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Can you guys please stop bickering. I thank both of you for your support, and I talked to my doctor about this. She said that I need to lay off weightlifting, which did end up making me feel worse this past week. She says that my body is sensitive right now and it will improve, but to keep her updated.
Does anyone have any experience with how long it's taken for them to feel back to normal? I am NOT depressed (I was when I was on the medicine), thank you God.. but I am in a lot of pain and discomfort.
I do have to say that I feel better today though. I have been able to sit still for longer periods of time.
ray35iyf, have you tried some relaxation techniques? Like maybe some deep breathing or yoga type stuff? Some of the symptoms you are describing could be in part because you are anxious about coming off your medication.
As someone who gets panic attacks, I can definitely say that having anxiety about your anxiety is not helpful.
Thank you. I have in the past used relaxation techniques, and they have been helpful for sure. I just did 20 minutes worth not too long ago and it made me feel much less anxious. Thank you for the concern. This has been the toughest part of my 23 years so far and any help and advice I can get is great! I will try and make sure I do it at least twice a day for 20minutes each time.
It took me 2 years to get off of it by constantly lowering the dose. I was put on it because I was caught in a temporary situation that I couldn't get out of for awhile and long after I got out of it, I was still stuck on having to take that because of withdrawls I suffered when i tried to get off of it.
My doctor told me it was my anxiety symptoms coming back because I was trying to get off of it to soon and all I needed to do was to lowered my dose as she said to get off if it and had what I called the "ZAPS" doing it her way.... It was like small electrical zaps going through my brain everytime I moved my eyes.. That is when I realized they did NOT know what they are talking about when it comes to getting off these drugs. But she kept insisting I was no better (it was the medicine making me think I was better) and that my symptoms were coming back.. She never understood the brain zaps and I was not taking it because I was having or had had, brain zaps, I was taking it because of an abusive boss that caused me panic attacks!
I came up with my own plan of action and it actually took me 2 full years to get off of it WITHOUT suffering any withdrawls. I just cut back the dose, stayed on that lower does a month to 6 weeks, then cut that in half and then cut that in half. Then once down to the smallest piece I had, I started skipping a dose, first for one day for about a month... then for 2 days for a month. then skipping 3 days for about a month and on down to only 1 day a week, then I would only take one of those cut down and cut down doses ONLY when I felt the zaps, that took awhile also until one day I realized I hadn't had the zaps in weeks.
I was very angry about the whole ordeal of even being put on that medication. It was extreme overkill for a temporary situation that was being corrected when I was put on the stuff. I knew nothing about it before I took it or I would not have ever taken the first one. I think all I needed was somebody to talk to, a consular or someone to help me through that time. That situation was resloved within 3 months of being put on that stuff but it took me 2 years to get off of it..
Thank you Laura! It helps to know that others are out there who've been through it all and had ignorant doctors along the way.
Any others out there?
Going on one month and my body is aching so bad! Zaps are gone, but the past two days I've been really shaky, irritable, and sensitive to light and sound.
It took me 2 years to get off of it by constantly lowering the dose. I was put on it because I was caught in a temporary situation that I couldn't get out of for awhile and long after I got out of it, I was still stuck on having to take that because of withdrawls I suffered when i tried to get off of it.
My doctor told me it was my anxiety symptoms coming back because I was trying to get off of it to soon and all I needed to do was to lowered my dose as she said to get off if it and had what I called the "ZAPS" doing it her way.... It was like small electrical zaps going through my brain everytime I moved my eyes.. That is when I realized they did NOT know what they are talking about when it comes to getting off these drugs. But she kept insisting I was no better (it was the medicine making me think I was better) and that my symptoms were coming back.. She never understood the brain zaps and I was not taking it because I was having or had had, brain zaps, I was taking it because of an abusive boss that caused me panic attacks!
I came up with my own plan of action and it actually took me 2 full years to get off of it WITHOUT suffering any withdrawls. I just cut back the dose, stayed on that lower does a month to 6 weeks, then cut that in half and then cut that in half. Then once down to the smallest piece I had, I started skipping a dose, first for one day for about a month... then for 2 days for a month. then skipping 3 days for about a month and on down to only 1 day a week, then I would only take one of those cut down and cut down doses ONLY when I felt the zaps, that took awhile also until one day I realized I hadn't had the zaps in weeks.
I was very angry about the whole ordeal of even being put on that medication. It was extreme overkill for a temporary situation that was being corrected when I was put on the stuff. I knew nothing about it before I took it or I would not have ever taken the first one. I think all I needed was somebody to talk to, a consular or someone to help me through that time. That situation was resloved within 3 months of being put on that stuff but it took me 2 years to get off of it..
Wow...I'm so sorry you ever experienced this. And I'm so glad that it is now resolved for you. Your experiences are downright scary
I found Celexa very helpful during a depressive phase a few years ago. At my doctors advice, I cut the dose very gradually until things felt a little less like I was walking on a massive waterbed, cerebrally speaking. I think it took about 6 months. I was also given Neulactil (not sure what it's called in the U.S.) for anxiety..now THAT was a beeyatch to get off of. I became addicted to it, and had to fight to wean myself off of it. I've never felt anything like physical dependence before, and don't want to again.
I didn't have the 'zaps' or any other physical symptoms you described but everyone is different. It's so important to keep a track of how you feel on a daily basis - without obsessing over it. Easier said than done I know.
Have you tried St Johns Wort? It helps with mental clarity, not just depression or anxiety. I may be imagining it but I do feel a little sharper when I take it. Which of course puts me in a better mood.
Recently I was tempted to get back onto Celexa but I knew the situation would pass..I'm glad I didn't go down that route again, as beneficial as it was previously. It's amazing how well just remembering 'this too will pass' works. But again, we're all different. I just wish we didn't need (or feel like we need) this stuff in the first place.
My daughter had a seizure after not having xanax for a few days..she was rushed to the ER by ambulance, and the DR gave her xanax at the hospital..But as far as antidepressants, the DR.s told me that it was far less common to have seizures when coming off of them.
As far as anti-depressants go, I never had a seizure or anything from any of them..
Paxil--back in 1994--made me crazier
Prozac--1998--made me very hostile
Well-butrin caused rages--hubby always asked me if I just took my well-butrin because I'd come at him like a bat out of hell
Celexa--completely took away my sex drive
lamictal--(mood stabalizer)--LOVED IT for about 6 months..but had to keep increasing the dosage and then it stopped working completely
zoloft--cant remember but I think it made me hostile also
xanax--LOVED it..but hated how reliant that I became using it and I felt like a drug addict always needing another xanax..
Havent had any prescription in over a year..hoping to never take one again especially with sooo many side affects and risks.. Plus none of them ever really helped me..
I'm on day 24 of Celexa withdrawal after spending a few weeks tapering.. and I am struggling. My head feels weird, I feel very restless and can't focus on anything for long (finals are coming up), my emotions still feel kind of blunted, and I am very anxious... and my body hurts... and life sucks right now.
Somebody know when this is going to get better?
I took Celexa for over two years, 60MG daily. It probably saved my life as it took the edge off and enabled me to see clearly enough to get out of an unhealthy marriage. (It also caused odd sexual issues, including anorgasmia, numbness, etc; no issues pre-Celexa).
Two years ago I began tapering off, taking six months to get off completely. The "zaps," vertigo, cotton-head, and physical aches and pains were gone within a couple of months of the last dose. The sexual issues are slowly improving, tolerable ONLY because of an understanding partner. (I still have few regrets about taking the medication, as I said, it probably saved my life. )
Hope things go well with your tapering.
You don't sound like you were on it as long as I was.
I no longer feel like an alien living in my own body, and I no longer feel depressed, but the physical side effects of withdrawal which I never had before this, including exercise intolerance, organ pain, head symptoms, and akathisia with unexplained free floating anxiety are very difficult right now.
That's plain torture but there is a treatment for that. Benzos and betablockers. IMO restless leg syndrome should always be treated immediately because like I said it's torture. It's often a side-effect of antipsychotics, not so common with SSRI usage or whitdrawal. I remember once when I had a terrible hangover and took 10mg of perphenazine well it didn't reduce the hangover but gave me a major akathisia. That was the first and last time I experimented with that stuff.
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Thank you for the concern. This has been the toughest part of my 23 years so far and any help and advice I can get is great! I will try and make sure I do it at least twice a day for 20minutes each time.
