bromor Posted October 20, 2017 Author Share Posted October 20, 2017 On 10/18/2017 at 1:45 PM, brassmonkey said: Things will be a bit rocky for a while, but there are big improvements ahead. Thanks for this ~ it's been a bit rocky & I'll get the random thought of "I need to go back on the baby sliver of Zoloft!" I know I don't... that I've done the taper the right way and that I will continue to heal. Just that accepting the symptoms can be a bit wearing at times. I sure do appreciate you & Andy checking in. You are both inspirations in your journeys & how you help so many. The boards can be a trigger for me at times, so I really look up to people who can think through their own symptoms to help others. All my best. On Zoloft for 10 years (50 mg) for GAD & panic attacks Weaned off fall of 2013, terrible set back in Feb '14 back on 100 mg & trazadone to sleep. Did CT off of Zoloft in May 2014 - bad decision! Back on 50 mg Zoloft & Xanax as needed (was upped to 75 mg by doctor in Feb 2015) Started to wean off of Zoloft in April 2015 ~ totally off Zoloft in Oct 2015 and now am on Buspar 11.25 mg to help. I was on a 50 mg pill & 25 mg pill - I cut the 25 mg pill in half (12.5) and took that with the 50 for 6 weeks - 1st week June 2015 50 mg for another 6 weeks. 25 mg in half and the 50 mg in half (37.5), 25 mg mid Sept for about 2 weeks.,1/2 of the 25 mg last week of Sept/1st week of Oct then off. Update** 9 mg Zoloft reinstated early Nov 15, along with 1.5 mg Buspar daily. On .50 of Buspar & 9 mg of Zoloft. Oct '16 - off of Buspar, Nov '16 - down to 7.5 mg Zoloft. March'17 - 4 mg Zoloft. July'17 - 2 mg, Sept 1 mg. Oct'17 - off! Done! I also take magnesium, L theanine, Gaba Calm, L Glutamine, Vit B complex(for methyl issues), Liver & Gall bladder support, Zinc, Whole Food Vit C & Fish Oil. DARE & the bible are the tools I use to help navigate this process. Link to comment
Moderator Emeritus apace41 Posted November 6, 2017 Moderator Emeritus Share Posted November 6, 2017 On 10/20/2017 at 10:54 AM, bromor said: I sure do appreciate you & Andy checking in. You are both inspirations in your journeys & how you help so many. The boards can be a trigger for me at times, so I really look up to people who can think through their own symptoms to help others. Thanks for the kind words, B. Just checking in to see how things are going in the aftermath of "the jump." Hope you are well. Andy Sertraline 50mg and Clonazapam .375mg from 2000 -- symptoms of dizziness Spring 2012 increased to .5 Clonazapam and 100mg Sertraline -- no improvement Benzo microtaper from November 2012 to November 2014 (followed benzo sites "taper benzo first") Started Sertraline taper in December 2014 cut by 25mg to 75mg; 62.5mg 1/1/15 and 50mg on 2/1/15 Held at 50mg through April 5 to use liquid Reduced dosage in 10% or less drops from 50mg to 25mg -- at single tablet of 25mg on 10/5/15 Transitioned to all liquid for accuracy while tapering -- Horrible insomnia -- back to 25mg liquid and held until October 1, 2016 10/16 -- 11/18 tapered very slowly to 10.6mg. No real improvement and never really stable so updosed to 12.5mg (1/2 a pill) for convenience and long hold. After 8+ months of holding with no noticeable improvement decided to add .4ml of liquid Prozac (about 1.5mg) to see if that improves the situation Supplements, Magnesium, D3, Omega 3, curcumin, Valerian, 81mg Aspirin, L-Theanine, Vit. C, Link to comment
bromor Posted November 6, 2017 Author Share Posted November 6, 2017 Hi Andy. I have definite "windows and waves" ~ nothing like the cold turkeys though. I have to really work at controlling my thoughts ~ Don't know why this is a struggle for me. But the truth is that I've had to address the reason(s) I went on the meds in the first place. I've done a lot of work with counseling ect... but still some to go. Lots of forgiveness work (I had read somewhere the root cause of most anxiety (not med anxiety!) is unforgiveness.... but I digress). My body is healing. My job is to change how I think & to reduce my stress while continuing to eat right ect. Time is my friend & so is patience Thanks so much for checking in. I'm going to pop over to your journal to see how you've been. On Zoloft for 10 years (50 mg) for GAD & panic attacks Weaned off fall of 2013, terrible set back in Feb '14 back on 100 mg & trazadone to sleep. Did CT off of Zoloft in May 2014 - bad decision! Back on 50 mg Zoloft & Xanax as needed (was upped to 75 mg by doctor in Feb 2015) Started to wean off of Zoloft in April 2015 ~ totally off Zoloft in Oct 2015 and now am on Buspar 11.25 mg to help. I was on a 50 mg pill & 25 mg pill - I cut the 25 mg pill in half (12.5) and took that with the 50 for 6 weeks - 1st week June 2015 50 mg for another 6 weeks. 25 mg in half and the 50 mg in half (37.5), 25 mg mid Sept for about 2 weeks.,1/2 of the 25 mg last week of Sept/1st week of Oct then off. Update** 9 mg Zoloft reinstated early Nov 15, along with 1.5 mg Buspar daily. On .50 of Buspar & 9 mg of Zoloft. Oct '16 - off of Buspar, Nov '16 - down to 7.5 mg Zoloft. March'17 - 4 mg Zoloft. July'17 - 2 mg, Sept 1 mg. Oct'17 - off! Done! I also take magnesium, L theanine, Gaba Calm, L Glutamine, Vit B complex(for methyl issues), Liver & Gall bladder support, Zinc, Whole Food Vit C & Fish Oil. DARE & the bible are the tools I use to help navigate this process. Link to comment
bromor Posted November 28, 2017 Author Share Posted November 28, 2017 Still some residual anxiety sensations. Got caught up in the fear of them.... but managed to wrangle my thoughts back where they should be. Just hyperstimulation & my body healing. It's been almost 2 months off & it is pretty nice to not have to cut & weigh that darn pill every night! I had an interesting conversation with a naturopath doctor.....her thoughts were that since I wasn't putting Zoloft into my body any longer, I needed to have something natural to replace it. Not sure if I buy that....but I have started taking 5 htp since I went off of Zoloft. Does it help? who knows... but my sleep is pretty decent for the most part. I rarely take melatonin & haven't taken Kavinace for months. On another note, I've started to do deep relaxation/meditation every day. It really does make a difference in the anxiety & more than that...it's allowing my body to rest. Our bodies heal while at rest. Just not as quickly as I'd like... but as I've always told my kids, patience is virtue! On Zoloft for 10 years (50 mg) for GAD & panic attacks Weaned off fall of 2013, terrible set back in Feb '14 back on 100 mg & trazadone to sleep. Did CT off of Zoloft in May 2014 - bad decision! Back on 50 mg Zoloft & Xanax as needed (was upped to 75 mg by doctor in Feb 2015) Started to wean off of Zoloft in April 2015 ~ totally off Zoloft in Oct 2015 and now am on Buspar 11.25 mg to help. I was on a 50 mg pill & 25 mg pill - I cut the 25 mg pill in half (12.5) and took that with the 50 for 6 weeks - 1st week June 2015 50 mg for another 6 weeks. 25 mg in half and the 50 mg in half (37.5), 25 mg mid Sept for about 2 weeks.,1/2 of the 25 mg last week of Sept/1st week of Oct then off. Update** 9 mg Zoloft reinstated early Nov 15, along with 1.5 mg Buspar daily. On .50 of Buspar & 9 mg of Zoloft. Oct '16 - off of Buspar, Nov '16 - down to 7.5 mg Zoloft. March'17 - 4 mg Zoloft. July'17 - 2 mg, Sept 1 mg. Oct'17 - off! Done! I also take magnesium, L theanine, Gaba Calm, L Glutamine, Vit B complex(for methyl issues), Liver & Gall bladder support, Zinc, Whole Food Vit C & Fish Oil. DARE & the bible are the tools I use to help navigate this process. Link to comment
Moderator Emeritus apace41 Posted November 28, 2017 Moderator Emeritus Share Posted November 28, 2017 B, Great to hear that you are doing so well at 2 months off! You are doing all the right things so the anxiety will hopefully recede over time and you will be left with... nothing but the good! 14 minutes ago, bromor said: I had an interesting conversation with a naturopath doctor.....her thoughts were that since I wasn't putting Zoloft into my body any longer, I needed to have something natural to replace it. Not sure if I buy that....but I have started taking 5 htp since I went off of Zoloft. Does it help? who knows... but my sleep is pretty decent for the most part. I rarely take melatonin & haven't taken Kavinace for months. I don't think this makes a lot of sense to me. The point of the slow taper and then waiting after the fact is to allow the receptors to "upregulate" and, hopefully, return to homeostasis. By the time you jumped off the body was no longer "craving" the modification to the serotonin receptor. I would be careful to make sure that the addition of serotonin through the introduction of 5HTP does not simply serve to SUSTAIN the imbalance in serotonin created by the Zoloft. I've heard a lot of people suggest the use of 5HTP DURING tapering but not afterwards. I'm glad your sleep is good but you were getting there without the 5HTP as I saw it. All the relaxation work you have done is paying dividends. Happy for you. Best, Andy Sertraline 50mg and Clonazapam .375mg from 2000 -- symptoms of dizziness Spring 2012 increased to .5 Clonazapam and 100mg Sertraline -- no improvement Benzo microtaper from November 2012 to November 2014 (followed benzo sites "taper benzo first") Started Sertraline taper in December 2014 cut by 25mg to 75mg; 62.5mg 1/1/15 and 50mg on 2/1/15 Held at 50mg through April 5 to use liquid Reduced dosage in 10% or less drops from 50mg to 25mg -- at single tablet of 25mg on 10/5/15 Transitioned to all liquid for accuracy while tapering -- Horrible insomnia -- back to 25mg liquid and held until October 1, 2016 10/16 -- 11/18 tapered very slowly to 10.6mg. No real improvement and never really stable so updosed to 12.5mg (1/2 a pill) for convenience and long hold. After 8+ months of holding with no noticeable improvement decided to add .4ml of liquid Prozac (about 1.5mg) to see if that improves the situation Supplements, Magnesium, D3, Omega 3, curcumin, Valerian, 81mg Aspirin, L-Theanine, Vit. C, Link to comment
Mentor RachelSusan Posted November 29, 2017 Mentor Share Posted November 29, 2017 Hi Bomor, Congratulates on being off. You are an inspiration for me. I looks like you did it the hard way at first and then found this site and slowed everything down. It appears that wasn't easy either but you did get through it. I'm sure the anxiety will go away, I just hope it passes quickly, like be gone now. Please keep us posted how you continue to do. We have a some very good role models here but we could use a few more. Many thanks for posting and leading the way for the rest of us. Rachel I am not a health professional in any way. I do not give medical advice. Discuss any decisions about your medical care with a professional medical practitioner. NEW INFORMATION FOR GABAPENTIN TAPER April 29, 2022 900 mg to 800 mg (11%), May 29, 2022 800 to 700 mg (12.5%), June 20, 2022 700 to 650mg (8%), July 20, 2022 650 to 575 (12%), August 20, 575 to 500 (13%), Sept 20, 2020 500 to 475mg (5%) Nov 7, 2022 475 to 425 (11%), Nov 21, 2022 500mg Medications: Gabapentin, Cortisol Inhaler daily. HISTORY FOR ZOLOFT TAPER Feb. 2016 to June 2016 - Was on 150mg Zoloft. Put on Gabapentin at 900mg a day in 2016 due to antidepressant withdrawal. Quit Zoloft (Sertraline) June 2016, reinstated 50mg of Zoloft July 2016. From July 2016 to October 2016 went from 50 mg down 2.3 mg. I up-dosed in November 2016 to 12.5 mg. Held there until January 2017 when I started a much slower taper. STARTING SENSIBLE ZOLOFT TAPERING USING GUIDELINES FROM THIS SITE Dec. 10 2016 - switched to Liquid Zoloft (Sertraline) @ 12.5 mg. Jan. 4, 2020 1.875 mg (6.3%). Jan. 25, 2020 1.75 mg. Feb. 29, 2020 1.625mg (7.10%). Apr. 4, 2020 1.5 mg. May 9, 2020 1.375 mg. June 6, 2020 1.25 mg. (9.10%). July 4, 2020 1.125 mg. (10%). August 15, 2020 1.0 mg. Oct 24, 2020 .875 mg. Nov. 28, 2020 .75mg. Jan 16, 2021 .685mg (8.7%). Feb 13, 2021 .62mg. March 12, 2021 .56mg. May 1, 2021 .375mg. May 29, 2021 .25mg. June 26, 2021 .0125mg. July 25, 2021 .065mg. August 22, 2021 .048mg. October 2, 2021 .043mg. October 10, 2021 .038mg. October 23, 2021 .035mg. October 30, 2021 .032mg. Nov. 13, 2021 .030 mg. Dec 4, 2021 .0285 mg. Dec 11, 2021 .0265 mg. Dec 18, 2021 .0246 mg. Dec 25, 2021 .023mg. Jan 1, 2022. 0 mg. OFF COMPLETELY Link to comment
Moderator brassmonkey Posted November 29, 2017 Moderator Share Posted November 29, 2017 Hi B-- I've been finding the post "0" anxiety to be fairy transient. It will show up for a week or so and then fade for a longer time. I've had two or three several weeks long bouts in the past seven months with each one clearing nicely after a week or so. It's a part of the windows and waves pattern. I agree with Andy about the 5HTP, I'd be very careful with it. Congratulations on being two months off. Brass 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
bromor Posted December 6, 2017 Author Share Posted December 6, 2017 On 11/28/2017 at 9:10 PM, brassmonkey said: Hi B-- I've been finding the post "0" anxiety to be fairy transient. It will show up for a week or so and then fade for a longer time. I've had two or three several weeks long bouts in the past seven months with each one clearing nicely after a week or so. It's a part of the windows and waves pattern. I agree with Andy about the 5HTP, I'd be very careful with it. Congratulations on being two months off. Brass Yes, I'm finding that anxiety has lifted some the past week. I know I'm a broken record on this...but when I just freaking accept the sensations & remain calm, then my body can deal with the stress hormones & I feel better quicker. I stopped the 5 htp and had a couple of really rough days. So, I went back on it. 50 mg at night. Not sure that going off of it created the anxiety.... because there is no rhyme or reason to when it hits. I did decide to see a naturopath. Emotionally, spiritually, mentally...I feel stronger than I have in a long time. It's just that my body feels like it's been through a war. I'm tired of the exhaustion...followed by wired/tired, daily muscle pain, depersonalization ect. My thought is if I can support my physical body through the remainder of this healing, then it's a win for me in every way. On Zoloft for 10 years (50 mg) for GAD & panic attacks Weaned off fall of 2013, terrible set back in Feb '14 back on 100 mg & trazadone to sleep. Did CT off of Zoloft in May 2014 - bad decision! Back on 50 mg Zoloft & Xanax as needed (was upped to 75 mg by doctor in Feb 2015) Started to wean off of Zoloft in April 2015 ~ totally off Zoloft in Oct 2015 and now am on Buspar 11.25 mg to help. I was on a 50 mg pill & 25 mg pill - I cut the 25 mg pill in half (12.5) and took that with the 50 for 6 weeks - 1st week June 2015 50 mg for another 6 weeks. 25 mg in half and the 50 mg in half (37.5), 25 mg mid Sept for about 2 weeks.,1/2 of the 25 mg last week of Sept/1st week of Oct then off. Update** 9 mg Zoloft reinstated early Nov 15, along with 1.5 mg Buspar daily. On .50 of Buspar & 9 mg of Zoloft. Oct '16 - off of Buspar, Nov '16 - down to 7.5 mg Zoloft. March'17 - 4 mg Zoloft. July'17 - 2 mg, Sept 1 mg. Oct'17 - off! Done! I also take magnesium, L theanine, Gaba Calm, L Glutamine, Vit B complex(for methyl issues), Liver & Gall bladder support, Zinc, Whole Food Vit C & Fish Oil. DARE & the bible are the tools I use to help navigate this process. Link to comment
bromor Posted December 6, 2017 Author Share Posted December 6, 2017 On 11/28/2017 at 7:05 PM, RachelSusan said: Many thanks for posting and leading the way for the rest of us. Hi Rachel. I'm glad my story helped you ~ there is hope! Always!! The road may be hard, but when you do it the right way (not those crazy cold turkeys that I did!) ~ your body will heal. It just takes longer than we would like. I will continue to update periodically... because when I was in the midst of the worst sensations, it helped me to see that others had come out the other side. Blessings to you... On Zoloft for 10 years (50 mg) for GAD & panic attacks Weaned off fall of 2013, terrible set back in Feb '14 back on 100 mg & trazadone to sleep. Did CT off of Zoloft in May 2014 - bad decision! Back on 50 mg Zoloft & Xanax as needed (was upped to 75 mg by doctor in Feb 2015) Started to wean off of Zoloft in April 2015 ~ totally off Zoloft in Oct 2015 and now am on Buspar 11.25 mg to help. I was on a 50 mg pill & 25 mg pill - I cut the 25 mg pill in half (12.5) and took that with the 50 for 6 weeks - 1st week June 2015 50 mg for another 6 weeks. 25 mg in half and the 50 mg in half (37.5), 25 mg mid Sept for about 2 weeks.,1/2 of the 25 mg last week of Sept/1st week of Oct then off. Update** 9 mg Zoloft reinstated early Nov 15, along with 1.5 mg Buspar daily. On .50 of Buspar & 9 mg of Zoloft. Oct '16 - off of Buspar, Nov '16 - down to 7.5 mg Zoloft. March'17 - 4 mg Zoloft. July'17 - 2 mg, Sept 1 mg. Oct'17 - off! Done! I also take magnesium, L theanine, Gaba Calm, L Glutamine, Vit B complex(for methyl issues), Liver & Gall bladder support, Zinc, Whole Food Vit C & Fish Oil. DARE & the bible are the tools I use to help navigate this process. Link to comment
bromor Posted December 6, 2017 Author Share Posted December 6, 2017 On 11/28/2017 at 1:12 PM, apace41 said: All the relaxation work you have done is paying dividends. Seriously... just 15 minutes of deep relaxation/meditation can make me feel like a new woman!! Why didn't I do this before? Guess hindsight is always 20/20 (yes, I'm probably showing my age with that quote!) As always, thanks so much for checking in. On Zoloft for 10 years (50 mg) for GAD & panic attacks Weaned off fall of 2013, terrible set back in Feb '14 back on 100 mg & trazadone to sleep. Did CT off of Zoloft in May 2014 - bad decision! Back on 50 mg Zoloft & Xanax as needed (was upped to 75 mg by doctor in Feb 2015) Started to wean off of Zoloft in April 2015 ~ totally off Zoloft in Oct 2015 and now am on Buspar 11.25 mg to help. I was on a 50 mg pill & 25 mg pill - I cut the 25 mg pill in half (12.5) and took that with the 50 for 6 weeks - 1st week June 2015 50 mg for another 6 weeks. 25 mg in half and the 50 mg in half (37.5), 25 mg mid Sept for about 2 weeks.,1/2 of the 25 mg last week of Sept/1st week of Oct then off. Update** 9 mg Zoloft reinstated early Nov 15, along with 1.5 mg Buspar daily. On .50 of Buspar & 9 mg of Zoloft. Oct '16 - off of Buspar, Nov '16 - down to 7.5 mg Zoloft. March'17 - 4 mg Zoloft. July'17 - 2 mg, Sept 1 mg. Oct'17 - off! Done! I also take magnesium, L theanine, Gaba Calm, L Glutamine, Vit B complex(for methyl issues), Liver & Gall bladder support, Zinc, Whole Food Vit C & Fish Oil. DARE & the bible are the tools I use to help navigate this process. Link to comment
Mentor RachelSusan Posted December 7, 2017 Mentor Share Posted December 7, 2017 Thank you Bromor. I feel I am on the road to recovery to as well. RS I am not a health professional in any way. I do not give medical advice. Discuss any decisions about your medical care with a professional medical practitioner. NEW INFORMATION FOR GABAPENTIN TAPER April 29, 2022 900 mg to 800 mg (11%), May 29, 2022 800 to 700 mg (12.5%), June 20, 2022 700 to 650mg (8%), July 20, 2022 650 to 575 (12%), August 20, 575 to 500 (13%), Sept 20, 2020 500 to 475mg (5%) Nov 7, 2022 475 to 425 (11%), Nov 21, 2022 500mg Medications: Gabapentin, Cortisol Inhaler daily. HISTORY FOR ZOLOFT TAPER Feb. 2016 to June 2016 - Was on 150mg Zoloft. Put on Gabapentin at 900mg a day in 2016 due to antidepressant withdrawal. Quit Zoloft (Sertraline) June 2016, reinstated 50mg of Zoloft July 2016. From July 2016 to October 2016 went from 50 mg down 2.3 mg. I up-dosed in November 2016 to 12.5 mg. Held there until January 2017 when I started a much slower taper. STARTING SENSIBLE ZOLOFT TAPERING USING GUIDELINES FROM THIS SITE Dec. 10 2016 - switched to Liquid Zoloft (Sertraline) @ 12.5 mg. Jan. 4, 2020 1.875 mg (6.3%). Jan. 25, 2020 1.75 mg. Feb. 29, 2020 1.625mg (7.10%). Apr. 4, 2020 1.5 mg. May 9, 2020 1.375 mg. June 6, 2020 1.25 mg. (9.10%). July 4, 2020 1.125 mg. (10%). August 15, 2020 1.0 mg. Oct 24, 2020 .875 mg. Nov. 28, 2020 .75mg. Jan 16, 2021 .685mg (8.7%). Feb 13, 2021 .62mg. March 12, 2021 .56mg. May 1, 2021 .375mg. May 29, 2021 .25mg. June 26, 2021 .0125mg. July 25, 2021 .065mg. August 22, 2021 .048mg. October 2, 2021 .043mg. October 10, 2021 .038mg. October 23, 2021 .035mg. October 30, 2021 .032mg. Nov. 13, 2021 .030 mg. Dec 4, 2021 .0285 mg. Dec 11, 2021 .0265 mg. Dec 18, 2021 .0246 mg. Dec 25, 2021 .023mg. Jan 1, 2022. 0 mg. OFF COMPLETELY Link to comment
bromor Posted March 3, 2018 Author Share Posted March 3, 2018 5 months off of Zoloft! Been a minute since I’ve been on here. The first couple of months off of Zoloft were rough. Anxiety, physical symptoms, sick over & over. I started seeing a naturopath again & started healing my gut. The difference in my anxiety is pretty amazing. 90% better! Working on my immune system so I don’t catch everything that comes along. It’s hard & I found out the hard way that when I indulge in pizza & cookies ~ I get very sick....body aches, stomach issues, sinus & ear stuff. So I’m pretty strict on my diet now. It’s hard ~ not going to lie! Sugar is so addicting. I’ve started telling myself that it’s poison. Just another step in totally recovering my health. So hang in there ~ if you’re in the midst of withdrawal, keep running the race. It’s worth it. If you can, heal your gut. Check out Dr Mark Hyman’s stuff ~ very helpful. On Zoloft for 10 years (50 mg) for GAD & panic attacks Weaned off fall of 2013, terrible set back in Feb '14 back on 100 mg & trazadone to sleep. Did CT off of Zoloft in May 2014 - bad decision! Back on 50 mg Zoloft & Xanax as needed (was upped to 75 mg by doctor in Feb 2015) Started to wean off of Zoloft in April 2015 ~ totally off Zoloft in Oct 2015 and now am on Buspar 11.25 mg to help. I was on a 50 mg pill & 25 mg pill - I cut the 25 mg pill in half (12.5) and took that with the 50 for 6 weeks - 1st week June 2015 50 mg for another 6 weeks. 25 mg in half and the 50 mg in half (37.5), 25 mg mid Sept for about 2 weeks.,1/2 of the 25 mg last week of Sept/1st week of Oct then off. Update** 9 mg Zoloft reinstated early Nov 15, along with 1.5 mg Buspar daily. On .50 of Buspar & 9 mg of Zoloft. Oct '16 - off of Buspar, Nov '16 - down to 7.5 mg Zoloft. March'17 - 4 mg Zoloft. July'17 - 2 mg, Sept 1 mg. Oct'17 - off! Done! I also take magnesium, L theanine, Gaba Calm, L Glutamine, Vit B complex(for methyl issues), Liver & Gall bladder support, Zinc, Whole Food Vit C & Fish Oil. DARE & the bible are the tools I use to help navigate this process. Link to comment
Moderator Emeritus ChessieCat Posted March 3, 2018 Moderator Emeritus Share Posted March 3, 2018 That's a good report. Thanks for letting us know how you are doing. We appreciate the updates. * 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
Moderator Emeritus apace41 Posted March 3, 2018 Moderator Emeritus Share Posted March 3, 2018 2 hours ago, bromor said: Just another step in totally recovering my health. You are doing great, B. Congrats. Best, Andy Sertraline 50mg and Clonazapam .375mg from 2000 -- symptoms of dizziness Spring 2012 increased to .5 Clonazapam and 100mg Sertraline -- no improvement Benzo microtaper from November 2012 to November 2014 (followed benzo sites "taper benzo first") Started Sertraline taper in December 2014 cut by 25mg to 75mg; 62.5mg 1/1/15 and 50mg on 2/1/15 Held at 50mg through April 5 to use liquid Reduced dosage in 10% or less drops from 50mg to 25mg -- at single tablet of 25mg on 10/5/15 Transitioned to all liquid for accuracy while tapering -- Horrible insomnia -- back to 25mg liquid and held until October 1, 2016 10/16 -- 11/18 tapered very slowly to 10.6mg. No real improvement and never really stable so updosed to 12.5mg (1/2 a pill) for convenience and long hold. After 8+ months of holding with no noticeable improvement decided to add .4ml of liquid Prozac (about 1.5mg) to see if that improves the situation Supplements, Magnesium, D3, Omega 3, curcumin, Valerian, 81mg Aspirin, L-Theanine, Vit. C, Link to comment
bromor Posted May 17, 2018 Author Share Posted May 17, 2018 7 months off. Had a couple of great months with no anxiety. None, zilch, zero. But...have had some the last few days. I'll be honest, it felt kinda like a slap in the face. Lucky for me I do follow Dr. Kelly Brogan & just reminded myself that this is still a part of healing. I may be off the Zoloft but my body is still healing from the drug (and those darn cold turkeys!!). I tried the keto diet & did not have much success with it... I felt incredibly exhausted and my gut did not do well with it. I was on it for over a month. So, I'm back to my tried and true... Trim, Healthy Mama. Still working on healing my gut ~ I feel like that might be a continuing process for me. All in all, I am in awe that I've managed 7 months off & haven't had the kind of withdrawal symptoms that I had the first time I cold turkey'd off (those hit me around month 5 off last time). I'm hoping that even though I don't post on here much that I might get a bit of feedback from others who've tapered off.... just want to see if they've experienced anxiety 6,7 and more months off of the meds. On Zoloft for 10 years (50 mg) for GAD & panic attacks Weaned off fall of 2013, terrible set back in Feb '14 back on 100 mg & trazadone to sleep. Did CT off of Zoloft in May 2014 - bad decision! Back on 50 mg Zoloft & Xanax as needed (was upped to 75 mg by doctor in Feb 2015) Started to wean off of Zoloft in April 2015 ~ totally off Zoloft in Oct 2015 and now am on Buspar 11.25 mg to help. I was on a 50 mg pill & 25 mg pill - I cut the 25 mg pill in half (12.5) and took that with the 50 for 6 weeks - 1st week June 2015 50 mg for another 6 weeks. 25 mg in half and the 50 mg in half (37.5), 25 mg mid Sept for about 2 weeks.,1/2 of the 25 mg last week of Sept/1st week of Oct then off. Update** 9 mg Zoloft reinstated early Nov 15, along with 1.5 mg Buspar daily. On .50 of Buspar & 9 mg of Zoloft. Oct '16 - off of Buspar, Nov '16 - down to 7.5 mg Zoloft. March'17 - 4 mg Zoloft. July'17 - 2 mg, Sept 1 mg. Oct'17 - off! Done! I also take magnesium, L theanine, Gaba Calm, L Glutamine, Vit B complex(for methyl issues), Liver & Gall bladder support, Zinc, Whole Food Vit C & Fish Oil. DARE & the bible are the tools I use to help navigate this process. Link to comment
Administrator Altostrata Posted May 17, 2018 Administrator Share Posted May 17, 2018 Thank you for that good news. This calls for our cheerful "here comes the sun" symbol ☼ to be added to the title of your Intro topic, to show you're recovering. Please continue to let us know how you're doing. I hope you will add your story to our Recovery Success Stories eventually! 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
Moderator Emeritus apace41 Posted May 17, 2018 Moderator Emeritus Share Posted May 17, 2018 B- So happy for you. Such great news! You are in the home stretch and I think some anxiety at some point along the way is not a shock. Best, Andy Sertraline 50mg and Clonazapam .375mg from 2000 -- symptoms of dizziness Spring 2012 increased to .5 Clonazapam and 100mg Sertraline -- no improvement Benzo microtaper from November 2012 to November 2014 (followed benzo sites "taper benzo first") Started Sertraline taper in December 2014 cut by 25mg to 75mg; 62.5mg 1/1/15 and 50mg on 2/1/15 Held at 50mg through April 5 to use liquid Reduced dosage in 10% or less drops from 50mg to 25mg -- at single tablet of 25mg on 10/5/15 Transitioned to all liquid for accuracy while tapering -- Horrible insomnia -- back to 25mg liquid and held until October 1, 2016 10/16 -- 11/18 tapered very slowly to 10.6mg. No real improvement and never really stable so updosed to 12.5mg (1/2 a pill) for convenience and long hold. After 8+ months of holding with no noticeable improvement decided to add .4ml of liquid Prozac (about 1.5mg) to see if that improves the situation Supplements, Magnesium, D3, Omega 3, curcumin, Valerian, 81mg Aspirin, L-Theanine, Vit. C, Link to comment
myndfull Posted May 17, 2018 Share Posted May 17, 2018 Bromer -- Your update showed up in my email; I'd forgotten I was following you (it's been a while since you posted.) Congratulations on the continued success of your post-taper, tho' sorry to hear about the return of some anxiety. From all that I've read here on SA its to be expected. You'll no doubt slowly get better and better, and one morning you'll wake up and say, "You know, whatever happened to that withdrawal nonsense I was going through?" I just jumped from Celexa myself, a little under a week ago (after just under four years of tapering) and I'm feeling some powerful anhedonia/disassociation today. Yet, tho' it's bad, it's not as bad as it was. I have the ability now to view myself more objectively; I can compare who I was a year or so ago with who I am today, and there's one thing I know for sure: I'm getting better. Knowing that keeps me going. Sounds like you know that, too. I'm happy for you! Per your gut issues, a few things that have helped me: Fiber mixed in water twice a day (a.m. and p.m.); a good probiotic, also twice a day (at least lately); more fresh and uncooked foods (green, red, purple, etc.); half the meat I normally used to eat; less caffeine; more water. Since adopting this "regimen" my severe IBS-like symptoms have gone away and that's been a great relief! Myndfull I had tried and failed to stop Paxil several times (though never using a long, slow taper) and thought Celexa might be easier, so I shifted to Celexa in 2012. In August of 2014 I began a serious tapered withdrawal from Celexa (20 mg.), making monthly drops, mostly 10% of the last dose, sometimes more, sometimes less. In July of 2016 I took an early retirement at 59 in large part because of my intense withdrawal symptoms. Three years and eight months after beginning my taper, I stopped taking Celexa on 5/12/18. I am currently in recovery and I am very slowly getting better. I still have waves and some are quite bad. But overall the trend is toward healing. Link to comment
Moderator brassmonkey Posted May 18, 2018 Moderator Share Posted May 18, 2018 Hi Bromor-- Thanks for dropping in on my thread. Seven months is quite an accomplishment, way to go. It sounds like you may be running into the 10 month wave a bit early. It actually can happen between eight and twelve months. It hit me in about month 8-9. A steady build of anxiety over several days, stayed at a high level for several weeks, then calmed down over a week. Once it was over things continued to improve as I passed the one year mark. There have been a few little blips since then, but they were pretty mild and only lasted a couple of days. Please don't panic about what you're feeling, it's all part of Recoverynormal and will pass fairly quickly. Brass 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
Moderator Emeritus Dan998 Posted May 18, 2018 Moderator Emeritus Share Posted May 18, 2018 I agree with what Brass said. There tends to be a rather large wave towards the end of the first year off the drugs. I've just come through it myself and am thriving now. It seems to be a cruel but necessary part of the recovery process. I'm assuming that it has to do with big structural changes happening in the brain. Please keep us updated Bromor as it will be useful to have another account of this phenomenon and it may help us get a clearer picture of what is going on. 2001: 20mg paroxetine2003-2014: Switched between 20mg citalopram and 10mg escitalopram with several failed CT's2015: Jan/ Feb-very fast taper off citalopram; Mar/ Apr-crashed; 23 Apr-reinstated 5mg; 05 May-updosed to 10mg; 15 Jul-started taper; Aug-9.0mg; Sep-8.1mg; Oct-7.6mg; Nov-6.8mg; Dec-6.2mg2016: Jan-5.7mg; Feb-5.2mg; Mar-5.0mg; Apr-4.5mg; May-4.05mg; Jun-3.65mg; Jul-3.3mg; Aug-2.95mg; 04Sep-2.65mg; 25Sep-2.4mg; 23Oct-2.15mg; 13Nov-1.95mg; 04Dec-1.75mg; 25Dec-1.55mg.2017: 08Jan-1.4mg; 22Jan-1.25mg; 12Feb-1.1mg; 26Feb-1.0mg; 05Mar-0.9mg; 15Mar-0.8mg; 22Mar-0.7mg; 02Apr-0.6; 09Apr-0.5mg; 16Apr-0.4mg; 23Apr-0.3; 03May-0.2mg; 10May-0.1mg Finished taper 17 May 2017. Read my success story I am not a medical professional. The information I provide is not medical advice. If in doubt please consult with a qualified healthcare provider. Link to comment
bromor Posted May 18, 2018 Author Share Posted May 18, 2018 20 hours ago, myndfull said: Bromer -- Your update showed up in my email; I'd forgotten I was following you (it's been a while since you posted.) Congratulations on the continued success of your post-taper, tho' sorry to hear about the return of some anxiety. From all that I've read here on SA its to be expected. You'll no doubt slowly get better and better, and one morning you'll wake up and say, "You know, whatever happened to that withdrawal nonsense I was going through?" I just jumped from Celexa myself, a little under a week ago (after just under four years of tapering) and I'm feeling some powerful anhedonia/disassociation today. Yet, tho' it's bad, it's not as bad as it was. I have the ability now to view myself more objectively; I can compare who I was a year or so ago with who I am today, and there's one thing I know for sure: I'm getting better. Knowing that keeps me going. Sounds like you know that, too. I'm happy for you! Per your gut issues, a few things that have helped me: Fiber mixed in water twice a day (a.m. and p.m.); a good probiotic, also twice a day (at least lately); more fresh and uncooked foods (green, red, purple, etc.); half the meat I normally used to eat; less caffeine; more water. Since adopting this "regimen" my severe IBS-like symptoms have gone away and that's been a great relief! Myndfull Yes ~ it's been a couple of months since I posted. Totally agree with comparison of where I was 2-3 years ago. Whenever I get down & start to wonder why I haven't "beaten" this yet.. I remind myself just how far I've come and how amazing my body/brain is to heal. You've got this!! Keto was not my friend (not knocking it.. I think it can work for most people!). I eat only grass fed organic meat, fresh eggs from my chickens ect ~ it's the darn gluten and sugar that hurt me. So I've got to practice some self control Fresh, raw foods are so good for us! Best of luck to you in your journey. Brass & Dan ~ Sure do appreciate your thoughts and advice. It didn't take long for me to get back to accepting that this was part of my healing. But not going to lie, it did catch me off guard. Because it's still that chemical anxiety that hits me from time to time. I need to check in more often. I remember being in the trenches & just knowing that someone else had walked through the fire, so to speak, and came out the other side was a gift! So thanks again. On Zoloft for 10 years (50 mg) for GAD & panic attacks Weaned off fall of 2013, terrible set back in Feb '14 back on 100 mg & trazadone to sleep. Did CT off of Zoloft in May 2014 - bad decision! Back on 50 mg Zoloft & Xanax as needed (was upped to 75 mg by doctor in Feb 2015) Started to wean off of Zoloft in April 2015 ~ totally off Zoloft in Oct 2015 and now am on Buspar 11.25 mg to help. I was on a 50 mg pill & 25 mg pill - I cut the 25 mg pill in half (12.5) and took that with the 50 for 6 weeks - 1st week June 2015 50 mg for another 6 weeks. 25 mg in half and the 50 mg in half (37.5), 25 mg mid Sept for about 2 weeks.,1/2 of the 25 mg last week of Sept/1st week of Oct then off. Update** 9 mg Zoloft reinstated early Nov 15, along with 1.5 mg Buspar daily. On .50 of Buspar & 9 mg of Zoloft. Oct '16 - off of Buspar, Nov '16 - down to 7.5 mg Zoloft. March'17 - 4 mg Zoloft. July'17 - 2 mg, Sept 1 mg. Oct'17 - off! Done! I also take magnesium, L theanine, Gaba Calm, L Glutamine, Vit B complex(for methyl issues), Liver & Gall bladder support, Zinc, Whole Food Vit C & Fish Oil. DARE & the bible are the tools I use to help navigate this process. Link to comment
bromor Posted June 1, 2018 Author Share Posted June 1, 2018 Happy to report that the anxiety has settled down. Still there but at a much lower level. So.... I decided that instead of following a “diet”, I was just going to listen to my body & see how it responds to the different foods I eat. I had happened to read a great article (complete with references! ) about diet/depression/anxiety ect. Gluten is proven to exacerbate anxiety symptoms. I tried my own lil experiment the past few days. I ate what I wanted. Sugar, pizza ect. And...definitely more symptoms than before. Hmmm may be a coincendence but I think not! Anyway ~ just wanted to update. Waves do still come but much less than before. Eating right & taking some supplements to help continue healing has been vital to my healing. Happy June! On Zoloft for 10 years (50 mg) for GAD & panic attacks Weaned off fall of 2013, terrible set back in Feb '14 back on 100 mg & trazadone to sleep. Did CT off of Zoloft in May 2014 - bad decision! Back on 50 mg Zoloft & Xanax as needed (was upped to 75 mg by doctor in Feb 2015) Started to wean off of Zoloft in April 2015 ~ totally off Zoloft in Oct 2015 and now am on Buspar 11.25 mg to help. I was on a 50 mg pill & 25 mg pill - I cut the 25 mg pill in half (12.5) and took that with the 50 for 6 weeks - 1st week June 2015 50 mg for another 6 weeks. 25 mg in half and the 50 mg in half (37.5), 25 mg mid Sept for about 2 weeks.,1/2 of the 25 mg last week of Sept/1st week of Oct then off. Update** 9 mg Zoloft reinstated early Nov 15, along with 1.5 mg Buspar daily. On .50 of Buspar & 9 mg of Zoloft. Oct '16 - off of Buspar, Nov '16 - down to 7.5 mg Zoloft. March'17 - 4 mg Zoloft. July'17 - 2 mg, Sept 1 mg. Oct'17 - off! Done! I also take magnesium, L theanine, Gaba Calm, L Glutamine, Vit B complex(for methyl issues), Liver & Gall bladder support, Zinc, Whole Food Vit C & Fish Oil. DARE & the bible are the tools I use to help navigate this process. Link to comment
bromor Posted June 28, 2018 Author Share Posted June 28, 2018 Physical symptoms on & off (lately more on)... I *know* it's to be expected...but sheesh! I'd like them to go away. That being said, my thought is that because my body still is hyper stimulated from the past 4 years, it's normal. Still working on my thoughts ~ anxiety centre has been a wealth of information & assurance for me. I think the principles work regardless of whether I'm suffering from chemical anxiety or "organic" anxiety. That being said, meditating has been a huge help for me. When I go through periods of stress (which pretty much summed up April & May) ~ my body overreacts. Hoping I learned my lesson from that... self care is of the utmost importance. My body & brain are amazing at healing...but they need support. Coming up on 10 total months off!! :) On Zoloft for 10 years (50 mg) for GAD & panic attacks Weaned off fall of 2013, terrible set back in Feb '14 back on 100 mg & trazadone to sleep. Did CT off of Zoloft in May 2014 - bad decision! Back on 50 mg Zoloft & Xanax as needed (was upped to 75 mg by doctor in Feb 2015) Started to wean off of Zoloft in April 2015 ~ totally off Zoloft in Oct 2015 and now am on Buspar 11.25 mg to help. I was on a 50 mg pill & 25 mg pill - I cut the 25 mg pill in half (12.5) and took that with the 50 for 6 weeks - 1st week June 2015 50 mg for another 6 weeks. 25 mg in half and the 50 mg in half (37.5), 25 mg mid Sept for about 2 weeks.,1/2 of the 25 mg last week of Sept/1st week of Oct then off. Update** 9 mg Zoloft reinstated early Nov 15, along with 1.5 mg Buspar daily. On .50 of Buspar & 9 mg of Zoloft. Oct '16 - off of Buspar, Nov '16 - down to 7.5 mg Zoloft. March'17 - 4 mg Zoloft. July'17 - 2 mg, Sept 1 mg. Oct'17 - off! Done! I also take magnesium, L theanine, Gaba Calm, L Glutamine, Vit B complex(for methyl issues), Liver & Gall bladder support, Zinc, Whole Food Vit C & Fish Oil. DARE & the bible are the tools I use to help navigate this process. Link to comment
Moderator brassmonkey Posted June 28, 2018 Moderator Share Posted June 28, 2018 Hi Bromor-- It sounds like things are going pretty well for being about ten months off. It's funny just how rocky the first year can be after getting off of this stuff. Having a super stressful couple of months is not fun, but I hope that you've been seeing some stead improvement as time passes. My big surprise was finding out just how tense my body had been for the years I was on the drug. Now that things are normalizing I can feel the tension slowly melting away, but there are all sorts of "little things" crop up because of it. Primarily feeling my body starting to relax, the little muscle twitches from over worked muscles, lack of coordination from being able to move in a more free manner, small pains that I've been living with finally clearing up. I think that relieving the underlying body tension that we are unaware of while on the drugs is a major concern in our recovery. As you pointed out "self care is of the utmost importance". Brass 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
Moderator Emeritus apace41 Posted July 2, 2018 Moderator Emeritus Share Posted July 2, 2018 On 6/28/2018 at 11:29 AM, bromor said: Still working on my thoughts ~ anxiety centre has been a wealth of information & assurance for me. I think the principles work regardless of whether I'm suffering from chemical anxiety or "organic" anxiety. Agree with this 100%, B. It's harder (I think) when you are in withdrawal because you have less "control" over it and a lot of it is chemical in nature, but I think the principles are very sound and the case studies are useful as precedent. You are doing great! Proud of you. Best, Andy Sertraline 50mg and Clonazapam .375mg from 2000 -- symptoms of dizziness Spring 2012 increased to .5 Clonazapam and 100mg Sertraline -- no improvement Benzo microtaper from November 2012 to November 2014 (followed benzo sites "taper benzo first") Started Sertraline taper in December 2014 cut by 25mg to 75mg; 62.5mg 1/1/15 and 50mg on 2/1/15 Held at 50mg through April 5 to use liquid Reduced dosage in 10% or less drops from 50mg to 25mg -- at single tablet of 25mg on 10/5/15 Transitioned to all liquid for accuracy while tapering -- Horrible insomnia -- back to 25mg liquid and held until October 1, 2016 10/16 -- 11/18 tapered very slowly to 10.6mg. No real improvement and never really stable so updosed to 12.5mg (1/2 a pill) for convenience and long hold. After 8+ months of holding with no noticeable improvement decided to add .4ml of liquid Prozac (about 1.5mg) to see if that improves the situation Supplements, Magnesium, D3, Omega 3, curcumin, Valerian, 81mg Aspirin, L-Theanine, Vit. C, Link to comment
Rosetta Posted July 3, 2018 Share Posted July 3, 2018 Thank you for being here, Bromor. I need to know that others are having similar issues so long after stopping the medication. Your sun🌞 is a welcome sight!!! So glad you are feeling so much better. It's been a very long road for you, I know. Please keep posting. -Rosetta https://www.survivingantidepressants.org/topic/16629-rosetta-ct-may-2011-too-fast-taper-feb-2017/?page=25 2001-2011 Celexa 10 mg raised to 40 mg then 60 mg over this time period May 2011 OB Doctor's Cold switch Celexa 60 mg to 10 mg Zoloft sertraline (baby born) 2012-2016 - Doctors raised dose of Zoloft up to 150 mg 2016 - Xanax prescribed - as needed - 0.5 mg about every 3 days (bad reaction) 2016 - Stopped Xanax Late 2016- Began (too fast) taper of Zoloft Early 2017 - Trazodone prescribed for bedtime (doseage unknown) Feb 2017 - Completed taper/stopped Trazodone Drug free since Feb 2017 2017 - Unisom otc very rarely for sleep Link to comment
bromor Posted July 3, 2018 Author Share Posted July 3, 2018 On 7/1/2018 at 8:28 PM, apace41 said: Agree with this 100%, B. It's harder (I think) when you are in withdrawal because you have less "control" over it and a lot of it is chemical in nature, but I think the principles are very sound and the case studies are useful as precedent. Yes, Andy.... I think it is harder in withdrawal (and even being off of the a/d) simply because there is that added chemical component. I've really been working on the "core fears" part. Some interesting revelations there for me. Such a process! But what hope that we will get through this. On a side note, I had stopped taking my supplements for my H Pylori issue...and that's when my physical symptoms really flared. Back on it ~ along with a few adaptogens & my physical symptoms have greatly decreased. I'd like to think it was coincidence.... but the I don't think so! It wasn't immediate - it took a good week of being back on the supplement to see a difference. Hope you're feeling ok, my friend. How is sleep? On Zoloft for 10 years (50 mg) for GAD & panic attacks Weaned off fall of 2013, terrible set back in Feb '14 back on 100 mg & trazadone to sleep. Did CT off of Zoloft in May 2014 - bad decision! Back on 50 mg Zoloft & Xanax as needed (was upped to 75 mg by doctor in Feb 2015) Started to wean off of Zoloft in April 2015 ~ totally off Zoloft in Oct 2015 and now am on Buspar 11.25 mg to help. I was on a 50 mg pill & 25 mg pill - I cut the 25 mg pill in half (12.5) and took that with the 50 for 6 weeks - 1st week June 2015 50 mg for another 6 weeks. 25 mg in half and the 50 mg in half (37.5), 25 mg mid Sept for about 2 weeks.,1/2 of the 25 mg last week of Sept/1st week of Oct then off. Update** 9 mg Zoloft reinstated early Nov 15, along with 1.5 mg Buspar daily. On .50 of Buspar & 9 mg of Zoloft. Oct '16 - off of Buspar, Nov '16 - down to 7.5 mg Zoloft. March'17 - 4 mg Zoloft. July'17 - 2 mg, Sept 1 mg. Oct'17 - off! Done! I also take magnesium, L theanine, Gaba Calm, L Glutamine, Vit B complex(for methyl issues), Liver & Gall bladder support, Zinc, Whole Food Vit C & Fish Oil. DARE & the bible are the tools I use to help navigate this process. Link to comment
bromor Posted July 3, 2018 Author Share Posted July 3, 2018 17 hours ago, Rosetta said: I need to know that others are having similar issues so long after stopping the medication. Isn't it comforting to know that you're not alone? I hope that this comforts others...and gives hope. Truly, my physical symptoms are greatly decreased compared to when I first found this site....and I'm SO looking forward to the day that they are gone for good!!! On Zoloft for 10 years (50 mg) for GAD & panic attacks Weaned off fall of 2013, terrible set back in Feb '14 back on 100 mg & trazadone to sleep. Did CT off of Zoloft in May 2014 - bad decision! Back on 50 mg Zoloft & Xanax as needed (was upped to 75 mg by doctor in Feb 2015) Started to wean off of Zoloft in April 2015 ~ totally off Zoloft in Oct 2015 and now am on Buspar 11.25 mg to help. I was on a 50 mg pill & 25 mg pill - I cut the 25 mg pill in half (12.5) and took that with the 50 for 6 weeks - 1st week June 2015 50 mg for another 6 weeks. 25 mg in half and the 50 mg in half (37.5), 25 mg mid Sept for about 2 weeks.,1/2 of the 25 mg last week of Sept/1st week of Oct then off. Update** 9 mg Zoloft reinstated early Nov 15, along with 1.5 mg Buspar daily. On .50 of Buspar & 9 mg of Zoloft. Oct '16 - off of Buspar, Nov '16 - down to 7.5 mg Zoloft. March'17 - 4 mg Zoloft. July'17 - 2 mg, Sept 1 mg. Oct'17 - off! Done! I also take magnesium, L theanine, Gaba Calm, L Glutamine, Vit B complex(for methyl issues), Liver & Gall bladder support, Zinc, Whole Food Vit C & Fish Oil. DARE & the bible are the tools I use to help navigate this process. Link to comment
bromor Posted August 16, 2018 Author Share Posted August 16, 2018 Just doing my once a month check in. 11 months off! Physical symptoms much better. I have some residual pain... specifically in my chest and that can totally freak me out if I let my thoughts go. It's not my heart, it's costochrondritis (sp). Still being careful with what I eat ~ and that has totally paid off in my cholesterol & glucose levels! Those babies went way down! *If* I could go back to the beginning of this journey, my biggest piece of advice to myself would be to take a few months to get healthy as possible in every way...then start tapering. I don't think I could've done it without symptoms.... (let's be realistic!) but I do think they might have been minimized if my body would have been healthier. Just my own opinion. To those still in the trenches, keep going. You can do this! There is light at the end of the tapering and withdrawal tunnel. On Zoloft for 10 years (50 mg) for GAD & panic attacks Weaned off fall of 2013, terrible set back in Feb '14 back on 100 mg & trazadone to sleep. Did CT off of Zoloft in May 2014 - bad decision! Back on 50 mg Zoloft & Xanax as needed (was upped to 75 mg by doctor in Feb 2015) Started to wean off of Zoloft in April 2015 ~ totally off Zoloft in Oct 2015 and now am on Buspar 11.25 mg to help. I was on a 50 mg pill & 25 mg pill - I cut the 25 mg pill in half (12.5) and took that with the 50 for 6 weeks - 1st week June 2015 50 mg for another 6 weeks. 25 mg in half and the 50 mg in half (37.5), 25 mg mid Sept for about 2 weeks.,1/2 of the 25 mg last week of Sept/1st week of Oct then off. Update** 9 mg Zoloft reinstated early Nov 15, along with 1.5 mg Buspar daily. On .50 of Buspar & 9 mg of Zoloft. Oct '16 - off of Buspar, Nov '16 - down to 7.5 mg Zoloft. March'17 - 4 mg Zoloft. July'17 - 2 mg, Sept 1 mg. Oct'17 - off! Done! I also take magnesium, L theanine, Gaba Calm, L Glutamine, Vit B complex(for methyl issues), Liver & Gall bladder support, Zinc, Whole Food Vit C & Fish Oil. DARE & the bible are the tools I use to help navigate this process. Link to comment
bromor Posted September 14, 2018 Author Share Posted September 14, 2018 Coming up on one year off of Zoloft! Wow!! I can hardly believe it. So, I still struggle with anxiety from time to time. But, that's ok. I'm still doing the work that needs to be done ~ finding my core fears & dealing with them. Anxiety centre & the anxiety guy are great resources!! All in all, I feel pretty decent. I definitely take better care of myself than I ever have. More sleep, more rest ~ margin in every area I can. I really think that during the withdrawal years, I developed a huge fear of the sensations... which is still my biggest struggle. But something really resonated with me the other day.... instead of just rushing to eliminate them, I need to understand the WHY. Why is my body doing this? What thought sparked the sensation? (Again, going back to those core fears). On Zoloft for 10 years (50 mg) for GAD & panic attacks Weaned off fall of 2013, terrible set back in Feb '14 back on 100 mg & trazadone to sleep. Did CT off of Zoloft in May 2014 - bad decision! Back on 50 mg Zoloft & Xanax as needed (was upped to 75 mg by doctor in Feb 2015) Started to wean off of Zoloft in April 2015 ~ totally off Zoloft in Oct 2015 and now am on Buspar 11.25 mg to help. I was on a 50 mg pill & 25 mg pill - I cut the 25 mg pill in half (12.5) and took that with the 50 for 6 weeks - 1st week June 2015 50 mg for another 6 weeks. 25 mg in half and the 50 mg in half (37.5), 25 mg mid Sept for about 2 weeks.,1/2 of the 25 mg last week of Sept/1st week of Oct then off. Update** 9 mg Zoloft reinstated early Nov 15, along with 1.5 mg Buspar daily. On .50 of Buspar & 9 mg of Zoloft. Oct '16 - off of Buspar, Nov '16 - down to 7.5 mg Zoloft. March'17 - 4 mg Zoloft. July'17 - 2 mg, Sept 1 mg. Oct'17 - off! Done! I also take magnesium, L theanine, Gaba Calm, L Glutamine, Vit B complex(for methyl issues), Liver & Gall bladder support, Zinc, Whole Food Vit C & Fish Oil. DARE & the bible are the tools I use to help navigate this process. Link to comment
Moderator Emeritus apace41 Posted September 14, 2018 Moderator Emeritus Share Posted September 14, 2018 1 hour ago, bromor said: Coming up on one year off of Zoloft! Wow!! I can hardly believe it. So, I still struggle with anxiety from time to time. But, that's ok. I'm still doing the work that needs to be done ~ finding my core fears & dealing with them. Anxiety centre & the anxiety guy are great resources!! All in all, I feel pretty decent. I definitely take better care of myself than I ever have. More sleep, more rest ~ margin in every area I can. I really think that during the withdrawal years, I developed a huge fear of the sensations... which is still my biggest struggle. But something really resonated with me the other day.... instead of just rushing to eliminate them, I need to understand the WHY. Why is my body doing this? What thought sparked the sensation? (Again, going back to those core fears). You are doing great, B. Congrats on getting where you are all the best on where you are headed. Best, Andy Sertraline 50mg and Clonazapam .375mg from 2000 -- symptoms of dizziness Spring 2012 increased to .5 Clonazapam and 100mg Sertraline -- no improvement Benzo microtaper from November 2012 to November 2014 (followed benzo sites "taper benzo first") Started Sertraline taper in December 2014 cut by 25mg to 75mg; 62.5mg 1/1/15 and 50mg on 2/1/15 Held at 50mg through April 5 to use liquid Reduced dosage in 10% or less drops from 50mg to 25mg -- at single tablet of 25mg on 10/5/15 Transitioned to all liquid for accuracy while tapering -- Horrible insomnia -- back to 25mg liquid and held until October 1, 2016 10/16 -- 11/18 tapered very slowly to 10.6mg. No real improvement and never really stable so updosed to 12.5mg (1/2 a pill) for convenience and long hold. After 8+ months of holding with no noticeable improvement decided to add .4ml of liquid Prozac (about 1.5mg) to see if that improves the situation Supplements, Magnesium, D3, Omega 3, curcumin, Valerian, 81mg Aspirin, L-Theanine, Vit. C, Link to comment
bromor Posted October 4, 2018 Author Share Posted October 4, 2018 (edited) Today = 1 full year off of Zoloft!!! I did it!! It was hard. Harder than I ever thought it would be. But worth it. I really don't have "regrets" ~ but in retrospect, I would do just a few things differently... 1. NO cold turkeys 2. get my body & mind healthy FIRST before any kind of tapering. This includes dealing with candida/parasite issues. 3. Counseling/changing thinking (The Anxiety Guy is AMAZING for his advice!) Do I still have some physical sensations from time to time.. yes, occasionally I do. But I know how to better accept/float... and choose my thoughts than I ever did. Also, when I do NOT eat sugar, gluten...and cleanse the candida, I feel pretty amazing (as in basically no physical sensations!) So ~ to everyone out there, take heart. You can DO this!! and edited to say.... I should probably do something in the success stories. I am a firm believer in helping others who are walking the same path that I've walked. Edited October 4, 2018 by bromor Just wanted to add a sentence. On Zoloft for 10 years (50 mg) for GAD & panic attacks Weaned off fall of 2013, terrible set back in Feb '14 back on 100 mg & trazadone to sleep. Did CT off of Zoloft in May 2014 - bad decision! Back on 50 mg Zoloft & Xanax as needed (was upped to 75 mg by doctor in Feb 2015) Started to wean off of Zoloft in April 2015 ~ totally off Zoloft in Oct 2015 and now am on Buspar 11.25 mg to help. I was on a 50 mg pill & 25 mg pill - I cut the 25 mg pill in half (12.5) and took that with the 50 for 6 weeks - 1st week June 2015 50 mg for another 6 weeks. 25 mg in half and the 50 mg in half (37.5), 25 mg mid Sept for about 2 weeks.,1/2 of the 25 mg last week of Sept/1st week of Oct then off. Update** 9 mg Zoloft reinstated early Nov 15, along with 1.5 mg Buspar daily. On .50 of Buspar & 9 mg of Zoloft. Oct '16 - off of Buspar, Nov '16 - down to 7.5 mg Zoloft. March'17 - 4 mg Zoloft. July'17 - 2 mg, Sept 1 mg. Oct'17 - off! Done! I also take magnesium, L theanine, Gaba Calm, L Glutamine, Vit B complex(for methyl issues), Liver & Gall bladder support, Zinc, Whole Food Vit C & Fish Oil. DARE & the bible are the tools I use to help navigate this process. Link to comment
Mentor FarmGirlWorks Posted October 4, 2018 Mentor Share Posted October 4, 2018 OMG: I went on here today to read a Success Story as having a rough time with anxiety and saw this sparkling gem. Congratulations so much, @bromor! I can't take your advice on no cold turkeys -- too late for that, ugh -- but def trying to change negative thinking/rumination spirals. Just so good to see proof that there is an Other Side. Prozac | late 2004-mid-2005 | CT WD in a couple months, mostly emotional Sertraline 50-100mg | 11/2011-3/2014, 10/2014-3/2017 Sertraline fast taper March 2017, 4 weeks, OFF sertraline April 1, 2017 Quit alcohol May 20, 2017 Lifestyle changes: 12-step (ACA, PIR), kundalini yoga "If you've seen a monster, even if it's horrible, that's evidence of divinity." – Damien Echols Link to comment
Moderator brassmonkey Posted October 4, 2018 Moderator Share Posted October 4, 2018 Congratulations on the making the one year mark B. That's a really big deal, well done. The next year should show even great improvements, I can't wait for hour reports. (((((((((((((((((HUGS)))))))))))))))))) Brass 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
PH1 Posted October 4, 2018 Share Posted October 4, 2018 Congratulations! Thanks for sharing your story and your success. You are an encouragement! 2010: Escitalopram (Lexapro) 10 mg. Mirtazapine (Remeron) 15 mg. 2011: Tapered Mirtazapine: 5 month successful taper. Then tapered Lexapro: 4 month successful taper May 2011 to August 2017: No medications, full recovery September 6, 2017: started Mirtazapine (Remeron) 15 mg - due to severe sudden insomnia November 16, 2017: started Escitalopram (Lexapro) 10 mg January 1, 2018 to October 30. 2020 -- 34 month taper off of Mirtazapine 15 mg to 0.00 mg June 16, 2018: Started slow taper of 10 mg Escitalopram (Lexapro) Current (mgai): 0.23 mg Escitalopram Supplements: Fish Oil, Curcumin, bio active B vitamins, zinc, magnesium glycinate, Vitamin D, Vitamin C, saffron, citrus bergamot, ashwagandha "Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own." Matthew 6:34 Link to comment
Moderator Emeritus apace41 Posted October 4, 2018 Moderator Emeritus Share Posted October 4, 2018 42 minutes ago, bromor said: So ~ to everyone out there, take heart. You can DO this!! So happy for you, B! You are an inspiration. As Tom said, it will continue to get better from here. Best, Andy Sertraline 50mg and Clonazapam .375mg from 2000 -- symptoms of dizziness Spring 2012 increased to .5 Clonazapam and 100mg Sertraline -- no improvement Benzo microtaper from November 2012 to November 2014 (followed benzo sites "taper benzo first") Started Sertraline taper in December 2014 cut by 25mg to 75mg; 62.5mg 1/1/15 and 50mg on 2/1/15 Held at 50mg through April 5 to use liquid Reduced dosage in 10% or less drops from 50mg to 25mg -- at single tablet of 25mg on 10/5/15 Transitioned to all liquid for accuracy while tapering -- Horrible insomnia -- back to 25mg liquid and held until October 1, 2016 10/16 -- 11/18 tapered very slowly to 10.6mg. No real improvement and never really stable so updosed to 12.5mg (1/2 a pill) for convenience and long hold. After 8+ months of holding with no noticeable improvement decided to add .4ml of liquid Prozac (about 1.5mg) to see if that improves the situation Supplements, Magnesium, D3, Omega 3, curcumin, Valerian, 81mg Aspirin, L-Theanine, Vit. C, Link to comment
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