*peeks out of cave*
Surgery is healing up very well, but that's not why I've been gone so long.
It's the med changes.
I came off 300mg of zoloft (yes, that's a large dose) over a period of three weeks. (and 50 mg of strattera, but that was no big deal.) The ''discontinuation syndrome" (read: withdrawal) has been hellish.
I dropped 100mg a week, and after each dose decrease, I'd really feel it for a few days. It wasn't too bad after the first drop, but the final was awful. I've had twitching, shaking, no appetite, weight loss, bad panic attacks (if you've never had one of those, pretend the walls of your room started closing in on you suddenly. That's sort of what they're like), this weird 'spasm' that strikes randomly (it doesn't hurt at all, but it's a very pronounced tingly feeling that runs up my spine to the top of my neck and then to my lower lip... it makes me wobbly for a minute and usually happens when I start walking), general digestive upset, and grumpies from below. x_x
The reason for all that: I'm starting an MAOI.
It's one of the oldest kinds of psych meds and is not widely used today as newer drugs are often more effective and come with fewer side effects. But, as it is in a completely different class of psych meds, it works completely differently. (And as everyone's brain is different, people respond differently to different meds and yadda yadda...) I've been through a LONG list of SSRIs and other related meds, and MAOI's have helped others with really stubborn symptoms, so I figured it's worth a shot.
The main issue with it is bad reactions to certain medicines (such as zoloft and strattera, hence me getting off of them). There is a food issue associated with oral versions, but I'm on a patch so I don't have to worry about it much.
But really, a week on nothing but my seemingly useless lamictol (which just seems to stabilize me at 'crappy') was a disaster. I was supposed to return to work today. That didn't happen.
I started the patch today, so here's hoping it's the medicine I've been searching for over the course of four effing LONG years.
...
And now I go back into my cave with my tea and impatiently await the arrival of my package from amazon.com.
I'm really looking forward to the day where I can go see people again and be good company. I really miss everyone. T_T Soon, I hope.
(And I also want my, uh, art back...? It's been really crappy and forced for the last few weeks. No new comics No new anything, pretty much, just a handful of crossed-out sketches.)
And now, for something uplifting: pics of Shotgun. He's growing like mad.
Isn't he cute?
It's the med changes.
I came off 300mg of zoloft (yes, that's a large dose) over a period of three weeks. (and 50 mg of strattera, but that was no big deal.) The ''discontinuation syndrome" (read: withdrawal) has been hellish.
I dropped 100mg a week, and after each dose decrease, I'd really feel it for a few days. It wasn't too bad after the first drop, but the final was awful. I've had twitching, shaking, no appetite, weight loss, bad panic attacks (if you've never had one of those, pretend the walls of your room started closing in on you suddenly. That's sort of what they're like), this weird 'spasm' that strikes randomly (it doesn't hurt at all, but it's a very pronounced tingly feeling that runs up my spine to the top of my neck and then to my lower lip... it makes me wobbly for a minute and usually happens when I start walking), general digestive upset, and grumpies from below. x_x
The reason for all that: I'm starting an MAOI.
It's one of the oldest kinds of psych meds and is not widely used today as newer drugs are often more effective and come with fewer side effects. But, as it is in a completely different class of psych meds, it works completely differently. (And as everyone's brain is different, people respond differently to different meds and yadda yadda...) I've been through a LONG list of SSRIs and other related meds, and MAOI's have helped others with really stubborn symptoms, so I figured it's worth a shot.
The main issue with it is bad reactions to certain medicines (such as zoloft and strattera, hence me getting off of them). There is a food issue associated with oral versions, but I'm on a patch so I don't have to worry about it much.
But really, a week on nothing but my seemingly useless lamictol (which just seems to stabilize me at 'crappy') was a disaster. I was supposed to return to work today. That didn't happen.
I started the patch today, so here's hoping it's the medicine I've been searching for over the course of four effing LONG years.
...
And now I go back into my cave with my tea and impatiently await the arrival of my package from amazon.com.
I'm really looking forward to the day where I can go see people again and be good company. I really miss everyone. T_T Soon, I hope.
(And I also want my, uh, art back...? It's been really crappy and forced for the last few weeks. No new comics No new anything, pretty much, just a handful of crossed-out sketches.)
And now, for something uplifting: pics of Shotgun. He's growing like mad.
Isn't he cute?