10 replies to this topic

[Raven72]

It has become a harsh reality to me that I have a dependence upon SSRI depressants. I haven't really wanted to admit this because then that would mean it's up to me and only me to handle myself and my depression and anxiety.

Coming off of Lexapro to me seems to be a worse experience than with Sinbalta. I was much more receptive to my husband's suggestion that Sinbalta was a bad thing than I have been with Lexapro. So, much so that it has bordered on ruining my marriage. I mean I didn't see it as a problem so much, that I didn't seem to care it was ruining my marriage. I mean I didn't actually think it was. I kept focusing on problems my husband had and that being the reason instead of seeing how much worse things got when I had my Lexapro dose raised.

My chilren were much younger when I went through all this with Sinbalta. Now they are teens and they are actually worried about me. Asking questions about the medicine Momma takes and why she is having to stop it. When this was brought to my attention, not only did it open my eyes, it broke my heart.

I stopped taking it back in October if I remember correctly. I am looking for withdrawal symptoms to watch out for and which ones may be worse. Suggestions on OTC items that may help with any said symptoms. I will never take another SSRI, because I cam risk losing my family over something that screws with my mind.

[fishinghat]

Sorry to hear you are still battling the demon antidepressants. I found Lexapro withdrawal symptoms to be very similar to Cymbalta but a little less severe. The same OTC meds that have helped Cymbalta withdrawal should help Lexapro withdrawal.

[invalidusername]

Hi Raven,

 

It is good to hear from you, despite under such circumstances. Dependence is a tough word to swallow, but before we go any further you need to understand THIS IS NOT YOUR FAULT. 

 

Before anything you need to get to a place of self compassion. You had no idea that this would happen. You were following guidance from other supposedly "in the know". Should it help, I am in the same place. I have been on Citalopram for 15 years now. It scares the cr*p out of me as, to the best of knowledge from the finest research scientists at UCL in London, his Parkinson's Disease was caused by prolonged use (20 years) of Citalopram. He does not have much in the way of a life having lost movement all over his body. The reality hit that the same could happen to me.

 

I don't NEED to be on any SSRI any more. My depression and anxiety is, for want of a better word, normal. I have the odd day or two here and there like anyone else enduring the pace of today's world, but as soon as I start dropping even the slightest dose, all hell breaks loose, and I cannot take it. We are talking 30mg to 27,5mg. I can't take it. I become suicidal just from this. I hate that this has happened to me. 

 

My doctor told me that following my car accident in 2006, I was "prone" to depression and anxiety, and so just like a diabetic needs insulin, I needed Citalopram to prevent it reoccurring. Total and utter BS. He was fed this by the pharma rep. I didn't realise until I had been on these pills 12 years that this was the case. I tried to quit, and couldn't. I did go through a lot of stress at the same point which made it impossible to even consider a withdrawal. I am stuck on these damn things. I am scared. I feel for you and empathise so much.

 

Regarding the symptoms, it all depends on what they are as to what to suggest. So whilst there is a lot documented in the eBook, it always helps to post here and we can help as much as we can.

 

Wishing you the very best for the Christmas holiday.

 

IUN

[Raven72]

Thanks FH and IUN...I am sorry it has taken me so long to respond. This is a really sucky situation for me. Each day is different. It seems like everytime I feel things are going well, the fu@#&$ bottom falls out. I feel like I am falling further and further down a hole I can't get out of. My husband keeps trying to help me but I seem to be fighting him on it. I can't figure it out. I know I have a problem but he thinks I can't admit it. I have several of the symptoms of withdrawal, most of which are oddly side effects from taking the medication as well. My heart hurts right now because I don't want my marriage to end because of problems caused by a stupid medication.

[fishinghat]

I wish I knew what to say to help Raven. Have you tried any supplements to see if they would help?

[Raven72]

I have not yet started the supplements. I honestly don't remember them other than fish oil and I don't remember how much of it to take. So, if you wouldn't mind listing them for me that would be helpful.

[fishinghat]

Here are the most common but there are many more. If none these work just let me know and I will post more options.

 

Items Proven to Help Many with Withdrawal.

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Diphenhydramine, (over the counter) also known as Benadryl, is an antihistamine and as such is not only used for allergies/colds but also as a sleep aide. It does have a mild anxiolytic effect. May lower blood pressure and cause irregular heartbeats. Your body does build up tolerance to it after a few weeks. This medicine has many drug interactions.

Begins working in 15 to 30 minutes

Peak levels - 2 to 2.5 hrs

Half Life – 4 to 6 hrs

Use by members for anxiety releif and to help sleep is too numerous to mention. 

Diphenhydramine should NOT be taken with hydroxyzine. Drugs.com

 

serendipity - I found Benadryl to produce hangover effects, and cause palpitations when taken long term. Even if you wake up in the middle of the night, and can't get back to sleep, even a teeny amount (say, 15mg) can induce sleep again. 

Schmb - Benadryl worked on a limited basis for me, because sometimes it makes me jittery, and that only made the zaps much worse, so just use some caution in case you are sensitive to it.

FH - One caution on benadryl. It is famous for bad reactions with other medicine so check your compatability closely. The maximum dosage of benadryl is 25 to 50 mg every 4 to 6 hours and do not surpass 300 mg in a day.

Benadryl Total

Medicinal ingredients:

•Acetaminophen, 500 mg

•Diphenhydramine Hydrochloride, 25 mg

•Pseudoephedrine Hydrochloride, 30 mg

 

It contains diphenhydramine which is the active ingredient in regular Benadryl and also pseudoephedrine which is common in most cold medicines. The Diphenhydramine helps with sleep and anxiety and the pseudoephedrine helps block the action of adrenaline which produces a calming effect. 

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Omega 3

Dose - Omega 3 is recommended at 2000 mg/day EPA and DHA for anxiety, give or take a couple hundred depending on what research you read. It has been shown that only the EPA and DHA components effect anxiety. Any other omega 3 fatty acids don't do anything for anxiety. Life Extensions, Mega EPA/DHA, is distilled (molecularly purified) so you don't get any impurities with your product plus it contains no mercury. Some even provide a certificate of analysis if requested. They also have ones that are enteric coated now that will not irritate the digestive track and has no fish burbs to them. 

 

http://www.cymbaltaw...elps#entry67706

This thread contains a detailed discussion on use of Omega 3.

 

Also this thread....

http://www.cymbaltaw...elps#entry68036

 

Fishinghat - Omega 3 fish oils can be very high in mercury depending on the type of fish used. Some have tested at over 300 ppm mercury. There are brands out there that are mercury free or low mercury guaranteed. Something to think about. If you have thyroid issues they usually contain high iodine concentrations also. One member had an episode of high iodine toxicity I couldn't find a iodine free product. If your thyroid is fine then this should not be an issue.

Warning

Arrhythmias

Omega 3

3 Grams of omega 3 per day can worsen cardiac arrythmias.

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Melatonin

FH - a research article where it was shown that taking 0.7 mg of liquid melatonin under the tongue (sublingual) helps with anxiety. Place it under the tongue until dissolved and gone. In case you are not familiar with melatonin it is the chemical your body produces in the evening to make you sleepy and ready for bed. 

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Gatorade

 

Many members found Gatorade to be considerable help in fighting most withdrawal symptoms, especially the green gatorade.

 

Kindorf - Also I have been avoiding caffeine so I cut out my coffee and sweet tea.

I replaced then with fruit juice, ( mainly apple juice ) water and Gatorade. Today no stomach cramps I think they are done. No diarrhea, Lord I hope that is gone. 

 

Judy -  I knew that Gatorade helped with the light-headed, "floating brain" feelings. 

 

watchdog -  Drinks LOTS of GREEN gatorade..... don't know what the deal is, but it helps.

 

wiraz - Drink at least one G2 Gatorade a day – stay away from the full sugar version, leads to a higher chance of diarrhea. I drink one 32 oz bottle every day plus tons of water!!

 

caroline - Vit E also for head and joints and then Gatorade's G2. I didn't want the sugars so I went with the G2

 

Rafael -  I have mild brain zaps but I believe the omega 3 Fish Oil and Gatorade are helping.

 

Sandlion - I took fish oil/other Omega 3 and also found that Gatorade helped -- maybe it's the salt replacement after all the nightsweats.

 

guppie -  I'm a month off the drug so only minor zaps now and then. Whoever gave the gatorade advice is a genius. That treats them instantly (make sure you get the low calorie gatorade since regular is high calorie). Brain zaps are minor. I grab a gatorade and that gets rid of those for a bit (electrolytes). 

 

Alisha - gatorade-had one of the big bottles yesterday and it did seem to help,

 

Vinvin - The Fierce Green Apple Gatorade, Dramamine and Boylan's Ginger Ale seem to help out as well 

 

Summary - Many members mentioned drinking Gatorade for the electrolytes after diarrhea, night sweats and when having brain zaps. G2 was often mentioned because it has no sugar (not true, see below). Also, it was suggested that one should not just rely on Gatorade alone for hydrated but should also drink plenti of water. Green Gatorade is highly recommended by some members.  Vitylite and Powerade were also mentioned a couple times for electrolytes. I would also recommend Isopure as it comes with and without sugars and proteins with a similar amount and type of electrolytes as Gatorade.

 

G2 Gatorade - It has the same amount of sugar as regular Gatorade and nearly all the same ingredients and electrolytes.

 

Gatorade Fierce Green Apple Sports Drink - This may be the "green  gatorade" that members spoke of. It contains malic acid, the active ingredient in apple cider vinager which has proved so helpful to other members. Other ingredients are the same.

 

Isopure Zero Carbs - No sugar, with some calcium. Contains Malic acid

Isopure Mass - With sugar and proteins, with calcium, Contains Malic acid

Isopure zero carb with proteins - no sugar, contains proteins. With calcium  Contains Malic acid

 

Sparkybird - I’ve found that Pur Aqua Sparkling Frost in any flavor has malic acid. I discovered it by accident. It is only 50 cents at Aldi’s. It is only 10 calories a bottle.

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L-theanine 

L-theanine is an amino acid precursor to glutamate (involved in the synthesis of GABA) and glutamine. It can cross the blood brain barrier. It is only produced by plants and fungi and a component in some teas. It inhibits glutamine transporters and glutamate transporters, and thus blocks the reuptake of glutamine and glutamate. Theanine increases serotonin, dopamine, GABA, and glycine levels in various areas of the brain. Caution – Most plants that contain L-theanine also contain caffeine and it can be a significant contaminant in L-theanine supplements. It is synthesized from glutamate using the enzyme glutamate decarboxylase and pyridoxal phosphate (which is the active form of vitamin B6) as a cofactor. This process converts glutamate, the principal excitatory neurotransmitter, into the principal inhibitory neurotransmitter (GABA).

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Theanine

Member's comments

(puritan's pride) 200 mg capsules 2- 3/ day. I have been taking this prior to cymbalta detox. It helped me reduce my dosage of clonazepam. Within 20-30 mins I feel more calm. I do believe it is helping keep the anxiety in check.

Tinabee - For now I have started taking fish oil and a supplement called Theanine Serene that is supposed to help with anxiety. I know it sounds silly since I've only taken the anxiety supplement for a couple days but I really feel like it has helped.

200mg L-Theanine in the morning with a full glass of water on an empty stomach, you can take again in late afternoon 100 to 200 mg if needed (make sure it is suntheanine - it helps with headaches and pain as any painkiller I had just did not cut it)

Member's comments were generally favorable.

 

http://www.cymbaltaw...page-2?hl=helps

Page 1 and 2, detailed information on L theanine and its usage.

Research

The research shows that all green tea leaves contain both L-theanine and D- theanine BUT only the special processing used by the manufacturer produces pure L-Theanine and is the choice of many of the research biologists.

 

 

Five of the six products contained significant amounts of D-theanine. Only one product, SunTheanine, appeared to contain only the L-theanine enantiomer. D-theanine is not used by the humnn body.  Suntheanine is the pure ingredient and that is what you want. 

 

Key Points

Theanine increases serotonin, dopamine, GABA, and glycine levels in various areas of the brain. 

Scientific Information

A National Standard monograph that reviews current research on theanine reports that it is likely safe in doses of 200–250 mg up to a maximum daily dose of 1,200 mg. Theanine is used to help with anxiety, blood pressure control, mood, and cognition. 

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[Raven72]

Thanks! I will make note of these and keep you updated. I will tell you that my anxiety is at a high level and the dry mouth and constant swallowing is getting worse.

[fishinghat]

Let me know how it goes.

[Raven72]

I will and thank you. I had nowhere else to turn. It's not good so far. Still trying to get my ducks in a row, even though I stopped it in October. More so at night than any other time, I swallow alot and get dry mouth. I yawn and take lots of deep breaths. I feel like I can't breath sometimes.

[fishinghat]

Not unusual. A common side effect of anxiety. Hang in there,