Let's chat

[cleolinda]

Okay, we have a lot to talk about. First of all, I have a question, since I do talk about mental health and the treatment thereof pretty openly: have any of y'all had any problems with Zoloft withdrawal? I'm moving from a fairly low dose to an even lower one, and I'll probably stop taking it entirely after my next med check. (This is my doctor's idea, and I am on board with it; I am very vocal when something does not work for me, so it's a whole process, and it's professionally guided.) I just want to know if there's something I should look out for. Because we tried to increase it a couple of years ago, before eventually moving to Lamictal (which, after a bumpy adjustment period, has worked out really well), the Zoloft increase was... bad. It was bad. So I want to know what to look out for, so I can recognize it and go back and say "This isn't working" if I have to. (ETA: It may affect your answer to know that I'm going to try to taper entirely off Zoloft after twelve years of being on it.)

Second: I have been sick the last two or three days. Not too badly, but a low fever, some sinus drainage, a sore throat, and I've had a cough for a while. So I've been dozing on the couch a lot. I would hate to think that I am such a ~delicate blossom~ that the anxiety of posting a new Fifteen Minutes--let's face it, I only do this 2-3 times a year, so there's kind of a psychological build-up to it--did me in, or smacked my immune system upside the head, or what. But it's possible. I'm usually a bit done in for a day or two after these things, after all. Because I am, apparently, a fragile little e-flower. Who knows.

Third: Let's have some linkspam.

Ed Norton Not in 'Avengers', Marvel Says It's Not Money, Rep Claims It's Totally About Money (long story short: Marvel basically goes out of its way to say, and I am paraphrasing, "This guy is a dick. I mean, we could have just maintained some kind of polite fiction about what happened, but no. This guy is a dick"); 'Hulk Is Bigger Than All of Us': Edward Norton Offers a Facebook Franchise Farewell; Mark Ruffalo in Advanced Talks to Play New Incredible Hulk.

Here is Ryan Reynolds as Green Lantern!; More Green Lantern photos!

Jennifer Lawrence and Kevin Bacon Confirmed for 'X-Men: First Class."

First Full Length Trailer for Fincher's 'The Social Network.'

Johnny Depp's 'Dark Shadows' Finally Finds a Screenwriter.

Janis Joplin Biopic Starring Amy Adams In The Works, 'Twilight' Producer Wyck Godfrey Says. ... what?

Twilight vs True Blood with dolls.

Elizabeth Banks to play live-action Tinker Bell.

Trailer for Shyamalan-produced thriller 'Devil,' about people trapped in an elevator with the devil.

King Arthur's castle and round table may have been found at last.


Meanwhile--bear with me, I'm going somewhere with this--this is my new favorite thing. Yes, it's actually a "mystical eye" design.

And there is a reason I am showing you this, because: we have to talk about this Twilight engagement ring, again, some more, because somehow, this week, it got EVEN WORSE. So. Okay. It's described in the book as an oval of diamonds. Whatever. Someone had a book-inspired, author-designed replica they were selling before the movies even came out.

I'm... not a fan. Someone on Etsy even came up with a better design. Although I have seen a number of people say that they have the book replica ring and they love it, and if it makes you happy, then I'm happy for you. Apparently they now sell it in real-diamond format, and people have actually gotten engaged with it. Maybe it doesn't photograph well, I don't know. But as I have previously said, I can show you better designs without even breaking a sweat. In fact, this time I'll give you six instead of three. And technically, that last link has two different rings, both of which I love, so that's a total of seven designs (ah ah ah!). Seriously, I can do this all day.

So then we had the movie ring, for which the costume designer was forced (or so I read) to use Stephenie Meyer's design rather than come up with an actual, decent, Victorian-inspired ring, and lo, it did look like a cheese grater, and yea, I was !!ANGRY!!. Not because I particularly give a shit what kind of rock Bella Swan ends up with, but because I am, as you can see, a jewelry nerd. And this. WHAT. WHAT IS THIS.

And now, we have the cheap-ass NECA prop replica of the movie ring.

I just give up. I do. I give up. If you buy this and are willing to wear it in public, you deserve it. And I say this as someone who owns an $8 Nenya. It came in a light-up box. And I STILL have more dignity than--this.


Meanwhile-meanwhile, YA Highway has linked to me a couple of times this month---first to the "Twilight and the female gaze" entry, now to Eclipse in Fifteen Minutes--which is nice.

What I saw while I was over there was... not so nice.

@cleolinda: Also via @yaHighway: YOU GAVE YOUR BABY A PUNNY TWILIGHT TRAMP STAMP? http://tinyurl.com/3a8psqu

@cleolinda: I AM GOING BACK TO BED NOW AND THAT BETTER HAVE BEEN A DREAM WHEN I COME BACK.

@cleolinda: Although that is by far not the worst Twilight-related tattoo, temp or otherwise, I have seen. Please do not send me other examples.

@cleolinda: Obviously it's temporary. I don't even care. THE INSANITY IS NOT.

@cleolinda: If you turn that baby around and it's wearing an "Imprinted!" baby shirt like the one I saw, I'm burning this place to the ground.

@rhiannonrevolts: @cleolinda ...you saw WHAT. // THESE. http://tinyurl.com/37ghr4o http://tinyurl.com/2u647f2

I'm going to go lie down again.

Comments

[glenvorian.livejournal.com]

*Makes cleo some chicken soup*

Feel better, doll!

[bienegold.livejournal.com]

If you're slowly ramping it down, you shouldn't have too much of an issue with withdrawal. I'd consider saving the last few and cutting them in half to draw it out as long as possible, though. Zoloft's not as notorious for sucky withdrawals as some of the other SSRIs, but it is there.

[annlarimer.livejournal.com]

I know if I miss a dose, it makes my lips buzz and the planet goes sideways.

[cellardoor28.livejournal.com]

oh hey, I have the One Ring that came in a light up box, so I have no place to judge :p

(In fact I've had two as the first one was STOLEN - someone actually thought it was a proper ring).

Also, random fact - 'lion on a cheesegrater' was an ancient Greek sexual position (quote in Lysistrata? possibly? maybe a different Aristophanes, it's been a while :P).

Also also, I am happy to discuss drug withdrawal etc, but maybe not here (ie a public post) if you understand me.

[cleolinda.livejournal.com]

Yeah, I ramped down from 100 to 50 a year or so ago, so I'm going down from 50 to 25 now, and will probably try to go off it all together in October. At the same time, I'm also still on Wellbutrin and Lamictal, so it's not like I'm going off anything entirely. We may try to ramp off the Wellbutrin as well eventually, but we both think--given that my mood cycling is getting worse rather than better, as it tends to, it's something I need to be on medication for. It's not like depression, chronic or otherwise, in which just therapy might help, you know? The whole bipolar thing really does seem to need medication, at least for me. And we're thinking now that getting off antidepressants entirely (if gradually) and going with just Lamictal may be a better way to stabilize things.

[cleolinda.livejournal.com]

I... what? Lion on a... how?

[kijikun.livejournal.com]

All I have to say is that Lamtical has been a godsend to me.

[cleolinda.livejournal.com]

I tend to get kind of flushed and dizzy (NB: I was already sick before I cut down the dose) if anything gets screwed with in any way. Miss a pill, take one late, etc. If that's the side effect I get, I know that everything's okay, because that's normal. It's when I get such hideous back pain that I have to crawl up the stairs, like that one time, that we have problems. Or, say, the legendary Fatal Rash.

[seferin.livejournal.com]

So I want to know what to look out for, so I can recognize it and go back and say "This isn't working" if I have to.

I have switched off, and have found there is a period, usually about two to three weeks after you are off the meds completely when you may get a reaction. It's your body being totally off the pills, and reacting. Option A is to plow through it, Option B is to go on something else. Your preference as to what you do, but expect the emotional roller coaster around then.

Some Xanax, if available, may help even things out.

[cleolinda.livejournal.com]

After I got past the really scary possible side effects (FATAL RASH), it really has helped a lot. I still have bad days or weeks, but I feel much more even over all.

[bienegold.livejournal.com]

Well, the problem isn't that you're getting off drugs altogether, it's that you're discontinuing an SSRI, which Lamictal and Wellbutrin aren't. So while the other drugs might help some of the weird mental stuff that comes up with SSRI withdrawal, I wouldn't be surprised if you still get some of the physical effects like nausea*, or feeling like your brain is literally sloshing around in your skull.

* Anecdata time! I went cold turkey off of Paxil (I'm an idiot, I know), and I found that when I was nauseated, I felt a LOT better when I got up and walked around rather than sitting around. It seems a bit counter-intuitive, but worth a shot if that comes up.

I loved Lamictal. I'd go back on it in a heartbeat if I had a competent shrink.

[kijikun.livejournal.com]

Yeah the fatal rash what a bit "whha?" when I first heard it as a side effect, but I'm on a pretty even keel now.

[cleolinda.livejournal.com]

Ewwwwwww. See... that's the kind of stuff I want to know.

It kind of gives me the warm fuzzies to see people loving Lamictal. It makes me less afraid of the FATAL RASH, certainly.

[annlarimer.livejournal.com]

The worst thing that ever happened to me was when I tried Prozac and thought that Friends was hilarious. I laughed so hard that my Mother came to investigate. Then she sat and watched me, because apparently it was really entertaining. "Your eyes are like pinholes!"

this and that

[mell-c.livejournal.com]

Yes, the ring does keep getting worse. I saw the pre-movies book version for sale somewhere at multiple levels- costume, fine, etc. Perhaps the ring will morph again with the insanity of BD the movie?

As to Zoloft: I wanted to share an experience with it I had several years ago when a doctor prescribed for sleeplessness and anxiety. My experience taking it was so negative (it made my insomnia and anxiety worse; gave me vertigo; made me feel like I was walking on spongey ground; and the kicker-severe GI distress) that I quit the med cold turkey. I'm not telling other folks to try this. But I think I was a case where Zoloft was just making me worse. I had no withdrawal when I quit. An on-line Zoloft support group (independent of the drug maker, btw) cautioned against this approach, and not everyone is the same. I was so miserable I sought out a new doctor.

I think I started out at a lower dose- maybe 25 mg. I complained of side effects, and doc kept UPPING the dosage, saying my side effects were related to the anxiety. I might have been up to 150 mg near the end. My ill feelings just got worse. Doc told me to eat lots of rice to counter the GI problems, which were pretty awful. Not sure if your increase had any of these same effects, Cleo.

[queenanthai.livejournal.com]

the Zoloft increase was... bad. It was bad. So I want to know what to look out for, so I can recognize it and go back and say "This isn't working" if I have to.

If ANY change to your meds is fucking you up, it is going wrong. Talk to your psychiatrist IMMEDIATELY.

[cellardoor28.livejournal.com]

we had to ask our professor the same question. Apparently it's basically doggystyle.

[cleolinda.livejournal.com]

Well, I don't know how many people have actually had that, but I did increase it a bit too fast--well, actually, it was a very slow increase, but it necessitated cutting the pill, and with Lamictal, that is apparently a BAD IDEA--and had the worst lower back pain I've ever had IN MY LIFE. It's like the kind of thing you'd have with a really bad PMS/menstrual cycle thing, except SO MUCH WORSE. Sweet God almighty, so much worse. And I looked, and apparently back pain is, somehow, in fact, a possible side effect of Lamictal.

And then I went up to the higher dose without cutting the pill and I was fine.

[cleolinda.livejournal.com]

Yeah... Zoloft was the first psych med I was ever on, which means I've been on it for twelve years. You can see why I'm a bit concerned, no matter how slowly we taper off.

[merikeh.livejournal.com]

Okay. Yes. Firstly, that ring is Hideous. Even more Hideous than I ever could have dreamed of hideousness being. Why? I mean, just why?

Second of all, that baby with that tattoo and those t-shirts are the stuff nightmares are made of.

[castleatmydoor.livejournal.com]

Am I the only one who thinks the Green Lantern costume looks like it's made of GREEN JELLO?

Eighteen years here.

[seferin.livejournal.com]

The good news is it's possible. The bad news is it's easier when your life is almost perfect, because as bad as you will feel, you will still be above the happy/depressed line. When you get off and end up under it, that's when you start liking Twilight for the plot.

[ceilidh-ann.livejournal.com]

Amy Adams? As in Giselle Amy Adams? I think she's a good actress but for Joplin? I can't shake my head enough at that.

I feel a bit sorry for Ruffalo. Marvel go on about wanting to cast an unknown actor then they're suddenly in talks with Ruffalo? I didn't know his career had died.

[w-a-i-d.livejournal.com]

That's so weird, I was just thinking about "lion on a cheesegrater" yesterday -- yes, it was Lysistrata - all the women are reluctantly vowing to go on sex strike and "I will not take up the lion-on-a-cheesegrater position" is one of the things they say. I saw one production that changed it to "I will not do it doggy style" and was so disappointed.

I don't know if it was an actual position or if it was a kind of "Noodle incident" joke.

[norinoricat.livejournal.com]

I usually never comment... but man that replica ring looks just like a shower head.