FeralCatman Posted August 20, 2023 Share Posted August 20, 2023 In The Wizard of Oz the Scarecrow wanted a brain, the Tin Man wanted a heart, the lion wanted his courage, and Dorothy wanted to go home and the whole time they had to stay ahead of the Wicked Witch of the West. This is a great analogy for what we are all going through. Fortunately just for going down this path we already all have courage. At the end of this crazy yellow brick road we will get our brain and our heart and we will get to go home. This is what is in the future for everybody going through this so all we have to do is stay ahead of that damn wicked witch known as withdrawal symptoms and we'll make it. 2 Current Psychiatric Medications Paxil 10mg daily (a.m.) 2017 - Present Carbamazepine IR 190 mg twice daily (380mg Daily) 2011 - Present (Currently Tapering) Past Psychiatric Medications From 1994 to August 2021 Seroquel (in Recovery since August 2021 final dose 6.25mg), Depakote, Lithium, Risperidone, Xanax, Lamotrigene, Olanzapine, Lorazepam, Welbutrin, Trazodone, Oxazepam, Gabapentin, Abilify, Topiramate, Prazosin, Ambien (See Attached Spreadsheet And Seroquel Tapering And WIthdrawal Summary) Current Non Psychiatric Medications - Levothyroxine 88mcg (a.m.)-Vitamin D3 1000 IU (p.m.)-Fexofenadine 180 mg twice daily -Clonidine 0.1 mg (p.m.)-Azelastine Nasal Spray Other - Fish Oil Twice Daily-Multi-Vitamin (a.m.)-Vitamin C 1000mg Daily (a.m.)-Saline Nasal Spray-Salsalate 750mg twice daily PRN, Diclofenac Gel on affected joint PRN-Magnesium Citrate 250mg twice daily, Betaine HCL & Digestine Enzymes With Meals Quitting Seroquel_A Vacation In Hell_Redacted.pdf Other Documents https://www.survivingantidepressants.org/topic/26099-feralcatman-recovering-from-seroquel/?do=findComment&comment=633907 Link to comment
Mentor Catina7 Posted August 20, 2023 Mentor Share Posted August 20, 2023 3 minutes ago, FeralCatman said: In The Wizard of Oz the Scarecrow wanted a brain, the Tin Man wanted a heart, the lion wanted his courage, and Dorothy wanted to go home and the whole time they had to stay ahead of the Wicked Witch of the West. This is a great analogy for what we are all going through. Fortunately just for going down this path we already all have courage. At the end of this crazy yellow brick road we will get our brain and our heart and we will get to go home. This is what is in the future for everybody going through this so all we have to do is stay ahead of that damn wicked witch known as withdrawal symptoms and we'll make it. Good analogy FCM! And just like how the Wicked Witch melted into oblivion, our withdrawal symptoms will all melt away one day! 1 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 Link to comment
BooBoo19 Posted August 20, 2023 Share Posted August 20, 2023 @FeralCatman @Catina7 My Favourite film ever, your title caught my eye and therefore I just had to respond, a brilliant analogy x Lets hope we all get back to Kansas the sooner the better!!!! "There's no place like home, there's no place like home' 😀 2 Started venlafaxine December 2016. Started to wean off Effexor over 16 months period and I had no issues at all. Stopped June 2020. Unfortunately, I was under chronic stress from 4 deaths (1 was my mother) in the family amongst other things and sunk back down in October 2020. Rather than accepting this was chronic stress and grief, I panicked and went to the GP. October 2020 prescribed Vortioxetine 10mg for 1 month and then increased to 15 mg ups advice from GP on for 7 weeks in total. Had suicidal thoughts and off the wall anxiety. Changed to Lexapro in mid December 2020, slow titration from 2.5mg up to 10mg. After 7 weeks again off the wall anxiety. I was advised to take 5mg for one week and stop as I want to go 'au natural'. Last SSRI was 30 January 2021. I was also prescribed diazepam and Zopiclone through the 4 months of taking SSRis to 'manage' the side effects and also for the withdrawal. I am probably withdrawing from all drugs. Link to comment
Mentor Catina7 Posted August 20, 2023 Mentor Share Posted August 20, 2023 Wouldn't it be nice if we could wake up one day and realize this was all just a dream (or nightmare, depending on how you look at it) like Dorothy did? 1 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 Link to comment
FeralCatman Posted August 20, 2023 Author Share Posted August 20, 2023 49 minutes ago, Catina7 said: Wouldn't it be nice if we could wake up one day and realize this was all just a dream (or nightmare, depending on how you look at it) like Dorothy did? We will all get to the point at which that's exactly what this will be nothing but a distant nightmare 😉✌️😺😺 1 Current Psychiatric Medications Paxil 10mg daily (a.m.) 2017 - Present Carbamazepine IR 190 mg twice daily (380mg Daily) 2011 - Present (Currently Tapering) Past Psychiatric Medications From 1994 to August 2021 Seroquel (in Recovery since August 2021 final dose 6.25mg), Depakote, Lithium, Risperidone, Xanax, Lamotrigene, Olanzapine, Lorazepam, Welbutrin, Trazodone, Oxazepam, Gabapentin, Abilify, Topiramate, Prazosin, Ambien (See Attached Spreadsheet And Seroquel Tapering And WIthdrawal Summary) Current Non Psychiatric Medications - Levothyroxine 88mcg (a.m.)-Vitamin D3 1000 IU (p.m.)-Fexofenadine 180 mg twice daily -Clonidine 0.1 mg (p.m.)-Azelastine Nasal Spray Other - Fish Oil Twice Daily-Multi-Vitamin (a.m.)-Vitamin C 1000mg Daily (a.m.)-Saline Nasal Spray-Salsalate 750mg twice daily PRN, Diclofenac Gel on affected joint PRN-Magnesium Citrate 250mg twice daily, Betaine HCL & Digestine Enzymes With Meals Quitting Seroquel_A Vacation In Hell_Redacted.pdf Other Documents https://www.survivingantidepressants.org/topic/26099-feralcatman-recovering-from-seroquel/?do=findComment&comment=633907 Link to comment
2cats2272 Posted August 20, 2023 Share Posted August 20, 2023 58 minutes ago, Catina7 said: Wouldn't it be nice if we could wake up one day and realize this was all just a dream (or nightmare, depending on how you look at it) like Dorothy did? It’ll come. I know it will. 💜 1 17 years on 150 mg Effexor. started taper to 75 mg October 29, 2022 went to 37.5mg December 20, 2022 0 on January 27, 2023 Link to comment
Mentor littlebird Posted August 20, 2023 Mentor Share Posted August 20, 2023 2 hours ago, FeralCatman said: We will all get to the point at which that's exactly what this will be nothing but a distant nightmare 😉✌️😺😺 Love this! Makes me think of other rough patches which are now just memories... one day I'll say, "Oh yeah, meds and tapering... heh, don't miss that game." 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 Link to comment
Moderator hayduke Posted October 9, 2023 Moderator Share Posted October 9, 2023 Great film, also allegory for narcissistic abuse (not miles away from psychiatric system norms). "Flying Monkeys" etc. Watched again in HD recently, a treat. I am not a health professional - your actions are your own. Please do not seek tapering support via private message - "Any reason to hold is a good one" My taper visualised as a graph | My intro thread Backdrop: 2003 10mg olanzapine | 2004 2-3mg risperidone | end 2014 3wks aripiprazole 2015: olanzapine 10 -> 7½ -> 6⅔ -> 5mg by crude pill cutter 2018: Mar 5.00mg -> water titrated taper -> Aug2.5mg tablet and hold Jan 2019 2.50mg water titration -> Jan 2020 1.214 -> Jan 2021 0.44 -> 2 Oct 0.205 ->3 Oct ZERO🥂 Jun 2023 💉150mg paliperidone "loading" depot shot, 100mg 1wk after Jul 100mg Aug-Dec 75mg/4wks Jul 2023 2.50mg aripiprazole/day attempt to lower prolactin^ Jan-Feb 2024 cross taper off shots to 1mg risperidone Ask not what you can do for your country, but what your country did to you" -- KMFDM Link to comment
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