[nicole84]

I've had to come off the Prozac as mentioned in other recent posts of mine and the withdrawals are awful! I forgot how bad anti d withdrawals can be. I dropped it to 10mg last week but now nothing as it was just making my mania and mixed episodes worse.

Started back on Depakote (I'll use that name as it's known more here, but Sodium Valproate) yesterday at 600mg a day which has been fine so far. The nightmares I'm having are beyond my normal vivid ones and leaving me feeling like a complete mess. The brain zaps and thoughts of giving up entirely have crept in, I really hope this doesn't last

Brain is somewhat slower today, but I just think the withdrawals are taking over everything else.

And this is just the beginning of a whole new med regime. My pdoc is hoping we can just get me stable on the Depakote, and no anti d's as they send me mixed or off the charts. Possibility of an antipsychotic depending how I go.

Hating this struggle.

[Victoria'smom]

I'm sorry your going through withdraw. Hopefully your psychiatrist can find something that works for you.

[ChaoticSymphony]

Omg I feel for you. I went off Effexor 6 weeks ago and really suffered the first 2 weeks. After reading tho I found out that those omega fish oil capsules plus a multivitamin worked great. I took 4 fish oils every 6 hours and a couple multis a day. It took away the symptoms within a couple hours of that initial dose. If you choose to try this make sure you stay upright for at least a half hour after the fish oils or you will be burping nastiness galore.

It doesn't take them completely away but I can say I have been brain zap free for 2 weeks now and I started 2 weeks after stopping Effexor so I can't complain. Trust me this works and saved me months of suffering like I suffered the last time I stopped citalipram

[nicole84]

Originally Posted by ChaoticSymphony

Omg I feel for you. I went off Effexor 6 weeks ago and really suffered the first 2 weeks. After reading tho I found out that those omega fish oil capsules plus a multivitamin worked great. I took 4 fish oils every 6 hours and a couple multis a day. It took away the symptoms within a couple hours of that initial dose. If you choose to try this make sure you stay upright for at least a half hour after the fish oils or you will be burping nastiness galore.

It doesn't take them completely away but I can say I have been brain zap free for 2 weeks now and I started 2 weeks after stopping Effexor so I can't complain. Trust me this works and saved me months of suffering like I suffered the last time I stopped citalipram

Oh gosh, I've come off Effexor before in the past, a couple of times. It is HELL. I've got some fish oil, I was thinking that might be an idea. Going to eat a bunch of them now lol. Brain zaps and nightmares are so awful!

And starting a new med all at once. At least that one is bearable..

[Crazy Hitch]

Hi Nicole,

I'm sorry to hear you are struggling with the withdrawal and introduction of meds.

May this phase pass swiftly and smoothly for you.

[Justugh]

withdrawls are ****** beyond all account

water....add in 2 more glasses a day (juice teas ) not coffee or soda
multi vits ..........go to the store and get one to use every day or before u go a sleep.......this will help more then u think your body is looking for balance again

low lights low stress decent music..........2 weeks u want to take it easy make sure u eat something (chocolate can help the chemical effect like love ).sleep is important that is when the body has the most time and energy to fix self

your dreams that is a reflection of mental state and the mind trying to make sense of it solve the issue or bury it deep ..........alot of old things will pop up and leave u drained and toren asking ?s u will never get answers too ...........only 2 choices i know of with this one strait on just try to look at it as it is a dream what can i learn from it scarey horrible as it might be is it saying something i should listen too ........the other mediation trick as u are falling asleep repeat a montra in your head (pick what ever u want) making this the last thought in your head it can help direct the dream or keep u from retaining it when open your eyes

my personal is "i will rem my dream and feel rested in the morning" ......but that is me and what i want

as for the new med ..........i am sure the doctor told u it is one of those build up to lvls meds ........the dose they have u on will increase at some point they will start ordering blood test to check your functions ...........you are looking at 4 to 6 weeks of adjustment and feeling anything major change

[prepsychmel]

I'm sorry you're going through this! I do hope it passes quickly for you.

[unicornlady]

Hang in there! I hope things get better soon. We're here for you

[LastQuestion]

I have found that dark therapy, regular exercise, and a healthy whole foods diet (a change in what I eat, not a temporary 'diet' plan) has helped me a great deal. As hard as these changes were, at times, to enact I believe the effort involved in doing so not only addressed physiological aspects of my bipolar but has increased my resiliance to 'doing what is necessary'.

I suggest that before considering an anti-psychotic, or for that manner any psychotropic, implement changes in lifestyle as they do not have the potential, and to some extent certainty of, unavoidable and disabling side affects.