Reinstatement Took It's Time, But Finally OK!

[Ana Q]

It seems like there are quite a few posts out there regarding reinstatenment and how long it takes. While everybody reacts differently, I wanted to let people know that when I thought I would never feel better again, my Paxil did kick in and I am much better now. It's hard in the beggining because you just want to get better and wake up everyday hoping it's the day. But rest assure you won't just wake up one day and the anxiety is gone. Much like the way it was when it was prescribed to me long ago, it took time for it to heal my anxiety. It then got slowly better until one day it was just gone.
That's how reinstatement is. Atleast for me. I got back on Paxil sometime at the end of July if I recall, and I would say I felt mostly back to myself by October with the holidays feeling wonderful. Yes, it does take time- but it does not come overnight. You must be patient and try to go about your life trying to ignore when the 'magic bullet' will work. Soon, it will/ You just have to have faith and patience. Also, remember EVERYBODY IS DIFFERENT. I had a lot of stress going on in my life when I came off the drug and since that stress has physically left, I did notice I felt better. So I think a combo of the reinstatement and removing stress from my life got me back in shape. Hopefully one day I can get off this drug again. For now, my well being was the most important. Good luck to you! This too, shall pass. It always does.

[Wld]

It's good to hear a positive story! Thank you for sharing. I have a question tho...did you have what you'd consider an adverse reaction in the beginning of trying to reinstate? Not to go into all the ugly details but my reaction was so bad I couldn't take it anymore--it wasn't what I'd consider a matter of patience I lowered my dose and it seems to have made a huge difference. But it's only been 2 days on the lower dose. Im not great right now but at least i dont feel like I've got a gun pointed at my head 24/7. I always considered myself a pretty tough cookie but after the last 3 wks. Ughhh....it was horrible. I've just always been confused about what're "Normal start-up issues" and what's an "adverse reaction."?

[Ana Q]

Hi Wld!
I'm so SO sorry I never replied to your PM I kept logging on to reply at work and I would be in the middle of the paragraph and get pulled away. I sincerely apologize because I do wish to be here for anyone going through what I went through and I know what it's like when you are waiting for someone to let you know it's ok...but it is, OK! I promise.
You're question is great, and I often wondered (and still do) myself about what happened. I will tell you that things got pretty bad after 3 months off of Paxil - that's when I started getting the bad psychological withdrawal effects (either that or going through stress without the help of Paxil and couldn't handle). Instead of reinstating though on Paxil, I went on Zoloft to help with the effects and I believe I had an adverse reaction to the Zoloft coupled with Paxil Withdrawal. I just know that when I started feeling the WD set in I went to the doctor and he put me on Zoloft which almost immediately made things worse and I started to develop horrible obsessive thoughts. I came off and decided to reinstate to Paxil instead. Once on it took a couple months to feel the effects and then slowly they were better and better, until I felt back to myself for the most part by 4 months on. So definitely give it time and try not to switch meds too much. It does sound however like we both had a very similar experience ; Got off of meds after being on them for several years and years, tried a new med to combat WD, much worse, now back to old med and waiting for reinstatement. Be patient as it could take months to get back to where you were- but don't fear...you will get there.

Can I ask the following;

1. What made you stop the Celexa after 10 years?
2. What made you go on Zoloft right after? and what made you quit the Zoloft after 1 month?
3. For those 4 months without meds how did you feel?

Thanks

[Wld]

Oh thank you thank you thank you for your encouragement!

I went to the doctor for a regular check up and he asked me how the Celexa was working (like he did every year ughhh) and I said I thought maybe it wasn't working as well as it had been, and this is where it gets confusing because I can't remember if I had missed a dose here and there or if I was actually in "poop out"-- this concerns me. Anyhow, he suggested I give Zoloft a try and just like you, disaster. I tried it for 4 wks. and gave up. Looking back no one ever told me i could be experiencing Celexa wd on top of symptoms for trying to start Zoloft. I didnt even know there were any wd symptoms!!! It was all just a really bad time. Mistake after mistake. That's when I quit ct. The physical wd's were brutal but after awhile I felt good, like I had gone thru a cleanse or something. 4th month is when everything came crashing down.

Now I'm in this reinstatement---limbo, purgatory hell. I don't know whether to keep on trying or give up. I pretty much decided to give up.(reinstating NOT life, omg gotta be careful how I word things) But now, hearing stories like
yours...ahhh, idk! It's a confusing time.
It's hard to stay the course when you don't now what the course should be.

For now, today I'm on 15 mg. of Celexa. You're a dear for coming to my rescue, hopefully someday I'll be able to return the favor.

Wld

[miriza]

Wld, I hope the Celexa takes for you...It may just take a little longer...hang in there! Praying for all of us.

((((HUGS)))))

[RobInSydney]

Hi; Great for Ana Q to give her experience of reinstatement... I too am waiting... after a big crash after a rapid 25% reduction... I reinstated 4.5 weeks ago... and from the times I have had to updose in the past or recover from my two attempts at kicking the drug... it took me a full 4 four months to feel good... I am feeling "half crappy" and its hard to work effectively or socialise... I have a constant mantra that it wont be like this for ever.. to counter "this wont work this time"... it is really reassuring to hear others experiences... agin doctors seem sceptical that it takes me four months...
And in this period, I have to be on guard about getting involved in other medications... so its a dangerous but survivable period... and one which i would then like to turn into a solid base for commencing the slow and gradual reductions I am now aware of... I've been on FX for 10 years and other SSRI for four year before that... so an extra six months before starting tapering... is not a long time in the scheme of things...Thanks for all your experiences ahead of me..
Ciao
Rob

[Wld]

Robinsydney, hi. How is your reinstatement going?

[RobInSydney]

Thanks WLD... So and steady... from past experience... hope for patience... even if it is hard to come by... and be careful of medical encounters that delay or complicate thing...Although feeling average a lot of the time.. I am working OK... out and about with people..which is important for maintaining some self confidence and worth...as long as i dont go off at someone.. no one knows how I feel.. This site has helped me gain perspective..

Ciao
Rob

[Wld]

Rob, you're right... I had a medical encounter yesterday that probably set me back another week or so. Dr. wanted to substitute Celexa with Zyplexa. I said no but it really shook me, and I was shaky enough to begin with. I'm out and about too but don't really want to be unfortunately You sound like you have a great attitude --- wish you luck!

[RobInSydney]

If I have "great attitude"... it stems from what I already know; having been here before ... with Ativan... all those years ago...

[Backtopaxil]

Hi Ana

Your case is so similar to mine. I have been back on Paxil for 5 weeks and depression is almost gone and feel fully functional, but anxiety is still there

The last few days were fine but today I woke up with anxiety that lasted more than I expected.

Did you take any Xanax or benzo to bridge therapy?

I am just taking 0.25 mg of Clonazepam at night until stable.

[Ana Q]

Nope, didn't take anything between (unless you count alcohol to help get through!) otherwise I just let the reinstatement take it's course and eventually am well again. It takes time so please don't lose hope that your still getting anxiety attacks. Mine took about 4 months until I truly felt normal again. About 4 months to feel the reinstatement work and the adverse reaction to the Zoloft gone. Be patient, you will get through this part. Eventually you will let go and stop waiting to feel better. One day you just will good luck!!

[Backtopaxil]

Thanks so much for your encouraging reply.

I am confident this will ease up soon. Congratulations

[scotty]

Originally Posted by Backtopaxil

Did you take any Xanax or benzo to bridge therapy?

I am just taking 0.25 mg of Clonazepam at night until stable.

Taking a benzo only results in more problems down the line with increased anxiety and tolerance. Be VERY careful about their use.

[texgirl]

Originally Posted by Backtopaxil

I am just taking 0.25 mg of Clonazepam at night until stable.

Originally Posted by scotty

Taking a benzo only results in more problems down the line with increased anxiety and tolerance. Be VERY careful about their use.

With apologies for repeating myself ad nauseum: "just" and "only" don't apply when talking about benzos (as in "I'm just taking 0.25mg"). If you're taking it every day for more than a few weeks, you're going to have a problem. After that you start getting rebound side effects, which can be very hard to distinguish from the anxiety you went on benzos to treat.

[Backtopaxil]

Yes I am fully aware. My doctor gave me 2 x 0.5 per day. But I decided to take 0.25 mg at night only.
Been on it for 4 weeks.

In fact the last week I have reduced to @.175mg ( 3/4 of 1/2 a 0.5 pill).

I would like to cut completely. Next week I will go to 0.125 mg. And so forth.

Thoughts?

[texgirl]

Originally Posted by Backtopaxil

Yes I am fully aware. My doctor gave me 2 x 0.5 per day. But I decided to take 0.25 mg at night only.
Been on it for 4 weeks.

In fact the last week I have reduced to @.175mg ( 3/4 of 1/2 a 0.5 pill).

I would like to cut completely. Next week I will go to 0.125 mg. And so forth.

Thoughts?

Sounds like a good plan. You don't want to spend more time tapering off than you spent taking it, and you should be able to drop fairly quickly since you've only been on it a few weeks. We just want you to be safe and aware!

[Backtopaxil]

Beautiful

Thanks TexGirl. It is so encouraging to find groups like this. So sorry that I found PP after a failed tapering. But hey knowledge is power.

PS ( sorry for hi-jacking the topic. )

[Ana Q]

No worries, that's why I created the thread Remember too that everybodys different so RI will take each person a different time. But more or less it takes a lot of time and patience. You'll get there thouhh' *hugs*

[Wld]

Its a Xmas miracle, I'm feeling better! Dare i say everyone was right about reinstatement...its slow and gradual. FAR FAR from being perfect. But the extreme panic has left the building and there's just a dull roar of anxiety left in it's place. No physical symptoms. I kinda feel like a new born colt learning to walk again. You spend so long being weirded out, traumatized and feeling like crap when a good day comes along it's a whole new set of freaky. God, I'll say it again....please let this be a sign of good things to come.

[Backtopaxil]

Originally Posted by Wld

Its a Xmas miracle, I'm feeling better! Dare i say everyone was right about reinstatement...its slow and gradual. FAR FAR from being perfect. But the extreme panic has left the building and there's just a dull roar of anxiety left in it's place. No physical symptoms. I kinda feel like a new born colt learning to walk again. You spend so long being weirded out, traumatized and feeling like crap when a good day comes along it's a whole new set of freaky. God, I'll say it again....please let this be a sign of good things to come.

Excellent news !!!

This things take time. The brain must be saying: What the heck? But eventually the anxiety door will be shut down.

[Wld]

Thank you Backtopaxil. It's only been two days, probably shouldn't strike up the band just yet but I'm hopeful. It's a crazed sort of criteria when a good day consists of not having a melt down. But uh well, that's not going to depress me.
I pray for you too--I see we reinstated on the same day

[miriza]

Yay Wld! So glad for you! Hope it continues!

[Brassmonkey]

WLD--So glad your getting a few good days, there are more to come.

[RobInSydney]

Hi other reinstaters... I have been back up to my original dose of 300mg Effexor for about 6 weeks...Maybe a symptom of improvements when I stop counting... and am feeling passably "well".. and ready for some heavy work commitments in a few weeks time.. which frankly, I thought I might have to bale out of..(with further career and credibility damage)..as I have had to on the several other attempts to reduce or eliminate the drug.
So, in terms of strategy... this is a great success. I am very aware that I am preparing for a slow and systematic taper which I will consider starting in another six weeks..after a period of stability, relative clarity, and after my next work hump..But being out of the WD stage.. I feel my decisions will be far better considered.And after becoming acquainted with this website..and the collected experience of hundreds before me... I sense a possibility of a slow reduction which doesn't challenge the career and relationships in the process... and not to mention pushing me into psyc units as in the past. And just to achieve this current strategy successfully, and based on what I have done in the past... I feel it has been vital in keep encounters with doctors, for physical or mental problems, to an absolute minimum...so my issues have not been complicated...
So with a degree of home in the future... I am now biding my time so I have have a good base from which to advance..
Ciao
Rob