Off-Kilter: I’m Not Liking This

I’m sure many of you will relate to this, as all of us have had to go through a medication change at some point or another. I just went through one in the past couple of weeks. But it was to go back on one that I had success with in the past. Problem is, I’m wondering if the success is short lived.

Let’s back up.

For almost a year, I had been on an SSRI that had slowly, over time, started triggering akathisia to the point that I thought I was literally going crazy. I mean, for someone who is already dealing with mental illness to think they are going crazy says a lot. But once it was realized that it was the SSRI that was triggering everything, once I stopped it, the akathisia and the feeling of going crazy stopped almost immediately.

It was at that point that my psychiatrist decided to put me on an another drug that I had had success with in the past. The thing is though, I’m noticing strange things: running into walls, doors, and door frames; lapse in memory; unable to concentrate; unable to sleep; muscle and joint pain; and explainable exhaustion.

I keep telling myself that it is probably just a combination of both coming off the SSRI and starting on the new medication, but something just isn’t right. And I can’t pinpoint it. All I can say is that I don’t like the way I feel and I don’t like how the bruises are adding up. And my work has taken a hit due to it.

So, my question to my readers is if any of you have experienced anything like this before? How did you approach it or tackle it? I want to hear how you handled your experience.