Misc Problems from TCAs

[hotelyorba]

Has anybody ever heard of lasting complications after a withdrawal from a tricyclic antidepressant? Ever since I got off doxepin, my body doesnt respond to weed normally. It feels like I have some type of neurological disorder in my head, and when I smoke I get this insane head pressure combined with tunnel vision and a strange "out of body" feeling. It feels nothing like getting high. Other issues that I've had are not having as strong of a libido, not feeling totally connected with the world, and weird problems focusing in on something. Sometimes my eyes go cross eyed when I focus in on something. I know this sounds totally insane and thats exactly how it feels to me. I'm just desperate for answers. I read a comment on here from somebody saying that they have heard of lasting complications from TCA withdrawal so I'm hoping he/she can give me some feedback.

Thanks in advance.

 

[Pharmokinetictal]

TCAs suck. and like all psychoactive medications...they cause lasting changes in brain chemistry...specifically the serotenergic system...where it antagonizes a couple different receptors. TCAs are dirty. doxepin in particular is known to occassionally worsen underlying or otherwise dormant psychotic symptoms. im not saying youre a schizo but in can create a profile of symptoms that mimic it. weed is known to also create or exacerbate psychotic-like symptoms in people. it makes me feel schizo. its possible....especially if you topped relatively abruptly...that it changed the way your brain reacts to certain molecules based on how it changed your receptors. and yes...TCAs like almost any psychoactive med, including other antidepressant meds like SSRIs and SNRIs can and will precipitate WD syndromes. if its only been a few months...it could resolve. if its been years, id talk to a doctor. i dont recommend benzos for anybody. theyre super addictive and the WDs from that are agonizing. but some docs prescribe something to take the edge off. id also recommend not smoking weed until you feel right. itll only make it worse and prevent you from feeling better.

doxepin downregulates 5ht2a and 5ht1 receptors along with alpha1 adrenergic receptors, achetlcholine recptors and histamine receptors. with the exception of histamine receptors...the rest all can be connected to feelings of dissociation, loss of memory and libido, heightened anxiety and mental sluggishness with associated hyper cognition.

 

[Captain.Heroin]

TCAs suck. and like all psychoactive medications...they cause lasting changes in brain chemistry...specifically the serotenergic system...where it antagonizes a couple different receptors. TCAs are dirty. doxepin in particular is known to occassionally worsen underlying or otherwise dormant psychotic symptoms. im not saying youre a schizo but in can create a profile of symptoms that mimic it. weed is known to also create or exacerbate psychotic-like symptoms in people. it makes me feel schizo. its possible....especially if you topped relatively abruptly...that it changed the way your brain reacts to certain molecules based on how it changed your receptors. and yes...TCAs like almost any psychoactive med, including other antidepressant meds like SSRIs and SNRIs can and will precipitate WD syndromes. if its only been a few months...it could resolve. if its been years, id talk to a doctor. i dont recommend benzos for anybody. theyre super addictive and the WDs from that are agonizing. but some docs prescribe something to take the edge off. id also recommend not smoking weed until you feel right. itll only make it worse and prevent you from feeling better.

doxepin downregulates 5ht2a and 5ht1 receptors along with alpha1 adrenergic receptors, achetlcholine recptors and histamine receptors. with the exception of histamine receptors...the rest all can be connected to feelings of dissociation, loss of memory and libido, heightened anxiety and mental sluggishness with associated hyper cognition.

This is exactly the reason I would never willingly use TCA's.

I'd also point out that not everyone gets addicted to benzodiazepines. I think it is all about having a multi-faceted plan to deal with anxiety, of which benzodiazepines are just a part of, hopefully they play the "emergency back up" role where you will only need to use them when everything else you implement isn't quite cutting it in the present moment.

I have been prescribed hypnotics like temazepam. As long as you don'g rely on the medication regularly, it isn't problematic at all for me.

I believe I have probably only used benzodiazepines maybe two or three times this past month, and I have been under an insane amount of stress and anxiety.

After reading the side effects of doxepin on its wiki page, I must say that it does sound hellish.

 

[hotelyorba]

Thanks for the replies guys. I was actually on klonopin for 8 months and tapered for a total of 4 months. That was hell, and I really cant tolerate anything that works on gaba other than occasionally getting drunk because it brings back the withdrawals. The doxepin happened after my withdrawal from klonopin, so I sometimes wonder if I had some sort of "double-damage" I do want to stop smoking weed, but I have been smoking everyday for about 2 years minus a 4 month break that I took this past winter. I am afraid of having to go through the lack of sleep and anxiety accompanied with stopping weed...especially since benzos are not an option. I have thought about using morphine pills to get through the first couple of nights if I quit weed, but I worry about getting addicted to those.

 

[tyrael]

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Ever since I got off doxepin, my body doesnt respond to weed normally.
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I understand that you're posting on here for advice because you want to smoke weed. But, really, is this such a bad thing?

TCAs suck.
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TCAs are dirty.
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Agreed! I was extremely hesitant on going on any sort of AD! (however currently on an SSRI).