Satch Posted November 6, 2014 Share Posted November 6, 2014 Hi, Was detoxed of off Klonopin 1.25mg six months ago and still suffering massively in post acute withdrawal. Trapped on Seroquel 100mg and Remeron 15mg. Want to start to taper the Seroquel to start getting this poison out of my system Was thinking of doing a water suspension to make 2.5% cuts per week for the first 50mg. Is this a reasonable pace which is slightly faster than the 10% rule but actually initial cuts will be smaller. Just looking for hope and support that I will someday escape the clutches of psychiatry and have my life back. Thanks in advance. Klonopin 2mg 2000-2005 Tapered off without bad symptoms Ativan 1mg 2007-2010 Tapered with moderate problems Klonopin 16 total mgs in Jan and Feb 2014 - got dependent and foolishly updosed by bad doctor to 1.25mg for 4 weeks. Then horrific detox and placed on Neurontin 100mg, bid, Propanolol 40mg prn, Seroquel 100mg qhs and Remeron 15mg qhs. Quickly dropped Neurontin and Propanolol. Stuck on other two meds and still having strong symptoms from klonopin cold turkey. Want someday to be med free and healed again Link to comment
Pushinthroughket Posted November 6, 2014 Share Posted November 6, 2014 Hi Satch, I don't have any advice just didn't want to read and not comment- Just showing my support while you taper off, I too am about to embark on my tapering. All the best, stay positive. -3rd attempt at discontinuing Pristiq- 2011-Started 50mg Pristiq from gp.After f/n no difference started 100mg. Aggression, depression and suicidal tendencies increased.2011-first attempt at discontinuation of pristiq; Psychiatrist halved (cut in half) 100mg tablets (contrary to recommendations)to 50mg for first week, replacing with 20mg prozac and a low dosage tranquilizer (apologies I cannot remember the name) Withdrawal symptoms included: confusion, disassociation, anxiety, chills, tingling in the face, increased depressed state, anxiety, agitation and aggression. Confusion of what to do with body parts and facial expression and increased heart rate were also noted. After 10 days psychiatrist discontinued all medications and started 100mg pristiq again.2012- Same doctor halved tablet again to 50mg first week and recommended Valium to sleep at night. Withdrawal symptoms were same as previous. psychiatrist once again increased dosage back to 100mg after 2 weeks of adverse side effects.2012-present. I am still on 100mg of Pristiq. I have seen multiple psychiatrists all of whom would not assist in discontinuing pristiq as they all believed I am suffering from ptsd and bpd and needed psychological help-which I have successfully been doing however still none will help with coming off the drug- I truly believe Pristiq is the underlying reason I cannot 'get 100% better' as my aggression increased severely when starting the drug. Link to comment
Moderator Emeritus Petunia Posted November 6, 2014 Moderator Emeritus Share Posted November 6, 2014 Hi Satch, Welcome to the forum. I merged your two topics together, its one intro topic per member, you can use this thread as your ongoing journal to track progress and communicate with the community, add to it whenever you want. I'm sorry to hear you are still suffering from withdrawal symptoms from stopping klonopin. How did you stop taking it? How long were you taking it for, we need a few more details of your history before we can know what to suggest. Dates, dosages, length of time taken and how you tapered for all your medications would be helpful. Please put your withdrawal history in your signature. Putting a short version of your drug and tapering history in your signature helps people understand your context, it appears below each of your posts. Here are instructions for how to do it: http://survivinganti...your-signature/ We generally would not recommend starting a new taper while already suffering withdrawal symptoms. You need to give your nervous system time to recover and stabilize first. The fact that you are still experiencing symptoms is evidence that you are still in a destabilized state, more tapering will just make it worse. Its very possible to be free from psyche drugs, we have many members who are currently tapering off poly pharmacy and others who have finished tapering, but it requires patience and time. Some people are able to stop faster, but others are more sensitive and need to take longer, by listening to your body and symptoms, is a good indication of how fast or slow you can go. Once you get back to us with more details about your drug history and situation, we will be in a better position to offer support and suggestions. 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 Link to comment
Satch Posted November 6, 2014 Author Share Posted November 6, 2014 Thanks Petu, I updated my signature. Hope that helps. What would you define as a stable place within my recovery to start tapering the Seroquel. I just fear the longer I am on it the harder it will be to get off of it. I am however, in a pretty acute place still from being cold turkeyed in detox off of the klonopin. This is brutal and terrifying . Thanks again, Chris Klonopin 2mg 2000-2005 Tapered off without bad symptoms Ativan 1mg 2007-2010 Tapered with moderate problems Klonopin 16 total mgs in Jan and Feb 2014 - got dependent and foolishly updosed by bad doctor to 1.25mg for 4 weeks. Then horrific detox and placed on Neurontin 100mg, bid, Propanolol 40mg prn, Seroquel 100mg qhs and Remeron 15mg qhs. Quickly dropped Neurontin and Propanolol. Stuck on other two meds and still having strong symptoms from klonopin cold turkey. Want someday to be med free and healed again Link to comment
Administrator Altostrata Posted November 6, 2014 Administrator Share Posted November 6, 2014 Welcome, Satch. Is Dr. Shipko helping you taper off Seroquel? Are you having side effects from it? 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
Satch Posted November 6, 2014 Author Share Posted November 6, 2014 Dr. Shipko is giving me some basic advice. Not really a structured taper but just said to start slow and see how I do. I am definitely getting sugar craving, metabolic issues from it. It's also making me not really care about anything. I am so angered that such short term klonopin use did this much damage to me and now has me trapped in the world of psychiatry for years of tapering. Very worried I am not going to survive this. Klonopin 2mg 2000-2005 Tapered off without bad symptoms Ativan 1mg 2007-2010 Tapered with moderate problems Klonopin 16 total mgs in Jan and Feb 2014 - got dependent and foolishly updosed by bad doctor to 1.25mg for 4 weeks. Then horrific detox and placed on Neurontin 100mg, bid, Propanolol 40mg prn, Seroquel 100mg qhs and Remeron 15mg qhs. Quickly dropped Neurontin and Propanolol. Stuck on other two meds and still having strong symptoms from klonopin cold turkey. Want someday to be med free and healed again Link to comment
Satch Posted November 6, 2014 Author Share Posted November 6, 2014 Can anyone help me with a suspension of Seroquel so I can begin a slow taper off this stuff. Klonopin 2mg 2000-2005 Tapered off without bad symptoms Ativan 1mg 2007-2010 Tapered with moderate problems Klonopin 16 total mgs in Jan and Feb 2014 - got dependent and foolishly updosed by bad doctor to 1.25mg for 4 weeks. Then horrific detox and placed on Neurontin 100mg, bid, Propanolol 40mg prn, Seroquel 100mg qhs and Remeron 15mg qhs. Quickly dropped Neurontin and Propanolol. Stuck on other two meds and still having strong symptoms from klonopin cold turkey. Want someday to be med free and healed again Link to comment
Satch Posted November 6, 2014 Author Share Posted November 6, 2014 Also, Dr. Shipko feels my present suffering is med side effects and no longer withdrawal from the klonopin. He says he really questions the concept of protracted withdrawal with benzos. Klonopin 2mg 2000-2005 Tapered off without bad symptoms Ativan 1mg 2007-2010 Tapered with moderate problems Klonopin 16 total mgs in Jan and Feb 2014 - got dependent and foolishly updosed by bad doctor to 1.25mg for 4 weeks. Then horrific detox and placed on Neurontin 100mg, bid, Propanolol 40mg prn, Seroquel 100mg qhs and Remeron 15mg qhs. Quickly dropped Neurontin and Propanolol. Stuck on other two meds and still having strong symptoms from klonopin cold turkey. Want someday to be med free and healed again Link to comment
Moderator Emeritus Petunia Posted November 7, 2014 Moderator Emeritus Share Posted November 7, 2014 Thank you for updating your signature Satch. What symptoms are you actually having at the moment? 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 Link to comment
Administrator Altostrata Posted November 7, 2014 Administrator Share Posted November 7, 2014 Please read this topic http://survivingantidepressants.org/index.php?/topic/1707-tips-for-tapering-off-seroquel-quetiapine/ 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
Satch Posted November 12, 2014 Author Share Posted November 12, 2014 The main symptoms I am having are crushing depression that is horrific in the am and starts to lift as the day progresses, anxiety, dp/dr, muscle twitches. I want to start to taper the Seroquel even though I am far from stable because I fear it is causing long term damage to me. Any advice and support is welcomed. Thanks Klonopin 2mg 2000-2005 Tapered off without bad symptoms Ativan 1mg 2007-2010 Tapered with moderate problems Klonopin 16 total mgs in Jan and Feb 2014 - got dependent and foolishly updosed by bad doctor to 1.25mg for 4 weeks. Then horrific detox and placed on Neurontin 100mg, bid, Propanolol 40mg prn, Seroquel 100mg qhs and Remeron 15mg qhs. Quickly dropped Neurontin and Propanolol. Stuck on other two meds and still having strong symptoms from klonopin cold turkey. Want someday to be med free and healed again Link to comment
Satch Posted November 12, 2014 Author Share Posted November 12, 2014 Looking for some hope that this a manageable problem. Klonopin 2mg 2000-2005 Tapered off without bad symptoms Ativan 1mg 2007-2010 Tapered with moderate problems Klonopin 16 total mgs in Jan and Feb 2014 - got dependent and foolishly updosed by bad doctor to 1.25mg for 4 weeks. Then horrific detox and placed on Neurontin 100mg, bid, Propanolol 40mg prn, Seroquel 100mg qhs and Remeron 15mg qhs. Quickly dropped Neurontin and Propanolol. Stuck on other two meds and still having strong symptoms from klonopin cold turkey. Want someday to be med free and healed again Link to comment
Administrator Altostrata Posted November 12, 2014 Administrator Share Posted November 12, 2014 I wish Dr. Shipko's opinion that prolonged benzo withdrawal syndrome doesn't exist were true. Unfortunately, I've known many people with prolonged benzo withdrawal syndrome. There are several support groups on Facebook. Seroquel is not a health supplement, for sure. Did Dr. Shipko think your symptoms would decrease if you were off Seroquel? Please keep notes about your daily symptom pattern on paper, relative to when you take your drugs. This is to see if any of your symptoms are adverse drug reactions. Are you taking any other drugs? If so, please put ALL the drugs you take in the Drug Interactions Checker http://www.drugs.com/drug_interactions.html and post the results in this topic. 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
Satch Posted November 13, 2014 Author Share Posted November 13, 2014 He felt all my current symptoms were med side effects. This makes no sense since I have had the same symptoms for six months since ill fated detox. He did think I would see improvement if I tapered. I tried to taper the Seroquel in July and when I cut 12.5mg I got horrific akathasia that would have me pacing for up to five hours everyday. Made me horribly suicidal. I am also on the crappy Remeron. I fear not slow tapering the klonopin is going to cost me years of painful tapering off these other meds. I really don't think I have the strength for that. Klonopin 2mg 2000-2005 Tapered off without bad symptoms Ativan 1mg 2007-2010 Tapered with moderate problems Klonopin 16 total mgs in Jan and Feb 2014 - got dependent and foolishly updosed by bad doctor to 1.25mg for 4 weeks. Then horrific detox and placed on Neurontin 100mg, bid, Propanolol 40mg prn, Seroquel 100mg qhs and Remeron 15mg qhs. Quickly dropped Neurontin and Propanolol. Stuck on other two meds and still having strong symptoms from klonopin cold turkey. Want someday to be med free and healed again Link to comment
Satch Posted November 13, 2014 Author Share Posted November 13, 2014 Do you recommend the Seroquel or the Remeron first. Just want to start to get some of these poisons out of my system.' Scary that Robin Williams was also on this cocktail. THanks Klonopin 2mg 2000-2005 Tapered off without bad symptoms Ativan 1mg 2007-2010 Tapered with moderate problems Klonopin 16 total mgs in Jan and Feb 2014 - got dependent and foolishly updosed by bad doctor to 1.25mg for 4 weeks. Then horrific detox and placed on Neurontin 100mg, bid, Propanolol 40mg prn, Seroquel 100mg qhs and Remeron 15mg qhs. Quickly dropped Neurontin and Propanolol. Stuck on other two meds and still having strong symptoms from klonopin cold turkey. Want someday to be med free and healed again Link to comment
tgirl Posted November 14, 2014 Share Posted November 14, 2014 Hey Satch how are you doing? April 2014 remeron 45mg. June 2014 abilify 2.5 remeron wasn't working so abilify was then added September 2014 woke up with anxiety x 100!!!! Pdoc then took me from 45 to 7.5 within a month and took abilify from 2.5 to 0 Currently Remeron 7.5 Vitamin d 5,000 iu taking for about 3 years October 2014 added fish oil/omega 3 1000 mg per day Levothyroxitine 100 10 years or so Dec 2014 started tapering 10% every 10 days-no problems. August 2015 down to 0.1 mg Woke up with severe anxiety-sleep issues-racing thoughts-depression. 9/9/15 up dose 1 mg. Link to comment
Meimeiquest Posted November 14, 2014 Share Posted November 14, 2014 I do not know a lot about either of those drugs, but It seems people have a lot of trouble with Remeron both taking it and tapering it. I would try to get as much info as possible before determining which is presently causing you the most trouble. If it is Remeron and you pull both Klonopin and Seroquel, you are not going to feel well. I don't know exactly how to sort that out. 1st round Prozac 1989/90, clear depression symptoms. 2nd round Prozac started 1999 when admitted to dr. I was tired. Prozac pooped out, switch to Cymbalta 3/2006. Diagnosed with bipolar disorder due to mania 6/2006--then I was taken abruptly off Cymbalta and didn't know I had SSRI withdrawal. Lots of meds for my intractable "bipolar" symptoms. Zyprexa started about 9/06, mostly 5mg. Tapered 4/12 through12/29/12 Wellbutrin. XL 300 mg started 1/07, tapered 1/18/13 through 7/8/13 Oxazepam mostly continuously since 6/06, 30mg since 12/12, tapered 1.17.14 through 8.26.15 11/06 Lithium 600mg twice daily, 2.2.14 400mg TID DIY liquid, 2.12.14 1150mg, 3.2.14 1100mg, 3.18.14 1075mg, 4/14 updose to 1100mg, 6.1.14 900 mg capsules 7.8.14 810mg, 8.17.14 725mg, 8.24.24 700mg...10.22.14 487.5mg, 3.9.15 475mg, 4.1.15 462.5mg 4.21.15 450mg 8.11.15 375mg, 11.28.15 362.5mg, back to 375mg four days later, 3.4.16 updose to 475 (too much going on to risk trouble) 9/4/13 Toprol-XL 25mg daily for sudden hypertension, tapered 11.12.13 through 5.3.14, last 10 days or so switched to atenolol 7.4.14 Started Walsh Protocol 56 years old Link to comment
Satch Posted November 14, 2014 Author Share Posted November 14, 2014 That is a fear. That with a completely compromised CNS from the klonopin ct that these other meds are going to be impossible to get off of. Klonopin 2mg 2000-2005 Tapered off without bad symptoms Ativan 1mg 2007-2010 Tapered with moderate problems Klonopin 16 total mgs in Jan and Feb 2014 - got dependent and foolishly updosed by bad doctor to 1.25mg for 4 weeks. Then horrific detox and placed on Neurontin 100mg, bid, Propanolol 40mg prn, Seroquel 100mg qhs and Remeron 15mg qhs. Quickly dropped Neurontin and Propanolol. Stuck on other two meds and still having strong symptoms from klonopin cold turkey. Want someday to be med free and healed again Link to comment
Satch Posted November 14, 2014 Author Share Posted November 14, 2014 I honestly have no hope I am ever going to get out of this mess alive. I am going to become another victim of psychiatry Klonopin 2mg 2000-2005 Tapered off without bad symptoms Ativan 1mg 2007-2010 Tapered with moderate problems Klonopin 16 total mgs in Jan and Feb 2014 - got dependent and foolishly updosed by bad doctor to 1.25mg for 4 weeks. Then horrific detox and placed on Neurontin 100mg, bid, Propanolol 40mg prn, Seroquel 100mg qhs and Remeron 15mg qhs. Quickly dropped Neurontin and Propanolol. Stuck on other two meds and still having strong symptoms from klonopin cold turkey. Want someday to be med free and healed again Link to comment
Moderator Emeritus Petunia Posted November 15, 2014 Moderator Emeritus Share Posted November 15, 2014 Hi Satch,It may take a while, but you will recover. You have the benefit of good information and support (here), so at least you know what's going on. We have no easy solution, no quick fixes, but we can help you to not make your situation worse as it slowly gets better. The main symptoms I am having are crushing depression that is horrific in the am and starts to lift as the day progresses, anxiety, dp/dr, muscle twitches. He felt all my current symptoms were med side effects. This makes no sense since I have had the same symptoms for six months since ill fated detox. He did think I would see improvement if I tapered. I have been experiencing all the symptoms you listed, plus more, to varying degrees for the last 18 months since I have been medication free. While those symptoms may sometimes be drug side effects, they are also symptoms of drug withdrawal and nervous system destabilization. Dr. Shipko may have his beliefs, but there is enough evidence, through the experiences of many real people, to suggest that his beliefs don't match up with the actual truth. When someone is experiencing debilitating symptoms and is still taking some form of medication, its very tempting to blame it on side effects of the drugs, because then it gives the illusion of having some control, that there is something we can do to stop the pain..... get off the evil drugs and the symptoms will stop. But that's not always the truth. If the symptoms are being cause by previous withdrawal, too fast tapering and nervous system instability, then more tapering, or any changes which effect the NS, are going to increase the instability, possibly making the situation worse. Alto has suggested some very detailed note taking to try and find out if you are actually having drug side effects. This is important because if this is not side effects, but previous withdrawal and you continue to taper, you are likely to become worse, like what happened here: I tried to taper the Seroquel in July and when I cut 12.5mg I got horrific akathasia that would have me pacing for up to five hours everyday. Made me horribly suicidal. You probably don't want to hear this, but sometimes it can take a long time for the nervous system to stabilize again after getting thrown off the wall. Whether someone is still taking medication or not, once it gets to a point of 'chaos', then the only way to come back from that point, back to a healthy, drug free state, is by doing everything humanly possible to foster a stable environment for your nervous system, so that it can begin to find a balance again. If still on medication, when that stability has been achieved, then a proper, safe taper can be resumed, keeping it slow enough to maintain stability. For some people that needs to be extremely slow. My nervous system crashed off its wall at the end of 2011. I didn't know what was going on and kept trying to fix myself with various drugs, but I just kept getting worse. I didn't understand that the constant changes, the stopping and starting, trying different doses were what was increasing the damage. When I found this site and quit trying to fix myself with drugs, but started focusing on stability instead, was when I very slowly started to improve, but even then it took a good year before I started to notice any real improvement. Its only been over the last couple of months that I'm certain recovery is happening. Your situation is different, you are still on some medication and there is a small possibility that some of your symptoms may be side effects, but my opinion, based on what I've learned here over the last year is that your symptoms are most likely coming from previous withdrawal which you haven't yet recovered from. It may be making you more sensitive to your current meds, but because of what happened in July, when you tried to cut the Seroquel, I would be very careful about making any changes right now. If you do decide to try another taper, I suggest a very small cut, 5% or even less, and see how you feel. If you are willing to be patient, I have every confidence that you can get off these drugs and recover. READ THIS: The rule of 3KIS: Keep it simple. Keep it slow. Keep it stable. Please let us know what you decide. 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 Link to comment
Moderator Emeritus Rhiannon Posted November 15, 2014 Moderator Emeritus Share Posted November 15, 2014 The main symptoms I am having are crushing depression that is horrific in the am and starts to lift as the day progresses, anxiety, dp/dr, muscle twitches. I want to start to taper the Seroquel even though I am far from stable because I fear it is causing long term damage to me. Any advice and support is welcomed. Thanks The pattern of feeling worse in the morning and better later in the day is classic in psych drug withdrawal. Very common, practically universal, with benzo withdrawal. It appears to be due to normal daily fluctuations in cortisol levels, which get screwed up by drug use and withdrawal. The symptoms you describe sound like withdrawal to me--certainly they are very common in withdrawal. It's true you only used the K the last time for a short time but you have a long prior history on benzos. We often see this pattern, that people can use psych meds for a while and go on and off them a few times, but then they try it again and everything hits the fan. You can definitely taper the Seroquel when the time is right. I personally think you would benefit from staying where you are right now, particularly since on top of the protracted benzo withdrawal you went through a big cut and withdrawal as recently as July. All of these changes are destabilizing and your nervous system seems to have run out of slack, as everyone's does sooner or later. There's no simple right answer; the drugs suck and they're bad for us, but the symptoms of withdrawal are signs that your nervous system is very unhappy and out of balance right now, and I don't think putting it into even worse withdrawal is going to benefit it. That is a fear. That with a completely compromised CNS from the klonopin ct that these other meds are going to be impossible to get off of. Actually, you will recover from the Klonopin CT. It may take a while. And then you will be able to get off the other meds. It is not impossible and it is not anything like the misery you're experiencing now, if you taper slowly enough. However, you do have to wrap your mind around taking your time. It does take time. There does not appear to be any substitute for time. Your brain has been screwed up by these drugs and it really doesn't have any inbuilt mechanisms for healing what they've done to them, since we've never before in evolution encountered any insult like this before. Yet, amazingly, we do find that over and over again, if people are patient and careful and gentle with their nervous systems, they do recover and heal. It's quite astounding. If I can recover from 20 years of multi-psych-med drugging and many miserable attempts to withdraw, at my advanced age, you can too. But changing meds, going up and down on doses, putting them in, taking them out of your brain, is like putting your poor brain through a blender. You can throw some new ingredients in the smoothie and change the speed, but it's still a blender. You need to turn off the blender and then give it some time to heal itself. That can take a long time. 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. Link to comment
Moderator Emeritus Rhiannon Posted November 15, 2014 Moderator Emeritus Share Posted November 15, 2014 http://survivingantidepressants.org/index.php?/topic/6447-best-of-sa/?p=89902 http://survivingantidepressants.org/index.php?/topic/6447-best-of-sa/?p=91582 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. Link to comment
Satch Posted November 15, 2014 Author Share Posted November 15, 2014 I really question if I have the strength to go through years of this. I know the ct could take a while longer to get over and then both Seroquel and remeron have reputations for being very hard to remove. I am honestly considering ending it and refuse to go to the hospital since that only means more meds. I have been killed by psychiatry. I was never suicidal before in my life. This is so tragic. Klonopin 2mg 2000-2005 Tapered off without bad symptoms Ativan 1mg 2007-2010 Tapered with moderate problems Klonopin 16 total mgs in Jan and Feb 2014 - got dependent and foolishly updosed by bad doctor to 1.25mg for 4 weeks. Then horrific detox and placed on Neurontin 100mg, bid, Propanolol 40mg prn, Seroquel 100mg qhs and Remeron 15mg qhs. Quickly dropped Neurontin and Propanolol. Stuck on other two meds and still having strong symptoms from klonopin cold turkey. Want someday to be med free and healed again Link to comment
Satch Posted November 17, 2014 Author Share Posted November 17, 2014 Help!! Klonopin 2mg 2000-2005 Tapered off without bad symptoms Ativan 1mg 2007-2010 Tapered with moderate problems Klonopin 16 total mgs in Jan and Feb 2014 - got dependent and foolishly updosed by bad doctor to 1.25mg for 4 weeks. Then horrific detox and placed on Neurontin 100mg, bid, Propanolol 40mg prn, Seroquel 100mg qhs and Remeron 15mg qhs. Quickly dropped Neurontin and Propanolol. Stuck on other two meds and still having strong symptoms from klonopin cold turkey. Want someday to be med free and healed again Link to comment
Moderator Emeritus Rhiannon Posted November 17, 2014 Moderator Emeritus Share Posted November 17, 2014 Satch, I'm sorry you're suffering so much! If you feel you are suicidal and you really are at risk, please call a suicide hotline or a therapist locally. We are mostly thousands of miles away and we can't give you that kind of support, so if that's what you need, please reach out to somebody who can help you. That feeling of "I can't go through years of this" is something we hear often and most of us have also been through ourselves. Fortunately you probably don't have to. If you treat your nervous system gently now, you will gradually, eventually, come to feel better. Tapering off the other meds can then be done slowly and it won't be harsh. It won't be like what you're experiencing now. We can help you with advice to help you get stable now (advice given in above posts). Then when you're feeling better, we can help you with figuring out how to taper. Unfortunately we don't have any other magic that we can pull out of our hats. Our Symptoms and Self Care section is full of information on coping with what's going on for you now. If there's a specific question or subject, do a Google search by entering "surviving antidepressants (whatever your question is)"--that works better than the search feature in the forum. 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. Link to comment
Satch Posted November 18, 2014 Author Share Posted November 18, 2014 THanks Rhi, I just feel completely hopeless and everyday is just more suffering and agony. I also have lost my entire rich life to this and see no hope of ever rebuilding something worth living and fighting for. Please continue to give me hope that this is a solvable problem with some reasonable end at some point. Thanks again and please anyone else with support or an opinion please chime in. Klonopin 2mg 2000-2005 Tapered off without bad symptoms Ativan 1mg 2007-2010 Tapered with moderate problems Klonopin 16 total mgs in Jan and Feb 2014 - got dependent and foolishly updosed by bad doctor to 1.25mg for 4 weeks. Then horrific detox and placed on Neurontin 100mg, bid, Propanolol 40mg prn, Seroquel 100mg qhs and Remeron 15mg qhs. Quickly dropped Neurontin and Propanolol. Stuck on other two meds and still having strong symptoms from klonopin cold turkey. Want someday to be med free and healed again Link to comment
tgirl Posted November 18, 2014 Share Posted November 18, 2014 Hello Satch, I too am suffering from remeron and am experiencing the same effects as you are. it is difficult! Hand in there! Are you still on rem? What mg.? April 2014 remeron 45mg. June 2014 abilify 2.5 remeron wasn't working so abilify was then added September 2014 woke up with anxiety x 100!!!! Pdoc then took me from 45 to 7.5 within a month and took abilify from 2.5 to 0 Currently Remeron 7.5 Vitamin d 5,000 iu taking for about 3 years October 2014 added fish oil/omega 3 1000 mg per day Levothyroxitine 100 10 years or so Dec 2014 started tapering 10% every 10 days-no problems. August 2015 down to 0.1 mg Woke up with severe anxiety-sleep issues-racing thoughts-depression. 9/9/15 up dose 1 mg. Link to comment
Satch Posted November 18, 2014 Author Share Posted November 18, 2014 I am taking 15mg. I can't tell if it's hurting or helping. Mixed in with the benzo withdrawal and I am suffering greatly. Struggle to see the light. How about you? You still on it or tapering or off. Let me know. THanks Klonopin 2mg 2000-2005 Tapered off without bad symptoms Ativan 1mg 2007-2010 Tapered with moderate problems Klonopin 16 total mgs in Jan and Feb 2014 - got dependent and foolishly updosed by bad doctor to 1.25mg for 4 weeks. Then horrific detox and placed on Neurontin 100mg, bid, Propanolol 40mg prn, Seroquel 100mg qhs and Remeron 15mg qhs. Quickly dropped Neurontin and Propanolol. Stuck on other two meds and still having strong symptoms from klonopin cold turkey. Want someday to be med free and healed again Link to comment
tgirl Posted November 18, 2014 Share Posted November 18, 2014 I am struggling to see the light too! Yes, I am still tapering off. My doc had me go from 45 to 7.5 all within a month. So I will not be tapering until I can get this under control. I am very scared and also very suicidal. I am not sleeping well if at all. Between 2-4 hours most nights. I find it so hard to believe that just 6 months ago I was a healthy happy girl! Makes me sick absolutely! I feel this is so inhumane and I just want out! So sorry for venting! I hope you get a window soon! Please write me back with all your details so we can support each other! Thanks for the ear April 2014 remeron 45mg. June 2014 abilify 2.5 remeron wasn't working so abilify was then added September 2014 woke up with anxiety x 100!!!! Pdoc then took me from 45 to 7.5 within a month and took abilify from 2.5 to 0 Currently Remeron 7.5 Vitamin d 5,000 iu taking for about 3 years October 2014 added fish oil/omega 3 1000 mg per day Levothyroxitine 100 10 years or so Dec 2014 started tapering 10% every 10 days-no problems. August 2015 down to 0.1 mg Woke up with severe anxiety-sleep issues-racing thoughts-depression. 9/9/15 up dose 1 mg. Link to comment
alizarin Posted November 19, 2014 Share Posted November 19, 2014 Hi Satch, I'm also on 2 mg K and Remeron. I CT 10 mg Lexapro, out of ignorance a few years back and haven't been able to sleep for 6 months. I've also lost everything in my life. If you need to talk, PM me. Take care. Current Meds: Klonopin 1.9 mg (anxiety /insomnia) 10 years, began taper then stopped. Currently forced to drop to 1.5 mg. Remeron 7.5 mg (insomnia, nausea, GI issues) stopped taper Propylthiouracil 25 mg (for Graves') Past Meds: Lexapro 10 mg, CT 1.5 years ago without researching. Taken for 9 years. Trazadone 300 mg (insomnia), lowered BP, suffered vasovagal syncope, a fall required surgery for dental trauma. Propranolol, 10 mg, during hospitalization for hyperthyroidism, 3.5 weeks, then switched to Cartia for 3 weeks. Dr C/T both. Link to comment
Satch Posted November 19, 2014 Author Share Posted November 19, 2014 Sorry you are both suffering so much. I really don't think I have the strength to make it through healing from the klonopin and then two more challenging tapers. Praying for all of us involved. Klonopin 2mg 2000-2005 Tapered off without bad symptoms Ativan 1mg 2007-2010 Tapered with moderate problems Klonopin 16 total mgs in Jan and Feb 2014 - got dependent and foolishly updosed by bad doctor to 1.25mg for 4 weeks. Then horrific detox and placed on Neurontin 100mg, bid, Propanolol 40mg prn, Seroquel 100mg qhs and Remeron 15mg qhs. Quickly dropped Neurontin and Propanolol. Stuck on other two meds and still having strong symptoms from klonopin cold turkey. Want someday to be med free and healed again Link to comment
Satch Posted November 20, 2014 Author Share Posted November 20, 2014 I am so scared guys. See no real way out of this mess. See a life lost to psychiatry. Please give me hope that this is a solvable problem. I guess looking for constant reassurance. Thanks Klonopin 2mg 2000-2005 Tapered off without bad symptoms Ativan 1mg 2007-2010 Tapered with moderate problems Klonopin 16 total mgs in Jan and Feb 2014 - got dependent and foolishly updosed by bad doctor to 1.25mg for 4 weeks. Then horrific detox and placed on Neurontin 100mg, bid, Propanolol 40mg prn, Seroquel 100mg qhs and Remeron 15mg qhs. Quickly dropped Neurontin and Propanolol. Stuck on other two meds and still having strong symptoms from klonopin cold turkey. Want someday to be med free and healed again Link to comment
Satch Posted November 20, 2014 Author Share Posted November 20, 2014 For those who have commented. When I am ready would you taper the Remeron or the Seroquel first. Klonopin 2mg 2000-2005 Tapered off without bad symptoms Ativan 1mg 2007-2010 Tapered with moderate problems Klonopin 16 total mgs in Jan and Feb 2014 - got dependent and foolishly updosed by bad doctor to 1.25mg for 4 weeks. Then horrific detox and placed on Neurontin 100mg, bid, Propanolol 40mg prn, Seroquel 100mg qhs and Remeron 15mg qhs. Quickly dropped Neurontin and Propanolol. Stuck on other two meds and still having strong symptoms from klonopin cold turkey. Want someday to be med free and healed again Link to comment
Moderator Emeritus Rhiannon Posted November 20, 2014 Moderator Emeritus Share Posted November 20, 2014 Satch, all I can say is, most of us have been where you are, believe it or not. Yes, there is still hope. My life was completely, totally down the toilet six years ago due to the effect of decades on psych drugs. I even attempted suicide at one point. Lost everything, was homeless, etc. Now I'm rebuilding, have a good job and a life; I will never have the life I could have had, but I'm having quite a lot of fun from time to time, and the rest of the time isn't too bad either. I'm grateful every single day that I found out what the drugs were doing to me and that I have done this long slow taper and gotten back so much of myself. And I'm actually looking forward to the future--after being hopeless and suicidal most of the time for about 20 years, that's quite a change. I wish I could say it's going to be easy, but it's not easy and it's not fast. It's your life and you have to fight for it. You have to decide that psychiatry isn't going to get to take it away from you. Then you just take it one day, one hour, at a time, putting one foot in front of the other, taking one breath after the other. Lots of people have done it. Lots of people have given up and gone back on meds, too. The choice is yours. 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. Link to comment
WinningThrough Posted November 21, 2014 Share Posted November 21, 2014 Just wondering, does anyone think Satch could slowly titrate off both drugs at once? The only way out is through. Aug 2013 - Augmentin leading to akathisia Sept-Nov 2013 - Citalopram 20mg, severe reaction, off at 5mg. Valium 4mg, prn Oct 2013 - 5 zopiclone tablets, 7.5mg End Nov 2013-end Feb 2014, Seroquel, top dose 150mg, off at 25mg End Nov 2013-early march 2014, Zoloft 100mg top dose, off at 25mg End Dec-2013-early April 2014, lorazepam 1mg prn April 3rd 2014 zoloft 5mg for a few days. 18/4/14 - zoloft, 1mg. Came off at 0.35 mg,14th June 2014 29 June 2014 - 1mg lorazepam, last ever 29 June 2014 - med free Link to comment
Satch Posted November 21, 2014 Author Share Posted November 21, 2014 That would be ideal. I know they are somewhat similar in what receptors they hit. I really don't see a good end to this. Years of tapering and never sleeping on my own ever again. This is so brutal and unfair. Klonopin 2mg 2000-2005 Tapered off without bad symptoms Ativan 1mg 2007-2010 Tapered with moderate problems Klonopin 16 total mgs in Jan and Feb 2014 - got dependent and foolishly updosed by bad doctor to 1.25mg for 4 weeks. Then horrific detox and placed on Neurontin 100mg, bid, Propanolol 40mg prn, Seroquel 100mg qhs and Remeron 15mg qhs. Quickly dropped Neurontin and Propanolol. Stuck on other two meds and still having strong symptoms from klonopin cold turkey. Want someday to be med free and healed again Link to comment
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