Rockingchaircat Day 600

[Rockingchaircat]

This is weird. I'm STILL getting over mine.  This was one of the nastiest flus I've EVER gotten to enjoy. The brown mucus that I just kept producing for the longest while. I think it was roughly two months after that I FINALLY could stop coughing. Now the weird part? It's still going around locally, and when i meet folks that have had it, or are still going through it. I tend to get some of the symptoms, but only for a few hours.

Unfortunately, something else happens too. when I get over everything, all of my withdrawal symptoms return for a few days. Mild ones, but still there. It sucks.

[Happy2Heal]

ugh that sucks RCC

I hope you're feeling better real soon

 

[Pedroknopfler]

Hi Rockingchaircat. Did you have PSSD? How was/is your sexual response, libido, erection...?

[Rockingchaircat]

July 9, 2018

 

Update.

 

I've just recently discovered that my BP is unusually high (191/91) With some medication, I've managed to get it to lower down to as low as 170/84. Better, but still a ways away from what it was before I started withdrawing from the Crap. The irony here? I don't smoke or drink. I exercise six to seven times a week. Even now my clothes have slowly been getting looser. Now, I'll have to be more vigorous in my weight loss.

Unfortunately, I do have to use a CPAP (still) to breathe at night. And yes, I STILL wake up in the middle of the night and stare at the ceiling way too much, too often. Though I have noticed that even with the use of the Lisinopril, that my energy levels have increased slightly.  My right knee ligament is mostly repaired now, so walking is getting easier. 

I discussed this issue with my boss. He mentioned that he too has had problems with his BP. Only his came to his attention when his BP was measured at 210/120.  Since then he's done everything he was supposed to, and it helped. For a while there, he lost enough weight, that he ended up having too low a BP. Then he gained weight back. I should be so lucky.

But, it's a goal.

[Rockingchaircat]

Day 1091, August 14, 2018.

 

You know what I find really annoying? That I'm STILL,! Still getting withdrawal symptoms sporadically.

 

Don't get me wrong. I am enjoying life now. But I really really really would like these freaking symptoms to go the freak away now, thank-you-very-much. 

My windows are punctuated with the occasional wave. Last night I woke up with about a 15 second anxiety attack, then my skin burned on my arms for about a half hour. It wasn't like the usual 'spearmint burn' that it had been previously. This one felt more like black-pepper had been applied to the skin of both arms.

A couple of weeks ago, I kept getting restless leg just after going to sleep at night. Yet when I take a nap during the day, I don't get them then. OH noes! JUST when I'm going to bed for the night.

 

And just recently, I discovered that my Blood Pressure was just a teensy bit on the high side (191/94). I talked to a Medico and got some pills for that now. It's made a world of difference, and I have energy again because I'm not out of breath all of the time. Yesterday morning, my BP was 124/69.  Which is quite the improvement. 

 

Getting my blood pressure under control was great. I've been actually in a good mood far more often now. Though I do find myself with bits of rage, and some anger  management issues due to the frustration for the agonies of withdrawal. 

 

Oh, I did manage to convince someone to get off of Anti-D's in real life. I directed her towards this website, after she'd come to me about advice concerning the pills. She had been thinking about trying another pill after her first set pooped out. After she'd read other's accounts here, and after talking with me, she decided that she was going to get off and stay off the pills entirely. It's worked out well for her, and she has decided to start working towards getting her pilot's license! It's so good to see someone doing so well!

 

 

[Pepita]

21 minutes ago, Rockingchaircat said:

Day 1091, August 14, 2018.

 

You know what I find really annoying? That I'm STILL,! Still getting withdrawal symptoms sporadically.

 

Don't get me wrong. I am enjoying life now. But I really really really would like these freaking symptoms to go the freak away now, thank-you-very-much. 

My windows are punctuated with the occasional wave. Last night I woke up with about a 15 second anxiety attack, then my skin burned on my arms for about a half hour. It wasn't like the usual 'spearmint burn' that it had been previously. This one felt more like black-pepper had been applied to the skin of both arms.

A couple of weeks ago, I kept getting restless leg just after going to sleep at night. Yet when I take a nap during the day, I don't get them then. OH noes! JUST when I'm going to bed for the night.

 

And just recently, I discovered that my Blood Pressure was just a teensy bit on the high side (191/94). I talked to a Medico and got some pills for that now. It's made a world of difference, and I have energy again because I'm not out of breath all of the time. Yesterday morning, my BP was 124/69.  Which is quite the improvement. 

 

Getting my blood pressure under control was great. I've been actually in a good mood far more often now. Though I do find myself with bits of rage, and some anger  management issues due to the frustration for the agonies of withdrawal. 

 

Oh, I did manage to convince someone to get off of Anti-D's in real life. I directed her towards this website, after she'd come to me about advice concerning the pills. She had been thinking about trying another pill after her first set pooped out. After she'd read other's accounts here, and after talking with me, she decided that she was going to get off and stay off the pills entirely. It's worked out well for her, and she has decided to start working towards getting her pilot's license! It's so good to see someone doing so well!

 

 

I know you are frustrated right now but as you say: all in all you're doing well - and you're "only" in for 3 years. How long have you been on meds? 

[ChessieCat]

Hi there,

 

The staff at SA are wondering how you are.  We'd love to hear how you are doing now.   Would you mind dropping by and giving an update?

 

Thanks.

CC

[JackieDecides]

On 8/14/2018 at 12:22 PM, Rockingchaircat said:

Getting my blood pressure under control was great. I've been actually in a good mood far more often now. Though I do find myself with bits of rage, and some anger  management issues due to the frustration for the agonies of withdrawal. 

@Rockingchaircat

 

I also have high blood pressure but I struggle with getting it under control and I wonder about the side affects of my BP med, Ramipril. 

 

I hope you come back and update us on how you are doing. 

[Rockingchaircat]

On 2/3/2019 at 2:25 PM, JackieDecides said:

@Rockingchaircat

 

I also have high blood pressure but I struggle with getting it under control and I wonder about the side affects of my BP med, Ramipril. 

 

I hope you come back and update us on how you are doing. 

It is slowly getting under control. I've had to institute a bit more radical dietary change in order to lose weight more quickly. 

 

I've still a ways to go. But, there is a light at the end of the tunnel. Just last week, two days in a row I managed to get my BP to normal range (120's). My cardiologist tells me that if I lose another 40 or so more pounds I could go off the meds entirely.

 

But here's the weird part. I have lost a bit. I'm down several pants size since I'd gotten off the Anti-D's. I weighed in, and I'm still appalled about how far I need to go. I'm even more appalled when I realize just how much I'd 'filled out' prior. In retrospect, it shouldn't have come as any surprise that my BP had gotten so high.

 

But here's the silver lining. I'm dieting pretty close to what I did 30 years ago; but I'm nowhere near as cranky now, as I was then, or was during my other weight loss episodes since. 

I'm thinking that my Anti-Depressant withdrawal, gave me a new perspective in regards to what real discomfort is.

 

Weight loss dieting- not so bad now.

[ChessieCat]

Hi rockingchaircat,

 

Thanks for coming back to update us on how your are.  It is very much appreciated.

 

3 hours ago, Rockingchaircat said:

I'm thinking that my Anti-Depressant withdrawal, gave me a new perspective in regards to what real discomfort is.

 

That's an interesting observation.  It may not just be that though.  It may also be that you have managed to achieve such a huge goal getting off the drugs that you know that you can meet this challenge too.  And you have also learned patience!

 

All the best to you.

[JackieDecides]

9 hours ago, Rockingchaircat said:

I'm dieting pretty close to what I did 30 years ago; but I'm nowhere near as cranky now, as I was then, or was during my other weight loss episodes since. 

I'm thinking that my Anti-Depressant withdrawal, gave me a new perspective in regards to what real discomfort is.

 

I know it's a cliche but they do say "whatever doesn't kill you, makes you stronger"!  

glad you came back to update us. 

 

[Rockingchaircat]

Day 1358. April 7, 2019- update.

 

It has been four days since my surgical procedure. A Cystolitholaplaxy. (You can find it on Youtube) 

It is what the 'cutting edge' technology uses, to deal with Bladder Stones. Which for me, were the Kidney stones that passed down from my kidneys but didn't exit my bladder. All 20 of them that took up residence in my bladder and did their very best to turn the inside into a scraped mess. That's because just about every time I urinated, I passed blood (Hematuria). 

 

So why am I mentioning this? Because it's part of my recovery. I used as part of my recovery- megadoses of calcium. In hindsight I think it may have been largely placebo. But at the time, even placebo was needed.  Thus as a result of those high doses, I developed kidney stones nee bladder stones. 

 

Of which, the medical doctors put me under a general anesthesia. Which came with its own problems- including a number of drugs related to the Benzodiazipines that I struggled to get off of before the antidepressants. Essentially, during the last couple of days, I've been  reoccurring the benzo withdrawal.  It sucks. But, it passes as well. And I also got a bit of the anti-d withdrawal too.

 

I also got a one time tab of Oxycontin. They gave me more, but I flushed them down the toilet. I've been through the withdrawal of that more times than I care to count. 

Well the upside is, I'm over the pain of having a Yahtzee bag of dice rolling around my bladder. Now I'm dealing with the slowly healing of my urethra burning like a fire when I urinate, and dealing with making sure that I void completely- even though it hurts something fierce every time.

 

I will also mention- the Foley Catheter, and the amount of bleeding that I've been doing. A lot at first, I got my wife to give me several of her maxipads. I've used most of them up. since. But I'm walking now without looking like I'm doing the Ministry of silly walks.

 

I'm hoping that this will be the end of it for the rest of my life, as this is something I do not care to go through ever again. But, kidney stones run in the family. So I will have to be careful.

 

I really detest what my trusting Pharmaceuticals have done to me. And for me. 

 

Another update- my blood pressure is down now. Before the surgery- I was down in the One hundred teens on a regular basis. This has led me to cut down on the blood pressure pills.  So, I will continue to work on losing weight, so that eventually I can eliminate them entirely. It comes off slowly, but steadily.

[Mikegs96]

How long did it take for the Derealization to go away for you?

[curiousnootropics]

How are you doing? Still here?

[Roserdl]

This is the story I needed.  I reinstated zoloft due to severe symptoms and now have to taper off.  Fortunately I avoided the benzos trap.  The zoloft reinstatement was only a partial success.  I am I think as stable as I am going to get and now the taper.  Ugh.  But it seems a lot of these stories have multiple updosed and then heal and I can too

[Rockingchaircat]

@curiousnootropics

 

Yeah, I'm still alive. I've not been on SA for some time.

 

Still recovering a bit, but the vast majority of symptoms are gone.

 

Edited August 2, 2022 by ChessieCat
Resized font and fixed up tag

[ChessieCat]

2 hours ago, Rockingchaircat said:

but the vast majority of symptoms are gone.

 

That's great news.  Thanks for updating.

[Rockingchaircat]

Day 2572 (give or take).

 

Derealization- still occurs every now and again for me. But like so many of the other, earlier and nasty withdrawal symptoms, they've toned down into a 'once or twice in a blue moon'.

 

However, I do have some long term affects that I STILL have to deal with:

1) Restless leg- this occurs spontaneously whenever I try to sleep- no rime or rhythm to it. Now (most times) it isn't a problem if I stay up late (past 9:00) then go to bed. But I still wake up shortly after, but then go back to sleep within a few minutes. 

 

My way of dealing: either get up for about a half hour, or just lie in bed and 'shake my leg'.

 

2) Anxiety attacks- post sickness, or worse post sleeping in. My usual wake up time has been near 3 in the morning. Most of the time, if 'sleep in' all the way to 5, sometimes 6, I occasionally get an hours long anxiety attack. One that lasts usually till after noon. That being said, the level of anxiety has become muted and I'd say its gotten down to a third if not a fourth of my previous - can't stand to do anything- mood.

The post sickness anxiety attacks, are the same, but they last in the morning for several days. My post Covid bout, lasted only 2.

 

My way of dealing: face my fears, and remind myself that life so far hasn't been anywhere near as bad as my paranoid mind has conjured up. Some days are easier than others.

 

3) Depressive/Nasty Fatigue days- I still get those. Though I have discovered/come to the conclusion, that they've been occurring most because I am Lactose Intolerant. I drink cow milk (any animal milk), the next day I'm down for the count and depressive. True I get to catch up on sleep- but it's invariably, not good sleep.

 

My way of dealing with it: Avoid (animal) dairy foods- even if it has been cooked.

 

Which segues into this:

My weight problems- I was morbidly obese a year ago. This morning I weighed in at slightly above my 'Normal BMI' (overweight still); but I'm still improving/losing weight and have been for the last year. 

How? By switching to the "Low Fat/Whole Foods/Plant Based Diet".  Of this, I will not post a link and instead instruct any reader to look it up themselves. I'm not going to preach.

 

Other than- this diet helps ameliorate much of my remaining symptoms, my anxiety tends to have become more annoyances that last for shorter amounts of time. My restless leg 'urge' only takes up part of a leg, and for much shorter amounts of time as well.  My nasty fatigue- far less often. Once in a while I'm surprised by some random food someone assured me contains no dairy. Only to find out- too late- that it does.

And my Libido?

Yeah, that works better now too.

 

Good luck to everyone out there.

 

You can do this. It's TOTALLY Worth the effort.

 

[Roserdl]

Did you have blunting of positive feelings?