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Dr. Bob is Robert Hsiung, MD,
bob@dr-bob.orgShown: posts 1 to 6 of 6. This is the beginning of the thread.
Posted by Racer on December 18, 2002, at 15:11:31
Howdy. I'm getting off the dratted drugs. It's horrible, lots of really nasty withdrawal problems. But I have been hopeful up until today. Today I am ready to throw it all away, give up, go back to bed, whatever.
After months of feeling progressively lousy, as I tapered down, I finally stopped the Effexor XR entirely just before Thanksgiving. (Mind you, I'd been tapering since May -- only accidental that it took until the holidays to come to the end...) The sky fell on top of me, and my head was horrible until the doctor started me on Prozac to get through the withdrawal. (other stuff too: one side effect of withdrawal for me was allergic reactions to familiar things: shampoo, moisturizer, etc. AND I got poison oak which lasted for over a month before I started the prozac: gone within days.)
Anyway, it's been storming here in California, and I just totally screwed up business wise: forgot to confirm with at least one of my students that there would be no lessons today. I'm afraid to answer my telephone or to check messages. It's not that this is such a terrible thing, just that it's one more thing I've screwed up. It's almost the least of it, but it's too much for me to add to the stack, you know?
I'm trying not to let this stuff get to me, but add it to the sick stomach and the achy breaky head from the withdrawal, and I'm so afraid of depression creeping back in!
Can someone pat me on the head or something?
Posted by Phil on December 18, 2002, at 17:21:39
In reply to Dancing a tango: 1 step forward, 2 steps back, posted by Racer on December 18, 2002, at 15:11:31
Pat, pat, pat, pat, pat.
I know your life is much better now than it was a couple of years ago but I'm worried that you might relapse. You had a nasty depression as I'm sure you remember.
Is your goal to get off of all drugs? Not that I would blame anyone for trying but everytime I have tried, the world gradually goes black and white. I still get a shitty picture but it's in color. (Sorry, something inside me wants a camera)
Are you trying to make a baby? Sorry, if that's not appropriate to ask.
I am concerned for you Racer, not as much as I am for Dr Bob but they don't make meds for his condition. *joke*
A lot have posted that Effexor is a bitch to quit but you're one of the first that I've 'known' this long. Sorry you're going thru it and damn, that's wicked withdrawal.
I have no answers but I hope you keep us updated.Please keep us updated. You are one of the people on this board that I admire tremendously.
I don't want to see you hurtin'.Phil
Posted by Rach on December 18, 2002, at 19:36:14
In reply to Re: Dancing a tango: 1 step forward, 2 steps back, posted by Phil on December 18, 2002, at 17:21:39
Posted by Racer on December 18, 2002, at 20:19:20
In reply to Re: Dancing a tango: 1 step forward, 2 steps back, posted by Phil on December 18, 2002, at 17:21:39
But I guess I'd better be pretty concerned about you -- you're obviously delusional if you're finding admirable qualities in my ramblings! (<<< joke alert)
I'm wondering if the severity of the withdrawal comes from being at a high dose for a long time? I know that when I started trying to taper down, I had a couple of days of just lying around, crying, and throwing up. I don't recommend it. That's when I called the doctor and told him I was going to try tapering down by staying at each lowered dose until the pain stopped...
The first dose of prozac was a godsend: just amazing how quickly and well it worked. That wore off after a few days, so the doc ordered more for me and it hasn't repeated the magic.
At least I don't feel as if I were going to die anymore.
Why coming off drugs? Yeah, hoping to reproduce, but the main issues were the cost and the 'not feeling quite human' parts. I don't have insurance, so $250 per month was just a little too rough when my new husband ain't working (high tech layoff in Silicon Valley) and I'm low on clients in my own business -- especially with two expensive horses to keep up.
I'm also one of those who hates taking the drugs so much that I'd do almost anything to avoid staying on them forever -- even take the risk of another depression. I recognise that another is likely, almost inevitable, but the benefits to me of getting off the drugs for even a few years outweigh the risks.
I just hope next time I can recognize what's coming before it gets as bad as it did...
Posted by Phil on December 18, 2002, at 23:40:17
In reply to Thanks » Phil , posted by Racer on December 18, 2002, at 20:19:20
Hope so too, Racer.
Posted by shar on December 20, 2002, at 23:54:24
In reply to Dancing a tango: 1 step forward, 2 steps back, posted by Racer on December 18, 2002, at 15:11:31
Racer,
You've made it through some tough, heart wrenching times, and withdrawal is Hell. I could not BELIEVE how horrible effexor xr withdrawal was. I was just amazed that it could make me so sick for so long. So, for that, many many pats and even a hug or two if you're a huggable sort.I'm glad the prozac helped. My doc upped my klonopin rx after I tore a few things up around the house...just to help me calm down a bit, when I wasn't feeling nauseated, or having chills and fever. Sheesh, what a time.
At any rate, it's really not two steps back, it just feels that way, I think. Over the time I've known you, and what you've been through, your forward steps greatly exceed the backward ones.
Onward thru the fog, as they say here at Oat Willie's.
Shar
This is the end of the thread.
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