Ask MetaFilter questions tagged with withdrawal

Smoking lush seeks hospital advice

Anonymous — Sun, 29 Nov 2009 07:50:06 -0800

I drink like a fish and smoke like a chimney. Help me survive a possible hospital stay. By the end of this week I may well be in the hospital due to an ongoing (nonsurgical) medical issue. My doctors do know about my habits. To the extent it doesn't interfere with my treatment, how are such addictions dealt with on an in-patient basis?

No no nicotine!

fantasticninety — Wed, 10 Jun 2009 18:31:44 -0800

What is the real timeline of nicotine withdrawal? I haven't smoked in two months and have noticed from time to time that I still get the following physical symptoms:

– tightness of chest
– slight extension of the stomach area (around the lining)
– mild metallic feeling in the jaw

Now it could be that because I smoked for so long I associated the normal feelings of stress with those of wanting a cigarette but I don't think that's true. This is definitely not a psychological craving as I have no desire to smoke. My reasoning is that these are the exact same physical feelings I had when I would crave a smoke, and they were definitely relieved while smoking. It's crazy, but I managed to limit myself to 2 cigarettes a day, but boy did I feel that nicotine craving throughout the day. It's that same feeling that I still get from time to time for about an hour or more at a shot.

I'm using the Allen Carr method, and it's weird, but I wonder if I have little fat deposits of nicotine that are dissolved from time to time which cause my nerve endings to go wild.

Everything I've read online describes 3 days or so as being the amount of time for nicotine to leave your body, but I'm highly skeptical. Perhaps the detoxification process is more complicated than I realised?

Mutual authorization required for withdrawal.

Nixie Pixel — Fri, 24 Apr 2009 12:54:54 -0800

Which national banks in the US can be set up to require mutual authorization for withdrawals from a joint account? I am starting a business with a person who is many miles away from me, and we would like to have the business proceeds sent to a single bank account. We would like to both authorize withdrawals from the account to provide security for the situation.

Are there banks that offer this option, a requirement for mutual authorization on withdrawals or transfers (and of course to be done from separate cities where we each live)?

Kicking the 'Balta- help!

I_Love_Bananas — Fri, 20 Feb 2009 06:55:18 -0800

One week off Cymbalta cold turkey. Will it get better, and how soon? Dose was 60 mg/day. This has been a pretty bad week. I tell myself that if this is the worst, and I survived it, then I will be OK.

I am using Rescue Remedy, taking vitamins and fish oil and occasionally dramamine when I get particularly nauseated (but that makes me sleepy).

Can anyone else weigh in with their experiences and possible solutions?

(please, no Qs about why I stopped taking it or the reason it was originally prescribed. Thanks!)

Savage Citalopram/Celexa withdrawl headaches.

Suchos — Tue, 17 Feb 2009 14:55:51 -0800

I have recently stopped taking Citalopram over 10 days, since then I've had a permanent headache which has lasted 4 weeks to date and seen me visit A&E twice. Currently I have been prescribed and am taking : Morphine, Voltarol, CO-codomol and Sodium Valproate which are only providing limited relief. I am also seeing a Neurologist and Psychiatrist who as of yet have failed to diagnose the problem. Has anyone had similar effect ? If so, what was the diagnosis and resolution ?

How to get through a difficult Celexa withdrawal?

aether516 — Fri, 19 Dec 2008 15:32:26 -0800

Does anyone have advice for getting through difficult long-term Celexa (SSRI) withdrawal? I'm having a very difficult time going off of Celexa, and I was hoping that you all might have some advice.

Background:

I starting taking Celexa in July for some major depression and anxiety-related issues. I've never been on an SSRI before, and I was very nervous about starting this pill, but the depression was rather severe and I decided it was worth a try. I had a really hard time starting the pill (nausea, exhaustion, stomach upset, etc.), but I eventually got myself up to the dose my doctor prescribed - 20/mg a day.

Things changed, life got better (for a variety of reasons), and I decided that I was ready to go off the pill. Over the past three weeks, I've been very gradually declining the dosage, 2-3 milligrams a week. I'm down to 5 mg now, and I'm hoping to be off for good soon.

The problem is, I'm having a terrible reaction to going off this pill each step of the way. My symptoms include: horrible headaches and body aches, intense vivid dreams and nightmares, exhaustion, stomach upset, an increased level of allergies and asthma (already bad to begin with) giving me hives on my skin every few days, trouble sleeping, fainting, feeling feverish, nasal congestion, a cough, and weakness.

Those of you who have done this before - does it get better? How long should I expect to feel this way? How long does it take after you go off an SSRI to feel normal again? What can I do to help myself feel better now? (I'm already taking Omega-3 pills - anything else?)

Am I dumb to think I can use speed safely?

Weng — Thu, 28 Aug 2008 18:30:12 -0800

Any positive (or at least relatively benign) experiences with short-term usage of non-prescribed dex-amphetamine as a study aid and appetite suppressant? I've done a lot of research and read a few horror stories about withdrawal from the drug, rapidly escalating tolerance, screwed-up metabolisms, severe depression and so on. So I'm fully aware of the potential adverse effects of abuse & also the questionable morality (or whatever) of using a drug not prescribed to me, etc etc.

What I'm curious about is whether anyone has "successfully" used it for a short period (say, a couple of months) to help them study, focus, complete a project, lose a small amount of weight, or some other 'non-medical' purpose? ... 'successful' in the sense that you have managed to avoid creating a major drug dependency, ruining your metabolism for life, giving yourself chronic depression...

Am I a fool to think I can avoid these scenarios? Is there any safe use of this drug by a relatively healthy 25yo female? Are there ways to maintain the efficacy of the drug's effects while staying healthy & sane?

Further info: I've been taking between 5 and 15 mg per day, 6 days per week, for around 2.5 weeks. So far it has been an excellent help in keeping me focused, alert all day, sticking to my diet, going running instead of falling asleep after work etc. My tolerance has remained fairly low. Thinking of continuing similar / slightly higher dose for next 2 months or so, until my prescription runs out. Have been trying to ensure I get enough sleep, have a day's break from the drugs - plus I was planning to taper down withdrawal rather than stopping suddenly.

Thanks to anyone who can offer their advice & experience... By the way, I have searched Google and Erowid already, but mainly seems to be horror stories... of course, this may well be because that's all there is! So your help in confirming or denying this, would be much appreciated!

Help Me Break the Cymbalta Cycle

misha — Mon, 25 Aug 2008 17:21:08 -0800

Hellacious Cymbalta withdrawal (I'm two weeks in). The side effects are beginning to overwhelm me. What can I do to make this withdrawal process easier? A little background: I was on 60mg Cymbalta for about a year and a half, prescribed by my therapist. When it was determined that my sluggish thyroid played a huge part in my depression and my Synthroid dosage was upped significantly recently, my therapist and I decided I could taper off the Cymbalta (I am still on Wellbutrin). He gave me a week's worth of 30 mg, so I went from the 60 to the week's worth of 30, to nothing. I have been completely off of all Cymbalta now for two weeks and have experienced: nausea, digestive problems, insomnia, mood swings at the drop of the hat (crying jags, increased irritability, even rage for the slightest offenses), confusion, brain zaps, lack of concentration to the point of not being able to remember simple words or conversations that just took place (just writing this question was laborious), hot flashes and sweating followed by chills and sneezing fits, and now headaches that go right down into my teeth and jaw and just. won't. stop.

So, Mefites, any advice to help minimize the effects of withdrawal? Keep in mind that I have asked my therapist and he is at a loss other than, "Well, we could put you back on the Cymbalta and taper you off slowly over a period of weeks," which I am just not willing to do; these last two weeks have been so difficult (I've never had this kind of withdrawal from any other drug, and have taken Prozac and Serzone in the past) that I don't want to have anything to do with Cymbalta ever again. I have also on a few occasions resorted to an over-the-counter sleep aid for the insomnia but don't want to become dependent on it.

I know YANMD, etc. Please do not direct me to the Elli Lily website, insist that the side effects are minor or that it is all in my head, etc. All constructive advice is appreciated!

How can I increase my dopamine levels without opiates?

itzfritz — Tue, 29 Jul 2008 18:23:34 -0800

Are there any natural substances that will stimulate the production of dopamine? Specifically, for someone who is in the late stages of a decreasing suboxone regimen, and is experiencing regular early-stage withdrawal symptoms? I am 8 months into a 1-year suboxone regimen for opiate addiction, and as my dosage decreases (currently @ 4mg, from 24) I find myself in the beginning stages of withdrawal on a daily basis (as the level of buprenorphine subsides at the end of the day).
Specifically, my entire body aches from about dinner time until I take my prescribed dosage the next morning; it is an all-over ache, and it is genuinely starting to impact my life negatively. Even with aspirin or advil and muscle cream, it causes me considerable pain to for instance get up from a chair, up from my bed in the morning, or into and out of a car.
I have been told by my doctor that this is definitely a symptom of withdrawal, as opposed to arthritis or some other ailment.

Does anyone know a compound that will affect the dopamine level in my body, such as a homeopathic remedy or herb? Or even specific low-impact exercises (I am overweight with bad knees)?

Thank you very much.

No Web Surfing Has Given me the Shakes and Dry Heaves

davidstandaford — Thu, 03 Jul 2008 13:02:40 -0800

Any advice on coming to terms with not being able to surf the internet or keep up with the news for the next year? For a variety of reasons (mostly extreme lack of time and intermittent internet access) I've realized that I'm going to have to give up using websites and blogs to keep up with current events, technology, politics, and culture.

So far, I've used my limited time on a computer to do my best to get through a few of my favorite sites in my RSS reader, but I think it will be better to just go cold turkey and I'm having a hard time convincing myself to do this.

I used to enjoy being well-informed on a variety of topics and it's frightening for me to think I won't know what's going on with the Presidential election/the iphone 3g/the latest kottke links/etc.

Any advice on how to cope with this and to convince myself not to use my scant/valuable computer time checking news/blogs?

I'm not looking for a technological fix via a firefox extension or something like that because I'm using a variety of computers. I haven't deleted my bloglines RSS account, but I guess that is the first/best step to take, but anything in the reader is also available online so it's more about convincing myself not to want to check the sites.

Overall though, I'm just looking for a way to deal with the mental anguish (exaggeration) of being almost completely uninformed for the next year.

P.S. It's not that I have no intellectual stimulation... I'm doing a year long academic program that has brought about these circumstances, so I'm trying to convince myself that learning all this other useful/important stuff can take the place of how I used to spend my time reading stuff online.

Thanks for the help!

I'm off Adderall and now I'm tired all the time. Help!

Anonymous — Wed, 02 Jul 2008 15:22:45 -0800

I've stopped taking Adderall and have been tired, tired, tired. How long will this last? I was taking 30MG XR every day for 24 months. I've stopped and have had no cravings (the addictive aspect concerned me) with otherwise no adverse side effects sans increase appetite and being tired all the time. I stopped taking it on Saturday and today is Tuesday. I'm dead tired by 4PM and usually in bed around 9PM. I am in my mid-20s so this is sort of way off. Sunday I slept in until 1PM! Usually I'm up around 8AM.

My doctor told me not to worry and that this isn't a serious issue, but that withdrawal might awhile and everyone reacts differently.

I'm assuming this will last for a couple more days, right? Any suggestions? Is it best to hunker down, take the week off work and sleep, sleep, sleep or should I try to maintain a normal schedule?

Seeking Facts/Advice on If a 401(k) Withdrawal Became Necessary

WCityMike — Thu, 26 Jun 2008 11:21:11 -0800

I would like to know a few things about withdrawing (not loaning, but flat-out withdrawals) from 401(k) funds. Rest assured that I ask these questions knowing it is a very bad idea, and that I am asking only for the purposes of having knowledge in hand of potential assets for an entirely unforeseen financial catastrophe.

Should the financial course I've set for myself proceed well, I should have an adequate larger-scale emergency buffer through other means by hopefully mid-2009. However, until then, I have no buffer for larger-scale emergencies, and this disturbs me.

I have counseled others on Ask Mefi who are contemplating withdrawing from their 401(k) to pay off their debts, or for other reasons, that they shouldn't. I still feel this way, so I need not be convinced by others it's a bad idea. I am asking this not for any light purpose but simply so that I have the specific knowledge should there be an utter financial catastrophe — I would touch my 401(k) funds only in such a catastrophe. (Also, I am assuming, for the sake of this theoretical catastrophe situation, that at the time of said catastrophe I have no other methods of credit, income, or savings which I can hit before this, including 401(k) loans, as this would be a worst-case scenario.)

Let's say I had $20,000 in a 401(k) fund. (That is not the amount I have. I'm just throwing it up there as a round figure to work with.)

(1) Can one effect a partial 401(k) withdrawal, or is it all or nothing?

(2) How do I take the amount of withdrawal, whatever that is -- partial or whole -- and from there figure out how much I will pay on it in taxes and penalties?

(3) Both government and corporations highly discourage 401(k) withdrawals. Are there any actual laws in place that would prevent withdrawals? Are 401(k) companies allowed to prevent you from withdrawals? In other words, is the procedure made especially difficult?

(4) Are there any non-emergency and/or non-catastrophic situations where it would nevertheless be a wise financial choice to withdraw from one's 401(k) funds?

(5) Anything else I should know?

Ah, so that's why people habitually shoplift Prilosec.

bunnytricks — Tue, 24 Jun 2008 09:19:16 -0800

How do I get off of Prilosec? On doctor's orders I've been taking 80mg a day of Prilosec for four months. Out of desperation for something to pin my cardiac symptoms on, I was diagnosed with acid reflux and sent on my way with a prescription which did nothing for my initial problems but did saddle me with spending twenty dollars a week on pills.

Right now I'm taking 40mg every 12 hours, and the obvious answer to my question is to taper down. Unfortunately, the minimum step size is a 20mg time release pill and if I skip one I pay for it with two days of acid rebound that is just as strong as if I didn't take any at all. Can I split the pills without disrupting the time release action?

When the cure is worse....

ohdeanna — Wed, 27 Feb 2008 06:31:22 -0800

How to wean off of tramadol? I have been taking 400mg/day for 3 months for serious neck/ spine problems and I think I've developed a tolerance and I think it's messing with my health in other ways. I can tell that abruptly stopping is going to be hideous and possibly dangerous b/c even when I step down 50mg I feel as though my BP is through the roof.

I am definitely go to see a doctor about this- but I would be grateful if anyone could share what worked/ didn't work for them...

This really really sucks.

Experiences coming off Wellbutrin?

Anonymous — Tue, 26 Feb 2008 17:32:10 -0800

Experiences coming off Wellbutrin? So I'll put a disclaimer on this that of course I am going to go to my doctor and have no intention of just trying to come off it on my own, but I want people's advice and experiences so that I can gauge how hard it will be and how big of an impact it will likely have on my life, so that I can schedule accordingly.

So I've been on Wellbutrin for a little under 4 years. I'm a female in my mid 20's. I take a very high dose, 450 mg XL. I want to come off for a variety of reasons. First of all I don't think it does much for me anymore, honestly it was never all that effective for me but all the other antidepressants had unacceptable side affects and it was better than nothing. It also helped me lose weight and I need less sleep than I used to. Second, I think it makes me more jumpy and by extension more anxious, which is half my problem. Also there are other small side effects, I believe it effects my intelligence/ability to articulate myself ever so slightly, increased sweating is annoying, and I get hangovers from hell because of it. I also don't know if I will have insurance 6 months from now, and if I don't have insurance that means I don't have a job and so I won't be able to afford it...

Currently I go to grad school and work part time and I really can't afford to be out of commission. I'm really overstretched as it is and not being able to get out of bed or having panic attacks just ain't going to cut it. So anyone that has come off wellbutrin or knows someone close to them that did, I'd love to hear your experiences. Especially ways you minimized the effects and also things I should bring up with my Dr(s) (who are not very helpful or very attentive so I have to go in armed with questions and preferably knowing exactly what I want.) Also, did you gain weight? You can also email me at wellbutrinmefi@hotmail.com. Thanks!

Are ATMs the perfect machine?

TBoneMcCool — Tue, 15 Aug 2006 12:00:45 -0800

Do ATMs make errors? I realized the other day that after a more than 15 years of constant ATM use, I've never erroneously received too much or too little money from a cash machine. ATMs break down all the time, and they sometimes run out of money, but I've never heard of a cash machine handing out too much or too little money. My question is twofold: First, have any of you ever received an erroneous withdrawal amount from an ATM? Second, how can these machines operate with such an extremely low error rate? Every other electronic/mechanical device that I can think of -- cars, bicycles, computers, electric grids, airplanes -- break down or make critical or catastrophic errors from time to time. But the cash-dispensing functions in an ATM somehow seem to be immune.

Withdrawal Symptoms

kaytrem — Thu, 27 Jul 2006 19:58:55 -0800

What is the name of the condition caused by abrupt discontinuance of anti-depressent medications like Xanax... said condition is described as a feeling of immense internal physical pressure/stress/twisting... and could you have the same symptoms from stopping taking 20mg of ritalin a day?

I saw a wikipedia artical on withdrawal that mentions rebound "An unsupervised acute withdrawal from the use of an antidepressant can deepen the feel of depression significantly (see "rebound" below), and some specific antidepressants can cause a unique set of other symptoms as well when stopped abruptly. A combination of these factors has been reported by many patients to be quite horrible to endure." but what I am thinking of had a specific name and its symptoms were closer to what I tried to describe.

How long should the withdrawal symptoms from Tamadol (Zydol) last?

ndaguiar — Mon, 10 Jul 2006 14:31:18 -0800

How long should the withdrawal symptoms from Tamadol (Zydol) last? I have been taking Tramadol (100mg 4 times daily) for the last 6 weeks for pain relief for an acute viral infection of my muscles.

I stopped the medication last saturday due to not being in pain, and since then have been having insomnia, agitation, anxieity, panic attacks, hyperactivity very similar to ADHD, and hot and cold sweats.

My GP is away at the moment and I am just concerned how long it should take for these to go away.

Going Cold Turkey

Anonymous — Sun, 04 Jun 2006 01:28:24 -0800

How do I go cold turkey? Several months ago I had an injury and was prescribed pain killers (synthetic opoid, medium dosage). The injury is mostly healed and although I still have some pain it's at a level I can probably live with until I'm fully healed. But now I find that I'm addicted to the pain medicine. When I stop taking it, within 24 hours I'm itching and twitching so much that I have to start taking it again. I've decided not to prolong the situation and pick a suitable time to just stop taking it. But I'm nervous about the process and the risks involved. How do I go about setting up a time and place to go through withdrawal? How long will it take, what will it be like? I want to handle it myself, with help from friends and family. I'm looking for pointers to websites, personal stories, anything that can help me prepare for going through this.

How long does it take for caffeine withdrawal symptoms to go away?

Sonny Jim — Tue, 17 Jan 2006 18:47:21 -0800

I am currently going through caffeine withdrawal. I have gone for three days without any caffeine and still feel bad. I don't have headaches, I am just fatigued, irritable, foggy headed and unhappy. Has anyone else gone through this? How long before you started feeling normal again?

How should I withdraw?

235w103 — Wed, 16 Nov 2005 22:50:38 -0800

Any medication withdrawal advice? About 5 months ago, I started seeing a psychiatrist. He diagnosed me as early-stage bipolar (which I believe is actually true) and prescribed for me two drugs: Lamictal, which is a mood-stabilizer that works really, really well, and Clonazepam. Clonazepam is useful, vaguely, as an anti-anxiety drug, and while on I, I have had much fewer anxiety attacks. But I was not aware, until I ran out of pills and couldn't get any for 5 days, that Clonzapam is highly addictive, and there is a withdrawal period. It apparently peaks at the 8th day; on the 5th and final day of my first withdrawl, I was spraying myself with Raid because I was...well, I was batshit nuts.
Because the exact nature of Clonazepam wasn't explained to me when I started treatment, I've switched psychiatrists- however, my new one flat-out told me that not only does she not prescribe Clonazepam, but she does not treat anyone on Clonazepam. I really want to get off of it (it causes aphasia and anteriograde amnesia), and now I have to. In two weeks.
I'm planning on tapering the dose, as well as consuming a LOT of pot (which was tacitly suggested by the new psychiatrist), but I'm not really sure where to go from there. Does anyone have any advice?

What are the negative effects of Cannabis

geoff. — Tue, 14 Sep 2004 19:22:51 -0800

Quite simply, what are the negative effects of cannabis? What are withdrawal effects from frequent use, possible health problems, etc. This sprung up from a discussion my friends and I were having and I can't find any reliable source (I'm sorry, I don't consider the government a reliable source on this issue, too many political issues). I'm paticularly interested in personal experiences, but as always more inside. I'll be honest, drugs have always fascinated me and I've done a lot of research on them (hisotry, use, effects). I've read Erowid, Lycaeum and countless government and institutional research on everything from cocaine to all the opiate derivatives. The one I can't figure out is marijauna and a recent debate with friends has whetted my appetite.

Basically, as I'm sure everyone is aware, there are two very differing views of marijuana. One side promotes it as safe as Tums to causing mental breakdown, anguish, being a loser. I'd really not like to get into a debate as to whether marijuana is morally good or bad, but does it hurt do it everyday?

With the disclaimer of a normally healthy individual, no preexisting mental problems, steady job, and who uses marijuana much as one would use a beer or gin at the end of a work day. I also realize there are inherent dangers with smoking plant material of any nature.

I could keep going on but I believe my question and point is clear. I know this is a touchy topic but I'm having a hard time figuring this out via google and such. And no, I'm not trying to figure out if a friend has a problem or anything, this is what it is, no hidden agenda.