ChrisC Posted March 23, 2016 Share Posted March 23, 2016 My daughter went off her antidepressant cold turkey just over 2 years ago & she has been diagnosed with Borderline Personality Disorder. I want to be able to help her through the symptoms & problems she's having but am finding it difficult to understand. She believes the majority of her symptoms are from antidepressant withdrawal. My question is how do I know if the problems she's having are from antidepressant withdrawal or BPD as from what I know & have read the symptoms can be very similar. Concerned Mother Link to comment
Moderator Emeritus Fresh Posted March 23, 2016 Moderator Emeritus Share Posted March 23, 2016 Hi Chris , welcome to the site. The big differentiating factor with withdrawal syndrome is "Did she have these symptoms before she went on antidepressants?" Withdrawal can often display with hypo-manic type symptoms which are commonly mis-read and diagnosed as bipolar , so mood stabilizers and often a benzo are added. If self-harm is a feature of her condition , a diagnosis of Borderline Personality Disorder is considered "a good fit" (at least , it was when I worked in Community Mental Health Services in Sydney). Protracted withdrawal presents additional symptoms that were never there in the initial presentation , only appeared after the AD's were added (a sign of toxicity) or stopped abruptly. It's not uncommon for symptoms to continue for years. Many members here are recovering years after stopping cold turkey. The following is a list of symptoms that can come with w/d (see this link http://survivingantidepressants.org/index.php?/topic/2390-dr-joseph-glenmullens-withdrawal-symptom-checklist ) PSYCHIATRIC SYMPTOMS That Mimic Depression 1. Crying spells 2. Worsened mood 3. Low energy (fatigue,lethargy, malaise) 4. Trouble concentrating 5. Insomnia or trouble sleeping 6. Change in appetite 7. Suicidal thoughts 8. Suicide attempts That Mimic Anxiety Disorders 9. Anxious, nervous, tense 10. Panic attacks (racing heart, breathless) 11. Chest pain 12. Trembling, jittery, or shaking Irritability and Aggression 13. Irritability 14. Agitation (restlessness, hyperactivity) 15. Impulsive 16. Aggressiveness 17. Self-harm 18. Homicidal thoughts or urges Confusion and Memory Problems 19. Confusion or cognitive difficulties 20. Memory problems or forgetfulness Mood Swings 21. Elevated mood (feeling high) 22. Mood swings 23. Manic-like reactions Hallucinations 24. Auditory hallucinations 25. Visual hallucinations Dissociation 26. Feeling detached or unreal Other 27. Excessive or intense dreaming 28. Nightmares MEDICAL SYMPTOMS That Mimic the Flu 29. Flu -like aches and pains 30. Fever 31. Sweats 32. Chills 33. Runny nose 34. Sore eyes That Mimic Gastroenteritis 35. Nausea 36. Vomiting 37. Diarrhea 38. Abdominal pain or cramps 39. Stomach bloating Dizziness 40. Disequilibrium 41. Spinning, swaying, lightheaded 42. Hung over or waterlogged feeling 43. Unsteady gait, poor coordination 44. Motion sickness Headache 45. Headache Tremor 46. Tremor Sensory Abnormalities 47. Numbness, burning,or tingling 48. Electric zap-like sensations in the brain 49. Electric shock-like sensations in the body 50. Abnormal visual sensations 51. Ringing or other noises in the ears 52. Abnormal smells or tastes Other 53. Drooling or excessive saliva 54. Slurred speech 55. Blurred vision 56. Muscle cramps, stiffness, twitches 57. Feeling of restless legs 58. Uncontrollable twitching of mouth Please use this thread to ask questions. Good to have you on board , your daughter is lucky to have you. Best wishes , Fresh 1987-1997 pertofran , prothiaden , Prozac 1997-2002 Zoloft 2002-2004 effexor 2004-2010 Lexapro 40mg 2010-2012Cymbalta 120mg Sept. 2012 -decreased 90mg in 6months. Care taken over by Dr Lucire in March 2013 , decreased last 30mg at 2mg per week over 3 months. July 21 , 2013- last dose of Cymbalta Protracted withdrawal syndrome kicked in badly Jan.2014 Unrelenting akathisia until May 2014. Voluntary hosp. admission. Cocktail of Seroquel, Ativan and mirtazapine and I was well enough to go home after 14 days. Stopped all hosp. meds in next few months. July 2014 felt v.depressed - couldn't stop crying. Started pristiq 50mg. Felt improvement within days and continued to improve, so stayed on 50mg for 8 months. Began taper 28 Feb. 2015. Pristiq 50mg down to 45mg. Had one month of w/d symptoms. Started CES therapy in March. No w/d symptoms down to 30mg. October 2015 , taking 25mg Pristiq. Capsules compounded with slow-release additive. March 2016 , 21mg Link to comment
nz11 Posted January 24, 2018 Share Posted January 24, 2018 Chris how is your daughter these days. Is she still drug free. Any update? Thought for the day: Lets stand up, and let’s speak out , together. G Olsen We have until the 14th. Feb 2018. URGENT REQUEST Please consider submitting for the petition on Prescribed Drug Dependence and Withdrawal currently awaiting its third consideration at the Scottish Parliament. You don't even have to be from Scotland. By clicking on the link below you can read some of the previous submissions but be warned many of them are quite harrowing. http://www.parliament.scot/GettingInvolved/Petitions/PE01651 Please tell them about your problems taking and withdrawing from antidepressants and/or benzos. Send by email to petitions@parliament.scot and quote PE01651 in the subject heading. Keep to a maximum of 3 sides of A4 and you can't name for legal reasons any doctor you have consulted. Tell them if you wish to remain anonymous. We need the numbers to help convince the committee members we are not isolated cases. You have until mid February. Thank you Recovering paxil addict None of the published articles shed light on what ssri's ... actually do or what their hazards might be. Healy 2013. This is so true, with anything you get on these drugs, dependance, tapering, withdrawal symptoms, side effects, just silent. And if there is something mentioned then their is a serious disconnect between what is said and reality! "Every time I read of a multi-person shooting, I always presume that person had just started a SSRI or had just stopped." Dr Mosher. Me too! Over two decades later, the number of antidepressant prescriptions a year is slightly more than the number of people in the Western world. Most (nine out of 10) prescriptions are for patients who faced difficulties on stopping, equating to about a tenth of the population. These patients are often advised to continue treatment because their difficulties indicate they need ongoing treatment, just as a person with diabetes needs insulin. Healy 2015 I believe the ssri era will soon stand as one of the most shameful in the history of medicine. Healy 2015 Let people help people ... in a natural, kind, non-addictive (and non-big pharma) way. J Broadley 2017 Link to comment
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