Psycho-Babble Medication Thread 858331

Shown: posts 1 to 6 of 6. This is the beginning of the thread.

 

Hey everyone, need a little more help, Please !!!!

Posted by LisaDC on October 19, 2008, at 20:16:39

O.k, so I'm in my 4th week off of the Celexa and I'm still feeling sick as can be. The brain zaps dissapeared, but I've been severely fatigued, my anxiety has been way up, still getting the chills and body aches, and have been irritable as can be. As I told, I did try and put some of the Celexa back in me, but it doesn't seem to be helping.

Now my Dr. seems to be thinking that maybe my Serotonin levels have dropped off and he told me to go to the nutrition store and buy a supplement called 5HTP. He said, it increases your Serotonin the same way as the Celexa did, but doesn't come with the side effects. So, I'm thinking, what the heck, why didn't he just put me on this in the beginning, as he further stated it's simple to come off of and has virtually no side effects.

So, I took 100mg twice Yesterday, and again today. Sure enough, I'm starting to settle down. The anxiety is all but gone, my irritability is much better. I'm still hanging on the chills and body aches and fatigue though. Now, I'm starting to feel those Zaps I had in my brain, but not in my brain. I'm feeling tingly in my hands when I walk around. Now what is this? I hope I don't started getting those Zaps in my head again.

Has anyone ever heard of this 5HTP. I googled it and see alot on it. I did get some mild nausea and a little diarrhea from it today. Just looking for some advice again to see what any of you think of this plan.

Lisa

 

Re: Hey everyone, need a little more help, Please !!!! » LisaDC

Posted by Phillipa on October 19, 2008, at 23:38:29

In reply to Hey everyone, need a little more help, Please !!!!, posted by LisaDC on October 19, 2008, at 20:16:39

Lisa I agree with you if your doc thought he could raise serotonin with 5htp why didn't he do that to begin with. I think I'll google it might be my answer too. Hope the zaps don't come back Phillipa

 

Re: Hey everyone, need a little more help, Please !!!! » LisaDC

Posted by yxibow on October 20, 2008, at 2:09:40

In reply to Hey everyone, need a little more help, Please !!!!, posted by LisaDC on October 19, 2008, at 20:16:39

> O.k, so I'm in my 4th week off of the Celexa and I'm still feeling sick as can be. The brain zaps dissapeared, but I've been severely fatigued, my anxiety has been way up, still getting the chills and body aches, and have been irritable as can be. As I told, I did try and put some of the Celexa back in me, but it doesn't seem to be helping.
>
> Now my Dr. seems to be thinking that maybe my Serotonin levels have dropped off and he told me to go to the nutrition store and buy a supplement called 5HTP. He said, it increases your Serotonin the same way as the Celexa did, but doesn't come with the side effects. So, I'm thinking, what the heck, why didn't he just put me on this in the beginning, as he further stated it's simple to come off of and has virtually no side effects.
>
> So, I took 100mg twice Yesterday, and again today. Sure enough, I'm starting to settle down. The anxiety is all but gone, my irritability is much better. I'm still hanging on the chills and body aches and fatigue though. Now, I'm starting to feel those Zaps I had in my brain, but not in my brain. I'm feeling tingly in my hands when I walk around. Now what is this? I hope I don't started getting those Zaps in my head again.
>
> Has anyone ever heard of this 5HTP. I googled it and see alot on it. I did get some mild nausea and a little diarrhea from it today. Just looking for some advice again to see what any of you think of this plan.
>
> Lisa


Yes, it and l-tryptophan (much harder to find) can help in mood. They're not as strong I imagine to cross the blood brain barrier but 5HTP does have psychoactive properties (which is why one should let their doctor know what they are taking). They help, theoretically, especially trytophan, to regulate sleep, among other things.


200mg is a little bit high on the dosing of 5HTP, I would edge up to it. Its available from what I've seen in 50mg and 100mgs. If it isn't synthesized, its usually extracted from the griffonia seed.

I wouldn't be surprised by the "electrical zap" feelings. Serotonergic agents can do that if you have too little or too much, or if you're simply just sensitive to that. Luvox did that for me in the past when I was taking it at a particular dose, whenever I would hike or run -- it was just a side effect of that interaction.

-- Jay

 

Re: Hey everyone, need a little more help, Please !!!! » LisaDC

Posted by LaVonda on October 20, 2008, at 7:18:02

In reply to Hey everyone, need a little more help, Please !!!!, posted by LisaDC on October 19, 2008, at 20:16:39

Curiously....

Your Celexa use was 2 years following a divorce or 1 year following childbirth?

 

Re: Hey everyone, need a little more help, Please » LisaDC

Posted by cactus on October 20, 2008, at 19:48:26

In reply to Hey everyone, need a little more help, Please !!!!, posted by LisaDC on October 19, 2008, at 20:16:39

Brain zaps have stopped, WOO HOO for you, that's great. I have found over the years that once they finally stop, the worst of it is over. Now it's time to rest and assess and if you haven't got a psychologist/therapist, GET ONE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! and if you don't feel like you're being heard get another one. I'm not talking about the confronting factor which they may make you face, just as long as they are hearing you properly and you feel comfortable with them. It has taken me years to find a good one.

Your withdrawal process from SSRI's sounds very similar to mine. Loads of people including docs and pdocs didn't believe me when I said the brain zaps were still going for a month afterwards. The second month I was extremely fatigued and suffered from vertigo and ataxia (horrid dizzy spells when standing or walking) and by the third month I would start to feel like myself again.

I really hope you spoke to your doc about the xanax, I'm very lucky in regards to benzo's but xanax was a different story, I still don't know why I'm ok with all other benzos but xanax really messed me up about 15 years ago. Good luck with everything, I hope you're doing better. Peace C

 

Re: Hey everyone, need a little more help, Please !!!!

Posted by bleauberry on October 21, 2008, at 17:46:31

In reply to Hey everyone, need a little more help, Please !!!!, posted by LisaDC on October 19, 2008, at 20:16:39

If you roam the internet and look at 5htp, or read books from authors that preach it, you will see that 100mg to 300mg are fairly common. However, it is my opinion and shared by some doctors that those doses are extremely high. 25mg is a reasonable dose, 50mg is getting up there, 100mg is very high.

Keep in mind the serotonin will build up in time. It is in accumulation thing. Now that you have primed yourself with some large loading doses, you might be able to settle back into a lower dose and give it some time. Of course, I realize the whole idea right now is to put an end to the withdrawals, so I understand.

In any case, yeah, 5htp makes serotonin directly. For me it actually had worse side effects than antidepressants, in terms of sex. I was completely uninterested and unable. That was at just 50mg. I think that is rare though. Many people handle it fine.

It makes me wonder why doctors who know about 5htp (and they all should, but don't), why don't they try that first before drugs? Many years ago I was waiting for an appointment in a couple weeks with a psychiatrist I had been referred to by my doctor. In the meantime, I needed some help. I found out about 5htp and st johns wort online, and I started those together at the same time, in low doses. Within 3 days I was like 80% better and things were looking good. Then the doc appointment arrived. They were so angry at what I was doing, pulled me off 5htp and st johns wort, put me on serzone, and I immediately crashed into a despair suicidal depression. What the heck are doctors thinking? Since then, neither 5htp or st johns wort ever worked again like they did the first time.


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