Withdrawal feeling crazy

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ave been off Ven for probably 5 months but only off all meds for 2.5. They tried to switch me over and either the Ven withdrawals or the start up side effects were too much so I came off the last one orozac they had me on. I think because I was trying to switch meds and I was already in poopout I now have more psychological symptoms. I read a book recovery and renewal. She says the intrusive thoughts( mine revolve around suicide and hurting my kids, which traumatizes me cause my life and my kids are the most precious things to me) are normal and while your brain is trying to heal you have to just except them as withdrawal and not give them attention. Which is hard cause now I obsess on them and most of the time I check them or think them without wanting to. I don't really want to reinstate which is what some people on the message boards think I should do. But I was having the issues already before I came off due to needing to up my dose because it was wearing off after 9 years. But it's very hard. After 2.5 months you start thinking ok this is the new me and I need medication to feel normal. But I never had these problems before the medication, just panic attacks. I tried to do the Prozac bridge. But I thought it was making me feel worse. Then I needed Valium for a bit because my thoughts were in over drive. Which they still are and I get the urge to go back on meds. She said if you didn't have a pre existing condition like myself now experiencing pure o ocd obsesssive intrusive thoughts. Then most likely it's still a product of your broke down nervous system. Which apparently trying all those other drugs with in a months time hurts your brain even more. I never had a problem with depression or psychosis or schizophrenia, just panic attacks which they first gave me Xanax and I was not wanting to get addicted to those so they put my on Prozac for 3 years and then Effexor for 9. Never taught me how to cope with anxiety or panic I attacks. Just put me on drugs. Which I think was situational or kinda a post traumatic stress type thing cause my dad had committed suicide some time before they started. And instead of asking me how my anxiety was and maybe try to come off the meds they just kept prescribing them. Hopefully these new symptoms I have acquired since coming off meds will slowly fade away. As of now I get discouraged and they feel like they are permanent and I have a new mental illness. She says you can be misdiagnosed for new illnesses when in 6-18 months these symptoms can fade. The problem is I don't know if I can deal with intrusive thoughts for that long. But I hate to go back on meds for something that will fade when my brain receptors heal. My life situation is not the best either. I have supportive people but they get tired of hearing about it. I went to my gp who is a first year pa yesterday and she said 6-18 months is too long to experience withdrawals and most of her patients have either stayed on meds or came off 5-6 DAYS with just feeling weird. Wth? Really? That was so discouraging and sent me into an emotional breakdown. She told me I have been diagnosed with a disorder so basically most people stay on meds. Really? I got all worked up and I came home to my husband that agreed with her that it shouldn't take that long to heal from not having meds ( which made me breakdown and cry, feeling hopeless and crazy) . Thank god my mom knows how to make me feel better. She said those doctors usually know nothing about psychiatric medicines and especially coming off. And not everyone will experience a protracted withdrawal. And those who don't go on with their lives. But I guess I'm one of the lucky ones to have this or I'm very mentally ill now. When a year ago before my Effexor started pooping out I was not.

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6 Replies

  • Posted

    I recognise some of the thoughts you have been experiencing, particularly around those closest to me, namely the kids, Wife etc..

    I am trying to get my head around that I am not the same as I was before the Meds. I do not want to be the person I was on the Meds. Not sure I like the person I am at the moment but I see that as work in progress! 

    I keep saying it will get better it has to. It will get better.

     lol

  • Posted

    I don't think whoever advised you that most people are over their wd symptoms within a couple of days or even months is accurate.  Maybe a few lucky ones are, but I think a lot depends on how long you took the medication and at what dose.  I took 75mg Effexor for about 16 years, took 37.5 for about another year, tapered off slowly over a period of 8 months to 0 mg.  That was over nine months ago.  I still do not feel right.  I do not have the type of intrusive thoughts you describe, my primary symtoms are cognitive impairment and memory loss.  I also have panic/anxiety at times-which I never had prior to taking Effexor- although these have decreased somewhat over the last several months.  The cognitive/ memory issues have changed from inability to focus and short term memory loss (this has improved over the last several months) to now I am unable to retrieve words when speaking, assemble thoughts, participate in all but the most superficial conversations. i cannot recall things that I have always known, and really feel like a different person with this deficit.  I had always had a very good memory.  Needless to say, this does nothing to dissipate panic/anxiety!  I worry about Alzheimers  brought on by long term use of Effexor, but my husband is getting weary of these concerns of mine, as well.  I totally agree with your mother that doctors seem shockingly unaware of the long term effects of these drugs or of the corresponding withdrawal effects.  There seems to be this  "have another, then !" mentality.    Right now the medical community in the US is doing a big educational push on the long term effects/addictiveness of drugs like OxyContin and Vicadan which were prescribed like candy to people with all types of pain here. (thank goodness I never had occassion to take them) .  Only now -15-20 years later with great numbers of people addicted, is the medical community thinking-oh-maybe that wasn't such a good idea.  I belive the same will happen with antidepressants, but I am afraid it is going to take another 10-15 years before  the negative effects of long term use of these drugs come to the foreground.  In the meantime we are the guinea pigs.  Please know that you are not alone, and not crazy.  Some people have found exercise, staying away from anything with sugar (seems to make things worse) and taking Omega 3s are helpful. Take good care of yourself right now, you are trying to do your very best for yourself and it is not easy, I know.
    • Posted

      Maybe I withdrew way too fast. But I thought I was going on new meds 😕 I wonder if I should go back on and come off slower or just ride it out?? I guess the faster you come off the more problems you have. I wasn't planning on coming off , they pooped out and started causing insomnia and agitation so I wanted to go on something else. Thinking I couldn't live without meds. I guess maybe my brain is in shock.
  • Posted

    I know there are some people on these boards who have done a rapid or sudden withdrawal and then gone back on to gradually taper more slowly. They could advise you better on that process.  There are also people who have stopped suddenly for medical or other reasons and ridden it out.  I am not sure what the best course is but you were on the ven for a fairly long time so I would think that a sudden discontinuance would be rough for sure.  
    • Posted

      Thank you for sharing your story. It gives me hope. I just read an article that said repetitive repeating thoughts are normal part of withdrawal. But so are intrusive thoughts. So maybe my brain is combining the two. It also happens with song verses. I wake up and play them in my head. Walk around with them playing over and over. But I think that has become a safety feature for me so I don't think the bad thoughts. Which probably isn't good because you are just supposed to let them come and not give them any emotional response. Easier said than done.
    • Posted

      Hi shelby

      What a truly horrible time u r having, it is so difficult. I dont know a lot but from what i have learnt about ven i would say ur symptoms are definitely withdrawal. I am now down to 75mg, last year my doc updosed me to 150mg, what a nightmare-suicidial thoughts, crying lots, just horrible. I stuck it out for 6 wks hoping to even out but couldnt stick it any longer and dropped back down to 112.5mg, going thru all the same withdrawal symptoms all over again!!

      I was told of a site called Surviving Antidepressants, if you register with them the guys there are great at advising on your situation with advice on how you could move forward. I learnt from them, they definitely helped.

      I hope this post helps in some way no matter how small. I wish you all the best and hope everything starts to improve for you.

      Take care,

      Angela, x.

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