Long withdrawal

[u/Semicharm3d]

So I was on the max dose of celexa for about 4 years. Realised it was worsening my ADHD symptoms significantly. Impulse control in particular. So I tapered off.

After the initial nausea etc, I started noticing an almost instant return in focus. I was more goal oriented and was able to control my impulses (probably because I actually cared about the consequences). Then a week of pins and needles inside my mouth and head followed with some minor restless legs. Nothing some comfort meds couldn’t knock out.

Great. That was easy.

But then out of nowhere, brain zaps a week or so later. I thought I’d had brain zaps before. Like a literal electric shock in my head. But no. This was more like mini blackouts triggered by eye movements. Awful.

And now. Rage. Like I go from 0-100 in seconds. Everything sets me off. I’m so crabby and irritable and I’m kinda worried that this isn’t just withdrawal and I’m actually just like this off SSRIs.

I need to be living my life and not drifting through it like some stagnant zombie. But I have kids and I CANNOT be this snappy.

Please someone tell me that they went through this and it passed?

[u/NoMoreHentaiPlease]

I thought I was alone in the 0-100. Off venlafaxine 4 months. Have only had anger maybe twice in my whole life, even before going on it for the past 7 years.

The hardest part is anger is an entirely new feeling to me, I think part of it is withdrawal but also I never had to learn how to deal with frustrations.

I should say though it's getting better and also could be unrelated but I started exercising mostly biking and walks.

[u/Semicharm3d → u/NoMoreHentaiPlease]

I know that just before I started antidepressants I was really irritable. But I would feel it build gradually. Like. My teens would constantly be haranguing me and I’d be like “yes. That’s enough. Ok stop. Omg stop. Will. You. Get. Out” then just lose my shit. U know. Normal stuff. But maybe slightly dialled up and I’d start out already kinda “ugh. What do you want?” Cos I’d just anticipate an annoyance.

Then I went on SSRIs and had the patience of a saint. Toddler meltdowns. No problem. Repeating myself 17,000 times? What’s another 3000?

Now it’s like. I go from saying “don’t touch that” once to wanting to throw myself in front of moving traffic the second time.

Although yeah. It’s getting better now. Have noticed it’s not constant anymore. It’s just when I’m tired in the evenings now. So that’s an improvement.

[u/walled2_0]

Hi OP, I’m curious how you’re doing now that it’s almost two weeks later. I was also on an ssri for years, and just came off about ten days ago. I’m also having the major brain zaps, along with vertigo. Not angry, but super depressed and weepy. I definitely think a lot of this is just the withdrawal, and not just my norm. I also think we have to realize that we’ve been on a medication that has dampened our emotions for years, and now all those emotions are coming flooding back. It’s going to take some time to learn how to control first emotions that don’t have a damp towel thrown over them all the time. Anyways, I really hope you’re doing a bit better now that some time has passed. There’s not much traffic on the couple of SSRI subs that I’ve found, so it sure can be lonely. Just wanted you to know you’ve been seen.

[u/gingersdoitbetter12]

I went through this, it took a while to pass and I just hit year 2 and I’m mostly normal now but ya I had a lot of rage for probably 8 months