Clarity,
Office 17622,
PO Box 6945,
London.
W1A 6US
United Kingdom
Phone/ Voicemail:
+44 (0)20 3287 3053 (UK)
+1 (561) 459-4758 (US).
It seems like this drug was a big overreaction on the part of the GP to a simple problem of not enough sunshine!
I think it made the depression worse and compelled her to drink far more than is healthy, then to become reclusive and irritable.
I can't tell from what I've found out so far if it EVER leaves your system.
Why on earth does anybody prescribe this stuff, it's like condemning someone to a life of psychosis. Unbelievable.
Having recently come off another somewhat-similar medication, this reading makes perfect sense to me. It took me about four months to come off Savella (an SNRI instead of an SSRI, slightly different but the chemical actions in the brain with regards to seratonin are very similar. The norepinephrine aspect of the SNRIs tend to make them very difficult to come off of, sometimes taking 6 months or more).
There's a point where you come back to your senses and it's truly shocking the way you behaved. I wouldn't have been surprised to see a line about shame in here. You find yourself still reacting to things in ways that just aren't sensible. Everything is up and down, sometimes even minute-by-minute. But, it does feel like the world is opening up to you again when you start coming off it. It also forces you to look at your darker self, which is so very hard and shocking that you could actually have said that thing to someone or done something. I told my now-ex that I hoped he did have a stroke! My sister says that I screamed at her on the so loudly once that people four offices away heard me. I don't remember any of this.
On the physical level, I ended up in the ER with convulsions during my withdrawal. In the end, I got a prescription for a sedative and had to increase back up a bit (Shock goes and comes, maybe). The sedative came in very helpful with both the physical and mental adjustments. Maybe she needs to switch medications before coming off the one she's on. With many of the SSRIs, you can "swap out" to something easier to come off of instead of withdrawing from the more difficult ones. (Intention is not lost - there are things to do).
The things in life that were blocked off to me are now open again (career advancement, healthy interactions with others, my own internal workings) and I can see things much more clearly, even though there are still times of shock that show me where I need to continue to do work.
For the people it works for, it's a godsend. I can honestly say that I understand schitzophrenia much better now. Hearing voices, things climbing all over the walls, aggression and paranoia, an internal, almost electric, chill that never stopped... I'm textbook for who shouldn't be on that medication. I'll take migraines over that any day. BUT there are people who are really helped by it. They have the opposite experience from me, and your friend from the sounds of it. For those people, these medications open up their world. The medications all act a little differently on the brain chemistry. I would suggest your friend see a psychiatrist instead of her general practitioner if she wants to try something else. Psychiatrists know better what to look for and what to ask in judging whether or not a medication is good for someone.
Also, you will find all sorts of horror stories on the web. Doesn't necessarily mean it is the typical experience. I worked in a pharmacy for 4 years, and never heard one such story. People I've known have usually done fine after a little time adjusting to being off their medication. So, I would just take the source of info into consideration. I think she will recover fully as well.
Oh, I'm sure she is suffering. What I meant was, cases where the effects of these kinds of things are permanent or longstanding are usually rare. I don't know the specifics, but usually people regain normal functioning from my experience. However, with a large group of people sharing such an experience, and having been on the med for such an extended period, I can't blame her for being concerned. That's the pits. Well, maybe she can get this company to pay for a move to the tropics.[/QUOTE]
I wll suggest she pursue this!
Thanks for all this information Suivis, which will be helpful in understanding how my friend is feeling. I know she's gotten some criticism for having "changed" a lot and it must be very hard to take. As said, I feel sure that most of our community have no idea what she has been going through as she's ashamed to talk about it. What a horrible dilemma. I have the feeling from recent conversations, she will probably move to a different climate altogether, with the hope there is no need for medication of any kind.
Clarity,
Office 17622,
PO Box 6945,
London.
W1A 6US
United Kingdom
Phone/ Voicemail:
+44 (0)20 3287 3053 (UK)
+1 (561) 459-4758 (US).