When will this stop?

Bipolar Girl · 05-09-2005, 12:23 PM

I'm very frightened and hope I'm in the right place.
I've been on heavy psychiatric drugs for the past 5 years,and finally found a Dr.(psychiatrist)who is helping me to get off all of them but the mood stabilizer,one drug at a time.
The first to go was the 10mg of Zyprexa,4 months ago,(a nueroleptic and anti-psychotic that is actually only supposed to be used for a short time),it had made me gain 100lbs. but I was still anxious about going off of it because it helped me to sleep. Even with tapering,I had awful insomnia,sweating episodes,dizziness and nausea. The insomnia was so bad he prescribed Desyrel(a sedating antidepressant)for sleep. I shortly swelled up in the face and neck,had trouble swallowing,even more disabling fatigue,and a flu-like syndrome. I was assured that none of these symptoms were related to the trazodone. I went and had bloodwork done,tests,etc.--no infection,no nothing. A ENT Dr. suggested I try stopping the trazodone. With my psychiatrist's permission,I did,3 days ago. I still feel tired,but the swelling's down.
Now,even though I still feel crappy,(I've lost my part-time job),the Dr. is already cutting my Klonopin(that I've also been on for 5 years-a benzo)from 2mg to 3.5.
I'm so tired,my sleep is poor,I'm wondering if I'll ever feel normal again,or if I have permanent damage from these so-called "safe" drugs. I'm very depressed,and feel dysfunctional. I'm afraid to turn to my pyschiatrist,who will just write me another prescription for something else.
After long-term use of any strong drug,do you ever feel good again after withdrawal? I need hope.

mrgrateful · 05-09-2005, 12:26 PM

Yes you can and you will.......it all takes time....little by little your normal feelings will surface, it takes a little getting used to, but its well worth the effort......JT

NoMore4Me · 05-10-2005, 09:33 PM

Please don't be frightened, that is the worst thing in the world for you right now, talk to someone who you can trust about your fear, relax and as hard as it is to do calm down so you can think, come here often and tell us how your feeling , the people here are great, they will give you support, they may even bring a smile on your face at times.
I said this a few times, "we're in this together", we all have our problems but it is important to deal with them the best that we can, you have to make an effort even if it's a slight effort, that's how you become stronger, the harder you try the stronger that you will become.
Cravings is part of your recovery, you Have to go through them, at first the cravings will be awful but keep fighting, the cravings will become less and less, I know I was hooked on Lortab since 1993, it's been 16 days now since I last took one of those little devil pills and some of us call them.
You will be ok, you will once again have your life back and you again will be happy, you must beleive in yourself, you just have to because that is the most important thing to recover from your addiction

Bipolar Girl · 05-12-2005, 01:11 AM

Thanks,I appreciate your concern(both of you). Not many people understand how difficult withdrawal is from these very powerful drugs. I can't remember if I mentioned it before(my brain's still a little foggy)but I had to quit my part-time job a week ago due to the severe withdrawals from the Zyprexa and my reaction to the Trazodone and subsequent withdrawal from that! I'm feeling a little better day by day,but still very tired,and it's difficult to sleep. I'm hopeful but I know down the road I'm going to be quitting the Klonopin and Zoloft I've been on for 5 years,and I hear that's hell too. I wish I would have known about this when I made the decision to continue them,with my Dr's approval. Anyway,I'll report in. Are painpills as difficult to come off of?I quit a two -pack a day smoking habit of 20 years,two years ago and that was easy compared to this!

Done with Drugs · 05-12-2005, 01:51 PM

Hi, I have also been on some of these same drugs. I was on Zyprexa, for about 6 months. I had been hospitalized for depression and could not eat. Well, these sure helped the eating, I gained about 40 pounds. So, I got off that and on lots of other things, was diagnosed bi polar, now that has changed. My new pscy. says it is anxiety, depression and ADD.

I think your doc took you down way too fast on the klonipin. You really have to wean very slowly or you get insomnia and anxiety worse than any you ever had. My doc switched me to Xanax and weaned me down on that. Now, I only take one about every week or so.

Talk with your doc. I don't think he wants you to suffer, but if you don't say anything, he will assume you are doing fine.