Posted by Dave@MT on March 1, 2001, at 19:57:41
In reply to Re: Withdrawal from LUVOX, posted by Dave@MT on February 26, 2001, at 20:45:07
Hey Abbi
You OK?
Dave
> Hey Abbi
>
> Glad to hear you were just taking care of yourself and not in trouble. Sorry to hear it's going tough. Re: nightmares. I hadn't a nightmare in years and rarely dreamed (at least that I could remember upon waking) until I startd poppin' these pills. Have you considered tapering off slowly? Maybe you have, it is just a thought.
>
> I figure I tapered off LUVOX from 250-300 mg peak to a 50 mg maintenance dosage over about a month and a half. Then, I stayed there for a couple of weeks at least, going from a regular 50 mg dose every morning to taking it when I couldn't take the electric head anymore, or my emotions seemed to be getting hard to control.
>
> After that I cut back to taking 25 mg doses on an "as-needed" basis to cut off the head noise. Instead of taking it in the morning when I got up as I had been, I'd wait until the head noise started to interfere with my work or whatever. After a few days of that I noticed I was pushing that time back more and more, so I started skipping days altogether. Unfortunately I didn't keep any records, so this is a little fuzzy around time span.
>
> This point was about the time I sent the first post to this board, because I had a lot of head noise on the days when I skipped and was beginning to wonder how long I was going to have to put up with it, and wondering (still) whether some sort of harm to my gray matter has been done. Those concerns are what prompted me to give the Net another try to see what info I could find. This board is the only meaningful info I've found at all. I think most of the clinical focus is on whether it helps your immediate condition and whether the side effects while in therapy are tolerable or not. Doesn't appear to me anyone has spent much time worrying about how you get someone OFF a drug once they are put back together. Probably is a little like worrying about where all the water has gone after the firemen put out a fire - top priority is to put out the fire and we'll worry about the cleanup later? :-)
>
> On the plus side, as I mentioned earlier, I soon noticed how much more energetic and positive I felt, especially at work. I hadn't felt like that in years, probably because of the depressive state I was in. That - and the encouragement I found here, especially our contact - has made me even more determined to ride this horse out.
>
> I am happy to say that I notice the occasional head noise, but it has ceased to be a significant issue and I find that taking a little time to relax, concentrate on something I enjoy doing, eat a light snack, etc helps a lot. If a flu med helps use it. I take advil or something when my muscles ache or I feel a little off.
>
> Hopefully this will give YOU some hope...think about whther you have tried to ramp down your dosage too fast. I know for certain it is possible to go too fast...I tried it.
>
> Best of luck Abbi, keep me posted. Sorry so wordy!
>
> Feel free to email me at MTxOstrakon@hotmail.com if you wish. I would enjoy hearing from you.
>
> Dave@MT
>
>
> > Hi Dave,
> >
> > Been off work Thurs and Friday with pretend flu! Needed some time off cos I was suffering quite badly with headrushes and tears of frustration.
> > I still refuse to go to the doctor. There is nothing they can do to help except give me more pills or a different type of pill, and then I'll be on the same merry-go-round of trying to get off a different medication.
> >
> > By the way, straight paracetamol is better than flu medicine cos flu medicine has decongestant in which keeps you awake. I have been having some horrendous dreams but I'm sleeping better now. (last night's was that these people in black were trying to assasinate me..)Very scary. The dream seemed to last two hours, until at last my alarm clock saved me! I still have tense shoulders and the chilling memory.. Hope you are OK...
> > Abbi x
poster:Dave@MT
thread:54012
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/20010221/msgs/55262.html