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Sudden fear, terror, panic, anxiety, or sensory overload from withdrawal


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Hmm, in my case, being on psych meds long term has damaged my sleep system.   Any anxiety I have is due to not finding any help from sleep doctors and trying everything I can to think of to solve the problem to no avail.

 

Be careful about blaming anxiety for long term difficulties people are having with meds.   Just because you found it may be true in your case doesn't mean it is applicable to other folks.

 

Hi, I thought I'd chime in here on your comment because I have had major sleep problems of like 13 years. I was 22 and had been on antidepressants since I was 10 and all of a sudden I started to realize that I couldn't sleep for more than 5 hours a night. Here I am 13 years later and I only sleep between 3 and 5 hours a night. I've taken every antidepressant and cold turkeyed most of them. I got off my last medication, luvox, 15 months ago and my sleep hasn't improved. I also have sleep apnea, which is mild, but I tried the Cpap and after 6 weeks it hadn't helped me get more sleep so I stopped using it. My AHI is 10 so it's not like I'm a bad case. The real sleep experts will tell you that chronic insomnia is a breathing problem. When I first learned this I realized I couldn't breathe through my nose. I started using nasal saline spray and after a week it started to really help my condition and I was able to sleep deeper and get maybe an extra half hour of sleep. If you can't breathe well through your nose try doing this and see how it goes? I guess I didn't realize how well one is supposed to breathe through their nose and then I went to an ENT and he told me I had a major problem. Hopefully this helps you. Let me know.

Luvox - 2011 - Feb 2016

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My life has been fine since I settled with my problems coming from anxiety, worth a shot. No need to start WW3 over this I said possible cure for some not for all

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  • Moderator Emeritus

has anyone ever really taken the time to think about what's happening to them. I'm talking people that are "1-3" years out, have you guys ever thought that maybe you're in a severe anxiety loop ? I went 7 months thinking I was suffering from withdrawal before I figured out it could be anxiety, I tried a program to help with it and in less then a week I was almost symptom free. All withdrawal symptoms are also anxiety symptoms.

 

My life has been fine since I settled with my problems coming from anxiety, worth a shot. No need to start WW3 over this I said possible cure for some not for all

 

I didn't see any WW3 b305m.  A nice roundtable discussion.  You did say...."all withdrawal symptoms are also anxiety symptoms" as well as "possible cure for some".  Sometimes it's just ?semantics or wording .......IDK...........we do lack the non verbal cues and all.  I'm not sure what I would attribute all withdrawal symptoms to myself at this point........I just keep going, do the best I can, happy to have coping skills in place, and also to be open to new ones as well........as well as reaching my own truths I guess.......from considering it all......over time.......and with all the information that is so readily available.  Also so thankful to have my brain back........sheesh, the cognitive decline/distortion phase was hard, is so hard for many of us for awhile.  I am also just not real fond of any or all psych terms any more........such as depression, anxiety, bipolar, schizophrenia, and all the rest...........and there are many.

 

So......I enjoyed reading the different takes and viewpoints.  And glad you are well.  And do appreciate your sharing.

 

love, peace, healing, and growth

 

manymoretodays

 

okay.....well maybe a nice trapezoid table discussion....... :)

Late 2023- gone to emeritus status, inactive, don't @ me, I can check who I've posted on, and I'm not really here like I used to be......thanks.

Started with psycho meds/psychiatric care circa 1988.  In retrospect, and on contemplation, situational overwhelm.

Rounding up to 30 years of medications(30 medication trials, poly-pharmacy maximum was 3 at one time).

5/28/2015-off Adderal salts 2.5mg. (I had been on that since hospital 10/2014)

12/2015---just holding, holding, holding, with trileptal/oxcarb at 75 mg. 1/2 tab at hs.  My last psycho med ever!  Tapered @ 10% every 4 weeks, sometimes 2 weeks to

2016 Dec 16 medication free!!

Longer signature post here, with current supplements.

Herb and alcohol free since 5/15/2016.  And.....I quit smoking 11/2021. Lapsed.  Redo of quit smoking 9/28/2022.  Can you say Hallelujah?(took me long enough)💜

None of my posts are intended as medical advice.  Please discuss any decisions about your medical care with a knowledgeable medical provider.  My success story:  Blue skies ahead, clear sailing

 

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  • 1 month later...
On 2013-08-29 at 1:07 PM, primrose said:

** merged from The anxiety symptom - does it ever go away? **

...

 

The worry tree is one such tool, it's excellent, and this is helping me get through the days in a much comfier way than before.  Here it is http://www.docstoc.com/docs/117136177/handout-worry-tree

 

I would love to see this link but it appears not to be working. Does anyone have a good link for this coping tool?

Edited by scallywag
trim quote to relevant portion for readability

Effexor XR 300 (brand) mg & various SSRIs 15 yrs (Effexor XR 300 mg past 10 yrs

Clonazepam, 1.0 mg. am, .5 mg pm. - 15 yrs, 7-17-16- Began .5 three times a day

Vyvanse 60 mg, - 2 yrs, Cut to 50 mg for 6 mths, Cut to 30 mg. on 4-1-16. Tapering.

Approx. 4-1-15 began Effexor XR 300 taper, very slowly for a year. Held at 37.5 for about 3 mths. Cut to 18 mg for 2 wks to 0. WD began 2 wks later. Depression, anxiety, paranoia, low appetite, nausea.

7-14-16-Reinstated 5 beads Effx after 4 mths misery.Pooped out 10 days.

9-12-16-to present- Wide eyed terror, bedridden fear, no appetite/feeling of being full.

10-30-16- Began 15% liquid tapering of 30 mg Vyvanse. (25 mg)

11-13-16- Liquid Vyvanse 22 mg,11-27-16- Liquid 15 mg, 12-12-16- Vyvanse 12.5 for 5 days. 12-16 - 12-29, 15 mg.

11-20-16- Switched back to 1.0 clonazepam am & .5 bedtime

12-30-16- Moved to 15 mg COMPOUNDED Vyvanse.Current 4/11-4/25 7.5 mg.(10% ev 2 wks) Off Vyvanse

Current meds:Effexor XR- 3 Beads, Clonazepam-1.0 mg am, .5 mg bedtime,Vyvanse-(tapering) Estradiol- 2

mg,Progesterone 200 mg,Testosterone 30 mg/ml,Nature Throid- 48.75 mg.(12-21-16-65 mg.) (4-18-17-81.25 mg) Current supplements: Fish Oil-1360 mg, Curamin- 2706 mg.

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* NO LONGER ACTIVE on SA *

MISSION ACCOMPLISHED:  (6 year taper)      0mg Pristiq  on 13th November 2021

ADs since ~1992:  25+ years - 1 unknown, Prozac (muscle weakness), Zoloft; citalopram (pooped out) CTed (very sick for 2.5 wks a few months after); Pristiq:  50mg 2012, 100mg beg 2013 (Serotonin Toxicity)  Tapering from Oct 2015 - 13 Nov 2021   LAST DOSE 0.0025mg

Post 0 updates start here    My tapering program     My Intro (goes to tapering graph)

 VIDEO:   Antidepressant Withdrawal Syndrome and its Management

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On 2017-04-18 at 10:03 PM, emergingfromhell said:

Anxiety tips:

1. When panicking, holding ice, getting in a really hot bath, running or doing push ups can be good bc your heart is racing due to a threat it doesn't understand...
....

19. Focus on today. ....

Brilliant list EFH thanks I will put this list in my toolkit I'm getting together for my third time going for beads out of capsule .

thanks again

PB

Edited by scallywag
trim quoted text for readability

Alcohol free since February 2015 

1MG diazepam

4.5MG PROZAC.

 

 

 

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epsom salt bath... for anxiety 

EFT on utube the one with the guy in the red shirt

vit b 5 

taurine 

magnesium citrate ground up put in water sipped know when you had enough as too much is trouble

mindfulness the power of now book... 

knowing it did not kill you last time and it won't this time so how do you want to live thru it... distraction is a huge bonus music cartoons.. if it is out of control go for a tromp... not a walk this must be done with determination and guts ... as going out when this is on feels like life and death.... so it is a tromp done with power and authority.. pray your ass off. 

peace

WARNING THIS WILL BE LONG
Had a car accident in 85
Codeine was the pain med when I was release from hosp continuous use till 89
Given PROZAC by a specialist to help with nerve pain in my leg 89-90 not sure which year
Was not told a thing about it being a psych med thought it was a pain killer no info about psych side effects I went nuts had hallucinations. As I had a head injury and was diagnosed with a concussion in 85 I was sent to a head injury clinic in 1990 five years after the accident. I don't think they knew I had been on prozac I did not think it a big deal and never did finish the bottle of pills. I had tests of course lots of them. Was put into a pain clinic and given amitriptyline which stopped the withdrawal but had many side effects. But I could sleep something I had not done in a very long time the pain lessened. My mother got cancer in 94 they switched my meds to Zoloft to help deal with this pressure as I was her main care giver she died in 96. I stopped zoloft in 96 had withdrawal was put on paxil went nutty quit it ct put on resperidol quit it ct had withdrawal was put on Effexor... 2years later celexa was added 20mg then increased to 40mg huge personality change went wild. Did too fast taper off Celexa 05 as I felt unwell for a long time prior... quit Effexor 150mg ct 07 found ****** 8 months into withdrawal learned some things was banned from there in 08 have kept learning since. there is really not enough room here to put my history but I have a lot of opinions about a lot of things especially any of the drugs mentioned above.
One thing I would like to add here is this tidbit ALL OPIATES INCREASE SEROTONIN it is not a huge jump to being in chronic pain to being put on an ssri/snri and opiates will affect your antidepressants and your thinking.

As I do not update much I will put my quit date Nov. 17 2007 I quit Effexor cold turkey. 

http://survivingantidepressants.org/index.php?/topic/1096-introducing-myself-btdt/

There is a crack in everything ..That's how the light gets in :)

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  • 1 month later...
On 4/10/2017 at 11:38 PM, ProzacWasCreatedBySatan1 said:

Very possible for some, the only reason I don't think that is the case for me is that I still have a lot of physical pain, and alcohol feels way different to me. Physical withdrawl or not, I am interested in the program. What is it called?

 

Disclaimer:  I'm not saying that anxiety is part of your problem; this is a general statement.  The presence of real problems doesn't preclude anxiety.  Consider this analogy:  You have a cut wound on your hand.  Every time you pick up a pencil, your hand starts bleeding.  Someone suggests to you that the reason your hand keeps bleeding is because you keep picking up pencils.  "Nonsense!", you say, "I've picked up pencils my entire life, and not once has doing so ever caused my hand to bleed."  To this I say, "In the past, your hand was never injured.  Now it is.  Now, every time you pick up that pencil, it rubs against the freshly formed scab, and removes it.  This causes the hand to bleed.  The scab is constantly rubbed off, and the hand never had a chance to heal, even though you cut it three months ago.  If you simply stop picking items up for a week, the hand will be healed enough so that you can pick up pencils without a problem."

 

In other words, perhaps our healthy brains can deal with anxiety pretty well.  However, a brain that has been injured by withdrawal is constantly re-irritated by the anxiety, which would ordinarily be quite insignificant.  Your physical withdrawal symptoms are real, as are mine.  Maybe if we could relax for a little while, we would heal.

 

I had a major setback in October.  I have recovered pretty well (it's now late July).  By coincidence, a friend had a discontinuation event that triggered massive symptoms around the same time.  She is no closer to being better.  She doesn't get any cardiovascular exercise, and is under massively more stress than I am.  It wouldn't surprise me if this is why she hasn't recovered.

various SSRI for years

 

20 mg Lyrica 2010

30 mg to 0 mg Prozac 2012

Reinstate 20 mg Prozac 2012

Drop to 19 mg Prozac 2013

Reinstate 20 mg Prozac 1 month later (2013)

Gradual decrease of Prozac dosage starting in late summer of 2015, currently at 11.2 mg/day

 

use of vitamin D3, fish oil, and magnesium at various times

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Did I think about it ? Yes.
Did I try something similar ? Yes, like everything else that's possible to try.

Why is that not the case ?
I suffer from typical withdrawal syndrome; At first, I was very confused. I have amnesia when it comes to my personality and I don't know who I was before. I've lost everything in my life that there is to lose when it comes to mental health.
Cognitive abilities: that I struggled with the most during withdrawal. I couldn't concentrate at all, I couldn't think because it felt like I couldn't form thoughts in my mind, I still, sadly, have that feeling like everything in my mind is foggy, when someone was talking to me - I couldn't understand what they were talking about at all and I couldn't process moderately complex sentences that fast like a normal person would do it without any problem (hey, guys, good freaking news, this got better after months of trying).
Got physical problems: stomach problems, terrible colds, higher body temperature, problems with swallowing, couldn't breathe properly through nose and couldn't feel a smell of things without even having a runny nose, my vision became worse and many other things.

Mental health issues: obsessions and compulsions, paying a lot of money for testing my health because of obsessions so I could maybe even call that hypochondria, severe depressive episode where I thought that I would live in that horrible state forever (most of us think like that because the process of healing is very slow) and that made me feel suicidal, high anxiety levels, panic attacks etc.

You have no idea how glad am I that you feel a lot better. That's truly wonderful and awesome. Keep going, okay ? I'm only a bit older than you, I've been on medications for 4 years and I've changed around 20 medications. It's good that you're trying to find what might be going on with you and that you tried to help us. We appreciate it.

 

And again, I'm so glad that you're not experiencing this. Have a great life!

My withdrawal journey (click)

 

"If you're going through hell - keep going".

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  • 2 weeks later...

I was thinking about this some more, and have a suggestion.  Discussing the merits of the anxiety hypothesis will only get us so far.  In the interest of trying to determine whether the anxiety hypothesis is valid or not, I suggest that we post whether anxiety/fibromyalgia-type issues were part of life before post-acute withdrawal became an issue.  For me, they were.  

 

I believe (I am not stating anything as fact.  I am stating my current understanding as it applies to me) that there are different types of anxiety/fibromyalgia problems.  I believe that there is a subset of anxiety that causes physical problems.  This anxiety might be manifested now, or it might have manifested in the past to such an extreme degree that it caused changes in the way our minds/brains process information.  Fight or flight centers in our brains might be hyper-aroused so that stimuli such as physical injury or withdrawal symptoms might affect some of us more than others.  

 

I will admit, I am holding onto this hypothesis because it's my last hope.  I have tried since 2012 to discontinue Prozac, but am still on it due to withdrawal symptoms that manifest whenever I try to taper off.  I have noticed that during periods of high stress, withdrawal symptoms become MUCH worse than when I'm not under as much stress.  From a purely physiological perspective, this makes sense.  Stress is not just a subjective emotional state, it's also associated with the release of various chemicals by various tissues.  Cortisol, for instance, floods the body (including the brain) when we are under stress.  Cortisol alters the parameters of many neurological functions.  If neurons are already dysregulated, what would be the effect of introducing cortisol to these neurons?

 

I might be right, I might be wrong.  I think my suggestion regarding posting whether anxiety/fibromyalgia-type issues were with us prior to Post-acute withdrawal would allow for a more complete picture to emerge.

various SSRI for years

 

20 mg Lyrica 2010

30 mg to 0 mg Prozac 2012

Reinstate 20 mg Prozac 2012

Drop to 19 mg Prozac 2013

Reinstate 20 mg Prozac 1 month later (2013)

Gradual decrease of Prozac dosage starting in late summer of 2015, currently at 11.2 mg/day

 

use of vitamin D3, fish oil, and magnesium at various times

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3 hours ago, music321 said:

I was thinking about this some more, and have a suggestion.  Discussing the merits of the anxiety hypothesis will only get us so far.  In the interest of trying to determine whether the anxiety hypothesis is valid or not, I suggest that we post whether anxiety/fibromyalgia-type issues were part of life before post-acute withdrawal became an issue.  For me, they were.  

 

I believe (I am not stating anything as fact.  I am stating my current understanding as it applies to me) that there are different types of anxiety/fibromyalgia problems.  I believe that there is a subset of anxiety that causes physical problems.  This anxiety might be manifested now, or it might have manifested in the past to such an extreme degree that it caused changes in the way our minds/brains process information.  Fight or flight centers in our brains might be hyper-aroused so that stimuli such as physical injury or withdrawal symptoms might affect some of us more than others.  

 

I will admit, I am holding onto this hypothesis because it's my last hope.  I have tried since 2012 to discontinue Prozac, but am still on it due to withdrawal symptoms that manifest whenever I try to taper off.  I have noticed that during periods of high stress, withdrawal symptoms become MUCH worse than when I'm not under as much stress.  From a purely physiological perspective, this makes sense.  Stress is not just a subjective emotional state, it's also associated with the release of various chemicals by various tissues.  Cortisol, for instance, floods the body (including the brain) when we are under stress.  Cortisol alters the parameters of many neurological functions.  If neurons are already dysregulated, what would be the effect of introducing cortisol to these neurons?

 

I might be right, I might be wrong.  I think my suggestion regarding posting whether anxiety/fibromyalgia-type issues were with us prior to Post-acute withdrawal would allow for a more complete picture to emerge.

hi music ,I love this post .I think you are on the correct path from my understanding of anxiety and panic conditions .I have done loads of research on this ,I've traced my own and my  fathers past .its only in the last 2 years I've woken up to the fact I've had anxiety my whole life  ,it totally explains why I  loved alcohol from a young age [2.5 years sober now ].

without question growing up with anxiety has blighted my development ,the anxiety brain just cant develop the same [very painful to admit this ].

the other week my father was going on about he's knee like it was crushed in a vice ,he went to the doctor and x-rays[wasted money ]the whole time I was telling him its just fluid on the knee and keep an eye on it because it will clear on its own ,so what you say about how someone with anxiety processes situations is very true .the real work starts for me when off these meds ,because there's always been something in my system to appease anxiety .how many people on street drugs or in AA have an undiagnosed anxiety condition ticking away at them and don't realise what it is .

the amount of memories I have flooding back to me about my past now through introspection [painful at times ],but its all part of the understanding and progressing away from meds .the world just isn't set up or prepared to deal with people with anxiety disorders .

I could go on for days on this :D,ramble over  haha

Take care .

Alcohol free since February 2015 

1MG diazepam

4.5MG PROZAC.

 

 

 

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1 hour ago, powerback said:

hi music ,I love this post .I think you are on the correct path from my understanding of anxiety and panic conditions .I have done loads of research on this ,I've traced my own and my  fathers past .its only in the last 2 years I've woken up to the fact I've had anxiety my whole life  ,it totally explains why I  loved alcohol from a young age [2.5 years sober now ].

without question growing up with anxiety has blighted my development ,the anxiety brain just cant develop the same [very painful to admit this ].

the other week my father was going on about he's knee like it was crushed in a vice ,he went to the doctor and x-rays[wasted money ]the whole time I was telling him its just fluid on the knee and keep an eye on it because it will clear on its own ,so what you say about how someone with anxiety processes situations is very true .the real work starts for me when off these meds ,because there's always been something in my system to appease anxiety .how many people on street drugs or in AA have an undiagnosed anxiety condition ticking away at them and don't realise what it is .

the amount of memories I have flooding back to me about my past now through introspection [painful at times ],but its all part of the understanding and progressing away from meds .the world just isn't set up or prepared to deal with people with anxiety disorders .

I could go on for days on this :D,ramble over  haha

Take care .

Powerback ,I totally agree with what you are saying , I had this kinda built in anxiety way before I started meds , when I was young and now I am of the meds I still have that level of anxiety , what I didn't have is the crippling depression that I now have , I believe that it is ingrained into us , I have terrible memories of my whole life concerning anxiety , every emotional or happy thought I have from over the years have anxiety in there , so even though I'm med free I think the anxiety will live with me untill the day I die 

2001 to jan 2015 Effexor 150 mg 

jan 2015 15 mg mirtazapine 20 mg quetiapine 

feb 2015 quetiapine stopped 

feb 2015 30 mg of citalopram added 

feb 2015 mirtazapine increased to 30 mg 

july 2015 citalopram stopped 

sept 2015 200mg of pregabalin 

jan 2017 mirtazapine stopped

jan 2017 20 mg fluoxetine

march 2017 all meds stopped 

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18 hours ago, Terry4949 said:

Powerback ,I totally agree with what you are saying , I had this kinda built in anxiety way before I started meds , when I was young and now I am of the meds I still have that level of anxiety , what I didn't have is the crippling depression that I now have , I believe that it is ingrained into us , I have terrible memories of my whole life concerning anxiety , every emotional or happy thought I have from over the years have anxiety in there , so even though I'm med free I think the anxiety will live with me untill the day I die 

Hi Terry ,ye me to but since we know now we can learn and understand everything about the anxiety and panic conditions,I think the main thing is to take the ego out of it and try to  be more compassionate to ourselves .diet and CBT and coping mechanisms ,there's loads of research in

our favour to help us .

I agree about the depression ,it's such a painful thing to have but believe its only a tiny part of us and it won't beat us 

Take care .

PB

Alcohol free since February 2015 

1MG diazepam

4.5MG PROZAC.

 

 

 

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  • JanCarol changed the title to Possible relief for some - addressing anxiety
  • 5 weeks later...

Hopeful here that not feeding the anxiety will help lessen it. Acceptance. It's pretty bad though and definitely comes in waves. I breathe through them. I try to connect deeply inside myelf, to know that I am whole. That all things change and pass. And that I can do this a day at a time. With all of your stories and support <3

2001- Klonopin 0.125 mg.  2011- increase to 1 mg.  2018- increase to 1.5 mg 

2010- Trials of SSRI's, several.

2011- Saphris 5 mg. CT. 6/2017- retry Saphris 5 mg sublingual, begin taper August 2020 10% taper with scale, and final taper liquid sublingual, August 2019- taper complete!

2011- Geodon 20 mg. Begin taper Sept 2019. 10% liquid taper. 2020: December-5 mg. 2021: Jan-4.5mg. (held Feb.for vacation). March-4mg. Apr-3.6mg. May-3.2mg. June-2.8mg. (Held July for vacation). Aug-2.4mg. Sept.- 2.2mg. Oct. 2mg. Dec 2022 - Taper complete!

2011- Gabapentin 300 mg to present- 2020. Increase 2023 to 400mg.

2014- Vyvanse 20 mg, 2020- Vyvanse 5 mg. Increase August 2022 20mg

2016- Lithium 300 mg, June 2016 - FT.

2017- Cogentin 0.5 mg. June-August 2019- off Cogentin.

2021 - Hydroxyzine 30mg. Holding.

Omeprazole 20 mg and holding, Omega 3's/fish oil, Magnesium

 

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  • 2 weeks later...

Does anyone else have constant dysphoria/terror that doesn't let up? Not like a panic attack with start and beginning. Constant unease. 

Aug-Dec 2015 Prozac 20mg / Dec 2015-Feb 2016 Prozac 15mg / Feb 2016-May2016 Prozac 20mg

May 2016-June 2016 15mg

June 2016-August 2016 10mg

October 2016-January 2017 15mg, alternating agitation/akathisia sets in --> cold turkey

January 2017 Clonazepam .5mg 

February 2017 Clonazepam 1mg (for a week) then .5mg morning and .25mg evening for about a month. Came down to .25mg morning and evening. 

May 1, 2017 Clonazepam .25mg morning and .125mg evening. // May 20, 2017 Clonazepam .25mg morning and .0625 evening (.3125 total).

early June .28125 // early mid june .25mg // mid june .21875 // late june .1875 // early july .15625 // early mid july .125 

mid july .09375mg // late july .0625 //early August 2017 down to .03125mg once a day, hopped off in mid August

reinstated at .0625mg late August // Oct 16 - updose to .07mg and switch to oral Rosemont solution

Nov 17 2017 reinstate Prozac .5mg // Nov 21 2017 prozac 1.6mg // Dec 18 2017  3mg prozac / fast taper off the reinstatement -- probably completely off early Oct 2018

June 2019 begin tapering off .07mg Clonazepam, Finish taper December 2019

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10 minutes ago, bheb said:

Does anyone else have constant dysphoria/terror that doesn't let up? Not like a panic attack with start and beginning. Constant unease. 

Oh my gosh! Yes, I had this until I held and stablized. It is a feeling beyond panic. Terror is right. I had to keep telling myself: What is the fear? Is it real? Someone here actually wrote about it and it helped me so much. My brain fog is not helping me remember who!

 

2001- Klonopin 0.125 mg.  2011- increase to 1 mg.  2018- increase to 1.5 mg 

2010- Trials of SSRI's, several.

2011- Saphris 5 mg. CT. 6/2017- retry Saphris 5 mg sublingual, begin taper August 2020 10% taper with scale, and final taper liquid sublingual, August 2019- taper complete!

2011- Geodon 20 mg. Begin taper Sept 2019. 10% liquid taper. 2020: December-5 mg. 2021: Jan-4.5mg. (held Feb.for vacation). March-4mg. Apr-3.6mg. May-3.2mg. June-2.8mg. (Held July for vacation). Aug-2.4mg. Sept.- 2.2mg. Oct. 2mg. Dec 2022 - Taper complete!

2011- Gabapentin 300 mg to present- 2020. Increase 2023 to 400mg.

2014- Vyvanse 20 mg, 2020- Vyvanse 5 mg. Increase August 2022 20mg

2016- Lithium 300 mg, June 2016 - FT.

2017- Cogentin 0.5 mg. June-August 2019- off Cogentin.

2021 - Hydroxyzine 30mg. Holding.

Omeprazole 20 mg and holding, Omega 3's/fish oil, Magnesium

 

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  • 2 weeks later...
On 9/24/2017 at 5:41 PM, DMV64 said:

. It is a feeling beyond panic. Terror is right

Do you ever get terror attacks though? The terror is pretty much constant but sometimes it will really rev up for brief time, so when that happens for me I think it's a combination with panic. But the constant terror/dysphoria is definitely distinct.

 

Hope you've been getting some relief

Aug-Dec 2015 Prozac 20mg / Dec 2015-Feb 2016 Prozac 15mg / Feb 2016-May2016 Prozac 20mg

May 2016-June 2016 15mg

June 2016-August 2016 10mg

October 2016-January 2017 15mg, alternating agitation/akathisia sets in --> cold turkey

January 2017 Clonazepam .5mg 

February 2017 Clonazepam 1mg (for a week) then .5mg morning and .25mg evening for about a month. Came down to .25mg morning and evening. 

May 1, 2017 Clonazepam .25mg morning and .125mg evening. // May 20, 2017 Clonazepam .25mg morning and .0625 evening (.3125 total).

early June .28125 // early mid june .25mg // mid june .21875 // late june .1875 // early july .15625 // early mid july .125 

mid july .09375mg // late july .0625 //early August 2017 down to .03125mg once a day, hopped off in mid August

reinstated at .0625mg late August // Oct 16 - updose to .07mg and switch to oral Rosemont solution

Nov 17 2017 reinstate Prozac .5mg // Nov 21 2017 prozac 1.6mg // Dec 18 2017  3mg prozac / fast taper off the reinstatement -- probably completely off early Oct 2018

June 2019 begin tapering off .07mg Clonazepam, Finish taper December 2019

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5 hours ago, bheb said:

Do you ever get terror attacks though? The terror is pretty much constant but sometimes it will really rev up for brief time, so when that happens for me I think it's a combination with panic. But the constant terror/dysphoria is definitely distinct.

 

Hope you've been getting some relief

Thank you. Yes, I have been feeling a lot better just holding. ❤️

2001- Klonopin 0.125 mg.  2011- increase to 1 mg.  2018- increase to 1.5 mg 

2010- Trials of SSRI's, several.

2011- Saphris 5 mg. CT. 6/2017- retry Saphris 5 mg sublingual, begin taper August 2020 10% taper with scale, and final taper liquid sublingual, August 2019- taper complete!

2011- Geodon 20 mg. Begin taper Sept 2019. 10% liquid taper. 2020: December-5 mg. 2021: Jan-4.5mg. (held Feb.for vacation). March-4mg. Apr-3.6mg. May-3.2mg. June-2.8mg. (Held July for vacation). Aug-2.4mg. Sept.- 2.2mg. Oct. 2mg. Dec 2022 - Taper complete!

2011- Gabapentin 300 mg to present- 2020. Increase 2023 to 400mg.

2014- Vyvanse 20 mg, 2020- Vyvanse 5 mg. Increase August 2022 20mg

2016- Lithium 300 mg, June 2016 - FT.

2017- Cogentin 0.5 mg. June-August 2019- off Cogentin.

2021 - Hydroxyzine 30mg. Holding.

Omeprazole 20 mg and holding, Omega 3's/fish oil, Magnesium

 

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  • 1 month later...
  • Administrator

Yes, we recommend the same techniques to manage withdrawal symptoms that you might use to manage ordinary anxiety.

 

However, the neurological uproar of withdrawal can exaggerate ordinary feelings of anxiety and generate surges that feel like panic attacks all on its own.

 

See

 

Neuro-emotions

 

Dealing With Emotional Spirals

This is not medical advice. Discuss any decisions about your medical care with a knowledgeable medical practitioner.

"It has become appallingly obvious that our technology has surpassed our humanity." -- Albert Einstein

All postings © copyrighted.

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  • 5 months later...

Who has been on antidepressants from the beginning because of severe anxiety and now that you are in withdrawals the anxiety is worse then it was before? How do you cope? I mean I’m talking about where you are anxious all day constantly on edge. I really don’t know what to do it never goes away. I know it’s part of the withdrawals as well but I had it before going on antidepressants so I know it’s not just withdrawals I feel so lost and don’t know what to do next. I still have not took the Trintellix the doctor wants me to take I’m so scared of the serotonin syndrome and I’m so scared it’s going to make me worse I really need some advice some guidance.

Ativan- Currently taking 3.17 mg 6x a day for 4 years currently doing a liquid taper 

Anafranil- 125 mg was on for 2 years, 2016-March 2018 off only in 2 weeks my last dose was March 6 

Metoprolol-50mg twice daily for 2008-now

Prilosec-40mg once daily 2013-now

Singular-10mg once daily 2013-now

Magnesium-300mg 6 months 

 

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  • Administrator

Fighting, unprecedented severe anxiety is a common withdrawal symptom. Please read this topic and our many other topics about anxiety in the Symptoms forum.

 

If you want to learn about a symptom, first use search in the Symptoms forum and read existing discussions before starting a new topic.

This is not medical advice. Discuss any decisions about your medical care with a knowledgeable medical practitioner.

"It has become appallingly obvious that our technology has surpassed our humanity." -- Albert Einstein

All postings © copyrighted.

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On 8/29/2013 at 9:38 AM, Nikki said:

dealing

I deal with this everyday. It is really hard. I try as many tools as I can muster. It’s hard when the anxiety is so high to think straight. 

2001- Klonopin 0.125 mg.  2011- increase to 1 mg.  2018- increase to 1.5 mg 

2010- Trials of SSRI's, several.

2011- Saphris 5 mg. CT. 6/2017- retry Saphris 5 mg sublingual, begin taper August 2020 10% taper with scale, and final taper liquid sublingual, August 2019- taper complete!

2011- Geodon 20 mg. Begin taper Sept 2019. 10% liquid taper. 2020: December-5 mg. 2021: Jan-4.5mg. (held Feb.for vacation). March-4mg. Apr-3.6mg. May-3.2mg. June-2.8mg. (Held July for vacation). Aug-2.4mg. Sept.- 2.2mg. Oct. 2mg. Dec 2022 - Taper complete!

2011- Gabapentin 300 mg to present- 2020. Increase 2023 to 400mg.

2014- Vyvanse 20 mg, 2020- Vyvanse 5 mg. Increase August 2022 20mg

2016- Lithium 300 mg, June 2016 - FT.

2017- Cogentin 0.5 mg. June-August 2019- off Cogentin.

2021 - Hydroxyzine 30mg. Holding.

Omeprazole 20 mg and holding, Omega 3's/fish oil, Magnesium

 

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I know I can barely do anything I feel like I’m just having a constant anxiety attack, the feeling is terrible 😪

Ativan- Currently taking 3.17 mg 6x a day for 4 years currently doing a liquid taper 

Anafranil- 125 mg was on for 2 years, 2016-March 2018 off only in 2 weeks my last dose was March 6 

Metoprolol-50mg twice daily for 2008-now

Prilosec-40mg once daily 2013-now

Singular-10mg once daily 2013-now

Magnesium-300mg 6 months 

 

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On 5/4/2018 at 5:10 PM, Fightingawar said:

I know I can barely do anything I feel like I’m just having a constant anxiety attack, the feeling is terrible 😪

I know exacly how you feel and it is very normal in WD. But don't sweat it, the fear will too pass. It is important to not dwelve or to not try to understand how and why you have the fear/anxiety. 

 

I went tenfold of CBT courses, many self help books and what not only to understand it's withdrawal and time and only time, (by any means, living as healthy as possible (w/o overdo it)) will help your beautiful body to heal.

 

And remember; healing is inevitable.

-2012  January started Olanzapine 5mg, 7mg, 10mg, 25mg (2 months), 10mg (long time),5mg.

-2016 June 15th quit Olanzapine from 5mg to 0mg CT.

Other drugs; Imovane,Theralene, Propavane, Stesodil, which I took when I needed to. Quit them w/o trouble late 2015.

 

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  • Altostrata changed the title to Sudden fear, terror, panic, or anxiety from withdrawal
  • 1 month later...

Anyone tapering off experience rush of severe anxiety that is overwhelming because of it’s intensity and persistence? I haven’t made any recent reductions or changes in my meds for a full month and my anxiety has taken on a new life.  I feel uncomfortable talking to my parents, my brother.  I just went back to work after vacation and I am starting to feel like I did last year where I left in an ambulance due to severe anxiety.  

 

I have more to post... but need to get back to my job.  

 

I have had Akathisia the last month and it has been really bad.  I try to hide it when I play catch with my daughter because I move back and forth and make strange movements.  I feel like my problems are affecting my wife and children negatively. 

 

 

Citalopram 2 mg

Clonazopam .25 mg

Lamotrigine 150 mg

 

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  • ChessieCat changed the title to Overwhelming anxiety

I had that for the first few weeks of withdrawal. I still get plenty of anxiety, but nothing like before. The only way I could cope was by going on long walks and meditation. Meditation only works here and there.

20+ years EffexorXR 150mg. and Lorazepam PRN <- I rarely took this and never developed a problem.
2017 (nov-dec?) -> Feb 2018 fast taper - flipped out in Feb. Reinstated with 75mg-150mg (?not sure) stabilized
2018 Feb Began year long taper - somehow made it to 50pellets, did fine
          Sept -  17 bbs <-- where I started keeping track
           Oct - 16 bbs, Nov - 15 bbs, Dec - 14 bbs
2019 Jan - 13bbs, Feb - 12bbs, Feb Had problems - found SA
           March 19 - 15bbs,  April 17 - 20bbs  <--Updosing

 

Supplements: Multivitamin,  Fish Oil, B Complex, Magnesium, GABA,  L-Theanine, Inositol

Low sugar/carb diet, plenty of exercise. Meditation
Blood test Results: High in Copper, Low in Zinc, Very high whole blood hystamines

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Good to hear you recovered from the most intense symptoms.  I am still on 7mg of Celexa and my acclimation To reduction of dosage has recovery has been extended past any moment reasonable withdrawal time period.  Many symptoms showing up weeks or even a month after a reduction in dosage. What type of meditation do you do?

Citalopram 2 mg

Clonazopam .25 mg

Lamotrigine 150 mg

 

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the most helpful for me is deep breathing. i take a deep breath, hold it for ten second and exahale. i do that 20 times. then hold my breath for a minute. ill repeat the process 3 times. while im counting to ten i visualize the numbers. the entire thing is pretty physical, but its the only thing that helps with bad anxiety.

20+ years EffexorXR 150mg. and Lorazepam PRN <- I rarely took this and never developed a problem.
2017 (nov-dec?) -> Feb 2018 fast taper - flipped out in Feb. Reinstated with 75mg-150mg (?not sure) stabilized
2018 Feb Began year long taper - somehow made it to 50pellets, did fine
          Sept -  17 bbs <-- where I started keeping track
           Oct - 16 bbs, Nov - 15 bbs, Dec - 14 bbs
2019 Jan - 13bbs, Feb - 12bbs, Feb Had problems - found SA
           March 19 - 15bbs,  April 17 - 20bbs  <--Updosing

 

Supplements: Multivitamin,  Fish Oil, B Complex, Magnesium, GABA,  L-Theanine, Inositol

Low sugar/carb diet, plenty of exercise. Meditation
Blood test Results: High in Copper, Low in Zinc, Very high whole blood hystamines

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The fear/terror is my biggest problem if I didn't have this it would be a lot more tolerable. I have woken up with it every day for the last year, ever since my Dr ct'd me off sertraline 100mg, and put me on 15mg mirtazapine which I took for 3 weeks and ct'd off that. Because it was not helping. 3 months later I was put on 50mg sertraline again last July . Which again never helped so i started to taper from last October. My last jump was too big 32.1mg to 25mg as I was just getting frustrated. This was a month ago. Lately I have had a few new symptoms muscle twitching and waves of fear throughout the day. It's always there. Has anyone else had this as I feel my life is on hold until this stops. Nothing interests me and my appetite is poor. It sometimes let's up slightly by the evening. I still managed to drag myself to work that's about it. I also have pretty severe dpdr where nothing feels real. And my emotions are shot, memory is very poor and concentration. Hoping someone can relate to this? Thanks for reading

1996 prozac 20mg I

1998 Seroxat 

2011 - 2016 citalopram 20mg

2016 fluoxetine upto 40mg for approx 10 weeks 

2016 16th June - until 2018 7th March sertraline 50mg 

propranolol 10mg to take when needed) 

2018 13th March - started mirtazapine 15mg, stopped 03/04/18

2018 2nd July reinstated sertraline 50mg. 

Started tapering October 2018.

Straight swap from 25mg sertraline to 10mg citalopram 18/5/19 stopped 21/6/19 

 

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1 hour ago, A14n said:

woken up with it every day

Hello!

i relate to everything you have written. You are not alone. The fear panic terror is debilitating. I also wake up with it To varying degrees every morning. It definitely does get better by night. Although not always all the way. 

I can say that over time it seems to be getting a little better but I also struggle with finding interest in anything and do/dr.  I have a lot of little rituals that help some. I can share them if you like. 

-D

2001- Klonopin 0.125 mg.  2011- increase to 1 mg.  2018- increase to 1.5 mg 

2010- Trials of SSRI's, several.

2011- Saphris 5 mg. CT. 6/2017- retry Saphris 5 mg sublingual, begin taper August 2020 10% taper with scale, and final taper liquid sublingual, August 2019- taper complete!

2011- Geodon 20 mg. Begin taper Sept 2019. 10% liquid taper. 2020: December-5 mg. 2021: Jan-4.5mg. (held Feb.for vacation). March-4mg. Apr-3.6mg. May-3.2mg. June-2.8mg. (Held July for vacation). Aug-2.4mg. Sept.- 2.2mg. Oct. 2mg. Dec 2022 - Taper complete!

2011- Gabapentin 300 mg to present- 2020. Increase 2023 to 400mg.

2014- Vyvanse 20 mg, 2020- Vyvanse 5 mg. Increase August 2022 20mg

2016- Lithium 300 mg, June 2016 - FT.

2017- Cogentin 0.5 mg. June-August 2019- off Cogentin.

2021 - Hydroxyzine 30mg. Holding.

Omeprazole 20 mg and holding, Omega 3's/fish oil, Magnesium

 

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2 minutes ago, DMV64 said:

Hello!

i relate to everything you have written. You are not alone. The fear panic terror is debilitating. I also wake up with it To varying degrees every morning. It definitely does get better by night. Although not always all the way. 

I can say that over time it seems to be getting a little better but I also struggle with finding interest in anything and do/dr.  I have a lot of little rituals that help some. I can share them if you like. 

-D

DMV64, 

 

Thank you for your reply. If you wouldn't mind sharing that would be good. I've felt this way for so long it feels like it's been forever even though its been around 1 year. Makes no sense to me being afraid of anything and everything 

1996 prozac 20mg I

1998 Seroxat 

2011 - 2016 citalopram 20mg

2016 fluoxetine upto 40mg for approx 10 weeks 

2016 16th June - until 2018 7th March sertraline 50mg 

propranolol 10mg to take when needed) 

2018 13th March - started mirtazapine 15mg, stopped 03/04/18

2018 2nd July reinstated sertraline 50mg. 

Started tapering October 2018.

Straight swap from 25mg sertraline to 10mg citalopram 18/5/19 stopped 21/6/19 

 

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  • 5 weeks later...

I am also struggling with the flooding of sheer terror, it’s not anxiety, this is different and causes anxiety,  but it’s all consuming, constant, and it distorts my thinking. 

 

It causes bizarre intrusive thoughts, burning skin, and perceptual changes and distortions. It’s all the time for no reason, although it gets worse whenever I have to do anything. 

 

I hope this goes away as it is the worst symptom for me. I. Cannot function feeling like this. I can’t meditate either, I used to be able to do 45 min deep deep meditation, now I can’t, when I try to now the terror just revs up. It’s bizarre I could always meditate before. I feel like I am living in a waking nightmare, literally, my world seems distorted from this symptom. 

 

*Currently at 8.2-8.5 mg of my 10mg pill of Paxil (they actually weigh 12.5mg) 

january 2023 I began reducing my med again. I was a 9mg weight for years, I went to 8.9 in January, went to 8.6mg in February, and in March 2023 I went down to 8.5-8.2 mg ( my scale varies, so I stick within that .3 range because of that) 

*No other supplements or vitamins 

*Taper schedule in the pdf 

Blank.pdf

 

https://docs.google.com/document/d/1-5vShtJtwAOGA30OxIP87steLmMdFzD29F0fzAPD564

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I also have much of this type of symptoms. It runs throughout my day. I live in an almost constant state of fear. I always say it’s like a bad acid trip. I hope it gets better for you and for me.

2001- Klonopin 0.125 mg.  2011- increase to 1 mg.  2018- increase to 1.5 mg 

2010- Trials of SSRI's, several.

2011- Saphris 5 mg. CT. 6/2017- retry Saphris 5 mg sublingual, begin taper August 2020 10% taper with scale, and final taper liquid sublingual, August 2019- taper complete!

2011- Geodon 20 mg. Begin taper Sept 2019. 10% liquid taper. 2020: December-5 mg. 2021: Jan-4.5mg. (held Feb.for vacation). March-4mg. Apr-3.6mg. May-3.2mg. June-2.8mg. (Held July for vacation). Aug-2.4mg. Sept.- 2.2mg. Oct. 2mg. Dec 2022 - Taper complete!

2011- Gabapentin 300 mg to present- 2020. Increase 2023 to 400mg.

2014- Vyvanse 20 mg, 2020- Vyvanse 5 mg. Increase August 2022 20mg

2016- Lithium 300 mg, June 2016 - FT.

2017- Cogentin 0.5 mg. June-August 2019- off Cogentin.

2021 - Hydroxyzine 30mg. Holding.

Omeprazole 20 mg and holding, Omega 3's/fish oil, Magnesium

 

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  • 2 weeks later...

this is the worst of all the withdrawal effects for me and the one that is showing no signs of easing anytime soon. i just want to be calm again and not fear everything. i spent days last week feeling terrified about having to return a faulty item to a shop. not nervous, i'm talking terrible fear about what i had to do, and that is just one of many things i fear during the day. these are things that mean nothing to other people yet have the power to reduce me to a quivering crying wreck. i also had a really important appt last week that i was also dreading, and that held the same level of fear for as returnidng the item for a refund. there is no logic to it at all.

Took prozac 40 mg for 20 years.

January 2017 started cutting down prozac by 12.5% a week. End of February 2017 completely off prozac and withdrawals began.

Currently taking Levothyroxine 75 mcg, Magnesium citrate 200mg,Sage leaf 50mg daily

Amlodipine: October 2017 , discontinued 26 Feb 2019; Candesartan:  26 Feb 2019, 4mg.

Discontinued magnesium citrate 200mg Apr 3rd 2019

Reinstated prozac:  14 Jan 2019, 1mg; 26 Jan, 1.5mg; 4 Feb, 2mg; 16 Feb, 2.5mg; 2 Mar, 3mg; 5 Mar, 2.5mg, 23 Mar, 3 mg; 6 Apr, 3.5mg, 14 Apr 4mg, 23 Apr 5mg, 10 Jul 8mg, 1 Dec 20mg, 1 Apr 2020 40mg 

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I know. I can’t make sense of it. Sometimes I am afraid of the people closest to me. The morning is the worst. I hope it ends soon. It’s been a while.  

2001- Klonopin 0.125 mg.  2011- increase to 1 mg.  2018- increase to 1.5 mg 

2010- Trials of SSRI's, several.

2011- Saphris 5 mg. CT. 6/2017- retry Saphris 5 mg sublingual, begin taper August 2020 10% taper with scale, and final taper liquid sublingual, August 2019- taper complete!

2011- Geodon 20 mg. Begin taper Sept 2019. 10% liquid taper. 2020: December-5 mg. 2021: Jan-4.5mg. (held Feb.for vacation). March-4mg. Apr-3.6mg. May-3.2mg. June-2.8mg. (Held July for vacation). Aug-2.4mg. Sept.- 2.2mg. Oct. 2mg. Dec 2022 - Taper complete!

2011- Gabapentin 300 mg to present- 2020. Increase 2023 to 400mg.

2014- Vyvanse 20 mg, 2020- Vyvanse 5 mg. Increase August 2022 20mg

2016- Lithium 300 mg, June 2016 - FT.

2017- Cogentin 0.5 mg. June-August 2019- off Cogentin.

2021 - Hydroxyzine 30mg. Holding.

Omeprazole 20 mg and holding, Omega 3's/fish oil, Magnesium

 

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