Posted by ace on November 6, 2004, at 21:38:35
In reply to feel like a ghost after AP use, posted by lostforwards on November 6, 2004, at 11:18:26
> I've been off an antipsychotic for about 5 weeks now. My arms don't really swing, and I feel very numb emotionally.
Which antipsychotic and how long.....withdrawal from an AP can be a rather long process...
When I felt better I had some obvious signs of TD. Those movements have disappeared but I'm now in a very dead state. I felt better when I had the movements.I suggest Zyprexa, Seroquel or Risperidone (1mg-2mg)....Zyprexa and TD is almost non-existant and Zyprexa has a chance of solving this "numbness"
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> It's as if the antipsychotic caused some sort of change in me that's given me this pseudo-anhedonia and negative symptoms. I never had negative symptoms before. I'm bipolar.With patience I believe the problems will indeed dissapear, but you have the alternative to go onto another AP
>
> Is it at all possible for an antipsychotic to cause permanent pathological changes if given under stress to a person who had symptoms of parkinsonian?No. Not pathological in the sense of an affective disorder in my humble opinion. But old APs can cause long term EPS, which can even resolve after time.
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> This parkinsonian was caused by AP use a month earlier. Symptoms hadn't gone away even after all that time off the AP: They included difficulty sleeping, rigidity in my fingers, waking up confused, and hazy states of mind. All of these symptoms appeared immediately after withdrawal and stayed.This sounds like you tapered far too quickly off the drug.
They were never symptoms of my illness and I wasn't so severe going into the hospital.
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> // The waking up confused part I'm positive has something to do with a relative drop in DA levels - or movement of DA from one place to another durring sleep ( I'll explain later on ) //
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> I went back to the hospital with those symptoms. Instead of being treated for the withdrawal ( I was none the wiser at the time anyway ) I was given a very low dose of phenothiazine to sleep and put back on the AP, except in the morning.
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> When I was coming off the AP, I had similar things happen. On a dosage drop of the AP, taking it at night instead of the morning, I woke up confused like I did before. Other weird stuff happened too, for ex. my body would feel like going one way or the other when I was walking. I also had severe TD-like movements in my fingers. I felt okay though.
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> Eventually when I had come off the medication, my arm swing was disappearing. Then it totally disappeared, as I felt worse. My fingers no longer show TD-like movements now though and my body doesn't feel like going one way or the other.
>
> Can anybody explain this?
I believe you have two options....be patient
and wait for the withdrawal to cease.OR go back onto the AP and taper off more slowly...
OR choose an alternative medication (not necessarily an AP)
Hope this helps friend,Ace
poster:ace
thread:412554
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/20041103/msgs/412736.html