So. An update that has me feeling like crawling back with my tail between my legs! Well, not really, but almost..but I know you guys will support me and understand.
Past few days the insomnia, which had seemingly resolved, hit with such force that I was unable to sleep for 3 nights in a row. Maybe an hour or two at one time, but nothing more. Well I don't have to tell you how much this f*cks with EVERYTHING including crazy intrusive thoughts. I'd also had an increase in these horrible cold chills and sweats, as well as this feeling like being punched in the stomach ..you know, can't even stand up straight, can't get through a shower without holding onto the wall. All I could do was just pray and pray and pray. I had some zofran so I took that. Took half an ativan one night. Gave up and took ambien. No relief.
Finally I just made an appointment at my new dr office, shes not someone that I was very impressed with, but she's better than the last one who told me my cold chills and sweats were "weird" and offered no solutions. (My first thought is thyroid? Or the wd). So as luck had it, I landed in her nurse practitioners office, and as soon as he walked into the room after the nurse triage me, and i was completely honest as to what is going on including the stopping effexor, he sat down and told me he was going to 1.check my thyroid 2.follow up on my liver testing and 3.give me something to take the edge of the withdrawal. Without me saying a word. I felt completely validated and so relieved I started crying. His recommendation was to start me back on 37.5 effexor to get it back into my system and alleviate the stomach pain. He said theres a war going on between my brain and my gut and my body is the battleground. He said he has seen this in so many if his patients that try to stop effexor, that I am not the only one who has suffered through this and that theres no need to suffer. He prescribed vistaril instead of my taking benadryl because its sedating and will allow my body to rest. He said to drink electrolyte water because hes certain I'm dehydrated from the sweats ( I couldn't even produce enough urine for a UA). He offered the prozac bridge at a later time, or even now if I wanted, he was very accommodating and he LISTENED. He did labs for my thyroid, liver function, and told me that while I'm out of town for two weeks I am to call him if anything happens that concerns me, he will make himself available to me.
You guys, I can't even tell you what a difference this made. Just to have a medical professional take me seriously. He didnt chastise me at all for tapering the way I did, he said everybody reacts differently and I did well up till now and even going lower before stopping may not have prevented hitting the wall.
So I got the prescription filled. I started the vistaril only 1/2 tablet instead of 1, since I'm so sensitive to meds, and it has allowed me so much more comfort it's amazing. I'm holding off on the effexor for now, until I get my thyroid test results, since I'm not convinced that the cold chills/sweats may not wholly be effexor wd. In either case, if the vistaril allows me to handle that, I'll treat it with only that, and lots of fluids.
I'm not feeling like a failure, because it was this experience that brought me to finally a good doctor. And even if i have to reinstate, I'm ok with it, but I'm going to continue to give it my all to hold the course.
Hope everyone is doing well here.