Jamila2106: My husband will die

[Jamila2106]

Puhh 

 

On January 7, 2022, my husband was prescribed a migraine tablet for simple headaches. Within ten minutes of taking the medication, he became restless, had chest tightness, and experienced a dissociative state, where everything around him felt unreal. Concerned, I took him to the hospital and explained that all of this started immediately after taking the medication. However, the doctor quickly dismissed it, without any further examination, attributing it to his psyche and claiming that my husband was depressed, which was absolutely not true and had never been the case. Despite this, the doctor prescribed him Trimipramine (brand name: Surmontil) at a dose of 12.5 mg.

 

We returned home, and initially, my husband seemed to calm down a little. But on the same day, after taking the antidepressant, his condition worsened dramatically: he couldn’t sleep, was agitated, walked aimlessly back and forth, cried, and had severe panic attacks. After this agonizing night, we went back to the neurologist. However, he dismissed the symptoms as insignificant and recommended increasing the dose to 25 mg. This, too, provided no relief – on the contrary: my husband could barely think and was walking frantically around the living room, becoming increasingly desperate.

 

Hoping for help, we went to a psychiatrist. My husband entered the consultation in a state of panic, crying, begging for help, and explaining that he hadn’t slept in a week. The psychiatrist spoke to him briefly, increased the Trimipramine dose to 100 mg, and added Opipramol (brand name: Tofranil) at 150 mg, without any gradual dosage adjustment. After taking these medications, my husband’s condition worsened further. He was like a different person – he was constantly agitated and in panic. I started to believe that perhaps he was depressed, as the doctors had diagnosed him, but my husband kept insisting that it was the medications that were causing his condition. No doctor listened to him, even though he repeatedly said that the medications were the problem.

 

Further visits to the neurologist led to even more medications: alongside the previous ones, he was now also prescribed Citalopram (brand name: Celexa) 20 mg and Ativan (brand name: Lorazepam) 1 mg. Within a month, he was taking four different medications, even though he had been perfectly healthy before. But the doctors continued to attribute his symptoms to his psyche. Eventually, he suffered a seizure and was hospitalized. There, once again, he told the doctors that the medications were the cause, but no action was taken.

 

On February 18, 2022, he was admitted to a psychiatric hospital, where all medications were discontinued except for Ativan (2.5 mg) and Seroquel (brand name: Quetiapine) 75 mg. Initially, it seemed to help a little, but soon the Seroquel worsened his mental state. The doctors assured us that his condition would improve in two weeks, but it only got worse. Without sleep, in a constant state of panic, my husband cried out, saying that the medications were the cause.

 

Another medication change led to the prescription of Risperidone (brand name: Risperdal) 5 mg, which caused his blood pressure and heart rate to rise drastically. He was in constant fear and despair, and each medication adjustment seemed to make things worse. After this medication ordeal, he was discharged with Duloxetine (brand name: Cymbalta) 30 mg and Lyrica (brand name: Pregabalin) 100 mg. He had lost a significant amount of weight, down to just 45 kg. The doctors continued to claim that his symptoms were due to his psyche, despite his insistence that it was the medications making him like this.

 

Over the next three months, my husband lived without sleep and suffered from constant despair. On the way home, he suffered four to five seizures in the car. I immediately took him to the hospital and insisted on an investigation for serotonin syndrome, as he was sweating, shaking, and seizing. But even here, the doctors dismissed the issue as psychological and discharged him without a proper diagnosis, but with an even stronger cocktail of medications: Ativan (4 mg), Effexor (brand name: Venlafaxine) 37.5 mg, Lyrica (100 mg), Zolpidem (brand name: Ambien) 10 mg, and Mirtazapine (brand name: Remeron) 30 mg.

 

From May to October 2022, my husband had to take an even stronger combination of medications: Effexor (225 mg), Mirtazapine (45 mg), Lyrica (600 mg), Atosil (brand name: Promethazine), Zyprexa (brand name: Olanzapine) 15 mg, Ativan (5 mg), Zopiclone (brand name: Imovane) 7.5 mg, and Pipamperone (brand name: Tiapride) 20 mg four times a day. He didn’t sleep a single minute and was in a constant state of despair. He suffered from up to ten seizures a day, sweated profusely, and became completely disoriented. The doctors continued to insist that his condition was due to his psyche, while he constantly said it was the medications.

 

When he was admitted to the psychiatric hospital again, they abruptly discontinued all medications and only gave him Valium (brand name: Diazepam) for a week. But this only worsened his state further. After ten months without sleep and in a constant state of panic, he had lost almost all hope and weighed only 40 kg. After going through withdrawal, his condition still worsened.

 

After three more weeks without medication, the family doctor prescribed him Eszopiclone (brand name: Lunesta) 3 mg, which made his condition even worse. During this time, I was struggling to manage three children while also working. My husband began to take up to five pills at once daily, sometimes taking five to six pills every day. This continued for two months, until February 28, 2023, when a psychiatrist decided to abruptly stop the Eszopiclone. This caused my husband to slide even further into despair.

 

Now, 20 months later and without medication, every day is a challenge. He has not slept for all this time, suffers from constant pain in his head, and his mind feels like it’s on the brink of breaking. Our three children are deeply traumatized, and my husband has completely lost touch with himself. He has all the physical and psychological symptoms imaginable. The doctors refuse to acknowledge the harm they have caused, even though they know it was the medications that caused this.

 

I don’t know what else to do and urgently need help.

 

 

 

 

1. Naratriptan – Commercially available as Amerge in the U.S.

2. Trimipramine – Lacks a U.S.-specific brand, as its clinical use is infrequent and remains largely restricted to European markets.

3. Opipramol – Unapproved for therapeutic use within the U.S.

4. Escitalopram (10 mg) – Marketed under the widely recognized brand Lexapro.

5. Lorazepam (3 mg) – Distributed as Ativan.

6. Promethazine (100 mg) – Known in the U.S. pharmaceutical market as Phenergan.

7. Quetiapine (75 mg) – Recognized under the trade name Seroquel.

8. Risperidone (5 mg) – Commercialized as Risperdal.

9. Pregabalin (600 mg) – Known by the brand Lyrica.

10. Duloxetine (30 mg) – Referred to as Cymbalta within the U.S.

11. Aripiprazole (5 mg) – Commonly marketed as Abilify.

12. Carbamazepine (200 mg) – Available under the trade name Tegretol.

13. Topiramate (50 mg) – Branded as Topamax.

14. Lamotrigine (100 mg) – Distributed as Lamictal.

15. Zopiclone (7.5 mg) – Not directly approved in the U.S.; however, Eszopiclone, a closely related compound, is marketed as Lunesta.

16. Melatonin (Circadin 9 mg) – Circadin specifically is not approved in the U.S.; melatonin supplements, however, are widely accessible.

17. Amitriptyline (10 mg) – Branded as Elavil.

18. Venlafaxine (225 mg) – Known as Effexor XR in the United States.

19. Pipamperone – Not approved for medical use within the U.S.

20. Prothipendyl (Dominal) – Lacks U.S. FDA approval.

21. Olanzapine (7.5 mg) – Recognized under the brand Zyprexa.

22. Diazepam (20 mg) – Widely known by the trade name Valium.

23. Oxazepam (50 mg) – Marketed as Serax.

24. Eszopiclone (18 mg) – Available as Lunesta, though standard dosing typically involves lower quantities.

25. Naloxone – Commercialized as Narcan, prominently for emergency applications.

26. Mirtazapine (45 mg) – Distributed as Remeron.

Edited November 6, 2024 by Emonda
Name to title

[Jamila2106]

We live in germany.  If anyone knows a doctor who is familiar with side effects and withdrawal, please give me the address.

[Catwoman73]

Hi @Jamila2106, and welcome to SA!  We are a community of volunteers providing peer support in the tapering of psychiatric medications and their associated withdrawal syndromes. 

 

I'm so very sorry for all your husband has been through.  Unfortunately, being put on this kind of drug merry-go-round is not at all uncommon around here.  Doctors don't seem to realize that these medications can't be swapped out like swapping ibuprofen for acetaminophen.  Psychiatric drugs leave a lasting impression in our bodies in the form of biochemical and even genetic changes, and it can take some time for these changes to reverse themselves.  Additionally, adding further psychiatric medications when someone is in this state is NOT predictable, and does often make things significantly worse.  

 

I can see why your husband is struggling.  It seems this all started with an adverse reaction that doctors failed to recognize.  Then they compounded his symptoms by swapping out medications like they were candy, with no tapering whatsoever.  Here at SA, we recommend tapering psych meds at a rate of no more than 10% of your CURRENT dose, no more often than every four weeks.  This is known as hyperbolic tapering, and is designed to allow the body the time it needs to reverse all the changes it has made resulting from the presence of these drugs.  The nervous system is a very slow healer.  Many of us need to move even slower than that 10%.  So, a combination of rapid cycling, adverse reactions, cold turkey stops, and complete failure on the part of the medical community to recognize the damage being done has put your husband in the state he is now in. 

 

Why taper by 10% of my dosage?

 

I want to assure you that your husband will not die.  He absolutely will heal- we are all healing, all the time, even when it doesn't feel like it.  What I can't guarantee is the timeline.  He has been through a lot, and his nervous system has been severely destabilized, so I suspect he has a long road ahead of him. 

 

There are a few things he can do to help with healing.  Most are intuitive, but these things do bear repeating.  Eat a healthy, balanced, whole foods diet, stay very well hydrated, engage in gentle exercise, and get as much rest/sleep as needed (more to come on sleep).  Avoid all neurologically active substances, such as caffeine, alcohol, nicotine, and recreational drugs- these things are like pouring gasoline on a fire for his symptoms.  And definitely do NOT take any more psych meds- like I said before, when the nervous system is destabilized, the effects of psych meds are not predictable, and can make things so much worse.  As you've already discovered. 

 

Here at SA, we only recommend two supplements- magnesium and omega-3 fatty acids.  Do be mindful though, for those in your husband's state, it is common to become hypersensitive to all sorts of things- medications, supplements, and even foods!  So if he would like to try any supplements, even those we recommend, it is best to start at a very low dose to see how he does with it.  He could always increase slowly over time if he tolerates them. 

 

As he slowly recovers, he will notice periods where he feels a bit better, and periods where he feels a bit worse.  This is an absolutely normal part of the healing process that we refer to as the windows and waves pattern of stabilization.  Having windows and waves is a good sign that healing is occurring!

 

Windows and waves pattern of stabilization

 

I would strongly recommend that your husband start keeping a symptom journal right away.  He should track each of his symptoms each day, rating them on a scale of 1-10 for severity.  This can help identify windows and waves (they're not always very obvious in the early stages of recovery), and can help him see how far he has come over time.  If he chooses to also track his food intake, activities, and supplements, he may be able to identify things that are making his symptoms worse as well.  By doing this, I have discovered that I am extremely sensitive to coffee (even decaf), chamomile, refined sugar, intense exercise, and even small amounts of stress.  Identifying triggers can help make the healing journey just a little bit more smooth.  Here is a list of common symptoms that he could use as a template for a journal:

 

Daily Checklist of Antidepressant Withdrawal Symptoms (PDF) 

 

In terms of emotional and cognitive symptoms, I know these are incredibly difficult to deal with!  But it's really important to start practicing some non-drug coping mechanisms right away.  We have lots of threads on non-drug coping mechanisms- I'll link some below.  Speaking from my own lengthy experience, I have found that developing a daily mindfulness practice to be the most helpful thing I've done.  I find guided meditations and yoga Nidra very helpful for calming my nervous system and for helping with insomnia. Cognitive Behavioural Therapy techniques are very helpful- it's important to learn to recognize the negative thought patterns behind the emotions, to challenge those thought patterns, and learn to replace them with more productive thoughts.  Distraction is also a wonderful tool- have him engage in activities that you know bring him happiness.  This can help re-train the brain, and pull him out of negative thought spirals. 

 

Apathy, anhedonia, emotional numbness, emotional anesthesia 

 Derealization or Depersonalization

 Non-drug techniques to cope with emotional symptoms

 Easing your way into meditation for a stressed-out nervous system

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

Ways to cope with daily anxiety

"Change the channel" - dealing with cognitive symptoms

Dealing With Emotional Spirals

 

Calming music and meditation/yoga Nidra are helpful for sleep- here are a couple more links regarding sleep issues.  Most people here do experience sleep problems.  It just goes with the territory, unfortunately.  But it will get better over time!

 

 

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

Melatonin for sleep (Please note the very low doses needed!!!)

 

In summary, your husband will absolutely heal, but it's going to take time.  And yes, helping to facilitate this healing does take some effort.  He will need to control the things he can, and learn to just accept that there are going to be some pretty terrible days.  He will need to take really, really good care of himself (as described above), keep track of his symptoms and find his triggers, and work really hard at incorporating non-drug coping mechanisms.  I can assure you that these do help, but not overnight.  It takes time to build up these good habits.  It takes a lot of time and patience, but he will heal!  

 

If you are looking for doctors in Germany, I have no specific recommendations, but here is our thread on recommended doctors and clinics- maybe there is something in there for you.  Sadly, the vast majority of doctors, including psychiatrists, have no idea about the damage these drugs can do, leaving most of us to figure it out for ourselves.  That's why this site exists!

 

Recommended doctors, therapists, and clinics

 

Sending your husband lots of healing vibes... he may wish to consider creating an account here himself to take advantage of the peer support offered here. 

 

This is your introduction topic- each member gets one intro topic, so please post any updates or questions here, on this thread.  But do explore the rest of the forum- there's lots of good info here!

 

I look forward to helping out in any way I can.  Hang in there!

 

Edited November 7, 2024 by Catwoman73

[Jamila2106]

7 hours ago, Catwoman73 said:

 

7 hours ago, Catwoman73 said:

Ichwould urgently recommend your man to have a symptom protokoll immediately. He should track every his symptoms every day and evaluate them for severity in a scale of 1-10. This can help to recognize windows and wells (se are not always very of visible in the early stadies of the revery) and help him to see how the way he has to be left in the time. If he decides to track his feeding intake, activities and nutritional supplements, he may also can identify things that as agger his symptoms. Auf diese Weise habe ich festgestellt, dass ich extrem empfindlich auf Kaffee (sogar koffeinfreien Kaffee), Kamille, raffinierte Zucker, intensiven Sport und sogar kleine Mengen an Stress. The identification of triggers can contribute to have the healing journey a little smooth. Here is a list of frequently symptome that he could u

Hey cat woman They say it's too early to heal. But that's not true. He's 20 months out and hasn't improved one bit. I'm talking about not sleeping a second. And constant nerve pain in the head plus all the 1000 symptoms that exist. Everyone gets better after that amount of time, but why not him.

[Catina7]

I'm sad and heartbroken to hear what happened to your dear husband, but please don't lose hope.  Healing from iatrogenic injury can take a very long time, but it does happen.  We're all here to help and support you and your husband during this challenging time.  Definitely read over all the links that were provided to you, and arm yourself with as much knowledge as you can.  Also, you may want to read some success stories of people who have recovered (https://www.survivingantidepressants.org/forum/28-success-stories-recovery-from-psychiatric-drug-withdrawal/)

 

The two things that will help the most are time and patience.  It's important for you to remain positive for your husband's sake and create an atmosphere of calmness and hopefulness.  If your husband is able to, as was recommended, it would be great if he could create his own profile so he can express himself and receive peer support from fellow members.  It might make him feel less alone and give him hope.  The more positive reinforcement he has, the quicker he will heal.  He is fortunate to have such a loving, caring, and supportive wife.  

 

Please hang in there.  Our brains have the remarkable capacity to re-wire themselves and heal, but just like with any bodily injury it takes time to recover.

 

Sending both you and your husband lots of love and compassion.  

 

Catina  💜

[Heatherjane]

Sorry to hear of your husbands sufferings and impact on the family. These guys at SA are very knowledgeable and provide excellent support. Sending you best wishes from the UK..x

[LostInCanada]

On 11/6/2024 at 11:59 PM, Jamila2106 said:

Everyone gets better after that amount of time, but why not him.

Welcome to SA. 

I am heartbroken for what your family has experienced and is continuing to experience.

I know 20 months seems like a long time but considering the amount of abuse your husband's body has endured it isn't. 

Cold turkey from these drugs causes so many difficulties for the CNS. Your husband has experienced this multiple times along with multiple adverse reactions while the drug was continuing to be forced on him. The damage is real. This is no different than having a cancer diagnosis....healing will take years. 

Trying to practice good sleep hygiene, keeping a sleep schedule routine even when there is no sleep, is so important. The brain and body need to be retrained. 

You too will need emotion and physical support. Get assistance in lessening your family's stress load if possible. That may be online grocery shopping, hiring a cleaning person, asking help from family and friends as suggestions. 

https://www.dw.com/en/german-study-shows-1-in-6-develop-antidepressant-withdrawal/a-69303248

This is mentioned in the article:

"Nonetheless, for those who experience them, withdrawal symptoms "are real and patients need to be informed, monitored and helped if [they] occur," lead author Christopher Baethge, a psychiatrist at the University of Cologne in Germany, stressed in a press statement."

 

Possibly you could contact Christopher Baethge for help finding a doctor or get help from him. I am afraid doctors will still want to give meds. 

 

♥️🙏

[Xcaretuk]

Hi,

I am so sorry to hear of your husband’s suffering. Unfortunately this group has heard of these adverse reactions many times and as already stated your husband is now suffering from a destabilising of his nervous system, body and brain due to the initial adverse reaction and the from the effects of all the poly drugging that came thereafter. He will improve but as already stated it takes far longer than we could have possibly imagined but it does happen. The team and members of this site are very knowledgeable, have been through the horrors of withdrawal and are fully aware of how it impacts families and carers. Please read the files and reach out if you feel we can help further…

[zanti]

I have written a reply in this topic and now I see it disappeared.

 

I received a notification for new posts here but my message is gone.

 

What is going on? @Catwoman73 Sorry for tagging you but you are the only mod here.

[Jane318]

11 hours ago, zanti said:

I have written a reply in this topic and now I see it disappeared.

 

I received a notification for new posts here but my message is gone.

 

What is going on? @Catwoman73 Sorry for tagging you but you are the only mod here.

Zanti - I sent you a dm on this.

[Warpman]

https://markhorowitz.org/contact/

[Najla]

I am sorry for what your husband is going through now, but doesn’t having a wonderful partner like you bring a feeling of reassurance? Everything your husband is going through is normal now. I have completed two years and I am still suffering. As for sleeping, the best way is to take a warm bath and learn deep breathing exercises, completely darken the room, refrain from noise, use... Fantasy to relax

[Alfred1977]

On 11/6/2024 at 6:35 PM, Jamila2106 said:

Now, 20 months later and without medication, every day is a challenge. He has not slept for all this time, suffers from constant pain in his head, and his mind feels like it’s on the brink of breaking. Our three children are deeply traumatized, and my husband has completely lost touch with himself. He has all the physical and psychological symptoms imaginable. The doctors refuse to acknowledge the harm they have caused, even though they know it was the medications that caused this.

 

I don’t know what else to do and urgently need help.

 I am sorry to read your story. I am from Germany too, 20 years of psychic drugs.

I have given up on finding a psychiatrist who knows any of this or even simply believes me or cares. I went at least to a dozen by now and none of them ever heard of brain zaps.  In England and the Netherlands medicine seems to be better informed. In Germany right now searching seems to be a waste of time. I also think that acknowledging the problems that are discussed here on SA would question everything psychiatrists do and so it takes a a lot of character for a psychiatrist to open up to those problems.

 

Treating your husband with 26 different psych drugs in a relatively short period of time to me is proof that they have no idea what they are doing. Probably any monkey handing out psych drug prescriptions wouldn't do much worse of a job.

 

Maybe try to find a general practitioner who is compassionate and somehow helps (sick leave for example or other symptoms care). If the damage was done by drugs and your husband is 20 months "clean" now, then probably only time will heal.