I was on 40-60mg cymbalta for depression and anxiety, drinking nightly, since 2010. I was prescribed klonopin .5mg for about 2 years from 2018-2020 stopped cold turkey. Also briefly quit drinking in 2020 for a few months cold turkey but started again. I quit drinking sept 2023 for elevated liver enzymes (gal bladder) but my doctor reduced my cymbalta from 40mg to 20mg. I was put on 1mg klonopin again and clomipramine for anxiety and racing thoughts that followed quitting drinking and the reduction of cymbalta. Last June, I was taking 75mg of clomipramine once a day and 0.25 mg of Klonopin twice a day. A couple months before, my provider cut my Klonopin from .5 mg twice a day to .25 x 2. It caused major mood dips of depression. In July 2025  I began tapering off Klonopin via Valium. During the taper, I changed from 75clomipramine to 40-60Cymbalta for 4months and then to 10-15Lexapro for 3 months. It was at the cut from 2mg Valium to 1mg i quit my job of 10 years in November due to being overwhelmed by every little thing and increasing depression. This was also during the change from cymbalta to lexapro. I saw Dr. Niolet for another month until he left the practice then began seeing NP Rob Crowell. I was down to 1 mg of Valium over 5 months and 7months since 1mg klonopin. I continued 15 mg of Lexapro and he reinstated my Klonopin .25 twice a day on January 5. My physical anxiety appeared to get better but the mental looping and health anxiety came back stronger. The looping became distressful consuming my day and evening. It’s possible I was having a paradoxical reaction to the klonopin reinstatement. Late January I started switching from lexapro to clomipramine I  didn’t finish the cross taper. I then switched to Zoloft. The cross taper from Lexapro to Zoloft over a week produced flatness and apathy then I increased to 50 mg Zoloft. During the first week I had extreme mood swings and low points feeling worthless. I continued spending hours a day googling or using ChatGPT to try and figure out what was happening to me. I became worried that I had overlooked the Klonopin having an opposite reaction on me since reinstating such a large dose compared to the 1 mg of Valium. I was on Zoloft for 3 weeks with intense mental anxiety and I think that is when the tinnitus started. On February 26, I admitted myself to the psych unit at grandview because of the reaction I was having to Zoloft, klonopin, or being changed from lexapro too quickly, just 2 weeks total cross taper. Dr. Andry stopped the klonopin cold, I had been back on it for 2 months without finishing the taper, and put me back on 50 clomipramine. I spent a week in the hospital. During the hospital stay, the intense head pressure started and tinnitus got worse. I continued the clomipramine for almost 3 weeks but the intense headaches, tinnitus and researching with chat gpt continued and I started blaming the clomipramine. I then went on 20mg cymbalta for a week then 5mgTrintellix in march. At this time I began to suspect that I was actually in a state of nervous system sensitization or kindling from all the starts and stops of antidepressants and benzos. I remained on 5mg Trintellix for 5 weeks and during this time my mental obsessions slightly  improved, as did my physical symptoms. I don’t know if it was that i finally had some stability, the Trintellix, or time off of benzos. Then I was switched me to Rexulti over a week on April 24 I stayed on .5mg for 3 weeks. I developed lightheadedness, nausea and lower blood pressure. I don’t know if it was from the Rexulti, stopping Trintellix, or both. I have become extremely fearful of starting any medications I havnt been on a med longer than 3.5-4 months since august. I’m extremely worried that my brain is in a state of kindling, central sensitization, autonomic dysregulation and protracted withdrawal from all the med changes and being off of longterm antidepressants and benzos. On may 13 I started a 7 day Rexulti taper because I wanted to try life without meds. During that week my anxiety increased significantly and my sleep got worse. I took a 2mg Valium rescue on may 15th. On may 22-24 I became so distressed that I broke and took 9mg of Valium and 2 days of alcohol total over those three days and my symptoms almost disappeared. Two days later, and about 5 days after the rexulti taper, my system crashed even harder than it did when I stopped klonopin cold and switched from lexapro at the end of February. I was thrown into acute withdrawal like I’ve never experienced. Intense nausea for over 2 weeks, head pressure, tinnitus, visual snow, surges of adrenaline nothing like normal anxiety, skin burning, sleep crashed to only 3hrs broken each night for 2 weeks even with trazodone and melatonin, waking up in a drenching sweat and panic, obsessively researching to try to figure out what was wrong with me. I concluded it had to be either the Valium triggering withdrawal, stopping Rexulti, or Trintellix but the last two make less sense to me given the time on them, but my nervous system is so sensitive I’m at a loss. I am sleeping 6hrs, not waking drenched in sweat every night. The head pressure  hasn’t improved, the tinnitus is still roaring, I still wake up each morning with a pounding heart. I am constantly thirsty. My pulse bounces between strong and weak with palpitations. HR rising to 116 at rest. My blood pressure fluctuates significantly throughout the day. I have waves of burning skin. I feel like my head is in a fishbowl and like my eyes are lagging when I move my head. I am still getting surges of akathisia/agitation that cause me to pace it is distressing and debilitating and lasts for hours. My anxiety/akathisia comes in daily waves but on bad days, I wake up with it and am on my feet all day. Eventually I crash and get a day where i can sit some. I feel trapped in my own body and head. I can’t  get joy from anything, look forward to anything, I’m angry and fearful. I can’t focus on anything other than my symptoms. The head pressure and tinnitus are maddening the burning skin is scary, I can’t relax no matter what i try. I can’t focus on anything unless it’s editing this synopsis or researching my symptoms. I get nauseous randomly, and from any amount of physical exertion.  I can’t engage with tv, video games, my family. I can’t handle any amount of stress. Everything overwhelms me especially sounds and decisions. I have become extremely distressed and fighting intrusive thoughts. This is not just normal anxiety. I am terrified of starting a medication with how sensitive I have become to changes. I fear any new medication is going to shock my system again. I also fear this is discontinuation syndrome after 15years of antidepressants. I am so lightheaded all the time. I am suffering a neurological  injury and cannot get anyone to take me seriously. I really think this may be about benzos even though I NEVER abused my prescription. My nervous system feels like it’s collapsing. I was a successful electrician for years. It has been 10 weeks off Trintellix and about 7 weeks since Rexulti and the Valium slip 5/24/26. All of this has been provider guided and I think I have been messed up for the longterm. Skin is electric, headache and pressure are crippling, tinnitus is screaming, I can’t stop pacing, I am at my wits end. Blood pressure and heart rate have been all over the place from 120/80 HR 85 to 90/63 HR 115 within relatively short times. I have paced 10,000 days steps in the house 06/20/26. My hands, feet, and armpits are sweating constantly. Some days the pacing is better this seems to be acting in waves but my baseline is not good. My face, arms, and hands are burning. I’m having visual snow when the head pressure and tinnitus escalate. I spend all day on my feet trying to figure out what is wrong with me. Last night I slept for 3 hours and woke in a panic at 230am.

It’s now 3 months since the most recent destabilizing injury. I lay in bed all day, very weak, can’t focus, intense head pressure, tinnitus, I feel sick, I’m in such despair.

Current Meds and Supplements

50mg clomipramine

25mg lamictal

100mg trazodone for sleep

25mg hydroxyzine prn for anxiety mostly once a day sometimes 2x written up to 4x

20mg propranolol three times a day

10mg melatonin

Edited August 20Aug 20 by SarahMc

Welcome to the forum!

 

This is a volunteer-run, community forum aimed at helping those who are tapering and/or experiencing difficulties with psychiatric medications and withdrawal syndrome. We are not medical professionals and cannot offer medical advice. We simply offer support and opinions which you could use as talking points with a medical provider knowledgeable in withdrawing off psychiatric medications.

 

Please familiarise yourself with the forum rules and the disclaimer located here: Guidelines

 

Please make sure your signature is kept up to date with your drug history. This will allow members to see some basic information about your drug history and situation so that they may help you best. Information on how to do this is located in the FAQs section above, but here is a direct link: Update Signature

Once this is done, future posts made by you will have this signature turned on by default. For this reason please keep it clear but condensed as possible.

Please use the format outline here Preferred signature/drug history format

If you are able to, it would be very helpful if you could edit your signature to reflect only your drug history. The format would be as follows (just for example):

2010-2023 Cymbalta 40-60 mg

2018-2020 Klonopin 0.5 mg

2020 Klonopin CT

2023 Cymbalta 20 mg

Etc.

This will allow us to follow your history better as it seems quite complex, especially in the last few years.

I'm so sorry to read about the tough time you've had recently you will find plenty of support here for sure.

3 hours ago, Zjm1289 said:

I have become extremely fearful of starting any medications I havnt been on a med longer than 3.5-4 months since august. I’m extremely worried that my brain is in a state of kindling, central sensitization, autonomic dysregulation and protracted withdrawal from all the med changes and being off of longterm antidepressants and benzos.

It's difficult to follow your med history for the last few years, but this is exactly what has happened to you. Your brain is injured and hypersensitized from all the extremely abrupt drug changes over the past while. There have been so many changes that at this point I think it is very difficult to unpick it all and figure out which drug caused what issue. It is very likely just the cumulative effect of all the changes that has caused you such a severe injury. I'm very, very sorry this has happened to you.

It is most important now to not make any further changes to any drugs or doses. I know you are suffering intensely and you really want to find the thing that will make you feel better quickly. Unfortunately the only thing that can help is time and stability. Your nervous system desperately wants and needs stability. You are not permanently broken, but recovery can take time and it can be very difficult. But you CAN stabilize in time if you stick to your current meds and don't make any changes.

3 hours ago, Zjm1289 said:

On may 22-24 I became so distressed that I broke and took 9mg of Valium and 2 days of alcohol total over those three days and my symptoms almost disappeared. Two days later, and about 5 days after the rexulti taper, my system crashed even harder than it did when I stopped klonopin cold and switched from lexapro at the end of February. I was thrown into acute withdrawal like I’ve never experienced. Intense nausea for over 2 weeks, head pressure, tinnitus, visual snow, surges of adrenaline nothing like normal anxiety, skin burning, sleep crashed to only 3hrs broken each night for 2 weeks even with trazodone and melatonin, waking up in a drenching sweat and panic, obsessively researching to try to figure out what was wrong with me. I concluded it had to be either the Valium triggering withdrawal, stopping Rexulti, or Trintellix but the last two make less sense to me given the time on them, but my nervous system is so sensitive I’m at a loss.

I know you are desperate, but please avoid taking any further benzos, especially in large amounts, as this is likely to make you worse. Alcohol as well has been observed to make people with drug injuries or in withdrawal much worse. It's best to avoid it entirely, and certainly to avoid binge drinking.

As I said above, at this point I don't think it's possible to pinpoint any one cause of your injury, it is very likely the cumulative effect of all of the different changes you've gone through.

3 hours ago, Zjm1289 said:

I am terrified of starting a medication with how sensitive I have become to changes. I fear any new medication is going to shock my system again.

Definitely DO NOT start any new medications. Unfortunately there is no medication that can help with this type of nervous system injury, and there is a very strong risk that any new drug will just add to your suffering. The solution, again, is time and stability. Stick to your current meds only, and give your nervous system the time it needs to settle down. Unfortunately this can take a long time, but it is the way out. Again, you CAN recover.

3 hours ago, Zjm1289 said:

I am so lightheaded all the time. I am suffering a neurological  injury and cannot get anyone to take me seriously. I really think this may be about benzos even though I NEVER abused my prescription. My nervous system feels like it’s collapsing. I was a successful electrician for years. It has been 10 weeks off Trintellix and about 7 weeks since Rexulti and the Valium slip 5/24/26. All of this has been provider guided and I think I have been messed up for the longterm. Skin is electric, headache and pressure are crippling, tinnitus is screaming, I can’t stop pacing, I am at my wits end. Blood pressure and heart rate have been all over the place from 120/80 HR 85 to 90/63 HR 115 within relatively short times. I have paced 10,000 days steps in the house 06/20/26. My hands, feet, and armpits are sweating constantly. Some days the pacing is better this seems to be acting in waves but my baseline is not good. My face, arms, and hands are burning. I’m having visual snow when the head pressure and tinnitus escalate. I spend all day on my feet trying to figure out what is wrong with me. Last night I slept for 3 hours and woke in a panic at 230am.

I'm so, so sorry for your suffering. I know it can feel absolutely unbearable. Unfortunately doctors can't identify nervous system injuries, they only see relapse and they continue to prescribe drugs that make these injuries worse. At this point the only way out is through the symptoms. It may sound absurd to you in your condition, but when you're feeling up to it I would encourage you to check out our coping skills, including acceptance: Acceptance is key - Why does acceptance feel impossible?

It will not always be like this. You can get through it, and you can recover.

3 hours ago, Zjm1289 said:

Current Meds and Supplements

50mg clomipramine

25mg lamictal

100mg trazodone for sleep

25mg hydroxyzine prn for anxiety mostly once a day sometimes 2x written up to 4x

20mg propranolol three times a day

10mg melatonin

Continue taking these meds, and these meds only. Do not change doses, and always take each med at the same time each day. I see you are taking the hydroxyzine prn -- this can be challenging for a hypersensitized nervous system, so I would encourage you to take the same amount each day, and at the same time.

You have found the right place, there are many very knowledgeable folks here who can support you.

 

In the mean time this is what I would do if I were you:

 

-Stay Hydrated 

 

-Eat a good clean whole food diet, avoiding processed foods and sugars.

 

-Stay away from caffeine, alcohol and antihistamines and any other psychoactive substances.

 

Supplements are to be avoided initially, as they often irritate our nervous systems. Try to get your nutrition through food.

 

Down the line, you may wish to introduce Fish Oil and Magnesium. Those who can tolerate them have found them calming to the nervous system. Be careful try one at a time and start low and see how you get on should you choose to try them.

 

A daily walk is very important as much as you can manage, if you can manage it. Gets you your fresh air and Vitamin D does wonders for your mind!

 

You are very welcome here and I hope you find the site supportive.

31 minutes ago, SarahMc said:

The clomipramine and lamictal were started in the hospital a month ago. They forced me to take them. Should I keep taking them or try to get off of them? What is the prognosis for someone as messed up as me?

28 minutes ago, Zjm1289 said:

The clomipramine and lamictal were started in the hospital a month ago. They forced me to take them. Should I keep taking them or try to get off of them?

That's a good question. I'll defer to those with a bit more expertise than me on that question (tagging @Chippy so he'll see this). Do you notice any adverse effects when you take them? Like reactions shortly after taking them?

32 minutes ago, Zjm1289 said:

What is the prognosis for someone as messed up as me?

The prognosis for folks with these kinds of nervous system injuries, from what we see in the community, is almost universally positive IF you stay away from other psych drugs and psychoactive substances. Unfortunately it can take a long time to recover, but you can absolutely get well with enough time. This is not forever.

9 minutes ago, SarahMc said:

That's a good question. I'll defer to those with a bit more expertise than me on that question (tagging @Chippy so he'll see this). Do you notice any adverse effects when you take them? Like reactions shortly after taking them?

I don’t notice anything right after taking them. I’ve been more nauseous lately and dizzy. In honesty I am also using a little thc but it may be doing more harm than good. It’s keeping me dull enough to zone out some. I can’t exist like this for years. This has to be the absolute worst case of this ever happening. It is unrelenting every day. I could feel my brain melting a couple months ago, and it still feels like it’s burning. I have been so mismanaged. And it’s so unfair.

4 minutes ago, Zjm1289 said:

I don’t notice anything right after taking them. I’ve been more nauseous lately and dizzy. In honesty I am also using a little thc but it may be doing more harm than good. It’s keeping me dull enough to zone out some. I can’t exist like this for years. This has to be the absolute worst case of this ever happening. It is unrelenting every day. I could feel my brain melting a couple months ago, and it still feels like it’s burning. I have been so mismanaged. And it’s so unfair.

I would stay away from the thc for sure. I was also a pretty regular weed smoker before all this but I’ve quit for now. Not worth the risk.

5 minutes ago, Zjm1289 said:

I can’t exist like this for years. This has to be the absolute worst case of this ever happening. It is unrelenting every day. I could feel my brain melting a couple months ago, and it still feels like it’s burning. I have been so mismanaged. And it’s so unfair.

Many people think they are the worst case ever and they’ll never recover. You are not the worst case, and you will get better. It is absolutely horrible and unfair what happened to you, but all you can do now is move forward.

Even though it could take a long time for you to recover, you’ll see progress during that time. It’s very unlikely that you’ll be this bad for years. Right now, though, I think it’s really important to take things day by day, or even minute by minute if necessary, and try hard not to catastrophize about the future.

18 minutes ago, SarahMc said:

I would stay away from the thc for sure. I was also a pretty regular weed smoker before all this but I’ve quit for now. Not worth the risk

What do you think is the risk?

22 minutes ago, Zjm1289 said:

What do you think is the risk?

Just the risk of setting yourself back or delaying your recovery. I haven’t seen anything about weed specifically, but it’s generally observed in the community that when you’re dealing with a nervous system injury all sorts of psychoactive substances can cause setbacks or symptom flare ups.

Hey @Zjm1289 Welcome to the forum, I am so so very sorry for how tough things are for you at the moment.

I have deleted the bulk of your signature to save us from having to scroll past it each time and left your current drugs in place. Please update this when you can, the most important thing is to keep any dose changes logged nice and clearly for us.

I agree with everything Sarah has said. I would hold all doses until you feel more stable. I appreciate what you are saying about being on clomipramine & lamictal only one month, however this is long enough to gain dependence on these drugs and in your situation I would worry further changes maybe problematic for you. Once you feel a bit more stable one of those drugs would be worth considering tapering first imo as you have been on them the least amount of time.

I know things are really tough for you right now, but please try to focus on creating the best platform for healing and that involves rereading the information at the bottom of Sarahs intro post. Clean simple living, apart from your exisiting drugs, add no more things to the mix. I know that may seem hard but in the long term it is for the best.

I know you think you are a worst case scenario but honestly, so many people think this and go onto recover and you can and will too.

Main thing now, is stop making changes and adding in extra substances (inc Alcohol and THC) and give your system the best platform it can for healing. From there you can start to think about what to taper off first, but don't worry about that for the minute just deal one day at a time.

Glad you found us, we are all here for you.

21 hours ago, SarahMc said:

Many people think they are the worst case ever and they’ll never recover. You are not the worst case, and you will get better. It is absolutely horrible and unfair what happened to you, but all you can do now is move forward.

How can you be sure? I’m sorry I have scoured and searched for someone with a story that I think is as bad as mine and I just keep coming to the conclusion that this is the worst thing that’s ever happened to someone. I know that’s arrogant but it’s what I truly feel. I havnt found a story that I think is as messed up as mine.

23 minutes ago, Zjm1289 said:

How can you be sure? I’m sorry I have scoured and searched for someone with a story that I think is as bad as mine and I just keep coming to the conclusion that this is the worst thing that’s ever happened to someone. I know that’s arrogant but it’s what I truly feel. I havnt found a story that I think is as messed up as mine.

You will never find anyone with a story identical to yours, but there are many, many people who have suffered from incredibly severe, debilitating withdrawal/drug injury symptoms and have come out the other side. Angie Peacock, Chris Paige, Nicole Lamberson, Matt Samet, to name a few who have been public about their stories. They all have videos on youtube about their recoveries.

12 hours ago, SarahMc said:

You will never find anyone with a story identical to yours, but there are many, many people who have suffered from incredibly severe, debilitating withdrawal/drug injury symptoms and have come out the other side. Angie Peacock, Chris Paige, Nicole Lamberson, Matt Samet, to name a few who have been public about their stories. They all have videos on youtube about their recoveries.

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