marta92 Posted February 19, 2021 Share Posted February 19, 2021 At the moment I feel overwhelmed by the symptoms and I wanna die. Is it possible to live a fairly normal life during withdrawal? Thinking that this could last 5 years make me wanna quit. (19 years old) More or less 2011 Citalopram 20 mg one year for depression following stress by death of my mother quit cold Turkey 2012 rmore or less relapse depression after CT, new psychiatrist put me on Citalopram 20 mg, Depakin 300 mg, Efexxor 75 mg Don't remember between 2016-2017 tapered over a few months all the drugs with the assistance of my psychologist 2018 relapse (or withdrawal?) depression started Cipralex 20 mg until july 2020 when I tapered during a period of about 4 months until November 2020 February 2021 (29 years old): feeling depressed, can't sleep, anxiety, paranoia, agoraphobia, hardly functional Currently (since March 4 2021): Lithium Resilient 83mg extended release 2 capsules (forced to take it) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Moderator Emeritus Gridley Posted February 19, 2021 Moderator Emeritus Share Posted February 19, 2021 3 hours ago, marta92 said: s it possible to live a fairly normal life during withdrawal? It's going to be ups and downs, waves and windows. Yes, it's possible to live a fairly normal life during WD though some days it won't seem that way. The Windows and Waves Pattern of Stabilization When we take psychiatric medications, the CNS (central nervous system) responds by making changes over the months and years we take the drug(s). When the medication is discontinued, the CNS has to undo all the changes it made. Rebuilding the neurotransmitter production and reactivating the receptor and transporter cells takes time -- during that rebuilding process symptoms occur. These explain the healing process really well. Brain Remodelling Video: Healing From Antidepressants - Patterns of Recovery We don't recommend a lot of supplements on SA, as many members report being sensitive to them due to our over-reactive nervous systems, but two supplements that we do recommend are magnesium and omega 3 (fish oil). Many people find these to be calming to the nervous system. Magnesium, nature's calcium channel blocker Omega-3 fatty acids (fish oil) Gridley Introduction Lexapro 20 mg since 2004. Begin Brassmonkey Slide Taper Jan. 2017. End 2017 year 1 of taper at 9.25mg End 2018 year 2 of taper at 4.1mg End 2019 year 3 of taper at 1.0mg Oct. 30, 2020 Jump to zero from 0.025mg. Current dose: 0.000mg 3 year, 10 month taper is 100% complete. Ativan 1 mg to 1.875mg 1986-2020, two CT's and reinstatements Nov. 2020, 7-week Ativan-Valium crossover to 18.75mg Valium Feb. 2021, begin 10%/4 week taper of 18.75mg Valium End 2021 year 1 of Valium taper at 6mg End 2022 year 2 of Valium taper at 2.75mg End 2023 year 3 of Valium taper at 1mg Jan. 24, 2024: Hold at 1mg and shift to Imipramine taper. Taper is 95% complete. Imipramine 75 mg daily since 1986. Jan.-Sept. 2016 tapered to 14.4mg March 22, 2022: Begin 10%/4 week taper Aug. 5, 2022: hold at 9.5mg and shift to Valium taper Jan. 24, 2024: Resume Imipramine taper. Current dose as of May 2: 6.1mg Taper is 92% complete. Supplements: multiple, quercetin, omega-3, vitamins C, E and D3, magnesium glycinate, probiotic, zinc, melatonin .3mg, iron, serrapeptase, nattokinase I am not a medical professional and this is not medical advice but simply information based on my own experience, as well as other members who have survived these drugs. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Moderator Onmyway Posted February 20, 2021 Moderator Share Posted February 20, 2021 11 hours ago, marta92 said: At the moment I feel overwhelmed by the symptoms and I wanna die. Is it possible to live a fairly normal life during withdrawal? Thinking that this could last 5 years make me wanna quit. Hi Marta, I'm so sorry you are having such a hard time. Your life probably won't be what you knew as normal for a long part of the WD, it will be different but you can adapt to a lot of it and get through. Please use the resources here - other people's wisdom collected in the forum's and the moderators who support you and countless others. This will get better - there will be some respite in between (windows, as Gridley has posted) and some harder times (waves). The only way out is through. This acceptance and the hope that it will get better helped me through a lot. They can get you through as well. Believe it or not, this will get better! Hang in there! "Nothing so small as a moment is insurmountable, and moments are all that we have. You have survived every trial and tribulation that life has thrown at you up until this very instant. When future troubles come—and they will come—a version of you will be born into that moment that can conquer them, too." - Kevin Koenig I am not a doctor and this should not be considered medical advice. You can use the information and recommendations provided in whatever way you want and all decisions on your treatment are yours. In the next few weeks I do not have a lot of capacity to respond to questions. If you need a quick answer pls tag or ask other moderators who may want to be tagged. Aug 2000 - July 2003 (ct, 4-6 wk wd) , citalopram 20 mg, xanax prn, wellbutrin for a few months, trazodone prn Dec 2004 - July 2018 citalopram 20 mg, xanax prn (rarely used) Aug 2018 - citalopram 40 mg (self titrated up) September 2018 - January 2019 tapered citalopram - 40/30/20/10/5 no issues until a week after reaching 0 Feb 2019 0.25 xanax - 0.5/day (3 weeks) over to klonopin 0.25 once a day to manage severe wd March 6, reinstated citalopram 2.5 mg (liquid), klonopin 0.25 mg for sleep 2-3 times a week Apr 1st citalopram 2.0 mg (liquid), klonopin 0.25 once a week (off by 4/14/19- no tapering) citalopram (liquid) 4/14/19 -1.8 mg, 5/8/19 - 1.6 mg, 7/27/19 -1.5 mg, 8/15/19 - 1.35, 2/21/21 - 1.1 (smaller drops in between), 6/20/21 - 1.03 mg, 8/7/21- 1.025, 8/11/21 - 1.02, 8/15/21 - 1.015, 9/3/21 - 0.925 (fingers crossed!), 10/8/21 - 0.9, 10/18/21 - 0.875, 12/31/21 - 0.85, 1/7/22 - 0.825, 1/14/22 - 0.8, 1/22/22 - 0.785, 8/18/22 - 0.59, 12/15/2022 - 0.48, 2/15/22 - 0.43, 25/07/23 - 0.25 (mistake), 6/08/23 - 0.33mg Supplements: magnesium citrate and bi-glycinate Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Moderator Emeritus ChessieCat Posted February 20, 2021 Moderator Emeritus Share Posted February 20, 2021 Non-drug techniques to cope acceptance-and-hope * 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 Share on other sites More sharing options...
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