iamdeb Posted January 2, 2013 Share Posted January 2, 2013 Hello to all, I am so grateful to find a place to both offer and seek comfort during this tough journey of SSRI withdrawal. I tapered off of Xanax ER and persevered through the awful tremors, fatigue and other symptoms, then began withdrawal from Luvox ER. These last few days have been rough, with brain zaps, maniac emotions and anxiety but I am determined to NEVER EVER GO BACK to using any of these drugs again! Tapered off Xanax ER 2mg in Sept-Nov. Tremors and other withdrawal effects have subsided. Just tapered off Luvox ER 1.5mg during Nov- Dec. took last dose 12/20. Have brain zaps, manic emotions and cry spells. Can function at normal levels including exercise and work, but brain zaps are frustrating. Update 3/5/13. Remain free from Xanax and Luvox. Found good therapist. Have moderate anxiety but yoga, acupuncture and meditation helping. Link to comment
Moderator Emeritus strawberry17 Posted January 2, 2013 Moderator Emeritus Share Posted January 2, 2013 Hi iamdeb welcome to the forums! Would you like to add your withdrawal information to your signature then it helps us to see your progress and what you're doing when we all talk to you on here: http://survivingantidepressants.org/index.php?/topic/893-please-put-your-withdrawal-history-in-your-signature/ Are you still in the process of withdrawing Luvox? how fast have you been withdrawing? it's possible if you're getting these dreadful symptoms that you're withdrawing too fast and if you slow it down it will help or possibly even back up a bit it might help you to cope with coming off better. Many of us here can relate to what you're going through. strawberry *** Please note this is not medical advice,discuss any decisions about your medical care with a knowledgeable medical practitioner***http://prozacwithdrawal.blogspot.com/ Original drug was sertraline/Zoloft, switched to Prozac in 2007. Tapering from 5mls liquid prozac since Feb 2008, got down to 0.85ml 23/09/2012, reinstated back to 1ml(4mg) 07/11/2012, didn't appear to work, upped to 1.05ml 17/11/2012, back down to 1ml 12/12/2012 didn't work, up to 1.30ml 16/3/2013 didn't work, bumped up to 2ml (8mg) 4/4/2013 didn't work, in July 2013 I reinstated Sertraline (Zoloft) 50mg, feeling better now. A few months down the line I switched to 5ml liquid Prozac and tapered down to a compromise dose of 3ml liquid Prozac and have stayed there ever since, no withdrawals and no emotional blunting/loss of libido. Link to comment
Moderator Emeritus peggy Posted January 2, 2013 Moderator Emeritus Share Posted January 2, 2013 Hi iamdeb, I look forward to reading more of your withdrawal history. I am sure you will find lots of support for your journey here. And yes, they are 'nasty stuff' Started in 2000 - On 150mg most of the time, (but up to 225mg at highest dose for 6 months in the beginning)Reduced off easily first time - but got depressed (not too much anxiety) 6 months laterBack on effexor for another 9 months.Reduced off again with no immediate w/d - suddenly got depressed and anxious ++ again 3 or 4 months later.Back on effexor - this time for 3 yearsReduced off over a month - 6 weeks later terrible anxiety - back on.Rinse and repeat 4 more times - each time the period before the anxiety comes back got shorter and shorterJan - July 2012 75mg down to 37.5mg;, 8/3/12 - 35mg. 8/25/12 - 32mg. 9/11- 28mg, 10/2 - 25mg, 10/29 - 22mg, 11/19 - 19.8mg; 12/11 - 17m,1/1- 15.5mg; 1/22 -14mg, 2/7 14.9mg, 2/18 - 17.8mg - crashed big time: back to 75mg where i sat for 2 years.... 4th March 2015 - 67.5mg; 31st March - 60mg; 24th April - 53mg; 13th May - 48mg; 26th May - 45mg; 9th June - 41mg; 1 July- 37.5mg; 20 July - 34mg; 11 August - 31mg; 1st Sept - 28mg; 1st Dec - 25.8mg; 28th Dec - 23.2mg; 23rd Jan-21.9mg; Feb 7th- 21mg; March 1st - 20.1mg, March 30th - 18mg Link to comment
xDebbiejo Posted January 2, 2013 Share Posted January 2, 2013 Hi iamdeb Welcome to the forum! All the best Debbie x 17 years on seroxat/paxil CT off - thought I was dying luckily found this site. 21st May 2012 12mg seroxat Stable - Tapered Diazepam slowish.1st June 10mg Seroxat 2nd June 1mg Diazepam.15th June 9mg seroxat 2nd July Changed to 2.5[ml liquid diazepam]2mg=5ml. 16th July 2ml Liquid Diazepam 2nd August 8mg/4ml Seroxat/Paxil 2nd August 1.5 ml Diazepam 18th Aug 2012 1ml Diazepam 1st - 5th Sept 0.5 Diazepam Free! 13th Oct 7mg/3.5ml seroxat - 26 Jan 2013 3.25ml/6.5mg-Mar 3ml-April 2.7ml-May 2.5ml 01/07/14 very slow taper over the last year now on 0.5 ml of liquid Seroxat ......November 14 Seroat Free!!!!!!! Link to comment
Moderator Emeritus Jemima Posted January 2, 2013 Moderator Emeritus Share Posted January 2, 2013 Welcome, iamdeb. Please do elaborate on your drug history. It looks to me like you "tapered" awfully fast. You'll find lots of good information and friendly, gentle support here. This forum saw me through a too-fast taper off of Lexapro and I don't know how I would have gotten through it otherwise. Psychotropic drug history: Pristiq 50 mg. (mid-September 2010 through February 2011), Remeron (mid-September 2010 through January 2011), Lexapro 10 mg. (mid-February 2011 through mid-December 2011), Lorazepam (Ativan) 1 mg. as needed mid-September 2010 through early March 2012"Never attribute to malice that which is adequately explained by stupidity." -Hanlon's RazorIntroduction: http://survivingantidepressants.org/index.php?/topic/1588-introducing-jemima/ Success Story: http://survivingantidepressants.org/index.php?/topic/6263-success-jemima-survives-lexapro-and-dr-dickhead-too/Please note that I am not a medical professional and my advice is based on personal experience, reading, and anecdotal information posted by other sufferers. Link to comment
Moderator Emeritus strawberry17 Posted January 2, 2013 Moderator Emeritus Share Posted January 2, 2013 Yes hi it's me again iamdeb, you messaged me about Luvox, I tried to find a thread in tapering specific to Luvox/Fluvoetime but there isn't one, however when I looked it up it is an SSRI antidepressant, and if you look in the tapering forum you will find lots of information about tapering, pinned at the top of the forums. If you elaborate more here on this thread you'll get a lot more advice. *** Please note this is not medical advice,discuss any decisions about your medical care with a knowledgeable medical practitioner***http://prozacwithdrawal.blogspot.com/ Original drug was sertraline/Zoloft, switched to Prozac in 2007. Tapering from 5mls liquid prozac since Feb 2008, got down to 0.85ml 23/09/2012, reinstated back to 1ml(4mg) 07/11/2012, didn't appear to work, upped to 1.05ml 17/11/2012, back down to 1ml 12/12/2012 didn't work, up to 1.30ml 16/3/2013 didn't work, bumped up to 2ml (8mg) 4/4/2013 didn't work, in July 2013 I reinstated Sertraline (Zoloft) 50mg, feeling better now. A few months down the line I switched to 5ml liquid Prozac and tapered down to a compromise dose of 3ml liquid Prozac and have stayed there ever since, no withdrawals and no emotional blunting/loss of libido. Link to comment
iamdeb Posted February 8, 2013 Author Share Posted February 8, 2013 Hello All, I have been away for over one month, but have good news to share...most of the withdrawal symptoms from Luvox and Xanax have subsided. I still continue to experience occasional vertigo and sensitivity to noise, but those are less in intensity than one month ago. I have been keeping up with my yoga practice as well as acupuncture and trying to consistently exercise. Do I still have anxiety at times? Oh yes..but I have found a therapist who is very supportive in my quest to STAY AWAY FROM THE MEDS. She is also challenging the diagnosis I was given last year (OCD) and is helping me to work through my anxiety in a very real and non-medicated way. It is not all rosy and not easy as resulting emotions while confronting this anxiety can be intense, but they need to be felt and not stomped down by meds. What I want to share with all of you is that there is much hope for you and for me to experience a good and full life once we heal from the medicinal poison we were given. Our minds are extraordinarily beautiful creations and once we progress through the detox process, hope becomes reality. Never give up - your beautiful mind and body will heal! Tapered off Xanax ER 2mg in Sept-Nov. Tremors and other withdrawal effects have subsided. Just tapered off Luvox ER 1.5mg during Nov- Dec. took last dose 12/20. Have brain zaps, manic emotions and cry spells. Can function at normal levels including exercise and work, but brain zaps are frustrating. Update 3/5/13. Remain free from Xanax and Luvox. Found good therapist. Have moderate anxiety but yoga, acupuncture and meditation helping. Link to comment
Administrator Altostrata Posted February 8, 2013 Administrator Share Posted February 8, 2013 That is good news, iamdeb. How long did you taper off Luvox and how did you do it? Did you have any symptoms while tapering? I merged your two Intro topics. Please keep us posted on how you're doing. This is not medical advice. Discuss any decisions about your medical care with a knowledgeable medical practitioner. "It has become appallingly obvious that our technology has surpassed our humanity." -- Albert Einstein All postings © copyrighted. Link to comment
iamdeb Posted March 6, 2013 Author Share Posted March 6, 2013 Hi Altostrata, I tapered off Xanax first by chipping tiny pieces off the tablet over a three week period. I stopped the Luvox abruptly as it was in capsule form and did not know I should have used the powder inside to make a slurry. I guess I was so angry ay the psychologist who laughed at me when I asked her to help me start a reduction in the meds...she just replied that I would"be right back at square one" if I reduced the meds. As I did both the taper and cessation over an overlapping time frame, it's hard to know what side effects were attributable to what pill, but the worst was the brain zaps and GI issues. Both have ceased., thank God. I have found a good therapist who supports my feelings about no meds. However due to continuing anxiety she did offer Clonopin to be taken as needed when an anxiety attack hits. I have taken a few and it does help to reduce anxiety levels, but I will not agree to a daily maintenance medication at this point. I am hoping the therapy will continue to support me without the need for medication. I know the journey ahead will not be easy, but it will be what I make it to be, and my mind is set on continued healing and restoration. Tapered off Xanax ER 2mg in Sept-Nov. Tremors and other withdrawal effects have subsided. Just tapered off Luvox ER 1.5mg during Nov- Dec. took last dose 12/20. Have brain zaps, manic emotions and cry spells. Can function at normal levels including exercise and work, but brain zaps are frustrating. Update 3/5/13. Remain free from Xanax and Luvox. Found good therapist. Have moderate anxiety but yoga, acupuncture and meditation helping. Link to comment
dunerbug Posted March 6, 2013 Share Posted March 6, 2013 Welcome to the site! Finding good support is key. I'm glad you were able to find a therapist to help you through this time. Started Fluoxetine Jan. 2010 Tried to go off of it in Sept. 2010 Weaned too fast and was back on it by Nov. 2010 Didn't work as good the second time around. Started to wean again in Nov. 2011 and was off for good by April? 2012 Link to comment
Moderator Emeritus Jemima Posted March 7, 2013 Moderator Emeritus Share Posted March 7, 2013 I have found a good therapist who supports my feelings about no meds. However due to continuing anxiety she did offer Clonopin to be taken as needed when an anxiety attack hits. I have taken a few and it does help to reduce anxiety levels, but I will not agree to a daily maintenance medication at this point. I am hoping the therapy will continue to support me without the need for medication. I know the journey ahead will not be easy, but it will be what I make it to be, and my mind is set on continued healing and restoration. Please be aware that Klonopin and Xanax are in the same family of drugs, the benzodiazapines, and that Klonopin is just about the strongest and most addictive of all of them. It's my understanding that a person can become hooked on any of them with regular dosing over a two week period, and sometimes even less than that. Just a word of warning to the wise. I would advise not using the K unless you're having an extreme emotional emergency. Believe me, speaking as one who has a tough time with anxiety, I know it isn't easy to overcome on one's own, but it's possible and worthwhile to pursue that end. Psychotropic drug history: Pristiq 50 mg. (mid-September 2010 through February 2011), Remeron (mid-September 2010 through January 2011), Lexapro 10 mg. (mid-February 2011 through mid-December 2011), Lorazepam (Ativan) 1 mg. as needed mid-September 2010 through early March 2012"Never attribute to malice that which is adequately explained by stupidity." -Hanlon's RazorIntroduction: http://survivingantidepressants.org/index.php?/topic/1588-introducing-jemima/ Success Story: http://survivingantidepressants.org/index.php?/topic/6263-success-jemima-survives-lexapro-and-dr-dickhead-too/Please note that I am not a medical professional and my advice is based on personal experience, reading, and anecdotal information posted by other sufferers. Link to comment
Recommended Posts
Create an account or sign in to comment
You need to be a member in order to leave a comment
Create an account
Sign up for a new account in our community. It's easy!
Register a new accountSign in
Already have an account? Sign in here.
Sign In Now