Out of it-- Like I'm not real.. blurred vision, headaches, no emotions. HELP ME PLEASE!!!

[anonymous706]

Someone please help me!! I have anxiety and was put on cymbalta xr 60 milligrams when I was 18... I took them until I was 22 (almost 23). About a month after being off of them, I got this "out of it" feeling, and it has continued to get worse. It has officially been going on for a year now and it is killing me. I can still function, but I don't know how. It's like I'm pretending all the time. My eyes are SO blurry its like i can't focus. The feel almost shaky. My head has this heavy feeling. It's like I can't FEEL anything. My hands and legs sometimes feel like I can't feel them, they're extra heavy, and tingly. Ultimately out of all the problems, the out of it is the worst... constant brain fog. It's like i'm a walking zombie, nothing ever feels real or enjoyable.

I have been put back onto antidepressants, tried every kind out there and NOTHING is helping. B vitamins, fish oil? Tried all of it. I've had MRIs, Cat Scans, thyroid test, and NUMEROUS other tests and they all come back normal. Somebody please help me find a cure! I'm supposed to be enjoying my life more than ever- I just got engaged 2 1/2 months ago, we found an awesome house to rent, I got my dream job a month ago, etc. Yet I'm so incredibly tired, confused, out of it, blurry eyed, and just blah that its like I couldn't care less. I can't think straight enough to care. :( this is not like me, I am not this person. I want my life to be normal again.

SOMEBODY PLEASE HELP ME, I AM DESPERATE!!!

[Caryopteris]

Supplements that helped me were vitamin D (through sunshine first), and then I started increasing my supplements.  I also take calcium at night, magnesium in the morning, Estrasoy, and short spells with iron or zinc.  Also fell in love, so dopamine helped me out for 2 years.  Turned out I had gallbladder disease and Celiac disease, but it all started with antidepressant withdrawal.  

[Red_Star]

The withdrawal symptoms have a double up lol. I'm having sleep withdrawal symptoms :)

[Red_Star]

Prolonged SSRI discontinuation syndrome. In other words, prolonged withdrawal symptoms from antidepressants.

From the surviving antidepressants website there is a lot of helpful info and comments from others going through the same thing. Some excerpts....

Why are withdrawal symptoms so varied?

Because psychiatric drugs affect your nervous system -- the "operating system" of your body -- withdrawal symptoms can show up almost anywhere. They can be problems in

- Perception (vision, smell, hearing, etc.)
- Cognition (confusion, inability to concentrate, disorientation, depersonalization, etc.)
- Unusual and powerful emotions (melancholia, weeping, fear, anxiety, "neuro-emotion", etc.)
- Physical pain (headache, migraine, tingling, muscle aches, skin burning, etc.)
- Digestive issues (diarrhea, gastroparesis, etc.)
- Sleep issues (most commonly insomnia and poor sleep)
- "Brain zaps" (a sensation of tiny, sharp electrical surges in the brain)
- Hypersensitivity to medications, supplements, or foods
- Perception (vision, smell, hearing, etc.)
- Cognition (confusion, inability to concentrate, disorientation, depersonalization, etc.)
- Unusual and powerful emotions (melancholia, weeping, fear, anxiety, "neuro-emotion", etc.)
- Physical pain (headache, migraine, tingling, muscle aches, skin burning, etc.)
- Digestive issues (diarrhea, gastroparesis, etc.)
- Sleep issues (insomnia and poor sleep)
- Brain zaps
- Hypersensitivity to medications, supplements, or foods


POST-ACUTE WITHDRAWAL
- Symptoms may last for weeks, months, or years after you stop. Probably for the majority of people, withdrawal symptoms resolve in a few weeks or months. Others can suffer for years from prolonged withdrawal syndrome.

In prolonged withdrawal syndrome, symptoms come in waves with windows of feeling more normal. Gradually, windows increase in frequency and length. Recovery varies from individual to individual and can take months or years.

Generally, prolonged withdrawal syndrome is not recognized by medicine. You will find very few doctors to diagnose it and still fewer to treat it.


In withdrawal syndrome, your nervous system is struggling to get back to normal operation. Don't try to speed this along with anything that may be stimulating, or you may further unbalance it.

SAM-E and other supplements that act on serotonin, including St. John's Wort, are not recommended for people with withdrawal syndrome. They tend to be stimulating in a way that most of us really do not need.

Many herbs also have unusual side effects in people with withdrawal syndrome.

Whatever you try, understand you may be hypersensitive to that particular substance or treatment. If you are trying an herb or supplement, take a tiny fraction of a normal dose and see how you react. Don't think you're going to smack a symptom down with a big dose of anything. More is not better when your system is sensitized by withdrawal.

Try herbs or supplements one by one. Don't take a bunch of supplements at once. If you have a bad reaction, you won't know which substance caused it. For this reason, we don't recommend "mixed" supplements, such as B vitamin supplements or sleep supplements with multiple ingredients.

We also don't recommend programs that promise you a fast recovery. Generally, they are overpriced and contain common supplements you can find yourself at lower prices. You will want to try those supplements one by one anyway.In withdrawal syndrome, your nervous system is struggling to get back to normal operation.  If you are trying an herb or supplement, take a tiny fraction of a normal dose and see how you react. Try herbs or supplements one by one. Don't take a bunch of supplements at once. If you have a bad reaction, you won't know which substance caused it. For this reason, we don't recommend "mixed" supplements, such as B vitamin supplements or sleep supplements with multiple ingredients.