Posted by JohnX2 on March 31, 2002, at 8:06:14
In reply to Re: serotonin sensitivity or discontinuation syndrome? » JohnX2, posted by thealee on March 31, 2002, at 7:41:17
> > > I have gotten myself into a real pickle. Due to a number of traumatic events in my life, two years ago I started to take buspar for anxiety. Later, Serzone for depression. I was doing well on both of those for well over a year. But insomnia was always a problem.. tried a number of different things.. herbals, nortryptilene -but settled on trazadone, at 50 mg. Also had a prescription to xanax, for "emergencies" - which I ended up using fairly often, toward the end. Insomnia worsened, and I was told to increase trazadone to 100 mg, then to 150. This, on top of everything else I was taking, seemed to change my body chemistry forever. I started experiencing "electric shocks" and tingling, pins and needles in all my extremities. I was told this was serotonin sensitivity. 8 weeks ago just toughed it off the xanax and trazodone alltogether. Then tapered off the Serzone, hoping to find a level that my body could tolerate. no go. After that started cutting back on the Buspar. I would have some good days right after I tapered, but then mostly bad ones. A month ago, stopped the last of the buspar. I still experience the pins and needles every day.. but the worst is the headache/logey/ flu-like feeling.. like my brain is only working at half speed. So now am I experiencing discontinuation syndrome? I've been told that it would be unusual for the meds I was taking. I kept some xanax for "emergencies" but have used it very sparingly. Was told by one doctor that what I was experiencing now was just anxiety.. and that I had to get used to the idea that I might have to be on some anti-anxiety med for the rest of my life. I resented that, but have found that when I do take some xanax (after gritting my teeth for days with these symptoms) I seem to improve. I have an appointment to have my hormone levels checked (47 year old female - could perimenopause be doing this?) and with a new doctor to see if there is anything that can help me. I want to feel like myself again, and its been a long time. But if I knew that toughing it out for another month, or two, I'd be over it, then I'd tough it out. Or should I submit to taking some sort of meds forever? Please help. Anyone else out there have an experience like this?
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> >
> > Just how much Buspar, Serzone, and Trazodone were you taking concurrently? There are drug interactions between Serzone and Buspar if my memory serves me correct.
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> > John
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> at the end, I was taking 200 mg of Serzone, 150 mg of Trazadone (this only for a week or two) 15 mg of buspar and .25 to .5 mg xanax. When I look at this list now, I can't believe how stupid and trusting I was.
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> Here's another possibility.. in my research, I"ve found www.benzo.org.uk (check it out). I think its possible that what I was dealing with originally was a pretty bad drug interaction, but now, what remains is benzodiazepine withdrawl. I used the xanax on and off for two years, and it was always my back up drug when the various insomia aids did not work. Toward the end, I was using it almost every night for a month, and I found that I had developed a tolerance - that is, .25 used to work, and then I needed .5 mg. even though I wasn't on it for the typical long time frame at the typcial higher dose, I wonder if my symptoms are all about the fact that I just quit it cold turkey eight weeks ago ?There are a lot of "anti-benzo" web sites. Sometimes I think they may go overboard. But it generally is not a good idea to quit a benzodiazepine cold turkey. The Serzone inhibits the metabolism of the Buspar (causing more Buspar to circulate in your body), so generally one would be a bit cautious and prescribe much less Buspar because of this. Usually Buspar is prescribed at 30 mg for anxiety, but you were taking 15 mg. When I took Buspar, I felt brain zaps whenever I shifted my eyes around, it was kind of weird.
Of the benzodiazepines, one of the better ones is Klonopin. It has a lower potential to be habit forming and it has a long life in your body (so you don't bounce up and down).
Something else that you may want to look into as an alternative is a medicine called Neurontin. This is a non-addictive antiseizure medicine that treats peripheral tingling type symtoms *very well* and helps many people with anxiety.
Best Wishes
John
poster:JohnX2
thread:101014
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/20020327/msgs/101079.html