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Article: Mad in America - Patients Express Anger at Doctors’ Ignorance About Antidepressant Withdrawal Effects

Catina7

By Catina7
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Catina7 Contributor

Catina7

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https://www.madinamerica.com/2023/07/patients-express-anger-at-doctors-ignorance-about-antidepressant-withdrawal-effects/

Disclaimer:  This is not professional medical advice but is based on personal experience only.

1994 - 2017:  Prozac, Cymbalta, Celexa, Paxil, Wellbutrin, Zoloft, Seroquel, Buspar, Lorazepam, Xanax, Ambien

2005-present:  Trazodone 50 mg 

2017:  Effexor XR 37.5 >> 75 mg 

2020 (March):  Began 10% monthly taper of Effexor XR (got down to 12 mg)

2021 (September):  Completely crashed.  Went back up to 37.5 mg but in doing so I kindled myself

2024:  1/1:  35.6 mg (-6 beads)  |  2/1:  33.8 mg (-11 beads)  |  3/1:  32.1 mg (-16 beads)  |   4/1:  (-18 beads)

Reasons for starting psych meds:  PMDD/Depression, Generalized Anxiety Disorder

Other medications:  Levothyroxine 75 mcg

Supplements:  Dr. Berg's Electrolyte Powder on occasion   

 

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littlebird Veteran

littlebird

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Thank you for sharing! Glad more of this information is getting out there, hoping it starts to become part of the training psychiatrists do.

2

Pronouns: they/them/theirs 

Started on Prozac in early 2000s to treat cPTSD, been on various cocktails ever since.

2002-2004, 2017-2022: Buspar, tapered down to 0

2016-present: 100mg Seroquel for sleep -> May 2023: 90mg -> June 2023: 81mg -> September 2023: 72mg -> switched to brand name, much too strong, down to 60mg -> October 2023: 54mg -> November 2023: 50mg -> January 2024: 45mg -> April 2024: 40.5mg

2016-Present: 100mg Wellbutrin SR -> January 2023: 75mg IR (37.5mg 2x a day) -> February 2023 (33.75mg 2x a day) -> July 2023 (30.37mg 2x a day) -> August 2023: 27.33mg 2x a day 

2018-present: 25mg Pristiq

2015-present: 600mg Gabapentin (200mg 3x a day) -> December 2022: 300mg Gabapentin (100mg 3x a day) per GP's recommendation after side effects -> March 2023: 90mg 3x a day (switched to liquid suspension) -> April 2023: 81mg 3x a day -> September 2023: bad generic, switched back to homemade liquid; too strong after bad generic, down to 70mg 3x a day, still bad. Adjusted slowly till at 60mg 3x a day, much better. Long hold till -> December 2023: 54mg, still feels too high after November Seroquel switch from brand name to generic, doc recommended 50mg which feels better -> January 2024: When Wellbutrin went down, Gabapentin started putting me to sleep, went down to 45mg, then 41mg to stay awake, so far so good -> February 2024: 36mg, still too high, 34mg -> March 2024: 31mg, STILL too high, 30mg

Supplements: Multivitamin w/magnesium, probiotics, digestive enzymes, anti-viral nitric oxide nose spray as needed

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Catina7 Contributor

Catina7

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31 minutes ago, littlebird said:

Thank you for sharing! Glad more of this information is getting out there, hoping it starts to become part of the training psychiatrists do.

 

You're welcome @littlebird!  Hopefully one day informed consent and safe de-prescribing will be standard practice for all prescribers.  

Disclaimer:  This is not professional medical advice but is based on personal experience only.

1994 - 2017:  Prozac, Cymbalta, Celexa, Paxil, Wellbutrin, Zoloft, Seroquel, Buspar, Lorazepam, Xanax, Ambien

2005-present:  Trazodone 50 mg 

2017:  Effexor XR 37.5 >> 75 mg 

2020 (March):  Began 10% monthly taper of Effexor XR (got down to 12 mg)

2021 (September):  Completely crashed.  Went back up to 37.5 mg but in doing so I kindled myself

2024:  1/1:  35.6 mg (-6 beads)  |  2/1:  33.8 mg (-11 beads)  |  3/1:  32.1 mg (-16 beads)  |   4/1:  (-18 beads)

Reasons for starting psych meds:  PMDD/Depression, Generalized Anxiety Disorder

Other medications:  Levothyroxine 75 mcg

Supplements:  Dr. Berg's Electrolyte Powder on occasion   

 

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Unless big pharma is successfully sued for big $$$ in damages and heads at the very top start rolling, I don't see how deprescribing can become a part of the curriculum at medical schools.

Since early March 2022: escitalopram 10 mg + trazodone 75 mg, after a month or so switched to sertraline 50 mg + mianserin 10 mg;

Later augmented with quetiapine 75 mg for insomnia;

Cold turkeyed all antidepressants in November 2022;

Currently on:

Quetiapine: 275 mg (21/02/2023; down from 300 mg) -> 250 mg (18/03/2023) -> 225 mg (26/04/2023) -> 200 mg (19/05/2023) -> 187.5 mg (12/06/2023) -> 175 mg  (27/06/2023) -> 162.5 mg (16/07/2023) -> 150 mg (31/07/2023) -> 137.5 mg (15/08/2023) -> 125 mg (17/09/2023) -> 112.5 mg (02/10/2023) -> 100 mg (17/10/2023) -> 87.5 mg (05/11/2023) -> 81.25 mg (01/12/2023) -> 75 mg (14/12/2023) -> 68.75 mg (22/12/2023) -> 62.5 mg (28/12/2023) -> 50 mg (11/01/2024) -> 43,75 mg (06/02/2024) -> 37,5 mg (20/02/2024)

Diazepam once every week/two weeks, or less frequently

Supplements: magnesium, vit. D3

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