jumping out of my skin

Hi,

I finished a taper off of Klonopin at the end of August - I tapered down from .25 starting in January - tapering down from 1.5.  Am on Pristiq and stopped Wellbutrin over labor day, but just went back on a few days ago.  Got a bad intestinal virus or food poisoning a week ago Friday.  the following sunday woke up feeling all was not right with meds - strange ear ringing, numbness in extremities.  Felt better that night, but every morning last week woke up to a hot flash jolt followed by nausea/ dry heaving/ diarrhea.  By friday called my Dr. - who had an" I'm on vacation" message and a number for another Dr. covering. My doc is new to me - my former one retired.  Called the on call guy who suggested going back on the Wellbutrin - so I did, and felt a bit better.  In the mean time, I went to my natural heath dr, who I have dealt with for 10 years and trust, but I do think is out of his league when it comes to psych meds.  but he assessed my liver as having problems metabolizing things, and gave me some herbal stuff to detox my liver.  So, I took that and went into super agitiated revved up feel like I have electricity running under my skin.  We later determined that it pushed me too fast into detox, and fired up withdrawals.  I went my psychiatrist today (the one who was on vacation), who assessed me as getting depressed again, and that these were all panic attacks.  But, I don't feel depressed, and I'm not all that panicked about anything except for the crazy way I am feeling.  It feels so physiological and drug based.  It doesn't feel spurred on by emotions.  So, now I am thinking the detox thing fired up my Klonopin withdrawal symptoms as well.  I feel awful.  Don't expect much sleep tonight.  Have to function for work - but I have an understanding boss who knows what is going on, thank goodness.  I am seriously considering going on the K - to stabilize and then taper down again.  Just tossed all on my wafers - drats.  My husband thinks it is not a good idea, and would prefer I stayed off, but the decision is mine.  Read some other posts and they helped.  This sucks.

Hi slink,

 

My functional medicine doctor put me on a liver detox and I about lost my mind and every wd symptom hit at once. Our liver stores all of these meds we are on and even after our last dose, it takes time for our liver to clear the residue of the drug. Not to mention that you are on Pristiq and it can make you go into wd if you do a liver detox. All of the stuff i have read and it's been a lot says to not do a liver detox until many months years after your off all meds. I bet if you hang on a few days it will pass...it did for me. Just my experience.

Natropaths and functional medicine docs are great to cleanse and detox your body after you're off all drugs

But they are clueless about how psych drugs work in the body!

I meant to close by saying that within a couple of days of stopping the detox my symptoms went away

Thanks for the info.  My liver feels out of whack.  I feel stupid because I stopped the herbal stuff over the weekend and dared to try some today.

Is the herbal stuff you are talking about the detox stuff?

Yes, the detox stuff.

 

 

I read your original post and I see that the herbal stuff is the detox. Just from my own personal experience, you have to be so careful with all of that stuff. A liver detox can be a great thing once off all meds but it will decrease the amount of meds in your system and throw you into wd or rev up symptoms when your system is already trying to stabalize getting off benzos. Hope that helps. I've been through it all.

I am not a moderator so I don't want to cross any boundaries here but I agree with your husband. You worked so hard to get off the K so maybe things will smooth out in a couple of days.

Ok, and since writing about this is making me feel better - here's more info....I am so frustrated because my doctor(psychiatrist) retired, and the new one I have is not a good fit.  I have the numbers of a couple of others to try, but I hate this run around.  The one I switched to told me to stop the Wellbutrin cold turkey - and for some reason I listened to her - and did it soon after the end of my K taper(which she said would be ok). So many chemicals in the body - so hard to determine what is going on.  I don't know why I was getting the anxiety in the mornings last week - my theory was with the nature of the intestinal bug illness, my pristiq was passing through my system too quickly and I wan't getting my full dose.  And back in the beginning of August, I had to switch from taking (2) 50s a day to one 100, because my insurance didn't want to cover the 50s.  The perfect storm.....

Godsgrace - thank you so much.  Just read your signature - looks like you have been through a lot.  Appreciate your sharing

Yep, know all about it. I don't want to get too technical but these psych drugs share the same pathway in the brain, this is not my theory it has been studied and documented. When you CT one drug, it can cause wd symptoms from another drug. When I quit Pristq after only 1 month use, I was very stomach sick for 2 weeks.

I also stopped Wellbutrin cold turkey after short use and felt like I was in benzo withdrawal. That's why it's best, even with ADs to come off slowly especially if you are taking other drugs. Hope that helps.

I think in a couple of days you will be fine but you know your body better than anyone else.

Well, at least this is turning into quite the learning experience for me.  It is really great even though really awful. 

One other thing to tell you. Wellbutrin effects norepinefrine and dopamine. Norepinefrine effects the flight or fight response and so does K. If you CT Wellbutrin what you felt that morning was probably like an adrenaline rush. So I bet taking away the Wellbutrin and being so new to coming off K hit your adrenal system which causes adrenaline rushes and the symptoms you had. All of these meds have some sort of side effect if withdrawn too fast. It's so hard when your body is going through these things. I'm done sorry to keep going.

don't be sorry - it really is a big help.

Well, yesterday was a better day, but today bad again.  Yesterday I almost felt human by night time.  I should be happy for that.  But today, I woke at 5am with the jolt of electricity that then spread through my body.  It is frustrating.  I don't know what to do.  I have 4 1/2 year old daughter, and looking to the weekend makes me anxious because I'll have to be "on" and won't get a rest.  And I am sick of being sick mommy.  I wonder if I am doing the right thing.  i have an appointment with a new psychiatrist next week and I fear being dismissed and not having this be taken as real - being told I am a control freak, and why don't I want to be well (that's what the first doc who put me on K told me)  I guess I am just scared right now.  I guess I needed to vent - thanks for listening.