SE's at the maintenance dose

[Fred_The_Cat]

I've been at 50mg the past several months, and suddenly in the past week I noticed side effects creeping back in, namely that "dirty" feeling in my muscles. This has not happened before after leveling off, especially since this is the lowest dose I've ever been on.

The only two remarkable things that have happened in the past week were drinking heavily last Thursday and Sunday nights, but I've done that before without repercussions of side effects days after. The other thing is that my gym sessions ran out and I've fallen behind on exercise.

I thought my system may have gotten too much bac in it and dropped from 50 mg to 38 this morning. I was fine until around 3 and was hit with a coma like tiredness I've not experienced in a long time. A few on here have said that SE's going down were rougher than coming up- but I've never heard of them resurrecting from the grave after you were at your maintenance dose.

[Samandkatharine]

SE's at the maintenance dose

Good question...

My SE's have been/are worse at lower doses. I'm at 40 and I'm tired and talking too much at social functions. When I was above the switch I was ok. That was 80mg.

My SEs going down were easy. I had none except for small sleep disturbances. Just my experience though.

Sam

[spiritwolf333]

SE's at the maintenance dose

Fred_The_Cat;1689097 wrote: I've been at 50mg the past several months, and suddenly in the past week I noticed side effects creeping back in, namely that "dirty" feeling in my muscles. This has not happened before after leveling off, especially since this is the lowest dose I've ever been on.

The only two remarkable things that have happened in the past week were drinking heavily last Thursday and Sunday nights, but I've done that before without repercussions of side effects days after. The other thing is that my gym sessions ran out and I've fallen behind on exercise.

I thought my system may have gotten too much bac in it and dropped from 50 mg to 38 this morning. I was fine until around 3 and was hit with a coma like tiredness I've not experienced in a long time. A few on here have said that SE's going down were rougher than coming up- but I've never heard of them resurrecting from the grave after you were at your maintenance dose.

Hi Fred -what do "dirty" muscles feel like? Sorry to hear of your discomfort with them.

[Fred_The_Cat]

SE's at the maintenance dose

spiritwolf333;1689377 wrote: Hi Fred -what do "dirty" muscles feel like? Sorry to hear of your discomfort with them.

Like there's something in there that's tarnishing normal sensations. The dirty muscle feeling, plasticy mouth taste and crushing somnolence are the hallmark side effects, and the mouth one is the only one I'm not having right now.

It's become very difficult to get out of bed these past few days.

[spiritwolf333]

SE's at the maintenance dose

Fred -I am all too familiar with the crushing somnolence but not the muscle problems or the plasticity mouth problems. But Fred. this difficulty getting out of bed has got to go -as you know. I have been there and I know what you are talking about -and it sucks big time. Somehow, you have to create a reason to get up and going -if it is only for some minimal purpose. Do not let this depression sh-- take you down; hell, get up and write on MWO what an asshole I am -just don't sit there and let your brain cycle through what is not really real.

[Samandkatharine]

SE's at the maintenance dose

spiritwolf333;1689492 wrote: Fred -I am all too familiar with the crushing somnolence but not the muscle problems or the plasticity mouth problems. But Fred. this difficulty getting out of bed has got to go -as you know. I have been there and I know what you are talking about -and it sucks big time. Somehow, you have to create a reason to get up and going -if it is only for some minimal purpose. Do not let this depression sh-- take you down; hell, get up and write on MWO what an asshole I am -just don't sit there and let your brain cycle through what is not really real.

LOL! Good comeback Spirit..

Fred, please keep posting. I'm sitting here at 6:30pm trying to stay awake. I just went up from 40 to 50mg today. We can share horror stories. Good thing is that it's temporary. Hopefully your sSE's are too.

Sam :l

[Fred_The_Cat]

SE's at the maintenance dose

Thanks,

I have yet a third theory on why it hit me hard just recently. With great regularity, I've been doing margarita night on Thursday nights and probably consuming 6-7 units. (I know, bad judgment, but no serious Ill has come of it yet). Last weekend I did something rather stupid by having 2 margaritas Thursday, then 4 16 oz cans of 7% beer on Sunday night. This worked out to a little over 9 units and felt just as terrible as it sounds.

This past week I resolved, no more binges like that. So I didn't do margarita night. Lo and behold, the se's reared up on Friday. I think my body may have "priced in" the effects of margarita night over the past few months. Suddenly when I'm not subjected to it, a normal dose just feels like too much. I don't think this sounds too outlandish because this has gone on like weekly clockwork since Feb or so.

Let's just hope things get better.

And Spirit, I've posted so little because life has actually been going great. Like so good it would be in really poor taste to describe it here. No depression since March 14th- I explicitly remember that being the last time I was in an overwhelmingly terrible state. Abilify withdrawal makes normal trials and tribulations look like a cakewalk.

[Ne/Neva Eva]

SE's at the maintenance dose

I like your latest theory. It actually sounds like a lot of things have changed and it could be a cumulative effect of any one of them. The extra day of drinking shouldn't be overlooked, even though the effects might not have been immediate. I find that when I overdo it with booze I have lasting effects. And sometimes overdoing it means 2 glasses of wine! I suppose it varies based on what I've eaten, how much exercise I've gotten, the moon and star alignment...Whatever. Sometimes it hits me like a ton of bricks and sometimes I just feel meh, but often it lasts for days.

The other thing is, (and I figure I don't have to tell you this!) but exercise makes all the difference. That, too, takes a while to have an effect. Either way, I suppose.

Anyway, glad you're doing so well, Fred. It might do people good to hear how good things are. I know I like to hear success stories. Not to mention the fact that it's pretty motivating to hear how other people revolutionized their lives!

[bleep]

SE's at the maintenance dose

I agree with Ne, don't be scared to spread a little light when things are going well. Alcohol can be a pretty fucking rotten thing to try and overcome, and it's good to hear when someone not only climbs out of the pit, but reaches a mountain top every now and again.

As to what's causing SE's, I remember random attacks (but haven't had any for ages now) that just appeared out of the blue. I never figured out what was causing them, did nothing differently, and they went away. I enjoyed them, they made me remember what I had come through and they weren't too serious at the time.

[Fred_The_Cat]

SE's at the maintenance dose

My SE's stabilized, but yesterday something really pissed me off and I had 4 beers. (Had to skip my music lesson to rescue a cat, which was so sick and violent it was definitely euthanized)

This morning around 1:00 I had the most horribly soul shredding anxiety. I had trouble remembering it was real until I remembered I got out of bed to bac dose up, and I felt SE's this morning. I'm not sure what's going on- in the past 7 days I've had 9 drinks including last night.

Probably laying off until my sweetness comes in for the weekend Friday. But margaritas are off the table- for both money and nerves. If 4 drinks did that then I don't want to tempt fate.

[Fred_The_Cat]

SE's at the maintenance dose

Back up to 50 from 37.5. Crazy anxiety yesterday, not necessarily alcohol cravings so much but I felt things going downhill. There was a shaky feeling in my legs and sleep was impossible. I never felt this going from 75 to 50 or from 100 to 75- so 50 is probably my maintenance threshold.