256 replies to this topic

[TryinginFL]

FH..... my sentiments exactly!  He sure had me fooled with his knowledge of the poison withdrawal

[FiveNotions]

Wagtail, FH is right...stop playing around with the meds and the dosing schedule....follow it exactly....exactly....exactly.....

By messing with the dosing you are making yourself sick...sicker....stop doing this to yourself.

Immediately, start following the exact dosing schedule.

Do not make me have to come all the way over there and whup yo butt, girl! ;-)

[tria]

Wagtail - Please listen to everyone and stick to your medication schedule!  Sometimes when I read your posts, I feel like I'm reading about myself.  The feelings of dread especially.... and often when my anxiety is at my worst, I want to ride it out and not take my Xanax which is the exact opposite of what I should do!  Why my brain tells me not to take it, I don't know although I'm sure it's connected to the anxiety in general and/or the withdrawal.  With anxiety, everything seems bad (at least for me) - example, if I take a new drug, something bad will surely happen, etc.  It clouds your thinking, makes you second guess your decisions.... that is the anxiety talking, not the real you!!  Hang in there, you are on the right track towards managing your anxiety.

 

TFL - I'm so sorry to hear you are having a rough time!  Sending good thoughts your way!

[Wagtail]

Fishinghat & other dear friends ... I took my Clonidine @ 8am as scheduled & I had an appointment @ 1pm , my goodness I could barely speak I felt like I had a bad hangover , I was actually asked if I was ok ...my dosage of Clonidine is 100mcg is that the same as 1 mg ?.
My other question is !, on some occasions when I need to go out & Im feeling anxious or panicky I take 0.5mg of Zanax to settle myself down & to allow myself to have a normal conversation without slurring my words or not able to finish my sentences. It doesn't make me tired or drowsy & I can function perfectly normally or to be honest with you it helps me a lot .
My concern & question is , is lorazepam the same type of benzo & am I going to be able to function normally after taking my 1 mg dose ?.
I'm sure if I took one after taking the Clonidine it would knock me out completely .... & I absolutely need to be able to function during the day time .
Appreciate any feedback from anyone please .
:-)
TryingFL , have you been to see your doctor & if so what did he say & recommend for you to do ?. I sincerely hope that you are feeling a bit stronger & not too much anxiety .
Xxx
Trial oh how dreadful that you feel like me , it's certainly hard to bear isn't it !. That awful dread feeling , it knocks me for 6 when it hits. I'm waking up during the night with it & waking with it every morning ....
I guess our fear of becoming addicted to the Zanax or lorazepam is why we fight the need to take it . The reality is though , that when we do take it & we settle down & can think straight we can see the stupidity in holding out & suffering so much ..!.
It's sad that while I took the Cymbalta I didn't suffer from anxiety or panic & the dread feelings were non existent . Now here I am doing the right thing by stopping it & I find myself in a terrifying hell place.
My life is turned upside down at the present & I am praying that I will soon get my life back without the need to take any medication .
Mmmmmm maybe that will be a miracle !..:-)

[Wagtail]

Wagtail, FH is right...stop playing around with the meds and the dosing schedule....follow it exactly....exactly....exactly.....
By messing with the dosing you are making yourself sick...sicker....stop doing this to yourself.
Immediately, start following the exact dosing schedule.
Do not make me have to come all the way over there and whup yo butt, girl! ;-)

Ha ha FN , that might be a good idea ...but I promise to be a good girl & not be so scared of my medications ...:-)))

[Wagtail]

It's 5 pm & I took 100mcg of Clonidine @ 8am ...I'm due to take another one @ 8pm ... The effects from my 8am dose is still very strong , I'm very tired & slurring my words , maybe I'm super sensitive to this particular medication ?. Maybe I should only take it once a day instead of twice , just until my body adjusts .
My husband is a little concerned that I feel so hungover 9 hours after taking it !.
Just putting this out there in the hope for some comments .. I want to do what is prescribed but don't want to be ZONKED OUT 24 hrs a day until my body gets used to it !..
What to do guys ...:-)

[fishinghat]

Wagtail

 

First of all 0.1mg dose is the same as 100mcg and that is a standard dose. The half life of clonidine is 12 hours so by the time you are ready to take your 8 PM pill then half of the 8 AM pill is out of your system. If you are still groggy as late in the day as 5 PM then I would say you have some adjusting to do. Keep the same schedule (8 AM and 8 PM) but take only a half a clonidine. In a few days when your body adjusts then we can discuss if we want to up it or not. In the mean time if you have a flair up of bad anxiety then lean on the lorazepam (it is faster acting than zanax). Don't be afraid to take a half a lorazepam. If that doesn't do it you can always take the other half. Keep us informed on how this affects you.

[FiveNotions]

And do not take both the lorazepam and the Xanax....do not mix benzos....

[Wagtail]

Wagtail
 
First of all 0.1mg dose is the same as 100mcg and that is a standard dose. The half life of clonidine is 12 hours so by the time you are ready to take your 8 PM pill then half of the 8 AM pill is out of your system. If you are still groggy as late in the day as 5 PM then I would say you have some adjusting to do. Keep the same schedule (8 AM and 8 PM) but take only a half a clonidine. In a few days when your body adjusts then we can discuss if we want to up it or not. In the mean time if you have a flair up of bad anxiety then lean on the lorazepam (it is faster acting than zanax). Don't be afraid to take a half a lorazepam. If that doesn't do it you can always take the other half. Keep us informed on how this affects you.

Thank you FH , it's 8am here so I will take the half dose today & see how it effects me . :-)

[fishinghat]

Keep me posted.

[Wagtail]

Fishinghat , it's now 5.30pm & Ive dragged myself through the day ... I only took half a Clonidine tablet @ 8am .. I can still feel the effects quite strongly .
I've decided that I can't function like this so I'm not going to take the 8pm dose , I've hardly got enough energy to brush my teeth .
I think it's depleted ALL my adrenaline completely lol .
I'm feeling clusters ( not sure if that describes it ) of anxiety & allowing the feeling to wash over me . I will take a lorazapam soon & hope that will get me through the night .
I have my first appointment with my new therepist on Monday so hoping she can sort out my bruised & battered brain .
Until then I will do my best to cope . :-)

[xman]

I also take benzos-have for years. I stopped about 20 yrs ago. and did well until I had a trauma in my life. Funny (Ironically) was that when I no longer needed the medication I just stopped taking it-no side effects/ withdrawals. Weird I know but that is the truth.

Bravo to the brave ppl that decide to stop taking the poison we have come to know: Crapalta. Whatever it takes, at least the known quantity versus the unknown.

[gail]

Xman, just curious to know if when you went off the benzos, were you on a daily dose? meaning did you take them for long and every day?

 

You say no side effects, is it that the dose was very low and not taken every day?

My God, I dont know how to post this question.

 

At times, I dont feel the need for them, rarely, but it happens. I get afraid of withdrawal symptoms and swallow it.

 

Sorry if I dont make sense, just the returning of symptoms that had vanished and returned in the last days, and that makes me nervous. Nausea and anxiety. Of course not as bad, just enough to make me squirm.

[FiveNotions]

Gail, you're talking about the anxiety and nausea returning, yes? Or do you mean some of the other old cymbalta effects?

Has anything changed, happened, not happened in your life that would have triggered anxiety and nausea?

Do you have a benzo or something else you can take? (Again, I'm not quite sure I'm reading your message correctly...my brain is still napping, apparently....)

[Wagtail]

Fishinghat & everyone else .. My update on the Clonidine .

I didn't take any last night but did take lorazepam 1 mg . When I woke this morning the grogginess had worn off & I felt awake for the first time in three days since starting the Clonidine .
I could even speak without sounding like I had been drinking ..

I didn't take any this morning & have decided to not take any more until after I speak with my new therapist tomorrow .
Then I will take your advice & just start with the half tablet @ night & see how that effects me .. I did notice a drop in my anxiety whilst taking it .
Today has been pretty good , waves of anxiety that came & went .. Usually brought on by a negative thought ( I have a lot of those ) .:-)

[fishinghat]

Sounds good Wagtail. Good luck with the therapist.

[FiveNotions]

I'm with FH, Wagtail. You learned that the Clonidine that you did take, for just several days and at a half dose for most of the time, did seem to help the anxiety. You also learned that you're very sensitive to it, the grogginess, slurred speech, etc. even at the reduced dose.

You haven't commented on the lorazepam, but that you didn't I'm betting means that it worked for you, and I recall you mentioned taking it just once. That's also helpful info.

Talk to the therapist about what you've learned. And, ask for suggestions etc. Then, you'll need to call your doctor to tell him your experience with the Clonidine and lorazepam, and what the therapist suggests, etc.

This is good, solid progress on getting to the bottom of the anxiety issue and working out a solution!

[xman]

Gail, my dosage of the alprazolam ( Xanax ) was approximately 1 mg a day divided into or three doses as I recall. Perhaps even a little more and that was ongoing for over five years. Interestingly enough when I didn't need it I just quit taking it and didn't notice any physical withdrawals at the time. These types of drugs are well known and have been studied over long periods of time. I think the reason that physician say that they are so "addictive" is because that they really work and unless you find another means of dealing with anxiety one finds themselves being drawn to the positive effects of the medication. Having said all of this, I am using this family of medications currently. If I can get past the horrible effects of the crapalta I hope to be free of everything at some point.

[xman]

PS one more note on the subject they do make me hungry relaxing stomach muscles and aiding nausea, which is a good thing in my case.

[ittybittysmitty]

I need support...today i had an breakdown while at a parade and suddenly felt extremely lonely in the crowd, sad and suicidal...I couldn't stop sobbing in my car...but didn't have dizziness like yesterday...

So while I was thrilled about no dizziness, my breakdown didn't make any sense because yesterday I was in a GREAT mood!!

I felt fine this morning...so this happened without warning...could be a fiber supplement with herbs in it OR menopausal fluctuation....

I already know thanks to all of you that this IS NORMAL WITHDRAWAL. I think the side effects are so stressful on all of us, that it's normal to feel depressed anyway.;o))

Has anyone had a sudden mood swing episode of sobbing like this within an hour? It's like my brain chemistry just switched from one pole to another...

BTW...has anybody read that fish oil can have a negative affect on bipolar depression?

Thank you beautiful companions on this arduous journey..I hope to hear from you soon...God bless

[TryinginFL]

IBS...

 

Yes, this switch from one mood to another is very common - I still have periods of crying (not sobbing anymore, but I've been off the poison for 5 1/2 months now) and it just happens.  I know how frustrating it is and remember, we have good days and bad days, but we have no timetable as to when and how long they will last.  The longer you have been in withdrawal the more good days you will have and the bad ones will slowly subside.

 

You mentioned that you were having a GREAT day yesterday  -  wonderful!  And then Wham! - Here comes a bad day.  I know, it stinks!

 

I just wanted you to know that I understand and offer my support - IT WILL GET BETTER!  Hang tight a little longer

 

Liz

 

PS No, I did not know about the fish oil

[fishinghat]

IBS

 

Sorry you had that experience but I am so glad you could realize it was just the withdrawal. For some unknown reason the body has trouble maintaining stability with the emotions for a while. It seems like if you are feel particularly good on a given day then the next day is a rebound day and you feel particularly bad. This can be minimized by not over doing it on the good days. But the important thing is....it does get better.

[thismoment]

IBS

 

The waves of withdrawal roll in and out. You are at week 8, and soon the crests and troughs will not be so far apart. Then they will become ripples. Yes, it's normal to feel somewhat depressed in withdrawal. 

 

Also, we can feel depressed because the previous day we were on the crest of the wave and today we are in the trough. Ugh! And as you know, the disappointment leads to depression. Hang in there!

[gail]

Gail, you're talking about the anxiety and nausea returning, yes? Or do you mean some of the other old cymbalta effects?

Has anything changed, happened, not happened in your life that would have triggered anxiety and nausea?

Do you have a benzo or something else you can take? (Again, I'm not quite sure I'm reading your message correctly...my brain is still napping, apparently....)

Fivenotions, thanks for answering. My feeling is the same I had in withdrawal, at a lower intensity. I have bouts of anxiety end of afternoon for a few hours,  it used to be in early morning. Nausea in the last 5 days, light. And headaches lasting for 5 or 6 days at a time, and I am not a headache person. The 3 symptoms go together. I mean they happen at the same time.

 

Yes, something happened in my life, but the symptoms started before, and the issue is resolved.

 

Can this still be withdrawal symptoms? I have reached my 4 months now. Not sure what to think. I was feeling so much better in the last 3 weeks, not perfectly fine, but being so happy to have had reached that point .

 

What are your thoughts FN? I would say that it is just a slight relapse with the withdrawal. I sure hope this is what it is.

 

Have switched from lorazepam to diazepam. Same dosage.

 

Blood test normal, only vitamine D deficient. BP normal. Merci!

[FiveNotions]

Gail, yep, I think it's the poison...actually, I think it's your brain rewiring itself....to restore balance now that the cymbalta is gone....it was just about the 4 month point when my symptoms switched from the physical stuff to the emotional/feeling stuff....the wild mood swings from hysterical crying to laughing in 10 seconds or less seemed to be more part of the physical....but at about where you are it started feel like my brain was "fine tuning" itself....for me, when I get the anxiety I almost always get the stomach stuff...vague nausea, no appetite...the headache, no...that's not part of my "anxiety cluster"....

Also, like you, now when I get anxiety it hits in the late afternoon...not in the a.m. anymore....

I agree with you, temporary stuff....so just observe it and don't grab onto it...it's transitory..... ;-)

[gail]

Gail, my dosage of the alprazolam ( Xanax ) was approximately 1 mg a day divided into or three doses as I recall. Perhaps even a little more and that was ongoing for over five years. Interestingly enough when I didn't need it I just quit taking it and didn't notice any physical withdrawals at the time. These types of drugs are well known and have been studied over long periods of time. I think the reason that physician say that they are so "addictive" is because that they really work and unless you find another means of dealing with anxiety one finds themselves being drawn to the positive effects of the medication. Having said all of this, I am using this family of medications currently. If I can get past the horrible effects of the crapalta I hope to be free of everything at some point.

Xman, I think that we are at the same point, 4 months. Am I wrong? and what are your symptoms at this point? I would like to know. Thank Xman.

 

Interesting about stopping with no withdrawal. And rare, I guess Fh must be having a   reading this. Hello FH.

[fishinghat]

Gail.

 

Sorry you are feeling bad but if I had to guess I would think it was the 1 to 1 switch of lorazepam to diazepam. Lorazepam is ten times stronger than diazepam. I would bet you are getting some withdrawal from the lorazepam. Possible?

[gail]

Gail, yep, I think it's the poison...actually, I think it's your brain rewiring itself....to restore balance now that the cymbalta is gone....it was just about the 4 month point when my symptoms switched from the physical stuff to the emotional/feeling stuff....the wild mood swings from hysterical crying to laughing in 10 seconds or less seemed to be more part of the physical....but at about where you are it started feel like my brain was "fine tuning" itself....for me, when I get the anxiety I almost always get the stomach stuff...vague nausea, no appetite...the headache, no...that's not part of my "anxiety cluster"....

Also, like you, now when I get anxiety it hits in the late afternoon...not in the a.m. anymore....

I agree with you, temporary stuff....so just observe it and don't grab onto it...it's transitory..... ;-)

 

Funny you should mention the brain rewiring, when I went to bed last night, that is exactly the thought I had.

 

Had forgotten to mention about the appetite part.

You are a sweetheart FN , confirming this, you have lived it yourself. And that makes me want to hug you and say Thank you.

 

You are very reassuring, just made my day. Wise word from a God like person. God like, what a funny way of putting this. What does it take to get honored to this title?

[fishinghat]

The non-addictive behavior you had to benzos xman is extremely rare. Benzo addiction pays the bills at a lot of rehab places. lol  You are the first person I have ever met that had NO withdrawal. I know some who have withdrawen from pretty high dosages in as little as 4 to 6 weeks which is pretty but they still had pretty bad withdrawal.

[gail]

Gail.

 

Sorry you are feeling bad but if I had to guess I would think it was the 1 to 1 switch of lorazepam to diazepam. Lorazepam is ten times stronger than diazepam. I would bet you are getting some withdrawal from the lorazepam. Possible?

FH, I was on 2.25 ativan and now equivalent to 22.50 valium. I took 6 weeks to switch the Aston way. Possible? I cannot answer that, I dont know. Could be, but doubt this. Who knows, but I would go with FN's theory.

 

But again, the only thing I am sure of is that I am not sure of anything. Someone famous said that, cant remember who, maybe Socrates.