MoonGalSenior Contributor
Coming off a medication - the roller coaster
Yesterday I felt the effects for the first time as I withdraw slowly from a medication I have been on for 13 years. Due to some info gained from another discussion here I discovered that a med I am on has a common side effect of back pain. I went to my doctor and we are withdrawing me from the med by slow reduction, it is now day 7 and on half-dose - maintaining this for one more week then going to quarter dose for a fortnight - then off.
So far I have experienced far more lively dreams and more disturbed sleep (always a concern because sleep is the number one indicator for me of flicking across into hypo-mania).
Yesterday, I was walking the doggits with my partner and about halfway through the 15 minute walk (to go get a coffee and little something and sit at the cafe) and I had this huge rush DOWN, just fell into a huge hole of hopelessness. BANG. There i was. My brain had collapsed into nothing, i could barely think. I was supposed to be going out with partner to visit a friend, but knew that was a bad Idea so I pulled out and stayed home. Spent a tossy-turney hour in bed trying to quieten my thoughts, then just put a DVD series in the DVD and laid on the couch watching episode after episode. Eventually the deep awfulness abated and I was so glad to feel better after a 6 hour stint of the dry-awfuls.
I try hard to not attribute every fluctuation in mood or pain levels as attributed to the medication withdrawal and I want so much to not panic and assume that the feelings, thoughts and effects are permanent (that's how it feels when it hits) ie. "always like this..." loss of hope in an instant.
Anyways - I am just starting this thread to have a touchstone. Other's must also go through medication changes and the horrible things this does, what tools do you use to get through the period of withdrawal?
