success ☼ Alex Withdrawal or Relapse?

[Nikki]

Hi Alex...

 

WD is very potent and having money issues is potent too. If you were not 6 months out from Effexor the money issue would probably still trouble you. It troubles alot of people these days.

 

Does the WD affect stressful issues or do stressful issues cause a bigger wave of WD.

 

For myself it is not WD. It is the stressors in and of themselves.

 

Would it help to try and compartmentalize them? It helped me. Treat them separately if possible.

 

As for sleep, insomnia was a big symptom for me and that has an affect on our moods. My WD situation is quite different from yours, but when I drop a dose I do get insomnia or waking up frequently.

 

I have been using meditation cd's and they help me out alot. being physically active during the day helps too, but not everyone can. It can be too exhausting and exacerbate WD. Maybe some sun and mild activity can help....

 

Hang in there. To get off effexor takes alot of strength and determination. Give yourself a hue pat on the back.

[alexjuice]

So my message is: HANG IN THERE! if I am doing it, you will too.One day a a time. I think this terrible experience is going to be very valuable for my future life.

 

5 months 23 days Efexxor free.

 

Great news and a great message for the rest of us.

 

Very glad to hear things are slowly getting back on track for you.

[alex]

Hello after a few weeks without posting here I am again.

 

I believe I am slowly recovering.

 

I am being able to cope with w/d in a better way maybe, and that makes a big difference.

 

Neuro-emotions are much less powerful, anxiety is not that bad anymore.

 

I don´t have almost any physical symptoms, besides a little tinnitus, weakness and smell hypersensitivity.

 

My worst symptoms are psychological, neuro-fear, anxiety, anhedonia.

 

I don´t really feel the wave.window pattern but a slow brake-down of symptoms

 

My main problem still is INSOMNIA;

 

But I´ve also learn how to deal with it, and I feel there is a close relation between getting at least some rest and recovery.

 

This is my situation today at 7 months Effexor free: 0.25 Xanax to sleep (I was on 0.50) Fish Oil 3.000mg/ Magnesium 225mg/ Vitamin C 500mg/ Phosphatydilserine 100mg-bed time.

Valerian-bed time

 

I´ve found out that ACCEPTANCE, PATIENCE and FAITH ar key in this hard process.

 

I would really like to hear from my friends in SA.

[peggy]

thanks for the update Alex, its nice to hear from you - you have done a great job hanging on and being strong. It is very helpful for your SA friends to see the gradual improvement and even the few backward steps - it's good to see you go forward again!

[alex]

Hello everybody.Here I am after being away for a while.

I keep giving the good fight with this hard process in the best way I can.

 

It has been 8 months since the last dose of Effexor.

 

It has been a rough ride, but I must admit It has improved, slowly but it is happening.

 

A few months ago, it was terrifying, now it´s difficult.Even my worst and most feared symptom, insomnia, is getting slowly better.

 

I am having the classic wave-window pattern with an overall improvement sensation.Symptoms come and go, but I have noticed they are not as powerfull as they used to be.Others like panic attacks, dysphoria, suicidal thoughts are gone or very weak.

 

For me the key has been 1st of all staying away from psy med. of course, and try to be active and positive, even tough it is hard.

 

I have also learned to be mindfull about my neuro-emotions, like fear, one of the worse symptoms for me.Despite fear, I try to keep active and do the things I have to do, and that seems to help my neuroplastycity.(sorry for my english)

 

I am having a hard time with money issues and that doesn´t help, but I have learned to manage and to keep on going with my main goal wich is HEALING.

 

So I must say it is getting slowly better.

 

HANG IN THERE!

[basildev]

Alex,

 

that is VERY encouraging news to hear!

 

Thanks so much for sharing this with us

[Hudgens]

Alex, I noticed we were going through similar rough patchs in Aug-September 2012. At the time, I was down to 2mgs after 1 year and nine months of almost pain free tapering. I was really sick during that time. I tried to keep busy with hosehold projects, but there were at least 2 weeks when I gave in and just acted like a person with a bad flu.

 

The depression was a completely new thing to me. Dreadful.

 

Now, about 6 months later, I feel better. I still have the symptoms of August-September, but not as intense or as relentless. I've had complete windows, too. Just had one yesterday, as a matter of fact. And December-February were pretty bearable.

 

Because of the similarities, I'm quite naturally interested in following your story. So please check in now and again. Thanks, Benz

[Baxter]

Alex - I am so glad to read this post! Glad you're seeing improvements and feeling better.

[alex]

Alex, I noticed we were going through similar rough patchs in Aug-September 2012. At the time, I was down to 2mgs after 1 year and nine months of almost pain free tapering. I was really sick during that time. I tried to keep busy with hosehold projects, but there were at least 2 weeks when I gave in and just acted like a person with a bad flu.

 

The depression was a completely new thing to me. Dreadful.

 

Now, about 6 months later, I feel better. I still have the symptoms of August-September, but not as intense or as relentless. I've had complete windows, too. Just had one yesterday, as a matter of fact. And December-February were pretty bearable.

 

Because of the similarities, I'm quite naturally interested in following your story. So please check in now and again. Thanks, Benz

 

Hi Benz, I´m sorry for my mistake with quoting.

 

(NOTE: Posting error has been corrected. -Jemima)

 

I believe your situation and mine are different,(my guess) because you did a very slow tappering and I did not.I "tappered" in three months time.

 

Even though, as I said before, I´m still suffering and with a long road ahead, but it is getting SLOWLY better.

 

One question: Are you still on meds?

[Hudgens]

Yes, we're different. My fault for not reading more of the thread. Still, I want to follow your progress since you're trying to recover from the same drug as I am.

 

I'm still taking a little less than 1/4 mgs of generic Effexor to which I swithed from XR for the tapering.

With luck I'll be done with taking it for good sometime this summer.

 

Had a great day yesterday. Not to bad of a start today. Now I'm feeling the anxiety building up toward evening. I'm reading Tom Sawer for the first time in years. Really funny. And anxiety or not, I'm looking forward to reading another 5 or 6 chapters later tonight. Nice talking to you, and hoping you feel much better very soon, Benz

[alex]

Hi everybody, here I am, surviving.

 

I don´t know why I lost my password; I thought I was banned from the forum for not been active.

 

Well, here I am hanging on.

 

At 10 months off I ca notice an improvement (important) in anxiety and neuro-fear.

 

Disrupted sleep still there, but I am coping better (less anxiety)

 

Depression and anhedonia are an issue, even though I`ve had little improvement in this area also.The thing is that my personal situation is very difficult.I am a jobless, 59 yrs. old man....

 

Last April was one of the worst concerning depression and dark thoughts.

 

My situation scares me, and it is hard to find meaning, even when I notice an overall improvement.

 

I am glad to get in contact with you people again.

[lexicon]

Welcome Alex,

I am sorry you are hurting ..Someone with expertise will come along to help you.

Wishing you peace and well being

Lexicon

[alex]

Thank you Lex, wishing you well too.

[alex]

Today I`ve had one of the best days in months, regarding anxiety and "organic" fear.

I´ve been noticing an important improvement in anxiety the last days.

Obsessive intrusive thoughts,very much abated,panic attacks, gone,sore-eyes,gone.

D/P D/R,getting better,insomnia, still there but coping better.

I can say w/o a doubt that I am having an overall improvement, despite a very difficult personal situation.

 

I`m healing.

[alex]

Hi everybody;I have been noticing a significant improvement in anxiety and "organic" fear overall.

But the last few nights I have experienced a worsening regarding disrupted sleep.I wake up many times during the night, and last night I had awful nightmares and fearful wake-ups.This is very discouraging because I`ve been able to handle it for the last months I`m 10 monnths off Effexor.

I did some changes though: I`ve been taking .50mgs Melatonin for the last few nights...

The waking up I`m used to but the nightmares and fear??? Is it a wave?

Last night I watched terrible scenes from World War Two...could it be it?? I know is a mistake.

 

I repeat, during the day, I can notice important improvement, but at night...is another story.

[GiaK]

melatonin can cause dream disturbances...either really vivid or even lucid dreaming...nightmares can come along with those things...

 

it's not for everyone and most recommended doses on bottles are way to high for people too...so it might be dose related as well....although clearly 1/2 a mg isn't much by any standard (except our weird systems).

 

I don't tolerate any dose of melatonin.

[alex]

Thank you Giak.

I`ve read about your incredible story.It is amazing what body and mind can endure.

Let me tell you that your web-site has helped me a lot.

I have to deal every day with this feeling of impending doom.

On one hand I read that w/d may last 18,24,36 months as a media;on the other hand I read about people struggling for many years..I am almost 60, I don´t have that much time, that scares the hell out of me.

I was on Effexor for 4 years, tapered in 3 months, and had no med. since.

I have seen improvement as I said but this is a complex scary process.

[GiaK]

the thing that has allowed me to find joy again is acceptance. it's not total or complete and I often feel frustrated, but I have learned to find joy even while I'm sick...

 

life is amazing...that doesn't change whether we're sick or not...to find a deep appreciation in that even when sick has required cultivation and that process is one that never ends.

 

I'm not well by any standard, but I can honestly say I'm grateful to be alive and at this point even grateful for my experiences because they've taught me so much...

 

anyway...I say this only because you say you don't have time, but you do have right now and really that is all any of us ever have...I hope this doesn't all sound cliche and annoying...it's hard to articulate this stuff, but it does come from my experience and heart.

 

it doesn't mean things get easy all of a sudden...nothing like that, but still...there is an ease in the difficulty somehow.

 

hang in there. peace to you.

[Jemima]

Alex,

 

I think what you're experiencing is a wave. Most of us here have had these lurches forward and back fairly often during withdrawal. I'm still having them eighteen months out from my last dose of Lexapro, although sometimes they're so subtle now I have to stop and think about what's happening to me.

 

The nervous system repairs itself in what seems to be a random way to us - a patch here, rebalance, a patch there, rebalance and stabilize, et cetera. I hope you can take some comfort in that waves usually indicate that another area of the brain is "under reconstruction".

[alex]

Thanks for your support J, yes I do believe that my CNS is under construction as you say.

I have seen important improvement in other areas, like anxiety, but sleep is a BIG issue for me.

I`m so glad to be in contact with you again, and sooo happy that you are doing so much better.

[Rhiannon]

melatonin can cause dream disturbances...either really vivid or even lucid dreaming...nightmares can come along with those things...

 

it's not for everyone and most recommended doses on bottles are way to high for people too...so it might be dose related as well....although clearly 1/2 a mg isn't much by any standard (except our weird systems).

 

I don't tolerate any dose of melatonin.

 

I have trouble with melatonin too. It's not for everyone, I agree.

[Rhiannon]

Thanks for your support J, yes I do believe that my CNS is under construction as you say.

I have seen important improvement in other areas, like anxiety, but sleep is a BIG issue for me.

I`m so glad to be in contact with you again, and sooo happy that you are doing so much better.

 

I know these ups and downs are so frustrating! But it sounds to me, reading your posts, like the overall trend is still mostly a gradual and consistent improvement, in spite of the wobbles. Hang in there!

[Altostrata]

This sounds like a wave, but it might also be your body saying it can do fine with a little less melatonin. Try .25mg and see if that helps.

[alex]

I didn`t take the Melatonin last night, it was bumpy but without the fearful nightmares.

[alex]

 

Thanks for your support J, yes I do believe that my CNS is under construction as you say.

I have seen important improvement in other areas, like anxiety, but sleep is a BIG issue for me.

I`m so glad to be in contact with you again, and sooo happy that you are doing so much better.

 

I know these ups and downs are so frustrating! But it sounds to me, reading your posts, like the overall trend is still mostly a gradual and consistent improvement, in spite of the wobbles. Hang in there!

 

Thank you Rhi

[lexicon]

Hang in there Alex, you are making wonderful progress ..

I have most symptoms in my head ..This is disturbing to me, because I have not seen another post,

dealing with mostly head issues.

Further more I can not find any information as to why that is ..

Wishing you wellness and healing Alex ..

May God bless you ..Lexicon

[alex]

Lex, how long have you been off the drug completely?

[lexicon]

Hi Alex,

Since Jan.16 th 2013 ..

There were two actually ..Lexapro and Sertraline ..

Wishing you well always Alex ..

God bless ..xx

Lexi

[alex]

5 months off is not much.

It can be the early-acute w/d.

It gets better; I know because I`ve been there.

 

Sending you healing vibes.

[alex]

I can`t find some of my posts, for example: Better by day-time worse by night

[Altostrata]

Were those posts merged into this topic? See http://survivingantidepressants.org/index.php?/topic/3298-alex-withdrawal-or-relapse/?p=53507

[alex]

As I`ve posted before, I have seen an important improvement in my symptoms,I almost don`t have any physical symptoms,mine are emotional:anxiety and depression.Floating anxiety and fear has abated a lot.Depression is not that bad, despite my difficult life circumstances, but my sleep really worries me.

I have been helping myself at bed time with herbal teas and a little benzo: 0.25mg for the last 7 months.I`ve been having very disrupted sleep, but able to go back to sleep.In the last 2 weeks, I have noticed that I`m having more trouble going back to sleep.

Ironicaly, I repeat, during the day I`m feeling better.

I really would appreciate any words about sleep and sleep recovery process.

I am about 1 and a half month from my 1st year off.

[Aria]

Hi Alex,

I tapered off a load of psyche drugs and it took a while for sleep to regulate itself (lots of "windows"). I'm some years out and have nights sleep evades me but it's no longer accompanied by panic/sudden awakenings. Ironically sleep disturbances seems to be the last symptom to go. It's good to hear you're feeling better and are slowly improving.

[alex]

Thank you Aria;but you have seen improvement in your sleep patern over the years?

I am "only" 10 months off...only 1 drug though..for 4 years.

[alex]

Were those posts merged into this topic? See http://survivingantidepressants.org/index.php?/topic/3298-alex-withdrawal-or-relapse/?p=53507

No Alto, it was a different topic.It`s ok.

I would really like your comments about my topic about sleep

[Altostrata]

It sounds like you're either having a bad wave or maybe a reaction to the melatonin or other change you've made recently.

 

Have faith, you've done so well, keep on taking care of yourself and persevere through the rough patches.