Thank you @SarahMc

I’ve recently been to a consult in holistic medicine. Doctor said that digestive, intestinal and nervous systems are very inflamed during this process. And she told me it could be good to take supplements for it. Such as melatonin, stress reducer, and berberine. Also recommend to do some neuroptimal treatment.

Any considerations on this?

@Healing_s I'd refer you to Luke's post in the Symptoms & Coping Strategies section here: https://antidepressantrecovery.org/topic/293-medications-supplements-and-other-substances-in-withdrawal/#comment-8786

Basically, taking any kind of supplement or OTC medication in WD is risky because your nervous system is already so sensitive. No supplement has been shown to speed up recovery -- some folks have found that certain supplements provide slight symptom relief, while many others have found that supplements made them worse. With melatonin specifically, I've seen some folks say it helped a bit with sleep but I've also seen at least a couple people say it caused a resurgence in other symptoms. I'm not sure what "stress reducer" or berberine are so I can't comment specifically on those.

I looked up neuroptimal treatment and it looks like it's aimed at "retraining" the brain? It seems pretty harmless, but unfortunately we can't train our brain out of WD. What we're dealing with is a physical injury that requires time and low stress to heal. Many folks, especially early in WD, seem to look for a quick fix to no avail, only to come to the realization that time is the real healer. But totally up to you if you want to try it!

7 minutes ago, SarahMc said:

I looked up neuroptimal treatment and it looks like it's aimed at "retraining" the brain? It seems pretty harmless, but unfortunately we can't train our brain out of WD. What we're dealing with is a physical injury that requires time and low stress to heal. Many folks, especially early in WD, seem to look for a quick fix to no avail, only to come to the realization that time is the real healer. But totally up to you if you want to try it!

I agree with @SarahMc on this, @Healing_s . I know when I was in early WD I searched for the cure that would relieve my symptoms as quickly as possible. But there really isn't such a thing. I also tried supplements like St. John's Wort and they didn't help. This is a very good short video on how recovery really works: Anxiety Game Changers (that never come).

We know how hard WD is since we've been through it, but with the right tools, patience, acceptance, and self-forgiveness you can make it!

@SarahMc @mstimc60

I just don’t know what to believe anymore. I can cope with it most of the times. But DR makes everything more difficult. I feel like I’m losing it.

36 minutes ago, Healing_s said:

I just don’t know what to believe anymore. I can cope with it most of the times. But DR makes everything more difficult. I feel like I’m losing it.

I'm sorry @Healing_s, DR is a tough symptom to deal with. But you are not losing it, you are in WD and you will heal. Just take everything second by second if you need. We are with you.

16 minutes ago, Healing_s said:

@SarahMc @mstimc60

I just don’t know what to believe anymore. I can cope with it most of the times. But DR makes everything more difficult. I feel like I’m losing it.

It is very confusing because there is so much information out there, and not all of its reliable. Also, many "experts" are in it for the money, especially those who promise a quick fix. My rule of thumb is to take advice from people who have been around for a while, like Claire Weeks and Dr. David Burns, plus of course your support group here, since we've been through it. Although they come from different perspectives, I've found most legitimate advisors shave the same basic premise; it takes time, the solutions are within you, and a sense of "losing it" or hopelessness is a very common symptom. We're so used to dealing with a problem then putting it behind us that its scary when things don't improve, or we experience the ups and downs of recovery. But you can and will recover.

@SarahMc and @mstimc60

Thank you both for your support. I know this a “walk alone road”. But I cannot feel the magic of it yet. I have been trying to keep shit together, and hold on for another day. But it looks harder as the time goes by. It should get better. And when I have a glimpse, DR comes in to take me down and make me wonder what’s real. Life is just around the corner, and I’m trying to not let this take control of my life, and I don’t want to be stuck in this forever. I want a family that’s why I stopped it in the first place, I want to enjoy life with lightness… and these goals seem so far away..

8 hours ago, Healing_s said:

And when i try to eat, my stomach refuses to accept food, and i cannot manage to eat properly.

I will repeat myself. DP must be somehow related to the stomach. I am experiencing very similar. If feels like my stomach is pushing food backwards, can't be relaxed and so on. Epigastric discomfort. But sometimes it happened a bit different. The opposite. Discomfort on the empty stomach and a little bit of food calm itself down... But on gastroscopy it was seen that I have gastritis, so in my case that's the thing and not some kind of nerve dysfunction in this respect, probably.

You can try a cup of antispasmodic herb tea before eating, if you can't skip eating. Strong enough, like fennel or caraway. You can also buy fennel oil capsule. Maybe you can see this way if you stomach motility is not good.

I hope I was helpful.

Edited July 21Jul 21 by The Dust

1 hour ago, Healing_s said:

Thank you both for your support. I know this a “walk alone road”. But I cannot feel the magic of it yet. I have been trying to keep shit together, and hold on for another day. But it looks harder as the time goes by. It should get better. And when I have a glimpse, DR comes in to take me down and make me wonder what’s real. Life is just around the corner, and I’m trying to not let this take control of my life, and I don’t want to be stuck in this forever. I want a family that’s why I stopped it in the first place, I want to enjoy life with lightness… and these goals seem so far away..

Unfortunately this is a very non-linear process. Many people get worse before they get better. But that does not mean you'll be stuck like this forever. We don't know when, but you will improve and recover.

We all understand feeling stuck and like previous life goals are far away or unachievable. I also worry a lot about being able to have a family, especially since I'm still on drugs and have a long taper ahead of me. Right now it's important to just take each day as it comes and try not to make predictions about tomorrow, or next month, or six months from now. Live in the moment as much as possible, and just trust you will be better in time. You're still young, you have plenty of life ahead of you and time to achieve your goals once you've recovered 💜.

Hello everyone,

In need for advice!

As I’ve been in a bad bad two weeks of poor sleeping, having the last two nights slept 2 and 4 hours, with these huge pikes of low blood sugar and adrenaline that woke me up every hour. I’ve been advise to try melatonin to induce sleep, and consider the RI of tryptophan supplement.

Any thoughts on this, cause I really need to rest.

Edited July 22Jul 22 by Healing_s

PLEASE HELP!

guys I don’t know what to do anymore! I cannot sleep, I feel this adrenaline that comes every time I try to rest or sleep, like if I cannot calm down enough to relax. I’m desperate! Or because I get hungry and with this feeling of tight stomach or because a wave of adrenaline starts to rush all over my body. Please help. I don’t know how I’m gonna make it out here. I haven’t slept more than one hour this night. I don’t know if I should RI velafaxine or not. I’m afraid of the side effects.

Please help

7 hours ago, Healing_s said:

PLEASE HELP!

guys I don’t know what to do anymore! I cannot sleep, I feel this adrenaline that comes every time I try to rest or sleep, like if I cannot calm down enough to relax. I’m desperate! Or because I get hungry and with this feeling of tight stomach or because a wave of adrenaline starts to rush all over my body. Please help. I don’t know how I’m gonna make it out here. I haven’t slept more than one hour this night. I don’t know if I should RI velafaxine or not. I’m afraid of the side effects.

Please help

Hi @Healing_s. I’m sorry you’re struggling so much, I know insomnia is one of the hardest symptoms to deal with 💜. Unfortunately it’s also a very, very common WD symptom and there’s not much to be done about it except practicing acceptance and trusting that your body will learn to sleep again in time. There are several folks on here who struggle a lot with sleep, you could always try reaching out to some of them to ask if they have any coping skills they find helpful. You could also take a look at the sleep thread in the Symptoms & Coping Strategies section of this forum.

Reinstatement is far from a magic bullet, but I believe you’re still in the window where RI a very small dose could potentially help you a bit. As always, that’s a very personal decision.

I hope you can get some more rest tonight.

hi @SarahMc it has been really difficult these nights. I was sleeping bad through the last months, but this last 4 days have been a real struggle. Always with this adrenaline coming in out of nowhere, and I think I’m starting to see another symptom, the tremors, which I guess they come with the bad sleeping nights. I don’t know.

I called the help line this night, cause i was desperate, went to the doctor this morning and they gave diazepam. To take tonight, so I can have some decent sleep. But I’m not sure I should take it, I think will do more harm than good.

btw I hope you are feeling better too ☺️

25 minutes ago, Healing_s said:

Always with this adrenaline coming in out of nowhere, and I think I’m starting to see another symptom, the tremors, which I guess they come with the bad sleeping nights. I don’t know.

I know @skamen and @Pokey449 both struggle with consistent cortisol/adrenaline surges overnight, maybe you could connect with them.

27 minutes ago, Healing_s said:

I called the help line this night, cause i was desperate, went to the doctor this morning and they gave diazepam. To take tonight, so I can have some decent sleep. But I’m not sure I should take it, I think will do more harm than good.

There are a couple folks on here who used benzos once in a while to control symptoms, but the forum doesn’t recommend it. It can make things worse, and if used regularly can cause dependence.

29 minutes ago, Healing_s said:

btw I hope you are feeling better too ☺️

Thanks, I’m hanging in there 😊

4 minutes ago, SarahMc said:

There are a couple folks on here who used benzos once in a while to control symptoms, but the forum doesn’t recommend it. It can make things worse, and if used regularly can cause dependence.

That’s why I am so afraid. For me sleeping is really really important. And in the beginning of this month I had a 8h sleep and 7h continuous. That’s why it’s been a struggle for me to suddenly not sleeping well. Even if I try to cope and stay calm and just close my eyes and can just lay in the dark. It’s exhaustive.

And takes all the principles down the hole, because if I take it I’m just changing one for another. Even if just for one night.

33 minutes ago, Healing_s said:

That’s why I am so afraid. For me sleeping is really really important. And in the beginning of this month I had a 8h sleep and 7h continuous. That’s why it’s been a struggle for me to suddenly not sleeping well. Even if I try to cope and stay calm and just close my eyes and can just lay in the dark. It’s exhaustive.

This process is so non-linear and unpredictable. You’ll likely go through periods of sleeping better and periods of sleeping worse as you heal. I’m someone who needed 8-9 hours sleep a night before all this and got really anxious about not getting enough sleep. Although I don’t struggle with sleep as much as you, my sleep is still often disrupted and I have to accept that I will only get as much sleep as my body allows each night. Sometimes that’s 4 hours, sometimes it’s 8+.

I know it’s so, so hard, but whatever happens you’ll get through it 💜

Hi @Healing_s Others with more experience with sleep issues can chime in, but I suffered from bad sleep in WD as well, and I still have minor insomnia. I have a script for a benzo because I dislike public speaking (which I have to do occasionally) and don't like flying, but those are situational and not for something regular like sleep. Some things I've found helpful when my insomnia really kicks in:

1. I listen to a YouTube channel called "ASMR Historian". The speaker uses a very calming voice and the videos last about nine hours. Listening to the videos keeps my racing thoughts from kicking in.

2. I also listen to sleep music on YouTube, especially biaural beats channels. I find them physically calming.

3. You can also try whole body relaxation. Starting with your toes, make note of any tension and consciously try to realx them, then move up your body to the top of head till you feel more relaxed.

There are lots of relaxing methods you can use--try to find those that work for you.

Hi @mstimc60 i will definitely try cause right now it’s been very very difficult.

Thank you

@Healing_s What if you try one day not to eat after noon? Just water lately? If it's that hard, you have nothing to lose.

Hello everyone,

This is what I think it’s happening: my nervous system is in red alert when it comes to sleep. As soon as I try to fall asleep e starts to burn all energy I have, this creates the pike of blood sugar, so the body sends adrenaline to keep me awake and “don’t die”.

I feel so exhausted and starting to feel weak.

Any thoughts on this? I don’t like the way this is going.

1 hour ago, Healing_s said:

Hello everyone,

This is what I think it’s happening: my nervous system is in red alert when it comes to sleep. As soon as I try to fall asleep e starts to burn all energy I have, this creates the pike of blood sugar, so the body sends adrenaline to keep me awake and “don’t die”.

I feel so exhausted and starting to feel weak.

Any thoughts on this? I don’t like the way this is going.

I think often when the nervous system is activated and not distracted (ie you lie to sleep) symptoms can amp up. It is very common to be jolted awake, and I agree this is cns misreading you falling asleep as a threat, like you must stay awake to protect yourself. Most important thing with sleep is not get in your head about it. When you see this happen, ignore it, it is easy to panic and this only adds to the problems and you find yourself unable to sleep. My advice try to surrender to the night. Get your room cool, ear plugs in, eye mask on, and accept whatever happens. You will sleep enough even if it doesn't feel like it.

@Chippy im getting really scared because i have to eat every time i wake up, because i get so weak. I get tremors, i get a wave of adrenaline.. everything starts to escalate very fast. Like if the food energy is completely out. Every time I’m at the point of falling asleep, even when I’m so exhausted I don’t care anymore it’s like I’m throne to the floor. I don’t know what to do anymore.

And also I’m losing weight very very fast. So this is kind of scaring my. I make a plane of how I’m going to let go and that’s ok, I try to make a good sleeping routine, eating before going to bed, so that I don’t have and blood sugar pikes. And seems I’m not managing it.

2 minutes ago, Healing_s said:

@Chippy im getting really scared because i have to eat every time i wake up, because i get so weak. I get tremors, i get a wave of adrenaline.. everything starts to escalate very fast. Like if the food energy is completely out. Every time I’m at the point of falling asleep, even when I’m so exhausted I don’t care anymore it’s like I’m throne to the floor. I don’t know what to do anymore.

I’m so sorry. I understand. This is such a cruel process healing from all of this.

Remind me you were considering a small RI at one point right?

@Chippy yes i had considered that option, but I don’t know. I feel like what I really need is to be free and just go with it. I was seeing some progress, but I think the suplement i took on Saturday for stress and the neuroptimal therapy I made me enter this loop. And made things really worse. And know I don’t know who to get out of it.