☼ cathyfrench: suffering from PGAD since sertraline withdrawal

[cathyfrench]

Dear all,

 

I  took Sertraline 50 (French name for Zoloft).  for only a month and I have developped PGAD (Persistent  Genital Arousal Disorder) following a too fast withdrawal. I read the story of some of your members who had PGAD  when they withdrew from an antidepressant and their stories looked like mine and gave me hope and I hope they can confort me and assist me because I am in a very dark place. I read the stories of Hopefull anf Broken. Are they still on the forum ? How are they doing ?

 

Until December 2016, I had never taken any antidepressant or a benzo in my entire life. I was leading an happy life with my husband and son in the West of France. We had a chemical accident in december. I mixed 2 products  while cleaning my house, bleach and a cleaning product with acid and stupidly burnt my lungs and got a toxic choc on the 27th of december.

 

My doctor thought I was anxious afer the accident and put me on Xanax 0.25, half a pill at night. I took it for a month in January 2017 and was sent to a psychiatrist who put me on Lisanxia 10, a pill a day. I felt suicidal because i didnt understand I was suffering from the Xanax withdrawal the doctors kept changing the pill without any tappering, I stayed  on Lysanxia 10, a pill a day the whole February , then another psychiatrist decided to put me on Bromazepan 6 (4 quarter a day).  I stayed on Bromazepan the entire March and  he put me back on Xanax, all of that cold turkey.

 

And that how I met my worse nightmare, the Sertraline AD: I was feeling very agitated on benzos, my lungs and entire skin were burning and everybody told me it was in my head. I  didn't agree so I was hospitalised againt my wish in a psychiatrist hospital. There, they made me stop my Xanax 0.25 cold turkey and put me on Sertraline 50. This happened on Easter monday 2017 (April 17 th). After 2 weeks, I was sent home and started feeling very ill, I had tremors, agitation, fatigue, shakes, flu like symptoms and suicidal thoughts. I went to see a GP who told me I could drop the Sertraline to 25 because I had only been on it for 2 weeks and I could slowly stop it. I went on the 25 pill and then I started having violent withdrawal side effects (I don't know which ones came from Xanax or from Sertraline) :

 

My symptoms : Sensitivity to light and smells, burning skin, hyperacusis, agitation, akathisia, tinnitus and  when I thought it couldn't get worse, I started peeing every 10 minutes, got a hyperactive bladder, terrible pains in my genitalias, bladder and pelvic area and the worse of it permanent arousal.

 

Since I have kept  the tinnitus in my left ear, the akatisia and PGAD. I was sent to another mental hospital at the beginning of June because I thought they could help me  with PGAD. They put me on Risperidone for a week while they made me stop the Sertraline very fast (they made me take it every 2 days for a week then they replaced it with Anafranil 25 that I kept for a week. My tinnitus got worse and  my PGAD stayed the same. I was getting sicker and sicker so the psychiatrist stopped the Anafranil and the Risperidone and I was put back on Xanax.

 

I am now back at home, my PGAD symptoms are terrible and I am considered manic and hypocondriac. My doctor wants to put me back in a mental hospital. I can't look after my family and Iam in a very dark place with suicidal thoughts

 

My 3 main withdrawal symptoms : high pitched tinnitus, agitation and PGAD. Pins and needles in my lower back, legs and arms when the PGAD crisis start.

.

MY PGAD symptoms : Overactive bladder, ongoing arousal sensations in and around the genitals, having to go to the toilets every 10 minutes, pelvic pains, Pins and needle, shaking. It is atrocious and it makes me suicidal. I take 3 Xanax 0.25 a day and a Zopiclone 7 to sleep. I cannot sit because the symptoms get worse and I can barely walk because my bladder hurts. I spend my days crying on my bed with an ice pack on my lower parts. At night I cannot sleep well because of the tinnitus.  I went to see an urologist, I had a cystoscopy done and they told me it is not an interstitial cysticis and gave me Lyrica (I am scared of taking it because I fear it will make my tinnitus worse). Nobody knows this symptom in France and people think i am crazy.

 

Thank you for reading my story. Please can you reassure me ?  I am terrified and I am suffering greatly.  Would it go away ? Is it a withdrawal symptom ?

 

Thank you so much for having this site on the internet. It gave me a lot of confort.

 

Cathyfrench (I am french so I hope my English is not too bad, my apologies for my grammatical errors)

 

 

 

 

 

[mammaP]

Hi Cathy, I am so, so very sorry to see that you have been treated this way. A lot of drugs and changes have severely disrupted your nervous system. Benzo withdrawal is brutal but doctors do not recognise this and keep changing drugs. Eventually people are written off as severely mentally ill and it is so cruel. 

 

Is the xanax and zopiclone helping? How long have you been taking them?  If you have not been taking zopiclone for long it might be best to drop it because addiction can form very quickly. The xanax will hopefully help with the withdrawal and I hope the doctor does not take it away again. Did you take any lyrica? I would not take any more drugs, they all have side effects and all need tapering carefully. 

 

You are not mentally ill, your symptoms are very real and suffered by many people. The good news is that all this will settle down in time, it will not last forever. You will recover and need to take good care of yourself.  You will need to avoid stimulants, such as caffeine, sugar, alcohol, processed food with additives and eat good fresh food when possible. Many people find that magnesium and fish oil help with withdrawal. 

 

You could post on Hopefull and Broken introduction topics, I am sure they will be happy to support you. 

 

Hopefull

http://survivingantidepressants.org/index.php?/topic/5476-hopefull-suffering-from-pgad/&do=findComment&comment=293642

 

Broken 

http://survivingantidepressants.org/index.php?/topic/6856-broken-pgad-following-withdrawal-desperately-in-need-of-hope/&do=findComment&comment=97047

 

It will help us if you can put your drug history in your signature, the link will take you to settings where you can fill in the box and click save. 

http://survivingantidepressants.org/index.php?/settings/signature/

 

I will get some information for you. 

 

What is withdrawal syndrome

http://survivingantidepressants.org/index.php?/topic/603-what-is-withdrawal-syndrome/

 

Fish oil and magnesium

 

http://survivingantidepressants.org/index.php?/topic/36-king-of-supplements-omega-3-fatty-acids-fish-oil/?view=findpost&p=100596&hl=magnesium

http://survivingantidepressants.org/index.php?/topic/1300-magnesium-natures-calcium-channel-blocker/

 

You should also post in our members only benzo forum where the mods there can help you to work out the best way to take the xanax and the best doses for you to help the withdrawal. They will also advise on the zopiclone. 

http://survivingantidepressants.org/index.php?/forum/29-members-only-benzo-forum/

 

[Madeleine]

Welcome to the forum Cathy.  I'm so sorry you are going through this.  Yes, it does sound as if you were experiencing xanax withdrawal. Then, as mamma said above, your nervous system was further affected by going on and off so many different drugs in such a short time.    Read through this forum, and that will help you understand what is happening.  Also, you might want to check out the Benzo section in this forum and the people in that section can help you with regards to the xanax and zopiclone.  And, your English is excellent. 

Best wishes,
M.

[cathyfrench]

Hi Mama P and Madeleine,

 

Thank you so much for responding to my message.  My Persistent Genital Arousal Disorder  is getting worse and worse. I have been off Sertraline for  nearly 2 months now and I am only on Xanax and Zopiclone.   I put a message on Hopefull's  intro page but I dont think she saw my message. I can't access Broken's page. Do you know if some other members on Surviving Antidepressants recovered from Persisent Genital Arousal Disorder, I saw that there were a lot of testimonies on this site but after a while the people don't give an update. There were other messages on PGAD  also. I am allowed posting on their private pages ?

 

 I have been taking Sertraline for only 3 weeks then the  Pgad symptoms started. It is an awful experience and I would like to kwow if it is possible to recover naturally without taking any medication. My urologist wants me to take Lyrica for PGAD but I am scared of taking it because it seems a very violent drug and might make my tinnitus worse. I was advised to use Tramadol.

 

I am taking fish oil and magnesium.

 

I read the threads on withdrawal and I know I have experienced  a lof of them. Tinnitus might be caused by my fast Xanax withdrawal. It is also possible that my Sertraline withdrawal made it worse. Do you know if this withdrawal symptom will eventually quiet down? It is very high-peached noise in my left ear like an electric needle going through my skull. These 2 symptoms make my life a misery but the worse is PGAD, you cant live a normal life with this, it is atrocious.

 

I am back on Xanax, 0.25 3 times a day, it helps with Tinnitus but it doesnt help with PGAD. Zopiclone helps me sleep at night when my tinnitus is very loud. This week I cut it down  to half a 7.5 tablet. Can you advise on how to stop it ? (I have been taking it for 3 months but I am dependent and i cant sleep without a sleeping pill because of tinnitus). My lfe is hell at the moment, PGAD and Tinnitus  makes my life a misery. 

 

Sorry I haven't posted my history. I have prepared it and will update it as soon as possible.

 

I hope some members with PGAD will see my post and can reasure me. My life has been destroyed by these medications.

 

Thank you so much for your great help. 

 

Cathy

 

 

 

[mammaP]

Hi Cathy, you are right to be wary of lyrica, and I would avoid tramadol too it is another evil drug. It is an opiate with SNRI anti depressant and terrible to taper because you get both opiate AND SSRI withdrawal.  It is a painkiller but is being prescribed for all manner of things including opiate withdrawal, how crazy is that? 

 

We really need your sgnature. This link will take you to the signature box. We need the dates when you started all the drugs, and when you changed the doses up or down. This is very important because we need to see which drugs are causing the problems. Sometimes we see people with terrible withdrawal from one drug that turns out to be a side effect of another. We don't need symptoms in the signature, just the drugs, doses and changes with dates if you can remember. The last 2 months are most important.   http://survivingantidepressants.org/index.php?/settings/signature/ 

 

I suspect that the benzo and zopiclone have a lot to do with this too and will have the benzo mods take a look. Don't change anything until we have looked at everything. Cutting zopiclone by 50%  now will make things worse because your nervous system is unstable and as you have been taking it for 3 months will suffer withdrawal . 

 

We also need a symptoms pattern.  Like a diary.  starting with when you get up in the morning and how things change.  

 

I suffered with PGAD many years ago and it was really awful but it did get better. It is over 20years ago now so vcan't remember how long it lasted. I was in hospital at the time and didn't recognise it as a symptom. I was horrified by this feeling that wouldn't go away. It was related to the drugs, I was switched around so many times and had ECT so not sure which one was responsible but it DID get better. 

As soon as we have the drugs info and your symptoms pattern we might have an idea what the best thing will be. 

Edited August 4, 2017 by mammaP

[cathyfrench]

Hi Mamma P,

 

Thank you so much for your kindness. I inserted my drug's history in my signature. As you can see the psychiatrists  kept changing my meds and in only 6 months, I took 4 benzos (1 every month). They were all stopped cold turkey. From January to April, I was switched from Xanax to Lysanxia then to Bromazepan then back to Xanax. I call it my benzos Journey. I experienced burns on my entire body, on my lungs,  breathing difficulties, chest pains, tremors, depression, nightmares, agitation. The doctors thought It was anxiety and now reading other survivor's posts on benzos, I realise that I went through several mini withdrawal syndroms from moving from one benzo to another. Unless it was side effects.

 

It got worse when I as put on Sertraline 50 and when my Xanax was taken away cold turkey. .After 2 weeks on Sertraline 50, I experienced tremors, agitation, akathisia, sucidal thoughts but it got worse when I brought the Sertraline down to  25, then after only 3 weeks on Sertraline and 3 weeks off Xanax, I  started experiencing a new withdrawal symptom every two days such as light and smell sensitivity followed by hyperacusis followed by earworms, followed by akhatisia then followed by tinnitus and bladder hyperactivity  to end up with Persistant Genital Arousal Disorder. I don't  know what came from Xanax withdrawal, Sertraline reduction or Zopiclone introduction.

 

In June I went again to a mental hospital, they exausted me with different drugs and it was then that i was for the first time introduced to the antipsychotic Risperidone. It didn't do much for me but it made my tinnitus worse. I have suffered for a month in this hospital. They tappered my Sertraline too fast to replace it with Risperidone and Anafranil. The PGAD stayed the same only to be replaced with bladder pain when I was on Risperidone , the tinnitus increased to a very hight- pitched sound, I also had vertigo, nauseas and increased tinnitus when they made me stop the Anafranil and Riperidone cold turkey after only a week.

 

My main symptoms now are : Persistent Genital Arousal disorder,tinnitus painful bladder, overactive bladder, earworms, shaking, agitation, depression. The worse are PGAD and tinnitus.

 

I will write a diary tomorrow. It is great if you can read it and give me ideas on how to handle the situation. My PGAD is very bad at the moment and the tinnitus makes my life a misery. I also noticed that Iam becoming dependent on Xanax and that soon the doses I use wont be enough, My body is shaking one hour before I take my Xanax dose.

 

Thank you so much for getting back to me. I hope my history is easy to read and I hope that all of you on this site can advise me. I am suffering a lot. I keep my days being  mistrated by PGAD and my nights are even worse with the tinnitus buzzing . This site is the only place where I found hope. 

 

 

Thanks a lot

 

Cathy

 

 

 

 

[cathyfrench]

Hi MamaP,

Here my diary :

 

I take 1 zopiclone 7.5 to sleep at night. I have been taking it since I was put on Sertraline 4 months ago. It helps me now to sleep because of my tinnitus

I wake up at 8 am feeling very depressed and tired. I go to the bathroom and start experiencing the arousal symptoms

At 8 am, I take one xanax 0.25. It quiets down the tinnitus and the anxiety caused by the PGAD.

In the morning the symptoms quiet down(akathisia, tinnitus, PGAD) but I get very restless at the end of the morning. PGAD increases and also akathisia gets worse. 

At 12 am I take one xanax 0.25. The symptoms quiet down.

In the afternoon the akathisia and the PGAD gets worse. My body shakes, I feel pins and needles in my back, legs, arms, lower part area, my hyperactive bladder gets worse,I need to lie down with an ice pack on my lower abdomen to quiet down the PGAD. I also get earworms (songs stuck in my head)

At 6pm I take one xanax 0.25. It quiets down the PGAD, the tinnitus and the agitation. In the evening my symptoms seem to fade. The arousal and agitation are quieter

At 10pm I take 1 zopiclone  7.5 because I can hear my tinnitus at night when everything is quieter. 

 

At the moment I am also experiencing anxiety, depression, fatigue. My PGAD and tinnitus are geting worse and worse. I can see that I am becoming dependent on xanax and I fear that I will have to bring the doses up. The akathisia is getting worse.

 

I have been off Sertraline for a little bit more than 2 months and the PGAD and tinnitus are getting worse. My psychiatrist tappered Sertraline too fast. At the beginning of June he switched me in a week from Sertraline to Anafranil and Risperidone but he stopped Anafranil and Risperidone cold turkey a week later on June 15th because I had low blood pressure and he put me back on xanax.  A week later (June24th) they made me try Valium for a night and  I got very sick with nauseas and violent vertigos for 2 days. The left part of my body was numbed and my tinnitus got worse on my left ear. I don't know if this was linked to the Sertraline or the Anafranil or the Risperidone withdrawal.

 

I am now off Sertraline for a little more than 2 months, off anafranil and Risperidone for 2 months and I have been back on xanax for 2 months.

 

The symptoms I had 3 months ago in May when I brought the Sertraline down from 50mg to 25mg (At the time I had been on Sertraline for 2 weeks and off Xanax for 2 weeks) were Akhatisia, sensitivity to noise and smell, earworms, shaking, tremors, hyperacusis, depression, feeling that my body is burning  Hyperactive bladder, brain zaps and PGAD, low pitched tinnitus. 

 

The symptoms I had when I was on benzos from January to April were : Feeling that my lungs and entire body was burning, agitation, anxiety. 

 

 

Sorry it is a bit long, as you can see I tried a lot of drugs on a short period and I am totally destroyed. I really don't know what to do. I hope you can help me. Should I reinstall an antidepressant ? Should i wait ? I really don't know

 

Thank you so much to be there for me. The people on this forum are great and you are really helping me wiht your kindness. 

 

Cathy

 

 

[Madeleine]

It sounds like you could be having interdose  withdrawal from xanax if you feel agitated and then feel better when you take it.  And maybe it's the same thing w zopiclone that you are getting agitated as you have interdose withdrawal between doses.   Make sure  to read through the benzodiazepines section as you could get info to help you understand and figure out what is happening in that section too 

[Hopefull]

Hi CathyFrench, 

I did reply to your questions on my thread.  Sorry to hear that WDS are not improving for you.  When you take Xanax,  is your PGAD worse? 

You will heal from this,  but it does take time.  I also found that fish oil and magnesium worsened my PGAD symptoms.  Be careful with suppliments,  especially when your nervous system is sensitive. 

I am here to help you get through this. 

Please feel free to message me anytime.  I know how distressing it is. 

Take care,  Hopefull.

[mammaP]

Thank you for the information Cathy, I am sorry it took so long to reply, I haven't been very well. Do you take the toviaz for the PGAD? 

You could try a tiny reinstatement of sertraline, only 0.5mg to see how you get on with it. You can make a liquid from tablets to get that very small dose.

http://survivingantidepressants.org/index.php?/topic/7562-about-reinstating-and-stabilizing-to-reduce-withdrawal-symptoms/

 

 So  many different drugs have really upset your nervous system and it will take time to stabilise but you need steady levels in your blood. I am going to ask our benzo mods to take a look and see how it would be best to adjust the xanax doses.  You are suffering interdose withdrawal and need more doses in a day. They need to be the same amount each dose, more often than 3 times a day.   Hopefully you will then start to feel  a little better. I hope your doctor will continue to give you the prescriptions. 

It will be best if you can post a topic in the benzo section, we deal with the AD's and tapering and the benzo forum deals wih benzo tapering. I will alert them to your topic here so they know about you. 

 

http://survivingantidepressants.org/forum/29-members-only-benzo-forum/

 

Edited August 7, 2017 by mammaP
Added link

[Shep]

Hi, Cathy.

 

It sounds like you've had quite an experience with a number of drugs and are most likely suffering from a combination of them all. This results in a profoundly destabilized central nervous system (CNS).

 

MammaP gave excellent advice on the sertraline, recommending a small reinstatement. That sounds like a great idea. And Madeline mentioned the possibility of interdose withdrawal from Xanax. Also a distinct possibility. Spreading out your Xanax doses evenly throughout the day may help with interdose withdrawal. 

 

It's best to only make one drug change at a time, so if you do reinstate a small amount of the sertraline, please hold off on making any changes, including the timing of the Xanax until you see how the antidepressant reinstatement works.

 

Regarding your tinnitus, this is something that a lot of us deal with during withdrawal. You may find this thread helpful:

 

Tinnitus -- What does all that noise mean?

 

I use White Noise to help with my tinnitus. I have a White Noise App on my phone that I sometimes use during the day and I run a fan at night, which helps to neutralize this very annoying symptom that can keep me awake. Here's a video with White Noise to see if it helps:

 

Tinnitus Masking noise / Tinnitus Remedy - 3 Hours of tinnitus relief - video 

 

We do have a members-only benzo area, so please start a topic for yourself here:

 

Members-only benzo forum

 

There are some great threads to read, especially the ones with a green pin that are stickied at the top. This is one I highly recommend reading over:

 

Ashton and beyond in benzo tapering

 

Welcome to SA. I hope you find plenty of support and information here. As you provide more information about your daily symptom pattern over the next few days, we can give you advice and hopefully help with some of these difficult symptoms. 

 

 

 

Edited August 8, 2017 by Shep
fixed typo

[cathyfrench]

Dear all,

 

Thank you so much to all of you for being so kind. Unfortunatly my tinnitus is getting really loud  and the PGAD is flaring up. I noticed that my PGAD  follows the same pattern weekly, first for a few days, I have a painfull heavy bladder  but less PGAD then constant urination for a few days with less PGAD then followed by a PGAD flare up. Did the people who got PGAD on this forum had the same experience ?

 

Is it ok if I answer to all of your  messages in the same post ?

 

Hopefull, thank you so much for your support,  regarding your questions about Xanax,  I am starting to wonder if it doesn't make my PGAD worse. It helps with the tinnitus and the overactive bladder. It is actually ironical that I certainly got tinnitus from stopping it cold turkey in April alongside other symptoms and now, I am back on it to help with the tinnitus and akathisia. I suspect also that zopiclone is making matter worse (I suspect it to makes frequent urination worse). I Wonder if you or the other members have an idea about Xanax and PGAD.

 

MammaP, I hope you are feeling well and thank you so much for your kindness, Regarding Toviaz, I took it for my overactive bladder, it made my tinnitus worse and I stopped it.

 

Regarding reinstatement of Sertraline. Unfortunatly here, the lower Sertraline dose is 25mg and comes in a gelule and the powder is very toxic so you can't drink it with water if you open you gelule. The only solution would be to have smaller gelules made by a pharmacist but I don't think any doctor would agreed in prescribing me Sertraline anymore or give me a smaller dosage. I would be also very scared of taking it and make my PGAD even worse but I also agree that I stopped Sertraline too fast in hospital and my current condition is getting worse because of this cold turkey withdrawal.   I will see with my psychiatrist. I really appreciate your help in the matter.

 

Madeleine and Shep, thank you for your help, I agree with both of you that I am suffering from Xanax interdose withdrawal, How can I correct this ? I am reading your benzos forum at the minute to understand what it is. I take a tablet at 8.am (0.25) then one tablet at 12 (0.25) then one 0.25 at 6pm then the zopiclone at 10.How can I correct this Schedule ?Is it better to take only half a tablet but more often ?

 

Shep, thank you for the tinnitus masking noise link,I found it useful at night. I have difficulty dealing with Tinnitus at the moment, how long have you been dealing with it ? DId it improve in time ? I am going to create a post on the benzos forum. Do you think I can already start spreading my Xanax doses during the day until I found a solution with the Anti Depressant.

 

I would like to thank you all for your great help and support. I would be lost without this site.

 

Cathyfrench

 

 

 

[ASkyFullOfHappy]

Hi Cathy, Im so sorry you are also going though this... I was put on Paxil for my OCD and when I went cold turkey (being stupid) I started having PGAD.....I started taking my medication again and the symptoms are very minor now, I do hyper focus on it a lot, which sometimes leads me to be paranoid of feeling something down there. I shake all the time now, it never stops. Im just one these pills for now but I cannot wait to taper off them because I am sick of this. I hate medication. I used to want to be a psychiatrist but now.... no way., Ill be another type of doctor. 

 

 

 

 

[cathyfrench]

Dear all,

 

I checked with my psychiatrist regarding a Sertraline reinstatment. He refuses to put me back on a small amount of Sertraline. It is very difficult to get support from doctors where I live, They want to put me back in a mental hospital. The only thing thing my psychiatrist want to do is put me on antipsychotics or  on a med like Lactimal etc. I was thinking of asking him to put me on another antidepressant. It was thinking Paxil (I contacted a tinnitus support group and a lot of them use this drug because it seems to be less dangerous on tinnitus than other antidepressants). The problem is that Paxil is from the same family as Sertraline so it could flare up my PGAD. What do the members who got PGAD think of this option ?

 

I am not feeling very good at the moment, the tinnitus is very loud and the PGAD is still there. I am very depressed and cry a lot. I also feel like I am in a Strange place, I feel nothing and that's kind of new and I can't concentrate long, can't sit and spend my day lying done on my bed looking at the ceiling . I also have agitation but it is an inner one. It is scary.. Are these new symptoms link with the Sertraline withdrawal ? How long an AD withdrawal last ? I am very scared that these symptoms will stay forever because I didn't tapper correctly from the Sertraline and the Xanax.

 

I also feel very bad on Xanax but at the same time it quiets down my PGAD and my tinnitus but i know I have to start tapering it. It makes me suicidal and I am exausted all the time, agitated, depressed. It is certainly linked with the Xanax interdose withdrawal. I am going to create a post on the benzo group regarding my daily symptoms pattern. The zopiclone helps me sleep but I wake up exausted and depressed. I need to tapper it down also and learn to sleep with tinnitus without a drug.

 

Thanks a lot for your great help and for your kindness

 

Cathy

 

[miT]

Sounds like a bad idea to take paxil to fix wd symptoms from another drug. Paxil is one of the worst drugs out there, perhaps the worst.

 

I'm so happy you found support here and a member (Hopefull) who went through PGAD as well. You see you're not alone in this.

 

Stay positive.

 

[ASkyFullOfHappy]

hey Cathy hang in there, I know how hard it can be, Im on a similar boat, you will heal and get better, there are some people here that have had PGAD from withdrawal and have healed completely. This too shall pass. 

 

 

[Hopefull]

Hi CathyFrench, 

If I was you,  I would not touch any more drugs. 

I know that things are really bad for you at the moment,  but you have to remember that all your problems started because of the drugs.  Why would you go back for more?  It is obvious that you are sensitive to SSRI's and chances are that Paxil could make your symptoms worse.  

Try a holistic approach such as accupuncture to help you cope with the symptoms. Treat yourself gently and remember that the time is your healer.

There is nothing out there that can eliminate WDS , appart from time.

If I was in your shoes,  I would run away from psychiatrist as far as you can. 

"Putting you back in the hospital ", is not going to resolve PGAD symptoms. 

You will not have PGAD symptoms for ever, but it might take a while for things to settle down.  It might take several months to couple of years.  That does not mean that you will have PGAD symptoms all that time.  I truly wish you all the best and I would hate to see you being hooked on more drugs, unessessarly.  It so easy to get addicted to the drugs,  but it is hard to get off.  You need a lot of patience and it is very testing at times. 

Think long and hard before you make any decisions.  If you are not getting appropriate help where you are,  maybe you can look up at the list of doctors on SA, that SA reccomends. 

I am not sure how to share the link. 

Best wishes to you,  Hopefull. 

 

[ASkyFullOfHappy]

6 minutes ago, Hopefull said:

Hi CathyFrench, 

If I was you,  I would not touch any more drugs. 

I know that things are really bad for you at the moment,  but you have to remember that all your problems started because of the drugs.  Why would you go back for more?  It is obvious that you are sensitive to SSRI's and chances are that Paxil could make your symptoms worse.  

Try a holistic approach such as accupuncture to help you cope with the symptoms. Treat yourself gently and remember that the time is your healer.

There is nothing out there that can eliminate WDS , appart from time.

If I was in your shoes,  I would run away from psychiatrist as far as you can. 

"Putting you back in the hospital ", is not going to resolve PGAD symptoms. 

You will not have PGAD symptoms for ever, but it might take a while for things to settle down.  It might take several months to couple of years.  That does not mean that you will have PGAD symptoms all that time.  I truly wish you all the best and I would hate to see you being hooked on more drugs, unessessarly.  It so easy to get addicted to the drugs,  but it is hard to get off.  You need a lot of patience and it is very testing at times. 

Think long and hard before you make any decisions.  If you are not getting appropriate help where you are,  maybe you can look up at the list of doctors on SA, that SA reccomends. 

I am not sure how to share the link. 

Best wishes to you,  Hopefull. 

 

I hope your PGAD has gone away as well Hopefull, I hope cathy is doing okay as well.

[Hopefull]

Hi A SkyFullof Happy, 

My PGAD symptoms  have gone for now.  I hope it stays that way when I completely come off Mirtazapine. 

How are you doing? 

[ASkyFullOfHappy]

Im doing okay, I was put on Paxil 30mg and took it religiously for like 2 weeks or so, then I went cold turkey because I kept forgetting to take the pills for like 5 days or a week and then the tingling started... it was very mild really, I had to go pee a lot as well but I do have a UTI, it was just very annoying and frustrating and exhausting. It did at least stop when I slept. I immediately started Paxil again and in 3 days the tingling and throbbing went away... two days later though I became paranoid of being aroused... I was so afraid of whether it was me being naturally turned on or me going back to PGAD...Im still very anxious about it... every itch or twinge, puts me under lots of stress, Im so afraid of being intimate... If I focus on it of course I start to feel stuff but... I think thats just me being paranoid. Im so scared of it coming back.

 

I think maybe you know how Im feeling

[cathyfrench]

Dear all,

 

Thank you so much for your support and nice messages. I have been reading your message but I was feeling to bad to reply to all of you. I have been in a very difficult wave for the past few days so I couldn't post to thank you for your support. 

I have been crying a lot, tinnitus is getting very loud and I seem to be going between bad akathisia and total numbness. I went cold turkey from too many drugs and my brain is going nuts. PGAD is still there but I found that at the moment the tinnitus is getting really bad. Don't know what to do. 

 

I hope you are all doing well. I am preparing a diary of my symptoms to post on the benzo forum I think I am suffering from Sertraline withdrawal,and from xanax interdose withdrawal.

 

Take good care :-)

 

Cathy

 

 

 

 

 

[ASkyFullOfHappy]

20 hours ago, cathyfrench said:

Dear all,

 

Thank you so much for your support and nice messages. I have been reading your message but I was feeling to bad to reply to all of you. I have been in a very difficult wave for the past few days so I couldn't post to thank you for your support. 

I have been crying a lot, tinnitus is getting very loud and I seem to be going between bad akathisia and total numbness. I went cold turkey from too many drugs and my brain is going nuts. PGAD is still there but I found that at the moment the tinnitus is getting really bad. Don't know what to do. 

 

I hope you are all doing well. I am preparing a diary of my symptoms to post on the benzo forum I think I am suffering from Sertraline withdrawal,and from xanax interdose withdrawal.

 

Take good care :-)

 

Cathy

 

 

 

 

 

 

Keep Hanging in there Cathy I know how hard it can be especially at the start, all these feelings must be very new to you so I know at first how much distress it can cause, I had the same issue when my PGAD started. You will be able to get used to them and be able to still be productive. I know its hard, but you can get though this! 

 

Stay positive! Tell yoursef that you will get though this and you will come out stronger in the end. You will heal from this Cathy

 

I have also had the tinnitus as well. It is very annoying and distressing I know, but I found watching videos or listening to music helps a bit with it. try to distract yourself for right now, be really kind to yourself you are going though a lot.

 

Stay strong Cathy, I hope to hear from you soon, 

 

Sending you lots of healing vibes and wishes your way.

 

 

[cathyfrench]

Hello Sky and Hopefull and Mit, MammaP, Shep and Madeleine,

 

Ok I am out of the wave of fear and despair today. The tinnitus makes my life a misery and I couldn't bear anymore what these drugs have done to my life.

 

Thank you so much for your support. You are giving me so much courage, I am glad I have met you on line. You are all very courageous people and admire you all.

 

Things are difficult at the moment. PGAD is getting worse, akathisia is bad and Tinnitus is really bad and I have a new  withdrawal symptom : ear fullness !. 

 

Akathisia and PGAD are definitly working together in my case. The only way to quiet down akathisia is to do something about the arousal feeling (won't go into détails).  PGAD seems to be the way my brain is trying to get rid of Akathisia..Only Xanax quiets down the feeling but Madeleine and Shep are right I am suffering from Xanax interdose withdrawal.

 

I see Sky that you went back on Paxil when your PGAD appeared. How are you feeling now ? How is your tinnitus ? Is it linked  to taking Paxil or stopping a benzo ? How did you get it ? Did you get it while taking  Thank you so much for your kindness.

 

Hopefull, thank you so much for your support. Did your PGAD go away when you went on Mitarzapine ? You and Mit are right, Paxil seems to be as bad as Sertraline and it can cause PGAD so it could be risky to use it to tapper.

 

It would be good if some other members who got PGAD could  share with us how they managed the symptom ? Did they have the symptom when they were starting the drug, when they were tapering the drug down ? Did they have just started the drug (like Hopefull and I with Zoloft ?)

 

Did they reinstate ? Did they switch to another drugs (like you Hopefull) ? Did their PGAD quiet down when they reinstate ?

 

MammaP, I need your advise on this, my doctors won't let me reinstate on Sertraline. What can I do ? 

 

 

Shep, I am preparing a diary of my symptoms. Can I post it on the benzo forum ?

 

Thanks a lot for your great help. I hope you are all well.

 

 

Cathy

 

 

 

 

[ASkyFullOfHappy]

5 hours ago, cathyfrench said:

Hello Sky and Hopefull and Mit, MammaP, Shep and Madeleine,

 

Ok I am out of the wave of fear and despair today. The tinnitus makes my life a misery and I couldn't bear anymore what these drugs have done to my life.

 

Thank you so much for your support. You are giving me so much courage, I am glad I have met you on line. You are all very courageous people and admire you all.

 

Things are difficult at the moment. PGAD is getting worse, akathisia is bad and Tinnitus is really bad and I have a new  withdrawal symptom : ear fullness !. 

 

Akathisia and PGAD are definitly working together in my case. The only way to quiet down akathisia is to do something about the arousal feeling (won't go into détails).  PGAD seems to be the way my brain is trying to get rid of Akathisia..Only Xanax quiets down the feeling but Madeleine and Shep are right I am suffering from Xanax interdose withdrawal.

 

I see Sky that you went back on Paxil when your PGAD appeared. How are you feeling now ? How is your tinnitus ? Is it linked  to taking Paxil or stopping a benzo ? How did you get it ? Did you get it while taking  Thank you so much for your kindness.

 

Hopefull, thank you so much for your support. Did your PGAD go away when you went on Mitarzapine ? You and Mit are right, Paxil seems to be as bad as Sertraline and it can cause PGAD so it could be risky to use it to tapper.

 

It would be good if some other members who got PGAD could  share with us how they managed the symptom ? Did they have the symptom when they were starting the drug, when they were tapering the drug down ? Did they have just started the drug (like Hopefull and I with Zoloft ?)

 

Did they reinstate ? Did they switch to another drugs (like you Hopefull) ? Did their PGAD quiet down when they reinstate ?

 

MammaP, I need your advise on this, my doctors won't let me reinstate on Sertraline. What can I do ? 

 

 

Shep, I am preparing a diary of my symptoms. Can I post it on the benzo forum ?

 

Thanks a lot for your great help. I hope you are all well.

 

 

Cathy

 

 

 

 

 

 

Im sorry is still so hard Cathy, did you get to listen to the pink and white noise that Shep gave you? I know that helps a lot of people! theres all types of "noises" so maybe finding one that helps you could help you hang in there as you heal.

 

Well, I got PGAD from forgetting to take my Paxil for like a week or so... so as soon as I started again with the Paxil my PGAD symptoms got way better. I think it was because I withdrew Cold Turkey that the PGAD came. Right now its not perfect, the feelings come and go. some days are worse than others, sometimes I feel completely normal but other times I can feel the tingling. 

 

For me what helps PGAD is not seeing it as arousal but more like a symptom of a disease. The only time I would call it arousal is if you want to be aroused... otherwise I tell myself " Ok Im feeling this tingling sensation but its because Im on a path of recovery" my PGAD is very mild (I hope it stay that way). Currently Im feeling okay, a bit hyper sensitive but Im doing okay.... Im waiting for my doctor to call back, and also for the mods to help me learn how to withdraw from Paxil. This is the last SSRI I will ever take. For me its not worth the risk anymore. Im gonna stay away from everything medication related for a good year or more to let my body heal (unless I really need it, like antibiotics) 

 

My tinnitus started when I first started Paxil, after a week or so it settled down but, Im sure as I withdraw it will be coming back. 

 

I was not on any benzos, save for the occasional Xanax, but what did it for me was Paxil. I think its a very very strong drug and I really don't recommend it to anyone.

 

And no problem Cathy Im always here to talk if you need any support, Im on the same boat as you so I know how hard it can be to do it alone! I care about you, stay safe, stay courageous.

 

Hope you feel better soon!

 

- Maria  

 

 

[Shep]

On 8/10/2017 at 9:53 AM, cathyfrench said:

Madeleine and Shep, thank you for your help, I agree with both of you that I am suffering from Xanax interdose withdrawal, How can I correct this ? I am reading your benzos forum at the minute to understand what it is. I take a tablet at 8.am (0.25) then one tablet at 12 (0.25) then one 0.25 at 6pm then the zopiclone at 10.How can I correct this Schedule ?Is it better to take only half a tablet but more often ?

 

Shep, thank you for the tinnitus masking noise link,I found it useful at night. I have difficulty dealing with Tinnitus at the moment, how long have you been dealing with it ? DId it improve in time ? I am going to create a post on the benzos forum. Do you think I can already start spreading my Xanax doses during the day until I found a solution with the Anti Depressant.

 

Hi, Cathy.

 

Yes, please go ahead and start a post in the benzo area.

 

It's best to only make one change at a time, so if you can hold your AD in place for a couple of weeks, you can make a slight shift in the Xanax timing. It won't be a major shift because you're already dosing the Xanax 3 times a day, so if you spread it out to 5, that may help. The best way to do so is to move the doses only one hour a day. This will help ease your nervous system by doing this gradually. 

 

I'm not sure if you'll need to spread out the zopiclone. Best to work with the Xanax first and see if that covers the interdose problems. If not, you can also spread out the zopiclone, too. Is the zopiclone helping you sleep?  How many hours of sleep are you getting each night? 

 

I've had tinnitus for over 30 years, ever since I went on psych drugs, but it is slowly fading out. It's not something that can hurt you. It can make it difficult to sleep, though, and that can cause problems. And if it's loud enough, it can make it hard to hear clearly. But I think if you work with some White Noise apps on your phone or computer or run a fan at night, that may help. 

 

Please keep updating.

 

 

Edited August 17, 2017 by Shep
fixed typo

[cathyfrench]

Hi Shep,

 

Thank you so much for your post. Today,my tinnitus is getting worse and I have hyperacusis and ear fullness. Do you think it is link with the Sertraline withdrawal or with the fact I stopped Xanax cold turkey 4 months ago ? I found the tinnitus awful. How do you cope ? You are very courageous.

PGAD is also constant.

Regarding reinstatement, My GP and psychiatrist refuses to put me back on a lower dose of Sertraline. Do you know if some others PGAD victims reinstate the antidepressant that makes them get PGAD without making the PGAD worse ? Do you think reinstating would help with the tinnitus ?

 

My psychiatrist wants me to try a tricyclic (I told him  anafranil made my tinnitus worse so i said now) or lactimal or neurontin.

 

I might have to manage without an antidepressant.

 

Thank a lot for your advise on this

 

Cathy

[Shep]

12 minutes ago, cathyfrench said:

Today,my tinnitus is getting worse and I have hyperacusis and ear fullness. Do you think it is link with the Sertraline withdrawal or with the fact I stopped Xanax cold turkey 4 months ago ? I found the tinnitus awful. How do you cope ? You are very courageous.

 

Hi, Cathy.

 

Both benzos and ADs can cause tinnitus and ear fullness, along with head pressure, so it's really hard to know which drug is causing the problem or if it's the combination. Your nervous system has been hit with so many drugs over the past few months, but once your nervous system settles down, these symptoms, including the tinnitus, will fade out.

 

Try not to focus on it and find ways of distracting. Eventually, it blends into the background, although it can cause problems if it's affecting your hearing and sleep. Does running a fan at night or using a White Noise app help?

 

26 minutes ago, cathyfrench said:

My psychiatrist wants me to try a tricyclic (I told him  anafranil made my tinnitus worse so i said now) or lactimal or neurontin.

 

I might have to manage without an antidepressant.

 

Other than reinstating a drug that you recently came off of, we don't recommend adding drugs to aid in withdrawal. We don't know of a drug that can "fix" withdrawal and they all come with the possibility of developing dependency. 

 

How many hours are you sleeping at night? 

[cathyfrench]

Hi Shep,

 

Thank you so much for your support. I can sleep at night because i take half a zopiclone tablet and  because i listen to white noise or relaxing music on my computer. I sleep 7 hours a night but I wake up several times because I have an hyperactive bladder. My PGAD is always there now and the only way I found to quiet it down is to lie down with a ice pack. I also have a painful bladder and I can't look after my son and family. It makes me very sad. I can't concentrate and I am agitated and keep crying, I am shaking a lot too. Might be part of the withdrawal from Sertraline. It was done too fast in hospital.

 

Regarding reinstating Sertraline when we have PGAD, I wonder how many people on this forum who had PGAD reinstated their medication  without making their PGAD worse. Can reinstate a drug at low dosage help with PGAD and tinnitus ?

 

My GP  is kind and is the only one who believes that "i might have something but don't really know what it is" as she says (my psychiatrist thinks I am having a manic episode induced by Sertraline and anyway doesn't believe in withdrawal symptoms from antidepressants or benzos or in PGAD). Maybe if I can prove to them that some people have reinstated without problem, they might agree to give me a prescription but otherwise I am stuck with Xanax.

 

Thank you soo much for your great help and support.

 

Cahy

 

Ps: I read a bit a your Journey last night and I found that you ave been very courageous.

 

 

[Survivor1]

Hello CathyFrench,  

 

I have been reading of your journey and empathize with you.  WD is a terrible thing and I wish you coping skills to deal with the symptoms.

 

I too have developed tinnitus, and it is the one symptom that I am having the hardest time dealing with.  I try to be accepting but it is so hard to do.  I just wanted to stop by and offer you my support during these trying times.  

 

All the best.

[cathyfrench]

Hi Survivor,

 

Thank you so much for your kind word. I really appreciate your message of support. I must say I am not well today, I found that I am getting worse and worse. My tinnitus is very difficult to bear and I fear that Imight have it forever. I have difficulty coping with tinnitus, I must say, I can't stand on my legs,fear the heat, the light, the noise, I have hyperacusis, headache on the left side of my brain and I also have PGAD.

 

How do you cope ? How long did you have tinnitus for ? How did you get it ? Did you stop a benzo cold turkey like me ? Did you get it from tappering an antidepressant ? How do you cope with tinnitus ?

 

Thanks a lot for your support

 

Cathy

[Survivor1]

Hi CF,

 

Sorry that today is not a good one for you.  I want to tell you not to give up hope.  My drug story began with a too rapid discontinuation of klonopin (per doctor instructions!).  At that   

time I developed many symptoms including severe hyperacusis.  It was almost intolerable. Asked my family to talk at a whisper (that did not go over too well).  But it eventually went away at about 5 months after.  My WD from klonopin was so severe that I thought I would not survive it.  I actually had my will drawn up because I have two children and did not know what was happening to me (even the doc did not seem to realize (know?) I was in benzo WD).  I also did not even know what I was experiencing was WD, so added other drugs to deal with the symptoms, then I found this forum.

 

Currently, I have/had a few symptoms close to what you have been experiencing: severe pain in the groin, was almost limping at times; that has diminished to a tolerable level and somedays it is even gone.  I also had been having a sharp pain, almost like neuropathy, in the groin whenever my bladder was full, to the point where I thought that I would leak from the lack of control.  That too has gone.  I think these and PGAD are all related; I want to give you hope that eventually they will all diminish.

 

Regarding the dreaded tinnitus:  It began the very day I dropped mirtazepine, and is now three months old.  It was mild at first, but as overall WD increased, so has the intensity of the tinnitus.  For me it is also a high pitched hiss, like the sound of a pressure cooker.  I worry because it is unrelenting, no variation in sound, 24/7.  For some people it goes away, for others it is permanent.  Only time will tell which category we fall into... I also have mild hyperacusis; I am not too worried about it because it is at a tolerable level.

 

Please do not give up.  Last December - February, I was in a crisis just like you.  I was able to reinstate a low dose and it worked, but even that took three months.  You have a long road ahead, but healing will happen.  Have to go day by day, until it starts becoming tolerable.  Unfortunately, there is no immediate relief for this.

 

Hope my story helps!  All the best.

 

[mammaP]

Hi Cathy, I'm sorry to see that you are still suffering so badly. I think the best thing to do right now is work with Shep on getting the benzo regular and that will hopefully help. I can imagine how hard this is for you when you have a family to look after but hang in there, you are doing great and trying your best. My mantra in awful waves is 'this too shall pass'.  All things in life are transient, everything changes and this will too.  

 

[Hopefull]

Hi Cathy French, 

What you are going through will pass.

Don't lose hope and keep going.  One step at a time. 

What MamaP has mentioned is true." All things in life are transient ".  Things in life change.  The hardest challenge is getting through the withdrawal process especially early on.  That is the hardest part.  You have to find strength inside of you and keep pushing through day by day.  Don't think about 6 months ahead or years ahead.  Get through each day as it comes.  We have all been there and it does get better as your brain begins to heal.

Take care,  Hopefull.

[Altostrata]

Hello, Cathy. It sounds like your nervous system is upset and very sensitive.

 

Lamotrigine can help calm the nervous system, but you have to be very careful not to take too much when you're hypersensitive. Please read this carefully: One theory of antidepressant withdrawal syndrome

[ASkyFullOfHappy]

Hey Cathy, Ive been thinking of you, I hope you are doing good today, Im sending lots of healing vibes your way, stay strong okay? 

 

Hope to hear from you soon

[cathyfrench]

Dear all,

 

Thank you so much for your messages of support. I am not going well. I have tremors, my body shakes all the time and I have strong agitation and apathy at the same time. I feel numb. PGAD is the same but Tinnitus is getting worse. I can't bear the lilght and the heat and I can't breath properly.

 

I also have earfullness, migraine on the left side of my skull and very bad earache.

 

DO you know if earache is a withdrawal side effect from Sertraline ?  or is from taking Xanax.

 

If I need to take antibiotics for the earache,  Do  one of the tinnitus sufferer know if it is safe to take them when you are in withdrawal? I took Augmentin and 3 course of antibiotics or cystitis when I was withdrawing from Sertraline in June and it made my tinnitus worse..

 

For those of us who have tinnitus, do you still take antibiotics ? and if yes do you know which ones are the least toxic ?.

 

 

I thank all of you for your message of support. I am sorry that I can't answer to all of you individually but I want to tell you how much I appreciate your support.

 

Hope you are all well and take good care

 

Cathy

 

PS MammaP, I have wrote my diary, do I need to create a subject on the benzo forum. I think I have to start the Xanax withdrawall. Thank you so much for your help

 

PS: Alto, thank you so much for the link on Lactimal. It seems to be again a scary drug. I am not sure I will use it because I read in a french article that a woman got PGAD using it so might be risky for the PGAD sufferers to use it. What do you think ? Thank you so much for your help.