So I'm off my crazy pills.
I told my doctor that I had a new job and he pronounced me cured. Once the pills I had ran out, I wasn't getting any more.
I've been off them for 2 weeks, and I still have the withdrawal headache.
It's not so much a headache as a throbby, trippy, pulsating thing. And not so much in a good way. Well, the trippy bit might be a little fun, but on the whole it's still kind of annoying.
I keep putting myself to bed at ungodly hours like 9:00 PM. And I still wake up all dazed at 6:30. Of course that's always been the case, probably nothing to do with the withdrawal.
However this has given me a wee bit of perspective on things. I mean, the thought occurred to me a couple of times to tell my doctor that I wanted the pills back just to make the headache go away.
And on the whole- all trippiness aside, it hasn't been unbearable.
What do people with addictions to cigarettes or a non-prescribed drug do?
I had mentioned to my doctor that when I would accidentally forget to take a pill I would end up with these headaches. His suggestion? Take some of my sleeping pills. Hence the going to bed at 9:00 thing.
It doesn't so much help during the day. Although it is tempting to go through my work day in a drug-induced state of sleepiness. I'm off probation in a couple of weeks. Maybe if the headaches aren't gone by then I'll try it.
So I wanna know- have you ever gone through withdrawal? Smoking? Caffeine? Sex?
Was it all trippy, or did it just kind of suck?
xo
Monday, September 15, 2008
And Then I Got High...
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15 comments:
I'm not sure what drug is giving you this, but I have gotten something similar when coming off Lexapro. Dear GOD, did that suck. I called it "the zaps" because it was like my head was opened up in Photoshop and grain and stars were dumped in. I can't articulate it well, but it sucked. It was my fault, though, because I was bad at getting my scrip filled. Thankfully I went back to Vitamin P - longer half lives rock for the irresponsible. ;)
I've never been addicted to cigarettes (although I smoke sometimes) or drugs or anything, so except for that five year block where I was on meth, I'm pretty clueless on that front.
(I'M KIDDING! Also, hilarious.)
I think that the longer you stay away from any of these substances the easier it gets. You sorta forget what it feels like to have coffee. The first few days are the worst.
Actually, no. The headaches from being a few hours late with my coffee are bad enough!
Yes, and it's a c**t. The feeling of "I want x, just the one won't hurt" never really goes away. It's all about will power. These adverts that say "Oh, take this and it'll be easier"...well that's just utter shite. Getting off things like cigarettes or weed is just about will power and nothing else. And everyone says you'll feel better for it...like bollocks! After stopping smoking I felt worse, then the same. Only without the "high". And I missed it. So I started again. But at least I gave my body a break for 6 months. I'm pretty sure that I'll stop for good next time, but when that'll be I don't know.
As for any other "drugs", I wouldn't be able to tell you as I've never tried them. And I've not been addicted to prescription stuff either. As a rule I loathe popping any sort of pills, even headache ones.
I have chronic pain so I take narcotics daily - I once was on a much higher dose and went through withdrawal when I reduced my meds and it wasn't pretty but I am glad i did it. The ickiness will soon pass I promise!
Only caffeine, at the yoga ashram and I wa soveremotionl irritable tierd and huge headaches all day long for three days, I was a wreck and all for the want of coffee, I am back on it now as I don't think I felt much better being off it, I love the stuff,
hope you feel better soon.
First of all, well done for coming off the pills!
I was on happy pills for a while when I was in my teens. They didn't seem to do anything so the doctor wanted to give me something stronger, at which point my mom stepped in and told him to get lost. I came off the ones I was on and just carried on being a depressed, miserable teenager.
As for the headaches, I don't know. Did the doc say there might be side effects at first? If not it might be worth getting a general check for blood pressure etc?
Caffeine addiction was my thing. I used to drink several pots of coffee a day, in addition to various jolt cola drinks.
Then I got pregnant, and there were links to caffeine and ADD, so I went cold turkey.
I was cold, and shivery, and shakey and it was awful for about 2-3 weeks before it got better.
hang in there, I'm sure it'll get better.
I had a break down once and was put on happy pills for about a year. It was when I came off them I started getting a weird brain thing happening.
For a start everything seemed unreal and it was hard to engage with people and things. I couldn't even read or understand diagrams for a short while, I would look at them over and over but they made no sense.
But the physical thing was the most unsettling. My brain would seem to "shut down" or "pop" for a split second and then "boot up" again.This would happen all through the day hundreds of times.
I thought I would be like that for ever but it went away in a few weeks.
Laundry Fairy was on Anti-depressants for Post Natal Depression for a year. When she came off them last year she had the same thing happen. She started to tell me and then I described the above symptoms and she was like "Wow yes that's it exactly!"
I would not be surprised if being on them for a long time could alter a dude's brain chemistry permanently. These drugs are so powerful. But in a profound way the experience was good I think. I don't think "reality" is real at all. But I would choose this reality and can function better now because I understand that.
I used to be on Paxil but the doctor decided that I needed a lower dose of crazy pills...something more mild.
Oh my DOG, before I got the Wellbutrin I had to detox from the Paxil and that was just not pretty, sister.
Hang in there..it DOES go away!
*(&$(*#&%(#&)%@&)(& I just responded to everyone's comments, and then blogger crashed on me!
But I have 10 minutes left on my lunch- so I'll do it all over again.
Jur- Effexor. Perhaps the meth will distract me from the headaches?
Sid- I kind of feel that way about sex. It's been so long I've forgotten what it's like...
Pointful- Caffeine addiction is a requirement for Grad School. And of course that's why I never wrote the GRE.
AMC- If you come to Canada a non-smoker I promise to make out with you. Oh wait- was that actually an incentive?
P Ex- Chronic pain? Suddenly my problems seem insignificant..
Honey- I never got into coffee. My parents always said I was "too young" and then never made the announcement that I was old enough.
Chief- my pills never made me "happy" per se- just "not totally crazy every waking moment of the day". I will check in with the doc if this goes on too long.
Shana- so did you go back once you had the baby? Go you for doing the cold turkey thing!
James- once I'm off probation at work I'm totally going to miss the trippiness. It's kind of a good time.
Hilly- Eek- I'm glad I went off in stages. Your way sounds like it was worse than what I'm experiencing.
Ugh. I tried to live without coffee once. Notice the words "tried" and "once." The. End.
yeah sry Hun, Im not a quitter...
I have never tried to give up coffee, cause thats insane.
And well smoking, I gave it up for a day, and the minute I stared to feel poopey, I lit up.
I have no self control.
Nick
lack of coffee causes caffeine withdrawls so bad I want to curl up and cry like a baby. Luckily, there is a Starbucks just up the street.
Now, if I could just figure out how to mainline a Pumpkin Spice Latte and STILL taste it...
Vicodin. I had pretty bad headaches and I often got that "crawling out of my skin" feeling. Fun stuff.
And as for cigarettes - I can't count how many times I've tried to quit. Unsuccessfully.
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