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Phillystkitts Need help(3 different drugs) advice please


Phillystkitts

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Posted

Hello,

 

I was referred to this site by another member. I have been told of their withdrawal and I am thinking that mine is going to be similar. Not quite sure what to expect.

 

Brief history : I have been on Paxil 30mg for 12years , and a sleeping pill every night for 9 years(I know) and lorazepam 0.5mg when needed.

 

How do I go about my tapering, which one goes first, I don't really know what to do. I am 58 years old.

 

Please help !

Posted

Hi Philly,

Welcome to the forum. I am somewhat new here myself.

I'm not in a position to tell you what to do but I believe, the correct one to wean first is the antidepressant.

 

I'm sure Alto and some of the mods will come though soon and give you better advice.

Prozac 1999-2009 quit semi cold turkey.

 

2012 Placed on Seroquel 25 mg, Tranxene (Clorezepate) 3.75 mg 3x a day, Remeron 30 mg for anxiety/akathesia.

 

Weaned off Seroquel and Tranxene .to Remeron 15 Mg.

In May 2014 tried quitting Remeron at its lowest dose. Had severe withdrawals.Reinstated Remeron at 30 mg by doctor. August 5 2014 entered hospital. Doctor pulled the Remeron and bridged it to Pamelor (Nortriptyline) 40mg and Zyprexa 2.5mg.After removing the Remeron all my bad symptoms went away and I am stable.

 

9/11/14 - 7.5 mg tranxene, 40mg Pamelor, Zyprexa 2.5mg

12/29/14 -  20mg Pamelor, 1/6/15,  7/31/15 3.5mg, 8/10/15 3.2 mg, 9/15/15 2.2mg, 10/15/15 1.8mg

(Feb 2016 - 1.4mg Pamelor only -  OFF OF TRANXENE AND ZYPREXA SINCE DEC 2014 BENZO FREE Since 2014. Nortrityline (Pamelor) .8mg Aug 2016

March 2017 DRUG FREE

Posted

Philly,

Until a mod can respond you may wish to check out this section of the board.

 

http://survivingantidepressants.org/index.php?/topic/2207-taking-multiple-psych-drugs-taper-the-antidepressant-first/

Prozac 1999-2009 quit semi cold turkey.

 

2012 Placed on Seroquel 25 mg, Tranxene (Clorezepate) 3.75 mg 3x a day, Remeron 30 mg for anxiety/akathesia.

 

Weaned off Seroquel and Tranxene .to Remeron 15 Mg.

In May 2014 tried quitting Remeron at its lowest dose. Had severe withdrawals.Reinstated Remeron at 30 mg by doctor. August 5 2014 entered hospital. Doctor pulled the Remeron and bridged it to Pamelor (Nortriptyline) 40mg and Zyprexa 2.5mg.After removing the Remeron all my bad symptoms went away and I am stable.

 

9/11/14 - 7.5 mg tranxene, 40mg Pamelor, Zyprexa 2.5mg

12/29/14 -  20mg Pamelor, 1/6/15,  7/31/15 3.5mg, 8/10/15 3.2 mg, 9/15/15 2.2mg, 10/15/15 1.8mg

(Feb 2016 - 1.4mg Pamelor only -  OFF OF TRANXENE AND ZYPREXA SINCE DEC 2014 BENZO FREE Since 2014. Nortrityline (Pamelor) .8mg Aug 2016

March 2017 DRUG FREE

  • Moderator Emeritus
Posted

Hi Phillystkitts,

 

Welcome to SA and thank you for posting an introduction.  Chicken was right that we usually suggest tapering an antidepressant before other more sedating drugs, if you read the link she posted, you will understand why.

 

Are you experiencing any symptoms or side effects at the moment?

 

How often do you take lorazepam?  If you take it more often than once or twice a week, you may have developed a dependency and that will need to be tapered also.

 

We recommend a risk reduction method of tapering, this is to minimize the chance of experiencing disruptive withdrawal symptoms so that you can still function in your life while coming off medications.  This method suggests reducing by 10% of your current dose every 4 weeks.

 

Please see our tips for tapering off Paxil here:

 

http://survivingantidepressants.org/index.php?/topic/405-tips-for-tapering-off-paxil-paroxetine/

 

Please would you list your drugs and any tapering or withdrawal history in your signature, it helps members to understand your situation when replying to your posts, instructions are here:

 

http://survivingantidepressants.org/index.php?/topic/893-please-put-your-withdrawal-history-in-your-signature/

 

I'm glad that we were recommended, you will find a lot of friendly help and support here.

 

Petu.

 

 

 

 

I'm not a doctor.  My comments are not medical advise. These are my opinions based on my own experience and what I've learned. Please discuss your situation with a medical practitioner who has knowledge of tapering and withdrawal...if you are lucky enough to find one.

My Introduction Thread

Full Drug and Withdrawal History

Brief Summary

Several SSRIs for 13 years starting 1997 (for mild to moderate partly situational anxiety) Xanax PRN ~ Various other drugs over the years for side effects

2 month 'taper' off Lexapro 2010

Short acute withdrawal, followed by 2 -3 months of improvement then delayed protracted withdrawal

DX ADHD followed by several years of stimulants and other drugs trying to manage increasing symptoms

Failed reinstatement of Lexapro and trial of Prozac (became suicidal)

May 2013 Found SA, learned about withdrawal, stopped taking drugs...healing begins.

Protracted withdrawal, with a very sensitized nervous system, slowly recovering as time passes

Supplements which have helped: Vitamin C, Magnesium, Taurine

Bad reactions: Many supplements but mostly fish oil and Vitamin D

June 2016 - Started daily juicing, mostly vegetables and lots of greens.

Aug 2016 - Oct 2016 Best window ever, felt almost completely recovered

Oct 2016 -Symptoms returned - bad days and less bad days.

April 2018 - No windows, but significant improvement, it feels like permanent full recovery is close.

VIDEO: Where did the chemical imbalance theory come from?



VIDEO: How are psychiatric diagnoses made?



VIDEO: Why do psychiatric drugs have withdrawal syndromes?



VIDEO: Can psychiatric drugs cause long-lasting negative effects?

VIDEO: Dr. Claire Weekes

 

 

 

Posted

Thank you chicken and Petu. I have so many questions about this journey. I will figure out this signature and complete that. I am probably Dependant to the lorazepam as I take it 2-3times a week. Is the paxil available in liquid form? Also I took all these pills in the first place because of a incident at work. I believe the medication has pooped out because I feel like my concentration is gone and I have a quick trigger if irritated. I never knew about withdrawal or anything, so unaware.

 

My problem is that I retire in two years and I don't know if I should start tapering now because what I have heard or wait two years and taper? This is going to be hell, I can feel it. So am I better to wait until the time is right? I have to be able to function on my job.

 

I think I am in a lot of trouble. Does this withdrawal hit everyone? Can I go down 5% every month just to be safe? also I heard that sleeping pills are very dangerous so how would I go about tapering off them?

 

 

Thanks

  • Moderator Emeritus
Posted

First: You are not in a lot of trouble. The withdrawal stories that you hear here are from people who either quit their meds without tapering at all, or had "tapers" that were much too fast. If you taper slowly (and there's nothing wrong with 5% cuts, a lot of us do that, at your age and after 30 years on Paxil that's probably what you'll need to do sometimes) you will be able to manage the withdrawal symptoms just fine and function just fine at work. You probably will have moments or days when you don't feel your best, but it will be manageable.

 

You can taper off sleeping meds same way you'd taper off anything else, just reduce your dose bit by bit.

 

I'm concerned about the lorazepam use. If you're taking it 2-3 times a week you may be getting rebound symptoms in between doses. (It's like mini-withdrawals in between doses, because your brain is confused since blood levels of the drug are bouncing up and down.) Do you feel like you get spells of anxiety or distress out of the blue on days you haven't taken any?

 

You might be doing okay with it though. It's just something to explore and be aware of.

 

At this point you don't need to make the decision to start your taper now or not. Right now just read the materials in the Tapering section (the stuff pinned at the top) and learn about your options. I think yes, Paxil does come in a liquid form, and you can also make your own liquid if you need to.

 

I've found with my own Celexa taper at about the same age as you, I'm so grateful that I did it. Even if I never get all the way off, being down to such a low dose has made a huge difference. I can connect with other people in a way that I had forgotten even existed. I have a much fuller range of emotion. I can weep again (which is a wonderful thing). I sometimes feel moments of the kind of depth and creativity that I vaguely remember having back in my 20s before I started the psych drug trip. And the taper hasn't been bad at all. I've been tapering multiple meds and sometimes I've pushed it too fast, which doesn't feel great, but overall the Celexa hasn't been that hard to come off as I have done it extremely slowly.

 

I think you will do fine if you take your time to learn how to taper and then take the taper itself slowly. And you will be very glad you did, whenever you decide to do it, now or later.

Started on Prozac and Xanax in 1992 for PTSD after an assault. One drug led to more, the usual story. Got sicker and sicker, but believed I needed the drugs for my "underlying disease". Long story...lost everything. Life savings, home, physical and mental health, relationships, friendships, ability to work, everything. Amitryptiline, Prozac, bupropion, buspirone, flurazepam, diazepam, alprazolam, Paxil, citalopram, lamotrigine, gabapentin...probably more I've forgotten. 

Started multidrug taper in Feb 2010.  Doing a very slow microtaper, down to low doses now and feeling SO much better, getting my old personality and my brain back! Able to work full time, have a full social life, and cope with stress better than ever. Not perfect, but much better. After 23 lost years. Big Pharma has a lot to answer for. And "medicine for profit" is just not a great idea.

 

Feb 15 2010:  300 mg Neurontin  200 Lamictal   10 Celexa      0.65 Xanax   and 5 mg Ambien 

Feb 10 2014:   62 Lamictal    1.1 Celexa         0.135 Xanax    1.8 Valium

Feb 10 2015:   50 Lamictal      0.875 Celexa    0.11 Xanax      1.5 Valium

Feb 15 2016:   47.5 Lamictal   0.75 Celexa      0.0875 Xanax    1.42 Valium    

2/12/20             12                       0.045               0.007                   1 

May 2021            7                       0.01                  0.0037                1

Feb 2022            6                      0!!!                     0.00167               0.98                2.5 mg Ambien

Oct 2022       4.5 mg Lamictal    (off Celexa, off Xanax)   0.95 Valium    Ambien, 1/4 to 1/2 of a 5 mg tablet 

 

I'm not a doctor. Any advice I give is just my civilian opinion.

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