From the article: SSRI Discontinuation Syndrome
SSRI Discontinuation Syndrome is a frightening but rarely serious reaction to getting off of certain phobia medications known as SSRIs. Reported symptoms vary from chills and body aches to electrical sensations called brain jolts. Have you ever experienced this syndrome? What happened? How long did it last? Did your doctor place you back on the medication? Share your stories here! Share Your Experiences
success at last
- Everyone out there do not lose hope. One day finally u will be free from the discontinuation syndrome. I am now free from the withdrawal symptoms. Although it took me 6 to 7 weeks after discontinuation to come out of the withdrawal symptoms. Be patient and positive and your day will finally come.
- —Guest Guest1
CNS drugs
- I had been taking censpram, lonacen, tryptomer, valium for nearly 2 years. I tapered off the drug as per the doctor. I finally stopped the drugs on 18th feb 2012 and had to go through many withdrawal sysmptoms. Now it is 21st march 2012 but the symptoms are still not gone completely. Just waiting for the day I am totally free from these withdrawal symptoms. Could anyone of you tell me when will I feel normal again? People who have taken this medicine in the past kindly share your withdrawal symptoms with me and also let me know roughly after how many weeks after stopping the medication i will feel normal?
- —Guest Guest1
Discontinuation experience
- I had been on Paxil 40 mg twice per day for 7 years. I had bariatric surgery in July and took myself off the Welbutrin and then the Paxil a few mos. later. I didnt do it slow enough but it looks like no matter how slow you can suffer symptoms. I have had about 20 different symptoms since October. My GP did prescribe Clonidine (which I believe it is for high blood pressure) but this really works for the brain zaps. I was taking it every 4 hours and am now down to 2 to 3 times per day. I can tell when I don;t take it as the zaps start, I get irritable, and I get light headed and dizzy. The constant 'noise' in my head is still there and I only sleep 5 hours per night. I am still cold wherever I go but that seems to be lessening a little each day. Thankfully my forgetfulness and complete brain loss has come back about 95%. I could hardly even form sentences and was told I slurred my words. Does anyone know of anything else to take to improve the symptoms?
- —Guest Carrie
Heads up
- I have been off Celexa for about 13 weeks. I hoping there is an end to this crap soon. The brain zaps and dizzyness and neausa went away but were replaced by awful GI smptoms. Had to go off all dairy and eggs and started slim fast just to have something in my stomach bonus lost 20lbs. Still get palpations and now have sleep disturbances where I stop breathing and wake myself up. Mental work got real hard. Gonna give it another try on the mental work part. I need a few good days in a row to get something accomplished I am praying this crap ends soon. I need a reset button.
- —Guest Jane
Here we go.... again!
- Having gone through the joyous experience of going through the withdrawal process after long-term use of Alprazolam and Lorazepam (twice), I now face more medically-induced fun doing the same with paroxetine! I've been on 20mg of paroxetine for about 14 years now after it was initially prescribed for panic attacks, chronic anxiety and serious depression. It's been reasonably effective in treating the panic attacks, and slightly effective with the rest. The downside has been weight gain way in excess of what could normally be expected with my lifestyle, progressive withdrawel from my previous interests and activities, muscle spasms, sleep problems, progressive loss of motivation and concentration and possibly some skin issues as well...etc. I'm well aware of the withdrawal symptoms as I've become pretty agoraphobic over the last couple of years and rarely make the journey for new scripts until I'm climbing the walls. So, I've been slowly reducing my dosage over the last three weeks
- —Guest MuhBrainHertz
The Most Aweful Thing!!!!
- I was on SSRI's for 12 yrs. Wanted to try getting off them cuz I felt like I didn't need them anymore. Started weaning myself off VERY SLOWLY because I know you don't just stop taking SSRI's abruptly. Felt ok for about 1 week and 1/2 although I was getting those brain zaps and was very emotional!! Would cry at episodes of Leave It To Beaver, etc!! Then I felt like I was getting sick. Went to my GP who put me on the meds and they were aware that I was tapering off, but the SSRI syndrome never came up. I was just labeled as "bronchitis" after a 2 minute exam and that was it. I feel like I have the flu. Have been off work for 4 days. All I do is cry and get upset over stupid things. I feel achey all over and I'm running a low-grade fever (99.1). All I do is sleep. I actually took a few pieces of my cut up Wellbutrin that is still in my cupboard. I'm not touching the Celexa ever again. But I can't live like this. I feel so bad for anyone else going through this!
- —Guest whatsup?
go away
- Hi ,I'm.26 yrs old I have four young children, and I had bn takinh celexa 10 mg for almost.2 yrs and I've quit cold turkey and its my 17 day and I'm really going through it., my leggs feel like I'm in quick sand my anxiety is trew the roof I get light headed n tingles in my face I'm freakn out and I feel a lil better after reading some of ur stories now I have a better answers since my dr didn't I truely belive now there is no magic pill to help us I highly suggest to anybody whp wants meds dnt do it find an outlet to help this is worse thing that ever happend to me n my life I wish everyone well who is going threw this ....
- —Guest ANGELA
c/t prozac 20 months ago
- Central nervous system in chaos, no emotions returned to date, horrendous physical and psychological symptoms, sleep problems, pssd. Do not take them. Could be permanent.
- —Guest chris
Quit prozac C/T 20 months ago
- To all of you reading these posts out there. I was on 40mg of prozac for just over two and a half years. Quit because of severe gastro pains/bleeding. Then followed the worst experience of my life....crying episodes, flu-like symptoms that lasted full on for around 5 months, horrendous head/ear pressure for just over a year, hearing loss/sensory hearing loss (now confirmed), face/jaw/eye pain, head/neck/shoulder pain, all lasting a long time, ability to feel pain impaired (even now), ability to taste/smell impaired (even now), no emotions whatsoever (even now), glands all over body painful/swollen at one time or another, mania (never had before), confusion, short and long term memory shot, desensitization, dissociative symptoms, depersonalisation, numbness all over body and head, no libido, pssd, have probably missed out a few but I think I have covered the most important. Do not take an SSRI/SNRI or any other brain changing drug if you can possibly help it. Still healing.
- —Guest Chris
ITCHY!!
- Discontinued from 300mg Venlafaxine (SNRI), zaps, thwumbles, extreme dizziness, nausea etc etc. Also my stomach ulcer began bleeding because of wretching from nausea... So stabbing, ripping pain and faintness added t o it. Sounds rough right? It is, but I'd take that lot thrice over before I'd choose this terrible itching!! I itch all over, which I can live with, the area I can't live with is the backs of my legs, genito-anal area and butt - the underwear area in short. WHY does it have to be there!? :'( Not even the strongest antihistamines help with it; think it's called "neuro-dermatitis". My tips for others: No matter how itchy you get DO NOT scratch, it just causes infection. Keep clean, moisturize and in some areas deep heat or better yet "wong to yick woodlock" will help for about 3 hours. Use on genitals then wash it off with warm soapy water and pat dry if it's itchy enough it works as a last resort - NOT comfortable at first! Good luck guys!
- —Guest njtp
cassie
- took citalopram for 3 months and still having discontinuation symtoms 6 months on, chills, tingling, shaky/vubration feelings in arms, although getting weaker, its still awful having the above for this length of time. Has anyone else had similar experience
- —Guest patd
13 yrs of Paxil withdrawal symptoms
- I was on paxil for a short time and had an bad reaction to it. My doc told me to stop staking it immediately. Three days after I stopped it I got soooooo sick. I couldn't stand up to walk because the top of my head hurt so bad. It felt as if the top of my head was pulling my entire body down to the floor. I had to crawl on the floor. When I was able to stand up to walk, it felt as if someone was pulling me by the back of my hair and my neck was so tight. I had difficulty breathing and I had torticollis. It was a very very horrible experience. I went to 3 neurologist, a neurosurgeon, and 3 general practitioners and not one had a clue what to do. I told them I stopped the medication abruptly and they looked at me if I landed from another planet. One told me that I couldn't get symptoms from those meds. They were so so wrong. I think doctors are not trained to recognize the SSRI withdrawal symptoms. Thirteen yrs. later I'm still ver very sick with neuropthy symptoms.
- —Guest Connie
discontinued cymbalta
- stopped cymbalta about one week ago. i'm currently on a mood stabilizer but i've had suicidal thoughts, fits of crying, never hungry, nauseated, loss of balance, tingling sensations, weird dreams & afraid to go to sleep, severe anxiety to where i'm afraid to go anywhere alone, depersonalization, general confusion, can't think straight, hot flashes (i sweat and it's 60 degrees), irritability, just a lot of craziness
- —Guest confused
thank you
- Reading all of these responses helps so much. I feel a lot less crazy for the emotions and physical pain I have been in for the last 2 weeks. I stopped taking citalopram after 10 years and it sucks a lot right now. I see a naturopath and he has me taking Holy Basil supplements and Bach Flower Mustard (a tincture in a small glass bottle, 10 drops twice a day). It is helping, but I don't even remember last week. I have done a lot of yelling, a lot of crying, I've gotten dizzy and hit my head several times. I have nausea and reflux really bad, a lot of trouble finding words and concentrating, aggression, and suicidal thoughts. It is super frustrating and I am having trouble sharing with my husband the storm that is raging inside me. It is significantly affecting my daily life, especially since I home school our 2 girls and do a lot of volunteer work. It makes me sad when I hear there are doctors out there that do not "believe" in these withdrawl symptoms.
- —Guest elkaen
Hang in There
- I've been on everything the past l5 yrs due to PTSD. Fortunately I had a good psychiatrist, who while constantly changing my meds, wrote down what to do and how to start new med slowly so transitions weren't bad. I've been on Celexa and Wellbutrin for the past year but started feeling affects of SSRI Syndrome which includes muscle weakness and breathing problems. I stopped both medications but really had no bad effects. I'm wondering it it's because I remained on Trazadone which helps with sleep (stops mind from racing)....your doctor (and please see a psychiatrist or physician asst trained in psych meds) should have prescribed something (like maybe Ativan) to help get you through the withdrawal - if he doesn't "get it" then find another doctor!
- —katnip28
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