reachingforthestars Posted August 18, 2016 Share Posted August 18, 2016 I personally know three success stories. One woman who is 60 years old and was on ssri( she's a close friend of of my mother) and two men who are thirty something. I know that one of the guys was on venlafaxin but I don't know what antidepressant was the other one taking. They all were almost ten years on antidepressants and they were able to quit and are now doing fine. The one who was on venlafaxin CT'd and it took about an year for him to be normal again. The woman tapered for two years and after tapering was OK in few months. She has been AD free at least for 5 years. The third one had sleep apnea and after they discovered the sleep apnea and his sleeping improved he was able to quit AD's. Sorry my English is so clumsy 2 Citalopram 40mg from 2003-2015 Jan 2015 started tapering first dropped to 35mg, Feb 30mg, March 25mg, April 20mg, May 17,5mg, June 15mg, July 12,5mg, Aug 12,5mg, Sep 0mg for 5 days because of stomac flu and after I raised to 7,5mg. All the symptoms of acute WD shaking, diarrhea, vomiting, barely could walk ect. Still didn't realize that it wasn't only stomac flu but I was also going through WD. Oct 2,5mg and crashed again badly and quickly raised to 4mg. It was then when I knew my symptoms were due to WD. Then in November after a month holding on 4mg raised to 5mg due to muscle weakness and had a VERY BAD reaction to reinstatement: akathisia(lasted for one or two weeks), insomnia, anhedonia... Drop quicly back to 4mg, Dec 3mg Jan 2016 2,6mg( in the middle of Jan after I had been on 2,6mg for a week I tried to updose to 2,8mg and immediately had bad reaction to it: akathisia for a day, andehonia got worse. The next day dropped back to 2,6mg), Feb 2,4mg( a new symptom PGAD lasted 24/7 for 2 months after that on and off), March 2,4mg, April 2,3mg, May 2,2mg, June 2,1mg, July 2,0mg( Pgad almost nonexisting, sleeping pretty good, still some anhedonia but there has been a lot of gradual progress), Aug 1,97mg-1,89mg, Sep 1,88mg-1,49mg, Oct 1,48mg- 1,70mg, Nov 0,65mg- current dose 0,5mg Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Alua Posted September 27, 2016 Share Posted September 27, 2016 Well here goes. 1) lady on zoloft 15 years. Withdrew in 1 month from 100mg. I remember her being actively suicidal whilst on them even going as far as writing suicide notes to her 5 kids. 1 year later doing fabulous. 2) ct from 100mg pristiq. 1 year later no symptoms very happy. Was suicidal on the drugs. 3) ct from 100mg pristiq. Doing ok a year later. Has had some extra anxiety. She only suffered a week of wd. 4) 70 year old on paxil twice after suicide attempt. Said it never helped him. First time on 2 years second time on 2 years. Last time weaned of over a year he cant remember having any withdrawal. Doing fine 5 years later. 5) two ladies i know on zoloft for approximately one year. One got pregnant tapered over two weeks nearly died for six weeks with symptoms but now doing fab. The other one got ct off by her doctor when he said she never had pnd. She felt antisocial for a while. Now doing great. 6) close friend of mine on them twice. First time 2 years had to ct when she had a baby said worst experience of her life. Second time on 4 years tapered over six months still awful. That was 6 years ago she has sleep problems but otherwise good 7) lady in my netball team on and off ads 25 years been on every one. She did a taper off over a year. She has been off r years now doing great. Credits cbt to her success. 8) number 7s husband on various antidepressants most of his life. Ct of 50mg pristiq. She said his mood swings for a year were horrific. I think he has been off a few years and is much happier but she said she nearly left him as he was so moody. I have come across lots of others on them for a month to six months who felt dredful on them and ct and suffered but have no lasting effects. 1 <p>Various benzos 4 months for insomnia prior to Effexor 37.5mg may 2014 for two weeks, Mirtazapine 30mg june 2014 - feb 2015.Pristiq 50 mg Feb 2015. six weeks later attempted coming off with a six week taper. ten days off and it got ugly. Tapering now using compounded pristiq with slow release agent. 37.5 mg 3 weeks, 30 mg 6 weeks, 25mg 4.5 weeks, 20mg for 6 weeks, 17.5 mgs 7 weeks, 20 mg 8 weeks, 19 mg 3 weeks, 18 mg 3 weeks, 17 mg 3 weeks, 16 mg 3 weeks, 15mg 2 weeks, 14mg 2 weeks, 13 mgs 2 weeks, 12 mgs 6 weeks, 11mg 3 weeks, 10.5mg 2 weeks, 10 mg 3.5 weeks. 9mg 4 weeks. Jumped at 8mg currently 16 months free Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
downtongirl Posted September 27, 2016 Share Posted September 27, 2016 Alua...it seems like for those of the success stories you know the people who suffered seemed to get better around the one year mark....is that what you gather? 1995 - 2015 antidepressants and antianxiety medicineMultiple failed attempts to quit/taper anti d/anti anxiety meds since 2008 June 17, 2016 began prozac bridge to get off of effexor xr, stopped effexor xr on June 24, 2016, could not tolerate prozac due to severe side effects so I had to stop it Currently...300 mg ER of lithium, 1 mg of estradiol, 60 mg propranolol ER, Fish oil 2 x a day, Magnesium Glycinate, zinc, vitamin c, vitamin d, NAC Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Alua Posted September 27, 2016 Share Posted September 27, 2016 Um to be honest the first one that tapered off pristiq ct at 100mg had six weeks of hell then it lifted mainly. I remember i rang her every day for 6 weeks and recall her saying if she had a gun one day she would shoot herself. The other one who xt off 100mg pristiq only suffered for a week and then she said it just slowly improved. The one on zoloft 1t years tapered quick in a month. She had some really depressed periods and intense anger and worked through wd with 5 kids. These woman are all pretty dertermined and knew how bad the drugs were. They may have residual effects but nothing that limits them living their lives. <p>Various benzos 4 months for insomnia prior to Effexor 37.5mg may 2014 for two weeks, Mirtazapine 30mg june 2014 - feb 2015.Pristiq 50 mg Feb 2015. six weeks later attempted coming off with a six week taper. ten days off and it got ugly. Tapering now using compounded pristiq with slow release agent. 37.5 mg 3 weeks, 30 mg 6 weeks, 25mg 4.5 weeks, 20mg for 6 weeks, 17.5 mgs 7 weeks, 20 mg 8 weeks, 19 mg 3 weeks, 18 mg 3 weeks, 17 mg 3 weeks, 16 mg 3 weeks, 15mg 2 weeks, 14mg 2 weeks, 13 mgs 2 weeks, 12 mgs 6 weeks, 11mg 3 weeks, 10.5mg 2 weeks, 10 mg 3.5 weeks. 9mg 4 weeks. Jumped at 8mg currently 16 months free Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LexAnger Posted September 28, 2016 Share Posted September 28, 2016 Well I know one who were on various SSirs for two years or so for her depression suffering various severe side effects but doing great immediately after being off them all. I consider her in different categories of not having WD like all of us here. She never had problems changing meds either only none of them worked for her also giving tons of side effects. We may consider her case as a success recovery from side effects (not WD). Drug free Sep. 23 2017 2009 Mar.: lexapro 10mg for headache for 2 weeks. 2009-2012: on and off 1/4 to 1/3 of 10mg 2012 June--2013 Jan,: 1/4-1/3 of 10mg generic, bad jaw pain 2013 Jan-Mar: 10 mg generic. severe jaw and head pain; 2013 Mar--Aug. started tapering (liquid ever since) from 10 to 5 (one step) then gradually down to 2.25 mg by July. first ever panic attack, severe head/jaw pain 2013 Aug.: back to 2.75 mg; Nov: back to Brand Lex. 2.75mg -- 3mg, 2014 June: stopped PPI, head pressure/numbness. up-dosed 4.5mg, severe reaction mental symptoms added on 2014 Aug--2015 Aug: Micro taper down to 3.2mg, .025mg (<1%) cut holding 2-3 weeks. 2015 Aug 15th, Accidental one dose of 4.2mg. worsening brain non-functional, swollen head, body, coma like, DR 2016 Feb., started dosing 10am through 11 pm everyday 2/13--3.2mg, 3/15-- 2.9mg, 4/19-- 2.6mg, 6/26--2.2mg, 7/22 --1.9mg, 8/16--1.8mg,8/31--1.7m g, 9/13--1.6mg, 9/27--1.5mg, 10/8--1.4mg, 10/14--1.3mg, 11/1--1.2mg, 11/29--1.1mg, 12/12--1mg, 12/22--0.9mg 2017: 1/7--0.8mg, 1/15--0.7mg, 1/17--0.6mg, 1/20--0.52, 1/21--0.4mg, 1/22--0.26, 1/23--0.2, 2/13--0.13mg, 2/20--0.06mg, 3/18--0.13mg, 6/1--0.12mg, 7/6--0.1mg, 7/14--0.08mg, 8/17--0.04mg, 8/20--0.03mg, 8/28--0.02mg, 9/6--0.0205mg, 9/8--0.02mg, 9/17--0.015mg, 9/20--0.01mg, 9/21--0.0048mg, 9/22--0.0001mg, Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Vonnegutjunky Posted October 18, 2016 Share Posted October 18, 2016 Thank you both for posting these - I really needed them today ❤️ 1 *Currently at 8.2-8.5 mg of my 10mg pill of Paxil (they actually weigh 12.5mg) january 2023 I began reducing my med again. I was a 9mg weight for years, I went to 8.9 in January, went to 8.6mg in February, and in March 2023 I went down to 8.5-8.2 mg ( my scale varies, so I stick within that .3 range because of that) *No other supplements or vitamins *Taper schedule in the pdf Blank.pdf https://docs.google.com/document/d/1-5vShtJtwAOGA30OxIP87steLmMdFzD29F0fzAPD564 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NoMoreADs Posted October 21, 2016 Share Posted October 21, 2016 Alua...it seems like for those of the success stories you know the people who suffered seemed to get better around the one year mark....is that what you gather? Hi, what are the symptoms that you have seen improve after a year in the stories that you have looked through? 1992-Feb. 2016- Took almost every antidepressant on the market. Cold turkeyed most of the medications I took. Stopped taking Paxil February 8 2016. I tapered the dose from 50 mg to 0 over the course of about 10 weeks On no medications as of Feb. 8, 2016 As of 10/23/16-Still unable to sleep more than 4 to 5 hours a night, sometimes less Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Alua Posted October 21, 2016 Share Posted October 21, 2016 To be honest i have not sat down with these people and analysed their experience or symptoms. One is a close friend on zoloft 15 years. She tapered in a month. She has 5 kids and worked through the whole ordeal. She wrote suicide notes to all 5 kids while on the zoloft. Now she has lost 30kg, had a breast reduction, is much calmer and looks and seems like a different person. She said on the pills she did not know who she was. She seems happier to me and says that herself. When she laughs she said its because its funny not because the pills tell her to laugh or force her to smile with no feeling behind the action. None of these people sought out boards such as this. I guess they just got on with it. Sometimes i wonder if over analysing symptoms is counter productive personally. They probably all have slightly heightened anxiety from what i can gather. I know 2 of them were laid out on the couch 6 weeks after they stopped. One said it felt like her brain was loose in her head and thrashing around from side to side, severe diarrhea like no control over their bowls, brain zaps, suicidal thoughts, insane rage, depersonalisation, jaw pain, sleep paralysis and all the normal stuff. most of the people i talk about are females i know. They all have small children. They have had no choice but to find a way to get through it. None of them would have known jt was withdrawal had i not told them. <p>Various benzos 4 months for insomnia prior to Effexor 37.5mg may 2014 for two weeks, Mirtazapine 30mg june 2014 - feb 2015.Pristiq 50 mg Feb 2015. six weeks later attempted coming off with a six week taper. ten days off and it got ugly. Tapering now using compounded pristiq with slow release agent. 37.5 mg 3 weeks, 30 mg 6 weeks, 25mg 4.5 weeks, 20mg for 6 weeks, 17.5 mgs 7 weeks, 20 mg 8 weeks, 19 mg 3 weeks, 18 mg 3 weeks, 17 mg 3 weeks, 16 mg 3 weeks, 15mg 2 weeks, 14mg 2 weeks, 13 mgs 2 weeks, 12 mgs 6 weeks, 11mg 3 weeks, 10.5mg 2 weeks, 10 mg 3.5 weeks. 9mg 4 weeks. Jumped at 8mg currently 16 months free Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Moderator Emeritus WiggleIt Posted November 22, 2016 Moderator Emeritus Share Posted November 22, 2016 (edited) Wiggleit has improved. Please see from this post: In real life, I personally know one complete success story, two partial success stories who did retain some permanent damage, and four people absolutely unable to get off meds bc the withdrawal is too severe when they try. I am a zero success story as I have been off meds for two years and still suffering from medication-induced movement disorder. That means, in my experience, only ONE success story out of eight people. Those are bad odds. Just because people didn't find these boards doesn't mean their withdrawal wasn't serious and real. Frankly, they're lucky if they were only down and out for two to six weeks. No wonder they didn't have to find these boards. I guarantee you if they were still messed up after two years, they would end up here. "Getting on with it" sure as h*** hasn't fixed my psych med-induced movement disorder or my facial tics. So, no, the "no choice but to get on with it" theory is incorrect. What those situations REALLY are is LUCKY, and they better count their blessings everyday. Edited February 6, 2019 by ChessieCat added links about Wiggleit's improvement *I'm not a doctor and don't give medical advice, just personal experience **Off all meds since Nov. 2014. Mentally & emotionally recovered; physically not-Dual cold turkeys off TCA & Ativan in Oct 2014. Prescribed from 2011-2014 -All meds were Rxed off-label for an autoimmune illness. It was a MISDIAGNOSIS, but I did not find out until AFTER meds caused damage. All med tapers/cold turkeys directed by doctors -Nortriptyline May 2012 - Dec 2013. Cold turkey off nortrip & cold switched to desipramine -Desipramine Jan 2014 - Oct. 29, 2014 (rapid taper/cold turkey) -Lorazepam 1 mg per night during 2011 -Lorazepam 1 mg per month in 2012 (or less) -Lorazepam on & off, Dec 2013 through Aug 2014. Didn't exceed 3x a week -Lorazepam again in Oct. 2014 to help get off of desipramine. Last dose lzpam was 1 mg, Nov. 2, 2014. Immediate paradoxical reactions to benzos after stopping TCAs -First muscle/dystonia side effects started on nortriptyline, but docs too stupid to figure it out. On desipramine, muscle tremors & rigidity worsened -Two weeks after I got off all meds, I developed full-blown TD. Tardive dystonia, dyskinesia, myoclonic jerks ALL over body, ribcage wiggles, facial tics, twitching tongue & fingers, tremors/twitches of arms, legs, cognitive impairment, throat muscles semi-paralyzed & unable to swallow solid food, brain zaps, ears ring, dizzy, everything looks too far away, insomnia, numbness & electric shocks everywhere when I try to fall asleep, jerk awake from sleep with big, gasping breaths, wake with terrors & tremors, severely depressed. NO HISTORY OF DEPRESSION, EVER. Meds CREATED it. -Month 7: hair falling out; no vision improvement; still tardive dystonia; facial & tongue tics returned -Month 8: back to acute, incl. Grand Mal seizure-like episodes. New mental torment, PGAD, worse insomnia -Month 9: tardive dystonia worse, dyskinesia returned. Unable to breathe well due to dystonia in stomach, chest, throat -Month 13: Back to acute, brain zaps back, developed eczema & stomach problems. Left leg no longer works right due to dystonia, meaning both legs now damaged -7 years off: Huge improvements, incl. improved dystonia Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rockingchaircat Posted December 7, 2016 Share Posted December 7, 2016 I know of only one- mine. But it is still in the process. Someday I WILL type up my own success story. Just not today. 1)Zoloft- 6/99 to 8/04 2)Escitalopram- 8/04 to 8/10 3)Citalopram 8/10 to 4/14 (C/T), 4)Paxil a week or so, 5)Wellbutrin a week or so, 6)Reinstated Citalopram- 9/14 to 7/15 Before Taper- Celexa/20 mg....Taper Start- 04/21/15- 15mg....05/26/15- 10 mg...06/22/15- 5 mg...07/18/15- 0mg. http://tinyurl.com/qjfoqe9 Ativan/Lorazepam use/taper 10/14 to 2/15- http://tinyurl.com/ljebp84 Baclofen- Intermittent use of from 2008 till 2014. Some use of Promethazine. Some use of Zofran. Clobetasol Propionate- for Lichen Planus. Some Flexeril use. Ativan- GABA,A receptor Agonist., Baclofen- GABA,B receptor Agonist., Celexa/Lexapro- Serotonin 5-HT1A Receptor Agonist., Zofran- Serotonin 5-HT3 Receptor Agonist..Promethazine- Histamine H1-Receptor Antagonist. Flexeril- Serotonin 5HT2a Antagonist. My self imposed Amino Acid Therapy: Tyrosine 500mg 1xday, Theanine 200 mg 1xday, & Taurine 500 mg 2x day. (All neurotransitter pre-cursors)- seems to have helped me immensely. And of course- eating healthy, including Black Beans for the oligosaccharides for gut health. The attempt to develop a sense of humor and to see things in a humorous light is some kind of trick learned while mastering the Art of Living. - Viktor Frankl, Man's Search for Meaning. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
music321 Posted January 23, 2017 Share Posted January 23, 2017 I know a woman who, in her mid 60s, tapered from an unknown dose of meds to nothing in about four months, and never had any problems. She was on a variety of psych meds since the 80's. Of course, most of us are already suffering PAWS, so we can't hope to be the lucky ones that never encounter it at all. various SSRI for years 20 mg Lyrica 2010 30 mg to 0 mg Prozac 2012 Reinstate 20 mg Prozac 2012 Drop to 19 mg Prozac 2013 Reinstate 20 mg Prozac 1 month later (2013) Gradual decrease of Prozac dosage starting in late summer of 2015, currently at 11.2 mg/day use of vitamin D3, fish oil, and magnesium at various times Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
music321 Posted January 29, 2017 Share Posted January 29, 2017 Really? Over 1,000 people have looked at this, and only ten have responded with success stories? various SSRI for years 20 mg Lyrica 2010 30 mg to 0 mg Prozac 2012 Reinstate 20 mg Prozac 2012 Drop to 19 mg Prozac 2013 Reinstate 20 mg Prozac 1 month later (2013) Gradual decrease of Prozac dosage starting in late summer of 2015, currently at 11.2 mg/day use of vitamin D3, fish oil, and magnesium at various times Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rowinghippy Posted January 29, 2017 Share Posted January 29, 2017 I wonder if that speaks to how uncommon it is to find someone suffering like us. My friend dabbled with SSRIs for 6-12 months, ultimately stopping because it messed with her digestion too much. She got off in about a month, no problems except sibo, which she took the antibiotic for and is seemingly all fine now. Everyone else I know got off them in a couple months no problem, which makes me angrier knowing how awful I'm doing. 4/24/16: 20 mg citalopram 8/1/16: 15 mg 8/22/16: 10 mg 9/16/16: reinstated to 12 mg 12/1/16: 11 mg 2/20/17: 10 mg 11/20/17: CT, med free 1/18/18: began regimen (keto, synthroid, supps, etc.) 11/21/18: off keto, lowered synthroid, began exercise 2/07/19: off synthroid/all supps 4/15/19: began tirosint (clean version of synthroid, with less side effects) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Madeleine Posted February 22, 2017 Share Posted February 22, 2017 Anyone else have examples? 200 Zoloft; 10 mg Zyprexa; 4 mg valium as of May 2021; Valium taper: July 16: 3.5 valium; July 30: 3 mg (paused valium taper); Aug. 23: 2.5 mg Zyprexa: July 26: 8.75 mg; Aug. 9: 7.5 mg; Aug. 30: 7.1 mg ------- Dec 1, 2016. 10 mg zyprexa for 1.5 month. Started taper mid-Jan. 2017. Cut 1.25 mg every 2 weeks; smaller cuts 2.5 mg down. Stopped at .6 mg. May 7, 2017: zyprexa free. Zoloft: Dec1, 2016, 200 mg. Started taper: Jun12, 2017: 197.5 mg; Jun19,:195 mg; July 2:185mg; July 9,:180 mg; July16,: 175; July 23: 170; July 30: 165; Aug6: 160; Aug13: 155; Aug. 20: 150; Aug.27: 146 mg; Sept3: 145 mg; Sept10:143 mg; Sept17:140 mg....Nov5: 122 mg...Dec3:112.5 mg; Jan14, 2018: 95 mg...Jan28: 90 mg; Feb21:80 mg; Mar11: 75 mg; May2:70 mg; May15: 68 mg; May28: 65 mg; Jun9: 62 mg;Jun25: 60 mg:July22: 55 mg; Aug25: 45 mg. Aug28: 50 mg...Oct 28: 38 mg; Dec.4: 30 mg; Jan8,2019: 25mg; Feb6: 23.5 mg; Apr1:17.5mg; May1:1 mg; May 5: 18; May 18:15mg; June 16:12.5mg; Sept 10:11 mg; Sept.16:10 mg; Oct. 1: 9mg; Nov. 27: 8mg; Dec.5: 7mg; Jan.1,2020, 6 mg; Feb1: 5 mg; May 1: 2.5 mg; Jn 1: 2 mg; Jy 1: 1.5 mg Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dini84 Posted March 24, 2017 Share Posted March 24, 2017 Well, my husband who has ADD has gotten off his meds at least 2 or 3 times successfully over the course of 30 or so years. He had awful withdrawals but recovered and moved on after each cut. When we met he wasn't on any medication and he was always perfectly fine. When we had kids, due to his ADD and very stressful job, he opted to go back on his meds again but that's because he feels they do help him with his condition during stressful times or help him to focus better which is critical in his job area now. My point is he was able to go off those and then also live a fully functional life, normal, without any drugs. He made recoveries 2+ times so I see that as a success story. I wish I could add more but I don't know anyone on these types of meds, just myself and my husband. Hence why I'm here now, I didn't have any knowledge on these meds before taking, whie taking or after taking them. But I will definitely come back to write my success story as soon as it's clear I'm home and dry at last. January 2014: 25mg Sertraline. April 2016: 75mg of Sertraline. June 2016: 0mg Sertraline. September 20, 2016: WD September 22nd: Lexapro 10mg for 3 weeks. Doctor CT’ed me. October 2016: Trazodone. (Forgot dose) October 2016: CT trazodone October 2016: Buspirone 30mg October 26 2016 - Sertraline was reinstated. Titrated from 12.5mg - 57mg. March 2018 - stabilized on 57mg. March 2023 - No medications. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gigi63 Posted March 24, 2017 Share Posted March 24, 2017 Dini84, thank you this is very good and optimistic. I value hearing anytime someone has been successful getting off and fully recovers. Thank you!!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dini84 Posted March 25, 2017 Share Posted March 25, 2017 Triple I should add that my husband doesn't use sites like these either, and wanted to point out that a lot of people struggling with withdrawal don't know about these sites unless they are people like us who managed to find it somehow or feel we need more answers or support. So there are a lot of success stories we don't hear about for this reason. I think that's actually a more common reason why we don't see more success stories as well. January 2014: 25mg Sertraline. April 2016: 75mg of Sertraline. June 2016: 0mg Sertraline. September 20, 2016: WD September 22nd: Lexapro 10mg for 3 weeks. Doctor CT’ed me. October 2016: Trazodone. (Forgot dose) October 2016: CT trazodone October 2016: Buspirone 30mg October 26 2016 - Sertraline was reinstated. Titrated from 12.5mg - 57mg. March 2018 - stabilized on 57mg. March 2023 - No medications. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gigi63 Posted March 25, 2017 Share Posted March 25, 2017 Does he struggle with withdrawal symptoms when coming off??? I mean, I would imagine yes he does but I know I have had prolonged withdrawal symptoms and am still not tapered off my med. is it possible of course that he is one who can taper off with less difficulty??? Either way, I agree many people get off and do so better than those of us who find our CNS have become very dependant on the drug. Thank you and very good!!!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gigi63 Posted March 25, 2017 Share Posted March 25, 2017 I am sorry, I note now you said he had horrible withdrawal, yes, very successful at getting off. Good and thank you for sharing. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gigi63 Posted March 25, 2017 Share Posted March 25, 2017 Hey Dini, you made a statement earlier also that you don't know any others on these meds. I must tell you, I know several people on these meds. They have no desire to be off of them. I have found that withdrawal can be such a lonesome place. The only people who really get it are those who are here or have gone through it. Two of my closest friends are on these meds. One basically dropped off the face of the earth since my long journey began. She readily admits to terrible side effects of her Effexor. Perhaps it is because the thought of her going off or my experience, has provoked fears in her. The second one has remained a good support, although she admits she would never come off. She does recognize the process as difficult and long. It is nice to be able to try to connect here on this site. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dini84 Posted March 26, 2017 Share Posted March 26, 2017 I totally agree, TripleM. I did actually meet a woman just today who says she will never ever go off her celexa because the withdrawals were so bad. But she us the type of person who doesn't know or understand ssris ir ADs, from talking to her she believes everything her doctor tells her. It's unfortunate, because it's false. So not only do these people try to come off these drugs, but they don't have a strong support network that can help them along that journey. It's really sad. These drugs should be banned and drug companies paying off millions of lawsuits. Just my opinion. January 2014: 25mg Sertraline. April 2016: 75mg of Sertraline. June 2016: 0mg Sertraline. September 20, 2016: WD September 22nd: Lexapro 10mg for 3 weeks. Doctor CT’ed me. October 2016: Trazodone. (Forgot dose) October 2016: CT trazodone October 2016: Buspirone 30mg October 26 2016 - Sertraline was reinstated. Titrated from 12.5mg - 57mg. March 2018 - stabilized on 57mg. March 2023 - No medications. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dini84 Posted March 26, 2017 Share Posted March 26, 2017 Oh yeah, in fact he attempted suicide once while coming off them. But thankfully he was okay and able to muscle through it because yes in spite of how awful those wd symptoms can be he survived and came out much stronger. I really think it depends on our circumstances though. If we have a ton of stress in our lives, WD may be that much harder to get through. I know even the slightest glitch in my life can send me straight down the rabbit hole right now, whereas normally it would've never even affected me. It's so weird and I hate this part of WD but doesn't sound like we can get off of these drugs without those symptoms. Ugh.. January 2014: 25mg Sertraline. April 2016: 75mg of Sertraline. June 2016: 0mg Sertraline. September 20, 2016: WD September 22nd: Lexapro 10mg for 3 weeks. Doctor CT’ed me. October 2016: Trazodone. (Forgot dose) October 2016: CT trazodone October 2016: Buspirone 30mg October 26 2016 - Sertraline was reinstated. Titrated from 12.5mg - 57mg. March 2018 - stabilized on 57mg. March 2023 - No medications. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gigi63 Posted March 27, 2017 Share Posted March 27, 2017 Dini, how long have you been going through the process of withdrawal? I wanted to read your history but couldn't see it? I have been going through a reinstatement at a small dose for almost a year now. I began my too fast taper, ten months before the RI. I am waiting for good and steady as I crashed. Not there yet. I know and I agree. These drugs are so powerful. The majority of MD,s have no clue, none whatsoever!!!!! The drug companies are making billions so they obviously have a very greedy interest to keep people on. Do you know I found that for the FDA to approve a drug to market, the drug company has to only provide 2 trials that show only. Modest improvement on the criteria scale they use, they can fail 20 trials on the same drug and just keep going until they show a modest improvement on something and also, there are no long term trials done the majority of the time. They file all the failed trials and no one sees them. Certainly not the community and neither the physicians. It is criminal as far as I am concerned!!!! Not sure what one does with it???? Takes all one has to get off at this time. Yes, you are right, we must walk through as hard as it is. I too do not tolerate the stress the way I used to. Not even close right now. I know what you mean???? One step at a time. I love what RCC said, we walk a thousand miles, one step at a time. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rockingchaircat Posted March 27, 2017 Share Posted March 27, 2017 Really? Over 1,000 people have looked at this, and only ten have responded with success stories? Well now you can add mine: http://survivingantidepressants.org/index.php?/topic/14233-rockingchaircat-day-600/ 1)Zoloft- 6/99 to 8/04 2)Escitalopram- 8/04 to 8/10 3)Citalopram 8/10 to 4/14 (C/T), 4)Paxil a week or so, 5)Wellbutrin a week or so, 6)Reinstated Citalopram- 9/14 to 7/15 Before Taper- Celexa/20 mg....Taper Start- 04/21/15- 15mg....05/26/15- 10 mg...06/22/15- 5 mg...07/18/15- 0mg. http://tinyurl.com/qjfoqe9 Ativan/Lorazepam use/taper 10/14 to 2/15- http://tinyurl.com/ljebp84 Baclofen- Intermittent use of from 2008 till 2014. Some use of Promethazine. Some use of Zofran. Clobetasol Propionate- for Lichen Planus. Some Flexeril use. Ativan- GABA,A receptor Agonist., Baclofen- GABA,B receptor Agonist., Celexa/Lexapro- Serotonin 5-HT1A Receptor Agonist., Zofran- Serotonin 5-HT3 Receptor Agonist..Promethazine- Histamine H1-Receptor Antagonist. Flexeril- Serotonin 5HT2a Antagonist. My self imposed Amino Acid Therapy: Tyrosine 500mg 1xday, Theanine 200 mg 1xday, & Taurine 500 mg 2x day. (All neurotransitter pre-cursors)- seems to have helped me immensely. And of course- eating healthy, including Black Beans for the oligosaccharides for gut health. The attempt to develop a sense of humor and to see things in a humorous light is some kind of trick learned while mastering the Art of Living. - Viktor Frankl, Man's Search for Meaning. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gigi63 Posted March 27, 2017 Share Posted March 27, 2017 YEAH RCC!!!!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
powerback Posted March 28, 2017 Share Posted March 28, 2017 I think a success story is very subjective ,there are so many variables that go into it,I'm dealing with alot of symptoms but i feel I'm improving all the time with learning and educating myself ,and especially taking the power back from the doctor and believeing in a different way to cope and deal with life. I'm a big fan of history and philosophy and that teaches me alot about the human condition ,no drug could ever do that . History will prove us all correct about the suffering we all go through Alcohol free since February 2015 1MG diazepam 4.5MG PROZAC. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dini84 Posted March 28, 2017 Share Posted March 28, 2017 Dini, how long have you been going through the process of withdrawal? I wanted to read your history but couldn't see it? I have been going through a reinstatement at a small dose for almost a year now. I began my too fast taper, ten months before the RI. I am waiting for good and steady as I crashed. Not there yet. I know and I agree. These drugs are so powerful. The majority of MD,s have no clue, none whatsoever!!!!! The drug companies are making billions so they obviously have a very greedy interest to keep people on. Do you know I found that for the FDA to approve a drug to market, the drug company has to only provide 2 trials that show only. Modest improvement on the criteria scale they use, they can fail 20 trials on the same drug and just keep going until they show a modest improvement on something and also, there are no long term trials done the majority of the time. They file all the failed trials and no one sees them. Certainly not the community and neither the physicians. It is criminal as far as I am concerned!!!! Not sure what one does with it???? Takes all one has to get off at this time. Yes, you are right, we must walk through as hard as it is. I too do not tolerate the stress the way I used to. Not even close right now. I know what you mean One step at a time. I love what RCC said, we walk a thousand miles, one step at a time. Hmm that's weird. I can post it here just in case you can't see it on my page. Well, for me I was put on generic Zoloft (Sertraline) at 25mg while I was pregnant with my second baby. It was maybe two months before I had my second child, so around January 2014 or maybe even end of December 2013 I was put on Sertraline for "sleep problems and situational/anticipatory anxiety" that was making it hard for me to get enough zzz's and my doc at the time said sleep was extremely important due to my being pregnant. I cannot believe she actually thought putting me on an SSRI was ever a good idea, especially for the reason she did it. I never had depression or any mental illness. I would have anxiety during times of high stress (new baby, money problems, car broke down etc) but nothing I couldn't handle, and I always felt normal in the midst of that chaos. Oh yes I'd had some panic attacks as a child (due to religious ideation my parents raised me in), and one after a very traumatic experience where I was almost killed by an ex boyfriend years ago, but those were so rare, and they didn't get in the way of my daily life, and once the "threat" passed it was done. And honestly, while I was on Sertraline I didn't feel any different. I just felt super tired, unmotivated and less sexual. This was not at all like me. But otherwise it hadn't changed much, and actually I can recall it seemed to give me anxiety. I remember times where I'd freak out over a dark spot on a tooth fearing a cavity only to brush my teeth and realize it was from something I ate or drank. Stuff like that that was very out of character for me before Sertraline. Long story short, I never needed a drug like Sertraline. I didn't know anything about it though, and I can't really say why I was so ignorant but I kept taking it and even took the higher doses my new doctor gave me, assuming I still needed it for some reason or otherwise the doc wouldn't keep upping my doses, right? Well, I figured out that Sertraline was messing with my hormones BIG TIME. Weight gain, insulin resistance out of the blue, (to the point that I couldn't diet on water and cucumbers to lose weight, it was pretty bad) my libido was shot the entire time I was on it, I was always tired on it too even if I took it at night, and I was starting to get strange cystic type acne. I've never had a pimple in my life, not even as a teen, so I knew this was really strange, it wasn't normal. I did some research on Sertraline and found out two years later it was an SSRI. I still didn't know what an SSRI was, though, because I'd google it but there was very biased info on it, as well as withdrawing, so I assumed "Oh ok I can just stop taking this stuff. No biggie." I spoke to my doc about going off of it and he had me on a 6-8 month taper. I can't really remember how long I tapered but it was extremely fast, and he had me just jump right off on 25mg and not even taper the 25mg. My last dose was sometime around the 1st of July 2016. So I had withdrawal symptoms the entire time, even while tapering, but I didn't recognise them as withdrawal, and if I did my doc said they'd be gone in about 3 weeks or so, so I waited it out trusting his advice. Well... Two and a half months after my last dose, the major hideous withdrawals kicked in. My life crashed middle of September 2016. I had been dealing with a ton of extra stress at the time (and to be honest, was dealing with a lot of stress a couple months before too), and I believe that is what put my CNS overboard. At this point I didn't know anything much about withdrawal, and because my doctor assured me "it's just your symptoms coming back" I thought okay I AM just going crazy. I felt hopeless and scared and lost and confused for four months before happening upon an article I found through Google from a psychiatrist who mentioned SA in his article, and I checked it out and my jaw dropped to the floor. See, my doctor and his medical team had basically assured me numerous times that our brains are changing constantly and so of course I could develop OCD/Bipolar/panic disorder over night, because I mean that's their theory. It's such bologni. Especially if you have no history of this stuff in the first place prior to going on these drugs, how is it when you stop all of a sudden you develop all these symptoms that were never there before taking it? I have no faith in the medical field at all. None. Nada. Zilch. Because not only would my doc not reinstate Sertraline, he decided it'd be a good idea while I was in WD to start testing out other drugs on me. The first was Lexapro, the second was Buspirone. I had to beg him to put me back on Sertraline. It was ridiculous. I am just first stabilising. He then kept messing with my doses. Up, up, up, up, then up down, up down, up down. I finally put my foot down after learning about WD and am staying at 57mg right now. It's a pain in the butt cutting these tablets so precisely but I have to do it or suffer WD symptoms trying to get back to 50mg right now. I no longer have the crippling depression or the major panic attacks that came with WD before reinstating, and my sleep has greatly improved since. So I assume reinstatement is working. Finally. But I also know I am on way too high a dose too. But there is nothing I can do about that right now. When it comes to WD and treatment of WD, we have to be our own advocates or else we will suffer a ton more than necessary trying to get off this stuff. I am so glad I found SA, because it made me realize what went wrong, why, and how to fix it. I think the worst thing a person in WD can be told is "you developed a mental disorder and there is no cure, good bye." by their doctor. That's basically what I was told in September, and every month ever since. When I would question the drug (Sertraline) my doctor's response was that I was the issue, not the drug. I just cannot wait to get all the way off this stuff. I have to keep reminding myself to be patient. :-/ January 2014: 25mg Sertraline. April 2016: 75mg of Sertraline. June 2016: 0mg Sertraline. September 20, 2016: WD September 22nd: Lexapro 10mg for 3 weeks. Doctor CT’ed me. October 2016: Trazodone. (Forgot dose) October 2016: CT trazodone October 2016: Buspirone 30mg October 26 2016 - Sertraline was reinstated. Titrated from 12.5mg - 57mg. March 2018 - stabilized on 57mg. March 2023 - No medications. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dini84 Posted March 28, 2017 Share Posted March 28, 2017 Really? Over 1,000 people have looked at this, and only ten have responded with success stories? Well now you can add mine: http://survivingantidepressants.org/index.php?/topic/14233-rockingchaircat-day-600/ Congratulations RCC! Your story gives us all hope and inspiration! January 2014: 25mg Sertraline. April 2016: 75mg of Sertraline. June 2016: 0mg Sertraline. September 20, 2016: WD September 22nd: Lexapro 10mg for 3 weeks. Doctor CT’ed me. October 2016: Trazodone. (Forgot dose) October 2016: CT trazodone October 2016: Buspirone 30mg October 26 2016 - Sertraline was reinstated. Titrated from 12.5mg - 57mg. March 2018 - stabilized on 57mg. March 2023 - No medications. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dini84 Posted March 28, 2017 Share Posted March 28, 2017 I think a success story is very subjective ,there are so many variables that go into it,I'm dealing with alot of symptoms but i feel I'm improving all the time with learning and educating myself ,and especially taking the power back from the doctor and believeing in a different way to cope and deal with life. I'm a big fan of history and philosophy and that teaches me alot about the human condition ,no drug could ever do that . History will prove us all correct about the suffering we all go through I completely agree! January 2014: 25mg Sertraline. April 2016: 75mg of Sertraline. June 2016: 0mg Sertraline. September 20, 2016: WD September 22nd: Lexapro 10mg for 3 weeks. Doctor CT’ed me. October 2016: Trazodone. (Forgot dose) October 2016: CT trazodone October 2016: Buspirone 30mg October 26 2016 - Sertraline was reinstated. Titrated from 12.5mg - 57mg. March 2018 - stabilized on 57mg. March 2023 - No medications. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gigi63 Posted March 28, 2017 Share Posted March 28, 2017 Thank you Dini for sharing. It is un ethical!!!! I am so sorry for your suffering. I have never seen a population of practitioners so snow plowed by the pharmaceutical industries when it comes to the use of these powerful drugs. I agree with you wholeheartedly. The real issues come trying to get off these drugs. And while on with side effects. Have you heard of Peter Breggin. He is excellent, look him up on utube. Also, look up Robert Whitaker, his book, Anatomy of an epidemic. and Irving Kirsch, exhaustive research on placebo effect and AD. Listen to what they have to report. Books written. I have a couple. Very informative and quite overwhelming on one hand. 1 in 6 Americans is on this stuff. Many will want to come off. Many will respond as we have. What then ? Everyone's is mentally ill???? Frightening and the majority of the medical community is IGNORANT!!! Let alone the people. I was put on after experiencing a pseudo ephedrine withdrawal induced depression. Number one side effect of pseudo ephedrine WD. I had no idea at the time but I sure know now!!! I was using Zyrtec D daily for 18 mos after I was told it " should be no problem" by a pharmacy tech. People do not understand the powerful side effects/ effects of pharmaceuticals. I sure never gave it all a thought until this. I am very glad you are starting to stabilize on your RI. I am almost one year into mine and at a small dose. I still am in waves and windows. Very slowly, ever so slowly making improvements but just not at good and steady yet. Dini, don't worry about the dose your on right now. Stay put!!! Get good and steady and then once you believe you are at good and steady, stay right there for several months, let the glue harden and the paint dry so to speak, as Brassmonkey would say, then, once your CNS is nice and steady, begin the taper correctly. Very slowly!!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gigi63 Posted March 28, 2017 Share Posted March 28, 2017 Powerback, I agree also. Very much a believer of the human condition. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rockingchaircat Posted March 29, 2017 Share Posted March 29, 2017 Thank you dini84. Like you, I too simply cannot trust the medicals anymore. The more I encounter doctors, the more I think they're all Doctor Mengele clones. Last week- I passed a kidney stone. I refused to go to the ER. Why? What's the point? I knew what was going to happen: 1) Run a bunch of expensive tests. 2) Tell me that there's not anything they can do about it. 3) Send me home with a script for more opiods. And drink more liquids. The hell with that. As it is now- allergy season has begun in Oregon/Willamette valley. I might take me some Allegra. I might not. I'm just tired of taking pills that don't do what the docs say they will. The more I encounter medicals, the more inclined I'm to believe that they're just interested in lining their own pockets. 1)Zoloft- 6/99 to 8/04 2)Escitalopram- 8/04 to 8/10 3)Citalopram 8/10 to 4/14 (C/T), 4)Paxil a week or so, 5)Wellbutrin a week or so, 6)Reinstated Citalopram- 9/14 to 7/15 Before Taper- Celexa/20 mg....Taper Start- 04/21/15- 15mg....05/26/15- 10 mg...06/22/15- 5 mg...07/18/15- 0mg. http://tinyurl.com/qjfoqe9 Ativan/Lorazepam use/taper 10/14 to 2/15- http://tinyurl.com/ljebp84 Baclofen- Intermittent use of from 2008 till 2014. Some use of Promethazine. Some use of Zofran. Clobetasol Propionate- for Lichen Planus. Some Flexeril use. Ativan- GABA,A receptor Agonist., Baclofen- GABA,B receptor Agonist., Celexa/Lexapro- Serotonin 5-HT1A Receptor Agonist., Zofran- Serotonin 5-HT3 Receptor Agonist..Promethazine- Histamine H1-Receptor Antagonist. Flexeril- Serotonin 5HT2a Antagonist. My self imposed Amino Acid Therapy: Tyrosine 500mg 1xday, Theanine 200 mg 1xday, & Taurine 500 mg 2x day. (All neurotransitter pre-cursors)- seems to have helped me immensely. And of course- eating healthy, including Black Beans for the oligosaccharides for gut health. The attempt to develop a sense of humor and to see things in a humorous light is some kind of trick learned while mastering the Art of Living. - Viktor Frankl, Man's Search for Meaning. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dini84 Posted March 29, 2017 Share Posted March 29, 2017 Exactly RCC. My doctor is so convinced there is something mysteriously wrong with me that he wants me to go to 3 different specialists, a therapist, a behavioral counselor, and a psychiatrist etc. I'm not made of money. And I'm still paying off on useless tests they took that I didn't need. I had 3 visits with this doctor and every visit ended with "I don't know, I can't help you, you should see a specialist or something." All because he refuses to admit it's just WD syndrome. Doctors have this outrageous belief that if the drug isnt physically in your system anymore it no longer is responsible for any effect on you after you quit taking it. Talk about ignorance. I'm so disgusted with doctors and medicine in general too. I used to never take anything unless I seriously needed it. Not even tylenol, but that's because I have a high pain tolerance so I never really needed anything, never had major surgeries or anything, no allergies etc. But why I got started on an SSRI is beyond me. I never realized what effect a pill could have on you until my experience with an AD. It's an eye opener to say the least. I have experienced that 9 times out of 10 doctors do nothing for you. Not even in regular check ups. What is the point of going to them unless it's an emergency? I'm so holistic at this point, I'll use duct tape for a wound before considering a visit to a doctor again. January 2014: 25mg Sertraline. April 2016: 75mg of Sertraline. June 2016: 0mg Sertraline. September 20, 2016: WD September 22nd: Lexapro 10mg for 3 weeks. Doctor CT’ed me. October 2016: Trazodone. (Forgot dose) October 2016: CT trazodone October 2016: Buspirone 30mg October 26 2016 - Sertraline was reinstated. Titrated from 12.5mg - 57mg. March 2018 - stabilized on 57mg. March 2023 - No medications. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
powerback Posted March 29, 2017 Share Posted March 29, 2017 Hi everyone ,for any one like myself that is totally given up on doctors ,check out DR JOHN BERGMAN on YouTube ,he is a breath of fresh air ,I believe he is the future that all doctors should strive to be like . It takes a while to take everything in with he's character ,but he hates modern medicine and there attitudes towards health care . Like everything to do with healthcare approach with caution . Alcohol free since February 2015 1MG diazepam 4.5MG PROZAC. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dini84 Posted March 30, 2017 Share Posted March 30, 2017 Thanks powerback! January 2014: 25mg Sertraline. April 2016: 75mg of Sertraline. June 2016: 0mg Sertraline. September 20, 2016: WD September 22nd: Lexapro 10mg for 3 weeks. Doctor CT’ed me. October 2016: Trazodone. (Forgot dose) October 2016: CT trazodone October 2016: Buspirone 30mg October 26 2016 - Sertraline was reinstated. Titrated from 12.5mg - 57mg. March 2018 - stabilized on 57mg. March 2023 - No medications. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dini84 Posted March 30, 2017 Share Posted March 30, 2017 Well, I was at my dad's today and he is disabled so he has people who come in and take care of him regularly, and one of these ladies used to be on prozac. She developed insulin resistance on it and so her doctor took her off her medication during a 6 week taper. Two months later she got horrifying withdrawals. Akathasia, depression that was so dark, etc. She reinstated and stayed on it for a couple years. She thought she would be on it forever. But she decided to come off of it and happened to read a book, I can't remember the name now though, by a guy who used a slow taper method. (If I get the name of the book and author again I'll post it here later). Anyway, she tapered herself off slowly and has been drug free for 5 years now and doing great. She said what helped most was being patient. She said going lower wasn't bad because she started to do longer holds close to the end. Even when she felt fine she stuck out a hold even longer just to be gentle with herself. She didn't keep her taper on a schedule, she said she did holds even when she didn't have wd symptoms just to make sure her system was ready for the next cut. January 2014: 25mg Sertraline. April 2016: 75mg of Sertraline. June 2016: 0mg Sertraline. September 20, 2016: WD September 22nd: Lexapro 10mg for 3 weeks. Doctor CT’ed me. October 2016: Trazodone. (Forgot dose) October 2016: CT trazodone October 2016: Buspirone 30mg October 26 2016 - Sertraline was reinstated. Titrated from 12.5mg - 57mg. March 2018 - stabilized on 57mg. March 2023 - No medications. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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