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Antidepressant withdrawal while taking them?
I’m not very confident anyone else has experienced this, but it doesn’t hurt to ask. I’ve been dealing with a really weird “thing” for about 3 years now. No doctors seem to know what’s causing it & I can’t find anything about it online. Little backstory, I was on Paxil for about a decade for depression & panic attacks. Worked great. Then, 3 years ago I woke up one day & started having the dreaded brain zaps & my emotions were all over the place, I was having panic attacks again, crying, depressed, flat, crying again, etc. I was withdrawing but I hadn’t changed my meds in any way, took them like clockwork every day. Doctor changed my meds to Prozac. Same exact thing, withdrawal symptoms while taking the meds religiously at the same time daily. Fast forward to today, I’ve been on every antidepressant known to mankind, every dose, same exact outcome.
It just doesn’t make sense. Am I metabolizing them too fast or not absorbing them or…..? I’ve tried to taper off of them completely so I can go another route but it’s been absolutely impossible each time. It’s the same withdrawal symptoms but times 1000.
We don’t have good resources here in Arkansas but my insurance doesn’t really do much out of state, so I have no choice but to continue researching it on my own. Mayo Clinic would be a dream to get into but realistically, this is the closest I’m going to get. Anyone experience these issues too? Any good resources or recommendations or suggestions?
I’ve also done the GeneSight test as well. Tried the meds on the list, no change.
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Thank you.
I actually feel a little better after just taking one.
Please do your research, including on this site. Effexor is one of if not the worst drug to stop. I know; I have been on it for many years and tried twice to stop. It will take two to three years for me to wean off. The side effects and then withdrawal symptoms are horrific. The drug should not be prescribed without a warning, as they do in the UK, but not yet in the US.
What has your taper regimen been?
From my experience with titrating off of antidepressants, the common wisdom isn't conservative enough. I had difficulty withdrawing until I greatly slowed the rate of withdrawl. This can involve a lot of trial and error and I didn't get much help from the "professionals".
Good luck, hugs.
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2 ReactionsMaryjeandennis, It worked very well for me for 20 years then stopped working. Also I would occasionally try to get off of it but utterly impossible so I stayed on it until it stopped working. Well I couldn't even get off of it then and have stayed on it to avoid the horrendous withdrawal effects. I should say that this isn't the case for everyone. Some people have no problem getting off of it. I believe there were other factors causing my panic attacks (high heavy metals and low thyroid function) that I didn't know of at the time. I am still very grateful for Paxil; it helped greatly when I needed help.
I googled this because I am having the same issue with no chance in medd
I have been on duloxetine 90mg for years and it worked great. For the last month or so my anxiety has sprang back full force. I was fine one day and not the next. It got better after about 3 weeks but after about 1.5 weeks it has gotten 10x worse. I’m so lost and dont know what to do.
Hi ..I know it's been awhile since you posted this but did you ever get an explanation? I am on Zoloft and have not changed my meds and have been having serotonin withdrawal symptoms for no reason. I'm getting worried. I phoned the pharmacy and asked if the meds they gave me could have been expired therefore rendering the med ineffective but they said the bottle did not expire until 2026. I'm at a loss and scared.
I would contact your doctor. 🙂
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1 ReactionI did and they have no idea of what could be causing this.
MorganJane:
Just read this and I have had a similar situation with Paxil. Was utilizing 12.5 CR for 17 years successfully. Then, following a surgery I had intense panic and anxiety. It was almost like I went off of the Paxil all at once. That has been a year ago, and I have tried other medications through a psychiatrist, but nothing seems to lift this depression and anxiety. The first try was to up the Paxil CR dose and that failed. It almost seems like we get one shot with SSRI medications. It is almost like the first medication makes you treatment resistant in the future. I am weaning off the Paxil now which is causing increased depression. The anxiety is sort of constant especially in the mornings. Since weaning, my Doctor has me trying one more SSRI, Celexa , to try to break this cycle and lower the depression. And before everyone piles on, I have tried all the alternative methods; TMS, brain retraining, acupuncture, detox, neurofeedback, mindfulness.
Did not get brain zaps; maybe the Paxil was not really working anymore. I have found through research that Paxil use inhibits one of the key metabolizing enzymes used in a lot of phych meds. This is the reason I am trying Celexa because it uses a different primary enzyme. Also did the Gene site test.
Hope you have found some relief.
Just praying that I get some relief from The Celexa. Zoloft and Pristiq did not yield results.