Ryguy: protracted 7 years

[Guest]

has anyone experienced protracted for more then 5 years? I'm on my 7th, has anyone gotten severe acne from this? im afraid it will never end, but I've heard a few stories like mine, and also have seen even 10 years....please if anyone can respond just let me know if this will end 

 

14 hours ago, Ryguy said:

This post needs to be edited and changed, last year i was 9 years into w  it withdrawal, not 7...if someone can change this id appreciate it, i only realized the exact number of years recently. Please change for consistency

 

 

Edited December 23, 2020 by Guest
added correction

[ChessieCat]

Hi Ryguy and welcome to SA,

 

I'm sorry to read that you are still suffering after such a long time.

 

Please tell us more about what drugs your were taking and how you stopped taking them.
 

Altostrata, this site's founder, created this site in about 2011.  She has experienced withdrawal after taking Paxil.  This is a video of her:  Alto Strata's Paxil Prolonged Antidepressant Withdrawal Syndrome (8 minutes)

 

This is the first part of her Introduction topic.  If you click on the arrow at the top right of the quote box it will take you to the topic:

 

On 3/17/2011 at 1:50 AM, Altostrata said:

I developed prolonged antidepressant withdrawal syndrome after going off 10mg Paxil over 3 weeks in October 2004, at the age of 54.
 
I very slowly and painfully recovered from the autonomic nervous system damage over 9 years. For the last 5 of those years, I was unable to work due to prolonged withdrawal syndrome.
 
I started taking Paxil in 2001 for what I now believe was symptoms of menopause aggravated by intense work stress. After 3 years  with side effects on Paxil 10mg, I "tapered" under medical supervision at University of California San Francisco and immediately suffered severe antidepressant withdrawal symptoms.
 
My doctors at UCSF did not recognize acute and severe withdrawal syndrome and treat it properly by reinstatement of Paxil even though I requested it in January 2005. I had found information about diagnosis and treatment of antidepressant withdrawal syndrome on the Web. (The recommendation for reinstatement in cases of severe withdrawal symptoms was added in the package insert by GlaxoSmithKline in December 2001 during a widely publicized lawsuit regarding Paxil withdrawal syndrome; the FDA has caused similar advice to be added to antidepressant package inserts ever since.)
 
Instead, I was prescribed Wellbutrin; when that didn't work, a parade of other drugs I refused.
 
Ironically, the notes from UCSF include a diagnosis of "prolonged withdrawal syndrome." After 10 months, in July 2005 I left the care of UCSF Psychiatry and started my search for a doctor who might be able to help me. That proved to be near-impossible.

 

 

Also see:  Success stories: Recovery from withdrawal

 

This topic has been written by one of the mods who was a member of another, now closed, website prior to SA and is familiar with a lot of people's experiences of getting off psychiatric drugs.

 

are-we-there-yet-how-long-is-withdrawal-going-to-take

 

 

Please create your drug signature using the following format.   Keep it simple.  NO diagnoses or symptoms please - thank you.

• details for last 2 years - dates, ALL drugs, doses
• summary for older than 2 years - just years and drug/s

Account Settings – Create or Edit a signature

 

 

This is your own introductions topic where your can ask questions about your own situation and journal your progress.

[Guest]

i was on zoloft/lexapro and the benzos xanax/ativan and for a month cymbalta, but since the benzos were only a very short period of time, im convinced the 4 years i was on zoloft really did me in, for 7 years since ive been in utter misery, not sure how to live at this point , thanks for responding, watching the video now 

[Guest]

also i cold turkeyed in about 1 month or less 

[Carmie]

Hi Ryguy, 

 

I’m so sorry you’ve had protracted withdrawal for so long. As ChessieCat said Alto had it for eight years, but she did recover. It can sometimes be a long, slow process but we all get there in the end. 

 

Could you please do a drug signature, just press on the link above ChessieCat gave you. Thanks 💚

[Guest]

sure ill do it, is it the link that says "create or edit signature" then what do i exactly, what is a signature? 

[Carmie]

Yes Ryguy, the link that says: Account Settings - Create Or Edit A Signature. 

 

I know you’ve been off the meds for quite some time now. Could you please write in the signature when you started the medications and when you stopped. Also what was your tapering protocol. If you put this information in your signature then we won’t have to look through your thread every time we want to see your background. It will automatically  appear under whatever you write.

 

Again, I’m really sorry you’ve been going through protracted withdrawals for such a long time. It’s a shame doctors really don’t know anything about tapering and withdrawals. Take care💚

[Guest]

Does fish oil actually have an effect or just placebo? 

[ChessieCat]

Here is the link to SA's topic:  Omega-3 Fish Oil

 

On 2/13/2019 at 10:20 AM, Altostrata said:

The effect of fish oil, if you feel any, is very mild. But your nervous system uses omega-3 fatty acids to repair itself.

 

[ChessieCat]

1 hour ago, Ryguy said:

Are you saying you experienced 5 years withdrawal from 5htp? That’s not an antidepressants it’s just an amino acid isn’t it? 

 

5-htp-5-hydroxytryptophan-and-l-tryptophan

 

[divalee]

On ‎2‎/‎10‎/‎2019 at 12:48 PM, Ryguy said:

has anyone experienced protracted for more then 5 years? I'm on my 7th, has anyone gotten severe acne from this? im afraid it will never end, but I've heard a few stories like mine, and also have seen even 10 years....please if anyone can respond just let me know if this will end 

Dear Ryguy I am now 6 years off Zoloft and still have withdrawals - so you are not alone.  I was going to post here soon again but somehow found it a waste of everyones time - because I am not getting any better....Please don't give up we must not - but I manage to get through the day - but nothing seems to be letting up. I do get a bit of reprieve at night - but next morning it is all back again.  Can you please list the symptoms of withdrawals you have.....Thank you.

 

 

[Guest]

My symptoms are 

 

hallucinations

psychosis

acne

insomnia

aggression

akathisia

blocked ears and nose 

rashes

joint pain

fast heart

gut motility issues 

pain in gut 

sleep paralysis 

food and exercise intolerance 

social withdrawal

agoraphobia 

homicidal/suicidal thoughts 

Electric jolts 

muscle spasms 

depersonalization

brain fog

 

the list goes on. You get the picture, utter incomprehensible misery , I’m 28 and not working, haven’t been able to walk out of my room for 2 years . Life ruined by this , couldn’t even attend sisters wedding . 

 

I have hope that this will be over but after 7 years, I can’t believe it’s even possible. I’ll be left with scars on my face, and perhaps gut problems for life, I have a constant stabbing sensation in my belly and though the hallucinations have subsided the brain fog has gotten worse to the point that I cant even read or watch a movie . I’m brain dead almost , speaking in clear sentences is also hard. 

 

What are are your symptoms if you don’t mind me asking ? 

[Guest]

Hey I tried 5htp and it was the best day I’ve had in 7 years but the next day I woke up feeling homicidal, I’m scared to do that again because of how uncontrollably violent I felt, but during the day I took it, I felt it was the missing ingredient my body demanded after 7 years withdrawal from Zoloft, what should I do? 

 

Edited July 6, 2019 by Guest
reduced font

[Altostrata]

On 6/22/2019 at 2:52 AM, Ryguy said:

My symptoms are 

 

hallucinations

psychosis

acne

insomnia

aggression

akathisia

blocked ears and nose 

rashes

joint pain

fast heart

gut motility issues 

pain in gut 

sleep paralysis 

food and exercise intolerance 

social withdrawal

agoraphobia 

homicidal/suicidal thoughts 

Electric jolts 

muscle spasms 

depersonalization

brain fog

 

the list goes on. You get the picture, utter incomprehensible misery , I’m 28 and not working, haven’t been able to walk out of my room for 2 years . Life ruined by this , couldn’t even attend sisters wedding . 

 

I have hope that this will be over but after 7 years, I can’t believe it’s even possible. I’ll be left with scars on my face, and perhaps gut problems for life, I have a constant stabbing sensation in my belly and though the hallucinations have subsided the brain fog has gotten worse to the point that I cant even read or watch a movie . I’m brain dead almost , speaking in clear sentences is also hard. 

 

What are are your symptoms if you don’t mind me asking ? 

 

Hello, ryguy. You mention food intolerance, what have you done to identify and manage that?

 

Many of your symptoms, such as

 

acne

insomnia

blocked ears and nose 

rashes

joint pain

fast heart

gut motility issues 

pain in gut

food and exercise intolerance

brain fog

 

might be due to histamine intolerance or other food intolerance. You can track this by keeping a daily food and symptom diary. This will enable you to identify which foods are triggering your symptoms.

 

See

 

Elimination or exclusion diets for reactions to food (food intolerance)

 

Histamine intolerance

 

SCD/GAPS/Paleo Diets

 

Cut down on sugar to improve mental health

 

What do you mean by hallucinations, psychosis, akathisia, depersonalization? What is your sleep pattern?

 

Improving your sleep, even a little, may help a lot, see

 

Tips to help sleep -- so many of us have that awful withdrawal insomnia

 

Path to Better Sleep FREE online for everyone from the US Veterans Administration

 

Music for self-care: Calms hyperalertness, anxiety, aids relaxation and sleep

 

What is the sleep cycle?

 

Melatonin for sleep: Many people find it helpful

 

TV or computer use in evening can disrupt sleep: Bright light signals the brain that it's daytime

Waking with panic or anxiety -- managing cortisol spikes

 

Nightmare While Awake? Sleep Paralysis, Hypnogogic Hallucinations, etc.

 

White noise devices for sleep

 

Light therapy for sleep problems

[Guest]

even on gaps , my gut motility is painful and noisy, and this contributes to other symptoms as well 

[Eastcoastgirl]

4 hours ago, Ryguy said:

even on gaps , my gut motility is painful and noisy, and this contributes to other symptoms as well 

Hey Ryguy, if it's histamine intolerance.. which it sounds like it is, you'll need to try a low histamine diet for 30 days and see if you notice any improvement. GAPS diet is not low histamine. You can find a list of foods to avoid online. My withdrawal symptoms improved drastically when I switched to low histamine. When there is too much histamine in the body and the brain, it can lead to all kinds of awful symptoms including neurological. When I switched to low histamine my anger, restlessness, insomnia, full ears and blocked sinuses, acid reflux and muscle pain went completely away. I think a lot of people that go off psych meds have too much histamine circulating in their bodies that are contributing to the severity of their withdrawal symptoms. I hope that this may help you in some way.

 

 

[Guest]

On 7/14/2019 at 7:49 PM, Eastcoastgirl said:

Hey Ryguy, if it's histamine intolerance.. which it sounds like it is, you'll need to try a low histamine diet for 30 days and see if you notice any improvement. GAPS diet is not low histamine. You can find a list of foods to avoid online. My withdrawal symptoms improved drastically when I switched to low histamine. When there is too much histamine in the body and the brain, it can lead to all kinds of awful symptoms including neurological. When I switched to low histamine my anger, restlessness, insomnia, full ears and blocked sinuses, acid reflux and muscle pain went completely away. I think a lot of people that go off psych meds have too much histamine circulating in their bodies that are contributing to the severity of their withdrawal symptoms. I hope that this may help you in some way.

 

 

thanks a lot for the reply , ill see if that works.. ...i tried 5htp again for the 3rd time, and same results , i get rage, GI upset, panic, akathisia , but simultaneously right after i get euphoria .....i just can't win with this.....not sure how to get the good effects without the bad 

Edited November 13, 2021 by Karma
name update

[Eastcoastgirl]

Just now, Ryguy said:

thanks a lot for the reply , ill see if that works.. ...i tried 5htp again for the 3rd time, and same results , i get rage, GI upset, panic, akathisia , but simultaneously right after i get euphoria .....i just can't win with this.....not sure how to get the good effects without the bad 

Most of us can't tolerate supplements in withdrawal. The only thing they recommend here is magnesium and fish oil. I've tried GABA and 5-htp , had bad reactions to both and just about any other pill I put in my month ! At least a diet change can't hurt good luck ! 

[Cocopuffz17]

5 hours ago, Ryguy said:

even on gaps , my gut motility is painful and noisy, and this contributes to other symptoms as well 

I switched to a lectin free diet. I was able to come off a Paroxetine after 11 years on it. On top of that my body has never felt better with this diet. I am still experiencing withdrawals, I know they will get better in time.  Nutrition IMO is the number one thing. The gut microbiome is what needs to be repaired. Be strong you got this! 

[Guest]

7 minutes ago, Cocopuffz17 said:

I switched to a lectin free diet. I was able to come off a Paroxetine after 11 years on it. On top of that my body has never felt better with this diet. I am still experiencing withdrawals, I know they will get better in time.  Nutrition IMO is the number one thing. The gut microbiome is what needs to be repaired. Be strong you got this! 

thank you ill look up what lectin is, not sure i even know 

[Cocopuffz17]

5 minutes ago, Ryguy said:

thank you ill look up what lectin is, not sure i even know 

You are welcome. Changing my diet was the only thing that gave me the courage to come off the drug as I tried to in the past and the WD were too strong. I never felt better in my life after changing my diet and knew it was the perfect time to come off. 

[Guest]

is it possible to experience acne for 7 years after taking it, alongside many other symptoms....but i know it must be from them because not a single person in my family has ever gotten a pimple, but for 7 years withdrawal from zoloft, ive had severe acne and psychosis, hallucinations and many other things....is this something you have heard of? 

[Guest]

Topic title:  7 years protracted

 

its been 7 years now and i dont feel im getting any better, actually the first 2 years were manageable, it has gotten worse ever since, i feel i am at my worst now, and not sure if thats a good thing, maybe a turning point sometime soon, i dont know? but this has left me with scars all over my face and back, extreme joint problems, inability to eat most foods, hives, dry mouth, seizures, convulsions, heart problems, and complete lack of social life. agoraphobia , hallucinations, everything....its like right now the only thing stopping me from ending it all is that i dont know what awaits me after death ( more fear). but this is not a life, and i dont see a light at the end of the tunnel, im filled with so much anger that sometimes i feel uncontrollably violent, but i save myself from anything that could make me explode by staying in my room, I've been  bedridden for 3 years now. im just not sure how much longer this will last and how much more i can take, and how a single pill (zoloft) could have done this to me. this site keeps me hanging on to my last thread, and the most negative thoughts i have are that even if i make it out alive in the next year or so, will i be able to ever live a normal life again ? this type of trauma has to effect you long term, it just has to, especially when you are 28 and haven't worked in 4 years and have lost every friend you had since elementary school. ive also talked to war veterans online who suffered from protracted withdrawal 4 years and more and all three of them said they took the drugs to get over PTSD from the war, but the experience they have when they came off the drugs was worse then all the tours they did in Iraq.......that means that im not crazy in thinking this experience is comparable or worse to the trauma of war.......i have confirmation from actual veterans.......so even if i get better, where the hell can i go from here? is regaining any modicum of joy possible at that point? positive words or some productive reply would be much appreciated. i can take anything i can get at this point . 

 

Edited August 28, 2019 by Guest
added topic title

[ChessieCat]

protracted-withdrawal-or-paws-post-acute-withdrawal-syndrome-how-long-does-it-last

 

Alto suffered PAWS:  ☼-about-altostrata-withdrawal-syndrome-since-2004

 

[Guest]

its been 7 years since my last Zoloft pill and STILL haven't healed, in some ways im worse then ive ever been, every part of my body is messed up , and worse of all i have permanent skin scars from the acne over the 7 years.....im just suicidal at this point......and i haven't seen progress. im starting to think i have some kind of parasite in my stomach because usually people see some progress over the course of years, but im not seeing any , and my psychosis has become worse as has my brain fog 

[ChessieCat]

If you are feeling suicidal we suggest you get local support.

 

for-those-who-are-feeling-desperate-or-suicidal

 

If you think you have a stomach parasite, the sensible thing to do would be to get it checked.

 

On 7/15/2019 at 4:09 AM, Altostrata said:

might be due to histamine intolerance or other food intolerance. You can track this by keeping a daily food and symptom diary. This will enable you to identify which foods are triggering your symptoms.

 

Have you done what Alto suggested?

[Eastcoastgirl]

If you haven't already I would really consider histamine intolerance or food allergies. All of your symptoms including acne point to it. I'm not saying this is the cause, but it could be worsening your symptoms. When my food allergies and histamine intolerance was at it's worst I thought I was going insane. Another thought is a hormone imbalance. Possibly too much testosterone. Withdrawal can throw your hormones out of whack. If your testosterone is too high you can experience anger and acne. Just some things to look into ! If there is any possibility your continuing symptoms could be worsened by something else, it is worth investigating.

[chrona]

the only way I am enduring the seemingly endless withdrawal is homeopathy.  it is hit or miss, I look symptoms up on the internet and try stuff.  it takes the edge off when I am going insane.  

I also use a nootropic when I need to get stuff done but don't do that everyday.  it sounds as if you need deep healing not a crutch. nootropics are a crutch. 

if I wake up with severe depression I have a remedy for it that actually takes it away.   it I am edgy out of my mind I have one or two for that.  it's different for everyone and you have to try them out.  there is a thread by someone else who used them.  her suggestions didn't work for me but eventually found my own.

Aurum Met 200 c is good for suicidal. 

[PoetJester]

Hi Ryguy,

 

i am 5 1/2 years off of zoloft and zyprexa myself and not doing too good either.   It's funny you mentioned parasites in your previous post.   I actually found i had worms a couple of years back.  

 

 About three years into withdrawal my sleep was still awful with nightmares nightly and waking up feeling hungover with severe cognitive problems many days and I went down to the bar one night in 2016 to have a couple pints of beer for the first time in years,  hoping it would help me sleep and also since i was tired of sitting in my room alone feeling sick.  I had two pints of beer the first night and did help me to fall asleep, but the sleep quality was still terrible, and the next day when i woke up, my whole digestive system had shut down-  i had no appetite anymore, no sense of feeling hungry or growling stomach, and i felt backed up with stool all the time and could smell feces on my breath coming from my stomach.  

 

It seemed like it kicked my wd symptoms and misery up a notch, since now i had constant constipation and slow transit where it felt like i was full of crap up to my lungs almost.  I kept going to the bar for several months even though my digestive tract was all messed up just as a diversion from wd misery.   I did go to a few gastroenterologists complaining of the smell of poop coming from my stomach, but they either talked about me possibly having polyps or else would tell me to go see "a dentist" even though i explained that the smell would go away when i did colon flushes with magnesium citrate. 

 

I later found out that i had intestinal worms.  I had no idea really, until i started going online and googling "smell of feces coming from stomach" and saw that parasite infection could be one of the reasons.  I later took a supplement called Wormwood and found some rice shaped eggs and a few worms in my stool,  but Wormwood can cause kidney problems and after three days of taking it, i experienced severe kidney pain, like i had been punched in the back.  I later ate raw pumpkin seeds that i had ground up in my blender after reading that they contain a chemical in them thought to paralyze adult worms.  The next day after eating the pumpkin seed mixture, i found clumps and clumps of small 1" clear worms.  They are kind of hard to spot, since they get mixed in with the stool, but they were there, hundreds of them.    i had been suffering with anemia and diarrhea and malabsorbtion problems for years on zoloft and i am guessing may have had worms all along, but i certainly have them now.  It's awful.    I also developed food allergies in wd which i never really had before, where if i eat a big meal, i begin having sneezing fits and become severely congested and have to blow my nose to keep from sneezing continually.  The few times i had luck clearing out the worms for a day with the Wormwood and pumpkin seeds, i noticed that my sneezing fits and also my fatigue went away.   

 

Getting help for the parasites/worms has been next to impossible so far.    I have had one doctor tell me it was "impossible" for me to have worms, that i "would be all emaciated, just skin and bones from the worms eating you up from the inside-out"  which isn't true, since many dogs with worms have pot bellies and mostly suffer from fatigue and labored breathing.   Usually doctors just try to tell me that worms only happens in third world countries, but hookworm infections used to be relatively common in the south up until the 1950's.  

 

  I even called my Gastroenterology clinic after finding the worms after eating the pumpkin seeds and the on-call nurse working the phones, a younger girl, told me that i "actually didn't see worms, but the (pumpkin) seeds 'unraveling' "  which gives you an idea of how much ignorance is out there in the health system.   i have had to try buying meds online from Canadian pharmacies or else trying my luck with supplements from Amazon.  It's been three years of misery trying to get rid of the worms.  I have goat and dog dewormer from Amazon, but that stuff is not nearly as effective as stuff a vet or doctor might prescribe.  

 

 

I hope this message doesn't sound too confused.  It's kind of late over here. 

 

Poetjester.  

 

 

[Guest]

thank you all for the replies, to Eastcoastgirl, its funny you mention anger and acne because every time my anger goes out of control i wake up with more pimples, its usually at the exact same time, and my test levels are quite high but im a guy and i don't find that they are too high that it would be concerning, to chessiecat , i have tried the histamine food thing that Eastcoastgirl suggested, ive been on all sorts of diets, they never help, and to Poetjester, i am ordering something on amazon now for parasites, just in case that's part of the problem, its all an experiment right now, your story freaks me out, and to chrona, i appreciate the advise, im going to check out aurum met , homeopathy has never worked even a bit for me so ill try it anyway 

[ChessieCat]

SA recommends making only one change at a time and when trying something new start with a small amount.  Keep it Simple, Slow and Stable

[Guest]

Thank you

[Guest]

It does however feel impossible to “take things slow” at this point haha 

[Altostrata]

Ryguy, have you seen doctors to investigate your digestive issues? Maybe you do have a parasite, or a common infection such a h. pylori.

[Altostrata]

On 7/14/2019 at 2:00 PM, Ryguy said:

even on gaps , my gut motility is painful and noisy, and this contributes to other symptoms as well 

 

gaps does not exclude foods that might be causing a histamine reaction, which could contribute to gut upset, rashes, etc.

 

We don't know of any cure for general withdrawal syndrome. You have to identify what's going on with your body and take steps to relieve symptoms. You might have more than one thing going on, such as h. pylori infection and histamine intolerance or food allergy.

[Guest]

1 hour ago, Altostrata said:

 

gaps does not exclude foods that might be causing a histamine reaction, which could contribute to gut upset, rashes, etc.

 

We don't know of any cure for general withdrawal syndrome. You have to identify what's going on with your body and take steps to relieve symptoms. You might have more than one thing going on, such as h. pylori infection and histamine intolerance or food allergy.

I’m fairly convinced it’s not food allergy since everything I eat does the same thing , which kind of rules out histamine also, I mean anything I eat, literally everything, it’s been this way since I stopped the drugs 7 years ago. A single bite equals pure hell. Also , I’ve considered bacterial infection or parasites, but the more I read online the more I see plenty of people going through withdrawal just as long as me and with all sorts of problems including the ones I have . How would I check for h pylori anyway?