Jonathank: Withdrawal symptoms

[Jonathank]

Anybody have problems with impulse control coming off  anti psychotics and antidepressants and benzos. How long did it last?

[Madeleine]

Welcome to the forum Jonathan!  You've found a good place for support when coming off anti-psychotics and ADs.  I think you have not received replies quicker, maybe because you were not that specific in your question and in your description of your situation.  How long were you on the drugs? Are you still tapering, are you off, how did you taper etc.   I think lots of people, if not most experience some kind of change in their thoughts, which could lead to change in actions, when on these drugs, when tapering off, and if they get withdrawal afterwards. 

[Jonathank]

Ive been on medication for over 22 years. I cold turkey off of them. Unfortunately the medical care by me sucks really bad which is why i had to cold turkey. 

It literally feels like I'm losing my mind like i have some from of schizophrenia. everything feels different every day. like it comes and goes. My decision making is really poor can this be from the drugs?

[scallywag]

Jonathank -- Welcome to Surviving Antidepressants (SA)

 

The symptoms you are having are almost certainly the result of sudden discontinuation of psychoactive medication. Please read:

What is withdrawal syndrome.

 

Some questions for you:

1. What medications were you taking when you discontinued?
2. What was the dosages of each?
3. On what actual or approximate date did you take your last medications?
4. Do you still have unused medication available if needed?
5. What are you actually experiencing that you describe as "some form of schizophrenia"?

When we have answers to those questions, we'll be better able to point you to helpful information.

[Jonathank]

I was on pretty much every single one that's out there. I'm really parinoid and my mind won't stop racing my inpulesivity won't stop it feels like I've lost track of time and dates. I jump to one topic to another. My mind won't stop racing. It literally feels I'm going crazy.  I last took gabapentin 6 to 7 weeks ago. But I've been on a variety of different medications. 

[scallywag]

Jonathan

 

We can't help you if we don't have accurate information. Please answer my questions (posted above) as best you can.

[Altostrata]

Hello, Jonathank.

 

When did you start feeling this way? What drug had you gone off of just before these symptoms started?

[Jonathank]

Ive had a host of symptoms. The list of my medications. 

Lithium Carbonate ER 300mg Tablets,

Clonazepam 0.5mg Tablets,

Lithium Carbonate ER 450mg Tablets, 

Risperidone 1mg Tablets,

Klonopin 0.5mg Tablets,

Vraylar 3mg Capsules,

Lorazepam 2mg Tablets,

Venlafaxine ER 75mg Capsules,

Trazodone 50mg Tablets,

Pristiq 50mg Tablets,

Hydroxyzine Hcl 25mg Tabs (White),

Fetzima 20mg Capsules,

Zolpidem 5mg Tablets,

Quetiapine 100mg Tablets,

Lamotrigine 25mg Tablets,

Oxcarbazepine 150mg Tablets,

Gabapentin 600mg Tablets.

 

I was on all these in the last year at different times and did not taper but went off cold turkey. At times it feels like my brain is going haywire. The other problem i have is that Ive been on medication since i was 4 years old. The other intresting thing is that they found out in the last year that majority of them i shouldn't of been on. Which i believe might be causing my stytomps. How long can everything last.

 

Edited June 13, 2017 by scallywag
edit list of medications, put one med per line

[scallywag]

Y

5 hours ago, Jonathank said:

The list of my medications. 

 

Lithium Carbonate ER 300mg Tablets,

Clonazepam 0.5mg Tablets,

Lithium Carbonate ER 450mg Tablets, 

Risperidone 1mg Tablets,

Klonopin 0.5mg Tablets,

Vraylar 3mg Capsules,

Lorazepam 2mg Tablets,

Venlafaxine ER 75mg Capsules,

Trazodone 50mg Tablets,

Pristiq 50mg Tablets,

Hydroxyzine Hcl 25mg Tabs (White),

Fetzima 20mg Capsules,

Zolpidem 5mg Tablets,

Quetiapine 100mg Tablets,

Lamotrigine 25mg Tablets,

Oxcarbazepine 150mg Tablets,

Gabapentin 600mg Tablets.

 

I was on all these in the last year at different times and did not taper but went off cold turkey.

 

 

Thank you for posting the medications and associated doses you were taking in the twelve months before you stopped medications altogether.  That number of medications and switches in whatever combination over the last 12 months is unconscionable. It's absolutely predictable that you would be experiencing severe symptoms. If I were writing the laws for this situation --  psych drug abuse masquerading as treatment -- your doctors would be slowly and painfully tortured (this word used after careful deliberation) with exactly the same sequence of medications you were and the transitions all cold turkey stops.

 
Which of those medications were you taking immediately before you stopped? What was the dose of each medication?

 

To answer your question about how long: Cold turkey cessation is a strong influence on the length of the recovery period -- if you discontinue

• a single medication overnight, you risk longer recovery periods than thoses who have gradually tapered.
• several medications all at once overnight, you are probably looking at many, many months of unpleasant/severe symptoms until you feel recovered.

Edited June 13, 2017 by scallywag

[Jonathank]

The gabapentin 1200 mg I was taking last. Everything else was trial and error.

[scallywag]

How long before your cold turkey off gabapentin was the previous drug start/dosechange/stop? (to the best of your recollection)

[Jonathank]

I believe Trileptal 150 but i took that briefly.

[Jonathank]

Whats funny is I'm a poor metabolizer of CYP2D6. I shouldn't of been on any of these poisons. Lot of my Sytmpms Fluctuates this is HELL but I'm fighting it.

[Jonathank]

Is there anything i can do to speed up the withdrawal process?

[scallywag]

There's nothing we know of that speeds recovery from discontinuing these medications.

[Jonathank]

It's just a waiting game and fighting the symptoms?

[Jonathank]

Can parinora be a  symptom of this hell withdrawl?

[scallywag]

Yes.  Many people learn ways to cope:

 

Non-drug techniques to cope with emotional symptoms. (many techniques help with cognitive symptoms as well.)

[Jonathank]

iVe been having this like burning head feeling and dizziness and nausea could that stem from that?

[DrugfreeProf]

From what I've seen and heard, there doesn't seem to be a symptom under the sun that withdrawal doesn't produce.

Well, maybe tumors.

[Jonathank]

Going off the prozac for u did u have feelings of like your mind is everywhere?

[Jonathank]

Do u guys know how long the muscle twitching lasts from the withdrawal? 

[Jonathank]

Has anybody ever had urges of hurting yourself coming off of psh drugs and picture in your head of doing it? And it's taking u a lot trying to hold your self back from not doing it?

Edited July 3, 2017 by scallywag
merged topic, "Coming of psy drugs" in Off-topic

[scallywag]

Jonathan, You may find answers to your questions about thoughts of self-harm in these discussions:

OCD - obsessive thoughts, compulsive behaviours.

CBT (cognitive behavioral therapy) for anxiety, depression, and withdrawal symptoms.

 

I've moved your post/question to your introduction topic so that all your information, questions and answers are in one place.

[Jonathank]

So recently i relapsed and ended up back in the arms of pshtary. Where they recommend seroquel and trileptal combo. Has anyone every tried that combo and what did it exactly do to u?

[Jonathank]

what has peoples experience been in the withdrawal phase. Regarding personality changes and very reactive to stress .And constant depression and constant fear and worry.  While in the withdrawal process. 

[ChessieCat]

Here are some links which you might find interesting and helpful:

 

Non-drug techniques to cope with emotional symptoms

 

Neuro Emotions

 

Irritability, Anger, Rage

 

Fear, terror, panic, and anxiety

 

Shame, Guilt, Regret and Self-Criticism

 

OCD Obsessive Thoughts, Compulsive Behaviours
 

which-me-is-the-real-me

 

[ChessieCat]

10 hours ago, Jonathank said:

So recently i relapsed and ended up back in the arms of pshtary. Where they recommend seroquel and trileptal combo. Has anyone every tried that combo and what did it exactly do to u?

 

Hi Joanthank,

 

I've merged the new topic with your Intro topic.  It is best to ask questions about your own situation in your Intro because it keeps your history in one place.

 

I understand that you have been on a large variety of drugs and that you have listed those in a post above.  It would be helpful if you would add this link to your signature so that we can click on it to take us to that post.  Just copy and paste this into your signature:  Drug history link  Thank you.

 

With regard to your question above, we do not make drug recommendations.  This is a site for withdrawing off psychiatric drugs.

 

From your drug history it would seem that you experienced withdrawal symptoms from whichever drug/s you went off first but this was not recognised and you ended up being prescribed another drug/s to try and "fix" the withdrawal of the previous drug/s and so it continued.  You may need to come to the realisation that the solution is not in another drug or combination of drugs.  It is important to find and use non drug ways of handling the discomfort and learning and using techniques like cognitive behaviour therapy and mindfulness to help cope with every day life stresses.  

 

There are other sites on the internet that may be more useful if you wish to continue taking drugs:  PatientsLikeMe.com or depressionforums.org

[Jonathank]

The hospital that I was recently admitted at  recommended me them but I refused them.i was just curious what combo they offered me could do to me that's all.  I'm against psychiatry since all the drugs I was on and off obviously didn't help me. This site was a huge answer to prayers. 

[ChessieCat]

There are 2 supplements that SA recommend.  They aren't suggested for speeding up recovery, but for helping with the symptoms.  If you wish to try them, try 1 at a low dose first and then build up to a larger dose before trying the 2nd one.

 

I have found magnesium helps to take the edge off my anxiety.  There have been several times when I have not taken any for a few days and the anxiety increased.  Once I started taking it again the anxiety lessened.

 

Magnesium

Omega-3 Fish Oil

[Jonathank]

How long could my recovery take u think?

[baroquep]

Hi Jonathank, 

 

It is impossible for any of us here to determine how long it will take for you to recover, no one can possibly know.  You might want to check out the Success Stories written by members who have recovered to give you a general idea.  

 

http://survivingantidepressants.org/forum/28-success-stories-recovery-from-withdrawal/

[ChessieCat]

I'm pleased that you refused them and that you recognise that the drugs haven't helped.

 

Unfortunately your question about how long your recovery will take is an unanswerable question.  The sooner you can accept that the easier your recovery can be.  Becoming fixated on trying to answer an unanswerable question will add stress to your situation and stress slows healing.

 

This is a reply that I made to another member recently.  I hope it helps you.

 

"Continually asking a question which has no answer is like trying to find the end of a rainbow.  IT DOES NOT EXIST.  It adds stress.  Repeatedly dwelling on symptoms adds stress.  IT DOES NOT HELP.  It adds stress."

 

It's can also help to learn acceptance.  Here is a topic:  Acceptance

[Jonathank]

While coming off psh drugs have anybody experience sensitive to light and excessive forgetfulness?

[ChessieCat]

There are many existing topics on the SA site so it is worthwhile doing either a site search or a google search using adding survivingantidepressants.org to the search query.

 

Sensitivity to light, sound etc

 

Brain Fog: Blank mind, comprehension, cognitive and memory problems

 

Dr Joseph Glenmullen's WD Symptoms Checklist