regularly for a while it goes away so it's obviously due to a nutrition deficiency. My guess is iron but I don't know for sure. However, multivitamins and most supplements set me off badly so id rather have the rls.

Crushing fatigue today where I can't get out of bed. I've had the fatigue pretty bad for about a month. Worrying:(

[fishinghat]

Unluckily not uncommon. May start easing up in a couple weeks.

[ForLyla]

FH the rls or fatigue? I had the fatigue in benzo wd but never this prolonged.

[invalidusername]

The fatigue... and it is not uncommon. I have had dizziness and weakness for weeks now. Comes and goes. Good and bad days. Yes, it is worrying. I am hoping once I stabalise back on Citalopram that it will ease up and I can put it down to side effects...

[fishinghat]

IUN is right, I was talking about the fatigue. Sorry about that.

[ForLyla]

Hey guys. It's been an interesting week with lots of ups and downs. I saw my doctor today and she said my blood pressure is a little on the low side and quite a bit lower than usual. Could this be a side effect of wd?

Apart from that I'm hanging in there. My energy levels swing wildly from day to day. I was able to go for a quick bike ride yesterday so that was nice. Hope you guys are holding up ok.

[invalidusername]

That would at least explain the fatigue - and yes, could be due to the withdrawal. Proof will be in the longevity of the symptom.

[ForLyla]

Hey guys! How have you been? I've been feeling a lot better the last week or so - a lot of that is thanks to you guys. However, of course, it can't all be good. I've entered into a new era of terrible insomnia. Last night I slept for 2 hours and it took me 5 hours to get back to sleep. Even after that, I kept waking up from surreal nightmares. I've dealt with insomnia at different points in my life but not this bad. Is this normal? Any recommendations?

[fishinghat]

"I kept waking up from surreal nightmares"

I went through that cycle as well. It seems like it lasted about 2 or 3 weeks which seems like a long time when you can't sleep. It always use to help me to get up and walk the length of the house and back when I can't sleep. I would do that each time I was edgy when laying in bed at night. By the 3rd or 4th trip I was usually able to go back to sleep.

[invalidusername]

Right with you with the insomnia. Averaging 3-4 hours a night for the last 12 days. I am a wreck. Thank you bloody Lexapro.

 

Liquid melatonin arrived this morning, so I am hoping this will help. I will update everyone. 

 

Hat it would take about 7 seconds to walk the length of my flat, so not sure it would be worth it!!

[ForLyla]

Geez this sucks. Also, I'm sweating like crazy. This is something new to me. Feels like I'm getting hot flashes throughout the day. It's doubly hard having a newborn. At least I get baby cuddles to help me get through the day

[fishinghat]

You are working your way through the normal stages, It will pass. Hang in there.

[invalidusername]

Yea!! I have the sweats too... so embarrassing :|

[ForLyla]

Ugh and now the buzzing in my leg is 24/7. Ironically, around this time last year when I was starting to feel better from benzo wd, I had constant buzzing in my neck but felt good otherwise. Maybe the buzzing is a good sign? Although, I don't feel great today all around.

[invalidusername]

I can only imagine how annoying that must be for you! Maybe get one of those massage chairs and you won't notice it!!

 

Sorry shouldn't joke. Sincerely hope it passes for you soon Lyla...

[ForLyla]

Lol it's ok. It's good to joke about these things sometimes. Another question I had for you guys is about alcohol. I know from experience that even the tiniest amount of alcohol is deadly in benzo wd but what about with cymbalta WD? I had some sauce last night on my steak that had a tiny bit of alcohol in it so I'm worried. I'm not having a good day but may be just because of lack of sleep.

[fishinghat]

Most members have found alcohol to be a bad idea during withdrawal.

[invalidusername]

Agreed. I'm one of them. I so rarely drink, but had a glass of red wine some days ago to "celebrate" what was to be my last withdrawal (I hope), and my mood flatlined all of the next day, along with headfog and the usual wotnots.

[ForLyla]

Do the alcohol setbacks last for several months though? My last alcohol setback in benzo wd was 5 months of torture.

[ForLyla]

Do the alcohol setbacks last for several months though? My last alcohol setback in benzo wd was 5 months of torture.

[fishinghat]

Not usually IF you remain at the same dose until you get feeling better. If you continue to drop during that period then it may last a while. Having said that I can also say that the time period varies a lot. Just an observation, nothing scientific, it seems like the lower the dose you are on the longer It takes to recover from the effects of the alcohol.

[ForLyla]

This injury is so fascinating. It's like a video game where any wrong move can set you back to the beginning of a level.

I've gone from intense insomnia to severe fatigue now. I thought these phases were over for me but apparently not. I'm on vacation right now so I must have done something wrong.

[fishinghat]

It may sim ply be too much stimuli for your brain to handle right now. members who start exercising, vacations, go back to work, etc usually report a flair up on symptoms.

[ForLyla]

This injury is so fascinating. It's like a video game where any wrong move can set you back to the beginning of a level.

I've gone from intense insomnia to severe fatigue now. I thought these phases were over for me but apparently not. I'm on vacation right now so I must have done something wrong.

[fishinghat]

FYI

Some members comments on using alcohol during withdrawal.


Wagtail - I can feel the effects today & my balance is very bad so I have learned a lesson , NO wine whilst suffering w/d . I find that when I drink wine the side effects are worse

 

 

Zappalta - I am 80% better -I do find if I get overtired or have a glass of wine I have some symptoms return-so no wine when i dine out for now.

 

 

Zazzed - slight buzzing had a glass of wine it went away.... go figure

 

 

CV - There is nothing you can do (I found that a couple of glasses of red wine in the evening made a big and positive impact.

 

 

Shaun - -a glass of wine every couple nights has helped me a lot

 

 

HZN - I only drink a small glass of wine occasionally. On March 19 I became so sick with nausea that I thougt 4 ounces might help.

WRONG! It made me feel so much WORSE!

 

 

Drugfree - Alcohol is a definite no-no. I had a glass of wine a few days ago and had a horrible sleep followed by a full day of feeling hung over. One glass of wine should not make me hung over.

 

 

Jen - Someone on this board recommended red wine in the evening ... and absolute Godsend. The red wine took away the symptoms completely and helped me get to sleep.

[ForLyla]

People often think alcohol helps them because it acts on the same receptors as benzos. It's kind of like taking a benzo. It usually makes you feel better at first but it wears off after a few days and makes your wd syndrome ten times worse.

Do you think I need to worry about little things? For instance, I mostly stay away from sugar but I eat desserts once in a while that have a little bit of vanilla extract in them (contain some alcohol). I freaked out the other day when my friend had a teriyaki sauce with alcohol in it. I'm deathly afraid of being setback.

[fishinghat]

Here is a list of things to avoid. Some of these bother some people but not others.
 
Did you know that ethanol (drinking alcohol) has been shown to effect at least 11 different neurotransmitters AND can be either a stimulant or a depressant depending on the person?
 
List of known actions of ethanol
Ethanol has been reported to possess the following actions in functional assays at varying concentrations:[54]
GABAA receptor positive allosteric modulator (primarily of δ subunit-containing receptors)[66]
NMDA receptor negative allosteric modulator[58][66]
Increased levels of dopamine and endogenous opioids in the mesolimbic pathway, secondary to other actions[63][66]
AMPA receptor negative allosteric modulator[58]
Kainate receptor negative allosteric modulator[58]
Glycine receptor positive allosteric modulator[55]
Nicotinic acetylcholine receptor positive allosteric modulator[56][73]
5-HT3 receptor positive allosteric modulator
Glycine reuptake inhibitor[74]
Adenosine reuptake inhibitor[75]
L-type calcium channel blocker
GIRK channel opener

       Wiki


Stimulants (Make anxiety worse)

Caffeine
Over-the-counter cold preparations contain phenylpropylamine and pseudoephedrine*
Sleep deprivation
Marijuana*
Magnesium*
MSG
Alcohol
Stress
amphetamines
ecstasy
nicotine
Ginseng
L-Tyrosine
B Vitamins*
aspartame
Coconut Oil
Taurine
DHEA
Ginkgo
Iodine
Arginine
Sugar
Kava
* - Only some people have this reaction.

Things containing caffeine..
Coffee, Espresso, Cappuccino, some Teas, Low calorie, non-cola soda containing aspartame, Low calorie colas containing aspartame or saccharine, Energy drinks, Some types of alcoholic drinks.
Chocolate ....Baking, Dark, Sweet and semisweet, Pudding, Cereals, Fudge , Milk chocolate, Syrup, Mousse, Soymilk, Fat free cookies, Cookies, Cake, Frozen Yogurt, Ice cream, Frosting, and Shakes .
Java Pops, Chai Mints, Green Tea, Warp Mints, Penguin mints, and cinnamons. Caffeinated Energy Strips, Caffeinated Fruity Lollipops, HyDrive Energy Chews, Caffeinated Nixie Tubes, Foosh Energy Mints, Atomic Energy Bites, Buzz Bites, KickBricks, Energy Chews, Reload Energy Strips, Movit Gummies, Caffeinated jellybeans, Morning Spark, Oatmeal, Sumseeds (caffeinated sunflower seeds), Lightning Rods (beef sticks), Engobi "Energy Go Bites" (crispy snacks), Jolt Gum, Blitz Energy Gum, Think Gum Stay Alert, Vibe Black, Black Go Fast!, Dozens and dozens of herbal supplements.
https://www.caffeine...ffeine-database
List of energy drinks with caffiene. (over 100)





Depressants (Make depression worse)

Oxalic acid is found in members of the spinach family and cabbage, broccoli, brussels sprouts, chives and lamb's quarters are high in oxalates, as are sorrel and parsley. Rhubarb leaves contain about 0.5% oxalic acid.

Can cause depression, lack of minerals, kidney stones, and more. Cooking does not affect oxalic acid. People with kidney disease, a history of kidney stones or suffer from depression should avoid these foods.

Aspartame
Gluten
High Fat Dairy
Sugar
alcohol
Trans fats
Sodium
Caffeine
Pesticide residue on foods
GHB
Organic solvents (paint, varnish, stains, cleaning solvents, paint thinner, etc).
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[invalidusername]

Lyla...

 

This stuff is very subjective - the bottom line is that no-one can really foresee what might cause adverse effects. Hat has done a bang-up job with his research there, but there can always be more; things which didn't necessarily cause a problem before might during withdrawal and vice versa. 

 

Best to stick to the usual suspects like no alcohol, reduce sugar (or remove if poss), no caffiene and so forth. Don't go too adventurous with food or OTC meds either - but I think that goes without saying.