LukeZoloft Posted September 29, 2015 Share Posted September 29, 2015 (edited) Hi my name is Lukelast July I attempted to come of my antidepressant (sertraline 100mg) medication after 5 and a bit years use as I worried I was developing a movement disorder. due to being really restless when trying to keep still. I seemed to do well of off it for 7 weeks until all a sudden near the 8 week mark I started getting really bad muscle twitches, lost my ability to think and remember things, lost my ability to orgasm and get an erection, couldn't sleep it was so scary. to cut a long story short I got taken in to hospital after trying to get my self to jump of a multi-storey car park. I reinstated to 50 mg and after that a lot of my symptoms subsided but I got a new set of muscle twitches. have been back on my meds for 4 weeks now and feel tired.Is it possible to heal from this Tardive Dyskinesia at my age? I am 20 nearly 21, and has anyone had any of my above withdrawal symptoms and healed from them once of there meds. I feel it may take me 16 years from how bad I was to fully recover but I feel this is what I should do as these drugs are only going to course me more damage the longer im on them.Its absolutely outrageous how pharmaceutical company's get away with this and brain wash doctors into to believing these drugs don't course long term withdrawal. I hope one day these companies get brought down to there knees until they haven't a single penny left. these drugs are worse than so called illegal drugs to withdraw from.My family don't believe these drugs are coursing me damage especially my mum and dad. My mum has been on meds such as valium for most her life and never really had a problem. Dad runs a very successful bussness and has been on ssris for the last 5 years without any problem. so they don't want to think its doing any damage to them. Edited July 19, 2016 by scallywag add tags Link to comment
Nomoreheadmeds Posted September 29, 2015 Share Posted September 29, 2015 Welcome 'lukezoloft'.Someone will be along shortly to assist you. I wish you well Sertraline 100mg amytrip 60mg diazepam 4mg (and when needed) since late 90's.Reduced all meds over 6 wks (too short) last doses 13 wks ago.Still having withdrawals.I would have done it differently 5th august 2015 reinstated 5mg amytripiline.increased to 10mg amtrip 9th sept 2015. Link to comment
Administrator Altostrata Posted September 29, 2015 Administrator Share Posted September 29, 2015 Welcome, Luke. Can you tell us more about the muscle twitches? When do they occur, how often, what limbs? How did you come off Zoloft? How long have you been taking 50mg? How did the twitches change after reinstatement of 50mg Zoloft? Do you have any other odd symptoms? This is not medical advice. Discuss any decisions about your medical care with a knowledgeable medical practitioner. "It has become appallingly obvious that our technology has surpassed our humanity." -- Albert Einstein All postings © copyrighted. Link to comment
LukeZoloft Posted September 29, 2015 Author Share Posted September 29, 2015 Hi there I came of Zoloft within 1 month following my doctors weaning schedule. I went from taking 100mg to 50 mg for 2 weeks then 25mg for 2 weeks then completely of. my muscle twitches occur when I sit or lie down. when I reinstated I got twitches in both lower calf muscles, both quads, right hamstring, in my gluteus, both triceps in my upper back, have twitches on my temples behind my ears above my eye browse in my eye lids, sometimes my jaw will move slightly if I lie completely still. it sounds bad but these twitches don't happen all the time, I can sit or lie completely still without them happening for long periods of time such as 15 minutes or more. I do feel that I have some control over them at times. Ive been reinstated back on Zoloft for 4 weeks now. spent 3 weeks on 50mg but felt tired still so went back to 100mg for 6 days which made me feel more awake how ever it also made me feel more agitated. so I went back down to 50mg and then I decided to go down to 25mg for which I've been on for 2 days now before I went of my meds the only muscle twitch I got was occasional palpitations in my eye lids and tics after lying still for long periods of time such as 20 minutes or more at night. I feel less anxious though which is strange as before I came of my meds I felt anxious a lot of the time. I definitely don't feel the same as before I came of my meds. Link to comment
Administrator Altostrata Posted September 29, 2015 Administrator Share Posted September 29, 2015 It sounds like 100mg Zoloft is too activating for you, this could be true of 50mg as well. If I were you, I'd stay at 25mg for at least a couple of weeks to see how it affects you, then assess from there. Jumping around in dosage isn't good for a stressed nervous system, see The rule of 3KIS: Keep it simple. Keep it slow. Keep it stable. See if your nervous system shows signs of settling down. This may take months. Then you can consider tapering, see Tips for tapering off Zoloft (sertraline) This is not medical advice. Discuss any decisions about your medical care with a knowledgeable medical practitioner. "It has become appallingly obvious that our technology has surpassed our humanity." -- Albert Einstein All postings © copyrighted. Link to comment
LukeZoloft Posted September 30, 2015 Author Share Posted September 30, 2015 Thank you very much for your advice I very much so appreciate it. also one of the strangest symptoms I had 4 weeks of my meds was getting a really bad stomach and tight chest at the same time every now and then. I did a lot of running through this time period as I thought this would help me maintain a good mood as this was my long term solution for dealing with my anxiety once of the Zoloft and because I've always enjoyed running long distances. when I ran one time I got an asthma attack which I hadn't had since I was 4 years old. Yesterday In the evening I started getting a tight chest and really bad stomach again. however I do eat quite a lot of sugary foods and I had a lemonade which made my stomach a lot worse. however my stomach feels fine today and I don't have a tight chest its very strange. do you recon its my nervous system reacting to the lack of Zoloft and that it cant handle the foods I eat due to the lack of it in my system? Link to comment
LukeZoloft Posted September 30, 2015 Author Share Posted September 30, 2015 Has anyone here tried to file a lawsuit against any of the drug companies for how bad the protracted withdrawal is? Link to comment
direstraits Posted September 30, 2015 Share Posted September 30, 2015 yeah,I have but every time I contact one of these lawfirms that advertise they are "paxil lawyers" I 'm told they can't help me...I don't get it. went on Prozac 1994-99,60mg.poopout ct back on 2001-2002,prozac weekly 2002,not working,Effexor 75 mg.?2003-mar.2004 gaining weight 8wk. taper,wellbutrin 150 mg.mar. -may 2004 ctmedfree til july 2005 back to Prozac gaining weight again,back on wellbutrin jan.2006150-300 mg.bad constipation.also was taking aygestin(hormone)perimenopausal irregular bleeding.back on Prozac around sept,?2006,hysterectomy jan30.2007(adenomyosis)off&on Prozac til 2009,citalopram about 1 mo, April 2010 no effect,Effexor again may -mar, 2011.ct,Prozac aug,-dec, 2011 &sept-nov 2012,paroxetine oct,23 2013-may 4 2014 20 mgs.tapered 6 wks.-failed RI in Oct.2014-in protracted WD.started 10 mgs. Fluoxetine May 25 2021 .Stopped fluoxetine May 2022 at 5 mgs. Link to comment
LukeZoloft Posted October 5, 2015 Author Share Posted October 5, 2015 Hi Alto do you no if anyone else on this forum successfully got through Zoloft withdrawal and had been taking it since they were a teenager for many years. I'm currently trying to stabilise on 25mg but feel that sleep is getting harder as am jolting a lot and have only been on 25mg for 7 days now. I do manage to get to sleep but it takes probably 1 hour and am guessing this will only get worse as my drug levels will get lower over time. Link to comment
LucaDiProspero Posted October 5, 2015 Share Posted October 5, 2015 Has anyone here tried to file a lawsuit against any of the drug companies for how bad the protracted withdrawal is? Yes, months ago I searched for a lawyer that could help me in acting against Janssen drug company for my WD syndrome but all the lawyers I found told me the same story: 'Well, do you have any proof the drug damaged you also after you stopped it? No? Then I can't go on with it sorry'. March 2010/ October 2010: Sereupin 30mg a day, EN 15 drops a day October 2010/ 1st November 2014: Cipralex 50mg a day (tapered to 40mg a day in August 2013), EN 15 drops a day (switched to Lexotan 15 drops a day in September 2014) Started Risperdal 1mg a day on the 1st November 2014. Stopped Risperdal on the 23 November 2014 because that day, after a short mental crysis, I suddenly lost all my emotions,desires,motivation and they not come back yet. Stopped Cipralex C/T in December 2014. Added, tapered and stopped other drugs during the following months (also a voluntary hospitalization in January 2015 for a suicide attempt)...no changes yet. I'm med free from 3rd December 2015 Link to comment
Moderator Emeritus dalsaan Posted October 5, 2015 Moderator Emeritus Share Posted October 5, 2015 Hi Alto do you no if anyone else on this forum successfully got through Zoloft withdrawal and had been taking it since they were a teenager for many years. I'm currently trying to stabilise on 25mg but feel that sleep is getting harder as am jolting a lot and have only been on 25mg for 7 days now. I do manage to get to sleep but it takes probably 1 hour and am guessing this will only get worse as my drug levels will get lower over time. The idea is to stabilise on a dose and then drop down slow enough to avoid the worst of things. Give the 25 mg more time. It take 4 days to even get the levels stable in your system. In the mean time look through the symptoms thread to find all the non drug ways to keep calm. This is the best thing you can do for your nervous system Dalsaan Please note - I am not a medical practitioner and I do not give medical advice. I offer an opinion based on my own experiences, reading and discussion with others.On Effexor for 2 months at the start of 2005. Had extreme insomnia as an adverse reaction. Changed to mirtazapine. Have been trying to get off since mid 2008 with numerous failures including CTs and slow (but not slow enough tapers)Have slow tapered at 10 per cent or less for years. I have liquid mirtazapine made at a compounding chemist. Was on 1.6 ml as at 19 March 2014. Dropped to 1.5 ml 7 June 2014. Dropped to 1.4 in about September. Dropped to 1.3 on 20 December 2014. Dropped to 1.2 in mid Jan 2015. Dropped to 1 ml in late Feb 2015. I think my old medication had run out of puff so I tried 1ml when I got the new stuff and it seems to be going ok. Sleep has been good over the last week (as of 13/3/15). Dropped to 1/2 ml 14/11/15 Fatigue still there as are memory and cognition problems. Sleep is patchy but liveable compared to what it has been in the past. DRUG FREE - as at 1st May 2017 >My intro post is here - http://survivingantidepressants.org/index.php?/topic/2250-dalsaan Link to comment
Moderator brassmonkey Posted October 26, 2015 Moderator Share Posted October 26, 2015 Hi Luke-- We need to continue our discussions here on your journal thread instead of by PM. It will provide you with a better record and we'll get input from the other mods which will provide a lot more information and experience to draw on. 20 years on Paxil starting at 20mg and working up to 40mg. Sept 2011 started 10% every 6 weeks taper (2.5% every week for 4 weeks then hold for 2 additional weeks), currently at 7.9mg. Oct 2011 CTed 15oz vodka a night, to only drinking 2 beers most nights, totally sober Feb 2013. Since I wrote this I have continued to decrease my dose by 10% every 6 weeks (2.5% every week for 4 weeks and then hold for an additional 2 weeks). I added in an extra 6 week hold when I hit 10mg to let things settle out even more. When I hit 3mgpw it became hard to split the drop into 4 parts so I switched to dropping 1mgpw (pill weight) every week for 3 weeks and then holding for another 3 weeks. The 3 + 3 schedule turned out to be too harsh so I cut back to dropping 1mgpw every 4 weeks which is working better. Final Dose 0.016mg. Current dose 0.000mg 04-15-2017 "It's also important not to become angry, no matter how difficult life is, because you can loose all hope if you can't laugh at yourself and at life in general." Stephen Hawking Link to comment
LukeZoloft Posted November 3, 2015 Author Share Posted November 3, 2015 Hi Brass just started reading this thread again sorry for the late reply Link to comment
Moderator brassmonkey Posted November 3, 2015 Moderator Share Posted November 3, 2015 Hey Luke-- good to see you here, we should get a lot more input doing it this way. One thing that would be really helpful would be if you would add a signature block, it really makes it much easier for us to see what is going on. Please put your withdrawal history in your signature 20 years on Paxil starting at 20mg and working up to 40mg. Sept 2011 started 10% every 6 weeks taper (2.5% every week for 4 weeks then hold for 2 additional weeks), currently at 7.9mg. Oct 2011 CTed 15oz vodka a night, to only drinking 2 beers most nights, totally sober Feb 2013. Since I wrote this I have continued to decrease my dose by 10% every 6 weeks (2.5% every week for 4 weeks and then hold for an additional 2 weeks). I added in an extra 6 week hold when I hit 10mg to let things settle out even more. When I hit 3mgpw it became hard to split the drop into 4 parts so I switched to dropping 1mgpw (pill weight) every week for 3 weeks and then holding for another 3 weeks. The 3 + 3 schedule turned out to be too harsh so I cut back to dropping 1mgpw every 4 weeks which is working better. Final Dose 0.016mg. Current dose 0.000mg 04-15-2017 "It's also important not to become angry, no matter how difficult life is, because you can loose all hope if you can't laugh at yourself and at life in general." Stephen Hawking Link to comment
LukeZoloft Posted November 5, 2015 Author Share Posted November 5, 2015 Hi Tom I've now put in my signature if you no anyone else who could be of assistance that would be great Link to comment
Administrator Altostrata Posted November 5, 2015 Administrator Share Posted November 5, 2015 Luke, people have gotten off Zoloft. But with your long history and starting so young, you might want to be extra careful going off. Have you tried fish oil and magnesium supplements, seehttp://survivingantidepressants.org/index.php?/topic/36-king-of-supplements-omega-3-fatty-acids-fish-oil/http://survivingantidepressants.org/index.php?/topic/1300-magnesium-natures-calcium-channel-blocker/ The magnesium in particular is good for tight muscles and muscle twitches. It is calming. It's possible you'll stabilize on 25mg, or perhaps a bit more, such as 30mg. Can you ask your doctor for liquid Zoloft, this will make it easy to add 5mg? This is not medical advice. Discuss any decisions about your medical care with a knowledgeable medical practitioner. "It has become appallingly obvious that our technology has surpassed our humanity." -- Albert Einstein All postings © copyrighted. Link to comment
LukeZoloft Posted November 6, 2015 Author Share Posted November 6, 2015 Hi alto thanks for getting back to me, I haven't tried fish oils or magnesium yet but I will buy some when I get a chance, in regards to getting liquid Zoloft I need to go to my doctor for a prescription which I will do. I fear 25mg may be to low as I went on it for 7 days and started to feel more fatigued, I don't know if that's good or a bad thing? Do you think my brain development is completely destroyed as I took it from a young age? And are the muscle spasms likely to be permanent tardive dyskinesia? is it rare what ive got? Link to comment
Administrator Altostrata Posted November 6, 2015 Administrator Share Posted November 6, 2015 You've been on 25mg Zoloft for 7 days and feel fatigued? Do you take it in the morning or evening? How are your other withdrawal symptoms now? No, your brain development is not completely destroyed, but your body is highly dependent on the Zoloft. My guess is the muscle twitches are tension or hypersensitivity caused by withdrawal. Magnesium often helps this. You can make your own Zoloft liquid if need be, see Tips for tapering off Zoloft (sertraline) This is not medical advice. Discuss any decisions about your medical care with a knowledgeable medical practitioner. "It has become appallingly obvious that our technology has surpassed our humanity." -- Albert Einstein All postings © copyrighted. Link to comment
LukeZoloft Posted November 6, 2015 Author Share Posted November 6, 2015 Hi alto thanks for your reply when I made the drop from 50 to 25mg I felt like I was feeling lower in mood and more jolty at night in bed within 7 days, also had a more sensitive stomach, I still felt fairly normal but feared id get the depersonalisation again within 7 weeks. I take sertraline in the morning I am pretty good apart from feeling agitated a lot of the time and getting the muscle spasms. Muscle spasms, twitches, body jolts and slight fatigue are my only real noticeable symptoms that bother me. I looked into tardive dyskinesia and although its mainly caused by antipsychotics it apparently is caused by ssri's but not in the same way as I have most control over my movement. A person can get Tardive dyskinesia symptoms when they withdraw from the antipsychotic. I feel that this has happened to me in a similar way as I got tics on the medication mainly when I went to bed and lied dead still. I think maybe the medication blocked the twitching symptoms from coming through. The only noticeable side effects I had when on the medication before coming of was tiredness and mild tics, and occasional muscle spasms but they where really rare. Link to comment
Administrator Altostrata Posted November 6, 2015 Administrator Share Posted November 6, 2015 If 25mg Zoloft makes you feel tired, you may wish to take it in the evening -- move it a couple of hours later each day for a few days. Please stop worrying about tardive dyskinesia. Has the pattern of tics and spasms changed since you reinstated 25mg Zoloft? Have you tried magnesium? This is not medical advice. Discuss any decisions about your medical care with a knowledgeable medical practitioner. "It has become appallingly obvious that our technology has surpassed our humanity." -- Albert Einstein All postings © copyrighted. Link to comment
LukeZoloft Posted November 6, 2015 Author Share Posted November 6, 2015 Hi Alto thanks for getting back to me I haven't dropped back down to 25mg yet I will do that in the morning and will take it a few hours later. still haven't got any magnesium, am going to the chemist tomorrow to get some and also fish oil tablets. and sorry I just fear I may have it that's all. do you know much about tardive dyskinesia alto? can these symptoms dissipate over years? Link to comment
Administrator Altostrata Posted November 6, 2015 Administrator Share Posted November 6, 2015 We have people here who have recovered from the movement symptoms. I'm very confused about how much Zoloft you are taking. Up above, you said you had been on 25mg for 7 days. This is not medical advice. Discuss any decisions about your medical care with a knowledgeable medical practitioner. "It has become appallingly obvious that our technology has surpassed our humanity." -- Albert Einstein All postings © copyrighted. Link to comment
LukeZoloft Posted November 7, 2015 Author Share Posted November 7, 2015 Hi Alto sorry I've been so confusing I was on 25mg at one point. Basically my doctor reinstated me on 50mg when protracted withdrawal hit me hard. I took 50mg for 2 weeks then tried taking 100mg for 5 days that made me feel dreadful. I then went back down to 50mg for 4 days, after that I went down to 25mg for 6 days( thought it was 7 days but wasn't checked in my diary as I've recorded each dose since reinstating). As a result from doing that I thought I was slipping mood wise and felt more jolty and anxious and feared It was going to get a lot worse within the next 5 weeks, I think it was mainly to do with being scared that I made a 75% reduction in my dose and feared it was basically close to cold turkey. so went back up to 50 mg and have stayed on that for the last 5 weeks now. Do you think it may be to risky now to drop back down to 25mg? Link to comment
Administrator Altostrata Posted November 7, 2015 Administrator Share Posted November 7, 2015 No, if you're not getting adverse reactions from 50mg, I would stay on it. This is not medical advice. Discuss any decisions about your medical care with a knowledgeable medical practitioner. "It has become appallingly obvious that our technology has surpassed our humanity." -- Albert Einstein All postings © copyrighted. Link to comment
LukeZoloft Posted November 7, 2015 Author Share Posted November 7, 2015 Hi Alto do you think id be ok to drop down to 25mg? even though am doing fairly ok on 50mg. Link to comment
AliG Posted November 7, 2015 Share Posted November 7, 2015 Hi Luke , You shouldn't do a drop , like that . Taper 10 % . Sudden drops , are hard on the C.N.S. Keep it , slow and steady . Ali. Many SSRI's and SSNRI's over 20 years. Zoloft for 7 years followed by Effexor, Lexapro, Prozac, Cymbalta, Celexa, Pristiq, Valdoxan, Mianserin and more - on and off. No tapering. Cold turkey off Valdoxan - end of May 2014 Psych Drug - free since May 2014 . Link to comment
Moderator Emeritus ChessieCat Posted November 8, 2015 Moderator Emeritus Share Posted November 8, 2015 Hi Luke I can understand, as can probably all of the other members, that you want to reduce or get off the Zoloft as quickly as possible. The link below explains in a simple way what is happening in the brain and body and it helped me realise that dropping my Pristiq by 50% was a really bad idea. Because I had Serotonin Syndrome (developed very bad aches and pains) I went from 100 mg to 50 mg, which I was on for 2 weeks (felt fuzzy headed), when I found this forum so I've reinstated 75 mg (which for me seems to be working okay although I do feel a little bit stressed, but the fuzzy head has lifted) and now I plan to wait until after Christmas (because I get a bit stressed normally during the Christmas/New Year period) to start my taper by 10% of the current dose. Brain Remodelling I hope this information helps. Good luck CC * NO LONGER ACTIVE on SA * MISSION ACCOMPLISHED: (6 year taper) 0mg Pristiq on 13th November 2021 ADs since ~1992: 25+ years - 1 unknown, Prozac (muscle weakness), Zoloft; citalopram (pooped out) CTed (very sick for 2.5 wks a few months after); Pristiq: 50mg 2012, 100mg beg 2013 (Serotonin Toxicity) Tapering from Oct 2015 - 13 Nov 2021 LAST DOSE 0.0025mg Post 0 updates start here My tapering program My Intro (goes to tapering graph) VIDEO: Antidepressant Withdrawal Syndrome and its Management Link to comment
LukeZoloft Posted November 8, 2015 Author Share Posted November 8, 2015 Thanks for your advice guys. I just feel I may be able to cope on 25mg as I feel pretty good on 50mg and believe that there is a chance I can scrape by on 25mg id probably leave it a year then before I made my next taper. You are right though I am sick of taking this poison sorry if I sound arrogant its just I cant believe I'm going through this at the age of 20 years old I've been told this is where life starts. the thing is this isn't the life I thought id be starting. Link to comment
Moderator Emeritus Fresh Posted November 8, 2015 Moderator Emeritus Share Posted November 8, 2015 Hi Like , what a big thing you've gone through for a twenty year old - a flying start into learning the perils of the world we live in. If you play your cards right , in a few years this will be well behind you and you'll have a mature outlook which will stand you in good stead the rest of your life. Post 24: Alto suggests staying on 50mg if you're okay there. The more you change your dose around , the more difficult it is for your brain to keep adjusting. And there;s been alot of changes. Last time you dropped from 50 to 25 you describe getting more "jolty". It's not sensible to set yourself up for further destabilization at this point. I'd be inclined to stay on 50mg and allow yourself to recover at least until the new year. Then , when you begin tapering , you decrease slowly and allow your brain to adjust at each level on the way down to avoid the type of trauma you experienced. See Why Taper By 10% of my Dosage here http://survivingantidepressants.org/index.php?/topic/1024-why-taper-by-10-of-my-dosage/ and What Is Withdrawal Syndrome here http://survivingantidepressants.org/index.php?/topic/603-what-is-withdrawal-syndrome/ You're going to be okay Luke. This process is an exercise in patience. Best wishes , Fresh 1987-1997 pertofran , prothiaden , Prozac 1997-2002 Zoloft 2002-2004 effexor 2004-2010 Lexapro 40mg 2010-2012Cymbalta 120mg Sept. 2012 -decreased 90mg in 6months. Care taken over by Dr Lucire in March 2013 , decreased last 30mg at 2mg per week over 3 months. July 21 , 2013- last dose of Cymbalta Protracted withdrawal syndrome kicked in badly Jan.2014 Unrelenting akathisia until May 2014. Voluntary hosp. admission. Cocktail of Seroquel, Ativan and mirtazapine and I was well enough to go home after 14 days. Stopped all hosp. meds in next few months. July 2014 felt v.depressed - couldn't stop crying. Started pristiq 50mg. Felt improvement within days and continued to improve, so stayed on 50mg for 8 months. Began taper 28 Feb. 2015. Pristiq 50mg down to 45mg. Had one month of w/d symptoms. Started CES therapy in March. No w/d symptoms down to 30mg. October 2015 , taking 25mg Pristiq. Capsules compounded with slow-release additive. March 2016 , 21mg Link to comment
LukeZoloft Posted November 8, 2015 Author Share Posted November 8, 2015 Hey Fresh today I've felt really good, went for a short intense run which made me feel amazing after would and made my muscle spasms subside for about an hour do you get muscle spasms? also the reason im so keen to go down to 25mg is because I feel pretty normal on 50mg so feel maybe its time to go down how ever if you and think its a really bad idea I shall remain at 50mg for a bit longer then drop down to 40mg Am I at a lesser advantage in getting of meds as I took them in my early teenage years? Link to comment
Moderator Emeritus Fresh Posted November 8, 2015 Moderator Emeritus Share Posted November 8, 2015 Yes , I think it's a REALLY BAD IDEA to decrease before Christmas. This period is known to be stressful and that will make any w/d symptoms worse. Let it be . . . let your brain rest from all the changes. Did you read the "Why Taper By 10%" thread yet? 10% of 50mg is 5mg , so your first drop will be to 45mg. I don't believe you're disadvantaged because you started meds so young . . . but you will need to be extra cautious decreasing at the lower doses. Same deal for people like me who've been on them for over 20 years , our brains aren't used to going it alone , and need to be eased into it. If you start thinking now about the taper taking 2 years , you can get on with life in the meantime. Re legal: check out cepuk.org. Council for Evidence based Psychiatry. The founder , The Earl of Sandwich , sued his doctor for irresponsible prescribing and was awarded 1.3 mill. pounds. They'll know about legal action in your country. 1987-1997 pertofran , prothiaden , Prozac 1997-2002 Zoloft 2002-2004 effexor 2004-2010 Lexapro 40mg 2010-2012Cymbalta 120mg Sept. 2012 -decreased 90mg in 6months. Care taken over by Dr Lucire in March 2013 , decreased last 30mg at 2mg per week over 3 months. July 21 , 2013- last dose of Cymbalta Protracted withdrawal syndrome kicked in badly Jan.2014 Unrelenting akathisia until May 2014. Voluntary hosp. admission. Cocktail of Seroquel, Ativan and mirtazapine and I was well enough to go home after 14 days. Stopped all hosp. meds in next few months. July 2014 felt v.depressed - couldn't stop crying. Started pristiq 50mg. Felt improvement within days and continued to improve, so stayed on 50mg for 8 months. Began taper 28 Feb. 2015. Pristiq 50mg down to 45mg. Had one month of w/d symptoms. Started CES therapy in March. No w/d symptoms down to 30mg. October 2015 , taking 25mg Pristiq. Capsules compounded with slow-release additive. March 2016 , 21mg Link to comment
LukeZoloft Posted November 9, 2015 Author Share Posted November 9, 2015 Hi Fresh will stay on 50mg then for now I am extremely angry at what has happened lately, I've lost trust in all my doctors and don't want to see them anymore. Id love to sue them but id love to sue the makers of sertraline even more for being so negligent on the safety of there product. I have read the 10% taper thread. I just feel that I'm on an unnecessary high dose of sertraline as I feel pretty good on 50mg I have plenty of loughs with my friends when I can. The only thing that makes me concerned is the muscle spasms im getting all over my body at times. Is this rare for a withdrawal symptom? It seems that people who get brain zaps don't seem to suffer from muscle spasms and people who suffer from muscle spasms don't suffer from brain zaps. I may be completely wrong but I feel I see a correlation there. And yeah I read that article on Luke Montague it was very interesting. I feel really sorry for the guy he must be going through absolute agony Link to comment
Moderator Emeritus ChessieCat Posted November 10, 2015 Moderator Emeritus Share Posted November 10, 2015 Hi Luke, Muscle spasms are a symptom of Serotonin Syndrome. Did you have them before when you were on the 25mg dose. I started getting spasms after my dose of Pristiq was increased from 50 to 100 mg. I was also sweating a lot more than usual. Just a thought. CC * NO LONGER ACTIVE on SA * MISSION ACCOMPLISHED: (6 year taper) 0mg Pristiq on 13th November 2021 ADs since ~1992: 25+ years - 1 unknown, Prozac (muscle weakness), Zoloft; citalopram (pooped out) CTed (very sick for 2.5 wks a few months after); Pristiq: 50mg 2012, 100mg beg 2013 (Serotonin Toxicity) Tapering from Oct 2015 - 13 Nov 2021 LAST DOSE 0.0025mg Post 0 updates start here My tapering program My Intro (goes to tapering graph) VIDEO: Antidepressant Withdrawal Syndrome and its Management Link to comment
LukeZoloft Posted November 10, 2015 Author Share Posted November 10, 2015 Hey CC I only started getting them once acute protracted withdrawal hit me. when I went back on half my dose they were still there just not as much Ive never had them before in my life although I remember getting body tics every now and then before I started weaning of the drug when ever I go for an intence run for about 30 mins after I get a complete break form the muscle spasms which is good LZ Link to comment
Moderator Emeritus Fresh Posted November 12, 2015 Moderator Emeritus Share Posted November 12, 2015 I'm not sure I've had muscle spasms Luke , I have had twitching and occasionally cramping. Have you tried magnesium? You might also look at Himalayan Salt Sole , in case it's related to a mineral deficiency Himalayan salt contains the minerals that are necessary for your health, including macrominerals and trace minerals. The macrominerals are needed in relative abundance and include calcium, chloride, iron, magnesium, phosphorus, potassium and sodium. The recommended daily amount of these macrominerals depends of your age, activity level and general health. Calcium is the most common mineral in your body and is found in your bones and teeth, as well as playing a vital role in nerve and muscle health. Trace minerals are needed in small amounts for health, and those found in Himalayan salt include boron, chromium, copper, fluoride, iodine, manganese, molybdenum, selenium and zinc. Other minerals in Himalayan salt include aluminum, carbon, platinum, selenium, sulfur and titanium. 1987-1997 pertofran , prothiaden , Prozac 1997-2002 Zoloft 2002-2004 effexor 2004-2010 Lexapro 40mg 2010-2012Cymbalta 120mg Sept. 2012 -decreased 90mg in 6months. Care taken over by Dr Lucire in March 2013 , decreased last 30mg at 2mg per week over 3 months. July 21 , 2013- last dose of Cymbalta Protracted withdrawal syndrome kicked in badly Jan.2014 Unrelenting akathisia until May 2014. Voluntary hosp. admission. Cocktail of Seroquel, Ativan and mirtazapine and I was well enough to go home after 14 days. Stopped all hosp. meds in next few months. July 2014 felt v.depressed - couldn't stop crying. Started pristiq 50mg. Felt improvement within days and continued to improve, so stayed on 50mg for 8 months. Began taper 28 Feb. 2015. Pristiq 50mg down to 45mg. Had one month of w/d symptoms. Started CES therapy in March. No w/d symptoms down to 30mg. October 2015 , taking 25mg Pristiq. Capsules compounded with slow-release additive. March 2016 , 21mg Link to comment
Administrator Altostrata Posted November 12, 2015 Administrator Share Posted November 12, 2015 No, if you're not getting adverse reactions from 50mg, I would stay on it. About serotonin syndrome -- while muscle spasms can be a symptom of serotonin syndrome, they can also be due to a lot of other things. Serotonin syndrome is caused by taking excessive serotonergic drugs, usually more than one. Muscle tension, twitches, and spasms are very, very common withdrawal symptoms, quite apart from serotonin syndrome. Luke, have you tried magnesium citrate, mag glycinate, or mag oil for the muscle symptoms? This is not medical advice. Discuss any decisions about your medical care with a knowledgeable medical practitioner. "It has become appallingly obvious that our technology has surpassed our humanity." -- Albert Einstein All postings © copyrighted. Link to comment
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