Administrator Altostrata Posted January 26, 2020 Administrator Share Posted January 26, 2020 33 minutes ago, nick1990 said: It’s the hottest summer on record here and constant glaring sunshine. Could this have something to do with the increase in WD symptoms ? Yes, you may be sensitive to the heat. Do you want to try updosing 0.5mg? 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
nick1990 Posted January 26, 2020 Author Share Posted January 26, 2020 @Altostrata it has been 16 months since I stopped tapering. Is that not a bit risky ? Honestly, an updose had not even crossed my mind. I don’t feel the symptoms are bad enough , it’s just the current pattern of consistent symptoms that is troublesome. Started Citalopram in 2005 (aged 15) for apparent "OCD" - 60mg July 2015 attempted 2 x 10% + cuts 4 weeks apart. WD symptoms intense at times. Need to slow down. November 2016 - Resumed taper. 1.25 - 1.5% decrease weekly approx. 44.5mg November 2016. Jan 2017 42.5 mg. March 2017 40 mg. June 2017 37mg. September 2018 22mg. Nov 2018 Holding at 22mg to stabilise from moderate wave. January 2020 - Holding, mostly feeling fine, but still having some waves at times. February 2020 - Resumed taper , 1.5% reduction weekly/every two weeks. Link to comment
Moderator brassmonkey Posted January 26, 2020 Moderator Share Posted January 26, 2020 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=In7z7B87Puc 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
nick1990 Posted January 26, 2020 Author Share Posted January 26, 2020 Lol ! Thanks @brassmonkey What do do you think Tom ? Just keep holding at the current dose ? I’m really not keen on the idea of an updose. Especially considering symptoms were definitely worse this time last year, so there has been improvement, without a doubt. Moving to Melbourne is happening in 3.5 months and I don’t want to rock the boat too much for that as it will undoubtedly involve some level of stress. Started Citalopram in 2005 (aged 15) for apparent "OCD" - 60mg July 2015 attempted 2 x 10% + cuts 4 weeks apart. WD symptoms intense at times. Need to slow down. November 2016 - Resumed taper. 1.25 - 1.5% decrease weekly approx. 44.5mg November 2016. Jan 2017 42.5 mg. March 2017 40 mg. June 2017 37mg. September 2018 22mg. Nov 2018 Holding at 22mg to stabilise from moderate wave. January 2020 - Holding, mostly feeling fine, but still having some waves at times. February 2020 - Resumed taper , 1.5% reduction weekly/every two weeks. Link to comment
Moderator brassmonkey Posted January 26, 2020 Moderator Share Posted January 26, 2020 Glad you enjoyed it Nick. I'm thinking there is a large situational element that is compounded by WD burnout. Holding for that long can take a toll just by itself. If your symptoms aren't debilitating then I don't see a need for an updose. An updose is different than a reinstatement so doesn't have the same time frame restrictions. Seems to me that the long hold may be starting to throw you into poopout. So I think some small reductions are in order. I'd start with a 5% Brassmonkey Slide and see how that goes. (1.25% a week for four weeks and hold an additional two weeks). I think the upcoming move is very important for you and you are in kinda a holding pattern until that happens. Once that gets rolling there will be a lot of distractions which should help. Speaking of distractions, hows the tiny house project? 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
nick1990 Posted January 26, 2020 Author Share Posted January 26, 2020 Thanks Tom , I do feel like there is a large situational element at play too . The waiting, the holding , the feeling of not progressing. So are you saying to wait until I get over there and then slowly resume with the taper ? I don’t feel like i should be tapering just yet - to me it’s just that I’m not mentally in a good enough space right now. As well as having these uncomfortable symptoms coming and going . The tiny house hasn’t been completed yet. It’s been too hot and I haven’t had the energy to be doing the physical work on it. I’ll be having a calm next few months so hoping to get most of it done before the move Started Citalopram in 2005 (aged 15) for apparent "OCD" - 60mg July 2015 attempted 2 x 10% + cuts 4 weeks apart. WD symptoms intense at times. Need to slow down. November 2016 - Resumed taper. 1.25 - 1.5% decrease weekly approx. 44.5mg November 2016. Jan 2017 42.5 mg. March 2017 40 mg. June 2017 37mg. September 2018 22mg. Nov 2018 Holding at 22mg to stabilise from moderate wave. January 2020 - Holding, mostly feeling fine, but still having some waves at times. February 2020 - Resumed taper , 1.5% reduction weekly/every two weeks. Link to comment
Moderator brassmonkey Posted January 26, 2020 Moderator Share Posted January 26, 2020 I was thinking to go ahead and start the taper now, but you're the one in contact with your body and if it doesn't feel right, then yea, wait for it. I really like the idea of "tiny houses". We've been throwing around the idea of getting another RV, we sold our old on a few years ago and really miss it. But then we get thinking and planning and researching and always come back to the idea of building one ourselves. Yet another project to contemplate. 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
nick1990 Posted January 26, 2020 Author Share Posted January 26, 2020 Thanks Tom , I’ll see what happens in the coming weeks. I have to say , im a bit confused . I’ve had WD symptoms for over a year now , how does it suddenly morph into tolerance ? I’ve read your poopout topic , but still am not sure. Is there something I’m missing ? I think the RV is a great idea. When I’m older and wealthier (maybe) , I plan on buying an RV, I love the whole idea of them. Creating your own one would be amazing ! Started Citalopram in 2005 (aged 15) for apparent "OCD" - 60mg July 2015 attempted 2 x 10% + cuts 4 weeks apart. WD symptoms intense at times. Need to slow down. November 2016 - Resumed taper. 1.25 - 1.5% decrease weekly approx. 44.5mg November 2016. Jan 2017 42.5 mg. March 2017 40 mg. June 2017 37mg. September 2018 22mg. Nov 2018 Holding at 22mg to stabilise from moderate wave. January 2020 - Holding, mostly feeling fine, but still having some waves at times. February 2020 - Resumed taper , 1.5% reduction weekly/every two weeks. Link to comment
nick1990 Posted January 26, 2020 Author Share Posted January 26, 2020 Thanks @brassmonkey, I’ll see what happens in the coming weeks. I have to say , im a bit confused . I’ve had WD symptoms for over a year now , how does it suddenly morph into tolerance ? I’ve read your poopout topic , but still am not sure. Is there something I’m missing ? I think the RV is a great idea. When I’m older and wealthier (maybe) , I plan on buying an RV, I love the whole idea of them. Creating your own one would be amazing ! Started Citalopram in 2005 (aged 15) for apparent "OCD" - 60mg July 2015 attempted 2 x 10% + cuts 4 weeks apart. WD symptoms intense at times. Need to slow down. November 2016 - Resumed taper. 1.25 - 1.5% decrease weekly approx. 44.5mg November 2016. Jan 2017 42.5 mg. March 2017 40 mg. June 2017 37mg. September 2018 22mg. Nov 2018 Holding at 22mg to stabilise from moderate wave. January 2020 - Holding, mostly feeling fine, but still having some waves at times. February 2020 - Resumed taper , 1.5% reduction weekly/every two weeks. Link to comment
nick1990 Posted January 26, 2020 Author Share Posted January 26, 2020 Hey @Altostrata and @brassmonkey Im sorry to be a pain at the moment, I’m just feeling confused. Alto, you suggested a possible updose, suggesting these are WD symptoms and Brass, you suggested I resume tapering as I may be in tolerance. I need to be very clear here. I have what FEELS like WD symptoms. I did not feel like this when I was on a steady dose of Citalopram, (even at 45mg) other than emotional blunting, the drugs didn’t seem to create many issues. The symptoms are not intense. They are mild to moderate at worst, but just pretty consistent. I was having many periods (sometimes weeks long) of feeling normal and free of symptoms over the last few months. But still had waves when I overdid things etc. This consistent wave pattern seemed to start after I was working a relatively physical job for 6 weeks. It wasn’t daily work, but was 8 hours on my feet and carrying heavy loads. At times I would almost start crying I was so tired. I quit over a month ago , due to how exhausted I was getting and not able to surf or do any other physical activities due to the exhaustion. The waves have been pretty consistent since around that time. I guess what im really trying to figure out is , are these waves and just a part of the Stabilization process ? If they are , I can wait them out (im still very functional, it’s more a neuro emotional aspect). Or does this sound more like a tolerance issue ? And only tapering will make it better ? My fear is that I’ve waited this long to stabilise and don’t want to rock the boat by tapering when my body isn’t ready. Thank you both for the time you put in here. Nick . Started Citalopram in 2005 (aged 15) for apparent "OCD" - 60mg July 2015 attempted 2 x 10% + cuts 4 weeks apart. WD symptoms intense at times. Need to slow down. November 2016 - Resumed taper. 1.25 - 1.5% decrease weekly approx. 44.5mg November 2016. Jan 2017 42.5 mg. March 2017 40 mg. June 2017 37mg. September 2018 22mg. Nov 2018 Holding at 22mg to stabilise from moderate wave. January 2020 - Holding, mostly feeling fine, but still having some waves at times. February 2020 - Resumed taper , 1.5% reduction weekly/every two weeks. Link to comment
Sottana Posted January 27, 2020 Share Posted January 27, 2020 Hey Nick, I’m not a mod or anything, but here’s my two cents. I personally don’t really feel like it’s likely to feel 100 percent symptom-free once you’ve started the tapering process and are still on the drug. I do think most people come to a very stable place if they wait long enough, but I think most people will have symptoms, to some extent, while still on the drug and after starting a taper. I think starting a taper destabilizes the nervous system, and it is very difficult for it to become 100 percent stable while still on the drug. I think it does it’s best, and you see symptom reduction and marked improvements, but I’m not sure you ever feel like symptoms are gone. I think total and complete healing happens once off the drug entirely, and even a while after that. Tapering is simply incremental healing, meaning you will probably still feel symptoms all the way through it. I could be totally wrong and welcome mods to correct me, of course. I just feel like what you’re describing, after 16 months, is probably WDNormal, since, as you say, you’re still functional and able to do things. Adili 1 2008: start Lexapro 10 mg which is quickly upped to 20 mg. 2008:2013 try at least four individual times to get off Lexapro, never get lower than 5mg, settle at 15 mg. 2015: again, attempt to get off Lexapro and get to 5 mg. After 6 months, feel i'm stabilizing but go back on a higher dose because of one stressful event. 2016: go to 20 mg from 15 mg due to work stresses, hit severe tolerance for the first time and become very suicidal. 2016-2017: try viibryd and cymbata in an attempt to feel better. Also add Lamictal 150 at some point. 2017: eventually land on paxil 37.5 and Lamictal 150. January 2018: cut paxil to 25. April-July 2018: reduce Lamictal in 50 mg increments till im off August. 2018: reduce paxil to 20 mg. december 2018: dropped Paxil to 18 mg, SEVERE CRASH. March updosed to 20 mg April 11: dropped to 19.4 mg due to akathsia (still experiencing akathsia symptoms from updose) April 20: 19 mg Paxil May 4: 18.7 Paxil July 5: 18.2 July 12: 17.8 Aug 19: 17.5 Aug 26: 17.3 Oct 20: 17.1 Nov 3: 16.9, 8/17/20: 16.6 after nine month hold, 8/24/20: 16.4, 8/31/20:16.2, 9/14/2020: 16.0, 9/21/20: 15.8, 9/28/20: 15.6, 10/19/20:15.4, 10/26/20: 15.2, 11/2/20: 15.1, 11/7/20: 14.8, 3/6/2-: 14.5, 3/20/20: 14.3, 4/3/20: 13.9, 4/10/2021: 13.7. 4/21/21: 13.5, 5/5/2021: 13.1, 12.2 8/12/2021 (slowly microtapered to this number. I just can’t remember the exact dates), 11.8 9/6/2021, 11.6 9/13/21, 11.2 9/27/21, 11.1 9/30/21.....11/5/21 switched to 10 mg tablet. I am holding to stabilize for the foreseeable future. 3/25/22: 9.4, 5/6/22: 9.0, 5/30/22: 8.25, 6/7/22: 8.1, 7/722: 7.65, 8/16/22: 7.39, 9/22/22: 6.91, 10/1/22: 6.78 Medication signature.docx Link to comment
nick1990 Posted January 28, 2020 Author Share Posted January 28, 2020 Hey @Altostrataand @brassmonkey I was wondering whether you got a chance to look at my last post. I have not been feeling well today. About 15 mins ago I got hit with a pretty intense anxiety, hot flushes and have been having split second depressive thoughts too. I’ve done nothing much but rest over the last few days. It just seems to keep going, this wave. I really don’t want to do anything and just wait it out. Is this normal in WD ? To have such a non linear spike in symptoms? Im not freaking out too much, I’m just noticing what I’m noticing and getting on with my life as best as I can. Started Citalopram in 2005 (aged 15) for apparent "OCD" - 60mg July 2015 attempted 2 x 10% + cuts 4 weeks apart. WD symptoms intense at times. Need to slow down. November 2016 - Resumed taper. 1.25 - 1.5% decrease weekly approx. 44.5mg November 2016. Jan 2017 42.5 mg. March 2017 40 mg. June 2017 37mg. September 2018 22mg. Nov 2018 Holding at 22mg to stabilise from moderate wave. January 2020 - Holding, mostly feeling fine, but still having some waves at times. February 2020 - Resumed taper , 1.5% reduction weekly/every two weeks. Link to comment
nick1990 Posted January 28, 2020 Author Share Posted January 28, 2020 could this be a sudden reaction or sudden tolerance? I’ve felt very similar to this before when dealing with WD symptoms - It’s more that they’re coming out of no where after tapering over a year ago. Could this very well be just more delayed WD symptoms @Altostrata? Im ok sitting with the symptoms waiting for them to go , but I’m just freaking out a bit. More than anything , I want to move to Melbourne in May. It’s so important to me - but I’m worrying that if I’m going through an adverse reaction or tolerance then I need to taper now and that will cause too much instability to go to Melbourne to be with my girlfriend. I hope this is just WD symptoms -that I need to hold and wait out for a little longer before tapering. Does it seem likely that is the case? thanks so much everyone. Started Citalopram in 2005 (aged 15) for apparent "OCD" - 60mg July 2015 attempted 2 x 10% + cuts 4 weeks apart. WD symptoms intense at times. Need to slow down. November 2016 - Resumed taper. 1.25 - 1.5% decrease weekly approx. 44.5mg November 2016. Jan 2017 42.5 mg. March 2017 40 mg. June 2017 37mg. September 2018 22mg. Nov 2018 Holding at 22mg to stabilise from moderate wave. January 2020 - Holding, mostly feeling fine, but still having some waves at times. February 2020 - Resumed taper , 1.5% reduction weekly/every two weeks. Link to comment
Administrator Altostrata Posted January 28, 2020 Administrator Share Posted January 28, 2020 Is it still very hot where you live? You could have some degree of heat intolerance from your earlier destabilization. Your nervous system is sensitive this way. An updose by 0.5mg does not suggest these are withdrawal symptoms or that you are "in tolerance" from 22mg citalopram. It suggests you might be more stable with a little more drug. You might do what you can to stay out of the heat and the sun, and let this rough spot pass. Are you prone to health anxiety? 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
nick1990 Posted January 28, 2020 Author Share Posted January 28, 2020 Thanks for your prompt reply @Altostrata. It is still around 30 degrees (86 Fahrenheit) and humid most days. It’s uncomfortable at best. Is there not a lot of risk involved in an Updose? I’ve read so many accounts of people updosing and creating a real problem for themselves. Do you think that staying out of the heat and just waiting for this to ease would be the best option? I am prone to health anxiety for sure. Nearly every type of anxiety haha.. Started Citalopram in 2005 (aged 15) for apparent "OCD" - 60mg July 2015 attempted 2 x 10% + cuts 4 weeks apart. WD symptoms intense at times. Need to slow down. November 2016 - Resumed taper. 1.25 - 1.5% decrease weekly approx. 44.5mg November 2016. Jan 2017 42.5 mg. March 2017 40 mg. June 2017 37mg. September 2018 22mg. Nov 2018 Holding at 22mg to stabilise from moderate wave. January 2020 - Holding, mostly feeling fine, but still having some waves at times. February 2020 - Resumed taper , 1.5% reduction weekly/every two weeks. Link to comment
nick1990 Posted January 31, 2020 Author Share Posted January 31, 2020 Well, have been feeling a lot better the last few days . More energy , far better mood - just a lot more normal. I’m away on a little holiday with the family and it’s just so nice being somewhere other than home. Thought I should share. Cheers, Nick. Started Citalopram in 2005 (aged 15) for apparent "OCD" - 60mg July 2015 attempted 2 x 10% + cuts 4 weeks apart. WD symptoms intense at times. Need to slow down. November 2016 - Resumed taper. 1.25 - 1.5% decrease weekly approx. 44.5mg November 2016. Jan 2017 42.5 mg. March 2017 40 mg. June 2017 37mg. September 2018 22mg. Nov 2018 Holding at 22mg to stabilise from moderate wave. January 2020 - Holding, mostly feeling fine, but still having some waves at times. February 2020 - Resumed taper , 1.5% reduction weekly/every two weeks. Link to comment
Sottana Posted February 4, 2020 Share Posted February 4, 2020 That’s awesome, Nick! Happy to hear your wave seems good be subsiding! I hope you have a great trip!!! Anthony Seems to be* 2008: start Lexapro 10 mg which is quickly upped to 20 mg. 2008:2013 try at least four individual times to get off Lexapro, never get lower than 5mg, settle at 15 mg. 2015: again, attempt to get off Lexapro and get to 5 mg. After 6 months, feel i'm stabilizing but go back on a higher dose because of one stressful event. 2016: go to 20 mg from 15 mg due to work stresses, hit severe tolerance for the first time and become very suicidal. 2016-2017: try viibryd and cymbata in an attempt to feel better. Also add Lamictal 150 at some point. 2017: eventually land on paxil 37.5 and Lamictal 150. January 2018: cut paxil to 25. April-July 2018: reduce Lamictal in 50 mg increments till im off August. 2018: reduce paxil to 20 mg. december 2018: dropped Paxil to 18 mg, SEVERE CRASH. March updosed to 20 mg April 11: dropped to 19.4 mg due to akathsia (still experiencing akathsia symptoms from updose) April 20: 19 mg Paxil May 4: 18.7 Paxil July 5: 18.2 July 12: 17.8 Aug 19: 17.5 Aug 26: 17.3 Oct 20: 17.1 Nov 3: 16.9, 8/17/20: 16.6 after nine month hold, 8/24/20: 16.4, 8/31/20:16.2, 9/14/2020: 16.0, 9/21/20: 15.8, 9/28/20: 15.6, 10/19/20:15.4, 10/26/20: 15.2, 11/2/20: 15.1, 11/7/20: 14.8, 3/6/2-: 14.5, 3/20/20: 14.3, 4/3/20: 13.9, 4/10/2021: 13.7. 4/21/21: 13.5, 5/5/2021: 13.1, 12.2 8/12/2021 (slowly microtapered to this number. I just can’t remember the exact dates), 11.8 9/6/2021, 11.6 9/13/21, 11.2 9/27/21, 11.1 9/30/21.....11/5/21 switched to 10 mg tablet. I am holding to stabilize for the foreseeable future. 3/25/22: 9.4, 5/6/22: 9.0, 5/30/22: 8.25, 6/7/22: 8.1, 7/722: 7.65, 8/16/22: 7.39, 9/22/22: 6.91, 10/1/22: 6.78 Medication signature.docx Link to comment
nick1990 Posted February 4, 2020 Author Share Posted February 4, 2020 Thank you Anthony and thank you for your previous response too. I think you’re totally right about having some sort of symptoms whilst still on the drug. As as of today, I am restarting my taper. A 1.5% reduction. And we’ll reassess in a week and continue with a slide most likely. Also of note, It was pointed out to me by a friend on here, that I should maybe get my thyroid checked. I have an appointment in a couple of days. I will report back once bloods are in. Started Citalopram in 2005 (aged 15) for apparent "OCD" - 60mg July 2015 attempted 2 x 10% + cuts 4 weeks apart. WD symptoms intense at times. Need to slow down. November 2016 - Resumed taper. 1.25 - 1.5% decrease weekly approx. 44.5mg November 2016. Jan 2017 42.5 mg. March 2017 40 mg. June 2017 37mg. September 2018 22mg. Nov 2018 Holding at 22mg to stabilise from moderate wave. January 2020 - Holding, mostly feeling fine, but still having some waves at times. February 2020 - Resumed taper , 1.5% reduction weekly/every two weeks. Link to comment
Sottana Posted February 5, 2020 Share Posted February 5, 2020 Wow, Nick! That’s exciting! I’m happy you’ve decided to take the plunge and start up again. I think you’ll do well! I think getting your thyroid checked is a good idea. There are always other health issues that could be compounding WD. I got my blood tested and while back and was low on both b12 and vitamin d. Unfortunately, I can’t handle those supplements, but if you haven’t been tested for that, I’d recommend that as well. Ant 2008: start Lexapro 10 mg which is quickly upped to 20 mg. 2008:2013 try at least four individual times to get off Lexapro, never get lower than 5mg, settle at 15 mg. 2015: again, attempt to get off Lexapro and get to 5 mg. After 6 months, feel i'm stabilizing but go back on a higher dose because of one stressful event. 2016: go to 20 mg from 15 mg due to work stresses, hit severe tolerance for the first time and become very suicidal. 2016-2017: try viibryd and cymbata in an attempt to feel better. Also add Lamictal 150 at some point. 2017: eventually land on paxil 37.5 and Lamictal 150. January 2018: cut paxil to 25. April-July 2018: reduce Lamictal in 50 mg increments till im off August. 2018: reduce paxil to 20 mg. december 2018: dropped Paxil to 18 mg, SEVERE CRASH. March updosed to 20 mg April 11: dropped to 19.4 mg due to akathsia (still experiencing akathsia symptoms from updose) April 20: 19 mg Paxil May 4: 18.7 Paxil July 5: 18.2 July 12: 17.8 Aug 19: 17.5 Aug 26: 17.3 Oct 20: 17.1 Nov 3: 16.9, 8/17/20: 16.6 after nine month hold, 8/24/20: 16.4, 8/31/20:16.2, 9/14/2020: 16.0, 9/21/20: 15.8, 9/28/20: 15.6, 10/19/20:15.4, 10/26/20: 15.2, 11/2/20: 15.1, 11/7/20: 14.8, 3/6/2-: 14.5, 3/20/20: 14.3, 4/3/20: 13.9, 4/10/2021: 13.7. 4/21/21: 13.5, 5/5/2021: 13.1, 12.2 8/12/2021 (slowly microtapered to this number. I just can’t remember the exact dates), 11.8 9/6/2021, 11.6 9/13/21, 11.2 9/27/21, 11.1 9/30/21.....11/5/21 switched to 10 mg tablet. I am holding to stabilize for the foreseeable future. 3/25/22: 9.4, 5/6/22: 9.0, 5/30/22: 8.25, 6/7/22: 8.1, 7/722: 7.65, 8/16/22: 7.39, 9/22/22: 6.91, 10/1/22: 6.78 Medication signature.docx Link to comment
nick1990 Posted February 8, 2020 Author Share Posted February 8, 2020 Hi all. Well its been pretty uneventful since the last reduction I did. Was nearly 5 days ago and haven’t noticed any worsening in symptoms. On another note, I saw a GP on Friday and he is almost certain that I have an issue with my thyroid. He said I have a “Thyroid Bruit”, where he listened to my thyroid with a stethoscope and could here it going bananas. I have had bloods done and awaiting results within the next couple of days. Im not getting too hopeful, but if it comes back that I have hyperthyroidism (the doc said if he was a betting man, he’d put money on it), it could really explain a lot of what I have been going through symptom wise over the past many months. Cheers, Nick . Started Citalopram in 2005 (aged 15) for apparent "OCD" - 60mg July 2015 attempted 2 x 10% + cuts 4 weeks apart. WD symptoms intense at times. Need to slow down. November 2016 - Resumed taper. 1.25 - 1.5% decrease weekly approx. 44.5mg November 2016. Jan 2017 42.5 mg. March 2017 40 mg. June 2017 37mg. September 2018 22mg. Nov 2018 Holding at 22mg to stabilise from moderate wave. January 2020 - Holding, mostly feeling fine, but still having some waves at times. February 2020 - Resumed taper , 1.5% reduction weekly/every two weeks. Link to comment
nick1990 Posted February 8, 2020 Author Share Posted February 8, 2020 Thyroid update. Blood results are in, and I have a reading of 38 U/mL for Thyroperoxidase Antibodies. As far as I can tell, the presence of these antibodies indicates an autoimmune condition. I have a doc appointment in a couple of days, so will likely be referred to an endocrinologist. @Altostrata, you have experience with thyroid issues do you not ? Its all very new to me and doctors freak me out a little. Started Citalopram in 2005 (aged 15) for apparent "OCD" - 60mg July 2015 attempted 2 x 10% + cuts 4 weeks apart. WD symptoms intense at times. Need to slow down. November 2016 - Resumed taper. 1.25 - 1.5% decrease weekly approx. 44.5mg November 2016. Jan 2017 42.5 mg. March 2017 40 mg. June 2017 37mg. September 2018 22mg. Nov 2018 Holding at 22mg to stabilise from moderate wave. January 2020 - Holding, mostly feeling fine, but still having some waves at times. February 2020 - Resumed taper , 1.5% reduction weekly/every two weeks. Link to comment
Administrator Altostrata Posted February 8, 2020 Administrator Share Posted February 8, 2020 Having elevated thyroid antibodies is not very meaningful. I've had elevated antibodies for 15 years. Yes, have your thyroid checked out. 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
nick1990 Posted February 13, 2020 Author Share Posted February 13, 2020 Thanks @Altostrata Well it seems I may have nailed down a problem here. Thyroid seems relatively ok - I will be having some further tests. BUT , I have now got a clear platform to look over all my blood work, past and present. I have low Ferritin, low b12, low folate and suspected low Zinc. I have seem a naturopath/ nutritionist today, she was a bit taken aback by the levels, even though within the "normal" range, she says some people wouldn't be able to get out of bed with these levels. We will be undergoing some more testing. Looking at my records, it seems I have been deficient in these things for years. Pity the doctors never mentioned it to me. Meanwhile, I have started a Methylcobalamin B12 supplement and an Iron supplement. Regarding my 1.5% drop I did a week ago, I haven't noticed any change in symptoms - if anything I've had moments of feeling a little better and less fatigued. Im just focusing on sorting out these deficiencies first, then ill get back to the tapering . Cheers, Nick. Started Citalopram in 2005 (aged 15) for apparent "OCD" - 60mg July 2015 attempted 2 x 10% + cuts 4 weeks apart. WD symptoms intense at times. Need to slow down. November 2016 - Resumed taper. 1.25 - 1.5% decrease weekly approx. 44.5mg November 2016. Jan 2017 42.5 mg. March 2017 40 mg. June 2017 37mg. September 2018 22mg. Nov 2018 Holding at 22mg to stabilise from moderate wave. January 2020 - Holding, mostly feeling fine, but still having some waves at times. February 2020 - Resumed taper , 1.5% reduction weekly/every two weeks. Link to comment
nick1990 Posted March 5, 2020 Author Share Posted March 5, 2020 UPDATE Hey all, been a very interesting month. After seeing a naturopath and nutritionist, we have agreed that this is likely not a thyroid issue. However, we had a good look through my last few years of blood test results and it seems I have been very low in a few essential vitamins and minerals. B12 has been low for years, Ferretin too, and also Folate. I was started on a really good quality, practitioner only multi supplement, as well as Maltofer (Iron supplement) and honestly, my energy has come right back for the most part. I have been sleeping well, being able to do lots more things through the day, not needing to sleep at all through the day and just feeling better mentally/emotionally too. I have also had 3 weeks of B12 injections. They make me feel warm and fuzzy and relaxed afterward for about an hour. I have been advised to continue these, once a week for 6-8 weeks. Either way, I'm definitely noticing a lot of improvement. I am still having some waves, especially when overdoing things, but they're more identifiable and don't include the debilitating fatigue. Also, headaches and migraines are lessening too, I have been doing some back strengthening exercises and they are helping a tonne. I even managed to surf yesterday for 4 hours and feel fine today, which has been unheard of for a fair while. I have resumed tapering slowly and am not too far off 20mg now. I think I am starting to feel better as a result of slow tapering. I'll continue with the supplements and B12 shots, as well as slow tapering - but all in all, things are finally starting to look up. Started Citalopram in 2005 (aged 15) for apparent "OCD" - 60mg July 2015 attempted 2 x 10% + cuts 4 weeks apart. WD symptoms intense at times. Need to slow down. November 2016 - Resumed taper. 1.25 - 1.5% decrease weekly approx. 44.5mg November 2016. Jan 2017 42.5 mg. March 2017 40 mg. June 2017 37mg. September 2018 22mg. Nov 2018 Holding at 22mg to stabilise from moderate wave. January 2020 - Holding, mostly feeling fine, but still having some waves at times. February 2020 - Resumed taper , 1.5% reduction weekly/every two weeks. Link to comment
Moderator brassmonkey Posted March 5, 2020 Moderator Share Posted March 5, 2020 Excellent update Nick- I'm so glad things are falling into place. Pay attention to the B12 though, don't want to over do a good thing. Watch your symptoms and if they start to increase after an injection that would indicate it's time to back off a bit. 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
jozeff Posted June 8, 2020 Share Posted June 8, 2020 Hi Nick! How's your taper going? Hope you're doing well! Cheers Jozeff Sep- 2016 - Okt 2017 citalopram some months 15 mg some months 20 mg Nov 2017- Apr 2018 citalopram 25 mg Apr 2018 - Jun 2018 citalopram 3 month TAPER too fast from 25mg to 16.5 mg (0.1 mg per day decrease, felt horrible and crashed) Jun 2018 - Aug13th 2018 citalopram trying to stabilize at 16.5 mg for 5 wks - August 14th 2018 - April 29th 2019 citalopram 18 mg (1.5 mg updose). 2019 apr 27 : START taper citalopram @ 18 mg: 29Jun 16.4 mg / 19aug 15.4 mg / 25aug 15.2 mg / 30sep 14.0 mg / 4dec 13.1 mg 2020 03Jan 12.75 mg / 28Jan 12.29 mg / 18Feb 11.83 mg, 25Feb 11.68 mg hold.. / 7May 11.33 mg hold...., 4Aug 10.98 mg / 5Dec 10.0 mg 4 month hold... 2021 30mar 9.8 mg / 06apr 9.5 mg / 13apr 9.4 mg / 14may 8,5 mg / 04jun 8,0 mg / 11jun 7.75 mg, 02jul 7.35 mg / 09jul 7.2 mg hold 3 weeks during holiday /31jul 7 mg/ 8aug 6.8 mg / 15aug 6.63mg / 22aug 6.5mg / 1sep 6.3 mg / 8sep 6.15 mg / 15sep 6.0 mg / 22sep 5.9 mg / 29sep 5.8 mg / 04 oct 5.65 mg / 10oct 5.55 mg / 17oct 5.45 mg / 24oct 5.35mg / 30oct 5.25 mg hold 3 wks / 22nov 5.15 mg / 01dec 5.1mg / 12dec 5.0mg / 20dec 4.85mg / 30dec 4.70mg 2022 08jan 4.5 mg / 16jan 4.4 mg / 23jan 4.3 mg / 27jan 4.2 mg / 18feb 4.1 mg / 25feb 4.0 mg / 04mar 3.9 mg / 11mar 3.75 mg / 18Mar 3.65 mg / 09apr 3.55 mg / 16apr 3.45 mg / 23apr 3.35 mg / 01may 3.25 mg / 8may 3.15 mg / 17may 3.10 mg / 28 may 3.0 mg / 7jun 2.94 mg / 18 Jun 2.88 mg / 27 jun 2.84 mg / 05 jul 2.80 mg / 16 jul 2.75 mg / 23 jul 2.70 mg / 01aug 2.65 mg / 09aug 2.60 mg hold 5wks / 18sep 2.55 mg / 25sep 2.5 mg /02oct 2.45 mg / 10oct 2.40 mg / 19oct 2.35 mg / 27oct 2.30 mg / 05nov 2.27 mg / 14nov 2.25 mg / 22nov 2.20 mg / 29nov 2.10mg / 09dec 2.05 mg / 15dec 2.0 mg 2023 hold 2.0 mg for 5 months / 05may 1.95 mg / 14may 1.90 mg / 24may 1.87 mg / 02jun 1.85 mg / 17jun 1.82 mg / 27jun 1.79 mg / 07jul 1.75 mg / 31jul 1.72 mg / 12aug 1.69mg / 27aug 1.67 mg / 04sep 1.65 mg / 09sep 1.63 mg / 22sep 1.61 mg / 27sep 1.60 mg / 12oct 1.58 mg / 18oct 1.56 mg / 31oct 1.54 mg / 06nov 1.52 mg / 18nov 1.50 mg / 04dec 1.48 mg / 11dec 1.46 mg / 22dec 1.45 mg / 28dec 1.44 mg 2024 01jan 1.43 mg / 06jan 1.42 mg/ 10jan 1.40 mg hold / 08apr 1.38 mg / 15apr 1.36 mg / 20apr 1.34 mg / 28apr 1.33 mg Link to comment
nick1990 Posted June 17, 2020 Author Share Posted June 17, 2020 Hey, it’s goin smoothly - feeling mostly fine and living my life fully. It’s really great. Going super slowly but am happy with that. Having the odd day or two of feeling a little bit average , but those pass relatively quickly. All in all, I’d say I’m doing great. I still believe that my b12, folate and iron deficiency we’re creating issues for me - since addressing these things I have felt much better Started Citalopram in 2005 (aged 15) for apparent "OCD" - 60mg July 2015 attempted 2 x 10% + cuts 4 weeks apart. WD symptoms intense at times. Need to slow down. November 2016 - Resumed taper. 1.25 - 1.5% decrease weekly approx. 44.5mg November 2016. Jan 2017 42.5 mg. March 2017 40 mg. June 2017 37mg. September 2018 22mg. Nov 2018 Holding at 22mg to stabilise from moderate wave. January 2020 - Holding, mostly feeling fine, but still having some waves at times. February 2020 - Resumed taper , 1.5% reduction weekly/every two weeks. Link to comment
Moderator Emeritus ChessieCat Posted June 17, 2020 Moderator Emeritus Share Posted June 17, 2020 That's really great to hear. Even regular folks have average days. We would really appreciate it is you could please continue to update us occasionally. Thanks. ☺️ * 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
nick1990 Posted June 17, 2020 Author Share Posted June 17, 2020 Will do Chessie. Thanks so much. Started Citalopram in 2005 (aged 15) for apparent "OCD" - 60mg July 2015 attempted 2 x 10% + cuts 4 weeks apart. WD symptoms intense at times. Need to slow down. November 2016 - Resumed taper. 1.25 - 1.5% decrease weekly approx. 44.5mg November 2016. Jan 2017 42.5 mg. March 2017 40 mg. June 2017 37mg. September 2018 22mg. Nov 2018 Holding at 22mg to stabilise from moderate wave. January 2020 - Holding, mostly feeling fine, but still having some waves at times. February 2020 - Resumed taper , 1.5% reduction weekly/every two weeks. Link to comment
Moderator brassmonkey Posted June 17, 2020 Moderator Share Posted June 17, 2020 Good to hear that things are going so well, keep it up. Did you make it to Oz or are things still locked down? 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
bhasski Posted June 17, 2020 Share Posted June 17, 2020 10 hours ago, nick1990 said: Hey, it’s goin smoothly - feeling mostly fine and living my life fully. It’s really great. Going super slowly but am happy with that. Having the odd day or two of feeling a little bit average , but those pass relatively quickly. All in all, I’d say I’m doing great. I still believe that my b12, folate and iron deficiency we’re creating issues for me - since addressing these things I have felt much better Hi nick, So good to hear that you are feeling fine. Just curious about the amount of B12, folate and iron you are taking. Also could you tell me the form and brand? 08/13 - 01/14Olanzapine, petril MD (Clonazepam ), Dicorate ER (divalproex). Soza 10 (Zolpidem) 02/14 - 05/14Flunil 20mg , Divaa OD 250 mg(divalproex), Amisulpride 50mg (1-0-2), zolfresh 5 mg , Quetiapine05/14 - 08/14 Venlafaxine 75 xr ( 1-0-1), zapiz 0.2510/14 Zaptra 12.5mg , Oxetol xr 150mg (0-0-1)11/14 - 08/15Paris CR 25 (paroxetine) , Oxetol xr 600 mg (0-0-1), nitrest 5mg , Quetiapine for a month.09/15-11 Venlafaxine XR 75 ( 1-0-1), Mirtazipine 15, Respiredal 0.5, Lamitor 25, zillion 10.12/15-02/16 Off Meds (C.T) 03/16-Mid April Sertraline, Aripropazole, Quetiapine, Etizolam. After that : CT and on OTC supplements (Roadback), now on Ayurveda Link to comment
nick1990 Posted June 30, 2020 Author Share Posted June 30, 2020 Hey @brassmonkey Things are still locked down a bit between the two countries, Just a matter of time now until they open trans-Tasman travel and ill be over there in a jiffy ! Hope you're doing well friend. Started Citalopram in 2005 (aged 15) for apparent "OCD" - 60mg July 2015 attempted 2 x 10% + cuts 4 weeks apart. WD symptoms intense at times. Need to slow down. November 2016 - Resumed taper. 1.25 - 1.5% decrease weekly approx. 44.5mg November 2016. Jan 2017 42.5 mg. March 2017 40 mg. June 2017 37mg. September 2018 22mg. Nov 2018 Holding at 22mg to stabilise from moderate wave. January 2020 - Holding, mostly feeling fine, but still having some waves at times. February 2020 - Resumed taper , 1.5% reduction weekly/every two weeks. Link to comment
nick1990 Posted June 30, 2020 Author Share Posted June 30, 2020 Hi @bhasski Just taking iron supplements called Maltofer, and B12 is an injection form of Hydroxy- cobalamin Started Citalopram in 2005 (aged 15) for apparent "OCD" - 60mg July 2015 attempted 2 x 10% + cuts 4 weeks apart. WD symptoms intense at times. Need to slow down. November 2016 - Resumed taper. 1.25 - 1.5% decrease weekly approx. 44.5mg November 2016. Jan 2017 42.5 mg. March 2017 40 mg. June 2017 37mg. September 2018 22mg. Nov 2018 Holding at 22mg to stabilise from moderate wave. January 2020 - Holding, mostly feeling fine, but still having some waves at times. February 2020 - Resumed taper , 1.5% reduction weekly/every two weeks. Link to comment
Moderator brassmonkey Posted June 30, 2020 Moderator Share Posted June 30, 2020 I had a feeling that was the case, but I was hopeful for your big move. Things work out when they are suppose to. All's well on this end. Lock down isn't much different than normal life anyway, and all the protests in the news are miles away. 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
jozeff Posted October 15, 2020 Share Posted October 15, 2020 Hey Nick, How are you doing these days? Hope everything is going well for you! Cheers Jozeff Sep- 2016 - Okt 2017 citalopram some months 15 mg some months 20 mg Nov 2017- Apr 2018 citalopram 25 mg Apr 2018 - Jun 2018 citalopram 3 month TAPER too fast from 25mg to 16.5 mg (0.1 mg per day decrease, felt horrible and crashed) Jun 2018 - Aug13th 2018 citalopram trying to stabilize at 16.5 mg for 5 wks - August 14th 2018 - April 29th 2019 citalopram 18 mg (1.5 mg updose). 2019 apr 27 : START taper citalopram @ 18 mg: 29Jun 16.4 mg / 19aug 15.4 mg / 25aug 15.2 mg / 30sep 14.0 mg / 4dec 13.1 mg 2020 03Jan 12.75 mg / 28Jan 12.29 mg / 18Feb 11.83 mg, 25Feb 11.68 mg hold.. / 7May 11.33 mg hold...., 4Aug 10.98 mg / 5Dec 10.0 mg 4 month hold... 2021 30mar 9.8 mg / 06apr 9.5 mg / 13apr 9.4 mg / 14may 8,5 mg / 04jun 8,0 mg / 11jun 7.75 mg, 02jul 7.35 mg / 09jul 7.2 mg hold 3 weeks during holiday /31jul 7 mg/ 8aug 6.8 mg / 15aug 6.63mg / 22aug 6.5mg / 1sep 6.3 mg / 8sep 6.15 mg / 15sep 6.0 mg / 22sep 5.9 mg / 29sep 5.8 mg / 04 oct 5.65 mg / 10oct 5.55 mg / 17oct 5.45 mg / 24oct 5.35mg / 30oct 5.25 mg hold 3 wks / 22nov 5.15 mg / 01dec 5.1mg / 12dec 5.0mg / 20dec 4.85mg / 30dec 4.70mg 2022 08jan 4.5 mg / 16jan 4.4 mg / 23jan 4.3 mg / 27jan 4.2 mg / 18feb 4.1 mg / 25feb 4.0 mg / 04mar 3.9 mg / 11mar 3.75 mg / 18Mar 3.65 mg / 09apr 3.55 mg / 16apr 3.45 mg / 23apr 3.35 mg / 01may 3.25 mg / 8may 3.15 mg / 17may 3.10 mg / 28 may 3.0 mg / 7jun 2.94 mg / 18 Jun 2.88 mg / 27 jun 2.84 mg / 05 jul 2.80 mg / 16 jul 2.75 mg / 23 jul 2.70 mg / 01aug 2.65 mg / 09aug 2.60 mg hold 5wks / 18sep 2.55 mg / 25sep 2.5 mg /02oct 2.45 mg / 10oct 2.40 mg / 19oct 2.35 mg / 27oct 2.30 mg / 05nov 2.27 mg / 14nov 2.25 mg / 22nov 2.20 mg / 29nov 2.10mg / 09dec 2.05 mg / 15dec 2.0 mg 2023 hold 2.0 mg for 5 months / 05may 1.95 mg / 14may 1.90 mg / 24may 1.87 mg / 02jun 1.85 mg / 17jun 1.82 mg / 27jun 1.79 mg / 07jul 1.75 mg / 31jul 1.72 mg / 12aug 1.69mg / 27aug 1.67 mg / 04sep 1.65 mg / 09sep 1.63 mg / 22sep 1.61 mg / 27sep 1.60 mg / 12oct 1.58 mg / 18oct 1.56 mg / 31oct 1.54 mg / 06nov 1.52 mg / 18nov 1.50 mg / 04dec 1.48 mg / 11dec 1.46 mg / 22dec 1.45 mg / 28dec 1.44 mg 2024 01jan 1.43 mg / 06jan 1.42 mg/ 10jan 1.40 mg hold / 08apr 1.38 mg / 15apr 1.36 mg / 20apr 1.34 mg / 28apr 1.33 mg Link to comment
nick1990 Posted October 30, 2020 Author Share Posted October 30, 2020 Hi everyone, I haven't been around here much for a little while, and thought it might be time for an update. Things have been good WD wise. A few very minor waves here and there, but have been doing lots of traveling (nationally), lots of surfing and a bit of work Due to how busy me and my partner have been over the past few months, I have been going super slow on the tapering front. Right now I am down to approximately 18mg of Citalopram. Like I said, WD wise - I've been fine, hardly noticing much at all. However, there have been a few days/weeks over age past few months where things have been pretty tough. A few potential health scares, involving Moles. Firstly with my partner (which turned out to be fine) and then with me (which turned out to be fine also). The spiralling of hypochondria when a Doctor shows a little concern for anything is sending me crazy ! Right now I am awaiting a second opinion on a eyeball lesion (yep, you heard that right - what years of surfing in a high UV region does), the optometrist said its just to be safe, and I know likely it is benign - but logic doesn't work here - I have semi convinced myself of the worst case scenario, being that it is malignant and has spread to the rest of my body and I will likely die because of it. haha.. I was always a hypochondriac as a child, terrified of cancer ! I'm not sure why, but cancer was my biggest fear - even though at that age I had no personal/ familial experience with it. This phased out over the years, likely due to being drugged with a high dose of Citalopram, but has recently been re-emerging with TEETH! The anxiety it provokes is all consuming at times. Im pretty sure its not WD but more a return to my organic state of worry, which had been hidden away by years of psychiatric drugging. Has anyone else experienced such changes as they have reduced their psychiatric load? Started Citalopram in 2005 (aged 15) for apparent "OCD" - 60mg July 2015 attempted 2 x 10% + cuts 4 weeks apart. WD symptoms intense at times. Need to slow down. November 2016 - Resumed taper. 1.25 - 1.5% decrease weekly approx. 44.5mg November 2016. Jan 2017 42.5 mg. March 2017 40 mg. June 2017 37mg. September 2018 22mg. Nov 2018 Holding at 22mg to stabilise from moderate wave. January 2020 - Holding, mostly feeling fine, but still having some waves at times. February 2020 - Resumed taper , 1.5% reduction weekly/every two weeks. Link to comment
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