Anxiety Support Group
Anxiety is a physical condition marked by intense and persistent feelings of distress, fear, angst or dread. General anxiety caused by routine day-to-day stresses usually passes quickly and is experienced by almost everyone at one time or another. However, such feelings that linger over time and are very difficult to cope with, and which lack a clear cause, may indicate...
I was on 50mg (a very low dose) of Luvox for a little over three months for anxiety and OCD. It definitely made me less anxious, but it was to the point where I was so drowsy I slept all day, and it also did nothing for my OCD obsessive thoughts or depression.
This past Friday, I decided to go off the medication because it wasn't helping me in any way. I had heard that Luvox, because of its short half-life, could have pretty bad withdrawal symptoms, but since I was only on a low dose for three months, I figured I didn't need to taper. BIG MISTAKE. It is now 5 days since I've last taken it, and I started feeling extremely sick yesterday. My head hurts (ibuprofen does nothing), I feel nauseated and sick to my stomach, extremely hot like I have a fever, and I can feel my anxiety coming back full force. On top of it all, my OCD and depression are at their worst.
I am finding it so hard to cope. I have been using Xanax to help with the anxiety and make myself sleep all day because I cannot stand to be awake mainly because of how distressed and guilty I feel from the nature of my obsessive thoughts. I am seeing a therapist, but don't have my next appointment for another week, and I don't know how I'll make it 'til then.
I am sorry this has turned into me complaining, but I guess I am looking for support from anyone who knows about SSRI withdrawal or maybe has been from it themselves. How long will these headaches and nausea last? Is there anything I can do to help this go away faster?
Thank you so much if you took the time to read this.
This past Friday, I decided to go off the medication because it wasn't helping me in any way. I had heard that Luvox, because of its short half-life, could have pretty bad withdrawal symptoms, but since I was only on a low dose for three months, I figured I didn't need to taper. BIG MISTAKE. It is now 5 days since I've last taken it, and I started feeling extremely sick yesterday. My head hurts (ibuprofen does nothing), I feel nauseated and sick to my stomach, extremely hot like I have a fever, and I can feel my anxiety coming back full force. On top of it all, my OCD and depression are at their worst.
I am finding it so hard to cope. I have been using Xanax to help with the anxiety and make myself sleep all day because I cannot stand to be awake mainly because of how distressed and guilty I feel from the nature of my obsessive thoughts. I am seeing a therapist, but don't have my next appointment for another week, and I don't know how I'll make it 'til then.
I am sorry this has turned into me complaining, but I guess I am looking for support from anyone who knows about SSRI withdrawal or maybe has been from it themselves. How long will these headaches and nausea last? Is there anything I can do to help this go away faster?
Thank you so much if you took the time to read this.
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If you are having symptoms return, they will return hugely. If no symptoms it's a good chance you're right, and you were getting nothing out of it.
But if you are emotionally destabilising: go back on a half dose. Stabilise yourself.
Think in terms of half lives: half as much for twice as long. Stay on 1/2 dose for at least 3 months.
It takes AGES to get off SSRI's, they are psychoactive, they change the way your brain works and you have to give your brain time to change back. :) Take it slow, give yourself lots of plateaus. Often we don't know what the ssri is dealing to until we go off.
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Razor91 - I am so sorry you have gone through this. I took your advice on the cold foods, and that has been helping. I wouldn't be so concerned, but I struggle with eating enough/keeping my weigh up normally, and managed to gain some weight on Luvox (at least it was good for something, I guess), and really don't want to lose it. If you don't mind me asking, how long did the withdrawal last for you? I am still having nausea, headaches, dizziness, and now, stomach pain. I am reading things online about people saying they never get back to normal, years after stopping these medications, and it's freaking me out.
bridgie101 - I thought about getting back on half a dose (I should have weaned off in the first place), but worry it will only prolong this process. My anxiety is definitely back and I feel it, but on the medication, I was sleeping half the day and felt so drugged up, I wasn't even awake to worry. I hope my brain gets back to normal, and soon.
Once you wean off a medicine, whether you do it slow or fast, you have to hydrate yourself more. For some reasons, the hydration level depletes really fast in the way anxiety levels are affecting the well-being.
I have had very little reaction to changes in medication once I kept enough liquid around for the three week cycle of most medication changes. One of the ladies who got headaches has successful results with the cool compress washcloth massage of her face and neck frequently during the day. The nausea, if cold works, use that. If salty works, use that. If sweet, use that. Your anxiety affects your taste buds temporarily as it switches gears to lower levels.
Best wishes, you are not alone in this.
They may have you taper off of it or provide you with some other things that can help with the awful withdrawals.
help with the withdrawls because it has a very long half life.
He is a head professor at a teaching hospital in addition to his practice so I trust his methodology completely. Not saying it was easy..pristiq has a very short half life too..but much better than stopping all at once.