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Dr. Bob is Robert Hsiung, MD,
bob@dr-bob.orgShown: posts 1 to 5 of 5. This is the beginning of the thread.
Posted by weky on January 26, 2004, at 17:17:16
I have been off Wellbutrin SR for 1 week and went from 5mg. to none of Lexapro about 4 days ago. I experienced dizziness and headache, which my doc said was normal. Those symptoms seem to be getting better, and I spent most of today feeling quite good. Then, all of a sudden, this evening, I have had repetitive feelings of instability- like when I was walking through a door, it appeared like it shifted over and I lost my balance and felt like I was going to fall over. And this has continued over the last few hours- even when I'm sitting. I'm worried, b/c I would have thought my withdrawal symptoms would be getting better, not that I'd be getting new ones. Is this feeling I'm describing normal?? I don't understand since I tapered off... Does anyone know when my withdrawal symptoms will completely go away, and if there are any others I need to be aware of possibly getting? Is this feeling I'm having today dangerous?
Posted by flyingdreams on January 27, 2004, at 17:11:18
In reply to Scared about withdrawal symptoms, posted by weky on January 26, 2004, at 17:17:16
Yes, you can have a good day or two and then the withdrawals start up again. Happened to me, I'm on day 14 off Effexor. Had 2 really good days and yesterday was horrible, today better. But still have nausea. I've heard withdrawals can last from 2-5 weeks. Depends on how long you took the meds and your body. I figure if it takes 6 weeks for the meds to start working, it's gotta at least take 6 wks for it to leave your body enough not to feel it. I imagine it will take a year for it to be really out of our bodies.
Posted by weky on January 27, 2004, at 18:52:36
In reply to Re: Scared about withdrawal symptoms, posted by flyingdreams on January 27, 2004, at 17:11:18
Thanks, flyingdreams. This withdrawal thing is so weird. I feel so good for several hours, and I think, "Great! I'm back to my old self!" and then suddenly, the room decides to tilt on me, and I feel like my head is going to pop off my neck for several hours. Then, back to normal. I imagine that you are right in that it will take awhile to get back to normal, though I really hope it is not a whole year!!!! Let me know how your withdrawal experience continues to progress.
> Yes, you can have a good day or two and then the withdrawals start up again. Happened to me, I'm on day 14 off Effexor. Had 2 really good days and yesterday was horrible, today better. But still have nausea. I've heard withdrawals can last from 2-5 weeks. Depends on how long you took the meds and your body. I figure if it takes 6 weeks for the meds to start working, it's gotta at least take 6 wks for it to leave your body enough not to feel it. I imagine it will take a year for it to be really out of our bodies.
Posted by flyingdreams on January 28, 2004, at 18:34:36
In reply to Re: Scared about withdrawal symptoms, posted by weky on January 27, 2004, at 18:52:36
I'm on day 15 and the worst is constant naseau and insomnia. Gatorade & Tylenol PM helps this some. I've heard it can take 2-5 weeks for the really bothersome worst part of withdrawals to go away, then 3-4 months of less bothersome withdrawals. When I say a year, I don't mean a year of symptoms, but for the drugs to be out of your body. When the symptoms go away it doesn't mean the drug is all gone yet. I've heard some have an occasional symptom for a year. Knowing this makes it easier to deal with. I'm anxiously awaiting the withdrawals to end and feel my self again. It's been 14 yrs! I don't remember what's it's like to be off these stupid drugs. If I had known before about these withdrawals I could have gotten off them a long time ago. I've tried several times to get off them without success because of the withdrawals and the fact no one told me about them. I figured that was just what it felt like to be off the drugs and ran back to them. It's a shame more doctors don't tell people about the withdrawals, people suffer instead. But that's what keeps these drug companies and doctors in business! Shame on them!
Posted by Questionmark on January 30, 2004, at 13:54:52
In reply to Re: Scared about withdrawal symptoms, posted by flyingdreams on January 28, 2004, at 18:34:36
Hi. It does not take nearly a year for drugs to get completely eradicated from our bodies (except maybe for some of the traditional antipsychotics or maybe some really fat-soluble drugs like THC that one has been using for a very long time).
Unfortunately, it does seem like withdrawal from meds can last for months (though as you kinda said the really physical, sickness-like symptoms seem to go away in a couple weeks or so, depending). And i duno; i'm not sure. But from the only real withdrawal experience i ever went through (from Paxil: at mostly 40mg/day for about 2 years), i know that i felt horribly, abnormally depressed for months and months after i quit. Maybe this was just because of the pathetic, wretched state of my life at the time, and waking up to it from my Paxil-induced numbness-- i'm really not sure-- but i know it was terrible and it did not feel right at all. i never even went back to my "normal" state of depression or felt better at all until i went on Nardil this past September. Since then i've felt proFOUNDly better. Nevertheless, i'm still quite scared of the withdrawal i might have to go through from someday quitting this blessed substance. Anyway, sorry to be such a downer. Just.. make sure you taper very slowly. It's no joke. And if you're getting off an SSRI or Effexor (which is the case), then i'd really suggest tapering off small doses of Prozac for awhile (since it's half-life is so long). Good luck to youz!>I'm on day 15 and the worst is constant naseau and insomnia. Gatorade & Tylenol PM helps this some. I've heard it can take 2-5 weeks for the really bothersome worst part of withdrawals to go away, then 3-4 months of less bothersome withdrawals. When I say a year, I don't mean a year of symptoms, but for the drugs to be out of your body. When the symptoms go away it doesn't mean the drug is all gone yet. I've heard some have an occasional symptom for a year. Knowing this makes it easier to deal with. I'm anxiously awaiting the withdrawals to end and feel my self again. It's been 14 yrs! I don't remember what's it's like to be off these stupid drugs. If I had known before about these withdrawals I could have gotten off them a long time ago. I've tried several times to get off them without success because of the withdrawals and the fact no one told me about them. I figured that was just what it felt like to be off the drugs and ran back to them. It's a shame more doctors don't tell people about the withdrawals, people suffer instead. But that's what keeps these drug companies and doctors in business! Shame on them!
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