1st post I have trying to gather information from this valuable sight yet, i feel like the tool needed to digest it my brain is not working. Ive been resident to post out of difficulty to relay whats going on . However I'm hoping i can get some direct feedback. I apologize in advanced for the long, unclear, post....
I've been off of my medication for four months and feeling like i am a different person and will never fully heal or be the same again. I was off on benzo for 6 yrs, pannic attacts , pain meds 2 year back and pancreatic . After I sustained a TBI( traumatic brain injury ) I felt that my crucial healing would slowed by these meds. So got surgery , pain is managed and I decided to stop them all. Cold turkey( in hindsight I should of tried to wean or titrate off) I am trying to find what steps to take.
CURRENT ISSUES Yet my memory, focus, Thinking is very slow convoluted, processing text, and especially auditory information is incredibly slowed hard to take away much my previous beliefs, views, epinons are not there. ( trying to put together information ask questions is beyond frustrating and discouraging. Almost like my IQ has dropped significantly and there is a severe learning impediment on top of it mostly memory,focus.
Other symptoms are Extreme lack of drive & fatigue ,emotions numbing/blunted, horrible chronic chest pain and anxiety and depression, become anti social even when anxiety is low. Anxiety has slowly improved last few weeks (less severe and panic attacks come less often)
( previously tried antidepressants years ago with major depression to no avail ( ended up just pushing though it and recoverd) made me feel + depression. So i'm attempting trying to go natural unless there are some you recommend I have not tried.
I did Saliva urine test ad my serotonin was really low, yet my GABA was fine So... I dont know if the test can test levels neurotransmitters in the brain.
Wanting to increase drive motivation , sensation of emotions, get rid of this overall dysphoria. I'm a loss not seeing results with what i'm taking and don't know what to do to help mental ability.
is it just going to be time? Or are there things i could take to help facilitate healing +brain function. I just feel so blah shitty, no real emotions up or down, incredibly hard to piece thoughts opinions in to concise thought and verbalize, or to maintain fluid thinking. I've made progress yet i dont know how much longer I can run on the fumes of determination. Did going off meds cold turkey cause more damage and if so how can I heal it? need to get out of this ASAP.
CURRENT REGIMEN Im eating healthy, regular exercise, meditating and keeping a consistent sleep schedule. Taking supplements in attempt to help my neurotransmitters get back to homeostasis ( if that is the main issue ). I a shell of my old self, why keep on this painful existence so , yet i'm trying to hold onto what little bit of hope i can for the future . So thank you in advance for Any feedback thoughts that might help, I am so greatly appreciative.
Currently taking following supplements
AM finesteride/ only prescription. fish oil, Vit d&k , 5mthf, magnesium oratate , 5htp b-6 , l-tyrosine,
PM l-theanine5htp (or l-typtophan), b-6 , l-tyrosine and melatonin.
possibilites
( thinking of adding bacopa, rhodiola rosea , & l tyrosine, and possibly dlpa, and switching 5htp with l-tryptophan?) Any other meds, supplements, nootropics
also note (4 days ago had relentless panic attack similar to first few weeks of med. I didn't want to touch benzo, so took small dose of pain med. My anxiety physical symptoms almost abated (probably just in remission )and has not return aside form slight fleeting chest pain, difficulty breathing.. I am thrilled aside from the fact i feel even more blah. ( With anxiety randomly and seldom I'd have windows of feeling 80% back to self) Possibly I've lost part of the fight response form +cortisol adrenalin etc that . Curious if his might help, any ideas of the causality of what I'm experiencing , and what i could do aside from turning to opiates in future.
Edited by Lifemap, 26 October 2014 - 06:38 AM.