Need help please!;(

Call your doctor and get help okay? Don't hurt yourself.

I made it through the day. I went away after an hour but I still felt off the rest of the day and my thoughts got better. I just wish things would be just fine and normal not have off days like this. It was scary. I didn't like it

Did you get off yours?

I increased it because I still had just a little bit of anxiety/panicky feeling. And the first three days I increased it, I had no anxiety what so ever. I thought yes this is it I feel better. Nope... I also am on .25mg of Xanax... Honestly not even on that. I take a quarter of that. Lol because I was slowly coming off and now I just take little quarters when I need it. I ended up having to take half of the .25 this morning to help it go away.

I'm scared of Xanax withdrawal.

That you so much. You've been so helpful for me. I literally wish I could just talk to you over text or somehing lol. But yeah. I woke up again this morning instead at 6. Felt naseaus and felt a little crazy in my head. And then it went away. I don't even take my medicine til 10, idk. I'm just hoping this stuff goes away cause there have been moments where I've felt "normal" and okay and I just want to feel like that!!! I'm scared it'll never happen and I'll have to try a new med which I don't want to go theough

Do you think I will ever get to the point where I won't have any anxiety and won't have to take Xanax? I only take Xanax when I have lots of anxiety and feel like I'm going crazy

Recovery often comes in waves.  Having moments where you've felt normal, means the meds are working.  This is how it worked for me.  I'd get 'glimpses' of feeling normal, and slowly I'd noticed I'd feel quite well in the evenings.  Every morning I'd wake with dreadful anxiety, and come evening time I'd feel calmer.  Slowly this calm increased so I'd feel well by the afternoon, and then midday ... but each day did begin with anxiety.  Eventually I started to wake with no anxiety which lasted all day.  I'd still get the odd days or weeks when I felt awful, but the calmness would come back and finally it stayed with me permanently.  It took 6 months.  That might seem a long time, but for me it was short compared to the years I'd been ill.  It was worth waiting for.

So yes ..... you should get to the point where you'll have no anxiety and feel completely 'normal' again.

You've been on them 3 months now - you're well underway.  Just keep persevering ....... it doesn't matter how long it takes as we all recover at different times.  Some people get better after a few weeks, some 9 months.  Let the meds take their time for you.

You can always private message me on this site.  Top right under your name you'll see MESSAGES.

K xx

How do you get through the bad thoughts? ;( today it's been a struggle

I'm a Christian, so I pray and ask God to clear my head. I also use some techniques learned in therapy. Breathing in slowly 4 counts and breathing out slowly 4 counts. I've called our county crisis line to talk to them about the bad thoughts. They are very encouraging. And Ivtalk to my friends - the ones that will just let me cry and talk. The crying releases a lot of the negative energy. I try anything and everything I can think of to negate the bad thoughts. Yoga helps too. You will get through this and the bad thoughts will just go away one day. But if they get overwhelming, call your doctor. Best wishes.

It is tough coping with the bad thoughts.  Remember they're just part of the illness - this isn't how you'd normally think.  Thoughts usually occur because your mind is tired, and thoughts stick to a tired mind and bounce around in your head.  Its best to not fight them - just let them come and go, but remind yourself they will go as you recover.  I was plagued by bad thoughts which caused me so much anxiety - they disappeared as I recovered and don't bother me at all today.

K x

hi kate,

im at 11 weeks 40mg, and i do feel better but this neck tension i have wont go away, and its driving me insane, my doc gave me ibuprofin and muscle relaxers but not sure if it's ok to keep taking them as it's been 2 weeks now? i just want to feel better.

 

Hi Jesika

Ah neck tension - it can linger about.  Its usually because you're holding your head too tense or at a strange angle.  Do you use the computer a lot or text?  A lot of people get 'text neck' (me included which I had for months from using the iPad / computer) and hanging the head foward puts a strain on the muscles in the back of the neck causing pain and stiffeness which lingers for ages.  Check how you're holding your head.  Best to check with your doctor about continuing with Ibruprofin and muscle relaxers.  I took Ibuprofin for a while then had to take Paracetemol for some weeks too - but always best to check with your doctor 

Maybe having a massage might help too - that could help smooth out any tension and knotty areas.

I use a neck cushion still (even to sleep with) ..... like those travel pillows ... it helps, and reminds me not to hang my head.

The tension should ease off in time though, along with any other lingering side effects.

K x

 

Question... I've been doing pretty good for a while on this medicine, recently though I've been slowly decreasing my Xanax. I'm not even on a high dose I'm on .25ng. And I literally split it in half then half again. So I'm on the lowest dose possible. I'm down to taking a quarter a day and when I mean quarter I mean split then split in half again. But I keep having weird feelings in the back of my head. I pretty much always have. Whether it's sore or its tingly or it feels like zapping. A bunch of stuff. It scares me to death. Is it just the medications? Maybe it's me trying to get off Xanax? Maybe it's the fluoxetine? Idk but it scares me makes me feel like I need to go get tests done on my head.

Yes the zapping you describe is just the medications - its a withdrawal effect - I've had it.  How long have you been decreasing the Xanax?  I came off meds once before 3 years ago and did my halving each time, but I still got withdrawal effects plus the zapping in my head.  I've been withdrawing again this year and I've decreased by 5mg at a time over 8 months / a year and I've had no withdrawal effects at all.

Withdrawing should take months and months to do - even a year.  The slower the better.  Also decreasing by the smallest amount each time instead of halving is better.

But yes, the zapping is perfectly normal.  If it bothers you, you could go up a dose and wait until it settles and then reduce by the smallest amount each time.

K x

The last couple months I've been decreasing. My doctors keep saying I could just be done with it cause it's such a low dose but obviously not they laugh at me when I say I'm scared to have withdrawals but obviously I have them. I'll just keep taking it until things settle I guess I just don't really know how to do it. I half it then half it again so it's into fours. Idk;( I'm only 21 I never expected to have to take Xanax !

Do you know if you're able to take Zyrtec with fluoxetine? I'm so nervous to take it with it because I've finally feel ok, and don't want to take it then it make me crazy or somehing . I have bad allergies this summer and it might explain with I have bad headaches and my eyes hurt and I'm itchy.

I took them both together years ago. I remember the pharmacist not being too keen as both can cause drowsiness, but I was ok taking them both.

I just looked it up and it says using both together may increase dizziness, drowsiness and difficulty concentratin.  I'm no expert of course, but it oesn't seem to be a problem, but you should always check with the pharmacist to be safe.

 

You could just be done with it eh ....... everyone reacts differently to medication and some are more sensitive than others.  Laugh at you?  I really wish these doctors would take these meds for the experience - I bet they wouldn't laugh then.

So you're decreasing Xanax and not the Fluoxetine?  I don't know much about Xanax.

If you've gone from 1 whole tablet to just a 1/4, that might be too much of a drop.  Maybe you could take 3/4 of the tablet for a week or two or until you've no more side effects, then reduce to 1/2 tablet and take for a week or 2 and lastly take the 1/4 and again wait until all side effects have gone.  Lastly take the 1/4 every other day for a week, then 1/4 every 2 days etc until you stop.

K x