Withdrawal

As I continue to be honest on my blog, here's what's been happening with me the past couple of days.

The past couple of nights I've been having some very bad dreams, the type I would normally attribute to after I have eaten msg. I would wake up very sweaty. Plus since yesterday morning I've been having vertigo problems, the weird feeling of emptiness in my head/dizzy when just moving around. Took tylenol during the day yesterday, and was in bed by 7:30 p.m. Didn't get up until 3:30 a.m. for bathroom break. And the vertigo continued today. I made an appt. to see my doctor this afternoon. While waiting in the office, something popped into my head. For some reason, out of a different routine perhaps, I had stopped taking effexor at bedtime for night sweats. I honestly can't remember the day I stopped taking it. Don't ask me how this happened, but I'll blame it on chemo brain. Hence, withdrawal had set in. I am blessed in the fact that one symptom common to this type of withdrawal is thoughts of suicide. Thanks goodness that symptom did not come into play! The dr. agreed totally with what I had just told him. And the stiffness in my neck was a bunch of built up stress. Wonder why? He's a good dr. and does understand what we are going through.

The dr. gave me a few weeks of the medicine to take, but 1/2 the current dosage. I have already taken a pill to get it back into my system. This way I can attempt to wean myself off. But he told me to monitor myself, to see how I do with the night sweats. I now know why they say not to stop taking medication without consulting a dr. It's a terrible feeling.

Am looking forward to seeing Barry come home. I only wish it wasn't such a long trip for him to make. Tomorrow is his last day there, but unfortunately he'll be there in the afternoon. And after being there all week, I know he'll want to come home right away. I just hope that he rests a bit before the return trip.