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Original poster

when will this horiible horrible time be over, please some encouraging words from someone

34 replies

gingernutlover · 04/03/2007 18:36

went on AD when dd little she now 18m and i am fine emtionally so have started coming off them but am having horrible withdrawal effect, vomitting, upset tummy at least 10 times a day the tablets the doc gave me just constipate me me for days and then woosh it all comes out in one go if you know what i mean. am beginning to feel rerally depressed about the withdrawal, feel like throwing awa my AD's but am scared to hell my pnd will come back if i dont do it slowly. have already been coming off for 4 weeks and withdrawal symptoms all that time, have another 4 weeks at least until doc says i will finish completely - I really cant carry on like this

I have been ill on and off basically since december and that is getting me down too, and no sooner i start to feel a little better than dh says he feels a bit peaky and I am back in the driving seat with no break so he can rest up. dd is teething, up at night, coldy and coughy and the number of days I have had off work work recently is getting ridiculous, to the point where one of my class called me the name of the supply teacher by mistake the other day.

I really really need to feel better soon otherwise I dont know what i will do

everytime dd is ill i have to take unpaid leave and still pay nursery fees, and apart from this I think the school is starting to think I am taking the piss and they shouldnt have allowed me to go back part time.

Please somone tell me somthing that will make me feel better soon.

Oh, and to top things off, dd has a little lump on back of neck - dh said he noticed it 4 weeks ago WTF???????? so am terrified she has cancer or somthing. bugger bugger bugger,m just hate being me.

OP posts:
DimpledThighs · 04/03/2007 18:39

has she been ill lately - I had that last summer and was swollen lymph node from fighting infection.

re: withdrawal effects, keep going, it gets better adn DO NOT just throw them out - 'tis a lot worse.

Best wishes - keep posting - will check back in with you later.

Original poster
gingernutlover · 04/03/2007 18:50

thankyou - have just looked up about the lump and found loads of stuff about babies and children having enlarged lymph nodes, not sure its quite the right place though - or maybe they have them all over the place.

I cant imagine that jujts stopping the tablets could be any worse than what I'm having at the moment to be honest.

OP posts:
Original poster
gingernutlover · 04/03/2007 18:51

realsied how whingy my first [ost sounds though - sorry, needed a rant i think

OP posts:
SoupDragon · 04/03/2007 18:53

I think you're permitted to sound whingy!

FrannyandZooey · 04/03/2007 18:55

You sound quite desperate, I don't want to just say something encouraging that wouldn't really mean much, and ignore the misery in your first post. Have you got someone you can speak to, on a regular basis? You don't sound "fine emotionally" to me.

indiajane · 04/03/2007 18:56

Sorry no advice but sad to hear that things aren't going well

Hope they pick up again soon, have you spoken to your doctor about this dreadful withdrawal at all?

Try not to worry about taking time off work - it happens, my dd1 was always sick - or at least the nursery claimed she was sick and I had to take loads of time off during my first year back. But it gets better X

Original poster
gingernutlover · 04/03/2007 19:09

I am okay, honetly, just doesnt sound like it cos i am a moany cow. I love dd and i love dh, and the joy of coming off the AD's at last has just disintegrated before me as I've had to put up with the really awful side effects.

Try to imagine being sick or having diarrhoea upwards of 10 times a day every single day for the last 5 weeks and still having to teach 30 4 years olds, look after an 18 month old and a 28 year old and show everyone how happy i am hving gone back to work and thats me at the moment. It is the withdrawal symptoms getting me down, they were unexpected and very unwelcome and I just want to get on with my life instead of spending half of it on the loo.

I know I know we are all busy but after weeks and weeks of this I am just sick of it

OP posts:
Original poster
gingernutlover · 04/03/2007 19:11

also i have had counselling and it has really helped me deal with lots of issues including pnd and i have seen gp about withdrawal and he gave me prescription for loperamide which lasts 4 days - very helpful

OP posts:
puppydavies · 04/03/2007 19:14

have you discussed this with your doc? sounds very extreme if you're just decreasing your dose.

Original poster
gingernutlover · 04/03/2007 19:15

yes and he said they are all normal withdrawal effects

OP posts:
puppydavies · 04/03/2007 19:16

sorry, x-post. if your doc isn't being particularly helpful maybe you could try someone else at the same surgery? honestly, i've never heard of symptoms as severe as yours.

puppydavies · 04/03/2007 19:17

which ad?

Original poster
gingernutlover · 04/03/2007 19:22

escitalopram 20 mg down to 15mg for 4 weeks, now on 10mg for the same and then down to 5mg, really not sure i can just put up with it for this long

OP posts:
puppydavies · 04/03/2007 19:26

okay have just been googling and this site suggests you should taper off ssris at max 5% per week. these sound like intolerable side effects to me and i would go back to gps and request to taper more gradually. okay so it takes longer but if you don't feel like shite during that time it's bearable, right?

Original poster
gingernutlover · 04/03/2007 19:46

problem is, i think thats a US site and here we can only get in tablet form which are really hard to snap in half let alone into 5%, and come in 20, 10 and 5.

OP posts:
Dior · 04/03/2007 19:48

Message withdrawn

Original poster
gingernutlover · 04/03/2007 19:50

thanks dior, were the zispin supposed to reduce the electric shocks? Hadnt heard of these, are they really bad? sounds scarey

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frenziednester · 04/03/2007 19:52

I agree with puppy - this sounds intolerable too - any chance you can get a second opinion or a referral? I have a similar issue in that the ADs I am on are not good for baby and they tried a withdrawal strategy which led to desperate symptoms which sacred me stupid - I went to see a psychiatrist who explained that it was not the return of PND but withdrawal symptoms and has suggested a much much more slow decrease - so week 1 it was 20 mg for 6 days and then 10 mg for day 7 etc, and week 2 3 days of 20 mg, day 4 10 mg, days 5 and 6 20 mg, day 7 10 mg and so on, so I was effectively halving the dose of only 1 day per week at first. Does this help?

Dior · 04/03/2007 20:36

Message withdrawn

Monkeytrousers · 04/03/2007 20:43

Do you really need to come off them right now? Sound like you could do with a bit more time on them to get better coping strategies in place.

twoisenoughmum · 04/03/2007 20:50

If any comfort - my DS had a lump on his neck last year (then aged 2.6). Well, it wasn't exactly on his neck, it was on the base of his skull behind his ear. Went to GP who said "probably nothing, but will refer you to hospital for blood test because I know you will just worry about it". Waited 4 weeks for blood test, terrible, fretting, tearful time all that time, got results 10 days later - all clear. Little lumps come up all the time around the neck, apparently. I have one in my neck. Had it all my life as far as I can recall. Hope all's well in that regard.

Sorry, no experience of ADs but would say your withdrawal symptoms seem extreme and I'm not surprised you are stressed.

Original poster
gingernutlover · 04/03/2007 21:21

thanks

monkey trousers - not sure i will ever have the coping strategies in place to put up with being so bloody ill all the time (not sure many people would, actually), really just wnted hugs and support, so thanks, but I guess the side effects would happen again even if i left it longer and to be honest cannot face the idea of starting the whole process again , at least I am now half way through it. Am just gonna have to grit and bear I think.

Will ophone docs tomorrow about dd's lump too, better to be safe and all that.

OP posts:
Original poster
gingernutlover · 05/03/2007 18:21

okay update, went to docs, lmp is lymph node - nothing to worry about. and he suggested I either put up with sideeffects of withdrawal or go cold turkey - no advice, just wanted me out of there quick

dd and me both been screaming and crying all day cant leave the house incase I soil myslef and am running to bathroom every 10 minutes.

then dh arrives home and says, well you know she picks up on your negativity! He is sitting with her now though

OP posts:
puppydavies · 06/03/2007 09:31

i'd be looking for another gp.

losty · 06/03/2007 09:38

been following your thread gingernut. how are you today? how is DD? for you, re dh comments last night.

How much longer before you are off the tabs completely?